College Formals
culture  

College Formals

By Maddie

College formals are an essential aspect of Cambridge life. These take place in the candlelit halls of each college, and are great for good food and good company.

There are 31 colleges making up Cambridge University, and each holds at least one formal each week. Each college’s formal is unique. For example, most colleges require the students to wear gowns, but a few have dropped the tradition and don’t require the gown. Some formals have extra cheese and snacks served after the main meal (I think, I haven’t experienced this personally). Some even plate the food in front of you rather than giving you the whole dish at once.

Usually, a formal consists of an appetizer, main dish, dessert, then coffee or tea with a mint. Before starting the meal, the senior fellow of the college says grace, and after the main meal, there’s usually a second grace, and the fellows depart hall.

Below is a photo of all the Caltech Cambridge exchange students this term right before a formal at St. John’s! Phones aren’t allowed while the master and fellows of the college are present, but we managed a photo inside after they left.

Recommended Articles

My Friday Nights
culture

My Friday Nights

It was the Friday night of midterms during my first year at Caltech, and I was alone in the library. That weekend (week five of term, if you’re keeping count) also happens to coincide with Halloween. But as a bright-eyed frosh trudging my way through Ma 1a lecture notes, I was just baffled that no one else was studying alongside me. Spoiler alert: not all Caltech students spend Friday night—or every night—studying or grinding sets, even during midterms. And especially on Halloween weekend.

By
caltech q and a
culture

caltech q and a

In order to get a good sense of the Caltech community, there is no better way than to talk to the students themselves. To give a little bit of an inside perspective of Caltech, I asked some students a variety of questions. Questions ranged from conspiracy theories to Caltech-specific takes and other random topics.

By
What's on my desk?
culture

What's on my desk?

I’d like to think that I keep a tidy desk, but hey— entropy prevails for everyone. Here’s a breakdown of all the items you could find on my desk, circa February 2023.

By
Searching for snow
culture

Searching for snow

My grandma always says that it rains whenever Dragonssuperior zodiac sign travel, and sure enough, it was raining when I landed at LAX for my last calendar year at Caltech. It’s officially my graduation year—but between leaving campus just before spring term in my freshman year and returning, twenty-one years old, as a junior, it really does feel like my time here has flown by.

By