WIN! WIN! - University of Sunderland

Transcription

About US
aboutus.sunderland.ac.uk
Drawn to
Sunderland:
Melanie Hani
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22/12/10 10:58:38
Welcome to a New Year
and issue 2 of your new look AboutUS.
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Outside it’s cold, miserable, and we’re all skint – so why not spend
an economical few hours reading about what your colleagues are
up to, entering a few competitions (we have some great ones this
issue!) and finding out some of the things you can do around the
city to while away those chilly weekends and evenings. This issue
we have found some really inspirational, and truly amazing stories
– but we need some more. So, if you have any ideas, suggestions
or even criticisms don’t hesitate to contact:
Challenging times 4
“Offering life-changing opportunities to those
with talent, regardless of background, has
not only made such a difference to those
who have graduated, but it has also greatly
benefited the economic, social and cultural
fabric of Sunderland, the North East, and
indeed the UK.”
Go Green: Speaking
Out for Planet Earth 8
“I’d like people to think that I provide
entertaining and informative forecasts, stop
their washing getting wet, and encourage
them to consider environmental issues.”
aboutus@sunderland.ac.uk
TONY KERR
The Road
to Sunderland
Don’t forget to go online to read daily updated news as it
happens, as well as offers of great exclusive prizes and discounts.
Go to aboutus.sunderland.ac.uk
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“When I was little I used to jump on the
backs of elephants so the other children
couldn’t catch me.”
The Performance
Clinic
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“I’m getting what I see as a world class
service from very well established and well
respected practitioners.”
What’s On in
Sunderland
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From Swishing, to Swan Lake to Spamalot,
we’ve got your definitive guide to local
entertainment.
Competitions 30/32
Spa break at Seaham Hall…
Tickets to Take That live!
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Contents
THIS MAGAZINE IS PRINTED ON ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY PAPER
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About US – aboutus.sunderland.ac.uk
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Guest writers
Morc Coulson – Pg 23
Prof Peter Fidler – Pg 4
Melanie Hani – Pg 13
Bob Hogg – Page 20
Dr Susan Jones – Pg 10
Ding Lan – Pg 7
Alan “The Gardener”
McManus – Pg 29
Luise Ruddick – Pg 22
Dr Susan Smith – Pg 26
Ian Whyte – Pg 20
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22/12/10 10:58:41
In the light of the Browne Report and the
Comprehensive Spending Review the
higher education sector is facing extremely
challenging times. The Vice-Chancellor,
Professor Peter Fidler, reviews the impact
of these recommendations, and the
challenges that we face.
Challenging Times
New Sciences Complex
As everyone is aware, the higher
education sector is facing one of its most
challenging times.
Since I last talked to you the University grant
funding and the student fees issue has
moved forward, with the coalition government
confirming its intention to reduce significantly
the teaching grant to Universities, and both
Houses of Parliament voting in favour of an
increase in variable tuition fees. It looks highly
likely that in the 2012/13 academic year that
our fees, like all institutions, will be higher than
the current £3,290 as we, as all universities,
find our teaching grant cut by a very large
percentage. However, as I have no doubt you
appreciate, it is still too early at the moment to
say at what rate we will set our fees.
As an institution we have made our
concerns known, to a range of regional and
national stakeholders, about the impact
of both funding pressure on university
funding and, of course, on the capacity of
future generations of students to access
higher education. One area in particular
which we are very concerned about is
access to higher education for all those
who can benefit irrespective of the financial
circumstances of their families. This has
been at the heart of our philosophy.
A recent article in the Financial Times
captures the concern which I share:
universities catering for first generation
undergraduates from low-income families.
These institutions will see their teaching
grants wiped out. They know from
experience that the prospect even of
notional debts of tens of thousands of
pounds will deter large numbers of students…”
Stevens, P. (2010). Clegg learns the
lessons of a breach of trust. Financial
Times. 7 December. p.13
Offering life-changing opportunities to those
with talent, regardless of background, has
not only made such a difference to those
who have graduated, but it has also greatly
benefited the economic, social and cultural
fabric of Sunderland, the North East, and
indeed the UK.
In the early 1990s we realised that a large
proportion of people with talent were
not afforded the opportunity of higher
education. We opened our doors to them
and the benefits have been overwhelming.
This University has been at the forefront of
this social and economic drive. This policy
is the main reason why Lord Puttnam
joined the University as Chancellor and why
he stayed in that role for a decade, and why
Steve Cram, our current Chancellor, was so
excited to pick up the mantle.
“The tuition fees decision comes in two
parts: the first is to raise the present cap
from just above £3,000; the second to
abolish overnight the government teaching
grant for most undergraduate degrees…
We will continue to make our voice heard
at a regional and national level to seek
to ensure that the decades of invaluable
work is not undone, and that our University
finds the way to fulfil our mission of leading
the new generation of high quality civic
universities in this new funding environment.
“If Britain is to compete, it needs a better
educated workforce. That means improving
access to higher education. Yet the burden
of higher fees will fall most heavily on
We have been scenario planning for some
time in light of the economic situation, and
in particular the comprehensive spending
review and the Browne Report.
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Planning and financial modelling has been
undertaken on the basis of all the best
information and evidence, but we are still
some way from having a level of certainty
on funding levels and fees that we will need
to plan for, until early next year.
What I can say is that we are coming
at this from a relatively strong position.
Our student numbers are strong, as is
our reputation for academic quality and
research. Equally, if not more importantly,
we have a good financial position and
recent investment in our estate will serve
us well in the future. Crucially, we have
a committed body of staff whose efforts
over recent years are one of the reasons
why we are in this strong position. And
our students continue to value the student
experience they benefit from as evidenced
by our success in the 2010 Times Higher
Education Award.
Today I have received the ‘funding letter’
from the Government Department of
Business and Innovation (BIS) to HEFCE.
HEFCE in turn will refine and communicate
this further after a Board meeting at the
end of January with individual university
grant letters in March. As we gather more
information from these announcements
we will continue to refine our plans for
the future success of the University, our
students and our staff. And, of course, I will
share this and talk with you about our plans
as we are clearer over the course of the
early part of the New Year.
For now, I wish you all a healthy and happy
New Year and thank you all for your excellent
work and support for our University.
Sunderland
Celebrates
90 years of
Pharmacy
In March 1921 a strong-willed young woman
called Hope Constance Monica Winch
arrived in Sunderland with an ambitious
plan to set up the finest pharmacy
department in the North-East. The
clergyman’s daughter had to overcome
bias, hostility and a severe lack of
resources, but her determination and
commitment laid the foundation which,
90 years on, has made the University
of Sunderland’s Pharmacy School
among the most respected in the UK.
Although now firmly established as part
of the Department of Pharmacy, Health
and Well-being, and a major component
in the future success of the new Sciences
Complex, the department may never
have got off the ground had it not been
for the dogged spirit of the remarkable
young pharmacist.
Miss Winch, who was awarded
the Pereira medal as the best student
in her year after graduating from
the Pharmaceutical Society’s school of
pharmacy in London, began her
academic career at Rutherford College,
in Newcastle. But she was unhappy
with the conditions at Rutherford and
Galen Building in the 1920s
Hope Winch
much preferred the resources at
Sunderland Technical College, which
had been established in Galen Building
20 years before. At her request the
Pharmaceutical Society approved the
transfer of all pharmacy teaching in
the North East to Sunderland.
The pharmacy department’s beginnings
were anything but impressive and its
accommodation minimal. It began with
three fee-paying students and 25
ex-servicemen who received government
grants. The department consisted of
one double-sided bench in the chemistry
school, one shared staffroom and a
small storeroom. The whole course was
taught by one lecturer – Miss Winch.
At the time Sunderland Technical College
was essentially a college devoted to
engineering and shipbuilding students.
The intrusion of a female lecturer with
students of subjects rarely heard of
created a feeling of disbelief that such
things could possibly happen. The
scientist was received with polite reserve
by existing staff, and her students with
bare civility from fellow students. The
situation led to a rivalry which persisted
for many years and the fact that she
not only survived but was also successful
spoke volumes for the strength of
her character.
In 1926 Miss Winch’s growing reputation
brought the arrival of two new lecturers,
and in the same year a purpose-built
dispensary became the first room to be
dedicated to the pharmacy course. In
1928 a laboratory for the large-scale
preparation of drug solutions became
the second laboratory dedicated to
pharmacy. In 1930 Sunderland Technical
College was recognised by London
University for the teaching of its external
BPharm degree. The total number of
students was now around 80 and the
pharmacy school was recognised as
a centre for excellence. Though the War
years brought difficulties with supplies,
student demand continued to rise.
Tragically in 1944, Hope Winch, an
accomplished climber who had
conquered difficult climbs in the Swiss
Alps and Northern Italy, was killed in
a climbing accident in the Lake District
during an Easter vacation. While a
major blow for the college the foundations
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laid by the remarkable young woman
over 22 years were strong enough
to build on.
In 1947 a new advanced pharmacognosy
laboratory and an aseptic dispensary
were commissioned and a year later a
pharmaceutical chemical laboratory
was built on the roof of the old technical
college. In the three years after Hope
Winch’s death the number of teachers
and laboratories had doubled.
