The Ustinovian - Autumn 2021 issue

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ustinovian The Aut um n 2021 I ssue

Celebrating Sir Peter Ustinov A look at the life of Ustinov’s namesake

Celebrating 100 years at Neville House Explore the history of our college

Ustinov Celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 Celebrating inspirational women in our community and beyond

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Photographers Amir Ghasemi (Secret Garden Formal) Yue Zhong (Summer BBQ) Dafni Chorattidou (Awards Formal)

Editors Di Wang, Marco Cheung, Sarah Rosen, Sarah Prescott, and Helen Luke.

Special Thanks

Writers Roisin Thompson, Di Wang, Marco Cheung, Leonor Mozo-Alonso, Shoun Obana, Glenn McGregor, Sarah Prescott, Rob Lowe.

Roisin Thompson, Martin Brader, Sarah Prescott, and Helen Luke.

Editor’s Letter

The Ustinovian magazine and blog is written by Ustinovians, for Ustinovians.

The views, opinions and positions expressed by the authors and those providing comments in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of Ustinov College or Durham University.

Alongside our previous Editor, Roisin Thompson, we would like to welcome you to the Autumn Issue of The Ustinovian.

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The ongoing pandemic has had a tremendous impact on many of your academic studies, social and personal activities, and career aspirations.

Fortunately, things seem to be returning to a more normal routine and we are delighted that many of you were/are able to return to Ustinov and participate in our community life and College events.

It’s also important to acknowledge that we have a significant number of Ustinovians still in their home countries, studying remotely; in recognition of this, forthcoming College and GCP events will, where possible, be held both in-person and virtually, so everyone is welcome to attend.

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contents The Autumn 2021 issue

Outgoing

Editor’s Letter

I would like to welcome you to the Fall 2021 Issue of the Ustinovian! After a beautiful summer of good weather and outdoor activities it is time to dive back into studies as the weather begins to cool. What better way to enjoy the leaves turning colour and cozy sweater weather than curling up in a chair with a cup of tea and our very own college magazine.

Enjoy reading about all Ustinov and Ustinovian’s have had the occasion to celebrate over the summer. Delve into the history of Neville house with Martin Brader as it reaches it’s 100th anniversary.

Celebrate the life and achievements of Sir Peter Ustinov as the college marked what would have been his 100th

Welcome to The Ustinovian

The Ustinovian

Contributors

birthday. Explore the Summer Olympic celebrations with Leonor Mozo-Alonzo and enjoy memories of all the events hosted by Ustinov over the summer. A little light reading before diving back into heavy textbook and thesis!

I would like to give huge thanks to the Ustinovian community for their contributions to the college magazine.

The edition could not be made without you!

I hope you enjoy reading and look forward to your future contributions!

Roisin Thompson Outgoing Editor-in-chief

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Principal’s Letter

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Welcome from GCR President

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The Tokyo Olympics A Celebration of Sport

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22 Ustinov celebrates International Women’s Day 2021 26 A Summer of Celebration

12 Celebrating The Life of John Hume Role Model, Inspiration, Hero 14 Celebrating Sir Peter Ustinov Celebrating his 100th birthday

If you like our showcase piece, please visit our blog for more articles and regular updates: community.dur.ac.uk/the.ustinovian If you would like to submit to the next edition of the Ustinovian, please email ustinov.publication@durham.ac.uk

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30 Tynemouth Bay Park Poem 31 Noises Off Poem

This edition of our College magazine has a theme of ‘celebration’, and aims to provide Ustinovians with positivity, affirmation, and information about what we want to achieve in the future. This publication highlights various events and activities that College has enjoyed over the last few months. We have successfully organised celebrations in honour of Sir Peter Ustinov’s 100th birthday, we arranged a series of inspirational interviews for International Women’s Day 2021 and marked the College site’s 100th anniversary in October. This edition details these wonderful occasions and much more!

Our College, GCR and GCP have enjoyed a successful, albeit challenging, period and now is a great time to reflect upon and celebrate our achievements, while also looking ahead to what the future may bring.

We would like to give a huge thanks to our 2020/2021 predecessor, Roisin Thompson, for her contributions in gathering materials for this edition.

We would also like to note that it is impossible to produce the magazine without our Ustinov College community, so thank you to everyone who has contributed to this edition.

We really hope you enjoy the Autumn edition and if you are inspired to contribute to future editions, you can contact the team at ustinov.publication@ durham.ac.uk – we look forward to hearing from you!

