News Articles

Selwyn has an extensive outreach programme to show young people from all backgrounds that Cambridge could be for them. We visit schools across the United Kingdom, and we host a number of groups who explore the college and the city. Much of the activity is focused around years 11 and 12, but we also welcome younger children for their first experience of what a university is like.

This summer we particularly enjoyed meeting 36 Year 5 pupils from Bonnygate Primary School and Cranbrook Primary School (both in Essex) and Dersingham Primary School in East London. The pupils were here at Selwyn in association with the Brilliant Club for their ’launch’ trip to mark the beginning of a Scholars’ Programme where they have weekly tutorials and produce a final research assignment. Our photo shows some of the children from Dersingham outside the college.

Read more about the Brilliant Club here: http://www.thebrilliantclub.org/. There’s more information about our access and outreach work online: http://www.sel.cam.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/access-outreach/.

Our catering manager Bill Simmonett will be retiring next month, and people from across the college
came to a lunchtime party to mark the occasion.

Bursar Nick Downer (right) thanked Bill for his 26 years of service to Selwyn, during which the
college and its catering & conferences operation had grown massively.

Bill in return said that friendliness was at the heart of Selwyn, and he would greatly miss his
colleagues and friends here.

We wish Bill a long and happy retirement.

The Selwyn choir's tour of California began in the spectacular setting of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. There was a large audience for a concert that ranged from Tallis to Mealor, and included the North American premiere of James MacMillan's One Equal Music.

The concert was introduced by the Master of Selwyn Roger Mosey, who thanked the alumni and benefactors who had made the trip to California possible. He added that in troubled times it's essential to retain the bonds between the people of the United States and Britain - and music is one of the ways of bridging continents.

Before the concert there was a reception for all University alumni hosted by 'Cambridge in America'. Among the Selwynites present were Julian Abdey (1991), Zach Marcus (2010) and Sabrina Abdey.

The other stops on the choir tour are Sacramento, Fresno and San Diego.

Selwyn students received their degrees on Friday June 30th in a centuries-old ceremony in the university's Senate House. A full selection of photographs is now online: https://www.flickr.com/photos/selalum/sets/72157685750774826

The afternoon started with a graduands' photograph in Old Court.

The Selwyn contingent then processed down West Road and through King's College to the graduation ceremony itself.

Here are four of our new BAs on the steps of the Senate House afterwards.

We congratulate all our new graduates, and we're delighted that many of them are staying on at Selwyn to study for a Master's degree or a doctorate.

We’re pleased to announce two more winners of prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s and Selwyn College scholarships. The first goes to Paula Czarnowska, who’s already studying here for an MPhil in Computer Science. She will now stay with us for her PhD.

The other award is to George Severs, currently taking his MPhil at Pembroke College. He will study at Selwyn for a PhD in History.

This makes a total of four Vice-Chancellor’s and Selwyn scholarships, in what is the first year of our partnership. We’re able to do this because of the generous support of benefactors, and we’re grateful to everyone who supports students and education at the college. You can read more on our alumni website https://www.selwynalumni.com/pages/student-support- or please contact the development office: alumni-office@sel.cam.ac.uk. There’s an account of how the Vice-Chancellor’s scheme works on the Cambridge Trust website: https://www.cambridgetrust.org/scholarships/v-c-awards-and-cambridge-international-scholarships/.

On his retirement from full-time work, Selwyn’s Professor John Morrill generously commissioned the renowned composer James MacMillan to write a new piece in memory of John's wife Frances and in gratitude to Selwyn College. The choir gave the première of 'One equal music' at Evensong on Sunday May 21^st. It’s a setting of John Donne's famous prayer beginning ‘Bring us O Lord God at our last awakening into the house and gate of heaven’.

The photograph shows John Morrill (left) with Selwyn’s director of music Sarah MacDonald and chaplain Hugh Shilson-Thomas. The music is published by Boosey and Hawkes, and details are online.

We pride ourselves on the pastoral support that's offered to students at Selwyn – and now there's recognition for one of our Fellows.

Stuart Eves, who is a tutor and also director of studies in veterinary medicine, has won an award from the Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU). The Student Led Teaching Awards exist to acknowledge outstanding teaching and student support; and Dr Eves won in the category of pastoral support, which recognises members of the university who go above and beyond what is expected of them in terms of student welfare. He received 14 nominations in total from Selwyn students.

Undergraduate Flora Miles, who presented him with the award, said he had always been a perceptive and proactive tutor and had made her life at Cambridge immeasurably better. You can read more about the nominees and the award scheme here:

The college men’s rugby players emerged victorious from a hard-fought final for the Cuppers Plate. The joint Selwyn-Peterhouse team beat Hughes Hall-St Edmund’s by just two points, in a match that ended 30-28. Our photos show action from the game; the excellent support from Selwyn students; and the silverware being held by captain Matt Wilson (seated front right) with the rest of the team.

Photographs by Ted Mackey, JCR president.