Download - JCR Annual Report 2010
St Peter’s College JCR Annual Report
2010
Junior Common Room Annual Report 2010
St Peter’s College Junior Common Room
Annual Report 2010
Table of Contents
Foreword (JCR President)
Your JCR (2009-2010)
Access
Arts Week
Bar
Boat club (Boat Club President - Rebecca Howett)
Brazil Week
Campaigns and Committees
Charities Work
College Recycling Scheme
Creative Writing Workshop
Cross Keys Drama
Food
Graduate Seminars
Green Initiatives
Hog Roast
Housing Guide
International Students
Misc
OUSU
Pantomime and Extravaganza
Question and Answer Session
Rent
Secret Santa
Sports Teams and Initiatives
St Peter’s Music Society (SPCMS President – Tom Hancox)
Subject Reps
Teaching Review
Visiting Students (Tristen Edwards)
Welfare
Financial Report
JCR Committee 2009/10
Foreword
This year has only confirmed what I have witnessed to be true the older I get – time really does fly! I
can’t believe that it was a year ago that I was beginning my journey as JCR President but now I can really
look back with a sense of pride having just about navigated the difficult terrain between working
tirelessly on behalf of the JCR and attempting not to fail my degree!
Time is the greatest gift we have and all of us face a decision on how we choose to spend it. We should
be proud of our heritage at St Peter’s as being a common room that spends it’s time wisely; not just
focusing solely on academics but choosing to enjoy the whole range of opportunities open to students in
this university. Amongst us are people who are active in sports, music, the arts, volunteering and a
number of campaigns from widening access to fighting for the rights of women in society.
Being at a College like St Peter’s should help us never to forget the power we have to change the world
around us. The fact that St Peter’s is here today is testimony to the determination of one man to open
the world of an Oxford University education to those who would otherwise have missed out. My hope is
that by the time you have completed your degree at St Peter’s you will have adopted the spirit of our
College that while being at Oxford University will open up the whole world to us, we have a
responsibility to ensure that the world we leave is a better place than the one we arrived in.
Now that I’ve had my two cents worth, I must start by thanking the members of the JCR Committee who
have been absolutely fantastic! I am grateful for the opportunity to do this Annual Report so you can see
how much work they have done over the past year. The Annual Report does have its limitations in that it
focuses mainly on new developments in the JCR when many things the committee have done has built
on the legacy left by our predecessors and JCR Committee members before them. The Report will also
fail to capture the solidarity we have had as a committee, the words of support that have kept me going
and the work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that the JCR runs as smoothly as possible.
Special thanks must also go to senior members of the College and to the College staff who I have had
the privilege to work with over the past year. It is a shame that it is often only the JCR President and a
few select members of the JCR who get to see the commitment and dedication that ‘College’ has to St
Peter’s and it’s students. It hasn’t been the easiest of years with changes in personnel and
accommodation buildings amongst other things, but I thank ‘College’ for all they have done to help the
members of the JCR through this transitional period.
It truly has been an honour to serve this College as JCR President. I truly have put my heart into being
JCR President and though I haven’t always got things right, I have always attempted to do things in the
right way. I wish all JCR members the best for whatever you go on to do in the future remembering
always to have compassion in your heart and the keys on your chest.
