MCR GENERAL MEETING
Monday, 7th Week, Hilary Term
February 27th, 2012
Upper MCR
8:15 pm
Minutes
Meeting began at 8.19pm.
1. Committee Reports
· President: Tomorrow attending a meeting with the bar rep and some college staff to discuss the bar – college been having problems as many people are taking alcohol with them which they bought elsewhere. Initially not a problem because people used to bring half-finished wine from formal, but now people are buying their own beer and bringing it with them. College is thinking about banning all alcohol coming from outside. Has a different suggestion and interested in feedback: to bring wine from formal you have to get it franked somehow by college (e.g. £1 fee) or that people buy wine from the stores which are already marked.
o Q: why is it closed Saturdays? A: bar manager can’t work on Saturdays. [Complaints about this]. Current barman is really doing the job as a favour.
o Q: should the franking of bottles be for formal, or just for taking it to the bar? A: you would need to get a bottle authorised to take it into formal.[Queries about whether it would be necessary merely to bring wine to formal and not then bring it the bar].
o Q: could we have the sticker system without an associated charge? A: Rosemary has pointed out possible issues with licencing. Hannah needs to start by seeing if she can get wine authorised in any way.
o Q: can they not just blanked-ban drinks not taken to formal? A: people would complain that they don’t just like wine at formal.
o Q: would prefer to allow the ban to go ahead and be able to drink for free at formal and then in the MCR.
o Q: about how to buy wine in college – problem of expense, quality. Cellar currently isn’t manned because business is sporadic – it will be manned regularly if people start using it.
o Conclusion: a corkage fee won’t be suggested.
o Second issue: banded rent. College has agreed with some of the comments that it isn’t fair to have largest rooms being more expensive (and non en-suite) than Ship Street Centre en-suite room. Thus they have suggest 2 bands – slightly cheaper for the rest.
§ Q: so no increase to make up for the rest? A: no – the decrease will cost the college around £2000. We can do what we like the decrease (i.e. allocate the money wherever we like). So do we want 2 or 3 bands? [General assent].
§ Q: would that mean that more rooms are eligible for going into the smaller band? A: no, they’ve just accepted the 6 smallest rooms (which are under 10 meteres square).
· Treasurer: 2 things: newspapers – FT on Tue and Thur and International Herald Tribute every Wed, but Telegraph down to Mon, Wed, Fri, and possibly Wall Street Journal. Secondly, trial of Netflix incoming – if popular it will cost £70 and can be accessed whenever.
· Social sec dean: come to cheese and wine on Thursday – will be extra special, last one of term. Oxford Cheese Company matching cheese and wine! Also, save 16th March for end of term event (Fri of 9th). If there are any problems with the remote controls in the bunker, please let the committee members know! N.B. the TV remote is missing!
· Female welfare: battling with lockers – hopefully they’ll eventually be here.
· First year rep: plea – please clean the MCR after future brunches.
2. Supernumerary Membership Request – Anna Vangone
· See agenda for motion description.
· Jamie: Anna has no college affiliation, and it would be nice to include her in social events.
· [Vote proceeds].
F/A/A: Unanimous – 30/0/0
MOTION PASSES
3. Hustings for MCR President
· First candidate: Bibek.
o Speech: does law, wants to be president to keep MCR going as well as it has done in the past year, and keep on improving on the things we’ve been doing. Policies: keep working with the accommodation to get banded rent in place. People generally have issues with food and formal (price/quality), so will work with college to improve that, though told that it’s significantly better than a couple of years ago. Fun stuff: we do well on the free events, so keep those going, and maybe more ceilidhs, and generally try and maybe get the 4th years more involved in stuff. Maybe invite some other colleges here.
· Second candidate: Kat.
o Speech: does DPhil in Systems Biology. Increased fun, keep pushing for banded rent. Why wants to run: wasn’t at Oxbridge before (at Bristol), and college system was unknown – loved since arrival, it’s an old tradition. Wants to keep on being a friendly face on the committee so that people, wherever they’re from, can have an easy transition. Reasons to vote: DPhil student, so a bit of flexibility (fewer deadlines, no exams, no job applications). Quite computational work – can hit play on a computer, come to a meeting, then go back to work again! Feels can throw self into the community – Lily and Kat sole Jesus representatives at the Michaelmas cross country cuppers, and next year will be joint captain of the girls’ football team. Obsessive level of enthusiasm – could use MCR presidency to get people into women’s football. Generally an example of enthusiasm – doesn’t do things by halves – would be beneficial.
o Questions from the floor
§ Q: Bibek are you doing a Masters? A: no, doing a second BA – so will still be here next year! Q: will you be very busy? A: don’t have lectures, so can do stuff in the morning.
§ Q: each candidate – what other committee positions have you held? Bibek: was treasurer back in JCR days – of 3 different societies! Also joint head of a Winnie the Pooh society. Kat: was Fresher’s rep on cross country team for Bristol Uni – took a long time! Deputy editor of Bristol Life Sciences Magazine – getting people to submit essays, editing every one that came in – fair amount of work. Women’s officer of a particular political party at Bristol, which won’t be named (it was not the BNP). Was head of a science team, went to MIT for a science competition, came third.
§ Q: from which college are Bibek’s cufflinks? A: not Jesus – not even an Oxford college. Q: is there a grand Pembroke conspiracy? A: promises to go out and get new Jesus cufflinks.
§ Q: can we see a dance contest? A: harmonious ceilidh offered. Thought we could do strip the willow. [4 couples take to the floor. 2 lines form up. After some bemused discussion, the audience begins a clapping beat. Dancing ensues with relatively few mishaps. Raucous applause.]
§ Q: you said you were very much in harmony with each other – does that mean that the person who doesn’t win will run for another postion? Kat: wants to be involved, and will run for something else. Bibek: completely echoes those sentiments.
§ Q: what do you see as the biggest problem facing the MCR in the coming year? Bibek: the Greek exit from the Euro? A tough one. Kat: personally happy that the Woodstock road issue might be remedied, as that seemed like a problem as someone who was planning to stay in college accommodation. [Hannah clarifies]: as both JCR and MCR want to live there, college won’t give away rooms we want – all or most will be available. Bibek: college seem to have a knack for being quite bureaucratic and petty about something. I’m sure as a committee we’ll be able to deal with these things – have experience of dealing with colleges before. As many people here want to stay on but won’t find out if they have funding for a while, will try to sort this out as this comes up as an issue every year.
§ Q: how do you propose to solve the ongoing mugs crisis? Mugs always disappear within 3 weeks of new ones being born. Either a technological solution or social engineering will do. Kat: naming and shaming people who steal mugs? Bibek: we could do an amnesty – offer a drink in a mug if it’s brought back. Kat: as long as they don’t take it away again!
§ Q: if you had full despotic power for one day and could put through any motion you liked by your sheer will, what would you pass? Kat: easy decision – to force every female member to play for college football. Bibek: even easier answer – make Marco president of the world.
§ Q: would you also support the male football team? Kat: of course!
· Elections will take place on Thursday. An email will be sent round with times. Results will be announced at Cheese and Wine in the evening.
4. AOB
· Q: How do you access the whiskey bar? A: pay £10 to Scott and you get a key.
· Q: when is Netflix starting? A: as soon as it can be arranged.
· Ed: at the end of 8th week weekend there will be movie nights at Barts on Saturday and Sunday. There’s a theme for the 2 movies. It will be free, might be ice cream provided.
Meeting ended at 8.58pm.