Christ's College MCR | The Christ's College Cambridge MCR

January 24, 2012

Professor Dominic Lieven’s Lady Margaret Lecture on “War and Peace: the Reality”

Christ’s College is pleased to announce the Lady Margaret Lecture, given by Professor Dominic Lieven, on “War and Peace: the Reality”. Based on his book, Russia against Napoleon, which won the Wolfson Prize in 2010.

Location: Yusuf Hamied Theatre, Christ’s College.

Time: 17:30-19:00

Cam Talks Link

Synopsis:

Russia’s battle with Napoleon is one of the best-known stories in European history thanks above all to Tolstoy. But the story as usually told is wrong. This lecture explains why Russia not just defeated Napoleon in 1812 but pursued him all the way to Paris in 1813-14 and toppled him from his throne. The Russians won above all because their government pursued a more realistic and intelligent strategy than Napoleon, a strategy which played to Russian strengths and French weaknesses. But the highpoint of Russia’s war effort came not in 1812 but in 1813, when Russian military and diplomatic efforts played the leading role in destroying Napoleon’s empire and restoring a European balance of power. The lecture looks not just at war and foreign policy but also at how the Russian home front was mobilised in pursuit of victory.

October 13, 2011

Casino Superhall

25th November 2011

Pre- dinner cocktails 7pm MCR

Gravadlax

Duck with roast seasonal vegetables

chocolate box pudding

Cheese and port

coffee and chocolates

With Wine

£20 for members / £23 for guests

Full casino from 9.30pm

Swing singer Steve and Jen Cole will be will be singing .

1920′s rat pack

see you at Joe’s bar

October 5, 2011

EVENTS!!! Week 5

Black Adder superhall

MEAD!!!! and Adam in a frock!

doesn’t get better!

if you failed to get a place at dinner, we’ll see you in the bar later!!

don’t forget your turnip!

October 3, 2011

MCR Bulletin, 3 October 2011

Dear MCR,

Freshers week has arrived and is now in full swing! I hope you enjoyed the mingle on Saturday, it was good to see so many faces both new and old. This week has something happening every day so there is bound to be something for everyone

The week is kicking off today with a pub crawl directly after the matriculation photo (between 4-5pm), so come along and Joe will no doubt show you what Cambridge has to offer in the way of pubs.

Then on Tuesday afternoon there will be guided trips for the freshers (but all grads are welcome to tag along) to the university societies fair where you can see what the university has to offer in the way of clubs and societies. These will be leaving from the plodge starting from 2pm (more details to follow). Also on Tuesday we have Grad hall in Formal hall, this is something which I personally feel cannot be missed! All I need say is it’s a 3 course dinner, with pre-dinner sherry in the MCR at 7pm as well as post-dinner port and chocolates, and all for the ridiculous price of £4.30! New students are strongly encouraged to book in for this Tuesday. The booking deadline is 3:00pm TODAY (Monday). Please visit: http://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/intranet/mealbooking/mealbooking.php and book into the “Hall (Grad Hall)” option. (If you have any trouble with this, please just send me an email before the deadline and I’ll try sort it out for you). Grad Hall Dress code: Smart dress is encouraged, but not required and no gowns are required.

On Wednesday there is another pub crawl for those of who missed out due to Matriculation dinner, or just fancy sampling more pubs! That will start at around 5pm from the plodge.

On Thursday we will be hosting a BBQ in the Fellows garden at 5pm, which if the weather stays like this is going to glorious. After the BBQ there will be a film night in the MCR and I imagine the bar will be open.

And finally on Friday there is the BOP in the MCR which is Zoo themed, so dress up as your favourite animal the more outrageous the better and come dance the night away to some great tunes.

Personally I think its a great line up for this week and would encourage everyone to come to as much as possible. Also attached to this email is the termcard so you can see what other events we have lined up for the rest of term.

Right that’s more than enough from me, hope you all enjoy this week

Peter
MCR Secretary 2011

September 20, 2011

An overview of the MCR bar

Now welcome to my well-stocked bar

Located in the MCR

Here G and Ts are still a pound

And now pork scratchings may be found

The whiskies yet are sold at cost

Rejoice, the fino has been lost

The fridges groan with lager beer

It’s all imported, never fear

And ciders too, of every kind

The Brothers though is best declined

Before the CAMRA member rails

I offer seven bottled ales

Their varied virtues I’ve extolled

To no effect, they go unsold.

