Balliol JCR passed a ‘funny’ motion to officially name their meeting after a current student. The meeting, held last Sunday, is now known as ‘The Susie Deedigan Memorial General Meeting.’
Although a contributor to JCR meetings throughout her Oxford Career, Susie couldn’t attend this final one.
In her absence, the motion noted ‘her limitless loyalty to, and enthusiasm for, debate, democracy and General Meetings’ and sought to reward ‘loyalty and enthusiasm’ in the JCR. The motion passed without opposition.
The motion was proposed by two Balliol JCR committee members, Hannah Smith and Issac Rose.
Smith, Vice President of Balliol JCR, told Cherwell ‘The Susie Deedigan (2010-2013) Memorial GM was a huge success. As usual there were lots of people at the GM, and everyone found it funny.’
Rose commented ‘The motion, while light-hearted in tone conveyed a serious point – it was a nod of thanks to Susie who has spent the last three years both involved with and committed to the JCR.’
Rose went on to say that the motion confirms Balliol JCR as ‘unique in Oxford in what it does for its students and this would not be the case were it not for people like Susie.’
Yet not all JCR members found the motion funny. One Balliol student, who wishes to remain anonymous told Cherwell that ‘not many people in Balliol knew about [the motion] or have talked about it.. It’s a joke (and not everyone found it funny).’
Despite wishing to commemorate the work of a dedicated student, even the proposers of the motion seemed surprised that it has reached the press “To be honest, it’s astonishing that you find this newsworthy” said Rose. Smith agreed “it’s rather perplexing how you could think this is even a story.”