By the time the college became
Sunderland Polytechnic in 1969 the
Pharmacy School occupied most
of the original technical college and
had an established post in the Priestman
Building. More than 400 students
were now being taught by 50 lecturers,
compared to 28 at its inception.
Today, in its 10th decade, the Pharmacy
School is regarded as one of the best in
the country. Its considerable reputation
in applied research is expected to grow
considerably with the opening of the new
£7.5m Sciences Complex.
The new facility will deliver research
with ‘real world’ impact – research that
quickly transfers from the laboratory
into the public domain, be it new
drugs and therapies, improved health
Memories
of China
practices or benefits to the environment.
The University will work closely with
businesses and organisations in the health
sector to allow them access to leading
science experts and some of the most
up-to-date facilities in the UK.
The success of the current School
is much greater than Hope Winch could
have envisaged when she arrived in
Sunderland in 1921. However the
University’s graduates, many now
working for some of the world’s leading
pharmaceutical companies, have a lot
to thank her for.
Chinese New Year is a tradition which is becoming
more widely celebrated in the UK, particularly within
Sunderland where we have a large Chinese community
– but what does it mean to you if you grew up in China?
Ding Lan, International Business Development Manager,
writes what the annual celebration means to her…
Ding Lan
Having lived in the UK for more than
16 years, I think I am quite used to life
here. People often ask me, is there
anything that you really miss from
China? Without hesitation I would say
– Chinese New Year celebrations.
Decorations
Prof Roz Anderson and
PhD student Lisa Frost
Dr Amal Ali Elkordy and graduate
Hannah Beba
PhD student Nagendra Singh
and Dr John Lough
Delivering
‘real world’
impact
Over the last 90 years pharmacists at
Sunderland have had a major impact on
health and well-being. Here is just a
small proportion of the research which
is happening today…
The ‘Magic Bullet’
The unpleasant side effects of a life-saving drug used to treat
patients with the rare genetic disease cystinosis could be
eradicated thanks to a ‘magic bullet’ designed by Professor Roz
Anderson and PhD student Lisa Frost. Cystinosis occurs when
the body’s mechanism to remove excess cystine (an amino
acid) breaks down, leading to kidney problems and eventually
affecting other organs. There is still no cure, and if left untreated
cystinosis can result in kidney failure before a child reaches the
age of 10; it’s rare for patients to live beyond the age of 40.
The pair have modified the drug which targets cysteamine
directly into the cells, aiming to improve its absorption into the
body, reduce the amount needed to be taken, and lower the
adverse side effects.
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Dr Noel Carter
Gene Therapy
Dr Amal Ali Elkordy has been working alongside graduate
Hannah Beba on a formula to stabilise and protect genes during
the delivery process, replacing harmful mutated genes with
healthy ones. Their pioneering research has the potential to treat
diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s, targeting the cause
rather than the symptoms of disease by inserting DNA into
an individual’s cell nucleus to treat genetic and acquired disease.
‘Legal High’ under the microscope
While many people do put up a variety
of decorations at home (usually on
doors and windows), decorations and
displays in public places are more
prominent, creating a strong festive
atmosphere. Decorations can include
lanterns, posters, Chinese knots, art
work, cartoon figures, and famous
traditional Chinese stories.
Red
Red is the dominant colour for Chinese
New Year, symbolising happiness and
good luck.
Cuisine
Research into the dangers of banned drug Mephedrone were
presented to the world’s leading pharmaceutical scientists at
the Academy of Pharmaceutical Science’s first UK-PharmSci
2010 conference, and at the Symposium on Pharmaceutical
and Biomedical Analysis by PhD student Nagendra Singh.
Dr John Lough and his team tested samples of the drug and
discovered that though impurities levels were low, samples
revealed various particle sizes and crystalline forms, which
means that the drug is more likely to vary in its affect and
safety on the user.
Food is of paramount importance to
the Chinese and is a significant element
of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
The extravagance and variety of food
during the festival is hard to imagine and
there are various regional traditions on
festive food. For my family who are from
eastern China, fish and rice cakes
-o’) are a must.
(‘ga
New hope for transplant patients
chú xi (Chinese New
Year’s Eve)
Senior Pharmacy Lecturer Dr Noel Carter and Visiting Professor
and consultant transplant surgeon David Talbot are part of
a research group which has developed new medical devices
which allow the rapid cooling of donor organs, and are now
used in clinical practice. The potential source of organs is from
donors who have suffered heart attacks, where normally
organs are starved of oxygen and damage can occur making
them unsuitable for transplantation. But researchers at
Sunderland have discovered that by rapidly cooling the kidneys
you minimise the damage and preserve organs.
- suì qián
ya
(Lucky Money)
During the Chinese New Year,
people wish each other a happy and
prosperous new year. As children, we
used to make a fortune, as parents,
grandparents and other relatives gave
us red envelopes with lucky money
- suì qián’ (which literally means
called ‘ya
‘money to suppress the evil spirit’).
Lantern Festival
Chinese New Year Celebrations end on
Lantern Festival which is the 15th day
(first full moon) of the New Year. We eat
-ng yuán’ (glutinous rice balls) and
‘ta
have lit up lanterns everywhere. One
of my childhood favourites was to pull
the rabbit lantern in the streets on the
evening of lantern festival.
It is unlikely that my family will celebrate
the 2011 Chinese New Year in China,
but I will certainly introduce these
traditions to my children who have
never been to China and we will try
to have a true Chinese celebration.
Best wishes for
the Year of the Rabbit!
-
Chinese New Year’s Eve is when I feel
most homesick, as it is a time for family
reunions. People make an effort to be
home to have the traditional annual
family reunion supper. Almost everyone
watches the live Chinese New Year Show
on China Central TV from 8pm, until the
arrival of the New Year at midnight when
people light crackers and fireworks.
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22/12/10 10:58:49
Dr Dennis Wheeler
Go Green:
Speaking Out for
Planet Earth
What are you
working on right now?
My current research is principally
concerned with using ships’ logbooks,
some from as early as the late 17th
Century, to gather evidence of the climate
and weather of past times. These
logbooks contain daily observations of wind
and weather wherever the ships found
themselves, which could be all over
the World.
This work continues today with the University recently signing up
to the Low Carbon City partnership, gaining the Carbon Trust
Standard award, winning further awards for our green buildings,
and the University’s recent commitment to reduce our carbon
emissions by 48 per cent by 2020.
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As part of the Masterclass series the University welcomes high
profile individuals to talk about their work in carbon reduction,
sustainable living, or bringing green issues to the attention of the
wider public.
The University’s Dr Dennis Wheeler, a world-renowned
authority on climate change, and Trai Anfield, BBC
Look North weather presenter and environmental
campaigner, will join forces to present a talk on climate
change on a local, national and international level.
What can someone do
today to make a difference?
Individual involvement depends very
much upon the person; the views and
income will all vary from one person
to another. Involvement can vary from
recycling to increased use of public
transport (and less use of cars) and trying
to buy locally-produced goods rather
than items carried huge distances over
the planet.
What is the single biggest
environmental issue you think
needs to be tackled today?
The biggest environmental threat we
face today is the mixed one of resource
depletion and species loss.
Tell us a little known or
unusual fact you have
discovered in the pursuit of
your work/research?
Our work has shown that climate variation
is far more complex than merely a matter
of temperatures: air circulations also differ
greatly and may do much to explain other
climate changes.
What advice would you give
to people wanting to find out
more or get involved with
environmental issues?
There are many on-line sources of
environmental information and comment
but the first point of departure should
be those of leading organisations such as
Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace.
The latter also have a large number of
local groups for people who want to take
a more active role.
If you could change one
thing in the world today, what
would it be?
Create a more equitable world in terms
of wealth, health and expectation.
What work would you most like
to be remembered for, and why?
I’d like people to think that I provide
entertaining and informative forecasts,
stop their washing getting wet,
and encourage them to consider
environmental issues. Why? Because that
would mean a job well done!
2011 sees the launch of a series of talks looking at the impact of
climate change, and how individuals can reduce their carbon emissions
and live a sustainable lifestyle.
The University is a pioneering force in sustainability and
environmental awareness. Sunderland was one of the first
universities in the UK to produce a Corporate Social
Responsibility charter; one of the UK’s first Fairtrade universities
and the first in the region to sign up to the Higher Education
Carbon Management Programme.
What work would you most like
to be remembered for, and why?
Logbooks have for too long been almost
completely overlooked as a source of
scientific information. I hope that my efforts
have shown that this is an important
source of data and information that can be
shared by the whole scientific community.
There are over 200,000 such logbooks in
UK archives alone – enough material to
keep us busy for years!
Trai Anfield
What are you
working on right now?
For the last eight years I have been
forecasting for the BBC across the
North East & Cumbria, keeping an eye
on climate change issues for our viewers
and listeners, and collaborating with
various organisations on projects which
require climatic/meteorological input.
What is the single biggest
environmental issue you think
needs to be tackled today?
