We caught up with Archie as he begins his year as President of the Junior Common Room (JCR). He talks about his love of organic chemistry, his plans for the JCR, and what he values most about the Queen’s community – from friendships across year groups to catching up over lunch in Hall.
What are you studying at Queen’s, and what do you enjoy most about your subject?
I’m studying Chemistry and I’m currently in my fourth year, about to start my master’s project in organic chemistry. I enjoy chemistry because it underpins every part of our lives. You can see it in action every day, and I value being able to understand how its advancements have shaped our lives over the last 100 years.
I enjoy chemistry because it underpins every part of our lives.
I particularly love organic chemistry because of how challenging it can be. Once you overcome the initial hurdle of understanding, it is an incredibly rewarding subject. One of my favourite descriptions of organic chemistry comes from Classics in Total Synthesis by Nicolaou and Sorensen, where they compare organic synthesis to playing a game of chess backwards. Imagine starting a game with only the checkmate move (the target molecule). The chemist’s job is to work out how to move all the pieces back to recognisable starting positions (available starting materials) and, importantly, all in the correct order. With this information, the chemist can then play the game of chess normally and make their molecules.
What made you want to become JCR President, and what are you hoping to achieve this year?
I decided to run for JCR President after spending a year as JCR Vice-President. Being VP was such an exciting role. I met so many new people, worked with some incredible college staff, and learnt a huge amount along the way. Having that experience within the JCR has given me much more confidence to speak up, and I’ve become far more organised in how I approach things. In all honesty, it seemed like a no-brainer to run for the top job! I absolutely love the community at Queen’s, and I’m really excited to play my part in making the Queen’s JCR an even better place. My promise anywhere I go has been to leave somewhere better than when I found it.
I absolutely love the community at Queen’s.
Over the next year, I hope to keep the JCR a welcoming and social space for everyone. Oxford life can become stressful, and while studying for my finals last year, having a third space away from the library and my bedroom was a godsend. Having somewhere I could go to socialise, decompress and take my mind off work helped me get the best out of myself. I believe one of the JCR’s most important purposes is to create and foster that kind of space for everyone.
I’m also really looking forward to supporting the brilliant JCR committee in all their work and making sure that Queen’s continues to be an inclusive and welcoming community for all.
What’s your favourite place in College?
Undoubtably the dining hall. I sometimes have to remind myself how lucky I am to have incredible food cooked for me every day in such a beautiful building. There’s something so nice about wandering into hall after a morning of lectures or an afternoon in the labs and catching up with my mates in a packed dining hall. I know for a fact that not every college in Oxford has such a busy hall, so I’m grateful that Queen’s does.
There’s something so nice about wandering into hall after a morning of lectures or an afternoon in the labs and catching up with my mates in a packed dining hall.
I also think some of my most memorable ‘Oxford moments’ will be the formals I’ve had there. Getting dressed up and going to my first formal during Freshers’ Week, almost three years ago now, was such a novel and memorable experience. Even after all this time, there’s still something really special about sitting down for a formal dinner in hall with friends celebrating a milestone or occasion.
Has anything about the College surprised you since you arrived?
What has surprised me most is just how well you can get to know everyone across the undergraduate community. I never expected to make such strong friendships outside my own year group, or to have third- and fourth years so willing to help me out academically when I first arrived. Now, being in fourth year myself, it’s really nice to be able to do the same for my fellow students.
I’ve also been surprised by how much everyone has each other’s back. There’s a real sense of community across different years and subjects, which I think is something special about the collegiate university system. Queen’s very quickly became a place where I felt at home, and I’m incredibly grateful that I ended up here.
Can you recommend a book?
The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna.
