Queens’ College Queens C’’ College CambridgeCambridgeqmcr.org.uk/QueensCollegeMCR_Booklet_2008-09.pdf · From the MCR Committee 2 Welcome to Cambridge, and welcome to Queens

The (Unofficial) Grads’ Guide to Queens’WWrrii tt tt eenn ff oorr QQuueeeennss ’’ GGrraaddss,, bbyy QQuueeeennss’’ GGrraaddss

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Map of Queens’ College

From the MCR Committee .............................................................................. 2

Things you MUST do when you’ve arrived in Cambridge ......................... 3

Eating at Queens’ .............................................................................................. 6

Formal Meals – an important part of college life! ....................................... 7

The cashless payment system & our cancellation policy ............................. 9

Decoding the dress codes ................................................................................ 10

Save these dates! ................................................................................................. 11

Freshers’ week calendar .................................................................................... 12

Your welfare ........................................................................................................14

The tutorial system ............................................................................................ 15

Living in Cambridge ......................................................................................... 16

A short guide to Queens’ ‘neighbourhoods’ ................................................. 17

Queens’ College contact information ............................................................ 18

The Queens’ Arts Seminar ............................................................................... 19

The Queens’ MCR Committee, 2008-9 ......................................................... 20

A short glossary of Cambridge (and Queens’) lingo ............................. ...... 22

Other important student organisations & phone numbers to note .......... 24

Contents

From the MCR Committee

2

Welcome to Cambridge, andwelcome to Queens' College! Withclose to four hundred graduate stu-dents, Queens’ hosts one of thebiggest grad populations in Cam-bridge, and boasts of an exception-ally energetic grad social life,intellectual community, and sup-portive atmosphere.

As you have probably already re-alised, the college is an entirely sep-arate entity from your departmentor faculty. While your academic de-partment will inevitably be the cen-tre of your academic life, the collegecan – if you wish – be a centre ofyour social life, and a source ofmany types of support throughoutyour career at Cambridge. It’s im-portant for you to know that thiscollege is one particularly commit-ted to the welfare of grads as indi-viduals and as a community.

Queens’ grads have written thishandbook in order to provide youwith information that should makeyour transition to life as a Queens’(and Cambridge) student a little biteasier. But we also hope this littleguide will inspire you to be excitedabout (and to attend!) the events wehave in store for you – not only dur-

ing Freshers’ week, but for thewhole of the upcoming year.

As a grad here, you’re automati-cally a member of the Middle Com-bination Room, or the ‘MCR’. ‘TheMCR’ is a shorthand way of refer-ring both to the collective body ofgrads at Queens’ and to our com-mon room (The Woodville Room),which is at the foot of AA staircase,just across from the Porters’ Lodge.The students of the MCR are repre-sented by the MCR committee, andour purpose is to be activists onyour behalf to the college, as well asto create an enjoyable social life foryou here. Our contact info can befound on pages 20-21. Please feelfree to use it! We’re happy to helpyou out in any way we can.

In this guide we’ve also includedthe timetable of events that we’veorganised for your first couple ofweeks here (pages 12-13). Theseevents are an opportunity to famil-iarise yourself with the college andto meet your fellow Queens’ stu-dents. We look forward to meetingyou there!

— The MCR Committeehttp://qmcr.org.uk/

The (Unofficial) Grads’ Guide to Queens’

Things You MUST Do When You’ve Arrived in Cambridge

3WWrriitt tt eenn ffoorr QQuueeeennss ’’ GGrraaddss,, bbyy QQuueeeennss ’’ GGrraaddss

Attend the Tutors' wel -come meeting and party.Friday, 3 October at 4 pm in

the Fitzpatrick Hall. The Tutors andthe MCR Committee will introduceyou to the college, and take youthrough information about being aQueens’ student. Following the meet-ing is an informal party in the Old Hallfor all new graduate students (begin-ning at 7:30 pm).

Check your pigeon hole,which is your mailbox in col-lege (everyone automatically

has one). It's in the Porters’ Lodge.Check this early and often, as a lot ofimportant information will come thisway, especially during the first coupleof weeks. It's here that you'll find yourinvitation to the matriculation dinner(16 October, RSVP required) and to adrinks reception with the President,Lord Eatwell (RSVP also required) –try to attend as it's a unique opportu-nity to meet the President and see theinside of the historic President'sLodge!

Get your University card.You should have already sentRobbie Kneale, the Graduate

Administrator, a passport-sized photoof yourself. At the Tutors’ welcomemeeting she will be distributing Uni-versity cards to everyone (with the ex-

ception of MBA students, whosecards will be distributed by the JudgeInstitute). Alternatively, you can col-lect it later on from her office (Essex3A, on the first floor).