For me the single biggest environmental
issue is our collective state of mind. I
often come across a depressing lack of
interest and commitment combined, as
well as too many vested interests working
against positive environmental change.
I believe that any current issue could
be overcome if prioritised and funded
adequately and admire anyone who is
working towards that.
What advice would you give
to people wanting to find out
more or get involved with
environmental issues?
Do whatever you can – even a little from
everyone would go a long way. And if
you can do a lot, so much the better.
It’s easiest to start at home with light
bulbs, recycling, insulation etc, and to
join practical environmental and lobbying
groups. Also always check the agenda
of an organisation/individual before
accepting their “scientific” findings.
What can someone do
today to make a difference?
Be well informed, vote wisely and
use your lifestyle privileges smartly.
Tell us a little known or
unusual fact you have
discovered in the pursuit of
your work/research?
A thunder cloud can weigh
the equivalent of 100,000 jumbo jets!
If you could change one
thing in the world today, what
would it be?
Greed – one way or another it seems to
be at the root of most of our problems.
Want to know how the University is
tackling climate change right now?
Read our new Carbon Management
Plan at: services.sunderland.c.uk/
hr/hs&e/environment/
carbonmanagement/
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22/12/10 10:58:53
A Life in Pictures
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Dr Susan Jones, Senior Lecturer
in Computing at the Faculty
of Applied Sciences, recently
graduated with an MA in
Photography. Susan writes about
what inspired her to pick up
a camera, and how the crossover
between her personal and
professional life led to her final
work, ‘A Short Walk Home’.
I work at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, but up until
the age of about five I used to live in that area too. Victor Street
was flattened when I was five, and a tower block (which is
actually called “Victor Street”) stands there now.
Often photography portrays the North East and the lives of the
people who live here as pretty dire but I grew up in a rich culture,
and was very happy. My photos are about memory and place
and my aim with my final exhibition was to make it uplifting.
My family were the last people to move out of Victor Street.
I remember it was a really windy day and I could hear all of the
front doors of the empty houses banging.
Photographs are important. With a black and white photograph
which is taken on film the image is the light reflected off the
people who were there. There is a physical relationship between
the image and the individual portrayed, even if they have gone.
You would never tear up a photograph of someone who has died,
it would almost be like tearing them up.
When I first worked here it was very strange as I had lots of
memories of living around St Peter’s when I was very young.
I used to go shopping with my mother in Dundas Street,
which I now pass every day in the car on the way to work.
‘A Short Walk Home’ sets out to bridge
the childhood experience of growing up
in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, with its
shipyards, dark narrow cobbled streets and
tightly knit community – to what it is today,
an area of urban regeneration, site of a new
University campus, a growing cluster of new
business premises and increasingly a place
for sport, leisure and relaxation.
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1. Beaded throw given by my sister
Angela to Dad a few weeks before he
died in January 2007.
2. David Goldman Informatics Centre –
main walkway past the computer terraces.
3. Route to St. Benet’s School,
Monkwearmouth - the school itself was
demolished in 1993 and rebuilt near
Fulwell Road.
4. The beach at Roker.
5. Walking past St Peter’s on the short
walk home to Victor Street.
6. Close up of a statue of the Virgin Mary.
This was a gift to my Mam from a close
family friend who had visited Lourdes.
7. Close up of a Tax Office postcard sent
to my Mam shortly before I was born.
8. My sister Angela aged about 9 months
sitting on my knee at my Aunty Kate’s
house at Pennywell, Sunderland.
9. Carte de Visit of my Dad, Norman
Jones (1925 – 2007).
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17. Detail of one of three small glass
pyramids given to me by an
Egyptian student whose Level 3
project I supervised.
10. From the left my Aunty Mary, Aunty
Margaret and my Mam – this photo was
originally black and white. The photo was
tinted by a student in my colleague Bob
Hogg’s Photoshop class.
18. Detail of a Shield given to my
Dad when he played for Bartram’s
Shipbuilders Cricket Team.
11. Photograph taken at Bartrams
Shipbuilders Annual Sports Day
at Cleadon.
19. Detail from one my mother’s
knitting patterns.
12. Detail of a china cup and saucer;
part of a tea set given to me after my
grandmother died.
20. Detail of a Golden Palm Tree
ornament given to me by a student
from the Oman.
13. Detail of a set of commemorative
stamps given to me in the conference
pack at ICALT 2005 – International
Conference on Advanced Learning
Technologies in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
21. Detail of a crab. My Uncle John used
to boil crabs at the bottom of the back
yard at Victor Street.
14. Detail of a glass dessert bowl given to
my Mam and Dad as a wedding present.
15. Black and white photographs of my
cousins John and Ann Colman.
16. Detail of a Russian Doll that I used
as a model for an animation in the
multimedia CD ROM that I developed
for my PhD.
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The Road to
Sunderland
You’ve Got Mail
Student and Learning Support IT
Services have been busy implementing
a brand new staff email and calendaring
system to replace the existing service
commonly known as Hermes.
The new system, Microsoft Exchange
2010, will have larger quotas, integrated
email and calendar, improved web access,
and use Microsoft Outlook as the main
client. It will have the mobility, and the
ability to be able to sync your emails and
calendar with your mobile device very easily.
For a full Q&A on the new
system with Systems Manager
Daniel Wilson go to: aboutus.
sunderland.ac.uk
For more information please visit
http://mail.sunderland.ac.uk/
or follow the links from the
MySunderland portal.
Melanie Hani, Head of Animation,
Faculty of Arts, Design and Media
WORKING
TOGETHER
FOR YOU:
THE STAFF
SURVEY 2011
Not everyone who works at the University has had a traditional
route into either working or teaching in higher education – but
few can have had a more remarkable background than the
University’s Head of Animation Melanie Hani. At times Melanie
considered a career in the police, as a nun, and even as an
elephant trainer in Switzerland – we caught up with her and
found out how she ended up teaching in Sunderland…
Melanie, aged 12
The Staff Survey will launch in March.
The Survey is designed to understand
how you feel about working for the
University, and your feedback will help
to create a better working environment,
where we can all operate effectively.
In 2009 we conducted our second
biennial staff survey. The survey received
a 61% response rate, a 10% increase
compared to 2007.
We need your current views about
working at the University – your opinion
may have changed since 2009. We
will ask some of the same questions
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as last time so that we can measure
our progress since that last survey, and
include some new questions about
current issues.
We want to achieve an even better
response rate than 2009 so that
we get a truly representative picture
of everyone’s view – so please
get involved.
For updates click on the
“Staff Survey 2011” button at:
aboutus.sunderland.ac.uk
My dad’s family originated from Circus
Hani, one of the first circuses in Europe.
He was in the ring from the age of three
as a contortionist and gymnast, but his
ambition was to be an elephant trainer,
which was a very prestigious thing to
do at the time. Circuses were considered
to be very glamorous then, but it was
a very hard life; in fact as a child when
he was learning how to handle elephants,
he slept with the elephants every night.
My mum grew up in Liverpool, and was
a ballet dancer with the Royal Liverpool
Ballet Company. When she was fifteen
she went on a tour around Europe, and
when she was eighteen she was
dancing in Lisbon. My dad’s circus was
also in Lisbon. All of the dancers in the
circus came down with food poisoning,
and the Liverpool Ballet Company
agreed to dance for them. My dad bet
the other circus performers that he
could kiss my mum by the end of the
week – and he won!
My mum returned to Liverpool, and my
dad continued travelling with the circus
to Morocco. But he was love sick,
he was a hopeless romantic anyway,
and he left the circus and travelled all
the way to Liverpool. They were soon
married and had me and my sister.
Melanie’s mother, 2nd from left
13
22/12/10 10:58:59
‘The circus was a glamorous life,
but it was very, very hard. I was very
conflicted. On one hand my mother
was very career focussed and strong
and believed in education. On the
other side my dad was determined
I would remain in the circus, and I
often felt I was disappointing my dad
by not following the circus life.’
Melanie’s mother in her circus days
But my dad found it impossible to fit in. He spoke seven
languages fluently, and was used to the romantic circus life,
but he had no qualifications and ended up working in boring
manual jobs. My mum couldn’t bear the circus life, she was
very career focussed. Their relationship eventually broke
down, and when I was five my dad returned to the circus
in Switzerland.
My brother-in-law was in the police force, and I realised that
was a way I could make a difference. I became a cadet and
eventually joined the police force, at 17. An inspector on my
work experience told me I should get a degree and I would
progress faster in the force, so I studied for my A-levels and
then degree while I was an acting policewoman.
From then on I spent every summer at the circus. One of
my most vivid memories is playing tag, or off ground tick,
when I was little. I used to jump on the backs of elephants
so the other children couldn’t catch me.
I was actually planning to study Criminology at Liverpool, but I
realised I had no interest in law. I decided to do a National Diploma
in Film and TV, and a very small part of this was animation.
There were actually only two of us who studied animation – on
some ancient equipment in a broom cupboard, believe it or not!