Di Wang & Marco Cheung Editors 2021/22

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Principal’s Letter

Principal’s Letter

Principal’s Letter 4

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Hello Ustinovians. The theme of this ‘Ustinovian’ is celebration.

We have much to celebrate at Ustinov including the strength that arises from diversity, interdisciplinarity and collegiality and our promotion of inter-cultural communication and understanding. Beyond the ongoing celebration of these characteristics of the Ustinov community are the special celebratory events of 2021. These included International Women’s Day, the 100th Birthday of Sir Peter Ustinov after whom the College is named and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Sheraton Park site as a locus for education.

In March this year we celebrated International Women’s Day. Although prior to the current 2021-22 academic year, we continue to celebrate the acknowledgement of ‘Women in Leadership’ and the role women play in helping to shape a more equal future. At Ustinov we presented sixteen interviews with inspirational women as part of our ‘Ustinov meets’ series. All sixteen interviews were student-led and featured inspirational women from a range of sectors in public life, including public service, the emergency services, health, higher education, music, the arts, research, media, and publishing.

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This was an especially successful celebration event with the interviews to date watched by more than 3000 people – the number of viewings continue to climb. The interviews can be viewed here: https://www.durham. ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/ colleges/ustinov/about/news/womensday The Sir Peter Ustinov 100th Birthday celebrations – he was born on April 26, 1921 – included a number of joyous events organised by the College and its Graduate Common Room such as Sir Peter Ustinov movie showings, a Ustinov 100 competition, a special Ustinov themed pub quiz and video messages from Sir Peter’s son Igor Ustinov, Durham University’s Vice Chancellor, the Principal of Ustinov College and an interview with David Arkless who knew Sir Peter personally. Through these celebrations attention was drawn to the great humanitarian work that Sir Peter did throughout his life and his philosophy of global citizenship, a central ethos for our community at Ustinov.

In October this year we welcomed 50 alumni of the former Neville’s Cross College (NXC) back to the Sheraton

Park site to celebrate not only their time as teacher trainees at Sheraton Park, the original site of NXC, but the 100th anniversary of Neville House and the wider Sheraton Park site. It was clear from the day’s activities and all the chat at this reunion event that those who graduated from NXC hold very fond memories of their time living and learning at Sheraton Park. This was a great event and I was personally struck by the scale of the influence on the many lives that the NXC alumni would have had throughout their careers as teachers.

It is also confirmed to me the privilege of being part of the Ustinov team in sustaining a long tradition of providing a safe and enjoyable space for students to live and learn, something we will continue to celebrate into the future.

Glenn McGregor Professor of Climatology and Principal of Ustinov College

Hi everyone, my name is Emily and as some of you might know, I am the new President of Ustinov College for the 2021/2022 academic year.

contact us or even to get involved in the community, we welcome any support.

I chose to do this role so that I could be a part of the Ustinov community and to ensure that the student experience is fulfilling for all. I want the Graduate Common Room (GCR) to promote inclusion and support, representing everyone to the best of our ability.

We want to be an accessible port of call for any student with questions or suggestions. So please don’t hesitate to

Whether you are here for one year or considerably more, I can’t stress enough how important getting involved with activities is. Not only is it a way to get to know some wonderful people, but it’s also crucial to have some downtime.

Embrace the university experience and I promise you will have no regrets.

Besides being a part of (I may be biased when I say this) the best college in the

This term we have been fortunate enough to gather in groups again, I personally have met some amazing people and am looking forward to meeting more of you as the year progresses. The GCR held a particularly successful induction week and since then has hosted a number of events. We have been very proud of Ustinov live, LGBT+ Friday, Halloween, and endeavour to continue in this manner as the year unfolds, with a variety of social occasions catering to everyone.

Despite the easing of certain Covid-19 restrictions, it is still very much part of our day-to-day. The fears of going out are still there, some students have endured isolation periods and travel restrictions may affect those who want to return home. It is highly important that if you are struggling with the ongoing effects of Covid-19 that you reach out, please contact GCR members via our website or social media platforms if you need some support. I would also like to mention that the GCR are aware of how ongoing restrictions have limited certain students’ involvement in activities, but I want to assure you

that we are doing everything we can to improve these circumstances, whilst following university and government guidelines.

Our objective at the GCR is to help you make the most of your time in Durham both for those who live in and out of college. For those who are unfamiliar with the GCR workings, we are a student committee voted in by fellow Ustinovians, who volunteer their time to make things happen. We are constantly trying to find ways to improve and become more efficient, a big push of ours now is to increase our presence on social media on a variety of platforms. In addition to the benefits already gained from GCR membership we are also finding ways to give you the most out of your membership, such as cheaper or early bird access to formal tickets. If you would like to purchase a membership all information can be found on our website

(ustinovgcr.com). If you are interested in getting involved in the committee look out for upcoming elections throughout the year, more info regarding available positions can be found on the website.