Once you've got the card, you shouldregister with the University Library.For that you'll need your final letter ofacceptance from the Board of Gradu-ate Studies (do not lose this letter – itis proof of your student status!)

Sign up for the Cashlesspayment system, which ishow you will pay for food

(and drinks) in College. See page 9 ofthis guide on how to do that.

Get a gown, which you willneed for the matriculationdinner and matriculation

photograph, and for formal dinners.See the box on page 7 for more info.

Get an MCR key from thePorters’ Lodge (£10 deposit).This key will open the gates

next to the Porters' Lodge (for accessat night), Docket Gate as well as theWoodville Room (i.e. the MCR com-mon room), computer room and laun-derette.

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Activate your computeraccount. There are comput-ers in the college computer

room and at Owlstone Croft whereyou can sign up: Use ‘signup’ with nopassword – you will then need yourstudent number (on your valuable let-ter from the Board of Graduate Stud-ies). Bring a pen to write down all thepasswords!

To get Internet access inyour college room (whetherin College itself or in a college

house), you need to print one theforms found at <www.queens.cam.ac.uk/default.asp?MIS=1347>. You canalso get one of these forms from theComputing Officer, Andy Eddy. Hisoffice is in Essex 6.

Register with a doctor(General Practitioner orGP) in Cambridge. See

page 17 (the section on Queens’‘neighbourhoods’) for the practicenearest to where you live. You willalso be given a list of local surgeriesfrom your tutor, or you can collect onefrom Graduate Administrator RobbieKneale.

Make sure you're on theMCR email list which willkeep you informed about

events. Your @cam.ac.uk email ad-dress should have been added to thelist in the first week of October. Ifyou're not on it (we have to type theaddresses manually and human erroris a factor) or you want it to be send toa different address, contact DouglasO'Rourke, [email protected].

Sign the matriculationregister, after which you areofficially a member of the

college. You can do this in RobbieKneale's office, starting on 15 October.


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Wireless Internet access points around College

You can also now get wireless Internet at anumber of places in college, including theMCR, the Library (although the signalstrength is weak at both ends), in the Q-bar/Café, and in a few other places. Thenetwork name is 'Lapwing'. You will need aRaven password, which you will be givenwhen you have activated your Cambridgeaddress.

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International studentsshould also...

Get a British bank ac-count. When you open abank account, the bank will

want to see a letter proving you're witha college. Robbie Kneale, the Gradu-ate Administrator, can provide youwith one. You can request it from herby filling in the form that she'll behanding out at the Tutors’ welcomemeeting. Expect to get the letter abouta week or so after you’ve returned theform to her (bear in mind she'll bewriting these letters for about 200new students!).

Register with the police(if you have been told youmust do so) at the Parkside

Police Station.

Check out the Interna-tional Office website.(Their website has a very use-

ful A-Z guide for international stu-dents) www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/international

Finally, you may alsowant to...

Join the Facebook group‘Queens' MCR 2008-2009’. Facebook is the social

networking site at www.facebook.com,and many Cambridge grads are on it.

Get a locker in the MCR(though these are NOT forlaptops or other valuables).

There are a number of lockers in theMCR Room and on the AA staircasewhere you can store your things. Theporters will ask for a £10 deposit forthese. They are handy for gym kit etc.(Note: Queens’ and the MCR are not re-sponsible for lost/stolen items!).

Register your bicycle withthe Porters' Lodge. ThePorters may remove bicycles

from Queens’ bike sheds if they are notregistered. If your bike is registered, itwill also be easier to recover if it isstolen. Bicycle theft is a serious prob-lem in Cambridge!

Get insurance cover foryour room and computer,as college and student houses

can be targets for thieves. A popular in-surer is Endsleigh (in Market Square).

Come to as many Fresh-ers' Week events as youcan. In particular, try to sign

up as soon as possible for the first MCRformal hall (Thursday 9 October).Spaces are limited, and it’s first come,first served!

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Eating at Queens’

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Daily food service in the Collegeis provided by the Buttery and theCafé (in the Bar) In addition to reg-ular cafeteria service, Queens' alsoholds Formal Halls and Feasts,which are a unique part of the col-lege social life.

The Buttery (in Cripps) servesbreakfast, weekend brunch, lunchand dinner.

The Café, (in the same space as the Q-Bar) is the best deal in town for coffee, pas-tries, and sandwiches. It’s open Monday toFriday, 9:30 am - 5 pm. (Wireless Internetis also available here!)

The Q-Bar is a centre of Queens' sociallife and your best source of cheap alcohol inCambridge. It's open 7 days a week, from6:30 - 11 pm Sunday-Thursday and 6:30 -11:30 pm Friday/Saturday.


