Gazette: Michaelmas week 3

MCR events

Arts & Crafts

We warmly invite students with children for an afternoon of cozy, hedgehog-related crafts. We’ll have a variety of activities, suited to a range of ages, from finger-painting to making hedgehogs out of pompoms and pinecones. Enter your favourite creation into the Art Exhibit on the 30th October where we’ll be offering prizes in multiple categories. This is part of Churchill’s Hedgehog-Friendly Campus initiative.

Please RSVP to Elre (etv21) so we have an idea of numbers.

Time: 15 October, 2-4 pm
Venue: MCR Common Room

 

Hedgehog Art Exhibit

Students with children are warmly invited to our Hedgehog-themed art exhibit on the 30th October. This is the perfect venue to show off your creations from the arts and crafts event from Saturday the 15th, but any entries are welcomed! We’ll be offering prizes in multiple categories. This is part of Churchill’s Hedgehog-Friendly Campus initiative.

Time: 30 October 2pmNote: This event was previously advertised for the 29th, but has been moved to the 30th.

Venue: Seminar Room 3/4

 

Hostel Crawl

Hostel Crawl: games, drinks and ‘site-seeing’

Join us on Saturday 15 October for an unforgettable night to discover the different parts of our beloved College. We are preparing with games, alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, and more.

Come to the Buttery at 7.15 pm and the tour will start at 7.30 pm in groups! The tour finishes latest by 11 pm but the bar will stay open afterwards.

 

Essentials of the MCR: talks and doughnuts

Are you curious about what Churchill can offer you? Come along for a fair-like event where you can get all the
info you need as an MCR member while eating delicious doughnuts.

Time: 16 October 14:00-17:00
Venue: Jock Coville Hall

 

LGBTQ+ Social

Open to all, come by the Vicious Penguin (MCR Bar), followed by an optional club night at Glitterbomb.

Time: 18 October 20:00-22:00
Venue: MCR Common Room

 

Yoga

Join our weekly yoga class! Whether your an experienced yogi or have never been on a mat before, anyone is welcome to join. We provide mats, but please bring your own if you have one.

We’re in the Jock Colville Hall every Wednesday from 6 – 7pm.

 

Hall Dinner

Enjoy some dinner served in Hall with fellow MCR members.

Time: 20 October 18:00-19:00

Venue: Hall

 

Committee Elections

On Thursday 27th October we will be having our Termly General Meeting (TGM) at 7 pm (in the Club Room). This will include Hustings (i.e. elections) for the following positions on the MCR Committee:

  • Academic Officer
  • Bar Secretary
  • Computing Officer
  • Green Officer
  • Equipment Officer
  • First Year Representative
  • Communications and Publicity Officer
  • Disability Access Officer
  • Women’s Welfare Officer
  • Equality and Diversity Officer
  • External Social Secretary
  • Internal Social Secretary

For further details and the details of submitting your application, please check your email about MCR Committee Elections (subject).

 

Associate Members

The Churchill MCR would like to welcome all partners of postgraduate students to become Associate Members of the MCR.

With recent changes to the MCR Constitution, partners of postgraduate students must now register their interest to formally become an Associate MCR Member which must be approved by the Senior Tutor.  This enables partners to run for MCR committee positions, attend MCR events without their partner, and vote for the MCR Families Welfare Officer.

For further details and the application, please check your email about MCR Associate Members (subject).

 

Masquerade Formal

𝔗​he ℳ𝐶ℛ is delighted to announce a 1920’s Masquerade, surely one of the greatest events of the year.

Fear not, for all your stories (and secrets) will be safe that night.

We will look forward to seeing you on 28th October , from 7 pm at the reception.

Tickets will be released on Monday, 17th October. Take your place in society by joining us for a magnificent night filled with music, dancing, games and themed cocktails. Bring your friends/partner to enjoy this marvellous night together with them.

 

Accepting Entries for Super Short Summaries

We are excited to announce that Super Short Summaries, the MCR’s two minute thesis (2MT) competition, is back on Saturday 19th November, and we are accepting entries. The competition will be followed by the first MCR/SCR common table. If you sign up for the mentoring scheme you can attend this dinner for free with your assigned SCR (fellow) mentor; Super Short Summaries will conclude at 7 pm to provide time for mentees to find their mentors and attend the dinner at 7:30 pm. The event itself will take 1-1.5 hours, depending on the number of entries received.

