“With the size of the financial markets and their effect on our lives today, it is important to look at the ethical and philosophical implications of financial theories, policies, and practices.”
So said Ekemezie Uche, recent graduate of St. John’s College, as he prepares to move to London in the fall to pursue an MSc in Philosophy of the Social Sciences at the London School of Economics. He said his time at St. John’s has made him well equipped to address these issues.
“The St. John’s method, in which we take ownership of our learning, has prepared me for my endeavors outside of St. John’s, academic and otherwise. I can work through whatever new and complex challenges I face,” Uche said.
“I’m looking forward to living in London. It’s an exciting city with lots of things to do, and I’d like to take full advantage of that.”
When he reflects on his time at St. John’s, Uche said that playing the title character of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar was one of the most impactful experiences. During his junior year, Uche (A15) and a troupe of St. John’s College students put on a small production of the play, entitled The Ides of March. “It was performed in the boathouse over a weekend,” Eke said. “That was my first real foray into theater, but it was a good experience for me.”
He has particularly fond memories of his character’s dramatic death on stage.
“The death scene was fantastic,” Uche said. Staging the scene in an open setting was difficult. “I couldn’t just stand up after being killed,” Uche said. “We had to practice with me laying still and four people carrying me off stage. It was funny how many times we messed that up during rehearsals.”
Uche, a native of Nigeria, participated in many extracurricular activities during his four years at St. John’s. He captained the Greenwaves, one of five St. John’s intramural teams; edited the student literary magazine, Energeia; and sat on the Student Committee on Instruction and Delegate Council. His favorite parts of undergraduate studies were the Language Tutorials and reading English poetry.
“I’ve enjoyed the poetry and language, both translating Greek to English and translating French to English, [and] looking at Middle English poetry and Early English poetry in sophomore year and then doing nineteenth- and twentieth-century poetry senior year.”
Still, Uche said he always returns to his time as Caesar.
“I’m going to hold onto that because it was a crazy thing—I’d never done something like that. The things it did for my confidence, for my public speaking, experiencing the rush of acting, having to remember your lines, having to interact with the audience indirectly.”
“It’s something that I’m happy I did in a place like St. John’s where you don’t need to be a seasoned actor to partake in something like that. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
—Brady Lee (AGI14)