Daniel Stone
JCR President 2009/10
Your JCR (2009-10)
Access
This is the first year the JCR has had an Access Rep and already we are reaping the rewards. Our Access
Rep, Adam Bowler has been the main source of communication between the JCR and those in College
responsible for access and admissions. This has led to greater student involvement in Open Days and an
Access Video Competition where members of the JCR were invited to film a video showcasing the
benefits of collegiate life at St Peter’s. There have been renewed efforts to encourage St Peter’s
students to hold presentations in their school over vacation periods and there are a number of other
projects in their fledgling stages including e-mentoring schemes and an Access Road show
Arts Week
Our annual Arts’ Week was back in 3rd Week of Trinity with our Arts Rep, Rimi putting on a delectable
feast of artistic treats for us to enjoy. This year’s Arts’ Week involved workshops in arthouse film and
drama, slam poetry, life-drawing, painting, a performance by the Alternative Choir and a visit by the
reggae group Shumba youth. The regular Open Mic Nights and exposure to creative arts have developed
a keen following among members of the JCR who took full part in most of the events throughout the
week
Bar
The bar has continued to be a social hub for the JCR and regularly hosts Jazz Jams and semi-legendary
pub quizzes! A highlight of mine has to be the purchase of the Slush machine, which brought me back to
simpler times.... In Trinity term there has also been the introduction of BBQ Mondays where members
of the JCR can cook their own food on the BBQs provided. The Bar Manager Ben Conroy and the entire
bar staff team have worked tirelessly to keep the bar running smoothly throughout the year and we
should really be proud of having one of the best bars in Oxford
Boat Club (Rebecca Howett)
2009 – 2010 has been a (green and) golden year for St Peter’s College Boat Club!
In Michaelmas term, we started off by introducing a whole new generation of St Peter’s rowers to the
joys of early mornings on the Isis. Four crews trained for and competed in the novice only event of Christ
Church Regatta. Unfortunately the competition was cancelled after the first day due to adverse weather
conditions. However, all the St Peter’s crews were unbeaten at that stage, and I am confident that they
would have gone on to do well if the weather hadn’t been quite so dire.
Our more senior rowers concentrated on Isis Winter League (a series of time trial races). The women’s
first VIII was particularly successful, being the second fastest boat in Michaelmas and the third fastest
boat in the following term. The men’s first VIII continued to train at Radley, where they benefitted from
the purchase of a new launch for the coach to follow the crew on the water as they row along.
We had a difficult start to the year after our legendary coach, Francis King, suffered a stroke over the
Christmas period. This was very sad news and a real loss to the boat club. We were inspired to take part
in the national "Stoke for Stroke" campaign to raise money for the Stroke Association. Over the course
of a Saturday afternoon, the combined efforts of the SPCBC oarsmen and oarswomen resulted in us
rowing 150,000m on the ergs and raising an incredible £3,000 for charity.
In Hilary term, St Peter’s finished top of the bumps statistics for Torpids. We managed fourteen bumps
in total, more than any other college boat club. This was a fantastic achievement which reflects all the
hard work of everyone involved with the boat club. Two men’s crews and two women’s crews competed
in Torpids, with a third women’s crew unfortunately just missing out on qualification.
Summer Eights, in Trinity term, is the highlight of the college rowing year. Five SPCBC crews trained for
the competition, but our women’s third boat again narrowly missed out on qualification by several
seconds. The women’s second VIII and women’s first VIII both maintained their positions in the bumps
chart. The men’s second VIII went down three places and the men’s first VIII went up two places which
puts them in a higher division ready for next year.
Overall this has been an incredible year for all those who row in green and gold. Thank you for rowing,
thank you for coxing, and thank you for supporting!
Brazil Week
In Michaelmas Term the JCR and MCR helped Dr Claire Williams get the College enthusiastic about Brazil
Week. The JCR put on a screening of City of God, a capoeira (Brazilian martial art) demonstration by
Abolição Oxford Capoeira Group, (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and ensured that the ingredients for
caipirinhas (deadly lime and rum cocktails) were stocked behind the bar. At Tuesday and Thursday
dinner time, the chefs put together delicious menus of Brazilian food for formal hall, which was well
attended by members of the JCR. The effects of Brazil Week clearly rubbed off on St Peter’s football
teams, but I’ll come back to that later...
