There has been plenty to bring Clare Hall students together this year, from cultural celebrations and college trips to a visit from some unexpected four-legged guests. Rishul Karia, GSB President 2025/26, and Robyn Schnell, GSB Vice-President 2025/26, look back on a busy year and thank the people who made it all possible.

All photos courtesy of the GSB Committee.

It has been an absolute pleasure to witness the growth of our college’s members, both new and old, who have truly embraced the Clare Hall spirit this year. Our college’s communal environment and strong sense of belonging inspired both of us to run for the Graduate Student Body (GSB) committee. This year, these same qualities were apparent for all to see and a testament to the wonderful energy brought by the cohort.

The year kicked off with a chaotic Welcome Week, jam-packed with activities that encouraged everyone to get involved. This was bookended by a visit from Red Bull and their DJ truck in collaboration with our own Boat Club, much to the amusement of our Herschel Road neighbours.

Beyond the expected initial flurry, this was the busiest year in recent memory. Social Officers Betsy Zaubler and Jemima Ajayi worked overtime with Secretary Aisling Dynes to organise a variety of events. The two BOPs (Big Organised Parties) innovatively transformed the common room into an Après Ski lounge in November, and a cowboy saloon in March. Their incredible dedication, organisation, and passion were also displayed at the Student Formals: Halloween, Christmas, Mardi Gras, St Patrick’s Day, and Pride. Afterward, students enjoyed great entertainment courtesy of Music Officers Sydney Minor and Masaaki Yoza, with Sydney securing a performance from members of the Royal College of Music! We also enjoyed three ceilidhs and a line dance too.

Beyond college-centric events, the committee organised trips to support our own students performing with the University’s renowned Amateur Drama Club (ADC). This included Jemima Ajayi in the Cambridge Footlights, Talon Flodman in Jack and the Beanstalk and Garbhán McEnoy in the Rosalind Franklin opera. Our students’ infectious support underpins the unique togetherness that sets us apart. This was on full display at the annual Varsity Football Match on Grange Road, which the GSB arranged for students and fellows to attend. Signs were crafted and a drum was borrowed from the music room to cheer on PhD student Ayesha Bennett in an agonisingly close 2-1 loss to Oxford in the women’s match. 

The largest series of events to occur outside of Clare Hall was our newfound collaboration with Clare College’s MCR. This partnership was long overdue but felt especially apt this year as both colleges celebrated their 60th and 700th anniversaries respectively. There were a few social events initially, but the major success came when Clare hosted us in January for their infamous ‘Clareity’ series, before we invited them to our revitalised 3-slide talks event in May.  We had the pleasure of our President Alan Short’s attendance at both events, alongside Clare’s Master and Senior Tutors from both colleges!

The return of the aforementioned 3-slide talks as a termly fixture on the calendar, led by Fellow-Student Interaction Officer Anjali Sergeant, has been wonderful to see. A wide range of fellows and students gave talks from all disciplines, with a special International Women’s Day event hosted in March. These talks bridge the potential gap between fellows and students and are crucial to one of Clare Hall’s core values.

Another Clare Hall value celebrated this year was the incredible diversity of our student cohort and the fantastic cultures that come with it. With the aid of our wonderful kitchen team, the GSB organised themed formals for Bonfire Night, Chinese New Year, Diwali, Thanksgiving, and World Book Day. Each celebrated different parts of our community whilst exposing members to cultures that might have otherwise been unfamiliar. Beyond formals, we celebrated Holi in the college for the first time, which went down a treat with both students and the Clare Hall children.

The children also enjoyed an Easter Egg hunt organised by Family Officer Maros Rovny, while Welfare Officers Ayesha Bennett, Emily Strickland, and Emmanuella Bentil organised an Iftar potluck and then a multicultural potluck in collaboration with the University Ghanaian Society. At the latter two, the sense of community was incredible to see; a space was forged for students to learn about each other’s cultures through discussion and food.

External Officers Danielle Muller and Fatih Gürbüz hosted a record number of formal swaps, visiting colleges such as Peterhouse, St John’s and Trinity Hall. Our external highlight was the day trip to our Oxford sister college, St Cross, who later returned the favour by attending our Student Pride Formal. These external collaborations gave students the opportunity to experience other parts of student life in Cambridge and beyond.

On sustainability, Green Officer Maria Macias-Constantino collaborated with Newnham’s MCR, hosting a Climate Circle during Cambridge Climate Week. Fellow Green Officer Lisa Valentini made the allotment one of our community’s unsung heartbeats. Together, they also organised various household swaps, a Sashiko clothes-revival workshop and contributed to the college winning ‘Best Environmental Impact’ at the recent University Sustainability Awards.

The enthusiasm for the allotment carried over to our welfare events, which perfectly balanced the busy social calendar. The GSB organised the usual yoga sessions, a sound bath, an afrobeats dance class, pottery painting, and a surprise visit from a few adorable alpacas. These perfectly complemented the stresses of Easter Term and provided some welcome relief.

Ultimately, the GSB’s greatest success was promoting togetherness. Communications Officer Ruby Finlayson fostered this unity by reviving the GSB Instagram account to document the year’s highlights, custom stash was also offered throughout the year and Punt Admiral Shahana Banerjee ensured everyone stayed afloat.

Finally, our biggest moment of the year: the May Event. Marking our anniversary, the ‘Swinging Sixties’ themed evening was headlined by Colonel Spanky’s Love Ensemble. A big thank you to May Event committee, especially President Betsy Zaubler and Vice President’s Jemima Ajayi and Danielle Muller for bringing the whole college together in celebration and ensuring a memorable night.

We hope that the sense of kinship and spirit fostered by this year’s GSB remains with all those who experienced it. To our graduating students – don’t forget to stay involved and always remember that anything can be considered electric if you try hard enough.

Written by Rishul Karia (GSB President 25/26) and Robyn Schnell (GSB Vice President 25/26)