Lent Term 2022 | The Cambridge Union by The Cambridge Union

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

“What is the value of a Victorian debating society today? Oratory is in decline, out of fashion and replaced by TV interviews. Even in the House of Commons, people talk of the ‘chamber being in decline’ and the real work being done in committees. But debate is still how decisions are formally reached in legislatures around the world. Debate is about organising one’s thoughts whilst at the same time responding to others and communicating the outcome to an audience. As long as there is democracy and argument, there will be a need for such debating skills” - The Rt. Hon. The Lord Lamont of Lerwick. President, Lent 1964

President’s welcome Some things change. Walk into the Union Society’s premises at 9A Bridge Street, and so much seems different: the large glass guest entrance to the rear of the building; the wonderful new brasserie and bar that have replaced what used to be the ‘Blue Room’; even the WiFi password has changed, I am told.

Our speakers line-up is fascinating: we have a former detainee of Guantanamo Bay; Ruth Wilson will be premiering her new film here at the Union (we are still not sure why she agreed to do this); and the children of an SS officer and a Holocaust survivor will be in conversation. Ai Weiwei is coming too.

Yet I have had the pleasure of welcoming a number of former Presidents back to the Union over recent months, and all of them have recognised a building that is fundamentally the same to the one that they spent their evenings in during their own time at Cambridge. Since 1815 the Union has been a place that has debated the most important questions in politics, the arts and academia, that has cherished the basic values of free speech and the free exchange of ideas, and that has, undoubtedly, courted controversy. Some things, it would seem, do not change...

We are thrilled too that, for the first time in as long as anyone can remember, the Union will be hosting a theatre production. Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice will run in week five of term and will be discounted for our members. Finally, the society will be bringing you a host of excellent social events to enjoy over the term. Our immensely popular Jazz After Dark will continue fortnightly on Wednesday evenings in our renovated cellars. Wine and cheese events seem to be rather unfashionable at the moment – does it constitute “work”? – but we will be holding them, as well as an art exhibition after Weiwei’s visit. Most importantly, our Lent Ball will take place on the 14th of March. Of course, the bar will be full and lively until late every Thursday night after the debate.

This Lent, we go back to our roots. Initially, the Union was a student debate society that met in Cambridge pubs, dodging the University proctors as they went. Invitations to guest speakers came later. Debating will be at the centre of what we do this term too. We have nine exciting motions to bring you, including a debate on Extinction Rebellion featuring its founder, a contentious Ireland debate to mark the centenary of the Irish Free State, and a debate on the monarchy in this the Queen’s Jubilee year. I am thrilled with the line-up of debate speakers we have secured; it is star-studded. Debates are for members. We want you to question and interrupt, and audition to give speeches next to some of the most influential figures in public life.

Some of our guests this term will hopefully be heroes and role-models that you have wanted to hear from for ages. Other guests will be people you heartily disagree with. The beauty of this institution is that you, our members, get the chance to listen to their opinions, and then tell them exactly why you disagree with them. I urge you to come and do so.

We will also be running ‘Open Debates’ – members-only events that will look to recreate the atmosphere of the early Union. It will be our pleasure to see school children returning to watch some of our evening debates and see first-hand what we do here too.

Best wishes,

James Vitali 3

Front Cover by Sam Hunt, Photos by Sara Blumel and Nordin Catic

Contents

Welcome

page 3

Introductory Pages

page 6

Lent Ball

page 12

Merchant of Venice

page 13

Debates

page 14

Speakers

page 36

Socials

page 70

Committees & Thanks

page 84

Membership Perks

Your Union membership brings with it a whole range of perks, discounts and benefits. Every term, our Treasurer compiles a list of discounts that can be used by our members across town, and new deals are added all the time. Members will be informed on social media about these. Fudge Kitchen 5 for 4 Lockhouse Escape Room 20% off Engravers Guild of London 20% off Jack’s Gelato 15% off Up and Running Sportswear 10% off Alwalton Hall 10% off Primo Cycles 10% off The Gardenia 10% off The Union also has reciprocal membership rights with the Oxford and Durham Union’s. Your Cambridge Union membership card will gain you access to their establishments. Most lucratively of all, the Cambridge Union has the same reciprocal arrangement with the National Liberal Club in London. Located on Whitehall, the NLC is a wonderful place to work, have drinks or enjoy dinner.

Getting Involved The Union is a membership society, and we want our members to play an active role in what we do. For the Lent team, more than anything, we want you to engage in our debates and events - to question, to probe, to intervene, and to hold those we invite to account. More information can be found below about the conventions for doing this, but also about how you can speak in our emergency debates – the more informal debates that take place prior to the public debate – and audition to speak in the main event alongside the biggest names in public life. Speaking in debates is one of the most meaningful experiences you can have at our society. There are so many more ways to get involved, though. Details about competitive debating can be found on page 9, and you can speak to any of us about joining our committees. Apply. You won’t regret it. How debate night works at the Union work Our debates run every Thursday from 8pm-9:45pm, with the results announced afterwards in the bar. The debates are meant for members; it was not until 1887, some 72 years after our founding, that guests were invited to participate. We want you to throw yourselves into them. There are six speakers in a debate, of which usually two are reserved for students and earned via open audition. Auditions are announced on our social media pages weekly, so make sure to keep an eye out if you’d like to speak! If you’re not keen to make a full speech, there are still other ways to get involved. You can make a ‘point of information’ - brief comments or questions directed at a speaker during their speech, offered by standing up and saying something like ‘on that point’ or ‘on a point of information’. It’s worth noting that these are accepted at the discretion of the speaker - so you may not always get to make your point. You also have the chance to deliver a floor speech. These are given in either proposition, opposition or abstention of the motion, and usually last for one or two minutes. The best speech each debate wins a prize, for good measure. The Union also holds weekly emergency debates. These are shorter, student-only debates held half an hour before the main debate starts, and focus on the current issues of the day. We always encourage members to participate, regardless of experience.

