MCR Update: the year so far!

Thanks to our MCR President Kusal Lokuge (2014, DPhil in Health Economics) for the following report.

The Middle Common Room (MCR, our postgraduate student body) calendar for this academic year kicked off with a range of events planned by both the MCR Committee and College over Pre-Freshers’ Week. To say that this year’s Freshers were enthusiastic would be an understatement with attendance reaching record levels, highlighted by our Freshers’ BBQ which had over 100 attendees – something unheard of not just in the Teddy Hall MCR, but in postgraduate common rooms across Oxford. The period also saw the first joint MCR-JCR BOP in recent times, something we hope to continue in the future. The success of Freshers’ Week was both a testament to the hard work of the MCR committee, and the support from College staff.

Michaelmas and Hilary

The success of Freshers’ Week carried on through the first two terms, with high attendance for MCR events.

Highlights of Michaelmas term included the MCR Halloween party, hosted in the St Peter-in-the-East graveyard for the third successive year, which offered a truly unique Halloween experience for around 80 attendees. The term was capped off by the MCR Christmas Dinner, always a highlight of the Teddy Hall MCR calendar, where Chef John McGeever and his team put out a five-course meal, which was second to none of the restaurants let alone other colleges in Oxford, amidst plenty of wine, port, Christmas carols and Teddy Hall comradery.

Hilary term saw MCR Steward and token Scotsman Ronnie Guthrie lead the organisation of the Burns Night supper complete with an address to the Haggis prepared by Chef John, and post-meal whisky in the Old Dining Hall amidst the recitals of the Immortal Memory, Address to the Lassies, and the Reply from the Lassies. Later on in term MCR Steward Siân Brooke brought a classier twist to the traditional Cakes and Cocktails party by introducing a 1950s theme and hosting it in the Old Dining Hall – the first time the MCR has hosted a party in the ODH in recent times, largely thanks to the support of SCR member Dr Emily Winkler.

Other highlights of the term included NSE Rep Hannah Sharpe organising a pop art themed Arty Party where the artistic talents of MCR members were on full display. The rest of Michaelmas and Hilary was filled with wine tastings hosted by Dr Peter Collins in the Old Library, exchange dinners in the Old Dining Hall, Sunday brunches, weekly cake and coffee evenings (part of the Teddy Hall Bake-Off), a high tea, Thanksgiving Dinner and the traditional welcome-back and out-of-term parties.

On the academic front, termly graduate seminars were organised by our Academic Rep Tereza Pusca and Professor David Priestland, who generously provides a lovely home-cooked meal for attendees. This gives MCR members the opportunity to present their research, whatever their discipline. This year has also seen our graduate online student journal, Ex Aula, continue to thrive. Founded by MCR members Tim Donnison and Trent Taylor, it presents a unique opportunity for students to share their research with a non-specialist audience.

Equalities Week

The Teddy Hall Equalities Week was held for a second successive year in week 5 of Michaelmas with talks, debates and panel discussions centred around themes of equality and diversity. The organising of the event from the MCR’s side was led by former MCR President and inaugural MCR Equalities Officer Linde Wester. This was capped off by the first culturally-themed Formal in week 6, organised by our BME Rep Cherrelle Dacon, where Chef John put together a mouth-watering Caribbean-themed menu.

Aula Narrat

In an attempt to further increase interactions between MCR and SCR members, this year’s Pontigny Scholar Václav Janeček successfully initiated ‘Aula Narrat’, a joint SCR and MCR talk series with an underlying theme of turning failure into success. The inaugural talk saw both MCR and SCR members share stories on how they have overcome adversities in both their academic career and life in general.

Sport

Participation of MCR members in College and University sport continued to be significant. More than ten of our postgraduates were involved in Varsity matches in Hilary term. The MCR also kept up its tradition of contributing large numbers to the St Edmund Hall Boat Club having ten members in the four crews entered for Torpids.