Selwyn is the great-grandson of the college resident Sir Ernest's brother, and often wonders what it must have been like for adventurers venturing into the unknown dangers of the icy continent.
Sir Ernest led three British expeditions to the Antarctic, as well as the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917), which was intended to be the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent.
However, disaster struck when his ship, the Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and slowly crushed before the shore parties landed.
The crew escaped by camping on sea ice before launching a lifeboat to reach Elephant Island and eventually South Georgia Island – Shackleton's most famous undertaking.
"It's great to know that there's someone we relate to, who has been remembered and done some really neat things," Jade said.
He praised Sir Ernest and those who traveled with him on the expedition.
"It takes a lot of courage to do something like this.
“They must have taken it out somewhere deep, to go months without seeing any family members and brave that dangerous place.
"It was the great unknown then."
Jade will give a reading today to mark the 106th anniversary of the death of Reverend Arnold Spencer-Smith, an explorer, pastor and photographer on Sir Ernest's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
He felt honored to be part of an event that helped celebrate the lives of those involved in the campaign.
The event is to be held at All Saints Church.
The Reverend Canon Michael Wallace, pastor of the Dunedin North Anglican Parish Vicar and Selwyn College, said there would be a mass at 5.30pm in honor of Rev. Spencer-Smith, who he took to the Antarctic.
After the service, there will be a reception at All Saints Hall, before the fourth annual Arnold Spencer-Smith Lecture at 7 p.m.
The lecture will be delivered by University of Otago Center for Sustainability ethnobiologist and conservation biologist Associate Professor Priscilla Vehey, and will be titled Transforming Our Thinking About Antarctica: Whakaro Age Research.