Competitive Debating The Union is the central hub for competitive debating in Cambridge. As European Champions in 2019 and with consistent success at the World Universities Debating Championships, we offer the chance for members to take part in competitions locally, nationally, and internationally. It doesn’t matter if you’ve spent your secondary school years debating or have never debated before – we welcome all levels of experience, with the aim of taking complete novices to becoming some of the best debaters in the world. We offer three different training streams, for beginners, intermediates, and advanced debaters, with our expert coaches giving personalised and specific feedback to help you improve at our weekly sessions at the Union. Even if you don’t want to attend competitions, our workshops will improve your analytical skills, critical thinking, and public speaking. They will aid your late- night essay crisis, and your ability to talk your way through an unprepared-for supervision. We also provide opportunities for debaters to travel internationally; in the past five years, we’ve funded trips to South Africa, Malaysia, India, and beyond. We also organise fun social events for everyone involved in debating. Joining debating as a fresher is a great way to make friends from across Cambridge too. For the more practical-minded and those interested in giving back, we also offer the chance to organise a vast range of international debate competitions. Convening one of our competitions is a hugely rewarding process, as you get to oversee and plan competitions with thousands of participants and gain valuable skills for your CV! Do join the Cambridge Debating Facebook group and sign up to our mailing list (see our @cambridgedebating Instagram bio). Any questions? Email the Competitive Debating officers, Dioni and Sid, at debating@cus. org

Equalities at the Union The Equalities Committee of Lent 2022 have contributed on many different fronts. The HowTo-Get Involved Guide put together prior to the start of Michaelmas term has been a valuable asset to those new to the society. We have also partnered with the Welfare Officers to introduce a personalised check-in system, notably offering every applicant the opportunity for detailed feedback. In addition to the diverse initiatives presented here, we contributed to invitations by organizing diverse panels, speakers, and society collaboration events. Excitingly, beyond our building, we have encouraged the increased engagement with the Schools Liaison Officers Group for state-schooled children to access our world-class competitive debating resources. More about this is in the section on competitive debating. Please keep an eye on social media for further details about the various events organised. Taneesha, Fangzhou, Kate, Georgia, Kartik, Fisayo, and Annabel, thank you for everything! If you have yet to decipher my illegible handwriting, please know how much I appreciate your efforts, initiative, and friendship. To our members, please do get in touch at equalities@cus.org. Rightfully, I take personal responsibility for any shortcomings, and all credit belongs to the members of my wonderful Equalities Committee – they genuinely deserve it. Sincerely, Dingwen (David) Quan 权丁文 Equalities Officer, Lent 2022

Equalities at the Union Women and Non-Binary Debating Workshops For complete beginners, these relaxed and interactive workshops help to develop public speaking, analytical and critical thinking skills. Appealingly, this preparation can also help with last-minute essays and supervision discussions. For those who wish to continue from past terms, I am grateful that our 4 friendly debating coaches Jenni, Vanessa, Isabelle, and Sakshi have advanced the curriculum of each workshop. Notably, we will introduce an additional 5th workshop on ‘Style and Confidence’. Join at 7pm Monday evenings on week 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7: 24th January – Introduction to Debating; 7th February – Content and Rebuttal; 21st February – Mechanisms and Strategy; 28th February – Style and Confidence; 7th March – Debate!

Equalities Reading Groups Please join us in the library Sunday mornings for themed sessions aimed at sparking reflections on intersectional identities and exploring the transformative power of literature. Bring a piece of prose or poetry, or your own original work. Alternatively, just come along to listen and socialize as we will offer coffee and snacks! Themes: LGBTQ+ Pride - 11am, 30th of January; Feminism - 11am, 13th of February; Race - 11am, 27th of February

International Women’s Day Film Screening - Little Women Please join us at our screening of Little Women, the 2019 film directed by Greta Gerwig, in an evening of remembrance to highlight the achievements of female filmmakers and on-screen heroines in the lead up to International Women’s Day.

YouTube Debating Playlist Through our YouTube channel, we aspire to champion inclusivity by providing our global audience with access to educational materials and tips on debating. We are planning for a YouTube Debating Playlist on two series: “5 historical debates that revolutionised the world” and another on “10 debating tips from 10 Debates Officers”. If done well, children from around the world can learn from our talented debaters, advancing our charitable intentions. We are now finalising scripts for these series. Please do contact me at equalities@cus.org if you would like to contribute in any way.

Union and 93% Club Debating Workshop We are delighted to collaborate with the 93% Club, a society dedicated to supporting students from state-educated backgrounds, for an interactive debating workshop. Helping to advance the 93% Club’s vision of fostering an empowering community of state-educated students, this session will be led by our experienced debating coaches. 11

L E N T BA L L

Save the Date 14 / 03 / 2 2 De ta ils to be a nnou nce d

This production is a bold reimagining of The Merchant of Venice, set in modern Britain, with the location of Venice transposed to the corporate business district of London. Told through a modern lens, the play will focus on the rise of antisemitism, hate crimes and conspiracy theories. The chamber of the Cambridge Union provides the perfect space to unpick the politics of our mercantilist and transactional world, exploring how spaces of the establishment can both exclude and empower. This production will entertain and challenge in equal measure. 18th-22nd February Ticket details T.B.A.

Debates 16

This House no longer has confidence in Her Majesty’s Police Force

This House believes Northern Ireland ought to remain part of the United Kingdom

This House believes the future of Britain lies with America rather than Europe

This House would rather have a queen than a president

This House would extinguish the Rebellion

This House would go to church

This House regrets the fall of the British Empire

This House prefers Gladstone to Disraeli

This House believes conservatism is the answer

Open debates

This year marks a number of important anniversaries for several of the institutions most integral to British cultural and political life. There is of course the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating seventy years on the throne. Her accession coincided with a period of post-War decolonisation which saw Britain withdraw from its imperial hegemony, and 2022 is also the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Indian Independence Act, which presaged and instigated the exodus of most Asian and African colonies from British rule. Then there are the centenaries: it is one-hundred years since the founding of the 1922 Committee, and with it the formation of the Conservative Party as the parliamentary entity which we know today. Perhaps most significantly, 2022 marks the centenary of the creation of the Irish Free State too, and with it, the United Kingdom in its present form. Such milestones are often treated with a spirit of uncomplicated festivity. But in the words of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, “There is no better way of forgetting something than to commemorate it,” or to quote much the same idea from Peep Show, “It can be good to give wounds a good inspection”. The inspection of wounds is often the purpose of public debating, and of a place like the Cambridge Union. So, in this year of anniversaries, we would like to indulge in this most un-English of recreations, and debate Ireland, conservatism, Empire, and (say it quietly) the Queen, amongst other historic cornerstones of institutional life on the sceptred isle. So please, remember: your deadlines are on the moon. Come to the Union on a Thursday night. Best wishes, Sam Hunt 15

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

FIRST DEBATE On THURSDAY, 20th JANUARY, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House no longer has confidence in Her Majesty’s Police Force.”

