Diverse Opportunities

External Events are run throughout the year and this committee organises trips and events outside of college, including beach trips, Alton Towers and Bar Crawls. One of the best nights of the year is the Newcastle night which they organise in the summer term after exams! If you want to further your skills in anything from publicity to negotiating discounts then this would be a very rewarding committee to join.

Governance committee is a closed committee (i.e interviewed), that was introduced in 2013 to help streamline the JCR and make it more effective. Its major roles include looking after the Standing Orders (our constitution), keeping the Exec accountable, running and monitoring election, helping other societies with their administration, and to discuss ways to further help the JCR function better- this last role involves trips out to other colleges to see how they do things. There are three positions available in the interviews, with the rest of the committee made up of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Communications Officer, President and Vice-President. It might sound all a bit formal, but this is a great way to get involved with the running of college and student politics in general.

This committee is in charge of the huge task of organising and running the charity fashion show which is always one of the biggest events of the year. Clothes from very well known fashion brands are acquired and modelled by our own students on our very own catwalk! Why not get involved in producing it or even modelling in it?!

Very similar to Freshers Committee, this committee organises and runs the Open Days to wow applicants and show them that Mildert really is the best college in Durham. They run and organise an action packed few days over the Easter Holidays which includes organising nights out, tours, movie sittings and activities on site. By the end you'll be sure to have caught their infectious lively bug! They wear bright yellow polos throughout so you're sure to see them around.

Mildert's College Shop aims to fulfil all your snacking needs and is located right next to the bar. We sell a variety of confectionary, crisps and drinks as well as useful household goods like milk and stationary. The shop is run by the JCR Services Committee which is comprised of 14 JCR members and interviews are held twice each year in October and June. Members work a weekly two hour shift and a fortnightly four hour shift as well as holding a voluntary role such as treasurer, ordering stock and filling the vending machines. During the evening the shop becomes a toastie bar which serves a variety of toasted sandwiches and panini. These are made by Team Toastie, a committee which recruits 14 members each October. The shop opening hours are as follows: Monday � Friday: 12:30 � 2:15, 5:30 � 11:00 Saturday � Sunday: 3:30 � 11:00 If you have any questions about the shop or any requests then please feel free to email [email protected].

Ball Committee are responsible for the running of the two balls Mildert has during the year. Their duties range from having the creative vision of the best themed events ever to booking chart-topping headline acts and organising world-beating entertainment. In amongst this, there are decorations to be done, sponsorship to be gained, entertainment to be booked and menus to be finalised. The Michaelmas Ball is run in college and is an opportunity at the end of the year to enjoy a high-end evening in college, often with a festive theme. The main event is, however, the Summer Ball. Artists who have performed at previous balls include Hadouken!, B*Witched, 911, Scott Mills, Chesney Hawkes, The Freemasons, King Charles, The Unexpected Items (of Gap Yah fame) and many more. Themes in the past have ranged from the classic Masquerade through to �The FireBall�. There's even been a fill circus on Tees Lawn for the Circus Ball!

Finance Committee are responsible for handling all things to do with the JCR's money - from committee and sports finances to the annual budget and turnover of the JCR. Having such a committee allows for more representatives of the JCR rather than just the Treasurer to voice opinions about the way the finances are distributed. This works by holding open sessions and closed discussions amongst the members. Finance Committee is made up of the JCR Treasurer and their Treasurer Committee, other members of Exec and other succesful itnerviewees from within the JCR. As well as deciding where money is spent, they help the JCR Treasurer to do their job effectively.

Technical Productions Committee (Tech Comm) are the members of the JCR responsible for the upkeep and use of the college technical equipment (which is a lot!), and we are found at every event within the JCR, on top of some external events. We get involved with every aspect of events, from the feasibility stages with the other committees, to hiring extra equipment, to overseeing set-up, and of course, running the event on the night. We handle staging, and the lighting and audio for the major events, such as Fashion Show, the musicals and the Balls. We are an open committee, which means anyone with enthusiasm (whether you're an experienced technician, or have never gone near a cable in your life) can turn up to one of the events, lend a helping hand, and then can find some aspect of the committee that interests them, be it, lighting, hire managing, communications or treasurer. Want to join? Look for anyone near a sounddesk at an event, or anyone with �TECH' on the back of our black polos. Want to hire our equipment? Contact the Head of Tech ([email protected]) or FACSO ([email protected]).

