2012 Annual Report - Jesus College - University of Cambridge

Message from the Master
Ian White
MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER I Jesus College Annual Report 2012 5
It is a pleasure to introduce an Annual Report that
records such success and achievement by so many
associated with the College in so many spheres of
activity. Having completed my first year as Master, I have
much for which to be grateful, particularly as the success
and achievement of many has been matched fully by
great kindness shown to my wife and me by members of
the College. The past year has been one in which we have
often been surprised by how much greater the impact
and importance of the College has been to so many over
the years than we had previously appreciated, despite
our association with the College over many years. We
have come to realise that its value is equally felt by
current student members. Having interviewed final year students and also met with many
graduate students individually, repeatedly I have gained the overwhelming sense that
College life has been both important and enjoyable for them. Indeed the attractiveness of
the College has again been manifest in our undergraduate applications having increased
by 16% this year, despite the introduction of the new fee system that has led to substantially
fewer students applying to some other universities. Again the College has one of the
highest levels of application per place of any Cambridge college.
Achievements have been both academic and extra-curricular. We again were ranked
highly in the league tables for Tripos results, and there were some outstanding individual
performances both by undergraduate and graduate students. Music and art continue to
thrive in the College, and it was a privilege to attend many outstanding concerts, theatre
performances and exhibitions, both within the College and outside, where frequently Jesus
College students were to be found playing leading roles in University societies. The College
chapel choirs have gone from strength to strength, contributing so much to the chapel
services, and also to a range of concerts both within the UK and elsewhere, the tours to the
Ukraine and Germany having attracted much praise.
Sporting achievements continue to be most impressive, and indeed Jesus College was
recognised as the top sporting college overall by Varsity in November 2011. Excellent
sporting performances occurred throughout the year, with several of the men’s and
women’s hockey, football, and rugby teams reaching Cupper finals, and with the first boats
moving ahead strongly in the Bumps. I was particularly struck by the range of engagement
in sports across the College, with, for example approximately 45 students being awarded
University blues, half blues or colours.
This form of College life of course cannot exist on the basis of student excellence alone,
and it has been a privilege for me to see the commitment and quality of contributions by
fellows, staff, past student members and other supporters to the College. It was a pleasure
to rejoice in a range of senior appointments and awards made to Jesuans over the past year,
in particular the appointment of David Wootton as Lord Mayor of London; his hosting of
the JCCS Annual Dinner in the magnificent surroundings of the Mansion House proved to
be a most wonderful occasion. The gathering of 375 Jesuans and guests, a record for the
JCCS will, for me, form one of my happiest memories of the year, and special thanks are
due to the JCCS Committee for their impeccable organisation of the proceedings.