Term-time Buttery Hours

Breakfast: 8:15-9:15 am Not served on weekends, except forSaturdays in Easter term

Brunch: Saturday 11:30 - 1:30 pm Served in Michaelmas and Lent Sunday 11:00 - 1 pm Served all three terms

Lunch: 12:30 -1:30 pm Not served on weekends, exceptfor Saturdays in Easter term

Dinner: 6-7 pm Served every day

• Formal Hall begins at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. • Sign-up for these is via the Cashless System (see page 9).

Note: MCR Formal Halls are held on alternate Thursdays, beginning with the firstThursday of every term.

• Cafeteria menus (including for Formal Halls) can be found on the Queens' collegewebsite (under Student Life: Cafeteria Menus).

Formal meals – an important part of College life!


Formal Hall is a three coursemeal, served regularly on Wednes-days, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sun-days at 7:30 pm during term time (andsporadically during vacations). Thefood is fancier than normal, and themeal usually lasts until about 9 pm.You must bring your own wine (onebottle per Queens’ MCR member is al-lowed). Wine is available for purchasein the Q-Bar.

The dress code for formal hall is‘smart’. In practice, this means thatmen generally wear a suit or other

dress clothes, and women wear what-ever they feel is appropriate. Membersof Queens' must wear gowns (see infobox) at hall, but guests don't need to.

To attend a formal hall, you mustbook tickets by NOON the day BEFOREthe formal through the Cashless Book-ing System (see page 9). AlternateThursdays are the best time to attend,since these formals are special 'MCRFormals'. The MCR provides sherry be-fore and port after these dinners, andthese meals are a highlight of Queens’graduate social life.

Gowns

Gowns are required for formal halls at Queens', and must be worn by University mem-bers in the Senate House (you will need to wear it at graduation, or if you watch a friendgraduate).

When buying or hiring a gown, be sure that you purchase a Queens' gown, of the cor-rect type:• Cambridge graduate (BA status): gown with strings, shorter sleeves• Cambridge graduate (MA status): gown with strings, longer sleeves• Non-Cambridge graduate (under 24): gown without strings, shorter sleeves• Non-Cambridge graduate (over 24): gown without strings, longer sleeves

Gowns can be purchased from Ryder & Amies (on King's Parade) or Ede & Ravenscroft(corner of Silver and Trumpington Streets). The MCR has a limited number of gownsto sell, so watch your email inboxes for information on buying a second-hand one fromus. You can also hire a gown at the Graduate Union, but it's useful to have your own.

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Formal Hall ExchangesQueens’ is energetically involved informal hall exchanges: groups ofQueens' members travel to FormalHalls at other colleges to sample a dif-ferent atmosphere and get to knowother students over fine food andwine. In return, we invite collegeswho host us to MCR formals atQueens'. This year we also plan to re-peat last year’s hugely successful tripto Oxford.

Formal exchanges will be organisedvia emails from our MCR formal ex-change officer, Thad Clifton. Reply tothese emails ASAP, since exchangesare popular and space is limited!

Mid-Table Dining At least oncea year you should receive an emailfrom the Graduate Administrator,Robbie Kneale, inviting you to 'Mid-table Dining' with your tutor. This isessentially a free formal hall with pre-and post-dinner drinks. It’s a greatopportunity to chat with your tutorand meet other Queens’ students.

Guest Nights are slightly more formalthan Formal Halls, and are held twice aterm in the beautiful Old Hall. You mayapply to bring up to two guests. The priceis under £20 per person, and does not in-clude alcohol (although you are still wel-come to bring wine).

Feasts are the most extravagant diningexperiences at Queens’, and our MCRfeasts are famous throughout the univer-sity. There are three feasts a year, with oneheld every term (see ‘Save these dates!’,page 11), in our beautiful Old Hall. Thecost for these five-course meals is usuallyabout £25 for Queens' members (£27 forguests); these prices include drinks before,during and after the meal. The dress codeis black tie (see our info box on page 10).You may apply for up to two guest tickets.

The Old Hall only seats 114 people, andtherefore spaces for both Guest Nights andFeasts are strictly limited. The MCR usu-ally hold ballots for spots, which will beadministered by the MCR Steward JustinBishop. You may expect to receive numer-ous emails from him this year.


The Cashless Payment System & Our Cancellation Policy


The college catering service oper-ates principally on a Cashless Pay-ment System. By creating an onlineaccount and depositing money in it(using most debit and credit cards),you can pay for things throughout col-lege (in the buttery, bar, and gift shop)using your University Card. YouMUST be registered with the cashlesssystem in order to book Formal Halls.