As a final note, I am incredibly proud to be a part of the only postgraduate college in Durham, with its rich diversity and remarkable talent. I hope to represent everyone to the highest standard and look forward to what the year has in store for all of us.

Welcome from GCR President

Welcome from GCR President

Welcome from GCR President

University, you are also living in a small but beautiful city which has a lot to offer.

Go on walks, visit the historical sites and venture further. This is a truly stunning part of the country and if you are able, I would wholly recommend taking a few trips to explore.

Emily Watson Ustinov GCR President 2021/2022

This is a truly stunning part of the country and if you are able, I would wholly recommend taking a few trips to explore.

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A Celebration of Sport

Summer Olympics

THE TOKYO OLYMPICS These were the Games with the most athletes ever, with 11,656 in the Olympics and 4,403 in the Paralympics.

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A Celebration of Sport

Summer Olympics

THE TOKYO OLYMPICS A Celebration of Sport

By Leonor

Mozo-Alonso

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There were serious doubts on whether they were going to happen, but at last they did, thankfully without major complications.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were strange from the moment they were to be celebrated in 2021. They were the Games of extremes. Unsurprisingly, they were expensive, but with a whopping cost of 15,4 billion dollars they became the most expensive in history. The number of spectators?

None, if we don’t count those present at the outdoor events. Of course, one must mention the protests. But let’s focus on sports and athletes, for despite all the circumstances fighting for attention, they remained the undeniable protagonists. These were the Games with the most athletes ever, with 11,656 in the Olympics and 4,403

in the Paralympics. They were also the ones with the most sports after the introduction of karate, skateboarding, climbing, baseball, and surfing. But despite all the figures, records, and changes, one thing remained the same: athletes stepped into their court, ring, tatami, or whatever it was, and gave all they had in store. Having been preparing for not four but five years, it was a lot.

Yet sometimes what they gave was not what was expected. These Olympics have laid on the table questions on the mental health of our athletes and the poor psychological attention most of them receive. Gymnast Simone Biles surprised us all with her decision to withdraw from several competitions to take care of her mental health. Tennis player Naomi Osaka, who had already taken several hiatuses from elite sport due to her problems with depression and social anxiety, spoke up once more about the harm that the pressure to win can cause. We hear of more cases of

mental health problems in sport than ever before. Perhaps the pandemic has taken a toll on us, or perhaps -and more likely- we have re-evaluated our priorities. In any case, it seems like, after years of more awareness on these issues, it was time to focus on those on whose shoulders rest so many hopes and expectations. After the initial shock -and maybe some disappointment-, I think we were all quick to understand that this is for the best. This is making sport a safe place to talk about mental health. It is making sport, and everyone’s experience with sport -in their own lives and at their own levelbetter.

Despite mental health being so prominent in the conversations about the Games this year, the Olympics have showcased once more what many of us, bombarded by a close-minded media, tend to forget. I am taking about fitness: its many meanings and forms, and the many ways it looks like. Freed from watching the same few sports on tv,

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the month of August is a feast for the curious. Maybe you had never watched a water polo game, or maybe you didn’t know what boccia was. Maybe you discovered something new you’d like to try for yourself, or maybe you came to terms with your body and become more grateful for the things it can do.

In a world where media bombards us continuously with very narrow ideas of what a fit body looks like, the diversity we see at the Olympics is powerful. It shows that the Olympics, which can sometimes feel like a snobbish waste of money and resources, can have an enormous positive influence in the daily lives of those that watch them -and society as a whole.

These Games feel like a breath of fresh air after a long hold. We’ve let all this energy out and I hope we follow its momentum. The Winter Olympics are just around the corner and I am sure they won’t disappoint.

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These Games feel like a breath of fresh air after a long hold. We’ve let all this energy out and I hope we follow its momentum.

‘John Hume, Derry, 21st April 1969’ is one of a set of paintings which were created as an homage to the late John Hume and are a celebration of his life, achievements and works. This painting was the first in the series and was made in response to the Durham Student Art Prize’s 2021 theme of ‘Heroism’.

The painting was shortlisted then went on to receive two awards, both ‘Highly Commended’ and ‘The People’s Vote’.

