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The Magdalen MCR organises a lot of different activities for its members throughout the year. Some of these highlights include:
The MCR occasionally holds an academic forum with the SCR, and includes an excellent opportunity to hear about the research your fellow students are doing, what College fellows are doing, and even let everyone else know what you’re doing. This is an excellent opportunity to practice your speaking and presentation skills in a friendly environment. A buffet of cheeses and cold meats is normally laid out, and there is plenty of wine to help the discussions along! Let the Arts and Research officer know if you’re keen to present and we will get one going again sooner rather than later!
The MCR is able to offer members discounted tickets to concerts, plays and other events of cultural interest throughout the year. These are an excellent opportunity to enjoy the cultural scene of Oxford (and sometimes London) at reasonable prices with your fellow MCR members. Arts and cultural events are also organised in the MCR throughout the year, which has recently included dance workshops, music recitals, photography workshops, and outdoor film screenings.
Always a much anticipated event in any term calendar, MCR banquets are not a thing to miss. Banquets may either be black tie affairs or an opportunity to show off your creativity according to the theme of the banquet. Themed banquets always impress and demand is always high, as the MCR and Hall are transformed to match the theme. Special menus are created, and there’s always a bop afterwards in the MCR.
One of the focal points of the week during Term, brunch is cooked in the MCR on Sundays at noon for MCR members. This is great opportunity to catch up with your fellow MCR members, or somewhere to bring friends, and enjoy a cooked brunch for a very reasonable price (all batelled). A favourite on the menu is fried halloumi, so it’s always a good idea to get to the MCR quick and secure yours! There’s also plenty of other food available, as no one likes you to go hungry.
One of the great things about Oxford is that there are many different colleges to go and eat in. To help MCR members get to visit other colleges, the MCR organises exchange dinners with other MCRs in Oxford (and sometimes Cambridge), and these are a great opportunity to meet people from other colleges and try their food at a Formal Hall! We also invite them back to Magdalen for Formal Hall and, more importantly, second dessert (a vital feature of any diet). Spaces are limited, and sign up is done at the beginning of each term, so make sure that you keep an eye out for an email from the Food Reps!
The envy of people from many other colleges, guest dinner is held once or twice each term in the New Rooms, and is an opportunity for you to invite your friends to an exclusive black tie meal in Magdalen. The menus are carefully crafted to tantalise the taste buds, and feature pre-dinner champagne, multiple courses with matched wines and second dessert with port and dessert wine! Guest dinners are always extremely popular in the MCR, and sign up is also done at the beginning of each term, so make sure you keep your eyes out for the sign up!
Another weekly feature in the Term calendar, Liquid Lounge is when the bar is opened in the MCR, and you can come and enjoy drinks (both alcoholic and not) at a very reasonable price after a hard week of work. There is often a guest college invited as well so that you can meet some new faces as well as catch up with fellow Magdalenites. Reciprocal trips to guest colleges’ bars are held throughout the term, and is another great way to see some of the other colleges in Oxford. Sometimes Liquid Lounge will be combined with a bop, so you can dress up to a theme and enjoy themed drinks in the bar! The Tim Tams for the Australia Day Liquid Lounge always prove to be very popular!
Every year on May Morning (1 May), the College choir climbs to the top of the Great Tower to sing madrigals at 6am, an event attend by thousands of people who listen from High St. The MCR helps you avoid the throngs on High St by organising a champagne breakfast in the Oscar Wilde Room, from which you get an excellent vantage point to enjoy the singing whilst enjoying a delicious breakfast and champagne.