It is universally accepted as being one of the finest seats of learning, but for one student, known only as Vita, being crowned the "best bum" at Cambridge University has put her in a class of her own.
Leaning naked against an oak tree at Homerton College, the winning photograph won nearly a quarter of the vote among readers of the students' newspaper The Tab.
THE RESULTS ARE IN — Cambridge's peachiest bottom has been crowned! https://t.co/66BVrYGzA7
— The Tab Cambridge (@tabcambridge) November 24, 2017
All of which came as something of a surprise to the young winning undergraduate who readily admits that she has a "considerable a**e and thighs."
Today I learned that Cambridge University has an annual “Best Bum” competition of students taking nude pics around campus. And they’re fantastic.
— Cheyenne Austin (@cheyennelaustin) November 27, 2017
You eat and you win sure better than starve to look good and lost anyway because it was not the judges taste
— salina (@inSALINAsWORLD) November 27, 2017
Something to add to her resume
— RealityCheck (@Complyorcry) November 27, 2017
Nevertheless, Vita insists her victory against far slimmer entrants is a major strike for "body acceptance."
"I don't have the most athletic figure and I have quite a considerable a**e and thighs. It says a lot about how far the world has come in body acceptance. I have worked hard to accept my body. I wanted to prove that to myself by doing something I wouldn't usually do. I didn't even expect the photo would be in the top 10 — let alone be the winner. I've never been so proud of something like that. I'm probably more proud of that than getting into Cambridge," she confessed.
Vita — who is reading law at Gonville and Caius — only decided to enter the competition when her friend, a professional photographer, asked her the night before the competition.
Check out Cambridge University’s ”Best Bum ‘ Winner https://t.co/IrBbRl3FjT pic.twitter.com/Y3KYoB3g9l
— CitizenNG.com (@CitizenNGonline) November 27, 2017
The location was far from glamorous — and in full view of a park full of footballers.
"During the photo, it was so cold and my feet were wet. You can't notice in the photo but the photos were taken near a football pitch during a football match. I don't think they saw us — we would have noticed if they had noticed us. It was also next to the train line and every time a train was about to go by, the photographer threw my coat at me to give me some modesty," Vita added.
Vita garnered 24.32 percent of the votes, although it was a close-run contest, with another strong contender at the rear. Virginia, who is studying land economy at Jesus, won 23.08 percent of the popular vote.