The inspiration for the painting began with an old archival photograph of Hume taken during a civil rights demonstration on the streets of Derry on 21st April 1969. During the research phase for the painting, former colleagues of Hume’s at the John and Pat Hume Foundation were consulted, and ideas were put forward about what might be going through his head in the photo. These ideas along with insights from the book ‘In His Own Words’ by Seán Farren, resulted in a series of words and statements which have been colourfully layered behind the greyscale full body figure of Hume in the painting which was taken from the photo itself. In this photo, Hume can be seen stepping in the path of riot police who were moving in on a group of protesters. This moment of courage is just a snapshot of a much larger story that spans decades of work.

Hume was an Irish Nationalist Politician from the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. He is arguably one of the most important figures in modern Irish history and politics. Although he has many achievements, he may be best known for his pivotal role in the Northern Ireland

Peace Process. He is the only person to have received all three of the major peace prizes (Nobel Peace Prize, Gandhi Peace Prize and the Martin Luther King Award) and in 2010 was voted ‘Ireland’s Greatest’ by a public pole set up by RTÉ.

Hume was born on 18th January 1937, in the city of Derry to Anne and Samuel Hume. He studied at St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he began training to become a priest. After realising this was not the route for him, he altered his course of study and in 1958 graduated with an MA in French and History. After his studies, he returned to Derry to become a teacher and in 1960 married Pat Hone, his beloved wife who he would go on to build a family with. Pat was a key figure throughout Hume’s life and career.

The early part of his career was focused on trying to improve the lives of the people of Derry. He was a founding member of the Credit Union movement in Derry and served as the chair of the University of Derry Committee which worked to have Northern Irelands second university set up in the city.

Celebrating the life of John Hume - Role Model, Inspiration, Hero

Celebrating the life of John Hume - Role Model, Inspiration, Hero

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Celebrating the life of John HumeRole Model, Inspiration, Hero

By Shoun

Obana

The Committee was unsuccessful. He became a prominent figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and was involved in the Derry Citizens’ Action Committee whose main focus was to improve the situation in Derry for all its citizens through peaceful means.

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Hume’s political career began when he was elected as an independent nationalist MP at Stormont in 1969. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and became its leader in 1979. He spent much of his career forging strong connections internationally with key Irish American politicians and strengthened connections with Europe when he was elected as a member of the European Parliament.

These connections would eventually play a part in Northern Irish political issues. It is often said that Hume was the driving force and intelligence behind key Northern Irish political developments which include the Sunningdale Agreement, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, and the Good Friday Agreement.

Northern Ireland would not be where it is today without John Hume’s vision and determination. His advocacy for non-violent conflict resolution and desire to improve the lives of the people of Northern Ireland is an inspiration. He is a role model and a hero to many. His achievements were extraordinary, and he should be celebrated as arguably one of Ireland’s greatest and most influential figures.

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Sir Peter Alexander von Ustinov Celebrating his 100th birthday

By Sarah

Prescott

On April 16th 2021, Ustinov College marked what would have been the 100th birthday of the late Sir Peter Ustinov, former Durham University Chancellor and namesake of Ustinov College.

Sir Peter was known for significant and wide-ranging achievements in a number of fields; philanthropic, artistic, creative and humanitarian. He received a knighthood from the Queen in 1990, and he was appointed as Chancellor of Durham University from 1992 until his death in 2004. In a tribute released following his death in 2004, the University spoke about how they chose Peter Ustinov in 1992 as Chancellor because of’ ‘his extraordinary qualities and achievements, not only as a writer, performer and director, but also as a compassionate man, a champion of international understanding and peace.

He mixed equally with statesmen and refugees, with academics and artists, and with children of all continents. His life and work touched directly upon so many issues and values that we, as a university, address in our teaching and research.’

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Durham University’s Graduate Society, established in 1965, was renamed Ustinov College in Sir Peter’s honour in 2003 in recognition of the contributions made to the University during his time as Chancellor. Embracing the motto of ‘Diversitate Valemus’, or ‘Strength in Diversity’, the College was officially opened by Sir Peter in that year and has evolved further over the eighteen years since, retaining its postgraduate only membership and delivering postgraduate specific support and activities for some 1600 members each year. On opening the College, Sir Peter commented that he felt a particular affinity with the College, whose members are drawn from the widest international background; this remains true today, with more than

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Sir Peter Ustinov

Sir Peter Ustinov

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65 nationalities represented across the Ustinov community every year, across all academic disciplines and at both taught and research level of study.

