Bouncer and lie detector called into Queen’s JCR

The new Chair of Queen’s College JCR has introduced a bouncer and a lie-detector to common room meetings in an attempt to increase attendance among students.Dipender Gill, a third-year medic, brought along a St. Hugh’s student as a bouncer to the first meeting of term and also introduced a ‘lie detector’, which involved checking a speaker’s heart rate with a stethoscope.Gill said that the measures were introduced not just to increase security but also as “a crowd-pleaser, something to raise a smile.”The second-year ‘bouncer’ was responsible for checking students’ Bodleian cards as they entered the meeting, crossing their names off a list all Queen’s JCR members.  Gill claimed that as well as adding an element of excitement to the event the system ensured that motions were voted on only by Queen’s students. However, the method proved too time-consuming and students were eventually let in without requiring identification.The ‘lie detector’ consisted of a student in a lab coat with a stethoscope who checked the heart rate of those selected to speak by the Chair, to see if it quickened when they were asked questions.  Gill stressed that the test was included to make meetings more enjoyable but also said that the detection technique would ensure increased transparency within the JCR committee, claiming that transparency was “the theme of the term”.However, both Gill and JCR President Johnny Medland said they doubted the bouncer and lie detector would return, saying that while the JCR had found the initiatives fun, they had not been taken entirely seriously. “The rest of the JCR executive refused to take it seriously, so it made it difficult to enforce any kind of authority. The crowd seemed to enjoy it though,” Gill said.  Medland said that it would be “disappointing” to see them go, despite being put under more scrutiny by the lie detector than other JCR members.Gill promised that he had more ideas to make JCR meetings more entertaining in future weeks, including projecting each speaker at the meeting onto a television screen at the back of the room. “Something new every week would certainly keep everyone entertained. I think the important thing is to get the job done. If this is possible with the odd smile and joke, then all the better,” he said.by Nadya Thorman