MCR Committee

The MCR has a particularly active Committee, drawn from the members of the MCR. The Committee runs most of the aspects of student life and deals with everything from social events to ensuring that MCR operates an environmentally friendly recycling system. The committee members are elected in accordance with the MCR Constitution and it holds regular meetings which all MCR members are invited to attend. Public minutes are recorded at all of the MCR Committee meetings.

The current MCR Committee members are:

President

mcr [dot] presidentballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Phoebe Downing)

As the president of the Balliol MCR, it’s my responsibility to represent graduates’ interests to the College and the University. It’s a good thing I love meetings. I’m also in charge of coordinating the officers of the MCR committee, ensuring all graduates enjoy a happy and healthy social and academic life here at Balliol. That’s the special pastoral touch we’re proud of here at the Manor. When I’m not rehearsing flawless I.A.P.C.O. meeting etiquette, or interpreting our Constitution in the Manor gardens, I may be found in any one of the 147 libraries of Oxford, indulging in a little side-project I like to call, a D.Phil. in English.

Vice-President

mcr [dot] vicepresidentballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Jeffrey Wright)

Hello! I'm Jeff and I'm your MCR Vice President this academic year.
My role as VP is to handle domestic duties around the Manor, including newspaper and magazine subscriptions, general maintenance issues in the complex, and any upgrades to the properties. I also represent the MCR with the President at official college meetings and support Phoebe should her duties require a lackey's help. When not serving the MCR I'm a second-year MPhil in International Relations. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns!

Treasurer

mcr [dot] treasurerballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Daniel Norman)

Hi there! I’ll be your trustworthy Treasurer for Season 2011/12. Having completed the MSc in Economics for Development last year, I am currently taking the MSc in Financial Economics. Back home in Australia I actually used to be an accountant, although I always thought of myself as a numbers man that really pushed the limits… for example, I wore grey cardigans instead of brown, and once I even claimed an extra $25 worth of tax deductions without having the necessary receipts! My job (aside from injecting my wicked sense of humour into committee meetings) is to balance the books, manage the allocation of funds to MCR activities, and facilitate expenditure on physical assets for the Manor. If you’ve any questions or suggestions regarding our fiscal affairs, or would just like to talk about College life in general, please drop me a line!

Secretary

mcr [dot] secretaryballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk ( Elissa Berwick )

Hey, I'm Elissa, a second year MPhil in Comparative Government and your MCR Secretary. My main job is to take minutes at Committee meetings and generally keep you informed of what your MCR is up to! You can also come to me with questions about how the MCR constitution works or other administrative issues. Also shoot me an email if you have an announcement about an event or opportunity you want included in the weekly email.

Bar Managers

indrek [dot] pernikballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Indrek Pernik)

Hi guys! I am Indrek and I am one of the bar managers this year. I am from Estonia and hence continuing the long tradition (at least 1 year) at the Megaron, that one of the bar managers is from Eastern Europe. I hope you’ll all find your way to the Megaron, as there are always cold fridges filled with drinks for everyone, and if somehow that’s not the case then don’t hesitate to grab me or Andy an we’ll try to fix it.Outside the bar, it does happen, I mix my drinks at the chemistry building, as I am a second year D.Phil in chemistry.

andrew [dot] lancasterballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Andrew Lancaster)

Hi, I’m Andy and I’m one of the two people in charge of the bar this year. We’ll be keeping the Megaron restocked with a bewildering array of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, at as cheap a price as possible. Any requests on either front and we’ll see what we can do. The bar is the social heart of the Manor and a great place to meet people so swing by what is probably the best bar in Oxford (not that I’m biased) and start making friends. See you in the Megaron!

Social Secretaries

seb [dot] pikeballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Sebastian Pike)

Hi, I am a chemistry DPhil student going into my second year and will be one of your social secs this year along with Nick and Emily. We hope to organise loads of fun things for you all to do and we are always open to suggestions for events. We will try and organize a few fancy dinners in Hall and also the MCR’s own bops. I’ve been around Oxford for quite a while (undergrad at Magdalen) so feel free to come find me for a chat about anything (NW53/Megaron). When I’m not blowing things up in the lab I love playing squash and tennis, and a spot of croquet and punting in the summer. Looking forward to meeting all the new Balliolites in Fresher’s Week!!

nicholas [dot] daviesballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Nicholas.Davies)

I'm Nick, and I compose one third of your MCR Social Sec team (actual fraction may vary). Together we've got a great slate of events planned for the year. If you've got any ideas you'd like to see implemented, we're always open to suggestion. Me especially; I'm very suggestible. When I'm not planning events (which is never) I'm in my first year of a DPhil in Systems Biology.

emily [dot] clarkballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Emily Clark)

Hello! I’m Emily, one third of your social secretarial trio! When I’m not organising bops, dinners, Sunday walks or adrenaline-fuelled fun, I’m very busy saving lives* at the hospital as I’m finally a final year medical student. If you have any brainwaves for anything you’d like Balliol MCR to do (or indeed, if you’d like to organise and run your own event…) please do get in touch – we’re still very excitable and new to this job, with endless enthusiasm and an overwhelming desire to ensure you, fine people of the MCR, have a great and sociable year!
*This is debatable

Welfare Rep.

georgina [dot] langballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Georgina Lang)

Hi. I’m Georgina and I’m the welfare rep this year. I’m responsible for organising MCR brunches after bops and keeping the welfare cupboards stocked up, but more importantly, I'm also the one to turn to when you need help. Both Balliol college and the university have extensive welfare provisions in place, including the college nurse and doctors, counselling, financial aid and many other services. If you need information or advice about anything then I should be able to help or direct you to someone who can. I’m a second year Dphil student, and I study maths. Please don't hesitate to email me or drop by my room anytime if you would like a cup of tea and a chat.

