Meet MCR President Jennice who is working hard to create a sense of belonging for everyone in the graduate community at Queen’s.
Congratulations on your election as MCR President. What motivated you to stand for the role, and what are you most looking forward to?
Thank you! After two years as Warden and Social Secretary, I’ve probably spent more of my social life with the MCR than anywhere else! Getting to know people, hearing their experiences, and often sharing their views made me feel really connected to the community. I felt that as President, I could do more with that understanding and be a clear voice for the MCR within the College.
Two things are really shaping how I’m approaching the role. Firstly, I feel there is very little people genuinely dislike about Queen’s. So, for me, it’s less about identifying big problems to fix and more about listening to what people value and where small changes can make their experience even better. The second is being present and approachable. I want to be a visible and available member of the College, someone with whom people feel comfortable speaking openly. And, of course, having plenty of fun with everyone along the way!
I want to be a visible and available member of the College, someone with whom people feel comfortable speaking openly.
You’ve already contributed a great deal to the MCR community as Warden. What did that role involve and what have those experiences taught you?
Being Warden involved a lot more than I initially realised! A big part was planning and organising events, from formals and BOPs to weekly brunches, celebrating different festivals and cultures, and discovering that people really love Ben’s Cookies, which turned Wednesdays into “Bensdays”.
But more than anything, I’ve learnt from the MCR members themselves what makes a community supportive. It’s people offering to help, noticing when someone is stressed in the library, walking home together after late events, or just staying around for a chat. You can create the space and organise the events, but it’s those everyday interactions that make people feel like they belong.
You can create the space and organise the events, but it’s those everyday interactions that make people feel like they belong.
A lot of the work that keeps student communities running happens quietly behind the scenes. What does that work look like in practice?
There’s definitely a lot more happening in the background than people realise! For instance, an MCR Guest Night exchange dinner might only run from 7:15–8pm, but we’re finalising it four weeks in advance, sending dietaries and seating plans to Kitchen the week before, arranging pre-drinks from 5pm, and then cleaning up until around 11pm.
Beyond events, it’s coordinating with other college MCRs, working with the kitchen, Hall and College staff, and simply making sure the space is looked after — coffee in the machine, milk in the fridge, cookies in the jars and dishes washed. At this point, I could probably tell you the dietaries and allergens of 70% of the MCR!
That side of the role has been a huge learning experience. It’s made me realise how many small things have to come together for college life to feel effortless and given me a real appreciation for the College staff and everyone working to make that possible.
Representation and visibility in student leadership matter. What do you think diverse leadership brings to a college community?
I think it makes a real difference. Queen’s is already incredibly diverse, not just in culture, but in subjects, upbringings, genders and experiences. When that diversity is reflected in leadership, the voices making decisions are more representative of the community those decisions affect.
We’ve seen that in the MCR in lots of ways. Over the past two years, we’ve celebrated Diwali, Spring Festival, Holi, Eid and Passover, alongside country-themed brunches, films, and different foods. Those things happened because someone simply suggested them, and someone on the committee could understand that feeling. I think that’s how diversity becomes more than representation. Who is around the table matters precisely because it changes the conversation around it.
How would you describe the Queen’s postgraduate community to someone considering applying to Oxford?
Very, very fun! Queen’s has the kind of postgraduate community where there’s always something happening and, more importantly, always someone around to do it with, which is both a blessing and a threat to productivity. It’s incredibly international, and you end up becoming close friends with people from completely different backgrounds, subjects and parts of the world. I think that mix is what makes the MCR so much fun and such an easy place to feel at home.
What do you hope students will feel or experience during your time as MCR President?
I hope everyone feels like they belong, in whatever way works for them. You don’t have to come to every event or know everyone to feel part of the community. I’d love for the MCR to be somewhere people can always come back to and find someone who’s happy to see them. As President, I want to be approachable enough that people can just come up to me with an idea, tell me when something isn’t working, or simply say, “Why don’t we try this?” I hope people feel represented by me but also feel that we’re shaping the MCR together.
How do you fit in community and leadership roles alongside your research and what are you working on at the moment?
I’m a dendrochronologist doing a DPhil in Archaeological Science. My research is based in New Zealand, where I work with old, culturally and ecologically important trees like kauri and tōtara. I’m working on strengthening stable oxygen isotope dendrochronology as a reliable way to give otherwise floating tree-ring records a secure place in time. Or, as I say at almost every Oxford social: I date very very old trees!
I’ve been told I have far too much energy, so I suppose this is one productive use for it. Research and the MCR demand very different things from me, and I think that’s why I genuinely enjoy doing both. My lab work can be quite intense, but also very solitary, so the MCR is a very welcome return to civilisation. It also happens to be only a ten-minute walk away. There have been many days when I’ve put a sample in chemicals, run over to set something up in the MCR, then headed straight back to the lab. I also have a very understanding committee who are always ready to lend a hand. But overall, it has all been excellent for my step count!
What’s your favourite place at Queen’s?
Probably the MCR kitchen counter, which I realise is not the most glamorous answer! I’ve spent an absurd amount of time there with friends, whether we’re making salads, setting up drinks, or just standing around with coffee and cake. Some of my favourite Queen’s memories have happened while just leaning against that counter.
A close second would be the garden in spring. I love doing little picnics there or just sitting on the lawn chairs with friends doing absolutely nothing, which is honestly quite hard to beat.