They are eschewed, well fair enough

For bottled beer is sorry stuff

Next on the right, there you will see

Unparallelled diversity

Obscure liqueurs in bottles large

Expired chocolates, free of charge

There’s absinthe tinged a sickly green

Tabasco left from Halloween

And chilli vodka, seldom tried

It’s pretty bad, I must confide

My whiskies though are my delight

So try a new one every night

If smoke and peat are to your taste

I recommend Laphroaig, post-haste

If smoothness is your thing, you think

Glenfarclas is the malt to drink

Or if you’re after something risky

May I suggest the English Whisky?

May 30, 2011

Immigration – post study work visa

Many of you may be aware of recent changes to the student visa system, brought into effect this past spring. For instance, undergraduates studying for three- or four-year degree are no longer permitted to bring dependents to the UK, and the Post-Study Work programme (which allowed graduates of British universities to work here for up to two years) has been abolished, despite arguments to the contrary from groups including universities and a committee of MPs.

Now, as part of their stated goal of radically reducing net migration numbers, the Government has turned their attention to employment visas. Although the impact of the new proposal on students may be less direct, it will still greatly affect their ability to remain in the UK, as well as the University’s ability to attract overseas talent.

Under the current system, non-EU citizens who have lived in the UK for at least 5 years on a work visa are eligible to apply for settlement (i.e. permanent residency, which gives unrestricted leave to remain and could potentially lead to citizenship). This is broadly in line with immigration policies in other parts of the world, such as the United States, and is the primarily way by which immigrants settle here.

The Government wishes to change this, however, with the aim of drawing a distinction between “temporary” and “permanent” routes – with student visas and now work visas falling in the former category. Under the proposed regulations, non-EU citizens who secure a work visa will be allowed to remain for three years in the first instance, after which they will need to reapply – a small minority (such as the groups listed below) may then be permitted to apply for settlement, while all others would be allowed to renew their visas for a further two years only (to “prepare for their departure from the UK”), after which they will be required to leave.

The only exceptions currently being discussed are for 1) sportspeople, 2) religious figures, and 3) those earning over £150,000 a year. In addition, entrepreneurs will continue to be able to effectively buy into a “fast-track” route to settlement, provided they bring at least £5-10 million into the country. Needless to say, this does not include the vast majority of academics, or indeed of people.

With the abolishment of the Post-Study Work scheme, overseas students who wish to work in the UK already face an uphill battle – many postdoctoral positions, for example, require permission to work in the UK as a prerequisitive, and will not sponsor a work visa. The proposed changes are likely to place even more stringent requirements on employers to prove that no British candidate could have been found, as well as a possible financial commitment, which they will likely be reluctant to undertake.

If the changes go ahead, the only way for the non-astronomically-wealthy to permanently settle in the UK will be through family connections and marriage (although this class of visas is due to be “reformed” next). I believe that these proposals are a transparently political attempt to appeal to the conservative fringes of British society by restricting non-EU migration (since migration within the EU cannot legally be restricted). As well as affecting our fellow students, these changes will be harmful for British businesses, for the economy, and particularly for universities, which depend on the free movement of academic talent.

The time to act is now. The issue has not been widely reported – if you’re heard of it at all, it’s likely as a tightening of regulations on nannies and domestic staff, which in fact forms only a small part of the proposals. Like student fees and student visa changes, the changes will likely be forced through quickly and without comprehensive debate; they will also be highly difficult to reverse.

There is a public consulation ongoing until 9 September, on the UK Border Agency Website: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/… — you can read all about the proposals there, and fill out the consultation questions (as leading as they are) on paper or online.

Please consider doing this, especially if you are a UK citizen yourself (the last two questions suggest that they’ll disregard other responses). Please also consider passing the link on to anyone who may speak from a position of authority – faculty members, heads of department, supervisors, etc. It may also be a good idea to write to your MP (at home or in Cambridge) with your views on immigration policy, or visit a constituency clinic to share them in person.

Overseas students and graduates are our friends, our colleagues, and a vital part of the Cambridge community. Don’t let this Government bar their way for good.

Natasha Simonova – MPhil Christs 2009 – 2010

May 25, 2011

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