June has arrived, the purple wisteria is blooming, and final exams are over. Cambridge students celebrate the end of Exam term with many traditions including May Balls and the famous Cardboard Box Boat Race. Thousands of people come to watch this entertaining competition on the River Cam where the different colleges compete for three coveted…
Author: Katie Sparling
A Cambridge Spring
Spring has arrived in Cambridge, and Cambridge’s famous cows have returned to the city commons from their winter barns. Cows have been grazing on Cambridge’s public parks, or “Commons” since the 12th century, and there is no doubt who’s in charge when they cross your path as you walk or cycle to a class. Watch…
Edinburgh, Dover, Cambridge
Greetings from cloudy, chilly England! Cambridge is quiet now because many students have returned home or are traveling because we are on Spring Break until late April. I’ve traveled a bit also, south to see the famous White Cliffs of Dover and north to Scotland. During week 6 of Lent term, a good friend from…
Cambridge Visions: Living, Working, Learning
“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.” Albert Einstein Chinese Master Sculptor Ju Ming’s remarkable bronze “The Taichi Arch – Gate of Health” gleams in the early…
Cambridge & Pitt: the first connection
Happy New Year! I hope you had a rejuvenating break. We are now back in classes after a six week holiday. Cambridge University calls this new eight week term “Lent Term,” and in April, we’ll have another break before the final study and exam period called “Easter Term.” I’ll write more about how we…
Expectations: exceeded
Happy holidays, everyone! Christmas has arrived in Cambridge, and the streets are brightly lit with lights in the windows of shops and decorations all around the city. Some of my house mates and I traveled into London last weekend and experienced the Christmas preparations amid England’s Storm Arwen. Even in the face of the rain,…
Christmas already? What about Thanksgiving??
Greetings and salutations! The bite of winter has begun to show face here in Cambridge! No frost or snow predictions for a few more weeks, but the chill in the mornings when heading to morning classes or supervisions packs a punch. I’ve just started week 5 out of 10 in Michaelmas term, and while it…
It’s not always sunny, I promise!
It’s actually raining as I’m writing this! Hello all! These past few weeks have been hectic as classes have officially started, but it’s always better to keep busy than be bored! In addition to academics, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to accompany a fellow musician at the Fresher’s recital last weekend. We played Song for Sienna by…
Greetings from Cambridge!
Hello all! I arrived at Cambridge last week, and the beauty of the city and the surrounding colleges continues to amaze me every time I step outside my door. I feel at times that I’ve been dropped into a Harry Potter movie or time traveled into the past when admiring the cathedral spires, soaring buttresses,…
It’s time for lift-off!
Hello everyone! My name is Katie Sparling. I will be participating in the 2021-2022 Jesus College Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. At the University of Pittsburgh, I am a rising junior pursuing a major in biological sciences with minors in chemistry and Spanish. I am the president and co-founder of Soccer for Social Change,…