Hear From Our Alumni

I often describe choosing to go to ANU, and Johns, as the best decision I ever made. Probably a little dramatic but it has defined my 20s beyond belief. Almost all my best friends I met at 51 Daley Road. We bonded at snack time, over Winnie’s laksa, and watching sport games, when we should have been at the library. We did plays, debating, spelling bees and just sat in the courtyard with our instant coffees. Quality time, quality laughs and quality people.

A favourite memory of mine is our third year anniversary dinner (2018) where all the girls embraced the longstanding tradition and wore prom dresses. We all felt so special and had a fun time sticking out from the crowd. Some of my best friends are pictured below and I know our friendship will past the rest of time.

Currently I live in work in Canberra at Deloitte, after previously working as a public servant. I’m thinking about travel next year and excited about my future with my Johns family by my side!

Ruby King

‘A2 - All Things Johns’, the theme of our corridor and one of the first things I saw upon stepping into the residential block. The halls were covered in blue and white posters, and each room had a door sign with weird and whacky Johns related things – ping pong, otb, cordial, tav, etc etc. Of course, at the time, none of it made sense, but in the coming weeks, our curiosities of this exotic place were answered. We were engulfed by the life and culture of J23, with continuous social events, sporting matches, and many other extra-curricular activities. The things you could get involved with at the college were endless, and no matter what was happening, from drinking silently in a pub to competing in inter-hall ‘disk’ competitions, the ressies would get around it. I could talk about what I did at Johns for ages, however there are a few memorable moments which embody this Johns culture…

Whilst there are a number of fantastic events at Johns, I’ll mention one that stands out, Barn Dance. This event wasn’t pitched to us with much glamour, we go out dressed as farmers to one of the Canberra suburbs where there is an old Barn available for rent by the ACT government and have a boogie. It was only natural to think ‘well why can’t we just do this at college, or somewhere close by?’ Turns out I was a fool for ever doubting such an event. The effort the ressies went into decorating the barn, getting a live band, and simply hyping it all up was incredible. I’ve never thought I would enjoy dancing in an old wooden shed surrounded by mud and haystacks so much. The punch provided was also an incredible formulation, something for the recipe books. It was a fantastic night and one that I will never forget.

Another key highlight of my life at Johns was the sport. Playing against rival colleges with the pelican army behind your back was a fantastic feeling. Johns was involved in all sports, but there was one sport I loved in particular … I’ve been told I talk about this too much, but I wouldn’t be talking about Johns if I hadn’t mentioned IB (Inward bound). IB is another one of those events, like Barn Dance, that you look at and ask ‘why on earth would I do that?’ There is no greater sense of comradery and adventure than being put in a team of 4 other ressies, blind folded, dropped in the middle of nowhere, and navigating back to an end point and racing other college teams at the same time. Whilst there are tough times in this crazy sport, often these times are the most memorable.

To sum up, there is so much to get involved in at J23, and no matter what it is, the ressies will get around it. There is no better way to make friends and memories.