Postgraduate students from Churchill college, both PhD and Masters students, are invited to register to present using the link above. Presenters will be allowed one slide (with no animations) and given 2 minutes to explain their research to a general audience. Presenters are expected to explain what their research is about, why it is interesting, and what they have found. Since it is aimed at a general audience, they need to assume at most a high school level of knowledge in their field, explain terminology, and avoid jargon. The talks will be judged by the Master, Prof. Dame Athene Donald, the Senior tutor, Rita Monson, and the Senior Postgraduate tutor, Mairi Kilkenny, along with the MCR president, Michaela Taylor-Williams. Prizes will be given for the best talks.

Entries will close on the 5th November. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at mcr-academic@chu.cam.ac.uk

 

Around the College

Hedgehog Society

Churchill is getting ready to work towards making the college campus hedgehog friendly and we need as many people to help out as possible! Taking part is completely voluntary and you can dip in and out, picking what tasks you want to help complete (ranging from putting up posters to actively monitoring the hedgehog population). It is an excellent way to get involved in promoting the diversity of the wildlife present in college and destress by working towards a good cause without having to make a large commitment!

Click here for a description of the role to give you a rough idea of what would be involved.

Your place is waiting for you. To claim it, email info@hedgehogfriendlycampus.co.uk, quoting: “I want to be a Student Hedgehog Ambassador”

 

College Library induction/refresher tours

If you would like an introduction to the College Library or a refresher on any aspect of using the library, please email the library team (librarian@chu.cam.ac.uk) to arrange a time and they’ll be glad to show you around. Whether you’re new to the College or have been here a while, they can help you navigate the library catalogue (iDiscover) to find print and online resources from your reading lists, and give you some tips for making most of the wider network of libraries and resources available to you as a member of Cambridge University.

 

Churchill Poetry and Play Writing Prizes Prize

For all poets and playwrights, the College runs a prize in combination with the English faculty. All student at the University may enter.

Prizes:

  • £500
    THE SALT MARLOWE POETRY PRIZE (for a new poem)
  • £500 & £100 of Drama Books from Methuen Drama
    THE METHUEN MARLOWE OTHER PRIZE (for a new play)

Deadline: Last day of Lent Full Term 2023

More details and the entry form can be found here: Poetry & Play Writing Prizes – Churchill College (cam.ac.uk)

 

Music Events in Michaelmas

There is lots of music of all sorts going on in Churchill College. Whatever your musical tastes I hope there is something you’ll want to take part in.

Recital Series

Every Friday at 6:15pm, free and open to all from within or outside of college

Churchill Music Centre, Recital Room

The events range from classical chamber music to open mic nights, the Churchill Big Band and even a little light carolling at the end of term. Largely performed by Churchill musicians these recitals are always of a staggeringly high quality. See the attached term card for details.

Inter Alios Choir

Joint choir of Churchill & Murray Edwards. Perform Sundays at 5:45pm (see term card for details)

We still have space for more lower voices, especially basses. Open rehearsal 4:30pm Sunday 9th October (in Murray Edwards, email Director of Music Ewan Campbell to confirm).

Churchill Music Centre

We have fantastic facilities for practising & rehearsing. Pianos, drum kits, harpsichords, & a recording suite. Sign up with Director of Music Ewan Campbell or the Music Sizar Jack Webb to get access.

Music Bursaries

We have a host of support for musicians: Choral Scholarships, Music Bursaries, Accompanist Bursary, & Music Sizar. Application deadline is the 22/10/22 and auditions held on the 28/10/22. Details on our Music Awards page.

 

Wellbeing Seed Library

What is the Wellbeing Seed Library?

Growing your own produce locally not only saves money but is great for mental health and wellbeing. The Garden Society, Grounds and Gardens team, and College Library have teamed up to provide free seeds, to encourage people getting their hands dirty!

The Wellbeing Seed Library provides free seeds for students and families to use in the garden. Seeds currently include basil, chives, parsley, spinach, lettuce, rocket, radish, mizuma, nasturtium, corn, leek, spring onions, courgette, carrot, pak choi, tomatoes, beetroot, turnip, celery, sweet pea and sunflower.

You can find the Seed Library in the College Library, in the entrance foyer of the Bracken reading room. You do not need a University Card to access this area. Simply take a pinch of seeds from a packet, put them in an empty envelope, label your envelope with the variety, and then you’re ready to get started.

Where can I garden?

In the 70 Storey’s Way Garden there is a student gardening club greenhouse and some raised beds that can be used by students and families.