All of my family stayed in the circus. My cousin Ilonka held
the Guiness World Record for hanging from a rope from
a helicopter; my cousin Gaston is a very famous clown in
Europe and has appeared in films with Johnny Depp;
my aunty was an elephant trainer. Her elephants were the last
elephants in Blackpool Tower, and when she retired they
actually stampeded through the tower because they were so
upset, and they had to bring her back to calm them down.
I eventually managed to get onto an animation degree at
University of Glyndwr, then the North Wales School of Art
and Design. Meanwhile, I had progressed in the police force
and was now working for the drug squad. You were only
supposed to do three years, but as I was young I could fit in
undercover in nightclubs quite easily so continued beyond
that until it became obvious I had to quit because it was
becoming dangerous.
The circus was a glamorous life, but it was very, very hard.
I was very conflicted. On one hand my mother was very career
focussed and strong and believed in education. On the other
side my dad was determined I would remain in the circus,
and I often felt I was disappointing my dad by not following
the circus life.
I got a new role working in children’s homes with children
with a variety of backgrounds, some of who had been abused.
I was still studying for my degree, and one day I thought
I would try bringing my animation into work with the children,
and that was the beginning really. At the same time my mum
got ill with cancer, and so I had to take some leave from the
police. The university I was studying at offered me a free
PGCE if I would teach for them. I would probably never have
left the police force, but I was encouraged and funded by
the then education minister Estelle Morris to help children
who the system hadn’t worked for, and were basically
broken. We got them to create a science film, which helped
them pass their GCSE science, and opened the first Science
Festival in Wrexham.
When I passed my eleven plus I went to a convent school.
The nuns and priests were very kind and loving, and very
proactive in society. The essence of their teaching was caring
and sharing and getting involved. I think that had a profound
effect on me. In fact, up until I was in my late 20s I considered
becoming a nun – not necessarily for religious reasons, but for
the ethos they stood for.
14
Melanie’s mother and father on their wedding day
Melanie’s cousin, famous European clown Gaston
The police force were still finding areas for me to work
with them. There was a large council estate where children
were just left to wander the streets at night, so we set up
an animation studio for them, with breakfast, at 4am in the
morning, just to try to get them off the street and keep
them safe. After that I was employed in a rehabilitation
centre in Toxteth in Liverpool, which was a bit hair raising.
They created an animation for a rave, and we would work
through the night to keep them away from the temptation
of drugs. For the first time in their lives they had money
they had earned, and they used it to go scuba diving in
the Mersey!
I began teaching in schools and started to take a special
interest in teaching children with special needs and specifically
with autism. At the same time a job came up at the University
of Sunderland, and they approached my boss at Glyndwr to
see if he knew anyone suitable, and he suggested me. I knew
there was a lot of research into autism going on at the time in
Sunderland, so it seemed like the ideal match.
The hospice in Wrexham did such a great job with my
mum that I promised myself that wherever I lived I would help
out. So when I moved to Sunderland I volunteered for
St Benedict’s Hospice, basically making tea, but the lady
working there saw my CV and asked me if I could do anything
for them. That turned into me creating animation with the
wives and children of people who had died in the hospice.
My time working at Toxteth with drug addicts and offenders
was the best job I have ever had, because those people were
not there to get out of prison early, they had already been
freed. But they wanted to make a change, they wanted to improve,
and my work with animation helped them to self heal just a
little bit, and touch the core of what they really are – which is
good people who deserve a chance.
If you say to a child “you are a naughty child, you are a
naughty child”, they will think, “I am a naughty child”. Therapist
Carl Rogers believed that at their inner core people want
to achieve, they want to grow and develop, and that they are
predominantly good. That is what I try to do in my work – look
at the core person, and accept the idea that all people are
essentially good.
When I was working with abused children there was a little
girl who wouldn’t talk to anyone, but who loved to draw.
That was good, but it was very insular. When I brought the
animation equipment in she couldn’t help but look up, and
we made a connection using animation. What we did made
her laugh for the first time.
That really is what has shaped my PhD all these years later.
I still want to know what it is about animation that made that
little girl get out of her chair and come to me.
I think because I basically lived two lives from a very young
age, travelling with the circus in Switzerland and then going
back home to a normal life with my mum in Liverpool, it gave
me the skills to deal with different kinds of people, and more
importantly to accept different kinds of people. I think people
know they can tell me anything, and it won’t matter.
15
22/12/10 10:59:01
University
news roundup:
Winter
2010
TV stylist Gok Wan gave a huge boost to a University-based
charity when he visited the region. The How to Look Good
Naked star met FBL lecturer Dr Elewechi Okike and praised
her charity, Book Aid for Africa, which she founded in 2000.
The charity’s aim is to provide good quality books to
under-resourced libraries in the remotest parts of Africa.
It won funding from Vodafone’s World of Difference
campaign to encourage volunteering. The popular TV
presenter was on a UK-wide tour to publicise the World
of Difference campaign, meeting people who had made a
difference in their community through their charity work.
Sting with lecturer Gerry Richardson
Exactly 30 years after graduating with
a degree in mass communication
Irene Yin returned to Sunderland and
met up with old friend Margaret Cook
who worked behind the counter of
Crawfords in Chester Road when Yin
was a student. Their friendship has
spanned three decades, both women
keeping in touch via letters, phone
calls and emails. As well as making
a lifelong friend at Sunderland, Yin
met husband Goh here while he was
studying mechanical engineering.
ADM students were welcomed to their
new BMus course by international
superstar Sting. The University is working
with The Sage Gateshead to deliver the
BMus in Jazz, Popular and Commercial
Music. Sting has long been an advisor to
the course with his wealth of knowledge
and experience in the music industry. He
said: “The Sage Gateshead is world-class
and exactly the right place for the BMus.”
2005 Fine Art graduate Lyndsey
Jameson was named people’s choice
at the BP Portrait Award exhibition at
the National Gallery. Lyndsey entered
a portrait of her adopted younger
brother Declan. In 2009 Lyndsey’s
brother, 2003 Fine Art graduate Mark,
was named Young Artist of the Year
at the BP Portrait Award exhibition –
for his portrait of sister Lyndsey!
16
Bryan Talbot
Some of the world’s most prestigious
authors and illustrators gave
Masterclasses to students and staff
over the autumn, including Alice in
Sunderland author and illustrator
Bryan Talbot, and Wire in the Blood
creator Val McDermid.
An iconic stag’s head cast in glass in
Sunderland will be seen by millions of
people after it was unveiled at the UK’s
largest airport. Artists Katya Izabel Filmus
and studio manager Chris Blade at the
National Glass Centre were asked to cast
the 50kg statue of Glenfiddich’s famous
stag logo as part of a global advertising
campaign launched at Heathrow Airport’s
Terminal 5.
The University reunited two former
pupils of Monkwearmouth at the
Winter Awards Ceremonies. Actress
Melanie Hill and journalist and news
presenter Jeff Brown went to school
in Sunderland together, and received
their awards at the Stadium of Light,
just a stone’s throw from their old
school. Also receiving an award in
December was Sunderland graduate
and renowned pharmacist Umesh
Patel, who was awarded an Honorary
Doctorate of Science.
Melanie Hill
Mr Royston La Hée, President of the
Grenadian National Olympics Committee,
toured CitySpace and spoke to academic
experts during a visit to the region. Mr La
Hée, who was awarded an MBE in 2006
for service to sports, said: “The facilities
in Sunderland and at the University are
excellent; I have been very impressed
with what I have seen.”
A vibrant publicity poster
designed by Sunderland
illustration lecturer
Alison Barratt was on
show across London in
November advertising
the annual Lord Mayor’s
parade. Alison’s illustration
was seen by tens of
thousands of people at
tube stations and public
buildings across the city.
The University came out top in the UK for
student experience, at the sector’s most
prestigious national awards. Sunderland
beat five other shortlisted universities
to the title of the most continued
improvement in the student experience
in the Times Higher Education (THE)
awards 2010.
The physiotherapist who helped British
diving sensation Tom Daley capture
two Commonwealth gold medals and
leap to world champion status is now
hoping to make his own splash in the
North East with a new role. Gareth
Ziyambi, the lead physiotherapist for
British diving, has relocated to the
region to join The Performance Clinic,
based in CitySpace.
Alison Barratt
17
22/12/10 10:59:06
Mary Skinner
Mary, 54, has worked the University for 15 years.
She has been based at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus
as a Domestic all of that time – almost as long as
the riverside campus has been open. She works
6am-9am every weekday morning, and also works
3.30pm-6.30pm at the Pennywell Academy. As
well as studying for her NVQ Mary also received an
additional award – making her officially Sunderland’s
top cleaner!
“People do sometimes think – well, it’s only cleaning
– but there’s a lot more to it than that,” says the
grandmother of three. “I love my job and I’m very
proud of where I work. The qualification made me
a lot more aware of what is going on around me,
and really helped refresh my skills.”
Angie & Tish Findlay
Domestic Staff
clean up new qualifications
The Domestic Services team within Facilities have 94 staff,
based at both the Sir Tom Cowie and City campuses. The
team provide a consistently high standard of service to the
University, doing an essential job which often goes unseen
and unrecognised.