Campaigns and Committees
The JCR has continued to represent students on all the College Committees and on university wide
committees too. We have also worked this year on individual JCR Committee Officers developing closer
relationships with senior members and college staff, which have led to more frequent one-on-one
meetings across the whole range of committee responsibilities. St Peter’s JCR was among a handful of
common rooms represented in parliament during the campaign against increased tuition fees and we
have worked with College to get the best conclusions to concerns raised about fire safety and the
numerous issues in the JCR letter
Charities Work
This year’s JCR Charity was McMillan Cancer Research and members of the JCR have been enthusiastic in
raising money for this cause through formal halls, custardings and St Peter’s Got Talent. This year’s
naked calendar has been overseen by Tom Stevenson and Alex Yudin with photographers Rachel Chew
and Una Kim capturing St Peter’s students at their most exposed! Tom and Alex would like to thank the
whole JCR for being extraordinarily helpful during the whole process of getting the calendar together.
This year’s Charities Officer, Emily Clarke has forged a relationship with a former Peterite working with
disabled and abandoned children in China, which will hopefully develop into the future
College Recycling Scheme
This year saw a breakthrough in efforts to establish a system of recycling throughout the entire College.
Our E&E Rep Scarlett duTillieul-Mcnicol with the full support of the domestic bursar and the scouts has
been able to launch a scheme to recycle paper and card in every room in College. With the council
introducing comingled bins in the near future it seems that recycling in St Peter’s can only go from
strength to strength
Creative Writing Workshop
A creative writing workshop was held during 5th week with writer and journalist Joanna Kavenna. This
was another opportunity for members of the JCR to show their artistic flair and develop new skills
Cross Keys Drama
Perhaps the stand out moment of the year has been the launch of Cross Keys Drama Productions to give
some structure and foundation to drama at St Peter’s. The debut performance of Lysistrata was enjoyed
by all who attended and I am sure will be the first of many plays to grace St Peter’s College. Again the
launch of Cross Keys Drama is an example of a member of the JCR Committee, our Arts Rep Rimi,
working with the senior members of the Artistic Purposes Fund to create something that has greatly
improved the experience of life at St Peter’s
Food
Our FHA Officer Dan Rozier has worked tirelessly this year on a number of issues but none more so than
food. Regular questionnaires have been distributed among the JCR to get your opinion on the right
balance between price and quality and recent surveys have shown dramatic improvements in the
opinion of students. Behind the scenes the head chef has been working with the FHA Officer to keep
prices as low as possible while keeping food locally sourced and of a high quality
Graduate Seminars
The MCR has kindly invited the JCR to their graduate seminars as an opportunity for JCR members to
learn more about specific fields of interest. Over the year the MCR and JCR have maintained good
relationships in sharing ideas and working together on issues such as the JCR letter. The MCR also
hosted a joint MCR-JCR Welfare Tea, which will hopefully be an invitation for even closer relations in the
future
Green Initiatives
As well as the College Recycling Scheme other green initiatives have continued to be developed
including the JCRs purchase of allotment space in Botley thanks to Sam Moreton. At the moment the
allotment scheme is very much in its infant stage, but this will provide a perfect opportunity for the JCR
to enhance its green credentials and possibly to branch out into the Oxford Community
Hog Roast
After the Christmas Carol Service there was a free Hog Roast organised by a member of the JCR, Sam
Moreton. This was an occasion that brought the whole college together in the family spirit that has
become synonymous with St Peter’s – The food was delicious too! The intention now is to have a similar
event as an annual fixture in the College calendar.
Housing Guide
The Vice President, Jo Wilkin and the FHA Officer, Dan Rozier put together this guide at the end of
Michaelmas Term to help first year students cope with having to find a house to live in for their second
year. Combining good practical suggestions for living out with sound legal advice this guide set the
standard for living out information across the university and is something we can be extremely proud of.
International Students
During freshers’ week the JCR Overseas Student’s Rep, Rachel Chew organised a trip for international
students to a local bank so that students new to this country could familiarise themselves with how the
banking system works in the UK. Each fresher was also introduced to their international college parent!
