Last weekend (12-14 Sept) saw the University of Essex kick of its 50th Anniversary celebrations with the Homecoming Weekend. Alumni and previous staff were invited to spend the weekend on campus enjoying hundreds of activities, from live music and evenings out to face painting and Wii competitions. Academics were out in force talking about their research both past and present, and in the Hexagon, the exhibition Something Fierce, University of Essex: Vision and Reality opened, curated by our very own Jules Lubbock.
On Saturday, all of the departments across the University hosted their reunion lunch, a chance for alumni and previous staff to come and say hello to one another and current staff. Philosophy and Art History were hosting together, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar and new faces. We've been working on our School timelines for the last few weeks, so it was a great to see all that hard work pay off - so many people commented on how good the timelines were, and added their own memories.
Every had a great time. Rupert Mass, alumnus of Art History and expert on Antiques Roadshow, can be seen below, meeting Matt Lodder, our contemporary art and tattooing specialist, along with Lisa Wade.
Jo Harwood, director of ESCALA, was there representing CISH (Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies), which is part of the School of Philosophy and Art History.
The new Head of School, Fabian Freyenhagen, caught up with past students.
Art History's retired Graduate Administrator, Myra Offord, also attended!
Simon: One of my favourite and most expected activities took place in the Robotic Arena, where I was able to shed my art historical persona and delve into another world, full of electronics and computers. Meeting a robot was an amazing experience and allowed me to know how close we are to creating Sonny. Radically different from my academic knowledge, it was very refreshing to see what other departments have been researching on.
Suzanne: I really enjoyed visiting the Towers, and seeing all the bedrooms made up to represent the different decades. It made be think about how different styles come in and out of fashion; different music; different colours, even. Ultimately, though, it made me realise how students of today are so similar to students of the 1960's - studious, enthusiastic, curious... and looking to make the most out of their time at University!
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