Facilities are committed to ensuring that all staff within the
service receive the development required to carry out their job
roles effectively. Recently 60 domestic staff completed a BICS
(British Institute of Cleaning Science) Cleaning Operators
proficiency certificate, supported by Facilities, Human
Resources and delivered by City of Sunderland College.
The 60 staff also took the opportunity to further their
knowledge and skills by completing an NVQ Level 2 in
Cleaning Support in addition to the proficiency certificate.
Both qualifications are nationally recognised, and training
was completed while working – a great achievement
considering their busy working lives.
Sue Brady, Deputy Director of Facilities, said: “I am very
pleased that so many domestic staff volunteered to
undertake both the BICS and NVQ qualifications.”
18
“I am especially proud that those
staff who were initially apprehensive
about undertaking formal
qualifications. They embraced the
challenge and are now encouraging
their colleagues to take part.
I would also like to thank the City
of Sunderland College and Campus
Service Managers for their support
in making this training possible.”
Deputy Vice Chancellor Shirley Atkinson
(second from left) with domestic staff
“It is a great achievement, both for
them as individuals and for Facilities
as a department, to be recognised
for providing industry standard
cleaning services.”
In celebration of these achievements
the domestic staff were invited to
a breakfast celebration recently.
Deputy Vice Chancellor Shirley
Atkinson, congratulated staff alongside
Sue Brady, and Michelle Elliot, Head
of Department – Distance and
Vocational qualification at City
of Sunderland College.
Michelle Elliot said: “It is always
refreshing to work alongside an
organisation like the University of
Sunderland, who value their staff and
offer them the opportunity to undertake
on the job training. Few employers
are so enthusiastic. Completing any
qualification whilst balancing home
and work life is not easy and all
learners should be very proud
of their achievements.”
Twins Angie and Tish Findlay, 41, began working for
the University in April 2001. Both passed the NVQ,
and work at the David Puttnam Media Centre, Tish
on level 3 and Angie level 2. They work the 6am-9am
shift – but sometimes work overtime, starting as
early as 4am! They also work as Dinner Nannies and
cleaners at Columbia Grange special needs school in
Washington. Their jobs involve a lot of travelling – but
fortunately the twin sisters passed their driving tests
– on the same day!
“You get used to the early mornings and all the
travelling after a while,” said Tish. “We both live in
Carley Hill, which is very handy for St Peter’s,”
adds Angie, “and we both love our jobs.”
Trish McCormick
Domestic Trish, 29, has worked at the University for
four years, based at City Campus, working weekdays
7am-10am. As well as helping her out in her work
here, the NVQ also helped Trish land a second job.
“I think now people are starting to expect you to have
a qualification when you apply for a cleaning job,”
she said. “It’s not just about picking up a cloth and
cleaning – you need to understand health and safety
and how to handle dangerous chemicals.
I’d like to move up to being a supervisor one day,
and I hope I’ll be able to do further study. But I do
enjoy cleaning. It is very satisfying – right up to the
moment students show up and mess it all up again!”
Trish, who lives in Pallion, travels into work every day
with her supervisor, Mary McCormick – who also
happens to be her mother-in-law!
19
22/12/10 10:59:10
Penny Macutkiewicz with the Chancellor Steve Cram
Dr Bob Hogg
The
Performance
Clinic
The Performance Clinic,
based at CitySpace, provides
world-class physiotherapy
and sports injury rehabilitation
and performance services
for elite and recreational
athletes. The clinic’s manager,
Penny Macutkiewicz,
is a world renowned
physiotherapist, and heads
a team which includes the
British diving team’s former
lead physiotherapist, Gareth
Ziyambi, and Karen Beattie,
the lead physiotherapist for
British volleyball. We caught
up with two experts from the
Faculty of Applied Sciences
who told us how the Clinic
has helped them personally,
as well as helping put
Sunderland on the sporting
and academic map.
20
“My sport is long-distance triathlon. I was
aiming to do a Double Iron Man race this
year, but that stopped when I developed
a long-term knee injury.
“I was referred to a physiotherapist
through the NHS at Shotley Bridge
Hospital. The NHS physiotherapist told
me that the only way to cure the problem
was simply to stop running.
“I have had a number of physical injuries
in the past, and I wasn’t really willing to
give up that easy.
“I approached Penny Macutkiewicz
(manager of the Performance Clinic) and
she was very willing to experiment and try
new physio techniques which I’d never
experienced.
“I tried acupuncture and electroacupuncture for the first time – which was
quite an interesting experience! – and it
certainly seemed to help. Being a sports
technologist it was very interesting, and I
tried to be very open minded to it.
“I think their belief is that anyone can be
rehabilitated with a little work. It might
take a long time, but it’s always possible.
They also have a very holistic approach,
so, for instance in my case where I have
a knee problem, they analysed my whole
body before we began. They are working
with you with a view to getting you back
competing as soon as possible.”
Dr Bob Hogg, Senior Lecturer,
Sports and Exercise Sciences
“I still try to keep fairly fit, running
or cycling at least three or four
days a week. In the past I’ve
coached professionally at the
Commonwealth Games with
national and international teams,
and right now I’m working with
student athletes in the universities
of Sunderland, Newcastle and
Northumbria and trying to get a
critical mass together to train.
“Having the Performance Clinic
on-site has been of massive
benefit. I had a fall off my bike and
injured my shoulder, so I have used
it personally, but equally I find just
having something local that
I know I can trust and refer an
athlete to very useful. It is a three
way process, with clinicians,
myself as a coach and the
athlete working together.
“It’s wonderful actually having
professionals in Sunderland who
have worked at the highest level,
who will not only help keep local
athletes injury free, but will also
rehabilitate them quickly, and
will also talk things through
with their coach, which I think
is very important.
“I’m getting what I see as a
world-class service from very well
established and well respected
practitioners. And it’s not just a bog
standard physiotherapy practice,
it’s folk who appreciate that sport
physiotherapy has a different
demand on it, in terms of getting
sports people rehabbed and back
into productive service.
“As an academic I can obviously
read a lot of papers on coaching,
but at some point theory and
practice have to blend.
“A hospital’s job is to get people
back into being productive
beings, getting back to their job,
family and life. The experts at the
Performance Clinic realise that
sport is the normal, productive life.
Most of these athletes don’t make
a lot of money, but they invest a
lot of time, a lot of effort, and their
families and social life are part of
that investment. The job of the
Performance Clinic is to get them
back to their normal life so that
investment isn’t wasted.”
Ian Whyte, Principal Lecturer,
Sport and Excercise Sciences
“The Performance Clinic was very handy
for me, as obviously it is just on the
doorstep. Also Penny has a very high
profile and such a good reputation I
decided it was worth a try. The series of
exercises she suggested for me meant I
was able to train over a sustained period
of time, and though I wasn’t able to do
the Double Iron Man I managed to do the
single Iron Man in August.
Ian Whyte
“My whole life pretty much revolves
around sport and physical activity.
From an academic point of view
my main focus is coaching and the
coaching process.”
www.theperformanceclinic.co.uk
21
22/12/10 10:59:12
My Passion:
Fiona Jackson - greyhound rescue
Greyhound racing has always been a popular
sport in our region and many of us will have
attended the race tracks in Sunderland or
Newcastle for a night out. But have you ever
wondered what happens to the dogs once they
get too old for racing, or are injured? Many
racing dog owners have no use for the dogs
if they can’t race, and sadly, they can often
end up as strays. Luise Ruddick spoke to one
member of staff who has become involved with
greyhound rescue…
Fiona Jackson with Dash and Venus
Boldon Greyhound Rescue Centre
specialises in finding new homes for
Greyhounds. Academic Services’ Fiona
Jackson adopted her two dogs, Dash
and Venus, from the Centre in 2008. Her
husband had discovered an advert in
a programme at Sunderland races and
was very keen to give a home to a dog.
“Many people may think that re-homing
a greyhound would be a lot of work,
and they are perceived to need a lot of
exercise,” said Fiona, “But they have a
surprising lack of special needs and are
actually the laziest breed you will ever
know! We take them for two 10 minute
walks each day and that’s enough – they
have no stamina at all, which is why they
are so good at racing, as it only requires
a short burst of speed.”
The centre is very much focussed on the
well-being of the dogs they have in their
care. They try to discourage visitors to
the centre to avoid disturbing the dogs
and those looking to adopt a greyhound
from the centre are assessed by the
22
staff before they will allow the dog to
leave. Usually there will be a home visit
with the dog you have chosen to see
if there is a connection and the centre
advises that the dogs do not mix with
other pets. It is not just about whether
you like the dog and are happy with it,
but also that the dog will have a good
life if it comes to join your family.
Fiona clearly loves her dogs and says
she would definitely recommend the
breed to others thinking of getting a
dog. “They are great with kids and they
are so placid and loving. I would advise
that if you do have to go out to work,
you consider getting two dogs as they
are very sociable and love company. If
you do decide on a greyhound though,
be prepared to give up your sofa!”
If you are interested in adopting
a greyhound, you can find out
more about the rescue centre by
visiting their website:
www.greyhoundrescue.net
Greyhound Facts:
•Greyhounds can reach up
to 45 miles an hour on open ground – only a cheetah is faster.
