Happy Black History Month! St. John’s College is inextricably intertwined with the history of the United States, being involved in such events as the Revolutionary War, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the writing of the national anthem, and the history of Black American community and culture. St. John’s has a notable history with…
Category: Community
Welcome to Camp Johnnie
Sports can form a great part of student life at many colleges and universities. After all, nobody can be expected to spend all their time on classes, studies, and homework for four years. (All work and no play, you might say, would make Johnnies dull.) Of course, St. John’s can’t be expected to do anything…
Everything In Time: Deferrals, Gap Years, and January Starts
When is the right time to start college? The answer to this question may seem obvious. Many think that the time to start college is inevitably in the fall after graduating high school, with only a summer in between. But that’s not the only choice available; many students choose not to start college right away,…
St. John’s: Not Just for Introverts
It takes all kinds to make the world go around! St. John’s thrives on this balance in our close community and small classes. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, the college can be a paradise. An important part of the college experience is defining your own identity. No longer are you defined solely by…
Beating Homesickness at College
Freshman year is a time of substantial changes for everyone, no matter where they come from. You can’t help but be changed by it. You’ve been plucked from the life you know and thrust firmly into the newly adult college world, poised in front of a lot of lessons to learn. As an alum of…
Why Choose a Small College?
Choosing a college is a complicated decision, made up of a lot of factors, and one of the things that every college-bound student should consider is the size of college they want. Going to a small college is a unique experience. It might not be what media and popular ideas would make you think of…
The Shorthand of Emotion: Music at St. John’s College
In the beginning, there were drums. Then, there were the chants sung in medieval abbeys, and then, harmony, and the great composers of the 18th and 19th centuries. As St. John’s students, we discover all of that in our music program. The first song we learn, in our freshman chorus, is often medieval. The first…
Party Like It’s 1696: St. John’s Waltzes
Waltz parties are a beloved tradition at St. John’s College. These parties may seem like a relic of another time, but the music, laughter, and (admittedly) eccentric creativity they inspire brings them squarely to the present. Formal, fancy, or themed dress is most always the order of the day. Suits and full-skirted dresses along with…
The Art of Storytelling
Looking through the camera lens, the light kit shining on my back like a halo, I wondered how I found heaven in a senior common room. My name is Armando, and I’m currently a Graduate Institute student at St. John’s College. Last month, the winter season had me itching for a project to break up…
A January Start
*Starting in January 2022, the January Freshmen Program is only available on the Santa Fe campus. Even among the amazing group of people that make up the polity of St. John’s College, there’s something special about January Freshmen. It’s probably not a surprise to hear that January Freshmen, often called just “JFs” (or “Febbies” in…
The Chalkboard 