For the AYES

For the NOES Festus Akinbusoye

Jamie Klingler Jamie is a writer, an activist, keynote speaker, book reviewer and a pundit on women’s safety. In December she was named #9 in the UK Communicators of 2021 by PR Week for her work with Reclaim These Streets.

Festus is a Conservative politician who has been Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner since 2021, and is the first black Briton elected to this role. He is also plays an active role in local charitable initiatives.

Heydon Prowse

Sir John Hayes

Heydon is a British activist, journalist, satirist, director and comedian. He is best known for writing and performing in BBC Three’s Bafta-winning The Revolution Will Be Televised.

Sir John is the member for South Holland and the Deepings, and served as Security Minister in the Cameron Government.

Student Speaker

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

SECOND DEBATE On THURSDAY, 27th JANUARY, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House believes Northern Ireland ought to remain part of the United Kingdom.”

For the NOES

For the AYES Colum Eastwood

Conor BurnS

Colum is the leader of the SDLP – one of the largest nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. His party has been an active proponent for Irish reunification.

Conor is the MP for Bournemouth West and currently serves as Minister of State for Northern Ireland. Prior to this, he served as the Minister for Trade Policy.

Declan Kearney

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

Declan has served as MP for South Antrim in the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2016. He previously served as National Chairman of Sinn Fein.

Sir Jeffrey is the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Northern Ireland’s largest Unionist party. Having served in the Northern Ireland Executive between 2003 to 2010, he now represents Lagan Valley as an MP.

Student Speaker

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

THIRD DEBATE On THURSDAY, 3rd FEBRUARY, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House believes the future of Britain lies with America rather than Europe.”

For the NOES

For the AYES Sir David Lidington

Alicia Kearns

Sir David was previously the MP for Aylesbury and served as the Minister of State for Europe, Lord Chancellor, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Alicia is the MP for Rutland and Melton and a Member of both the Foreign Affairs and National Security Strategy Joint Committees. She is also an alumnus of Fitzwilliam College.

Prof. Michael Clarke

CLLR. Peymana Assad

Professor Clarke is a Fellow of King’s College London. He was Director General of the Royal United Services Institute from 2017-2015 and is now a Distinguished Fellow at RUSI.

Peymana is an Obama Leader of Europe 2020, a Founder of the Labour Foreign Policy Group and a former Parliamentary candidate.

Stephen Kinnock

Student Speaker

Stephen has served as the member for Aberavon since 2015. He is currently the Shadow Minister for the Armed Forces, and before that served as a Shadow Foreign Minister.

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

FOURTH DEBATE On THURSDAY, 10th FEBRUARY, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House would rather have a queen than a president.” Sponsored by

For the AYES

For the NOES Darren Grimes

Graham Smith

Darren is a conservative activist and political commentator. He is a presenter on GB News, and the founder of Reasoned UK. He also ran the proBrexit organisation BeLeave during the 2016 referendum.

Graham is the CEO and campaign manager for Republic, an organisation which advocates the defunding of the House of Windsor, and the abolition of the British monarchy in favour of an elected Head of State.

Andrea Leadsom

Speaker T.B.A.

Dame Andrea is the member for South Northamptonshire. She has served as Secretary of State for Environment, Leader of the House of Commons, and as Secretary of State for Business.

Jacob rees-mogg

Student Speaker

Jacob is the member for North-East Somerset and serves as the Leader of the House of Commons.

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

FIFTH DEBATE On THURSDAY, 17th FEBRUARY, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House would extinguish the Rebellion.” Sponsored by

For the AYES

For the NOES Zoe Strimple

Rupert Read

Zoe is a writer, academic and broadcaster. She is historian of gender and relationships, a columnist for the Sunday Telegraph, co-presenter of the podcast Hyped! and the author of ‘Seeking Love in Modern Britain’.

Rupert is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, and former spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion and co-founder of the Green Activists Network, GreensCAN.

Dan Hodges

ROGER HALLAM

Dan is an English journalist and political pundit, with a weekly column in the Mail on Sunday. He has also contributed to The Telegraph, The Times, the Guardian, and the Spectator, among others.

Roger is a former organic farmer who co-founded Extinction Rebellion. He previously started a pro-divestment campaign at King’s College. London, resulting in the institution revoking a £15m investment in fossil fuel-emitting companies.

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

SIXTH DEBATE On THURSDAY, 24th FEBRUARY, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House would go to church.”

For the AYES

For the NOES Peter Hitchens

Peter Tatchell

Peter is a journalist, author and broadcaster. He is a columnist for the Mail on Sunday, and has written a number of books such as The Abolition of Britain and The Rage against God.

Peter is a lifelong campaigner and social activist on issues of human rights, LGBTQ+ liberation, democracy, civil liberties, social equality, environmental protection and global justice.

Tim Farron

Speaker T.B.A.

Tim has been the Lib Dem Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale since 2005. He served as Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2015 – 2017, during the EU Referendum and the subsequent General Election.

Student Speaker

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

SEVENTH DEBATE On THURSDAY, 3rd MARCH, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House regrets the fall of the British Empire.”

For the NOES

For the AYES Professor Edith Hall

Dr. Zareer Masani

Professor Hall is a Classicist and academic at the University of Durham. She has published more than thirty books on ancient Greece and Rome and their continuing influence in the modern world.

Dr. Masani is the author of Macaulay: Britain’s Liberal Imperialist (Bodley Head, 2014). He spent two decades as a current affairs producer for the BBC and is now a freelance historian, journalist and broadcaster.

Baroness Chakrabarti

Dr. Marie Daouda

Baroness Chakrabarti is a Labour politician, barrister, and human rights activist, who has served as Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales, and director of Liberty, a civil liberties advocacy group.

Dr. Daouda is a lecturer and tutor in French language and literature at Oriel College, Oxford. She is a regular contributor to UnHerd, the Telegraph, and the Critic, where she writes about British and French heritage, the Classics, and postcolonialism.

Student Speaker

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

EIGHTH DEBATE On THURSDAY, 10th MARCH, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House prefers Gladstone to Disraeli.”

For the AYES

For the NOES Lord Adonis

Lord Parkinson

Lord Adonis is a Labour peer who served in the Blair and Brown cabinets. He currently serves as the Chairman of the European Movement, and has written numerous books, including a recent biography of Ernest Bevan.

Lord Parkinson is a Conservative peer and a former special advisor to Theresa May. He currently serves as a Minister for Arts in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Baroness Smith

Ed Young

Baroness Smith is a Liberal Democrat Peer, and a Professor at the Department of Politics in Cambridge. She is a passionate advocate of the UK’s continued involvement in the European Union.

