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