To sign up:

→ Go to www.cashless.co.uk withyour University card in hand.

→ Click on Create New Account inthe bottom right hand corner. TheCompany ID for Queens' College is 32.Your User ID is on the back of yourUniversity Card in the bottom lefthand corner, before the forward slash,(e.g. xy1234t).

→ You will be asked to enter anemail address; use your full Cam-bridge University address ([email protected]).

→ An email will then be sent to you(this can take 30 minutes to an hour, butis often much quicker).

→ From here on the system is self-ex-planatory. Should you have any difficul-ties with either of the systems, contactCatering directly on [email protected].

Once you have purchased your ticket fora Formal Hall it cannot be refunded. Ifyou can no longer attend, it is your re-sponsibility to find another student to goin your place and buy the ticket from you.

For Guest Nights and Feasts, the Stew-ard (Justin Bishop) will give you instruc-tions about the lottery and paymentoptions. Since the MCR must submit afinal list of names, numbers, and dietaryrequirements to Catering 5 days before theevent, we cannot refund tickets after thispoint. If you wish to cancel within fivedays of the event, you must find a replace-ment – again, you will not be refunded!

Decoding the Dress Codes

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A Note on Alcohol: Many students in Cambridge drink (a lot of) alcoholat Formal Hall, in pubs, or at parties. This, however, is never a require-ment. It is perfectly polite to drink juice or water instead, and never feelyou have to empty a wine glass that someone has filled for you.


Smart Casual Comes in many forms, but a minimum standard is:

- For him: Long trousers, not jeans, cargos or other casual wear; short or longsleeved shirt with collar; closed/hard shoes, not running shoes or sandals.

- For her: Skirt or trousers with a nice top and nice shoes or boots.

Lounge suit/Cocktail dress (‘Smart’)- For him: A normal suit, with a necktie.

- For her: A dress ranging in length from just above the knee to about two inchesabove the ankle.

Black tie ('Semi-formal')Note: Queens’ feasts are black tie!

- For him: A dinner jacket ('DJ', or tuxedo in American English), and a black bow-tie. Dinner jackets are black and usually have satin lapels. The accompanyingtrousers have a single satin stripe down the outside. Shirts may be either wing tipor full collar. A number of clothiers in town hire out dinner suits at around £25for the jacket and trousers. Black socks and shoes. Waistcoats if you can.

- For her: An evening gown or cocktail dress.

White tie ('Formal')- For him: A black tailcoat, a white waistcoat, a white stiff-fronted shirt with astiff-winged collar, and a white bow-tie. Only the Magdalene May Ball requireswhite tie (it's optional at a couple of others), so you're not likely to need it.

- For her: A ball gown that reaches at least to the ankles.

Fancy DressA Halloween/masquerade costume.

Save These Dates!


Below we've listed the dates for anumber of the highlights in theQueens' college calendar. The MCRhosts a number of events during theyear, but those below are the bigones you can count on. You'll re-ceive an email about them in duetime. Spaces for all of these eventsare limited, so apply remember toapply early for better chances ofgetting tickets!

Michaelmas Term

14 NovemberWoodville Feast (Old Hall)

21 NovemberCollege Guest Night (Old Hall)

30 NovemberHoliday Carol Service (Chapel)

3 December(1st) Student Christmas Dinner

5 December(2nd) Student Christmas Dinner

Lent Term

6 FebruaryBoar's Feast (Old Hall)

20 FebruaryCollege Guest Night (Old Hall)

Easter Term

8 MayMachin Feast (Old Hall)

14 MayCollege Guest Night (Old Hall)

May Week

14 JuneBounce (ran by the JCR andheld annually on Suicide Sun-day; Erasmus Lawn)

16 JuneQueens' May Ball (throughoutthe college!)

12 The (Unofficial) Grads’ Guide to Queens’

Freshers’ week calendar(Events in bold are hosted by the MCR Committee)

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

29 30 1 October 2

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Comedy NightFitzpatrick Hall8 pm

1 Term BeginsPresident’s reception(student surnames A-L)President’s Lodge(RSVP) 6:30-7:30 pm

Ice Cream Social MCR7:30 pm

8

President’s reception(student surnames M-Z)President’s Lodge(RSVP)6:30 – 7:30 pm

[JCR Casino Night]

9

MCR Formal HallSherry in Q-bar at 6:45 pmDinner in Cripps at7:30 pm

13 14 15

Matriculation Photo 12:30 -1:30 pm Walnut Court Gowns required!!