Ed biography of Disraeli, written with Douglas Hurd, was published by Orion in 2013 and was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize. The book became a Sunday Times bestseller and was widely praised by critics.

David Davis

Dominic Grieve

David is the member for Haltemprice and Howden, and the former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

Dominic is the former member for Beaconsfield. he served as the Attorney-General in the Coalition Government between 2010 and 2014.

CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY LENT TERM, 2022

NINTH DEBATE On THURSDAY, 17th MARCH, 2022 At 7.30 p.m.

“That this House believes conservatism is the answer.”

For the NOES

For the AYES James Vitali

Paul Mason

James is the outgoing President of the Cambridge Union. He is occasionally a final year PhD candidate in Politics at Christ’s College, and supervises students in the Department of Politics. He operates exclusively through phone calls and dinner parties.

Paul is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, and film-maker. He is a visiting professor at the University of Wolverhampton.

Lord Howard

Emily Thornberry

Lord Howard was Leader of the Conservative Party from 2003 to 2005. Before that, he served as Home Secretary in the Major Government. More importantly, Lord Howard served as President of the Cambridge Union in Easter 1962.

Emily is the member for Islington South and Finsbury. She is currently serving as the Shadow Attorney General, and was previously the Shadow Foreign Secretary.

Lord Willetts

Student Speaker

Lord Willetts is President of the Resolution Foundation. He is also currently a visiting professor at King’s College, London.

OPEN DEBATES On TUESDAY, 8th FEBRUARY, 2022 And TUESDAY, 1st MARCH, 2022 At 8.00 p.m. In 1887, the society resolved that:

that members frequently ask for.

“When questions of great interest are under debate, it is desirable that strangers distinguished as orators and politicians who are entitled to speak with authority on such questions should be invited to take part in debate…” In the beginning however, Union debates were populated solely by its members. And whilst we are delighted to welcome brilliant guests to speak in the chamber, we want to offer a format of debate in which there is more engagement and interaction, more focus on the skill of oration and the intellectual substance of arguments, and more input from the membership. Indeed, this is something

Open Debates are being introduced this term to meet this demand. They will be open to all members and only to members. They will be in the Library, and we will encourage attendees to participate fully in the proceedings. They will be more free-flowing, unrecorded, and they will hopefully help us to capture the spirit of the early Union society. There will be two Open Debates this term, on the Tuesday 8th February and on Tuesday 1st March. More details about how to get involved will be publicised, but there will be four paper speakers (two proposition; two opposition), followed by as many floor interventions as there is demand for.

Speakers 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53

Richard Ratcliffe Alex Deane Claude Littner Liam Williams Sara Hossain Holocaust Memorial Women in Literature Motherland Mystery Politician Courtney Love Black-Owned Business Jay Shetty Talking Politics Simon McDonald Ai Weiwei Elliot Abrams

54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

Richard Scudamore Ruth Wilson Bear Grylls Inspiring Women Tony Adams George Brandis Mohamedou Ould Slahi Celeste Stormy Daniels David Blunkett Zarifa Ghafari Daniel Handler Joy Crookes Alternative Careers James Norton Lula

Our central aim at the Cambridge Union is to put on events and to host speakers for our members to enjoy. I am delighted that the Lent term-card of speaker events will include something for everyone. Ardent politicos can look forward to a live recording of the Talking Politics Podcast and an interview with former Home Secretary, Lord David Blunkett. Those interested in international relations will enjoy hearing from Elliott Abrams, a foreign policy advisor for presidents Reagan, Bush I, Bush II, and Trump; and Lord Simon McDonald of Salford, who was until recently head of the Foreign Office and will later this year take on a new role as master of Christ’s College. The intrepid adventurers among you can look forward to an interview with Bear Grylls; fans of alternative music to a visit by Courtney Love - and, for the nostalgic among our generation of undergraduate students, we will be hosting Daniel Handler, who - under the pen-name ‘Lemony Snicket’ - wrote A Series of Unfortunate Events, which played a profound role in many of our childhoods. Do stay tuned for two very exciting events that I’m not allowed to announce right now, but which represent exactly the conversations that I believe the Union was established to facilitate. The Union is at its best when giving a platform to voices that must be heard. That is why we will be hearing from Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British citizen who has been imprisoned in Iran since 2016. It is also why we are hosting Ai Weiwei, the renowned artist and critic of China’s communist government. It is hoped that these events will broaden cultural perspectives for all who attend them. Best wishes, Lara Brown 37

Richard Ratcliffe Wednesday, 19th January, 6.00 p.m. Husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an Iranian-British dual citizen who has been detained in Iran since 3rd of April 2016, Richard Racliffe is known for his efforts on the ongoing release campaign. ZaghariRatcliffe’s online petition that launched in 2016 now has over 3.5 million supporters in 155 countries.

Alex Deane Friday, 21st January, 6.00 p.m.

Alex Deane is a former Conservative Party aide and a nonpractising barrister. The author of 2021’s “Lessons from History,” He is a regular commentator on political events on UK and international news channels. A partner in a global business consultancy based in the Square Mile, he was for some time a local councillor, until he received some extremely robust advice from his electorate. He was an officer of the Union and won the World Universities Debating Championships back in the day.

Claude Littner

Renowned for his cutthroat appearances on fifteen series of BBC One’s The Apprentice, Claude Littner is one of the UK’s most forthright business leaders - despite being told he had just six months to live in 1997 when diagnosed with NonHodgkin Lymphoma. He has chaired Amstrad International, ASCO, Viglen, Powerleague, Azzuri Communications, Deputy Chairman Blacks Leisure, Chief Executive of Tottenham Hotspur from 1993-1998. Current Chairman of a number of Lord Sugar’s companies. In 2014, the University of West London’s Business School was renamed the Claude Littner Business School in acknowledgement of his contributions to the university of which he is a visiting professor.

Saturday 26th February, 5.00 p.m.

Liam Williams Friday, 28th January, 6.00 p.m.

Two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, Liam Williams is a stand up, writer and actor, and also one third of acclaimed sketch troupe Sheeps. Liam’s Broadcast Award-winning, BAFTA-nominated series PLS LIKE has run for three seasons on BBC Three and parodies the world of YouTubers. The first season of Liam’s radio series, LADHOOD, aired on BBC Radio 4 in early 2016 and was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy at BBC Drama Audio Awards.