On opening the College, Sir Peter commented that he felt a particular affinity with the College, whose members are drawn from the widest international background…

Sir Peter was born in 1921, coincidentally the same year that Neville House, part of our Sheraton Park College site, originally opened as a teaching college; the building will celebrate its own centennial in October this year. Sir Peter was born in London, into a very diverse family of French, Italian, Russian, German, Polish, and Ethiopian Jewish descent. Sir Peter was renowned for his international approach and spoke English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian fluently, as well as some Turkish and modern Greek. He was an accomplished actor, incorporating accents and dialects in all his languages and utilising them to great effect throughout his lengthy career.

A skilled performer, encompassing stage, screen and the musical arts, Sir Peter was awarded 2 Oscars, 1 BAFTA, 3 Emmys, 1 Golden Globe, and 1 Grammy to name but a few of the accolades he received across a long and illustrious life and career. One of his greatest achievements was being appointed a UNICEF Goodwill

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Given Sir Peter’s importance to the College and his place in our history, and in recognition of the ethos and values that we continue to share, the College were happy and proud to mark what would have been his 100th birthday on April 16th 2021. Accordingly, various events took place over the week of Sir Peter’s birthday, organised by both the College and the Graduate Common Room (GCR) to celebrate his life and achievements. Activities included Ustinov

GCR hosting a virtual outdoor movie experience, showing ‘The Way Ahead’, a film written by Sir Peter Ustinov, aged just 21, and starring David Niven.

Our Global Citizenship Programme (GCP) contributed a ‘Ustinov Meets…’ interview with David Arkless, hosted by our GCP SUCCESS Fellow 20-21, Sam Seikaly. David is an internationally recognised voice in the fields of human rights and global citizenship, and has worked with international organisations, governments and across major global initiatives throughout the course of his career. As a former Durham University student, David enjoys supporting initiatives at college level, including funding Ustinov College’s Arklight Research & Travel Awards. David also had the pleasure of meeting Sir Peter on more than one occasion and reflected on

A video message from Sir Peter’s son, Igor Ustinov, Chairman of the Ustinov Foundation was also released to mark the special date, and a tribute from Ustinov College Principal, Professor Glenn McGregor

those encounters, as well as the wider values and humanitarian agendas that they shared, in his interview with Sam. Birthday video messages were released from Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice Chancellor of Durham University, with reflections on Sir Peter’s significant contribution to both Durham University and Ustinov College, during his time as Chancellor. A video message from Sir Peter’s son, Igor Ustinov, Chairman of the Ustinov Foundation was also released to mark the special date, and a tribute from Ustinov College Principal, Professor Glenn McGregor also went live on what would have been Sir Peter’s 100th birthday.

In addition to these activities in the week of Sir Peter’s birthday, the GCR

“Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, it is our duty to furnish it well.”

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held a virtual quiz with a Ustinov theme and College ran a ‘Ustinov 100’ competition encouraging Ustinovians to submit original pieces of work, in any art-related medium, on the theme of ‘celebration’. We decided to broaden the competition to allow for contributions across all mediums to reflect the truly diverse range of fields that Sir Peter worked within – music, film, literature, art among others. We also opened a ‘junior’ competition for younger community members to participate in their own version of the contest.

who commented that the quality of contribution was fantastic to see.

As a College, through all of these events and activities, we were delighted to be able to celebrate a truly remarkable man, and a namesake to whom the College and University are grateful for many significant contributions. As a College, we are proud to reflect the ‘Ustinov ethos’ in all that we do and as we move forward into the future, we will continue to demonstrate the values that Sir Peter held dear, in all of our college endeavours.

Sir Peter Ustinov

Sir Peter Ustinov

Ambassador in 1968; he continued to serve in the voluntary role for more than 35 years. His legacy continues today with The Ustinov Foundation, now run by Sir Peter’s son Igor Ustinov and a board of trustees, who aim to continue his work in the field of education and development for children around the world.

We were delighted to award three top prizes as a result of the competition, with winners receiving small financial awards. Judging for the competition was carried out by Ustinov College Principal Professor Glenn McGregor

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Celebrating 100 Years

Sheraton Park

Celebrating 100 years at Sheraton Park Neville’s Cross College Association celebrations

By Sarah

Prescott

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On Saturday 23rd October 2021, Ustinov College were delighted to host a 100th anniversary celebration at their Sheraton Park site. Prior to becoming Ustinov College’s home in 2017-18, Neville House was home for many years to Neville’s Cross College, a teacher training establishment that opened in 1921. Where Sheraton House now stands was previously a mirror image building of Neville House, and the two Victorian buildings combined with a much larger estate to form Neville’s Cross College; a teacher training college offering residential accommodation to hundreds of trainee teachers of the future. durham.ac.uk

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When the site, unoccupied and sadly derelict by that point, was purchased and re-developed a few years ago, prior to Ustinov College taking up occupancy, the second building was unfortunately deemed to be in too bad a condition to be saved. It was agreed that the building would be demolished and the current Sheraton House building established in its place. Aerial views of the original college site in the 1920’s and a more recent view in 2018 can be seen in Ustinov College Reception, hanging side by side, and give an amazing insight into how both the College site and the immediate neighbourhood have developed and changed over the last century.