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Matriculation DinnerCripps (RSVP)

213029

9876

16151413


Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

2

Tutors info session Fitzpatrick Hall4 pm

Grad Tutors PartyOld Kitchens8:30 pm

4

MCR Wine TastingBowett Room7 pm

Wine and Cheeseparty for everyone(free) MCR9 pm

5

Small group meetingswith Tutors 9 am -early afternoon

Coffee and CreamTea MorningMCR10 am – 1 pm

9

MCR Formal HallSherry in Q-bar at 6:45 pmDinner in Cripps at7:30 pm

10

Pub Quiz NightOwlstone Croft8:30 – 11 pm

[JCR Bop]

11

‘Neighbourhood’Pub Crawl Starts at the Anchor(opposite Queens’)8 pm onwards

12

Walk to Grantch-ester-Leave Queens’ at2:00 pm -Leave Owlstone at 2:20 pm

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Matriculation DinnerCripps (RSVP)

17

MCR Cocktail PartyOld Hall8 – 11 pm

18 19

3 4 5

10 11 12

17 18 19

Freshers’ week calendar(Events in bold are hosted by the MCR Committee)

Your Welfare

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During your stay in Cambridge,problems can sometimes arise. Don'tpanic! An advantage of being in Cam-bridge is that there are loads of peoplewho can and want to help. For more in-formation about local welfare services(or just a chat), feel free to contact thewelfare officer, Rogier, [email protected]. For academic prob-lems (such as problems with your su-pervisor) or financial difficulties, youcan always contact your tutor (see page15 on the tutorial system).

Physical Health

For medical problems, you can con-tact your doctor (hopefully you've reg-istered with one in the first weeks afteryour arrival, see page 4). You can alsofind information about health care inCambridge at this university site:www.cam.ac.uk/staffstudents/studen-thandbook/welfare/healthcare

Queens' has a College Nurse, Mrs.Mairi Hurrell. She can help with a widerange of medical and psychologicalproblems, and, if necessary, make an

appointment for you with a doctor. Shemay also be able to advise informallyabout other things – if, for example,you are feeling down about your workor colleagues.

Mental HealthThe University had a free and confi-

dential counselling service (thoughthere are often waiting lists duringterm-time): http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk

For the contact info of a number ofmental-health organisations see:www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/welfare/mental-health/contacts.html

Spiritual Health

For pastoral care, there is the Deanand Chaplain, Dr Jonathan Holmes.Though affiliated with the AnglicanChurch, he is delighted to help and ad-vise anyone. He is also a great resourcefor information about other places ofworship and religious communities inCambridge.


Mairi Hurrell, College Nurse335 [email protected]

Drop in surgery hours:Monday - Friday08.30 - 11.00 and 15.00 - 17.00

Rev Dr [email protected]

The Tutorial System


Every graduate student is assigned aTutor, who is a Fellow of the college.

While your departmental or facultySupervisor is there to oversee your aca-demic work, your Tutor’s role, asQueens’ College explains, ‘is to ensurethat you do not fall foul of the Universitybureaucracy – and to help you with anyproblems concerning finances, health,welfare, and anything else that is worry-ing you’ – personal problems included!In other words, your Tutor is there tooffer you what is called ‘Pastoral’ care,for as long as you’re a student.

If you are having difficulties with yoursupervisor or academic department, tu-tors are also available to liaise with themas an advocate on your behalf. Most stu-dents also don’t realise that it is possibleto deposit CVs and letters of reference

from your academic Supervisor withyour Tutor: these will be kept on file as aresource to you, even after you graduate.

Available online (www.queens.cam.ac.uk/Users/ceb27/CEB4.html) is Dr.Clare Bryant’s ‘Tutorial Frequently AskedQuestions’. This is a very handy resource:here you can find information and weblinks to do with everything from gradu-ate funding to car parking, and from wel-fare issues to thesis binding.

We want to stress that you can contactyour (or another) tutor with any sort ofproblem you might have – at the veryleast, he or she will know where to directyou to find someone who can help. It’simportant that you get to know yourTutor – they’re there to help, but they canonly do so if you let them know there’s aproblem.

Graduate Tutors

Office Email (@cam.ac.uk)

Dr. John Allison BB36 jwfa1Dr. Clare Bryant H5 ceb27 Dr. Howard Jones Essex 3b hrnj1Prof. Lisa Hall Cloister 3 [email protected]. Eugene Terentjev BB43 emt1000

Senior Tutor

Dr. Murray Milgate Cloister 4 mjm43

Note: For Tutors’ surgery hours see www.queens.cam.ac.uk/default.asp?MIS=1346

Living in Cambridge

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Wherever you live in Cambridge,there are a number of resources on theweb to help you find your nearest shopsand service providers.

For ideas about eating and going out,Ents officer Laura Ayling has compiled alist that can be found on the MCR web-site (http://qmcr.org.uk/).

