As a resident of St. John’s College, you have the very unique opportunity to not only gain knowledge and support in your research area, but also exposure to various aspects of life that come with living within an international community. We believe that apart from being an expert in your research area, it is also crucial to develop in other areas to become a well-rounded, global citizen. Staying in the college helps you learn more about other cultures, traditions, festivals, cuisines and languages that help you develop a new perspective towards the world around us. Since most of the programs and activities are initiated and carried out by the residents; they change every year to suit the interests of new residents. As a resident, you are free to join any committee and if you are keen to start your own committee, you are free to do so! For example, many of our alumni have taught language classes in the College, to share their language and culture with the community. The college has limited funding available to carry out activities in the committee.
Please explore the following committees which are currently active:
The Academic Committee aims to enrich the academic life of residents. We organize two named lectures, resident fellow speakers series, langauge classes, and the writing club.
The Arts Committee organizes a variety of arts-related activities and events that reflect the eclectic variety of skills, interests, and cultures of St. John's residents. Examples of the activities we organize include a knitting/crochet club, painting/drawing/oragami/dance lessons, gallery visits, and more.
SJC alumni become Johanneans who were a part of a lovely network with people that they shared their home with all around the world! We enhance this aspect of our community in the SJC Alumni Committee! We organize alumni events throughout the year and work on the SJC Alumni Newsletter
The Dining Committee facilitates and supports the residents' community dining experience in pursuit of the College's vision of "The World Around Our Table."
The Gardening Committee at SJC aims to care for plants in our shared space as well as help to strengthen our community bonds through conducting various fun activities that contribute to our physical, mental, and nutritional health. So if you're one who loves gardening or the one who likes to participate in the gardening activity, please join the SJC Gardening Committee.
The SJC outreach committee aims to create an enabling environment for residents to utilize their talents, knowledge and skills to enhance the quality of life of their wider local and global communities. We also support charitable and humanitarian causes of current and past SJC residents. Each academic year, the committee organizes fundraising parties and gatherings, silent auction sessions, and donation boxes.
“This inclusive pride flag design, first adopted by the city of Philadelphia in 2017, has black and brown stripes in addition to the rainbow-coloured stripes, to recognize LGBTQ2S+ People of Color (PoC). The LGBTQ2S+ rights movement has benefitted immensely from the work of LGBTQ2S+ PoC, though they continue to experience discrimination and biases in society. These ethnicities also have and continue to be overlooked and excluded from the LGBTQ2S+ community despite their many contributions.
The black and brown stripes serve to actively include and recognize LGBTQ2S+ PoC in Pride.”
The Sports Committee organizes and participates in various sports events and leagues around UBC as well as outside the university. From participating in UBC intramural leagues (representing SJC), to going curling and ice skating, the sports committee supports any sports activity that we want to engage in as a community.
The SJC Wellness Committee has been created to discuss and address the health concerns of the residents of the college. Considering the demands of working on a graduate degree, graduate students unsurprisingly face more challenges to their health than the rest of their age cohort. Health, in this sense, should be understood holistically: it encompasses not just physical but also mental, sexual, spiritual, financial, and emotional well-being. Stress, for instance, affect several (if not all) of these aspects. Wellness, on the other hand, is the optimal manifestation of the residents’ health. It is fostered by balance and support and care. We believe that wellness underpins academic and personal success. When we take care of ourselves and each other, we will find it easier to achieve our goals, spark joy, and find meaning in our lives.
The committee hopes to fulfill its aim by:
- Organizing workshops to help graduate student residents develop skills, strategies, and mechanisms to identify challenges pertaining to their general health and possible solutions to them. Workshops on different topics, from first aid to stress management to financial literacy, will be scheduled twice a month, preferably on regular day and time (i.e. every second and fourth Thursday from 5 to 6 PM or 8 to 9 pm).
- Establishing connections with different student services units, from the GSS advocacy office to counselling services, to help residents access the various resources available to them within the university.
- Forming a pool of volunteer wellness peers who could help the college administration respond to pressing situations involving the health of the residents.
Party! P-A-R-T-why? Because we want to! Any reason to celebrate with fellow SJCers is welcome and we'll need lots of help with ideas, organizing, running, and cleaning up our fun time revelry. So, if you have a reason to party let us know and help us plan the next big bash here at SJC!