This week 'That Oxford Girl' is giving you an insight into the JCR committees - here's looking at Corpus:
Disabilities Rep - Hannah Taylor
Throughout my year as disabilities rep I’ve really aimed to improve visibility and awareness surrounding disability in the college. I produced and ran a ‘Disability 101’ workshop as well as running disability related discussions during a handful JCR teas. I volunteered with the Oxford Accessibility Project and helped map out the wheelchair accessibility of the college, this means those with disabilities affecting mobility can access this information online, in advance of arriving at the college. I also helped with the running ‘Unity Week’ with the other Equal Opportunities Committee members.
Internationals Rep - Ana Ghenciulescu
As the International's Rep, I make sure international students feel at home in our college and try to help make their transition to this new environment as smooth as possible. Throughout the year I am a point of contact in case they encounter problems of any kind, as well as try to encourage a sense of community among them by organising formals for international holidays, movie nights and other social events. This year, my role has also involved representing the students' interests while negotiating and organising a new storage scheme for the summer vacation with our college.
LGBTQ+ Rep - Sebastian Klavinskis-Whiting
In my role as LGBTQ+ rep, I’m responsible for making college as welcoming for members of the LGBTQ+ community as possible throughout the year. In particular, during Freshers’ and the first few weeks after I will be running various LGBTQ+ events in college such as a Freshers’ LGBTQ+ drinks and hosting the OUSU LGBTQ+ society’s first Tuesday drinks. More generally throughout the rest of the year, I’ll be helping to organise a variety of other events such as pizza evenings and film nights. With everything, I’m aiming for all events and initiatives to be casual and inclusive spaces where Corpuscles can meet and socialise with each other. If you’re even slightly questioning about your identity, you’re more than welcome to pop along to any of the events going on this year.
Mental health Rep - Freya Chambers
As the Mental Health Rep for Corpus Christi JCR 2017-18 I worked as a member of the Equal Opportunities committee (or Equal Opps for short), alongside the LGBTQ+ Rep, the BME Rep, the Women’s Rep, the Socio-Economic Liberation Rep and the Disabilities Rep. My role was to ensure that everyone at Corpus knew where to find mental health information and support, both in college and across the university. There is a wide range of mental health-related welfare resources available in Corpus, the university and the city (for instance, the college Peer Supporters, the university Counselling Service and NHS Talking Space) — my job was to highlight these resources and help students access them. One of my biggest worries coming to Oxford was the toll the workload would take on my mental health; it is true that Oxford can be a high-pressure environment and the importance of having a visible and approachable Mental Health representative in college cannot be understated. During my time as Mental Health Rep I provided one-to-one mental health advice to individual students who needed someone to talk to as well as sending out regular emails to the JCR full of mental health resources. As part of the Equal Opps committee I attended bi-termly meetings and in Trinity term I helped the committee to organise Corpus Unity Week — a week of talks, discussions and other events focusing on fostering and celebrating unity in the college. As part of Unity Week I held a JCR-wide discussion on high-functioning mental illness, and earlier in the year I chaired a Corpus Converses symposium on mental health and higher education. One big change I tried to make as Mental Health rep was to Corpus’ vacation accommodation system in order to make it easier for students suffering with mental health problems to apply for college accommodation during the holidays. I think this is a really important issue that still needs work, and although my term is up hopefully changes will be made in the future.
Socio-economic Liberation Rep - Emily Simpson
For the last year I've been the Socio-economic Liberation Representative for Corpus Christi College. My role involved representing the interests of working class students at Corpus, such as at JCR meetings where appropriate. This role was relatively new and undefined when I took over so my main aim was to be a friendly person people could talk to about class related issues, in addition to this I advertised lots of social events ran through the Class Act Campaign and talks related to class. During Unity Week (an equalities week at Corpus) I ran a talk about State School versus Private School and busting myths about the two; I also helped organise the Homelessness Panel that was held during Unity Week. Women’s Rep - Colette Webber In my position as Women’s Rep for Corpus Christi JCR I represent undergraduates on issues of gender inequality. So far, I’ve initiated a scheme for free tampons and pads within college to challenge period poverty and to send a clear message that sanitary products are a right not a luxury! I put events on within college throughout the year, sometimes with support from other members of our Equal Opportunities committee, for example for Unity Week I invited the sexologist Laura Doe in to give a talk in Corpus. I also had a lot of fun working with the Women’s Reps from Oriel and University college putting on an event for International Women’s Day, something we hope to build on this coming year! Other than this I aim to be an approachable figure to come to in college, I’m here if you need someone to talk to about sexism or harassment and can help you if you want to take the issue higher.
Female Welfare Officer - Lilya Tata
In my role as Corpus JCR Welfare Officer, I aim to make myself an approachable and friendly face in college. I’m here for our junior members for anything welfare related: whether it be feeling down after a bad essay to dealing with a bereavement. I am also peer support trained, meaning that I have undertaken 30 hours of listen skills training with the University. My main job for peer-to-peer welfare is to act as a point of contact for the JCR, if they ever feel that they need further support or welfare. Alongside these duties, the other welfare officer and I run a welfare week every term (Corpus Cares Week), in which we organise events to support and improve the welfare across college (free yoga, ice cream trips, movie nights, late night teas, etc). We also run a welfare tea every weekend, which is a specific time to come and approach us for welfare. Free sexual health supplies, such as condoms, lube and dental dams, are ordered and distributed by us too. This year, I have been working on a proposal with college to get a college-specific counsellor. I’ve also worked closely with our women’s rep, Colette, to pilot a scheme which provides free sanitary products to the JCR.
Male Welfare Officer - Alexander Grassam-Rowe
I help ensure that there is sufficient provision of welfare to all members of the JCR through the termly welfare lunch with senior staff, and the weekly JCR committee meetings. I am also there to act as a person to talk to, such as during our weekly welfare teas. I'm there to make sure that everyone is as happy as they can be, and feel supported by the college and their peers - with a specific remit for those self-identifying as male. I have been involved in surveying the JCR's opinion about where they get their welfare, and how we might improve it, before presenting it to the senior welfare staff. I am organising the first freshers' talk for 'How to look after yourself' after consulting with the college Dr etc. I am organising how I will attempt to provide a more active male welfare role in college for the incoming freshers and future years.