Every day of O’Week, the first-year students would come up to us and ask, “Soph and Nick, what’s your role again?”
“We’re your Equity & Inclusion officers” “OK.. but like, what do you actually do?”
It’s a great question, and our answer is constantly evolving. As companies have been investing into their Equity and Inclusion profiles in recent years, St John’s College has followed suit and offers two students the position of Equity & Inclusion Officer each year. We form part of the Residential Advisor (RA) Team and work closely with our First Nations Officer, Dean of Students and College Chaplain in the aim of making John’s the most inclusive and welcoming college at UQ.
We are still exploring the best ways to fit this new practice into our long-standing traditions at John’s, but we have established a few ground rules so far:
Equity & Inclusion does not exist to tick a box We are fiercely passionate about creating spaces and events where every student feels comfortable to express themself, and a culture where supporting each other is standard practice.
Equity & Inclusion is for everyone at College Although it seems like a given, we are determined to make Equity and Inclusion a mission that all Jabbas can get around. We believe that having conversations is the best way to learn more about the people around us, their stories, and the way they see the world.
This year, we’ve had the chance to bring some of these values to life through a few standout events:
In April, we hosted the inaugural SJC Mardi Bar in the Junior Common Room. This highly anticipated event was originally imagined by our predecessors, Juliette and Chris, so we feel very lucky to have been able to pull it off! Mardi Bar (a play on Mardi Gras) is a celebration for everyone but also acts as important reinforcement to our students in the LGBTQIA + community that they are welcome and safe at John’s. This event was a raging success; we saw some super colourful outfits and danced to an incredible set by our band ‘Heaven on Earth’ late into the night.
We marked IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia, by teaming up with Cromwell and Duchesne’s E&I Officers for an afternoon of live student music, a bake sale, raffle, bouncy castle, and even a dunk tank. It was fun, but more importantly, it helped raise awareness and foster conversations about allyship and inclusion. We’re thankful to everyone who donated and helped raise awareness for this important cause.
2025 has already been a big year for Equity & Inclusion at St John’s, and we’re just getting started. Semester 2 will bring more events, including activities for R U OK? Day and awareness initiatives focused on sexual health education.
Nick and I regard it as a meaningful undertaking to play a part in developing what this role means within the St John’s College community, knowing how important it is to keep championing for change and equality in our current global climate.