Attempts have also been made to hold International Formal Halls with other Colleges an invitation that
so far has only been taken up by Lincoln
IT Issues
Josh Hopgood the JCR IT Officer has worked closely with the IT Curator and IT Officers to improve
communication and services to the JCR. A survey has gone out with the aim of developing a plan to
guide future IT investment and Josh played an active role in getting computers up and running during
freshers’ week. The laptop scheme has been trialled this year with varying success and it is something
that will need to be continually improved as we look to maximise space in the library
Misc
This year the St Peter’s Arts’ magazine Misc has gone interactive! The Misc Mix tape has added a new
dimension to the termly magazine, which is drawing in more submissions than ever largely thanks to the
work of Rachel Chew, Eloise Stevens and Richard Gallon
OUSU
The JCR has been represented strongly in OUSU Council in what has been a crucial year for the Students’
Union. The financial stability of OUSU has been guaranteed by a new funding model that has replaced
College affiliation fees with a University block grant. OUSU has campaigned hard against the mooted
increase in tuition fees and has galvanised a number of common rooms in the University Teaching
Review. OUSU continues to represent students in the university and fight for the rights of students in
the wider world
Pantomime and Extravaganza
I think my personal highlight is the Pantomime and Extravaganza that took place just before the end of
Michaelmas Term. Never before have I seen the JCR so full of laughter as Patrick Reihill et.al thrilled us
with a performance of ‘A St Peter’s Christmas Carol’. The Extavaganza beforehand was a festival of
Christmas songs old and new and once again displayed the vast array of talents we have at St Peter’s
Question and Answer Session
The Question and Answer session is now a regular feature within the College calendar and a chance for
there to be direct communication between the JCR and heads of college. The first Q&A session came as
a response to the JCR letter, which prompted both the JCR and the heads of college to reconsider how
communication is conducted. Thanks to the Acting Master Stephen Hesselbo, there will now be a termly
opportunity for the JCR to openly seek clarification on any issue
Rent
A rent increase of 3.5% was agreed this year by a delegation from the JCR and the bursar. We felt this
was a fair outcome given the costs facing College to maintain rooms and the increasing financial
difficulties that students are having to cope with
Secret Santa
The First Year Rep, Stephen Dunne had an idea to do a ‘Secret Santa’ for first year students in the run up
to Christmas. It was hugely successful and brought the whole year group together at the end of term
Sports Teams and Initiatives
Our Sports Team have continued to fly the flag for St Peter’s adding meaningful success to the
traditional enthusiasm of St Peter’s students for any form of competition! The men’s firsts’ football team
were promoted and the women’s team reached the semi-finals of cuppers. We have also enjoyed some
success in cricket and rugby as well as having a growing number of blues who are representing St Peter’s
on the national level. This year has also witnessed the birth of teams in badminton and squash, proving
that not only mainstream sports are represented in the JCR. The winner of this year’s Sports Personality
of the Year Award was the Sports Rep, Cat Hirst, which proves what a great job she’s done as the head
of all things sporty in St Peter’s!
St Peter’s College Music Society (Tom Hancox)
St Peter’s College Music Society has enjoyed another year of successful music-making, building on its university-wide reputation for high-quality and enjoyable performances. Sizeable and returning audiences have become established features of the concerts, with the generosity of retiring donations underwriting costs incurred. Notable highlights include two fully-staged operas: Johann Strauss’ comic operetta Die Fledermaus (Michaelmas, 2009) and Handel’s beautiful Acis and Galatea (Trinity, 2010). Both enjoyed full-houses and positive critical reception. Other highlights have included Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols and Bach’s Magnificat, again with large audiences and enthusiastic responses.
The renovation of the chapel will have wide-ranging and positive implications for the society’s future; now a more flexible venue, the society will be to exploit fully the magnificent acoustics and performance possibilities of what is one of Oxford’s best performance spaces.
