6
The Keble Review 2013
Student Life
The Keble Middle Common Room
If you go down to the MCR today you’re in for a big surprise. Keble’s
Middle Common Room is a thriving community. We’re quite a mixed
bunch; there is Rashid, the Namibian ice hockey player, Reverend
Kylie the welfare officer, Anik the kick-boxing theologian, Dan the
waltzing engineer, a handful of rugby players, channel swimmers,
rowers, computer geeks,
Made in Chelsea
fans. And despite our
differences we all have Keble at our core.
An average Saturday in the MCR consists of meeting at 11am to
enjoy a hearty brunch provided by the welfare team. Over bagels
and fruit salad we discuss the hilarity of last night’s karaoke, still in
awe of Sam and Dave’s duet of ‘Wuthering Heights’. There will be
a selection of the day’s newspapers for reading, Vincent chuckles
at a picture of Ex-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair taking a ‘selfie’ and
someone else is pulling out a chart of the 10 most deadly animals
remarking that they have failed to include mosquitos. Dan Guinness
is watching Australia play Argentina in rugby while Stefan asks about
the rules, and whether this standard is reflected by Keble’s own first
XV? I get up to pour myself a cup of tea and notice our new china
wear, purchased by Jack last week from a second hand sale.
We might discuss our recent adventures, triumphs or disasters. I
recently completed a relay crossing of the English Channel with a
fellow Keble MCR member and 4 other Oxford students. Did we get
eaten by sharks? Stung by jellyfish? Will we opt for the Eurotunnel
next time? Luke is publicising his next big arts and culture event,
a gig by a touring band Emily and the Woods, who will play in the
College bar later in term, and ‘will anyone volunteer to sing at the
open mic night in Freshers’ week?’ We all avoid eye contact.
After brunch we load the dishwasher and disperse, either to work or
to play. Glen is off to train at the Iffley track and Stefan must pack
before he travels back to Romania. Some might stay in the MCR
to play pool or continue watching the Saturday sports. During big
tournaments it isn’t unusual to discover that Oakley has spent 10
solid hours watching the sports channel!
With the new academic year approaching there is a mixture
of feelings. We are excited for what lessons the new year will
bring. We might also absorb a fact or two from our fellow post-
graduates. Michaela is busy organising two discussion evenings for
the upcoming term; last year I learned from Vincent how to date
bricks using radioactive isotopes and Alessandro taught us how
Shakespeare wrote subliminal stage directions into his plays.
We are sad to see many of the old people leave (although we eagerly
anticipate the arrival of their associate membership forms!), but
there is also great excitement to see the personalities that will
walk over the MCR threshold for the first time in the next couple
of weeks. Who will be the new jokers? Any pub quiz masters?
Someone with the guts to get up and perform at the open mic
night? Any decent rugby players to help us ‘shoe the Hall’ once and
for all? Who knows what assets the 2013 Freshers will bring to our
thriving MCR community!
Eleanor Jaskowska
2012 Plant Sciences DPhil, MCR President