SARA HOSSAIN Date T.B.C. Sara Hossain is a barrister from Bangladesh and has been practicing for 30 years in constitutional, corporate, and family law. Sara’s casework before the Supreme Court of Bangladesh has included strategic litigation on equality and nondiscrimination, the right to liberty, forced marriage, child abduction, and freedom of expression. Sara has previously served as President of the UN Human Rights Council, a founding board member of the South Asia Women’s Fund (now the Women’s Fund Asia), and was an Advisory Board member of the Open Society Justice Initiative.

Holocaust Memorial Conversation With Noemie Lopian and Derek Neiman Wednesday, 2nd February, 6.00 p.m. “The Nazis tried to kill kindness. We fight against that.” In a highly unusual and indeed possibly unique partnership, Dr Noemie Lopian, daughter of two Holocaust survivors, has teamed up with Derek Niemann, the grandson of an SS officer. They are sharing their stories as a warning of the perils of extremism and to inspire greater understanding.

WOMEN IN LITERATURE PANEL Friday, 4th February, 6.00 p.m. How are writers influenced by the cultural manifestations of gender? Do women’s writing and women’s experiences imply some unities of culture? Are there some stories that only women can tell? This panel aims to explore the role of literature in representing the female experience, and to question the patriarchal nature of the western literary canon. We hope for this to be a welcoming space to spark reflection upon the nature of women’s writing. Tessa Hadley Tessa Hadley has published seven novels - including The London Train, The Past, and Late in the Day - and three collections of short stories. A new novel, Free Love, comes out this month, January 2022. She publishes short stories regularly in the New Yorker, and reviews for the Guardian and the London Review of Books; she was awarded a Windham Campbell prize for Fiction and the Hawthornden Prize in 2016, and the Edge Hill Prize in 2018. Tahmima Anam Tahmima Anam is the author of four novels, including A Golden Age, The Good Muslim, and The Startup Wife. She is the recipient of an O. Henry Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize, and has been named one of Granta’s best young British novelists. She was a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and was recently elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, she attended Mount Holyoke College and Harvard University and now lives in London.

ACS MOTHERLAND CONFERENCE Details to be confirmed

A Visit from a High-Ranking Middle Eastern Official Date to be confirmed

Courtney Love Wednesday, 9th February, 6.00 p.m.

Courtney is California-born singer, songwriter and actress, who rose to prominence after becoming the lead singer of Hole, which she formed in 1989. In 1989, Courtney went on to form her own band Hole with guitarist Eric Erlandson, and the band quickly gained wide acclaim for their debut album Pretty on the Inside, produced by Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon. Courtney’s newly anticipated album is due to be released this spring after a 10 year hiatus, as well as a personal autobiography and a documentary in development.

black-owned business panel Friday 11th February, 5.00 p.m.

This panel will gather prominent black business leaders in the UK and will explore whether the business community, investors, government, and other actors have done enough to help the black community.

BLACK OWNED BUSINESS

Featuring: Sylvester Oppong, Head of Healthcare Services Corporate Finance and M&A at EY Gary Stewart, Founder and CEO of Founder Tribes, Visiting Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at Yale Law School Michael Tefula, Head of Finance at CIRCA5000 & Venture Partner at Ada Ventures Cyril Lutterodt, Co-founder of Black Seed Karl Lokko, Co-founder of Black Seed 48

Jay Shetty Friday, 11th February, 6.00 p.m. Former monk Jay Shetty is a New York Times best-selling author of “Think Like A Monk”, host of the #1 Health & Wellness podcast “On Purpose,” and co-founder of Sama Tea. AdWeek dubbed him a Young Influentials cover star. Forbes named him to the 30 Under 30 List for his game-changing impact in media. Jay has interviewed guests including Alicia Keys, Khloe Kardashian, Kobe Bryant, Novak Djokovic, and Oprah Winfrey, resulting in 64 million downloads. His videos have been viewed more than 10 billion times and he is followed by over 50 million people across social media.

Talking politics 15th February David, Helen and guests will be coming to the Union to live-record an episode of the internationally renowned Talking Politics Podcast. Professor Runciman was Head of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) from October 2014 to October 2018. His recent books include How Democracy Ends, Where Power Stops and Confronting Leviathan. Professor Thompson moved to Cambridge in 1994, and works in the Department of Politics and International Studies. She is interested in the political economy of the present predicaments facing western politics including their relationship to geopolitics. Her article ‘Inevitability and contingency: the political economy of Brexit,’ won the 2017 prize for best article in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations.

Sir Simon McDonald British former diplomat

Wednesday, 16th February, 5.30 p.m. Sir Simon McDonald is an alumnus of Pembroke College, Cambridge, a former British diplomat, and the Master-elect of Christ’s College, Cambridge. Notably, McDonald was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to British foreign policy.

Ai Weiwei Artist

Thursday, 17th February, 6.00 p.m. Ai Weiwei is a multimedia artist who also works in film, writing and social media. Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display political and social issues. On the 12th of February he has a solo exhibition opening at Kettle’s Yard in which new and existing work will be shown alongside historic Chinese objects. The exhibition will explore notions of truth, authenticity and value, as well as globalisation, the coronavirus pandemic and the current geopolitical crisis.

Photo Credit: © Ai Weiwei; Courtesy Lisson Gallery. Photography by Gao Yuan

Elliot Abrams Former United States Special Representative for North Korea Tuesday, 22nd February, 6.00 p.m. An American lawyer and politician who is considered to be a neoconservative, Elliot Abrams has served in the foreign policy positions for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W Bush, and Donald Trump. Abrams is best known for his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan administration, which led to his conviction in 1991 on two misdemeanour counts of unlawfully withholding information from Congress. Having served as the U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela and Iran, he is currently a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Richard Scudamore Wednesday, 23rd February, 6.00 p.m. From 1999 until the start of 2019, Richard Scudamore was the Chief Executive and then Executive Chairman of the Premier League, the most-watched football league in the world. During this period he was accountable to the club owners for all elements of the league’s. Before joining the Premier League, Richard was Chief Executive of the Football League. Prior to that, Richard was Senior VicePresident of the Thomson Corporation, responsible for their US newspaper publishing division. He is married to Catherine and has five children; they all support Bristol City FC.

ruth wilson A premiere of True Things with Ruth Wilson Friday, 25th February, 6.00 p.m.