If you fancy getting involved in events organisation, are a talented (or not so talented) artist, or feel like you'd enjoy listening to Beyonc� whilst doing a bit of painting, VM Decoration Society is the society for you. Under the leadership of the fabulous Alex Woolhouse, DecSoc has really grown over the last year, and I hope as the new head to make this continue! If our fabulous naked calendar paint fight photoshoot isn't enough to encourage you to join, the decorations you see around college at formals and bops are made by DecSoc. If you want to get involved in college but don't have enough time to commit to a weekly society, then we may be the society for you! Sessions are run very informally in the run up to events; just come along and have a paint (or have a chat while holding a paintbrush). It's a fun and chilled way to get involved in Mildert and meet new people.

Van Mildert Big Band is the college's house band, regularly playing at events in the college and also around Durham. From intricate jazz orchestra arrangements to some really gritty James Brown funk, the Band plays music from a range of genres and is always happy to welcome new players of any level of experience. We rehearse in college every Wednesday evening (pre-Lloyds, don't worry), if you're interested in coming along or just have any questions - drop us an email: [email protected] For more information or to get involved why not join our Facebook page.

There are two major events in college that dance soc perform at, the first is VM Variety in Michaelmas term, and the college Fashion Show in Epiphany term. Dance Soc is very laid back, with members picking their own level of involvement. Whether you want to choreograph, just be in the once dance, or be in eight, it's completely up to you. Rehearsal time is limited so we do work hard when we have to, but with socials every term we always manage to fit in a good laugh. Any experience level is welcome and it's a great chance to maintain your skills or try out new styles. Check out some of our previous performances at VM DanceSoc on YouTube.

VM Debate Soc is one of Mildert's newest societies! In our first year, we combined the college traditions of sassy argument and the Mildert bar in honour of Brexit, banned private schools in our Freshers' Debate and introduced feisty inter-college debating with our hexagonal neighbours, Trevs. If you've got a game-changing point of view you want the world to hear, you need your fill of competitive debate-y banter after a hard week of lectures, or you just want to watch some of college's finest battle it out with a drink from the bar then we are for you!!!! Our relaxed attitude means we welcome both first-time and more experienced speakers to put on our amazing range of debates � all you need is a feisty argument and lots of enthusiasm and quality debating awaits! Any questions, queries, or if you just want a debate-themed chat feel free to email Izzy Ardron [email protected].

�Did someone say THEATRE?!' Despite being only a year old, Feather Theatre Company has one of the busiest schedules in the Mildert calendar. We do it all - a production in 48 hours, a summer Shakespeare, a panto, a musical and more. Have you ever fancied a moment in the spotlight? Is it time your rendition of �I dreamed a dream' was heard by the masses? Or do you want to get involved in producing or orchestrating the magic behind the scenes? Then get involved! We are a society that everyone and anyone can join whether you're a frequent stage-strutter or you'd never heard of Shakespeare before you read this. Dramatic love, FTC xoxo

One of the few good things to come out of the patriarchy is the Van Mildert College Feminist Society. This friendly, relaxed, yet dedicated group seeks to advance the aims of feminism throughout the university and beyond. Tough task? Yes, it is. But worthwhile and needed! So if you think equality and rights are really quite nice, come along to our weekly meeting and join the cause. Protect your sisters! VMFemSoc.

Here at VM Film Soc, we believe a chilled Sunday isn't complete without an evening film and a bag of pick n' mix! Often themed, films can range from chick flicks (Valentine's Day) to terrifying horrors (Halloween) and are also open to your vote with regular polls being posted on the Facebook page - so keep your eyes peeled for those! Expect a film fortnightly on Sundays at 9pm in the Ustinov Room and make sure to head to the VM Shop before to grab some snacks! If you have any questions regarding the Film Society, please do not hesitate to contact me via the Facebook page/on twitter @mildertfilm - or come and speak to me when I am in college! xx

Jam Soc is Van Mildert's live music society. The biggest thing we do? That'd be JAM BY THE LAKE � we run Mildert's very own music festival, held once a year out on Tees Lawn, with the best bands from across Durham and beyond. But there's a lot more than that: JCR band nights, open mic nights in the bar, and socials. We're basically a group for anyone who likes music, both musicians and non-musicians alike . . . and who doesn't like music?! SO JOIN US!

Alright guys, I'm Patrick your joint head of Van Mildert Snow and Palatinalps representative for the second year running. My role is to encourage all you freshers to get onboard the University wide ski trip, which is the biggest single university ski trip in the whole country! It is arguably one of the best weeks in your University lives, we've had acts such as Chase and Status, Eton Messy and Matrix & Futurebound come down before so get involved! You wouldn't want to miss what would be a great week of snow, spirits and suspicious roommates. Let me (or also the legendary Hugo) know if you have any questions.