JCR Comms 26/04/2024

Hi Downing!

Welcome back to the bulletin! I hope everyone has had a good break and is ready for a term with better weather. It's a huge bulletin today, but do take a minute to look through as there's lots going on. You can also find a quick overview on the JCR instagram story (graphic design is still my passion).

Please feel free to contact me via comms@jcr.dow.cam.ac.uk with any notices or events you would like me to include in the bulletin!

Downing love,

Eliza :)

In this week's email...

1. Hughes Hall May Ball

2. Downing Gown Donation Scheme Feedback Form

3. Give it a Go Sports Sessions

4. Mentors needed for Insight Outreach Oxbridge Scheme

5. Cheap food to reduce waste at Downing!

6. Newnham Repair Cafe - 11th May

7. Free Fitzwilliam Museum William Blake Exhibition

8. Free Carbon Literacy Training

9. Freedom From Torture Committee Applications Open

10. Summer Volunteering

11. Paid Careers Platform Feedback

12. SU Plant-based Catering Focus Group - 29th April

13. Five University Studies Seeking Volunteers

1. Hughes Hall May Ball

Hughes Hall May Ball are offering an exclusive ticket price for Downing students! We have worked very hard this year to keep our ticket prices below other May Balls without sacrificing guest experience.

Downing students are invited to purchase 2 tickets each, at a price of £140. You will need to enter the code "DCHHMB24" at the time of purchase.

Tickets are available here.

2. Downing Gown Donation Scheme Feedback Form

There already exists a scheme through which Downing Graduates may opt-in to donate their gown to college. Donated gowns are provided to incoming Freshers (with priority going to those from a low income household) for just £3, to cover dry-cleaning fees. This means as well as reducing the number of gowns that end up just collecting dust in the back of a wardrobe, this scheme also makes sure gowns are more accessible.

In an attempt to improve and better understand this scheme, we are keen to receive feedback from current students! Please fill out this form so we can gather an idea of student attitudes.

3. Give it a Go Sports Sessions

The university are running free, beginner friendly Give it a Go sports sessions over the break and through the upcoming term - a great opportunity to try something new!

Give it a Go: Free, weekly activities for Cambridge students!

4. Mentors needed for Insight Outreach Oxbridge Scheme

Insight Outreach is an educational charity that helps underprivileged students across the UK with their Oxbridge applications.

We're looking for more mentors this year for our flagship Oxbridge Mentorship Scheme. We welcome mentors of any age and any subject who would be willing to dedicate a bit of time helping our students. It's a really rewarding experience! Apply here.

5. Cheap food to reduce waste at Downing!

We have introduced a left-over food initiative. After breakfast and lunch in the Butterfield Café we are offering the hot-held toasted sandwiches and paninis for £2 each (regular price (£2.50-£3.50). These would be thrown away as they are kept warm during service and cannot be re-used.

After lunch and dinner in the Servery we are offering any remaining main course, and as many remaining hot sides from the hotplate as you can fit in a take-away container for only £2.00.

6. Newnham Repair Cafe - 11th May

The Newnham Repair Cafe, matching experienced repairers with people who need stuff fixed, is open on Saturday 11th May.

We welcome small household appliances, electricl items, computers, bicycles, clothes, and more. Repairs are free, for further details and to book your item in, Click here.

7. Free Fitzwilliam Museum William Blake Exhibition

Discover the world of radical British poet, painter and printmaker, William Blake, and a constellation of European artists seeking spirituality in their lives and art in response to war, revolution and political turbulence.

Watch the trailer here, and click here to book your free tickets in advance.

8. Free Carbon Literacy Training

Register interest in receiving free Carbon Literacy training and a certificate during Easter term. Limited spaces are available and the deadline is the 10th May.

More info here, register here.

9. Freedom From Torture Committee Applications Open

Freedom From Torture is looking for a new 2024/2025 committee! We're a student charity, under the national Freedom From Torture, that organise events to raise money for refugees and victims of torture in the UK.

No experience required - anyone passionate about social justice can apply! We're looking for two Chairs, Fundraising Officers, Campaigns Officers, a Treasurer, Secretary and Head of Publicity. Full descriptions of the roles can be found here, and you can apply here.