There's a good guide to Cambridgepubs online: www.cambridge-pubs.co.uk

Supermarkets: If you're going to bedoing your shopping on foot or by bike,you'll want to scope out the Sainsbury's

at 44 Sidney Street (just across fromSidney Sussex college). There is also alarge Tesco's just under 2 miles fromQueens', on Newmarket Road (Post-code: CB5 8HE).

For good insider information and re-views of restaurants (and more) inCambridge (and beyond), check outwww.localsecrets.com

Printable student discount vouchersare also available for some Cambridgebusinesses at studentbeans.com/uk/city/cambridge.html


Cycling in Cambridge

Cycling is the mode of transportation of choice around Cambridge. Since the city is sosmall and so congested, a bike usually is a faster means of transportation than a car. Cy-clists must obey the same rules as motorists (including on one way streets). Using bikelights at night is compulsory. You can get a ticket if you do not, and we know peo-ple who have. It is an unfortunate fact but important to know that every year a coupleof students die in bicycle accidents around town – so wear your helmets!

A Short Guide to Queens’ ‘Neighbourhoods’


Queens’ (main site)

Pub: The Anchor; The Mill; The Eagle

ATM: Market Square: HSBC, Barclays,NatWest. Supermarket: Sainsbury's (Sid-ney Street); late opening: Shell Garage,Newnham Road (convenience store only)

Also: Miller's Yard, just off Mill Lane. In-cludes Dojo's (cheap, fast, good Asian fu-sion food to have in or take away), BombayBrasserie, and Old Orleans (Cajun)

Post Office: Trinity Street (across fromTrinity College)

Doctor: Trumpington Street MedicalPractice (56 Trumpington Street, oppositeSt. Catherine’s College) www.trumping-tonstreetmedicalpractice.co.uk

On Newnham Road (on the way fromQueens’ to Owlstone) you’ll find the hugelypopular Granta pub, and a strip of goodrestaurants: Bella Italia, India House, SalaThong (Thai), and The Rice Boat (Indian)

Owlstone Croft (and EltisleyAve/Marlowe Road couples' flats)

Pub: The Red Bull (2 4 1 pizza on Mon-days; 20% discount on food on Wednes-days!)

ATM: Shell Garage, Newnham Road

Supermarket: Co-op, Grantchester Street;Derby Delicatessen (26 Derby Street)

Also: Newnham Bakery (7 Derby Street);C Cousins and Sons Butcher (great forsandwiches) (36 Grantchester Street)

Post Office: Inside the Derby Store

Doctor: Newnham Walk Surgery(Wordsworth Grove, near Newnham Col-lege) www.newnhamwalksurgery.nhs.uk

Maids Causeway

Pub: The Burleigh Arms (great cheaproasts on Sundays); The Zebra (open spo-radically)

ATM: Grafton Centre: NatWest, Co-opbank

Supermarket: Corner Store on FitzroyStreet; Marks and Spencer in Grafton Cen-tre (but pricey!); Sainsbury’s (SidneyStreet); Tesco (Newmarket Road, 10 mins.by bike)

Also: Bakers Oven (bakery), Fitzroy Street

Post Office: 9-11 St. Andrew's Street

Doctor: Bridge Street Medical Centre (AllSaint's Passage, off of Bridge Street)www.bridgestreetsurgery.com

Norwich Street/ Panton Street

Pub: Panton Arms (43 Panton Street);The Alma (26 Russell Court)

ATM: HSBC (62-64 Hills Road); RoyalBank of Scotland (82-88 Hills Road)

Supermarket: The Co-op on Hills Road

Post Office: 29 Hills Road

Doctor: Lensfield Medical Practice (48Lensfield Road) www.lensfieldpractice.org

Queens' College Contact Information

18 The (Unofficial) Grads’ Guide to Queens’

Website: www.queens.cam.ac.ukMain college phone number: 01223 335 511Postcode: CB3 9ETEmail for Porters' Lodge: [email protected]

Our wonderful and resourceful GraduateAdministrator is Ms. Robbie Kneale. Her officeis on the first floor of the Essex Building.

Tel. 331 [email protected]

For the contact information of the Graduate Tutors, please see page 15.

Important college numbers and addresses:

Telephone Email

Accommodation enquiries 335 565 [email protected] Library 335 549 [email protected] Nurse 335 578 [email protected] Officer 335 549 [email protected] 335 585 [email protected] 335 513 [email protected]

Note: Maintenance request forms are also available in the Porters' Lodge, and elec-tronically through the MCR and JCR websites.

