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CAM 84 | EASTER 2018
Porters The porters were definitely the cornerstone of our college – I remember every single one of them and everything they did for me. From stupid (sometimes drunken) problems, to enquiring about my Nana’s health and counselling my work stresses, I’m forever grateful. @Cambridge_Uni Leah Crimes (Homerton 2004) Will never forget my bike breaking at 1am on the way back from a party. I carried it as far as Wolfson, where the night porter tried to fix it. When he couldn’t, he rang the main lodge, and one of them came to rescue me (and the bike) so that I wouldn’t have to walk home in the dark. Definitely above and beyond. Sarah Reynolds (Girton 2002) When I came up to Cambridge in 1946, you were expected to grit your teeth and cope. It never occurred to me to go to my tutor. As for bothering the porters…! Later, as librarian of the Department of Geography, my experience prompted me to watch out for any students who did not seem to be settling in. Sometimes I provided humbugs. Geoffrey Willett (St Catharine’s 1946) In 1984, I came back to St John’s for the first time in 21 years, along with our son, then 18. We stopped at the Lodge, there to be met by Bob Fuller. “Ah, I remember you – Brown A,” he said and turning to our son:
ILLUSTRATION: KATE COPELAND
Mira Katbamna (Caius 1995)
Inbox
Editor’s letter
Welcome to the Easter edition of CAM. Kierkegaard thought it the root of all evil. Mary Renault considered it intellectual defeat. Jean Baudrillard declared it the world’s second worst crime. But where boredom might once have been something to fear, today we are never truly bored. In an era of social media, smartphones and non-stop notifications, how can we be? But could boredom actually be good for us? On page 24 we examine the evidence. Of course, if you are an Ottoman Emperor, boredom isn’t really much of a problem. Intricate diplomacy, complex politics and, of course, the small matter of running an empire keeps you fairly busy. But if that isn’t quite enough, how about building a flatpack Swiss-style chalet in your back garden? On page 30 Dr Deniz Türker tells the story of how a 19th-century global craze for timber buildings would come to define the domestic architecture of Istanbul. Elsewhere, on page 12, Cambridge alumni and academics share their summer reading lists, and on page 20 Professor Giovanna Mallucci explains why her latest research has the potential to transform care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, we are now able to include – opposite and online – far more of your letters, emails, tweets and Facebook posts. However you choose to join the debate, we look forward to hearing from you.