College Record 2014

The egg-hunt was held outside, and the weather even allowed some outdoor sports.
These events all provided a festive environment with appropriate music and décor,
and the feedback has shown that families enjoy the chance to relax and exchange
common interests. The Society with its food and drink creates a cosy atmosphere,
even if just for one morning or afternoon!
Rosario and Hugo Nava.
Meditation
This year the Society has had the pleasure of bringing together members from a
number of different traditions with a wide range of interests, which resulted in a
vibrant community and a fascinating array of conversations during our meetings.
Let’s hope it also deepened our meditation practice!
In Trinity term, Raquel Ortega Sanchez began offering daily mindfulness sessions,
while Ciara Williams continued to hold weekly meditation sessions. Experienced
members were welcome to practise whichever form of meditation they chose, while
new members were offered instruction in techniques to reduce stress and improve
concentration. Ciara looks forward to passing responsibility for the Society on to
Raquel Ortega Sanchez, a dedicated and enthusiastic member, in the course of this
summer.
Middle Eastern Dance
The wonderful professional dancer and performer Caitlyn Schwartz continued to
teach our weekly classes, this year’s theme being ‘tribal fusion’, a modern dance
form evolved in America with influences from Hip Hop, Flamenco, Egyptian,
Balinese and other styles. The Society made a strong start to the year with its
debut performance in the Oxford Middle Eastern Dance Society (OMEDS) winter
showcase 2013. The feedback from fellow dancers was very positive. In addition,
Penny Feng and Katherine Allen continued to perform with the ever-expanding
OMEDS troupe. They took part in shows supporting charities such as Breast
Cancer UK and Helen and Douglas House, and performed throughout Oxford.
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