July Alumni Newsletter 2021
Welcome to your July newsletter! Summer has finally arrived, and in true summer fashion, York was overcast with drizzle for the summer solstice. It wasn’t quite BBQ weather, but we’re looking forward to sunnier times ahead.
June was busy at York St John, including celebrating Pride, the Art degree show and lots of great research being published by our academics. We also celebrated Father’s Day, including the Counselling and Mental Health Centre releasing a list of resources about Men’s Mental Health.
A Green Campus
Last month, York St John launched the next phase of its biodiversity strategy alongside launching a new decarbonization project on campus. This includes supporting campus wildlife by creating new ponds, planting a wildflower meadow and creating a ‘living wall’ of greenery.
To help reduce campus carbon emissions, solar panels are being installed on campus, so keep an eye out for them next time you’re walking past!
You can find out more about YSJ’s green plans and solar panels on our website.
We’re proud to support Pride
Usually during June, we’d have taken part in the annual Pride march. Covid-19 curtailed that plan but it didn’t stop our support!
The Students’ Union spent all month celebrating Pride with focuses on the history of pride, important historical members of the LGBTQ+ community, how to celebrate Pride at home, and how to be a straight ally. You can read their resources on their website.
Helping Alumni Businesses
In the past year, you might have seen that owners of big businesses have profited from the pandemic. A recent Oxfam report found that the combined wealth of the world’s 10 wealthiest men rose by £400 billion, including that of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. For context, the report found that he could have given all 876 000 Amazon employees a $105 000 bonus, and still have been as wealthy as he was pre-pandemic.
Supporting our alumni community
This September, we’re proud to launch our free alumni business directory, an online resource of alumni-founded businesses offering alumni discounts. Whether your business offers a service or sells a range of products, our business directory will give our alumni a way to support their fellow alumni by supporting their businesses.
How does it work for businesses?
If you have an alumni business and can offer an alumni benefit, simply fill out this short form to register your interest and we will get back in touch. Please read our terms and conditions before applying.
For more information on the Oxfam report, see this BBC news article.
How can I access the directory?
We’re launching in September, so keep an eye out for an announcement that our directory is open!
Father’s Day and Mental Health
It is so important to be able to recognise the signs of poor mental health, so that support can be sought out early. Fathers’ Mental Health Day, celebrated on 21 June, is setting out to provide father figures everywhere with the information, resources and support needed to maintain positive mental wellbeing. Find out more on the Counselling and Mental Health Centre website, including links to local support groups, including Yorkey Dads.
In case you missed it
Catching up with past events has never been so easy! The Events YouTube channel has recordings of online events, including ones from last month.
Did you miss any of the Questions in History series? From the Romans to Ronald Reagan, discover interesting explorations of history, including answers to questions you never thought to ask! Watch them now on YouTube.
The Art Degree Show
In another year unlike any other, Covid-19 has changed the way our students have completed their degrees. With no possibility of a ‘normal’ degree show with crowds of people milling around art pieces, the show moved partly online alongside offering small, free group tours.
You can look at a range of pieces on the Aesthetica website via a short video.
Upcoming Events
This year, York St John is hosting the annual Korea Day Festival in partnership with the Korean Cultural Centre UK and the City of Chuncheon. Including a Korean traditional costume (‘Hanbok’) show, Korean traditional games, crafts, calligraphy and a selection of Korean food to try, Yor-K gives our community the chance to enjoy Korean Culture and Art. You can book your free tickets for day events here.
As part of Yor-K, enjoy an evening showcase of traditional and contemporary Korean music and dance, including the winner of the K-Pop lyric writing competition. You can find out more and book tickets on the York Theatre Royal website.
A lot to blog about
We love hearing from our alumni, both past students and past teaching staff. In our latest blog post retired lecturer Terry Wawn reminisces about his lifetime in teaching. From his early school teaching career in London, to facilitating educational exchange in Russia, Terry’s ‘long read’ blog gives a unique insight into a lifetime in teaching around the world. Now fully retired, Terry also explains why he has decided to leave a legacy to York St John.
Read his fascinating blog post now.
Recent Research
In the past few weeks, some fantastic research has been published by York St John academics, including the science between a successful penalty kick and about vaccine hesitancy.
Did you know that researchers often need our input? Researchers are currently asking people to complete a short questionnaire about how Covid-19 has affected their love lives and to submit musical memories of York.
To find out more about love in the time of Covid, please visit our website. If you have a musical memory of York you’d like to share, please email it to yorkmusicstories@gmail.com.
Webinars
We can’t wait to begin an alumni webinar series! We’ve already thought of some topics we’d like to cover, but are there any you’d like to see?
If you’ve got an idea for a webinar, or would like to host one, email alumni@yorksj.ac.uk.
Alumni Careers
Postgraduate study is a big decision. Careers Advisor Matt Jones offers his expert advice and a 4 step process to decide whether postgraduate study is right for you. Watch his short video now:
Do you want to find out how to be more employable? Sign up for employability webinars to find out how to build resilience, overcome imposter syndrome and how to use critical thinking to solve real-world problems. Find out more on the Smart Resourcing Solutions website.
Graduation Update
In May 2021 the Class of 2020 you should have received a Graduation update via email. If you didn’t receive your email, and you haven’t already contacted us, please check your spam folders and update your details via our online form.
Graduation dates have been provisionally booked for weekdays 15-22 November 2021. Due to Covid-19, exact ceremony dates will be confirmed 3 months before the date of graduation.
Please see the website for more information.