Compost, pots, a watering can and plant labels are kept in the greenhouse for student use, and the College gardeners will be on hand for any advice.

I’ve never grown anything before, where do I start?

Our suggestions for first-time gardeners are sweet peas, lettuce, or spinach. The Royal Horticultural Society website and Vital Seeds have some helpful tips for growing different kinds of plants.

The College Library also has a collection of books on Gardening and Wildlife.

 

Around the University

Invitation to St Edmund’s Family welcome event

St Edmund’s would like to extend an invitation to any Churchill students with pre-or primary school aged children to their St Teddy’s Club welcome event on Sunday 16th October at 11am to 1.30pm.

Venue: The Garden Room, St Edmund’s College, Mount Pleasant CB3 0BN

What’s on?

  • Yummy Picnic food
  • Children’s creative play (aimed at ages 0-8 but all welcome).
  • A chance to meet other student families & college staff.

If you are interested to join, please RSVP to Maria Gloag, Director of Student Welfare (mgfg3) and include number and ages of children and any dietary needs.

 

University Counselling Service: Groups and Workshops

University Counselling Service runs three kinds of groups at UCS – workshops, focused groups and longer counselling groups. 

The workshops are generally one-off events and do not require any ongoing commitment.  The focused groups are for people who want help with a particular issue.  Longer counselling groups offer support over a period of several weeks. To ensure a group experience, they aim to run groups and workshops of six participants or more and if there are insufficient numbers to run a group or workshop it may be cancelled.

If you wish to register your interest in attending the workshops that are accepting registrations, please complete the relevant registration forms, which can be found on clicking the following link for workshops: Workshop registration form

All of the workshops apart from the ‘How Art Thou’ one, will be held remotely, online via Zoom.us (The How Art Thou workshop will be held in the Student Services Centre and in person.)

 

Open access: where next?

A symposium to challenge the status quo and imagine new futures in academic publishing. 

Homerton College, 18 November 2022, 9am-5pm

You are warmly invited to take part in ‘Open access: where next?’, a symposium to challenge the status quo and imagine new futures in academic publishing.

Many researchers are dissatisfied with the current system of publishing and rewards, but it is not yet clear what feasible alternatives could dominate instead. Open access is becoming the norm, and offers many benefits, but is it fulfilling the initial promises of fairness and inclusivity – across disciplines and across the globe?

What would you like the future of academic publishing to look like? It’s time to be bold so we can take action to create that future.

Hosted by Cambridge University Libraries Research Services and taking place in the beautiful surroundings of Homerton College, 18 November 2022, 9am-5pm. Explore the full programme and book your place (free to current members of the University)

 

Improve your academic writing

The Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow (one-to-one appointments)

A free, confidential service to help you improve your writing skills, provided by a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellows. Michaelmas Term appointments are for 3+ year PhD students.

Sign up for a 50min one-to-one tutorial to help you:

  • Express your ideas more clearly.
  • Discover reading to improve your writing and editing skills.
  • Increase your writing skills with the aim of improving your performance.
  • Improve any piece academic writing – essays, reports, theses, dissertations, book chapters.
  • Focus your reading for report, dissertation or thesis writing.
  • Plan your study time.

Please note RLF Writing Fellows do not undertake proofreading or EAP tuition.

To book a slot, email our RLF Writing Fellows directly:

For an IN PERSON appointment: rebecca.watts@rlfeducation.org.uk  (works on Tuesdays and Wednesdays) or For an ONLINE appointment: marnie.riches@rlfeducation.org.uk (works on Mondays and Tuesdays)    

Please state your year group as well as subject/discipline in your initial email requesting a tutorial.

 

New Cambridge open access fund

The University of Cambridge has established a new open access fund to ensure all Cambridge researchers have the option to publish their research papers in fully open access journals. Researchers who are not supported by other grants that cover open access publishing charges can apply to use this fund to make articles free for all to read. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply for an in-principle decision, or learn about the context for creating this fund.

Open Access team is also developing an online course that will explain the open access landscape and process for making work open access at Cambridge, which they hope you will find useful in navigating the complex queries that sometimes arise. If you have any questions, email the Open Access team.