Subject Reps
The possibilities open for improvements in Academic feedback and communication have become much
wider with the appointment of Subject Reps. Organised by the Academic Affairs Officer, Neil McCleery
and the Access Rep Adam Bowler, subject reps are elected by their peers during the second year of
study and then become the focal point of communication for that subject
Teaching Review
We were able to try the aforementioned subject reps in the University Teaching Review focus groups
that were held in 1st Week of Trinity Term. It was an opportunity for students to discuss teaching
experiences and expectations around pizza, while giving tutors some valuable information. The Teaching
Reviews have opened the door even wider for a more formalised model of feedback to be established in
college and is being used as we speak to influence university policy as they continue to decide the future
model of teaching in Oxford University
Visiting Students (Tristen Edwards)
Coming to Oxford was both an exciting and slightly nerve racking experience. Unsure of how I would
adjust, my fears were soon put to rest by the incredibly friendly atmosphere and wonderful community
at St. Peter's. I feel very fortunate to have come to this college and have strongly recommended it to
other Harvard students looking to study abroad. The tutors at St. Peter's have been more than
accommodating, allowing me to structure courses based on my interests and doing an exceptional job in
challenging me to think deeply and work hard. The central location and homey bar have made nights out
amazing, even if too many cross keys has erased some of those good memories... So thank you to
everyone who made this a great year especially to Dan Stone who gave me an overly generous fifteen
minutes to write this blurb!
Welfare
Welfare provision and peer support has continued relentlessly throughout the year thanks to the hard
work of Nathan Collins (male welfare), Maz Hadlington (female welfare) and the many other peer
supporters. While Welfare teas are usually a spectacle to behold I have no doubt that the tea done in
collaboration with the Sports Rep will last long in the memory... It involved Sumo suits and a lot of pent
up frustration due to revision being let out in an almighty tussle in the Miles Room!
Financial Report
At the time of writing, the JCR has spent £18.468.47over the past academic year, with the largest pieces
of expenditure including JCR membership of Iffley Gym (£3,233), our OUSU affiliation fee (£2,591.57),
covering the cost of the JCR photo (£1,475 – which will be recovered through battels payments), and the
Trinity Term punt rental fee (£1,027.94).However, of this expenditure, £3,974.50 – which covers items
such as Freshers’ Week tickets and the yearbook – either has been or will be paid back to the JCR
through battels and cash.
The JCR has thus far received its grant from College for the first two terms, with the grant from
Michaelmas Term amounting to £3,590.12, and the grant from Hilary Term coming to £4,920, totalling
£8,510.12. In addition, the JCR has just received £2,500 from last year’s Ball fund.
JCR charity money for the first two terms amounts to £1,620, of which £820 has not been donated.
The most recently received bank statement gives the JCR’s current account balance as £6,416.17.
However, factoring in additional items that were not accounted for in the last bank statement such as
the recent cheque from the Ball Account, the college grant for Trinity Term and one or two additional,
smaller sums that have not been yet handed into the bank, I would estimate that the JCR certainly has
over £10,000 that either is or will shortly be in its account.
JCR Committee 2009/10
President Daniel Stone
Vice President Joanna Wilkin
Secretary Elizabeth Muller
Treasurer Alasdair Morgan
Academic Affairs Officer
Neil McCleery
Access Rep Adam Bowler
Arts Officer Rimika Solloway
Bar Manager Ben Conroy
Bar Treasurer Alex Hern
Charities Officer Emily Clarke
Entz Officer Alex Yudin
Environment and Ethics Officer Scarlett Du Tillieul McNicol
Female Welfare Officer Maz Hadlington
First Year Officer Stephen Dunne
First Year Entz Officers Pollyanna Newcombe and Eliot Brooks
First Year Rep Stephen Dunne
Food, Housing and Amenities Officer Daniel Rozier
IT Officer Josh Hopgood
LGBTQ Rep Emily Bennett
Male Welfare Officer Nathan Collins
OUSU Rep Tendai Sibanda
Overseas Rep Rachel Chew
Sports Officer Catherine Hirst
Third Year Rep Jack Turner