Amaury Genovese (2023 DPhil Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics), MCR President 2024-25, writes:

The opening of the H B Allen Centre created new space for graduate students and helped shape the MCR into a tightly-knit and highly engaged community. Paradoxically, it also drove more activity to the Parks Road MCR, which many students use for study in the day and socialising in the evening.

The Parks Road MCR is divided into two spaces — the comfortable wood-panelled and bay-windowed main area and a hitherto far less inviting room with institutional furniture and an aging kitchenette. In effect, and despite recurring clearances, this room remained a storage ground for the overflowing items the community had accumulated, from broken equipment to long-lost coats and hoodies.

In Hilary Term 2025, I conducted an MCR-wide “Pulse” survey on our shared spaces which received more than 80 detailed contributions. This informed many decisions for the remainder of my presidency (notably with the catering team and the domestic bursary); however, an overwhelming majority shared their concern about the room. And so, we went to work.

I created the MCR Pulse Subcommittee, which was joined by Tiffany Chan (2024 MSc Digital Scholarship), William Lugoloobi (2023 DPhil Social Data Science), Kira Mulcahy (2023 DPhil Inorganic Chemistry) and Afonso Rodrigues (2019 DPhil Economics). Together, through weekly meetings, we reviewed all MCR spaces and itemised equipment and furniture. We devised a plan for the complete renovation of the second part of the Parks Road room, with a design tailored to the MCR’s need for an accommodating work and social space. We imagined floorboards, a new contrasting dark blue and white wall colour, coffee tables with couches, benches, and a high table with stools. The high table, coffee tables, and benches would be designed to open and store MCR equipment and drinks.

The budget was set and I negotiated a debit plan with the new Bursar, Ivan Rockey, and carefully planned the work with the Head of Rooms Division, Oana Darac-Pelea, the Domestic Bursar, James McLaren, and the Head of Maintenance, Steve Holtom. Old furniture was handed to Better Reuse and personal items were donated back to the community. By August, the room was entirely cleared. In September, the work began: the lighting was changed, floorboards were installed, and the walls were repainted. I met with our furniture contractor, Maton Rose, to finalise the design of the tailored furniture as well as the colour palette.

The room was finished just in time for freshers’ week. Its grand opening coincided with the first Parks Road MCR welcome event, where freshers and returning students alike celebrated the start of the new academic year. With a short and bitter-sweet speech, as well as a swift cutting of the ribbon, the room opened and so did a new chapter in the MCR’s life.

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