Message from the Mistress

Dr Elisabeth Kendall

Mistress, Dr Elisabeth Kendall at her installation ceremony.

As I arrived in my new college-to-be last October, my first impression was that Girton has a truly distinct and welcoming vibe, and that there’s a real buzz about the place. As the months continue to race by at breakneck speed, this sense has only grown. I’m constantly blown away by the talents, energy, enthusiasm and creativity of our students, Fellows and staff, and by just how much is going on in our brilliant College.

It’s tough to single out highlights but I’ll give it a go. Meeting every single Fresher face-to-face in my first week was a joyful start, not to mention a wonderful reminder of why we all do what we do at Girton. Our students are a constant source of fun, surprise, inspiration and intellectual energy.

Our Girton Amateur Dramatics Society put on a hilarious musical in my second week with the daringly edgy storyline of a Mistress missing-in-action, leaving College in the clutches of an evil, calculating Bursar, only to be saved by the heroic intervention of brave students (of course). But if we thought that was bold, Fellows’ eyebrows were raised a good inch further by the racy Christmas Panto, Girtonian Nights, in which an evil, calculating Mistress battles undercover to take back control of the College, assisted by a giant squirrel. You get the drift…

Student sports and societies continue to thrive at Girton, and it was a huge pleasure to host team Captains and society Presidents at a small party to hear them present their aims and hopes. In true Girtonian spirit, ambitions and camaraderie ran high. From energetic sportsfolks, gregarious thesps, talented musicians and green activists to the more obscure environmental ‘Bin Weevils’ and suspiciously self-serving ‘French Cheese and Wine Society’, our students managed to come up with original and convincing (well, entertaining at least) cases to support their extra-curricular endeavours.

Our fabulous Chapel Choir has been another source of amazement, and I’ve relished their highly original repertoire, including many pieces composed by our own students. Their fame continues to spread and in January, they were the subject of an hour-long BBC Radio 3 programme. The show featured interviews with choir members and our Director of Chapel Music, Dr Gareth Wilson, as well as tracks from each of the CDs made since 2016 with the invaluable input of Musician in Residence, Jeremy West. As a result, the Girton choir album Marc’Antonio Ingegneri Vol. 2 whizzed back up the classical music charts. It is quite extraordinary for a college choir to receive such high-profile exposure, but Gareth assures us that choir members have not let this go to their heads.

Our students are the beating heart of our College and, with your help, we’re able to ensure that they receive the very best that Cambridge can offer and that no one is left out or left behind, whatever their background or circumstances. I’ve been incredibly impressed with how Girton’s worldclass Fellowship and dedicated staff work together to deliver a fantastic all-round experience that reaches beyond teaching and research to support student development and wellbeing more broadly. This year’s Girton Spring Ball, on the theme ‘Beyond the Skies’, was a triumph of teamwork, even though the skies themselves did not cooperate. Spirits refused to be dampened by the torrential rain, and hundreds of revellers danced on to the 5 a.m. ‘Survivors’ Photo’.

Girton tries hard to strike the right balance: smoothing the way, but without pretending that life is somehow free of challenges; encouraging progressive views, but without invalidating different ways of thinking and seeing; acknowledging and repairing past shortcomings, but without disowning our history; embracing change, but without throwing off College traditions of which we can be proud.

Our Fellows’ world-class research has been making waves in the international media this term, including high profile reports on Dr Seb Falk cracking the code of a medieval almanack, Dr Arik Kershenbaum figuring out how animals talk, Dr Simone Maghenzani assessing the future of the British constitution, Dr Amy Donovan explaining the tectonics behind the huge earthquake in Syria and Turkey, my own TV interviews on Middle East conflicts and proxy wars, and many more.

One of my top priorities currently is to pull together a collaborative and coordinated communications strategy to tell the world all that our amazing community of Girtonians is up to. We’re preparing a series of short videos showcasing our Fellows’ ground-breaking research and we’re re-doubling our efforts to promote Girton’s reputation across various social media platforms (it’s wonderful to see engagement with us on LinkedIn rise by nearly 200% over the past six months). Whether you’re reading this as a Fellow, student, alumna, alumnus, staff member, supporter or friend, you are a key part of our Girton community. So please follow us on social media (links below), ‘like’ and re-post us as often as you can, and above all, do keep in touch and let us know your news!

Meeting Girtonians and friends in New York, December 2022

You can always reach us here:

alumni@girton.cam.ac.uk

www.girton.cam.ac.uk

Girton College Social Media Links

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