JCR Open Meeting Minutes Meeting on 2.12.2021 at 17:00 UK time ________________ List of Committee members Name, initials and pronouns Role and attendance Zachary Aw Zheng Quan (ZA, he/him) President Kit Edgecliffe-Johnson (KEJ, he/him) Vice President* Annie Huang (AH, she/her) Treasurer Dominic Bielby (DB, he/him) Secretary Ben Mulley (BM, he/him) Welfare Annie Willis (AW, she her) Welfare Toby Mayhew (TM, he/him) Welfare Jamie Charles (JC, she/her) Academic and Access Sophie Mance (SM, she/her) Green George Stokes (GS, he/him) Catering, Accommodation and Facilities Geethana Yogarajah (GY, she/her) Sports and Societies Eimear Pickstone (EP, she/her) Ents* Anitta Sibin (AS, she/her) Ethnic Minorities Giorgi Melia (GM, he/him) International Students James Walker (JW, he/him) LGBTQ+ Nell Ivimey-Parr (NIP, she/her) Gender Equalities Claire Collins (CC, they/she) Disabled Students Izaac Mammadov (IM, he/him) Computing ________________ Agenda 0. Administrative matters 4 1. Active Policies (ZA) 4 2. Industrial Action (ZA) 5 3. Catering Issues (GS) 5 4. Master Plan (ZA) 6 5. University Challenge (ZA) 7 6. Handovers (ZA) 7 7. Stash (ZA) 7 8. AOB 7 Summary of key points: 1. The JCR votes to renew Active Policies on College access, using the Bursar's Garden and Old Court lawn, heating for rooms, the CSU referendum procedure, and funding food and drink for societies. 2. ZA relays that the Committee is impartial when it comes to the UCU industrial action, and has provided information on the strike to students via email. 3. GS affirms that catering provision should return to normal next term, all being well. ZA notes that social distancing measures have been reintroduced due to Omicron concerns. 4. ZA relays that the College is planning to generally improve College facilities over the coming few years. 5. ZA notes that University Challenge recruitment is still ongoing. 6. ZA reminds the outgoing JCR Committee members that they need to do their handovers. 7. Stash is here and ready to be distributed next term. 8. The JCR votes to provide the outgoing JCR Committee with a lunch. ________________ 0. Administrative matters Meeting starts at 17:17. The meeting applauds Daniel Starkey.[1] ZA thanks all for coming, with apologies from KEJ and GM for not attending.[2] ________________ 1. Active Policies (ZA) ZA explains that the JCR has six Active Policies to renew which have been proposed by the JCR Committee. ZA explains the first Active Policy, which concerns access to the College during Exam Term. ZA explains the second Active Policy, which is concerned with utilising the Old Court and the Bursar’s Garden during Exam Term. ZA explains that DSO and Green Officer are now part of the Constitution and have, therefore, not been proposed for renewal. ZA explains the third Active Policy, which concerns background heating for the College and the possibility that the JCR can change whether the heating is on or off. IM asks whether this policy has ever been utilised, ZA notes that this has not happened in living memory.[3] ZA further explains the different blocks of College which can be heated, which needs to be done at a quorate Open Meeting, with a quorate attendance from the relevant block. ZA explains the fourth Active Policy, which concerns the CSU Referendum procedure,[4] which is then detailed. ZA explains the fifth Active Policy, that the JCR will not fund food and drink for College societies, excluding squash budgets[5], other than when a society is granted an exception by the College. ZA explains the final Active Policy, which concerns the use of the McCrum seminar room, which is available for use by students not resident in England, subject to certain criteria. Vote: The JCR votes unanimously to approve the proposed renewals.[6] ________________ 2. Industrial Action (ZA) ZA notes that the Committee is impartial and that its first priority and prerogative is concerned with student welfare. The email which was sent out on 1.12.2021 detailed a viewpoint which had been agreed by the Committee.[7] JC notes her support for the position. Summary: ZA relays that the Committee is impartial when it comes to the UCU industrial action, and has provided information on the strike to students via email. ________________ 3. Catering Issues (GS) GS relays that there are generally no more catering issues to report, and that by Lent provision should return for normal catering services. JC further relays that Davide[8] has said that the Pelican Bar should be open longer during the day and will be able to return back to previous provisions, including milkshakes. ZA also notes that the University has mandated that there will be a return for social distancing for formals due to the time that these events carry on, although this should not apply for normal Hall. ZA also laments the lack of a pastry chef.