Other useful email addresses:

Bursars' Secretary [email protected] Booking (for meetings and functions) [email protected] Office [email protected] Bill enquiries [email protected] Admissions [email protected]/College Fee enquiries [email protected]

The Queens' Arts Seminar


Founded in 2003, The Queens' ArtsSeminar – run by Queens’ MCR mem-bers – regularly assembles a diversegroup of leading scholars and practi-tioners of the arts to present their lat-est work in a short paper, followed by(free!) wine and informal questions anddiscussion. Past meetings have featureda wide range of speakers, from AnthonyLane, film critic for the New Yorker, toQuentin Skinner, Regius Professor ofModern History at Cambridge.

Though hosted at Queens', this sem-inar is open to everyone at Cambridge(and beyond).

The first meeting of 2008 will takeplace at 7:30 pm on 15 October in theOld Kitchens.

For more information (and to sug-gest speakers!), please contact thisyear’s convenors (Daniel Cook and Jo-hanna Hanink): [email protected]

The MCR Committee, 2008-9

20

Please feel free to contact us: we’re hereto help!

And… are you interested in joining thecommittee as our External Officer, or asa First Year Student Representative?Watch your email for information aboutelections early on in Michaelmas!


Douglas O’RourkeSecretary

[email protected]

Jenny YaoTreasurer

[email protected]

Jamie WaltersEvents Officer 2

[email protected]

[vacant]External Officer

[email protected]

[vacant]First Year Student Rep

Swetha SureshInternational Student Rep

ss735

Johanna HaninkPresident

[email protected]

Laura AylingEvents Officer 1

[email protected]

Senior Officers

Titled Officers

maybeYOU?!

maybeYOU?!


The MCR Committee, 2008-9

Justin BishopSteward

[email protected]

Johannes AmmannWebmaster & Photographer

jua22

Adrien VigierWoodville Room Steward

[email protected]

Harriet PhillipsOwlstone Croft Representative

hp278 Duncan HansonOrdinary member

dh361

Nick McBrideOrdinary member

nsm29

Thad CliftonInternational Student Rep

tdc29

Rogier van DalenWelfare

[email protected]

Other Members

22

The Backs: The grassy areas at theback of King's, Trinity and John's.

Bedder: A college cleaner, emptierof bins, provider of fresh sheets, etc.

Boatie: Someone who rows.

Bop: Disco held in the FitzpatrickHall (always very classy).

Bumps: Big rowing races held inLent and Easter terms.

Buttery: The name for dining hallsfound in colleges and elsewhere at theUniversity (e.g. at the Sidgwick site).

Ents: Entertainments provided bythe JCR, usually taking the form of abop. See also Bop.

Fellow: Someone who holds sub-ject-specific academic position withincollege, e.g. Dr. X is a Fellow in Englishat Queens'.

Formal (Hall): A three coursemeal, also held in the college dininghall, later than normal hall, preceded bysherry and followed by port and generalmerriment. See also pennying.

JCR: Junior Combination Room -the Undergraduate Student Union inQueens', which represents the under-grads.

Master: The top person in college.Queens' has a President instead of aMaster, Lord Eatwell, who lives in thePresident's Lodge (not be confused withthe Porters' Lodge).

Matriculation: The process of offi-cially registering with College. Thismeans signing the matriculation regis-ter in Robbie Kneale's office.

May Ball: Spectacular all-nightevent with loads of food, drinks and en-tertainment, usually black tie, that lastsuntil the morning's ‘survivors’ photo-graph’. Takes place in May Week.

May Week: a week of festivities afterexams end in the middle of June.

MCR: Middle Combination Room -the name for the collective body of grad-uate students at Queens': every gradu-ate student is a member of the MCR.The MCR committee represents thisgraduate community. The 'MCR' alsorefers to the graduate common room,the Woodville Room, in Cripps Court(just across from the Porters' Lodge).


A Short Glossary of Cambridge (and Queens’) Lingo


Pennying (noun); to penny (verb):The act of putting a penny (1p) intosomeone's glass of wine at Formal Hall,thus making them socially compelled to'down' (drink in one go) the contents ofthe glass - and so 'save the Queen fromdrowning'. The principle can also be ap-plied to someone's dessert, in whichcase he or she must eat the dessert withno cutlery.

Pidge: Pigeonhole - your college mail-box (located in the Plodge).

Plodge: Porters' Lodge - the buildingat the entrance of a college, where you'llfind the Porters.

Porter: Someone who works at the en-trance of a college, in the porters' lodge.Porters are very knowledgeable aboutcollege offices, and will often be yourfirst port of call for college-related ques-tions.

Praelector: The fellow who formallypresents students (in Latin!) at gradua-tion ceremonies ('Congregations of theRegent House’). Our praelector is cur-rently Prof. James Diggle.