•Greyhounds are the only breed
of dog mentioned in the Bible!
•In 1014AD it was made law
that only noblemen could hunt
with greyhounds, and to kill
a greyhound was punishable
by death.
•Greyhounds have been
documented as far back as
Ancient Egypt and it is
rumoured that Cleopatra had
one as a pet.
•Famous owners have included
Al Capone and Leonard Nimoy.
About Me
Morc Coulson
Senior Lecturer in Health Related Exercise/
Programme Leader Sport and Exercise Sciences
Morc Coulson with the Chancellor Steve Cram
Durham Cathedral
One for the Kids – Avatar
One for the over 40s – Black Sabbath
How long have you worked at
the University?
I have been at Sunderland University for
almost 10 years now.
If you could change one thing
about Sunderland…?
I wouldn’t change anything about
Sunderland because as a Newcastle fan
I wouldn’t know where to stop! Seriously
though – I would have more cycle lanes
then I would probably use them more to
come to work.
What’s your favourite TV show?
My favourite TV show is the X-Factor as I
entered a few years ago and never made
it to boot camp so I am now just bitter and
judgemental and think everyone else is
rubbish! Apart from that my TV is a
‘no-soap zone’ as I just can’t bear to watch
any of them (sorry soap fans).
What was the last film you saw?
I am quite an avid film fan and love anything
with guns, CIA and a plot to assassinate
the President. However, the last film
I saw at the cinema was Avatar in 3D
(had to take the kids).
What are you proudest of?
I don’t actually have any examples of what
I am most proud of as I think they pale into
insignificance compared to what my father
achieved during his life. He brought up four
children in a mining village in the North East
during the 50’s and 60’s, put food on the
table every single day, never complained
once, was happily married for half a century
and was an amazing role model. Now that
is something to be proud of!
What big issue are you looking
at in your working life at the
moment?
I am just about to release my fifth book
entitled ‘Teaching Exercise to Special
Populations’. I started writing books
as a resource for Sport and Exercise
Science students because of the lack of
recommended reading that was directly
related to what I teach. I will be working
on the sixth book soon (sounds like J.K.
Rowling, but unfortunately nothing like
her) which will be in the area of health and
fitness as with all the other books.
What’s your favourite
part of the North East?
My favourite part of the North East is the
coastline and I often spend time whenever
I can at a caravan on the beautiful
Northumberland coast.
What’s your favourite building
in the North East?
The building I most like to visit in this area
is Durham Cathedral as it is not just an
amazing feat of medieval engineering
but it is also steeped in centuries of
interesting history.
What book are you
reading at the moment?
I am currently reading a book called
the Bourne Sanction by Robert Ludlum
because with a forces background I like to
check how accurate and realistic these
kind of books are.
What music are you listening to
at the moment?
I have a very eclectic taste in music ranging
from Black Sabbath to Bubble but I am
currently listening to Rock music as I am
the lead singer for a University staff rock
band called ‘The Feedback’ and I have to
learn songs I don’t really know (come and
see us play at North Shore early this year).
23
22/12/10 10:59:15
The
Review Roundup
TOP 10
Must-See Movies
2011 promises to be a bumper year for
the big screen… but with so many movies
The Big Gigs
2011
Iron Maiden
vying for attention what are the films you
absolutely must see? Tony Kerr prepares
to get off his sofa and hit the multiplex…
10. Iron Maiden
July 23,
Metro Radio Arena
Forget all the pretenders to the throne
– these are the original heavy metal
superstars. Get down there in your
studded leather waistcoat and get
headbanging – you know you want to.
9. jls
January 20 and 26,
Metro arena
10. Thor
Let’s be honest, a film with a blond
bodybuilder from a cheesy American
comic book hitting things with a big
hammer like a Swedish Bob the Builder
– we’re not convinced… but throw in
director Kenneth Branagh and Anthony
Hopkins as Odin it might just be this
year’s Dark Knight – rather than this
year’s Clash of the Titans!
9. Cars 2
This year’s big Pixar movie – could it
be 2011’s Toy Story 3? We wait to
be convinced.
8. Mission Impossible IV
Superspy Ethan Hunt will do quite nicely
until Mr Bond returns – directed by
Brad Bird (The Incredibles) with Tom
Cruise and Simon Pegg – this could
be one to watch.
7. Cowboys and Aliens
As with Thor (above) a film to approach
with caution – but what a calibre!
Directed by Jon (Iron Man) Favreau
and starring Daniel Craig and the great
Harrison Ford – who doesn’t want
to see Han Solo and James Bond take
on aliens in the Old West? So mad,
it might just work!
24
6. Pirates of the Caribbean 4:
On Strange Tides
Forget the plot, try not to think about
a budget as big as an Irish bank’s
overdraft, just revel in Johnny Depp
(as Jack Sparrow) and Geoffrey Rush
(Captain Barbossa) finally cast off from
their boring co-stars and in a race to
discover the Fountain of Youth.
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
On the face of it this looks like
Hollywood murdering another great
film – and I would advise you to hire the
original Swedish version to see a really
great thriller… but with David (Fight
Club/Se7en) Fincher in the director’s
chair, Daniel Craig in the lead role, and
with able support from the legendary
Christopher Plummer, this looks like
one worth watching.
4. Sherlock Holmes 2
Guy Ritchie returns as director with
Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law
as Holmes and Watson. Add in the
creepy Jared Harris (Fringe/Mad Men)
as Professor Moriarty and the genius
casting of Stephen Fry as Sherlock’s
older (cleverer) brother Mycroft Holmes
and you’ve got what should be a
cracking night out.
3. The Adventures of Tintin:
The Secret of the Unicorn
Steven Spielberg directs this big-screen
adventure for Hergé’s boy reporter.
Sticking faithfully to the look
of the original books using motion
capture, this 3D movie should be
stunning to look at – and with Spielberg
at the helm, and local boy made
good Jamie Bell as Tintin heading an
amazing cast, this is a hot contender
for blockbuster of the year.
Just because my daughter loves them
…the only true stars to emerge from
the X-Factor come to Newcastle.
Don’t worry if you miss them in January,
they’ll be back again… and again…
and again!
8. K T Tunstall
february 24,
02 academy
Classy, clever, funny and tuneful, you’d
be crazy to miss your chance to see
the Scottish songstress in the intimate
setting of the Academy.
7. Kylie
Aphrodite tour
3. Roxy Music –
January 25,
Metro Radio Arena
Sadly, not coming to the North East,
but definitely worth a drive down
to Manchester, up to Glasgow,
or even to the 02 in London…
If you can get tickets!
Proof, if it is needed, that people from
Washington really are posh. Local
lad made good and all-round global
superstar Bryan Ferry returns to the
North East with some of the greatest
songs ever written.
6. Russell Watson,
April 9,
Newcastle City Hall
The Voice returns to what he does best,
with his first classical tour in four years
following his recent illness.
5. The Who –
Quadrophenia Live
– venues and dates
to be announced
The Who have announced they are
planning to tour their 1973 rock opera
Quadrophenia in 2011 – a return to
Newcastle could be on the cards…
4. Kings of Leon
June 17,
Stadium of Light
Rock royalty the Kings of Leon bring
their Come Around Sundown album
tour to the Stadium, for Sunderland’s
summer of music.
2. Harry Potter and
The Deathly Hallows - Part 2
A final bow for J.K. Rowling’s boy
wizard. Voldemort rises, Hogwarts falls,
and Harry Potter faces his destiny.
A film you’re sure to want to see
again and again.
K T Tunstall
2. Coldplay
venues and dates to
be announced
Coldplay return with their fifth studio
album and a major stadium tour. Will
they come to the North East? Well,
they did play a “secret” charity gig in
Newcastle in December…
1. Take That,
May 27, 28, 30, 31,
Stadium of Light
The return of the magnificent five to one
of their favourite venues – right here in
Sunderland. Gary, Howard, Jason and
Mark are joined by Robbie Williams
in THE must-see money-can’t-buy
concert of the decade. If you don’t have
tickets it’s already too late… Or is it?
(See back page).
1. The Hobbit - Part 1
Yes! Christmas 2011 sees a return
to Middle Earth. With Martin
Freeman as Bilbo, Sir Ian McKellen
returning as Gandalf, Andy Sirkis
back as Gollum, Peter Jackson
in the director’s chair where he
belongs and a git big dragon, the
Hobbit has Christmas all wrapped
up. Be warned – if you’re not a nerd
already, you soon will be!
Coldplay
Take That
25
22/12/10 10:59:20
also considers the much neglected (or
disparaged) role played by her voice (as
opposed to image) and you only have to
consider the powerful monologues she
gives at the end of films like Suddenly, Last
Summer (1959) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia
Woolf (1966) to realise how crucial this
element is to her identity as a performer.