[9] Summary: GS affirms that catering provision should return to normal next term, all being well. ZA notes that social distancing measures have been reintroduced due to Omicron concerns. ________________ 4. Master Plan (ZA) ZA makes a bad pun[10] and explains that College is planning to continue its expansion of facilities. Ashton Lodge[11] should be ready for accommodation by next year, although it is presently full of bats.[12] The College is also planning to create a new Newnham Cafe-esque[13] space, as well as further renovations to spaces such as the JCR room and bar, as well as improving physical accessibility. Summary: ZA relays that the College is planning to generally improve College facilities over the coming few years. ________________ 5. University Challenge (ZA) ZA notes that the deadline has been extended until 17th December, although his liaison resigned.[14] Summary: ZA notes that University Challenge recruitment is still ongoing. ________________ 6. Handovers (ZA) ZA encourages all JCR Committee members to be preparing their handovers, hoping that they have been done already, cf. BM.[15] JCR handover lunch is being prepared for the next term. Summary: ZA reminds the outgoing JCR Committee members that they need to do their handovers. ________________ 7. Stash (ZA) ZA notes that stash has arrived and is presently sitting pretty in his room, and this should be distributed during the next term. Summary: Stash is here and ready to be distributed next term. ________________ 8. AOB JC proposes that the JCR lunch be paid for. Vote: The JCR votes 12 in favour, with 13 abstentions, to pay for a lunch for the outgoing JCR Committee.[16] IM notes that there will be a referendum on Friday for the CSU boycott, and advises that persons should vote for continued disaffiliation, making our streak 12 years of disaffiliation.[17] ZA relays matters of constitutional dialogue with the College which have occurred between the JCR Committee and the Senior Tutor, Senior Treasurer and Dean. ZA suggests that there will probably need to be another Constitutional Committee.[18] Matthew Wadey (MW) asks how significant the requirements of the Constitution Committee are, with ZA noting that they are largely concerned with structure and style. ZA relays his gratitude to the Committee and the wider College, as well as extending best wishes to the new Committee under the auspices of JC and GS.[19] Meeting ends at 17:38. ________________ [1] This is for DS’ arrival meaning quorum has been reached, notwithstanding the fact that DS may be deserving of applause in any case. [2] KEJ and GM had their birthdays today, so congratulations to our birthday boys! [3] The Secretary does, in fact, remember a heating Open Meeting, with ZA’s remark cruelly reminding him that he is, in effect, a pre-COVID ghost that haunts Old House, occasionally providing bureaucratic services on request. [4] Although ZA makes the audacious claim that no-one turned up for this meeting, GS and JH make known that they did attend. The incoming Committee is showing its commitment to the democratic process admirably already. [5] This refers to ‘squash’ as in social for a society, rather than the popular sport which, according to Wikipedia is, “a racket and ball sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball.” [6] There is raucous applause, or something approaching such energy. [7] See Agenda Point 3 ‘UCU Industrial Action’ JCR Committee Minutes 28.11.2021. [8] Our wonderful bar manager, for those unfamiliar. [9] For the benefit of any journalists from the select publications that have reported on the lack of a pastry chef at College, which has seemingly been reported as having caused uproar in the College akin to the Russian Revolution, this is a joke. [10] Shockingly, the Secretary cannot remember what the pun was and so cannot relay. This dereliction of duty would surely be grounds enough for impeachment, if the Secretary did not have the benefit of the Committee changeover. [11] A house next to Pinehurst Lodge next to the entrance to Leck drive, in front of Selwyn. [12] This may be an exaggeration. [13] Referring to the Iris Cafe at Newnham College, rather than any kind of clandestine patisserie operated out of Newnham House - although such a shop would counteract concerns about the lack of a pastry chef which plague every waking moment of each and every Corpuscle, according to the popular press. [14] Whether this was as a result of contact with Corpus JCR is, as yet, unconfirmed. [15] BM seems to indicate that his handover may not have occurred. [16] The 13 abstentions are the present JCR Committee, for conflict of interest reasons. [17] This is not the formal position of the JCR, although Committee members are entitled to their own opinions, of course. [18] Constitutional reform continued; a true blessing for the JCR. [19] A round of applause follows for ZA, who has been a true symbol of our Corpus community. We are all proud of him and thank him, and everyone else on the Committee, for their service in a difficult time. We wish JC and GS, as well as the incoming Committee, all the best too!