RUTH WILSON

Picturehouse Entertainment has granted us exclusive permissions to premier True Things - the eagerly awaited collaboration between BAFTA and Golden Globe winning actress and producer Ruth Wilson (Luther, The Affair and His Dark Materials for HBO) and BAFTA nominated director Harry Wootliff (Only You). The feature film will be shown for the first time in our chamber. After a chance for refreshments, Ruth will then be talking to members about the production.

Bear Grylls British adventurer Friday 4th March, 6.00 p.m. Bear Grylls OBE, has become known worldwide as one of the most recognized faces of survival and outdoor adventure. Despite a free-fall parachuting accident in Africa, where he broke his back in three places and endured many months in and out of military rehabilitation, Grylls recovered and went on to become one of the youngest climbers ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Since then, he has gone on to host more extreme adventure TV shows across more global networks than anyone else in the world, including six seasons of the global hit TV show Running Wild with Bear Grylls which has seen him take the world’s best-known stars on incredible adventures. These include President Obama, Julia Roberts, Roger Federer, Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum, and Kate Winslet, to name but a few.

INSPIRING WOMEN PANEL Saturday, 5th March, 6.00 p.m.

The Inspiring Women panel will be centered around women of diverse backgrounds, from digital activism to social science academia, to culinary arts, and how they are navigating the opportunities and challenges of contemporary life. Gurminder K Bhambra Gurminder K Bhambra is sociologist and public intellectual whose work spans the topics of race, colonialism, and epistemological justice. Currently, she is Professor of Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies at the University of Sussex Angie Speakers Angie is a Leftist political analyst. She maintains an active digital presence through a YouTube series called Angie Speaks and she is also a co-host of the Low Society Podcast.

Tony Adams Monday 7th March, 6.00 p.m.

A former professional football player and current football manager, Tony Adams is included in the Football League 100 Legends. He captained Arsenal and England, and is widely considered as one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time. For his football management career, Adams spent periods in charge of Wycombe Wanderers, Portsmouth, Azerbaijani side Gabala and Spanish side Granada. In 2019, he was named President of the Rugby Football League.

GEORGE BRANDIS Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Tuesday, 8th March, 1.00 p.m. Mr Brandis has had a distinguished career in law and politics in Australia. A barrister by profession, he served as a Senator in the Australian Parliament for 18 years. He was a Minister in the Governments of John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. His ministerial appointments included Minister for the Arts, AttorneyGeneral, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate. As Attorney-General, he was responsible for the reform of Australia’s espionage and foreign interference laws, and played a leading role in the introduction of marriage equality in Australia in 2017.

Mohamedou Ould Slahi Mauritian author and Guantanamo Bay detainee Tuesday 8th March, 6.00 p.m. Mohamedou was born in Rosso, Mauritania. In 2001, he was detained and renditioned to a black site in Jordan where he was tortured, then transported to Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan and finally to Guantanamo Bay. While there, he wrote a diary. The manuscript, which he pencilled in his isolation cell, was finally released with substantial redactions in 2013. It was first published in the United States and United Kingdom in January 2015 and has since been published in twenty-five languages. This year, the film “The Mauritanian”, featuring his imprisonment and eventual release, directed by Kevin Macdonald, and starring Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tahar Rahim, was released to exceptional acclaim.

CELESTE Sunday, 13th March, 6.00pm Celeste is a breakthrough singer-songwriter, in 2019 winning the Rising Star Award at the Brit Awards followed by the release of her debut No. 1 album Not Your Muse.

Stormy Daniels Adult film star

Tuesday, 15th March, 6.00 p.m.

Stormy Daniels, is an American adult film star and director. She has won numerous industry awards and is a member of the NightMoves, AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. She rose to international fame in 2018 after beginning a legal dispute with President Trump and his personal lawyer Michael Cohen over hush money which she was paid to deny she had an affair with Trump a decade earlier. She has recently started ‘Spooky Babies’ a paranormal investigations show.

David Blunkett Former Home Secretary Tuesday, 22nd March, 6.00 p.m. David Blunkett, Baron Blunkett is a British politician, now in the House of Lords, who was MP for the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency for 28 years until the 2015 general election, when he stood down. Blind since birth, and coming from a poor family in one of Sheffield’s most deprived districts, he rose to become Education and Employment Secretary, Home Secretary and Work and Pensions Secretary in Tony Blair’s Cabinet following Labour’s victory in the 1997 general election.

Zarifa Ghafari Human Rights Activist Saturday, 19th March, 6.00 p.m. Zarifa Ghafari was included by BBC in the list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019. On March 4, 2020, Zarifa Ghafari was honored by the U.S. Department of State as an “International Women of Courage” and she was included in The Badass 50 list. In 2020, she received the award: “Women Who Can Change the World by InStyle” as well as many other awards and lists within the country from various organizations.

Daniel Handler Lemony Snicket Tuesday, 22nd March, 6.00 p.m. Daniel Handler is an American writer and musician. He is best known for his children’s series A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions, published under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. He has also published adult novels and a stage play under his real name, along with other children’s books under the Snicket pseudonym. His first book, a satirical fiction piece titled The Basic Eight, was rejected by many publishers for its dark subject matter.

JOY CROOKES Date T.B.C. Joy Crookes is a singer-songwriter from South London with Bangladeshi and Irish heritage. Joy has fast become one of the UK’s most exciting new artists; at just 23, she has acquired the most fiercely loyal fanbase, notched streams into the hundreds of millions, and has cemented herself as a unique musician and storyteller in the new British music scene. In October 2021, Joy released her long-awaited debut LP ‘SKIN’ hailed by critics as ‘masterful,’ ‘timeless,’ and ‘stunning.’ The debut achieved a top 5 spot in the Official UK Chart and number 1 in the Official Record Store Chart, and Joy went on to finish the year by touring the record to 10k+ fans around the UK and receiving two BRIT nominations.

ALTERNATIVE CAREERS PANEL Date T.B.C. Through the panel event, we hope to examine how panelists, including a supermodel, social media influencer, a musician, and a computational social science researcher, are rethinking their careers in the 21st century towards directions that are aligned with their passion, values, and goals Jourdan Dunn Jourdan Dunn is a young British supermodel. Jourdan has secured some of the most prominent castings in national and international runways, walking for luxury brands such as Bottega Veneta, Emilio Pucci, and Oscar de la Renta Jade Bowler Jade Bowler is a social media influencer and a StudyTuber, encouraging and inspiring students worldwide to improve their academic performance. Rory Adams Rory Adams is a 21-year-old songwriter from Australia signed to Sony Music Publishing out of Los Angeles. James He James was born in rural Sichuan, where his family was selling defective textiles on the streets. He founded the largest Guqin school in NZ and has started multiple educational initiatives.