The necessary demolition of the original second building on the site was a great shame as the former Neville’s Cross College site housed a library, a large dining hall and dance/performance space, as well as outdoor tennis courts and other sporting areas. Neville House also housed the Principal’s accommodation, some teaching space and on the very top floor, the College medical wing! As the teacher training college was for many years, female only, male visitors were only allowed on site at certain times and always in a chaperoned capacity for a large portion of the College’s history. For several decades, only immediate male relatives (fathers and brothers of students) were permitted to access higher floors of the building when visiting.

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Given the 100 year anniversary of the site in 2021, Neville’s Cross College (Alumni) Association contacted Ustinov College

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to ask about the possibility of marking the special occasion in some way, here on site. We were delighted to be involved and happily hosted around 45 former students of the College, as they enjoyed a reunion, some refreshments and entertainment, an archive exhibition of Neville’s Cross College memorabilia, and also (as the weather was kind) a wander around the newly developed Sheraton Park site, reminiscing over their memories of how the site used to look and their recollections of their own college days. Several of the graduates present had attended in the 1950-1970 period, with one of the guests having graduated in 1953.

The Association celebrated with a delicious anniversary cake, designed in the shape of their old College shield, and unveiled a plaque listing their former Principals; the plaque will be hung within the Ustinov College site to mark our shared physical history. Toasts were made both to those graduates and staff present as well as some old friends who were fondly remembered by those in attendance.

Durham University’s Senior Archivist, Michael Stansfield had volunteered to come along and host an archive exhibition of materials donated by alumni members, and Michael chatted with attendees as they browsed the exhibition of archive items in the community room.

The Ustinov College management team were all in attendance, and our Principal, Glenn McGregor, also said a few words of welcome before the Association began their festivities.

At the end of the day, the departing alumni were presented with Ustinov College tote bags containing a few small mementoes contributed on behalf of Durham University, Ustinov College and the Neville’s Cross College Association themselves who included a copy of their latest alumni magazine as well as a specially commissioned commemorative 100th anniversary pen.

Copies of Ustinov’s own ‘History of the Graduate Society’ were also provided to those present, to offer more insight into Ustinov College’s history prior to moving onto the Neville’s Cross site. This history, written by former Ustinov College Principal Dr Mike Rowell, details the college’s roots as the Graduate Society, established in 1965 for postgraduate students at Durham University, and takes readers through to the Society formally becoming a College in 2003.

Ustinov staff worked hard throughout the day to ensure that those attending had a wonderful experience and we were really pleased to receive some lovely comments following the event from those who had attended, travelling in some cases several hours by car or train. The union of history, in the form of Neville’s Cross College, and present day, in the shape of the current College on the site was quite special, and the Neville’s Cross College graduates were all very happy that the site continues to be loved and enjoyed by students, as it has been for the majority of the last 100 years.

We look forward to a continuing relationship with the Neville’s Cross College Association and in fact, are in discussions already to host them for their Annual General Meeting in March. As a College, Ustinov looks forward to taking the site (and Neville House, specifically) into its 101st year and beyond!

Celebrating 100 Years

Sheraton Park

The necessary demolition of the original second building on the site was a great shame as the former Neville’s Cross College site housed a library, a large dining hall and dance/performance space, as well as outdoor tennis courts and other sporting areas.

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Ustinov celebrates International Women’s Day 2021

Ustinov celebrates International Women’s Day 2021

By Sarah

Prescott

Ustinov celebrates International Women’s Day 2021.

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International Women’s Day is a global event celebrating all achievements of girls and women. The day is also a call to action for gender parity and is marked every year on 8 March. Historically, International Women’s Day was honoured for the first time in a number of European countries in 1911 with various events, rallies and gatherings taking place. However, it wasn’t until 1975 that International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations.

In 1996, the United Nations launched their first theme “Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future” which was followed annually with a different, topical theme. In 2001, the internationalwomensday.com website was launched with ‘the specific purpose of celebrating and making visible the achievements of women while continuing the call for accelerating gender parity...

