Robinson College
Formal Halls
Three times per term, the College pays for a free Formal Hall for all grads. The three Halls each are of their own distinct type:
BA Hall
This is a standard Formal Hall held on either a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the date selected by the MCR committee. Pre-dinner drinks usually precede this dinner on the Hall Balcony with dinner served at 7.30pm. College port and cheese is traditionally served in the MCR following dinner. For this Hall, gowns are obligatory. You are very much invited to bring guests if you like - they will be charged to your College bill at the normal guest rate. Guests who are already members of the college will be charged the standard member price for dinner.
MCR/SCR Hall
Once a term, the Fellows invite the Graduates to dine with them in Hall. As for any normal Hall the dress code is smart (suits and ties for gentleman and the equivalent for ladies) and gowns are required. Guests are not permitted at this Hall but spouses are. For the MCR/SCR hall in Easter term, the College invites (and pays for) all supervisors of Robinson PhD students to attend the dinner in order to thank them for their support in your studies. Coffee and College port is served in the hall after dinner. Try to avoid dancing on the tables until after the Fellows have left!
Saturday Hall
The most important MCR event of each term! For one Saturday night, we have the Hall all for ourselves. These halls are anything but formal - suits and gowns are banned and quite often, there will be a theme to the Hall with fancy dress highly encouraged (i.e. you will be invited to wear a costume) with prizes to be won! The dinner is then followed by a bop in the Party Room with a bar run by the MCR committee.
Missed formals
If you are unable to attend one of the free MCR Formal Halls, you can claim a free ticket to a standard Tuesday or Friday Hall if you go along to the Catering Office (U staircase, High Court) and ask. You can also email the Deputy Catering Manager, Christine James (cj213@cam.ac.uk) who can arrange this for you. When emailing please state which free Formal you missed and the date of the dinner you would like to go to. The free ticket must be claimed and used in the same term as the missed MCR Hall, and the Catering Office must be informed before the standard Tuesday or Friday formal that you wish to claim the free ticket for.
Taxis
If you are not living on the College site, the MCR may pay for a taxi to take you home after the BA Hall and MCR/SCR Hall. To get a taxi home, speak to the MCR President, Vice-President or Treasurer who will write you out a slip to take to the Porter's Lodge who will call the taxi for you. Refunds for taxis booked privately are not available. Please share taxis home wherever possible.
Spouses
Spouses are invited to attend one of the three free graduate formals for free once a term. You can specify this on the sign-up form.