JAMES NORTON Date T.B.C. One of the favourites to be the next James Bond, Norton is an acclaimed actor who has starred in films and TV shows such as McMafia, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, Happy Valley, and the BBC adaptation of War & Peace. He is currently the lead role in HBO’s The Nevers, and, aptly, appeared in Grantchester from 2014-19.

LULA Date T.B.C. Lula is the former President of Brazil, and a candidate for the same office in the elections this summer.

Social Events 72

Jazz After Dark

Yoga

Pink Week Ball

Dog Therapy

Valentine’s Day Cocktail Party

Wine & Cheese Art Exhibition

Bottomless Brunch

Roaring 20s Dinner Party

Ballroom & Latin Dance Workshop

Post-Presidential Party

Lemony Snicket’s Afternoon Tea

The Cambridge Union has long been a hub of social and intellectual life at Cambridge. This Lent term, all of the incredible new venues we have at our disposal post-redevelopment will be utilised to bring back the classic entertainment of previous years, as well as fresh and exciting events. Old classics such as Yoga at the Union, Wine & Cheese socials and Dog Therapy will be reinstated as Union staples, as well as our newly consolidated tradition Jazz After Dark. New, soon-to-become classics such as the Valentine’s Day Cocktail Party, Lemony Snicket’s Afternoon Tea, and the Roaring 20s Dinner Soiree will make their debut in Lent. This term provides the opportunity for everybody to get involved in a wide variety of events at the Union, in whichever capacity that may be. Best wishes, Ellenoor Shameli

Jazz after dark 19th January, 2nd February, 16th February, 2nd March, 16th March 8.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m. Talented jazz musicians, swanky vibes and smoky lights return to the Union for Lent term every other Wednesday! As always, the event will be ticketed and open to members and non-members alike. Jazz After Dark sells out fast, so be sure to book your tickets by clicking the Eventbrite link on the Facebook page sooner rather than later to avoid missing out. £5 for members, £7 for non-members

Yoga at the Union January 24, February 7, Feb 21, March 7 5.00 p.m. - 6.00 p.m. (7th March is 4.00p.m. - 5.00p.m.)

Join us in the stunning Keynes Library from 5-6pm every other Monday, starting January 24th. Taught by a certified instructor from CAMYOGA, this session is open to all levels of experience, and is guaranteed to be a relaxing and revitalizing experience. £2 members, £5 non-members.

5th Feb Pink Week Ball supporting Future Dreams, Coppafeel, Breat Cancer UK and Teenage Cancer Trust

Dog Therapy 12th February 11.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. Drop into the Union’s Chamber to chill with some adorable therapy dogs at 11am-1pm for a good cause, thanks to Cancer Awareness for Teens and Twenties! The suggested donation is £5.

Valentine’s Day Cocktail Party 14th February 8.00 p.m. - 12.00 a.m.

Whether you’re single or loved up this Valentine’s Day, be sure to join us as we transform the Chamber into a Love Shack, where we will host a semi-formal night of cocktails, dancing, and the chance to win a raffle prize, courtesy of RAG! £10

Wine & Cheese Art Exhibition 17th February 3.30 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Join us in the Keynes Library after multimedia artist Ai Wei Wei’s speech to enjoy some Wine & Cheese, intellectual conversation, and the artwork of up-and-coming student artists in Cambridge! Free

Bottomless Brunch 20th February 12.30 p.m. - 2.30 p.m.

Invite your friends to beat the week five blues with you by enjoying bottomless mimosas and your choice of classic brunch options such as English Breakfast or Eggs Benedict at the stunning Fairfax Rhodes! Price TBC

Roaring 20’s Dinner Party 2nd March 6.00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m. Come to the Cambridge Union’s first ever Formal Dinner for a glitzy and glamorous themed three-course dinner in the Fairfax Rhodes! Followed by free entry into the Jazz After Dark, transformed into the secretive Union Speakeasy for the night. Price TBC

Ballroom & Latin Dance Workshop 5th March 11,00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. Learn to dance the Waltz and the Salsa for free with CUDT’s experienced instructors at the Chamber! Keep an eye out on Facebook to reserve your ticket once released. Free

POST-PRESIDENTIAL PARTY 17th March, 10.00 p.m. - late Join us after the final debate of the term for a bunker party in the Cellars! Discounted drinks, booming beats and flashing lights will be sure to end the Union’s Lent term with a bang. Free

Lemony Snicket’s Afternoon Tea 22nd March, 2.30 p.m. - 4.30 p.m.

Enjoy a dignified afternoon in anticipation of Lemony Snicket’s talk with your own set of sandwiches, treats, and scones, as well as a selection of deluxe teas to choose from, all in the beautiful Fairfax Rhodes. Price TBC

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, o w t y b d e s e m i t , ds n Drinks plus frie disagreements. to the power of friendly theoratorcambridge.co.uk 83

Standing Committee

DEBATES OFFICER Sam Hunt Pembroke

TREASURER Calvin Hartley Trinity Hall

PRESIDENT James Vitali Christ’s

VICE PRESIDENT Patrick Connolly Robinson

SPEAKERS OFFICER Lara Brown Downing

SOCIAL EVENTS OFFICER Ellenoor Shameli Homerton

EQUALITIES OFFICER David Quan Clare

COMPETITIVE DEBATING OFFICER Siddharth Pai King’s

PRESIDENT-ELECT Leti Ryder Sidney Sussex

SOCIAL EVENTS OFFICER-ELECT Mahera Sarkar Newnham

EQUALITIES OFFICERELECT James Appiah III Pembroke

COMPETITIVE DEBATING OFFICER Dioni Ellinikaki Sidney Sussex

DEBATES OFFICER- SPEAKERS OFFICERELECT ELECT Christopher George Oliver Udy Wolfson Robinson

Full Committee John Lush, Secretary – Girton Events Management David Eagleson, Head of Events Management – Trinity Sam Carling, Deputy Head of Events Management – Christ’s Alix Danis, Deputy Head of Events Management – Christ’s Oliver O’Brien – Christ’s Lilla Bond – Clare Philip Al-Taiee – Peterhouse Sara Abbad – Gonville and Caius Eliot Green – Fitzwilliam Elizabeth Willey – Homerton Giulia Meregalli – Christ’s Edward Hilditch – Corpus Christi Luiza Aguilar – Gonville and Caius Ellie Breeze – Peterhouse Sasha Grantham – Homerton Lily McGrail – King’s Dominic Morgan – Homerton Guest Liaisons Adam Bradley, Senior Guest Liaison – Sidney Sussex Calvin Hartley, Senior Guest Liaison – Trinity Hall Sophia Nie, Senior Guest Liaison – Lucy Cavendish Sophia Wiginton – Gonville and Caius Roshan Panesar – Wolfson Kaylin Pant – Queens’ Sarah Levy – Clare Hollie Wright – Christ’s Jasper Federman – Pembroke Tharpa Hübner – Trinity