Punt: A kind of boat, which is movedby a long pole and requires some skillto drive. You can hire out the college

punts (there are five) from the Plodgeduring the warmer months.

SCR: Senior Combination Room - thename for the 'Fellowship', that is thebody of fellows, at the college. The'SCR' also refers to their common room(off limits to us, unfortunately). Ifyou're lucky, someday you might seethe college's 'Old Senior CombinationRoom' - a 15th century wood panelleddining hall.

Senior Tutor: The head of the col-lege's academic affairs. Our SeniorTutor is currently Dr. Murray Milgate.

Suicide Sunday: The Sunday at thestart of May Week, when there are lotsof parties and fun. By this Sunday all ofthe undergrads have finished theirexams, but the results are not yet in.The name refers to the possible effectof excessive drinking.

UMS: University Mail Services. An in-ternal, free mail service for post circu-lating within the University. There is aUMS box in the Porters' Lodge.

Varsity and TCS (The Cambridge Stu-dent): The university's student-runnewspapers, available for free in thePlodge.

A Short Glossary of Cambridge (and Queens’) Lingo

A Few Other Important Student Organisations& Phone Numbers to Note

24

Queens' College JCR: http://jcrwww.quns.cam.ac.uk

All MCR members are also automati-cally members of the JCR, the JuniorCombination Room, or collective bodyof undergraduates. The Queens’ JCRoffice is in Walnut Tree Court.

Cambridge University Students'Union (CUSU):www.cusu.cam.ac.uk

This is a federation of individual col-lege unions (JCRs and MCRs). TheCUSU office is located at 11 /12Trumpington St, and there you canbuy really handy student discountcards.

The Graduate Union (GU):http://www.gradunion.cam.ac.uk

The GU is the umbrella organisationfor all college MCRs, and represents

graduate students at a university level.It houses a café (especially popular atlunchtime), and is a useful source ofcheap stationery and photocopying.Gown hire and thesis binding are alsoavailable, and the GU now runs mas-sage sessions which you can book on-line through their website. This websiteis a great source of information aboutwhat’s going on around town ('What'son'), and it hosts active forums for dis-cussions and questions about life inCambridge. The GU building is close toQueens’, at 17 Mill Lane.

The University Centre (also knownas the Grad Pad):www.unicen.cam.ac.uk

The University Centre is also nearQueens’, on the river at Granta Place. Itoffers a self-service cafeteria, a bar thatserves light meals, and a popular café.There is also a small computing site onthe top floor.


Phone Numbers to NoteTake a moment to enter these into your mobile…NOW!

Emergency 999CAMDOC (for 24 hour medical care) 01223 464 242 Parkside Police Station 01223 358 966NHS Direct (24 hour health helpline) 0845 46 47University Dental Service 01223 332 860Cambridge Contraception and Sexual Health Service 08456 50 51 52University Counselling Service 01223 332 865Panther Taxis 01223 715 715A1 Taxis 01223 525 555

Queens' college facts at your fingertips

First foundation:1448, by Margaret of Anjou (wife ofKing Henry VI)

Original foundation name:The Queen's College of St Margaretand St Bernard

Second foundation:1465, by Elizabeth Woodville (wife ofKing Edward IV), 'the most beautifulwoman in the Island of England'

Patron Saints:St. Margaret (feast day 20 July), St.Bernard of Clairvaux (feast day 20 Au-gust)

Motto:Floreat Domus (Latin for 'May thishouse flourish')

Current Patroness:HM Queen Elizabeth II (withinOxbridge this is unique!)

Sister Colleges:• Pembroke College, Oxford• Ezra Stiles College, Yale University(USA)• Osaka Gakuin University (Japan)

Who makes up the Queens’College MCR?

(Graduate student statisticsfrom 2007-8)

Total graduate students: 398(Total undergrads: about 500)

This breaks down into:

• 243 PhDs• 73 MPhils• 26 Medics and Vets• 22 PGCEs• 13 MBAs• 9 CAs (Part III Maths)• 5 LLMs

Queens' CollegeSilver StreetCambridgeCB3 9ETUnited Kingdom

Copyright © 2008

Design: Theodoros KoutroukidesPhotographs: Johannes Ammann

Content Editors: Rogier van Dalen and Johanna HaninkContent provided by members of the 2008-9 MCR Committee

Special thanks to Daniel Cook (MCR President 2006-7) and Justin Bishop (MCR President 2007-8)

Thanks also to Queens’ College for financial assistance in printing this handbook

Documents

Queens’ College Queens C’’ College CambridgeCambridgeqmcr.org.uk/QueensCollegeMCR_Booklet_2008-09.pdf · From the MCR Committee 2 Welcome to Cambridge, and welcome to Queens