Cultural sensitivity

"I feel that some cultures/countries where students come from are not well understood. Inadvertently some actions/events, though conducted with the best intentions, can be slightly insulting. Its not a very big or serious issue, just hope that such misunderstandings would not happen too often (though mostly ignored, it can be slightly irritating at times)."

I should really like to have some more specific feedback on this. Cultural sensitivity is something that I take very seriously indeed, so I sincerely apologise if there have been examples of a failure to respect different cultures or beliefs in Hall. We have not had any direct feedback to tell us where we might have gone wrong here: we need to know more so I can ensure we don;t see a similar comment in next year's survey!

Please contact me at warden@connaught-hall.org.uk or come to one of my open office sessions to help me understand what has gone wrong. If your concerns relate to my actions and you don't feel comfortable approaching me about it (although I can assure you I am very happy to receive constructive criticism), then email the Hall Manager at hall.manager@connaught-hall.org.uk and ask her to discus the matter with me or forward your email with the name and email address removed.

Thanks for your feedback.

This is one of a series of posts responding to the results of the residents' survey. You can see all the posts here: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Survey%202013. 

Thanksgiving speech - delivered Thursday 22nd November 2012

Welcome to the annual thanksgiving celebration at Connaught. The first thanksgiving celebration was in north America in 1621. It was only officially recognised in 1863, when Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation making it a national festival. This almost certainly makes Thanksgiving the most modern cultural festival that we celebrate at Connaught Hall.

And it is a festival that has a timeless relevance: for when times are good, it is all too easy to take for granted the very many people, things, and opportunities that have made us happy and safe; but when times are hard, we can find ourselves all too ready to complain about the things we feel we should have but do not. Thanksgiving reminds us that we should simply stop, recognise all the great things we do have, and the wonderful friends and relationships we all have in our lives, and say a heartfelt “thanks” for them. That way, we can be more content both in times of plenty and in times of hardship.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and togetherness. North Americans living in Hall this Thanksgiving might be physically far from their homes and families. But I hope being with your Connaught family this year can go towards making you feel just at home here.

Whilst being thankful for the people and opportunities that have brought us to where we are in our lives today, we should also think about our neighbours who might need more help or support from us. Whether they are fellow residents here in hall, students at college, or strangers, we can do more to make others happier and safer and in so doing, cause other people to be thankful for our kindness.
So let me leave you tonight with an exhortation to spend a few moments reflecting on what we are truly thankful for, and what we can do this week to give others cause for thanks, too.

German night: 3rd December 2011

On 3rd December at Connaught Hall we are hosting a celebration of Germany and German culture. This will be the second in a series of international cultural evenings, which start with American Thanksgiving on 24th November.

We need help! What should we organise?

I have asked the caterers to draw up a German-themed menu. Your suggestions for this will be very welcome. We have some German flags: I envisage having British, German, and EU flags
together on the stage. What other decorations could we have? Is there any particular music we should choose? Any traditional clothes, activities, or games? The bar will stock up on German beers but are there any other drinks we should have?

Post your ideas as a comment on my blog post email me, or tweet your suggestions including #connaughtgermannight in your tweet.

We will also need volunteers to help set up on the day, so if you have some free time on 3rd December, your help with decorating, etc., will be really appreciated.