The Queen's College Record 2020

A YEAR IN THE MCR
President Nadia Haworth; Vice-Presidents Emilia
Jenkins, Tristan Johnston-Wood and Sean Telford;
Victualler David Kaufman
Having come to the end of what has undoubtedly been
one of the most eventful academic years in recent
history, it has been inspiring to see how both the MCR
and Queen’s as a whole have pulled together to tackle
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic head-on.
Reports and College Activities
Nadia Haworth
MCR President
The MCR and I would like to thank the Provost, for
assembling a COVID-19 taskforce to lead the College’s
response to the pandemic, and the wonderful Library
team, who have worked tirelessly to help students
access vital reading material. We also deeply grateful to the College Porters, the
Domestic Bursary, the Steward, and in particular the Scout team for their brave work
in maintaining a clean and safe environment within the College, and looking after
students during this difficult time.
Throughout the year, the MCR Committee has worked tirelessly to support MCR
members, and to promote postgraduate life at Queen’s. Following Freshers’ Week, the
success of which was due in great part to the efforts of our Social Secretary, Tristan
Johnston-Wood, and our Treasurer, Dominic Spencer Jolly, other highlights this year
have included regular academic symposia organised by Alberto Corrado, the QCS
and SCR Liaison Officer, and the continuation of the tutoring scheme by Christopher
Magazzeni, the JCR Liaison Officer, through which doctoral students have the
opportunity to hold tutorials for undergraduate students.
Credit should also be given to our Victualler, David Kaufman, in his unrelenting struggles
with the somewhat notorious MCR coffee machine, and his tireless efforts to help
keep the MCR space clean and tidy for all members, though this at one point even
involved him wrestling against a collapsed tap in the kitchen area with an umbrella.
The challenges of lockdown also brought out the best in our MCR community. Emilia
Jenkins, our Welfare Officer, sent regular ‘Good News’ newsletters to postgraduates
at Queen’s to boost morale, and many MCR members also actively participated
in Oxford COVID-19 Mutual Aid, a city-wide community support group formed to
mitigate the effects of the pandemic on those most vulnerable. The Environment and
Charities Secretaries, Marie-Gabrielle Pélissié du Rausas and Hannah Willis, further
organised a scheme through which MCR members could write letters to isolated
elderly or vulnerable people within Oxford, particularly those living in care homes.
College Record 2020 | The Queen’s College 63