Campaign themes over the years have included: #ChooseToChallenge, 1

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#EachforEqual, #BalanceforBetter, #PressforProgress, #BeBoldforChange, #PledgeforParity, #MakeItHappen, #TheGenderAgenda and more.

Campaign themes for the global IWD website are collaboratively developed each year with a range of stakeholders and widely adopted worldwide.‘1 The theme for 2021’s International Women’s Day was: ‘Women in Leadership: achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world’. The theme celebrated the efforts by women around the world in helping to shape a more equal future with the tagline for this year’s event being #ChooseToChallenge.

As part of our celebrations for International Women’s Day 2021, Ustinov College held sixteen studentled interviews with inspirational women, as part of our ‘Ustinov meets’ interview series. Interviews were conducted via Zoom with inspirational women

WD: History of International Women’s Day (internationalwomensday.com)

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from a range of sectors in public life, including the emergency services, higher education, health, research, the media, publishing, music, and the arts.

Interviews were led by our Ustinov College Global Citizenship Programme Scholars and Fellows, with interview research and preparation also being undertaken by our student team, with support from College staff.

When planning the event, careful consideration went into which interviewees were to be approached and a broad range of sectors were intentionally represented. The organising committee were absolutely delighted to receive a 100% positive response rate, with every person we approached being happy to help, and many expressing their pleasure at being invited to participate. It was considered very important to have a good balance of inspirational women at Durham represented, as well as women in wider fields and sectors, and we were

Ustinov celebrates International Women’s Day 2021

A silent war without weapons

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Dr Ruvandhi Nathavitharana

Clare McHugh

Sara Sant’Ambrogio

also keen to specifically have some Ustinov representation in the mix, with our very own Graduate Common Room President, Diana Martinez-Trejo being one of those invited to participate.

• Professor Wendy Powers Principal of University College and Vice-Provost (Education)

Given the pandemic restrictions in place, a virtual interview platform actually enabled a much more accessible process, with interviewees being interviewed at home in many cases, or sometimes in their place of work, as appropriate. While most of our interviewees were UK based, others were not with three interviews taking place with interviewees based in different parts of the USA.

• Professor Janet Stewart Executive Dean (Arts and Humanities)

The interviews quickly amassed high numbers of views and at last count, over 2000 individual views had been recorded. All of our interviewees commented on how enjoyable the experience had been, how appreciative they were to be asked to participate, and for the opportunity to be able to add their voice to the International Women’s Day celebrations, and call for action in 2021.

Our scholars were also geographically dispersed; some were in Durham, others much further afield, with one team member based in China and another in Dubai. Juggling time differences as well as diary commitments for interview arrangements was therefore a fundamental aspect of the planning process. In terms of matching interviewers with their interviewees, we aimed to align backgrounds, interests, research areas etc. broadly, wherever possible, and while not planned in advance, our team of interviewers also emerged as an entirely female team.

As an empowering and celebratory reflection of International Women’s Day, our ‘Ustinov Meets…’ event more than achieved its aim.

• Chief Constable Jo Farrell Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary

From Durham University, we were pleased to welcome:

• Mrs Sue Snowdon, Lord-Lieutenant - Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham

• Professor Harriet Bulkeley Department of Geography • Professor Charlotte Clarke Executive Dean (Social Sciences and Health) • Alix Collingwood-Swinburn Curator of Western Art • Dr Nina Griffiths Director of Operations (Colleges and Student Experience) • Diana Martinez-Trejo – Ustinov College Graduate Common Room President

• Professor Jacqui Ramagge Executive Dean (Science)

• Dr Pippa Whitehouse Department of Geography We were also delighted to extend a warm welcome to: • Dr Margaret Busby OBE publisher, editor, broadcaster and Chair of the Booker Prize 2020

• Professor Harriet Hawkins – Professor in Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London • Clare McHugh novelist and former international magazine editor • Dr Ruvandhi Nathavitharana infectious diseases physician, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School • Sara Sant’Ambrogio Grammy Award winning cellist and founding member of the world renowned Eroica Trio

All sixteen recorded interviews were launched on 8th March, across the College’s YouTube channel, with an accompanying brochure; the series was promoted heavily across the University and more widely, with the Vice Chancellor commending it in one of his recorded presentations to the University community and the University’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team also highlighting it in their International Women’s Day coverage.

Our scholars too had volunteered to take part and for many, conducting an interview that was recorded and released to a wide audience, was a new and somewhat daunting experience.