The deadline is Friday 10th May and we look forward to reading through your applications 🙂.

10. Summer Volunteering

Campus Children's Holidays provide respite breaks for disadvantaged children and are looking for new volunteers for 1 week of the summer holidays. This is a fun and rewarding opportunity to gain more experience working with children. We are a Cambridge Uni society and always keen to expand our Cambridge-based community of volunteers!

Find out more on our website.

11. Paid Careers Platform Feedback

Wayfinder is a new service, founded by Cambridge graduates, to help students find their perfect career. We want your feedback on what we're building. Take two minutes to fill in the questionnaire below and, if you're right for us, we'll arrange a 45-minute video call to show you the site. You'll get £20 for your time, plus more paid opportunities in the future.

Fill in the questionnaire here.

12. SU Plant-based Catering Focus Group - 29th April

As an SU voting member, and in response to the SU vote on "MOTION TO MAKE ALL INTERNAL SU CATERING 100% PLANT-BASED" last term, you are invited to the SU Lounge Monday 29th April 5-7pm for a Cambridge Green Week focus group to discuss ideas and concerns on implementing plant-based catering at SU events.

Cambridge SU Ethical Affairs & Plant-Based Cambridge are co-hosting the focus group, and will cater to requirements for participant needs. We would like as much student representation as possible, regardless of whether you supported the motion.

Sign-up, and/or give input for discussion here (the form may be submitted anonymously).

13. Five University Studies Seeking Volunteers

1 - Researchers at the Department of Psychiatry are recruiting healthy people for a study on whether regular use of alcohol or cannabis may affect their ability to form habits and adjust behaviour to changing situations. We are looking for healthy people, aged between 18-55, who either use alcohol or cannabis regularly or not at all. The total assessment takes up to 2.5 hours for which you will receive £20 cash as compensation.

More information/registration.

2 - The MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit are looking to recruit participants for our fMRI experiment of anxiety relief interventions. This is a two-part study - both sessions around 1.5 hours long. Participants must be comfortable experiencing negative emotions that may arise during this study on anxiety.

Eligibility criteria: age 18-65, normal vision and eyesight (glasses are fine), no history of neurological disorder (including an anxiety disorder), and MRI compatible (no ferromagnetic metal in body, including pacemakers or implants that may contain metal, and piercings have to be removable).

Register here. We will compensate a total of £47 upon completion of both sessions.

3 - We are conducting a research study on programming language learning and are seeking participants who meet the following criteria:

No prior experience with any programming languages (e.g., Java, R, Python). If you are a STEM student, please ensure that you have not learned programming at all.
Fluency in English.
No language disorders.
18 years of age or older.
Have not participated in my previous programming study.

The study will take approximately 40 minutes and will be conducted at the Downing Site, near Downing College. During the session, you will be asked to learn the basics of a specific programming language. As compensation for your time, you will receive £10.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in participating, email me at jy480@cam.ac.uk.

4 - This study investigates how threat influences learning effects. We evoke threat using immersive scenarios in a virtual reality environment. Differences in stress levels are additionally measured, for example, through alpha amylase levels in your saliva.
The study should take about 60 minutes to complete.

You will earn a £10 Amazon voucher for your participation. To sign up, please email me at sysb2@cam.ac.uk or fill in the form.

5 - The Adaptive Brain Lab in the Department of Psychology is looking for participants to join their study. Earn up to £180 in a 6-session brain stimulation - MRI study: 3x2.5h MRI scans (Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre 7T), 2x2.5h EEG, 1x1h behavioral training (Downing Site) and brain stimulation 2x20min (perfectly safe) while performing a visual task. You will also get a picture of your brain!

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 a history of neuropsychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders, under no medication, right-handed, and MRI safe (contact us if unsure), then please email us at abgresearch@psychol.cam.ac.uk, using 'brain stimulation-brain imaging' as the subject, and with the following info: age, gender, and handedness; any conditions affecting your vision; if having corrected vision, whether you wear contact lenses (occasionally or regularly); if you ever had neurological or psychiatric conditions / epilepsy / migraine / head or brain injury; if you ever had any operations/surgeries; if you have any metals in your body (including retainers).