Behind the mask of fame
Dr. Susan Smith
There can be few more iconic stars than Elizabeth Taylor. But despite
a career that has stretched over seven decades, beginning with
Lassie Come Home in 1943, and has seen the actress win two
Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, three BAFTAs, the Legion
d’Honneur, the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award
and the title of Dame as well as many other honours, Taylor has
usually been defined by the media more in terms of her glamorous
beauty and the scandals that surround her personal life than her
acting ability. ADM’s Dr Susan Smith has set out to remedy that,
with a new book that will look behind the scandal and the veneer
of fame to discover the true talent …
In the summer of 2009, Susan was awarded an AHRC Research Leave
grant and this enabled her to take a year-long sabbatical to write her
book on Taylor. As part of her project, she visited the film archives in
Los Angeles last autumn, spending much of her time at the worldrenowned Margaret Herrick Library which is owned by the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Since then she has presented
papers about various aspects of Taylor’s career at a range of venues,
most recently the XVth International SERCIA Conference at the
University of Franche-Comte, Besançon, France in September 2010.
From the age of 12 right through to today, at 78, Elizabeth Taylor has been under the most intense
media scrutiny. You can’t just dismiss the glamour and hype that surrounds her, of course – the
reportage of her off-screen life with actor Richard Burton in many ways anticipates the modernday era of celebrity – but one of the main drawbacks of all that press attention is that it has
overshadowed the importance of her work in film and her achievements as an actress. She is also
a star whose career was very much hindered by both the media and her studio MGM’s reluctance
to look beyond her stunning beauty. During her early adult career in particular she suffered from
typecasting on account of this and struggled to get the more challenging roles that she desired.
This under-recognition of Taylor’s work tends not to be the case within the film industry itself where
she is highly regarded by her peers, and her fan following from the 1950s onwards displays an
ongoing fascination with her on-screen persona and a concern that her achievements in film should
be more greatly recognised.
A major aim of my research has therefore been to consider how the media’s preoccupation with
Taylor’s celebrity image has affected the development and reception of her work and, above all, to
offer a fresh re-assessment of how her film roles and performances have contributed to the forging of
her star identity and her enduring significance and appeal. In the case of Taylor’s acting, my research
26
Another thing that drew me to Taylor is
her work as a child star and one of the
fascinations of this research has been
the discovery of just how deeply her star
identity is rooted in her association with
animals and nature. This became even
more important when considering how she
managed to make the transition to adult
stardom because in my book I trace how
this association resurfaces at certain key
points throughout her career. Her role in
National Velvet (1944) is especially crucial
because of the way that it establishes her
close bond with the high-spirited horse.
You can see the influence of this in her adult
career in films like Giant (1956) where the
first time Rock Hudson’s character sees her
she is riding a fiery black stallion.
Taylor’s movement from child to adult
star and the overall longevity of her career
also means that, along with the much
documented affairs, serious illnesses and
tragedies, the highs and lows, the
achievements and mistakes, she comes to
embody a sense of life’s journey from
young girl through to old age, encapsulating
a spirit of endurance that to many of her
fans is a source of inspiration. She is quite
frail now but, if her comments on Twitter
are anything to go by, still exudes a great
zest for life!
Another area of my research focusses on
Taylor’s collaborations with various directors
and actors and during the course of the
project I became especially fascinated by her
work with Montgomery Clift in the three
films they made together. Taylor has often
expressed her indebtedness to Clift for
helping her to become a serious actress.
Part of my study involved probing into
why these two stars, who on the face of
it seem so very different in terms of their
professional training and approach, were
able to create such a marvellous rapport
in their acting. At the same time, I also
realized that there are aspects to Taylor’s
acting that can’t be explained by such
influences and this involved going beyond
established models and traditions of
performance to consider what it was that
she brought to her acting that was
so distinctive.
I like to think that I‘ve been able to offer a
much needed reappraisal of Taylor’s career
and, as well as covering established
‘classics’ like Giant and Who’s Afraid of
Virginia Woolf, my book opens up for
serious scrutiny a number of her films that
have been critically disparaged. Looking
beyond the negative reviews they have
often attracted in the past, I find much
of interest, for example, in movies like
Elephant Walk (made two years before
Giant) and The Sandpiper (released in
1965 – significantly at the height of the
Taylor-Burton phase) and the whole
critical reception of Taylor’s work is another
complex area that my research addresses.
Exploring Taylor’s career has been
immensely rewarding and a great privilege,
really. I think every research project involves
a kind of journey in its own right. I’m always
fascinated by what I discover and find the
whole process so enriching. In the case
of Elizabeth Taylor I’m sure I’ll continue to
write about her for a long time to come.
She’s such a complex, dynamic figure
whose career spans so many elements
and time periods: child and adult stardom,
English and American identity, the so-called
classical and post-classical eras of cinema,
mainstream and independent/avant-garde
areas of film-making, Hollywood and
British/European cinema, film and television,
film and theatre. In July 2011, I’m due to
give a paper on Taylor at a conference
that is being held in France to mark the
centenary of the American playwright
Tennessee Williams (she starred in several
film adaptations of his work) and I’m also
planning a conference on child stars/child
performers here at the Department of
Media and Cultural Studies next autumn.
I’m also due to get in touch with Taylor
herself and, fingers crossed, I’m hopeful
that will happen. It’s all very exciting …
Dr Susan Smith’s book on
Elizabeth Taylor forms part of a
new Film Stars series that she
is co-editing, along with her
colleague Dr Martin Shingler,
for the British Film Institute.
The series will cover a range of
major international stars from
the early silent period through
to the modern day and the
first wave of books (including
Susan’s study of Taylor) is due
to be published in 2012.
Susan’s Must-See
Elizabeth Taylor Films
National Velvet
(1944)
This poignant family
story made the
young Elizabeth
Taylor a star. She
excels as Velvet
Brown, a 1920s
working-class girl
whose dreams of
owning her own
horse become a reality when she wins wild
and unruly horse Pie in a raffle. Co-stars
Taylor and Mickey Rooney are full of youthful
charm and exuberance, ably supported by
a first-rate ensemble cast.
Giant (1956)
Nominated for 10
Academy Awards
this ambitious,
grandly realised
epic stars Taylor
alongside Rock
Hudson, and
James Dean in his
final film. Elizabeth
Taylor gives one
of her most rounded performances as the
Maryland girl whose liberal outlook causes
friction within the social and racial mindset
of an insular Texas community.
Who’s Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?
(1966)
A college professor
and his wife play
vicious emotional
games with their
unsuspecting
evening guests.
Taylor has never
been better or brasher as Martha, letting
loose with all the fury of a drunken,
frustrated academic’s wife on her guests
and husband (Richard Burton). The film won
five Oscars, including Best Actress for Taylor,
and was the first movie for director Mike
Nichols – his next was The Graduate.
Also worth checking
out: Suddenly, Last Summer
(1959) – her most famous
role alongside Montgomery
Clift – and Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof (1958) – Taylor and Paul
Newman in blistering form.
27
22/12/10 10:59:20
What’s on in
SUNDERLAND
January - April, 2011
January
6th - 8th.... One Night of Queen, Sunderland Empire Theatre
10th.......Spring Term begins
11th .......... Laughter Live, Sunderland
Empire Theatre
16th ......... noon Sunderland V Newcastle,
Stadium of Light
18th ......... David Almond Masterclass
20th.......... FOSUMS: Bishop Wilfrid,
Sunderland Museum &
Winter Gardens
21st........... Burns Gourmet Night,
Stadium of Light
23rd.......... Beyond the Barricade,
Sunderland Empire Theatre
24th.......... Circus of Horrors:
Four Chapters From Hell,
24th-29th.Macbeth – Royalty Theatre
27th.......5.30pm - Staff Swishing
Evening, North Shore
28th......... 80’s Mania, Sunderland
Empire Theatre
29th......... Post Christmas Party Night,
Stadium of Light
29th......... Sally Morgan, Sunderland
Empire Theatre
February
1st............. 7.45pm Sunderland V
Chelsea, Stadium of Light
3rd........... Elvis On Tour - Featuring
Lee ‘Memphis’ King,
4th............ American Superslam
Wrestling, Sunderland
Empire Theatre
12th.......... 3pm Sunderland V Tottenham
Hotspur, Stadium of Light
12th........Valentine Hot Hearts,
National Glass Centre
13th.......... Wedding Fayre,
Stadium of Light
14th.......... Valentines Evening,
Stadium of Light
19th.......Valentine Hot Hearts,
National Glass Centre
21st........... Alexandra Burke, Sunderland
Empire Theatre
25th.......Staff Family Film Night
The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, The Witch and
the Wardrobe (PG)
28th-March 5th
................. Agatha Christie’s The
Unexpected Guest –
Royalty Theatre
28th-March 5th
................. Spamalot,
March
6th............ Swan Lake, Sunderland
Empire Theatre
14th-16th Moscow State Circus,
17th.......... Bootleg Beatles,
19th.......... St Patrick’s Night,
Stadium of Light
For information on University events contact: events@sunderland.ac.uk
For all other events contact Sunderland Tourist Information Centre:
tourist.info@sunderland.gov.uk
28
19th.......... 3pm Sunderland V Liverpool,
Stadium of Light
21st-26th Calendar Girls,
24th.........A Dinner with Sporting
Legends, Stadium of Light
24th........Masterclass: Trai Anfield
& Dr Dennis Wheeler
26th.......Staff Family
Bus Trip - York
28th.........Essence of Ireland,
29th-April 2nd
................. The Blues Brothers,
April
3rd ..........Mothers Day Lunch,
Stadium of Light
3rd ..........The Chuckle Brothers,
8th......... End of Spring Term
9th..............3pm Sunderland V West Brom,
Stadium of Light
14th....... Annual Suppliers
Exhibition
18th-23rd Buddy, Sunderland
Empire Theatre
23rd.........3pm Sunderland V Wigan, Stadium of Light
24th.........Easter Sunday Lunch,
Stadium of Light
27th.......... 2pm Fireman Sam:
Pontypandy Rocks,
28th....... Staff Family Film Night
The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian (PG)
30th.........3pm Sunderland V Fulham,
Stadium of Light
University Events
in green.
