Matriculation and the River Cam

My day started at 6 am yesterday. For those of you who really know me, know that Shannon + early mornings = a struggle. I met a few of the girls on the rowing team in front of reception at 6:30, and then we rode our bikes down to the boathouse that we share with Trinity Hall. At 6:30 am it is still dark and there aren't many cars on the road so it was a quick and easy 10 minute ride. We then had to wait for everyone else to get there so we could take the boat out. Around 7:30 am we finally had everyone there, the oars were positioned along the river, and so therefore we were able to lift the boat over the tops of our heads and place it in the water. The stern side gets in the boat first, while the people on the bow side steady the boat. The bow side then gets in and pushes the boat off of the side of the river using their oars and away you go...or so I thought.

Our first launch was not as graceful as it should have been. Instead, the worst possible thing that could happen when you are rowing, happened. That is right, our boat tipped and in we went into the River Cam. The water was absolutely freezing, we were lucky in that there was no frost that morning. We then had to tip the boat over so it was facing the right way up again and carry it back into the boathouse. Carrying it back to the boathouse required us to lift the boat and carry it above our heads, which of course meant that all the water that was in the boat, was now going to pour down on us. To make matters even worse, I then had to bike home in the freezing cold while dripping wet. Not the greatest first experience in rowing. I spent the rest of the day trying to warm myself up and catch up on some reading before my matriculation ceremony.

The matriculation ceremony is the official ceremony that initiates you into Cambridge University as well as your individual college. The ceremony begins with a prayer said by the Dean in Latin in the chapel followed by the induction of Masters, Fellows, and then first year students. Your name is read and you must go to the front to shake hands with the St. Edmund's master who has a brief conversation with you and then you sign the Matriculation registry. When the ceremony was over we then followed the Masters and Fellows out into the Garden Room for pre-dinner drinks of Sherry. The butler then rings a bell and invites us into the Formal Dining Hall for a candle-lit dinner. We all had to stand behind our chairs and wait for the Dean to read another Latin prayer before we were able to sit down. During the dinner, no one is allowed to leave unless you receive permission from the Master. We were served a four course meal that started with soup served with white wine, the main course served with red wine, dessert and sherry, and finally a cheese platter and coffee. The meal ends with another prayer read by the Dean as students follow the Masters and Fellows out into the Combination Room. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures because it is not allowed during the ceremony.

The whole Matriculation ceremony lasted for four hours. It was a long, tiring evening, but one that I will never forget. The tradition of formal candle-lit dinners dates back to when the University was first founded in 1209. I am very honored to be able to take part in such a long-standing tradition, even though I look ridiculous in my Harry Potter robe.