Sports Rep.

michael [dot] davisballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Michael Davis)

I'm your friendly MCR Sports Representative for the 2010-11 academic year. This means that I'm the man to talk to if you want to play any sport for Balliol MCR, Balliol in general or have any questions or comments about the Manor's gym or other fitness equipment. I should also be the first point of contact for any Blues in the MCR who want to advertise their sporting events to the MCR community. Last but not least I’m also captain of the Mens Blues Lacrosse team and hope to Box for Ox next year so if you fancy giving either of these sports a go then drop me an email and we’ll make it happen. When I'm not shredding up the pitch, I moonlight as a 12th man for the Balliol Cricket team and sometimes as a D.Phil. student in Particle Physics.

Environment Rep.

simin [dot] patelballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Simin Patel)

Hi all, I’m your vigilant Environmental Officer for 2011-12 with a penchant for waste segregation and management. Join me on my matronly kitchen tours through the various wings or the much more fun tending of the vegetable patch on the weekends. Monthly the MCR will receive an Environmental Email with a recipe or a little horticultural history or fruit facts or the latest trends in eco fashion. If you have any ideas on how we can make the MCR more sustainable or just feel green one sunny morning, get in touch. I am a third year DPhil candidate in Oriental Studies, focusing on the social history of colonial Bombay.

Web/Email Officer

mcr [dot] webemailballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Paolo Gandini)

I'm Paolo, your lovely E-mail and Web officer. I'm a 2nd year D.Phil student in Particle Physics, currently working at LHCb, one of the biggest experiment at CERN. So If you need any scientific advise or suggestions on how to create black holes in your room just send me a mail.
For day-to-day problems with computers, eg virus infections, network failures, relating to College IT services please contact the mcr [dot] computer [dot] officerballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (MCR Computing Officer)

Affiliations Officer

Will [dot] Cleggballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Will Clegg)

My name is Will, and I have the pleasure of serving you as the MCR's affiliations officer this year. Besides being members of the JCR, you are also members of the College's JCR and the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU), and my job is to keep you informed about happenings in both organisations and - so far as they are involved - make sure that graduate interests are considered. I'm also responsible for fostering relations between Balliol's MCR and JCR. I'm reading for a DPhil in History, completed my MSt at Balliol last year, and am nearly always available to talk.

Living Out Rep.

Matt Baum

Hi! I'm, Matt, your living out rep. Im a 2nd year DPhil student in Neuroethics. I represent all the MCR livers out in the committee. Importantly, I will be organizing fun events to bring the livers in and the livers out together, so that we can be one happy MCR family! I also provide information to prospective livers-out on living out. So in or out, please dont hesitate to give me a shout (especially if you have good event ideas).

General Committee

nathan [dot] hintonballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Nathan Hinton)

Hi, I’m Nathan, and as one of the team of general officers, my role is to assist other members of the committee and deal with anything that doesn’t seem to fit into any other specific roles – so any queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch! Whether that’s raising issues you want the committee to deal with, or specific questions, I’ll do my best to help out or point you in the direction of someone more knowledgeable.
Having started in January 2011, I’m currently in my first year of a DPhil in Engineering Science, and also studied as an undergraduate at Balliol, so have accumulated a few years’ worth of college life in the JCR as well as the MCR.

alec [dot] watsonballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk ( Alec Watson)

Hi, I’m Alec and in addition to loving sports (rowing, cycling, triathlon, skiing, surfing and ice hockey to name a few), studying in my second year of a DPhil in Clinical Medicine and being Canadian, I’m one of the general officers for this year. This means I’m here to help both the committee and you! If you’re not sure which committee member to direct a question to, if you just can’t find them, or if you need help with anything else, let me know. Cheers, and keep your stick on the ice!

sara [dot] duttaballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Sara Dutta)

Welcome to the Balliol MCR! I am Sara, one of your general officers. I am also a first year PhD student in Computational Biology (and a second year Systems Biology DTC student). I’ve been here for 2 years and I can confirm that this is one of the most active MCRs in Oxford and we will make sure it stays this way. The events are lots of fun and the MCR welcomes amazing people from all subject areas and cultural backgrounds. I’m looking forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have, no matter how ‘general’ they are.

Arts & Research Rep.

nicolas [dot] vaughanballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Nicolas Vaughan)

I'm 3rd-year DPhil student in Philosophy, currently writing my thesis on the (always popular) topic of the medieval conception of logical form. I come from Colombia (in South America, not in New York). Aside from philosophy, I also work as freelance typesetter and book designer for a couple of publishing houses. I'm a double-bass player (jazz and Latin music) and play the "Cuban tres"—a small, enchanting guitar used Cuban music. This year I'll be your Arts and Research Officer.

Women's Officer

Sumudu [dot] Watugalaballiol [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk (Sumudu Watugala)