Co-Chair Summary: Connie and Ali TT20 Making history by being the co-chairs of OULC during the first-ever virtual term was not something that we expected when we were elected at the end of Michaelmas 2019. That being said, we have taken the strange conditions in which our term has been conducted in our stride, and heavily relied on the digital technologies of the 21st Century to try and provide some form of a normal OULC term. And despite the completely unforeseeable context in which this term went ahead, we managed to achieve a series of things to be deeply proud of in addition to putting on an insightful set of events (ranging from laid back socials to hard-hitting speaker events on issues that we all should care about). A central motivation for all that we did throughout the term was providing support and standing in solidarity with our members (and non-members) in what was an extremely difficult time. As such, we ended up drafting and circulating open letters on systemic racism facing students in Oxford and beyond and on the university’s treatment of disabled students (particularly on the issue of lecture recordings).
We also persistently aimed to provide a safe space for those involved in the club to discuss their thoughts and ideas on issues of pressing importance by launching OULC’s very own book club “Books and Roses”. We read and discussed literature on topics ranging from racial injustice to postcolonialism and empire to black feminism and womanism. It turned out to be a really open and friendly discursive environment; it was quite spiriting that we were still able to share our ideas with each other especially when we were all apart and scattered across the planet. And we certainly hope that Books and Roses will remain a fixture in future OULC termcards! In addition to Books and Roses, we managed to put on a host of (digital) socials and speaker events and, in doing so, kept OULC’s sense of community strong. Our socials kicked off with the equally enjoyable and chaotic Doxbridge quiz which was a great opportunity to get to know young Labour activists at other universities. Quiz socials remained a fixture throughout the term and Beer and Bickering continued its return after Euan and Lottie brought it back from the dead in Hilary. The Labour movement is built on solidarity and camaraderie and that’s one thing we’ve tried very hard to preserve during our time as co-chairs by running several social events.
And this is without mentioning our deeply enjoyable and informative speaker events. From speaking candidly to Jon Trickett, Laura Smith and Ian Lavery about Labour’s struggles in the North to discussing Rhodes Must Fall with Dr Priyamvada Gopal to talking about environmental destruction in the climate change panel event; there was something for everyone. We certainly hope everyone enjoyed attending these fascinating discursive and engaging chats as much as we did. And now it is time for us to sign off. We know that we’re leaving the club in a great place in the safe and able hands of Matthew and Sophie; Michaelmas will be a challenge with new freshers coming into a university that probably won’t have left social distancing behind. However, they will definitely be up to the challenge. And we hope that some of the things we have tried and trialled in this most remote of Trinity terms stay with the club; that Books and Roses remains a fixture in future and that this is the first and last term conducted wholly on Zoom! In solidarity,
Connie Bostock and Ali Al-Zubaidi Co-Chairs for Trinity Term 2020
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