Full Committee Press Ed Barlow, Head of Press – Robinson Jonathan Heywood – Trinity Max Ghose – Trinity Hall Publicity Nana Ama Konadu Otuo, Head of Publicity – Murray Edwards Izzy Porter – Girton Jake Havard – Queens’ Joshua Edward Shortman – Gonville and Caius Georgia Fearn – Lucy Cavendish Angela Lynn Atik – Lucy Cavendish Photography Nordin Ćatić, Co-head – St John’s Tobia Nava, Co-head – St Catharine’s Welfare Nick Davis – Homerton Angela Lynn Atik – Lucy Cavendish Audio-Visual Ewan Woods, Head of AV – Corpus Christi James Shillington – Anglia Ruskin Aron Thomas – Trinity Charlie Palmer – Homerton Ilya Carey – Jesus Graphics Johan Nerlov – Pembroke Alexandra Breckenridge – Lucy Cavendish 86

Trustees Lord Chris Smith, Chair Sir Christopher Greenwood QC Nigel Yandell Nick Heath Daniel Janner QC David Branch Araba Taylor Rachel Green David Robinson James Vitali Patrick Connolly Dioni Ellinikaki

Staff Bursar General Manager Membership Secretary Senior AV Technician Financial Manager Assistant Accountant Site Manager Sales & Marketing Executive Events Administrator Brasserie Manager Head Chef 87

Col. Retd. William Bailey Joe Burman Justyna Macoch Thanos Bikakis Madiha Khan Shabana Ali Phil Caldecoat Katherine Connelly Hannah Goodger Sam Heap Ben Pope

President’s Thanks Sam, our resident member for the nineteenth century, I am delighted with the debates we have organised this term. I hope you are too. You have been a loyal right-hand man since I first ran for election, and I am indebted to you. David, you are an infectiously positive person, and it has undoubtedly rubbed off on us all. You have treated your position at the Union with the seriousness that it deserves and made concrete contributions to how accessible our society is. Well done. Ellenoor, there couldn’t be a more perfect fit for the Union’s social ents job than you. I am very excited to be in attendance for all the splendid events you have organised this term.

I am an abnormal Union President in many ways. As far as I know – and that is not very far – I am only the second PhD Candidate to hold the office. Bizarrely, I have ended up supervising a number of our members over the last few years. But my time at the society started in the same way that it would have done for so many members: I loved debating, and so I went to workshops, attended Thursday night debates religiously, and spoke in them whenever I could. The Union has been the defining part of my time at this University, and I am inestimably grateful for all that it has given me. I also have the opportunity here to express my gratitude to a long list of friends and colleagues who have shared my time at the society with me.

The gauntlet has been thrown down to you on the Easter term. Christopher, Oliver, James and Mahera. I wish you the very best of luck in your jobs, and I’m looking forward to a term of working closely together. To my successor, Leti, you are a complete natural and will make a terrific President.

Keir, I had plenty of sentimental words to say about you at the dinner to mark your departure as President in December. I will avoid repeating them and add only that I have cherished greatly the close relationship we have enjoyed. We both won our first elections in the same term, and we have made a great team together ever since.

To Patrick, thank you for keeping the ship afloat when its crew have appeared to be blowing holes in the hull. Joshan, we were immensely sad to lose you from the team, but thank you for all your work last term. Calvin, you have been a most loyal servant on Full Committee and will be a superb treasurer.

Phoebe, you are one of the strongest and most remarkable characters I have come across, and I am a far better person for having met you. I do wish you’d tidy your room, though.

To Dioni and Sid, your work is some of the most important that takes place at the society. I will do my best to speak loudly about all the things that you go about doing so quietly and modestly.

To my Lent team, it has been a sincere pleasure working with you all since we joined Standing in the summer. Lara, it’s a special breed of Cantab that can take on both the Debates and Speakers jobs at the society. It certainly would have been beyond me, but you have done it effortlessly. You are a great asset to the Union.

To Gabriel and Becky, thank you for the generosity of time and spirit you have shown me, and for the wise counsel you have offered, not just on running the society. I wish you all the best in trying to make the party to which you belong more liberal, or more democratic, or both, who knows.

President’s Thanks To Freddie, thanks for showing me the ropes last year. You were a marvellous President, and it has been wonderful to welcome you back to the society recently. I hope you will keep returning this term too.

Madiha and Shabana, popping into the office to see you two brightens my day. Kat, Hannah, and Justyna, it’s no wonder that so many people buy society membership when the first people that visitors meet are you three.

To David, Charlie, John, Joe, Mizanur, Tabitha, Sara, Lily, Kaylin, Zac, Shibhangi, as well as Taneesha, Fangzhou, Kate, Georgia, and Fisayo – thank you all so very much for the hard work you put in throughout Michaelmas to make this term card possible. The events are as much yours as anyone else’s. To Full Committee, I apologise in advance for the early morning meetings; I hope to get to know lots of you better over the next nine weeks or so.

To all the Orator Staff, the bar and brasserie is a genuinely welcoming, lively place with great food, drink and service. I have loved getting to know many of you, and I look forward to sharing plenty more time with you this term, pint in hand. All of us have been brought together by an institution founded in 1815 to promote debate and free speech. I think that is simply wonderful. What the Union stands for on the university campus remains fundamentally laudable, and we are all in some way connected by a shared recognition of that fact.

To Bill, I feel extraordinarily lucky that your encore as our bursar has coincided with my term as President. The debt owed to you by the society is incredibly weighty. Thank you for the guidance and support you have given to me. To Louise and Sabine, the society is poorer for your departures. Thank you for all you have done over many years here, and I wish you both the very best for what comes next. Sam and Joe, you are complete stalwarts and I thoroughly enjoy working with you both. You don’t get the recognition that you deserve, yet at the same time everyone is acutely aware that the place would fall down with you. Strange.

James Vitali President, Lent 2022

Thanos, you have had an instant impact here and I hope you intend to stay for some time. You have brought professionalism to a relatively amateurish technical operation at the society.

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