The Murray Edwards JCR have called for talks at the college to be more “student-led”, after a speaker at the half-way hall for 3rd years briefly discussed fertility.

Dr Catherine Aitken, who is part of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, was invited to speak at the halfway hall two weeks ago (18/1). The event was meant to take place last year, but was delayed due to the pandemic.

The discussion of fertility at the event sparked some controversy amongst students.

A recent Queerbridge said: “I’m honestly disgusted by the agenda this college seems to be pushing and it’s as thoughtless as it is ridiculous. Can you imagine a speaker going into John’s and telling all the men that they need to raise kids to be worthy of life?”

This comes after the controversy caused by Medwards President Dorothy Byrne’s comments on fertility last October. Byrne said that she wanted to talk “openly about fertility” and hoped that raising awareness of this would “empower” young women.

The Sunday Times went on to report that the college would be holding “fertility seminars”. Although the President has since denied that fertility seminars would take place, the anonymous post said that the experience at the halfway hall “felt like the first fertility class.”

The post also highlighted how this focus on fertility alienates queer women, non-binary people and men, echoing the criticisms that Byrne faced for her comments last October.

In response to the Queerbridge, the JCR Women’s officer Cat Parry assured students that the JCR had “contacted college to ensure that future speakers (for example at the second year’s halfway hall) will not be speaking on reproductive health.”

The JCR have also requested that “content notes” may be added to future talks if necessary, and have said that they “are currently discussing ways to make the second year’s talk more student-led with the senior tutor.”

Speaking to Varsity, Cat Parry said that “it was not so much the content of the talk that was alarming, but rather that an Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist was chosen for the third years’ halfway hall.”

“In light of the concerns regarding the (ultimately false) claims about reproductive workshops in October, the choice seemed provocative and has (unsurprisingly) upset some members of the student body who feel the college is pushing a reproductive agenda.”

“The JCR is currently working with the Senior Tutor in the hopes that the halfway hall for the current second years will be more student-led and given in a Q&A format.”

Dorothy Byrne previously told Varsity that speakers “talk about a range of subjects relevant to their professional background and personal history and different formats are used.”

The speaker at the halfway hall for second year students will be the award-winning screenwriter and producer, Sarah Phelps, who was once a student at the college.

Byrne highlighted that she “will be in conversation with students based on their questions”, and that the talk will be “led by a student.”

The next halfway hall will take place on 18th February.