 

Career Essentials for PhDs & Postdocs

In advance of the launch of our Career Essentials for PhDs and postdocs package, we have some brand new resources and below you’ll find details of two upcoming workshops to support you with your career planning and next steps!
  • Should I Postdoc or Not? If you’re unsure whether to continue into a postdoc position after your PhD, this video will take you through some key points to support your decision making.
  • Narrative CVs A new development in academic recruitment is the use of the Narrative CV to use a wider range of measures for research impact. Find out more about what a narrative CV is and how to write one.
  • Research Statements Whether you’re applying for a JRF or starting to think about future funding, find out more about how to write a successful research statement.

 

University of Cambridge Fairs

If you are not sure what the job market has to offer for you, visit the different Fairs and collect all the information you need to plan your career. It doesn’t matter at which stage you are in your studies, mark the dates and register for any you are interested in, using the links below.

 

Graham Storey Lecture

Date: 24 October 2022

Time: 17:15 – 18:45

Location: Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Site, Cambridge, CB3 9DE

On 24th October 2022 Professor Hazel Carby will give a talk entitled ‘Art and Political Ecology: Extraction’. The lecture will take place from 17:15 until 18:15 in Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Site, Cambridge, CB3 9DE. A reception will follow, in the English Faculty social space, until 18:45.

Hazel Carby is the Charles C. and Dorothea S. Dilley Professor Emeritus of African American Studies and Professor Emeritus of American Studies at Yale University, a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts, and a Visiting Research Professor at Dartmouth College. Her recent book, Imperial Intimacies, A Tale of Two Islands (Verso, 2019), was named one of the ‘Books of the Year for 2019’ by the Times Literary Supplement, and in 2020 she was awarded the British Academy’s Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding.

As part of his estate, Graham Storey left a bequest to the English Faculty to fund a lecture in his name. The inaugural lecture was given in May 2008 by Professor James Wood of Harvard University and further lectures have been given by Marina Warner in 2009, Anne Enright in 2010, Ian McEwan in 2011, Alan Hollinghurst in 2012, Caryl Phillips in 2014, Lydia Davis in 2016 and Addrian Poole in 2018.

For more information please see: Graham Storey Lecture: “Art and Political Ecology: Extraction” by Professor Hazel Carby – Trinity Hall (cam.ac.uk)

 

St John’s College Hinsley Memorial Lecture

St John’s College has the pleasure of announcing that the twenty-second Hinsley Memorial Lecture will be held on Tuesday 18 October 2022.  This year’s lecture Viewing Economics through a Moral Lens will be given by Professor Ashok Mody.

Ashok Mody is Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor in International Economic Policy at the School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University.   He is author of EuroTragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts.  He has was previously Deputy Director in the International Monetary Fund’s Research and European Departments.  He has also worked at the World Bank, AT&T’s Bell Laboratories, and the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum.

The lecture will begin at 5.30pm in the Main Lecture Theatre in the Old Divinity School and will be followed by a drinks reception in the Central Hall of the Old Divinity School.

Parking will be available on the College’s playing field, off Queen’s Road. 

Please register your place here by 12 October.  Confirmation will be sent in due course.  

 

Other opportunities

Cambridge Film Festival

Visit the Cambridge Film Festival which is back at the Arts Picturehouse, Cambridge between the 20th and the 27th October. Click here for further details!

Program:

A Life on the FarmA found footage documentary like you have never seen before, Farmer Charles Carson is an eccentric farmer who documents birth, life and death on his farm which he stages as a comedic TV show. Filmmaker Oscar Hardingsets about reconstructing the film to share Charles story with the world.

Aftersun: A young woman looks back at the VHS tapes of the last holiday she took with her dad Calum (Paul Mescal), the murky corners of memory suddenly light up thanks to the art of filmmaking.

All The Beauty and the Bloodshed: Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the film invites you on an emotional journey through the life of famed photographer Nan Goldin.

Armageddon Time: Starring Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Chastain and Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time is a partially autobiographical coming-of-age tale that focuses on a Jewish family growing up in the 1980’s.

Cherry: When 25-year-old Cherry finds out she is pregnant, she finds herself caught between a curiosity for motherhood and a desire to fulfill her as yet unfulfilled dreams.

Perlimps: In this animated film, Claé and Bruo are secret agents working for enemy kingdoms, they will have to overcome their differences and work together to save the Enchanted Forest, tracking mysterious creatures known as “Pelimps”.

The Silent Twins: Agnieszka Smoczynska’s English language debut tells the story of two sisters who refused to communicate with anyone but each other from childhood. The film treats us to neon galore, musical-style interludes and even puppet animation.