Feedback received from our scholars reflected that they found the activity to be worthwhile, enjoyable, developmental, and something of a revelation in some cases, with some scholars noting that they would never have considered doing something like it previously. Although stretching comfort zones for some interviewers, the result was a valuable and rewarding activity for all concerned.

The full range of interviews can still be viewed via our College website - International Women’s Day 2021 Durham University and all interviews have been transcribed and will also be released as a separate International Women’s Day celebratory magazine in due course. While still enjoying the success of the 2021 event, the GCP organising committee’s thoughts have already turned to International Women’s Day 2022 and how to deliver an even bigger and better celebration in due course!

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#ChooseToChallenge beyond International Women’s Day

Photo credits: Kimberley Liu, Mason Zhang and Fenyi Shi

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Thompson

A Summer of Celebration

Although still with many social distancing restrictions in place, the Awards Formal really seemed like a glimpse into a return to normal.

After a year of hard work and harder lockdowns, it was a treat to look forward to summer. A summer not only of good weather and outdoor activities, but also of college events! There was much excitement when the first formal of the year was announced, and tickets went quickly. Although still with many social distancing restrictions in place, the Awards Formal really seemed like a glimpse into a return to normal. A red carpet leading up to photos was surpassed only by the excitement and glamourous outfits worn by the attendees. The night began with the announcements of the award winners, who each got a tiny trophy to take home with them and continued with good food, drinks, and the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

Although the dinner came to a close, those that weren’t ready for the night to end moved over to the John Snow bar.

The night couldn’t have felt more festive!

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Celebration

Celebration

By Roisin

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On the 13th August 2021 we launched the summer formal, only the third large scale social event to have taken place that academic year. It proved a huge success, drawing a bigger crowd than that of the college awards formal based on an enlarged capacity and perhaps as well a declining anxiety surrounding Covid-19 regulations and restrictions.

The hall was decorated to fit the theme ‘The Secret Garden’ as every attendee was gifted a flower crown to wear for the duration of the night. Each table had been decorated with what looked like micro-ecosystems inside small glass fishbowls; fake moss, toadstools, and butterflies spilling out of each one.

The dress code encouraged stunning formal wear, with many sporting bright and pastel colours to suit the theme.

The night finished once more inside John Snow bar, packed out and with music blaring, hallmarking the signs of a fun after-party. A significant portion of attendees then went on into the centre of town to continue their night.

Aside from being a total success as an event, the formal gave the cohort a rare opportunity to mix with one another and it was wonderful to see many new friendships blossoming.

Celebration

Celebration

Not long after, the much-anticipated summer barbecue arrived. Although the day dawned with drizzle, this did not stop the full roster of events that had been planned, nor Ustinovian’s from turning up for some food and fun! A whole buffet of barbecue foods was on offer, from sausages to hamburgers, with chips and even a salad. Inside, out of the rain, there was a schedule of non-stop live music, a face-painting station, and even a giant bouncy castle! Outside was no less fun, with various games set up and a farm animal petting zoo with sheep, goats, bunnies, and guinea pigs.

Despite what you might think, these farm animals were both soft and cuddly! I’m sure all who came, left stuffed and in high spirits from all the fun activities.

Here’s to many more successful formals!

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Poem

Poem

By Rob

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Lowe

By Rob

Lowe

TYNEMOUTH BAY PARK

NOISES OFF

The painted Pedalo with a Leda prow Was more surprising than a living swan And told me, in its hugeness, wooden white, That life was wonderful, endless, opening out From when a small child, trembling in bed, Confronting the large blackness of the night, Became, in this Thing, amongst a throng of Other, One who took on a taste of power, One who laughed with delight or terror, Always on the edge of Being swallowed up, Of vanishing in tears.

We lay in bed, shoulder to chest, And I heard your beating heart; It spoke of spring and Equinox.

Your listening transcended me: “That’s the recycle van,” you said; I heard a random chug and whirr.

Then a sudden thump above my head.

“The man upstairs moves something heavy, Solid as well, by the sound of it” The blow for me spread like a bruise, Black starburst on the floor above.

Then you: “That rattle is the postman” I just discerned a tic-tac by the wall.

Your sensing, like your heart, moves beyond me.

I wriggle closer; flatten my flesh.

So the demolished face, Though held securely in the swan’s large grace, Also looked round for something warm and near, In this case, the mother, Solid in her bigness Offering me a space Where I could take my place A squintily smiling prow In a voyage not understood By something quite so small.

And yet this simple image, Bobbing on the water, Badly carved and crude, Opened out to all.

And I, a child, smiled.

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ustinovian

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