A Compassionate Spy: A rare insight into a real-life spy story, A Compassionate Spy tells the story of 18 year old Harvard undergraduate Ted Hall who secretly passed information about nuclear weapons to the Soviet Union.

 

Cambridge Medtech Foundation is recruiting

The MedTech Foundation aims to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship in the healthcare sector through education and interdisciplinary collaboration. Their presence and outreach across the university and wider MedTech community is expanding year-on-year, and they are now looking for new committee members to help expand and grow our current activities.

They are looking for a MEDx Lead, MEDx Officer and an Externals Officers. Role descriptions can be found here: Cambridge MedTech Foundation Role Descriptions_2022-23 – Google Docs

As part of the team you will:

  • work alongside a talented team to successfully deliver key activities;
  • have one-on-one professional development mentorship throughout your posting;
  • gain a better understanding of the MedTech sector and innovation;
  • be invited to attend local and national MedTech events as key partners/collaborators;
  • be invited onto national committee to organise larger events

Process:
1) Application form submission: DEADLINE Wednesday 19th October 2022
2) Interview from Monday 24th October 2022
3) Appointment of new committee members

 

MRI Study

Earn up to £ 65 in multi-session MRI study: 2x2h MRI scans (Addenbrooke’s) while performing a visual task. We are currently recruiting for a brain imaging study looking into visual perception.  

If you are interested and: 

* 18-35 years old 

* With perfect or corrected-to-normal vision (contact lenses only, glasses cannot be taken into the scanner) 

* Without history of neuropsychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders 

* Under no medication 

* Right-handed 

* MRI safe (contact us if unsure) 

then please drop us a line at abgresearch@psychol.cam.ac.uk using 7T_PREDICTION as subject. 

Please note that participation in past experiments in our lab may render you ineligible for this study, please get in touch if in doubt.  

 

Symposium of Biological and Life Sciences

SymBLS is a free event for all postgraduate biological and life science students across all departments and institutes at Cambridge University. This year it will be held on Friday 25th November at Magdelene College, with a theme of ‘Overcoming Adversity in Science’.

Find out more by visiting the website.

For registration, click here!

Abstract submission for talks and posters is also open! If you would like to present a poster or give a talk, follow the ‘submit an abstract’ link on the website, and follow the instructions. SymBLS is a great opportunity to present your research in a friendly environment to a wide group of Cambridge postgrads!

 

Cambridge Zero Research Symposia

This Michaelmas term, Cambridge Zero in collaboration with Hughes Hall Centre for Climate Engagement are running four half day symposia. The aim of these symposia is to showcase the ground-breaking research related to sustainability, climate change, and net-zero that is happening across Cambridge, to connect researchers from across different communities and disciplines, and encourage new collaborations. Attendance is free.

The list of symposia is as follows:

  • 28th October – Economy & Society: achieving sustainable development using natural capital, social capital and sustainable finance.
  • 8th November – Carbon Capture & Climate Repair: what, where, when, how, by whom and for whom?
  • 21st November – Behavioural Change & Education: tackling misinformation and promoting institutional and individual action
  • 7th December – Climate & Disease: drivers, impacts and solutions

Each symposium will be held in the Pavilion Room at Hughes Hall, Cambridge. They will run from 1pm to 5.10pm with lunch from 1pm – 1.50pm. There will also be a drinks reception from 5.10pm until 6pm.

Each symposium will feature a number of keynote presentations from senior Cambridge academics, and we are inviting submissions from Early Career Researchers (Cambridge Postdocs and PhD students) to present their research in a series of 10 minute presentations. There is also the option to give a 2-minute ‘lightning’ presentation instead of a 10 minute one. This would consist of a single slide and a (very) brief explanation of your research. This may be a suitable option for those just beginning their research project or to present ideas for future research projects.  

We invite interested researchers whose work fits under the broad remit of sustainability and/ or climate change to submit abstracts via this form.

The audience is likely to predominantly internal Cambridge researchers, but we also expect some external interest.

If you would like to attend without presenting, you are also welcome. In this case, please email Daniel Robins djr80@cam.ac.uk so that we know how many will be attending.

 

2023 CSAR Student Award

The Cambridge Society for the Application of Research is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the 2023 CSAR Student Award programme.

Submission deadline: December 2022
Selection: Candidates will be notified of the outcome in February 2023
Interviews: We aim to interview shortlisted candidates in April 2023

The CSAR PhD Student Award of £1000, is intended to recognise outstanding research with real world application and to assist students to pursue their research or careers.

The application link can be found here.