Alan the Gardener’s
Winter Tips
The Facilities team work hard not only to keep our Campus clean and tidy, but also an attractive green
space. Thanks in large part to their hard work Sunderland was crowned best large city in the Britain in
Bloom awards 2010. As winter begins to take a hold we asked the University’s landscape consultant Alan
McManus – better known as Alan the Gardener – for some tips on keeping our gardens well maintained…
January
Lawns Remove fallen leaves.
Do not walk on the lawn if the ground
is waterlogged or frozen. Get your
lawnmower serviced now rather than
wait until the spring rush.
Snow Fall Remove build up of snow from
the branches of large shrubs and conifers.
If the snow is not removed the weight can
damage branches.
Containers Terracotta pots can crack if
left sitting on frozen patios. Stand pots on
blocks of wood or pot feet so the pot is off
the ground. This helps drainage and keeps
the base of the pot dry, thus preventing
frost damage.
Houseplants Keep all plants in the house
away from draughts, place them in as
much natural light as possible and away
from direct heat. Water very sparingly and
do not feed them unless they are in full
flower or growing strongly.
February
The Pond Continue to remove fallen
leaves, if not removed, methane gas
will build up from the decaying material
resulting in potentially lethal affects to your
fish. Remove all pumps. If left in the pond
you are risking expensive damage, when
the pond water freezes it can expand and
damage the plastic casing on the pump.
Give them a spring clean and store in a
frost free place.
Trees and Shrubs When the weather
and soil conditions are favourable (not
frozen or waterlogged) plant bare root and
container-grown trees and shrubs. Check
any new plants have not been loosened
in the soil by frost and tread down if
necessary. Check stakes and ties on all
trees to ensure they are not cutting into
the bark of the tree, and replace any that
are worn or damaged. Always check the
stakes on trees following high winds.
Flowers from Seed If not already done,
send away for your seed catalogues
and plan your summer displays. Popular
varieties may be sold out, so place your
seed orders in good time.
Mulch Spread mulch to your shrub
beds and mixed borders. Use a thick layer
of garden compost, leaf mould, pulverised
bark or similar material; this can be applied
to a depth of 5cm to 7.5cm. Take care
not to damage any newly emerging
perennials or dwarf bulbs. Mulching will
help prevent weeding in the summer
months and also reduce the amount of
watering you have to do.
March
Roses Complete planting as soon as
possible. Commence pruning this month,
Hybrid Tea (large flowered) should have
all growths reduced to 30cm from ground
level. Floribunda (cluster flowered), retain
strong side shoots and reduce growths
to 15cm from ground level. This type
of pruning will encourage strong vigorous
growth from the base of the plant. Ensure
you remove all weak, damaged and
diseased stems. Cut out any branches
that cross each other or rub against each
other, as these areas are prime spots
for disease invasion.
Herbaceous Perennials Herbaceous
plants are best divided when dormant, but
not when the ground is extremely wet or
cold as these conditions make it difficult
for the divided plants to establish. Lift the
plants to be divided using a garden fork
and shake off the surplus soil. Divide the
parent plant into segments, keeping only
healthy vigorous sections. Discard the
tired, woody centre of the plant. Replant
the divisions using fresh compost.
Lawns As soon as the ground condition
allows, rake the surface of the grass to
remove leaves and any surface rubbish.
The first cut should only remove the very
tip of the grass, close cutting will result
in scalping and the grass will turn yellow.
Apply moss killer if necessary and reform
the edges using a half moon edging iron.
Hanging Baskets It won’t be long before
baskets are needed for their summer
displays. So now is the ideal time to check
them over and get them ready for planting.
Wash them to remove all traces of old
compost from last year, this will prevent
the chance of fungal diseases been carried
over to this years plants. Also check the
chains thoroughly, ensuring that none of
the links are weak, replace if necessary.
29
22/12/10 10:59:25
I am, Lord help me, one of those people who always
make New Year’s Resolutions. You’ll notice this is plural
– I always make at least a dozen on the Lady Gaga
principle – ie, release every song you write as a single
and one of them is sure to get to number 1.
Win! Win! Win!
Gaga oo-la... Write another album, woman!
WIN! WIN! WIN! - Twilight Spa and
dinner for 2 at Seaham Hall
How can we survive the cold, grey misery of winter? Easy – Spa time! Seaham Hall are
offering staff a Twilight Time to Spa for two. The prize includes full use of all the spa
facilities from 5pm-10pm and dinner in the Ozone restaurant.
You can be up to your neck in bubbles (Champagne and otherwise) before you know it
…but have you been reading carefully?
All the answers to the following are somewhere in this issue – get all ten right, be the first
to drawn out of the hat, and you could be living the life of Lord Sugar, or Lady Gaga –
if only for a day.
1. Name the pointy-eared actor who owns a greyhound?
2. What was Hope Winch’s middle name?
3. What’s the name of the University Staff Rock Band?
4. Who plays Tintin in the new movie released this year?
5. How long has Trai Anfield been presenting BBC Weather?
6. What does “BICS” stand for?
7. Which Hollywood actor did Melanie Hani’s cousin Gaston appear alongside?
8. What film are we showing the night before the Royal Wedding?
9. Who is Alan McManus better known as?
10. Who designed the posters for the 2010 Lord Mayor’s Parade?
Send your answers to:
aboutus@sunderland.ac.uk by Friday, February 25. The winners will be chosen at
random from all correct entries. Please note that this competition is only open
to current University of Sunderland staff.
About NOWT...
Now, success has not completely
evaded me. I did make an unbreakable
vow to myself that I would have a book
published before my 40th birthday.
I missed doing that by four months –
my birthday is in October, and my first
book, Super Maxwell and the Last
Heroes was published in February the
following year – but that passes as
a success in my mind.
I did also promise myself to do the Great
North Run before my 40th birthday –
my liver packing in put pay to that
one, and to be honest, afterwards as
I struggled through rehab to just walk
down to the corner shop, I thought – is it
really worth the bother?
The Great North Stroll, the Great North
Coffee Break with Optional Chocolate
Digestives, the Great North Pint and a
Curry – now those are events I can get
excited about, and have a better than
even chance of coming out of the other
side alive. If running is your thing, good
for you, but please leave the rest of
us alone.
So here we go, my resolutions for 2011
are 1) Spend more time at home with
my lovely missus, my great kids, and
our newest family member (Jessie the
Did you know…?
Sunderland established the UK’s first degree course in Glass in 1982
– but the city has been a hub of glass-making since St Peter’s Church
installed England’s first stained glass windows, in 674 AD.
psychotic cat). 2) Read more good
books. Dickens, I’m looking at you.
3) Get fit by doing exercise I like (steady!).
We live in a great region, which is much
better viewed at a leisurely stroll than a
sweaty jog, in my opinion. 4) Get out and
about more. Hopefully our review pages
have given you a few good ideas –
I personally can not wait to see Tintin,
The Hobbit, Coldplay and K T Tunstall
(Kylie has sadly abandoned us dedicated
North East fans this time round) and
Spamalot at the Empire. 5) Do the best
job I can. Our team work very hard to
get this magazine, our online presence
and our events the best they can be,
but I know we can do even better this
year. So let me know About You – I really
want to meet some extraordinary people
in 2011, and I think a lot of you reading
this fit that bill.
As for the usual resolutions of learning
to play the guitar/piano/ukulele, drive
a tank, train as a cowboy, become a
stand up comedian, grow a beard, learn
to juggle, learn to paint, get a tattoo and
run off with Kylie and/or Dannii Minogue
…well, maybe next year.
Milk chocolate digestives – The King of Biscuits
Tony
About US Editor
If you have something you would like to appear in AboutUS, or if you would
like to give us some feedback, contact: aboutus@sunderland.ac.uk
Glass image
30
31
22/12/10 10:59:29
Win Tickets to see
Take That Live
Photograph © Hamish Brown
at the Stadium of Light on May 30
Gary, Howard, Jason, Mark and Robbie kick
off their monumental summer stadium tour at
the Stadium of Light in May.
boys take to the stage this summer. About US has a
pair of tickets to give away to this once in a lifetime
concert. For your chance to win, simply answer these
three questions correctly:
Progress Live 2011 will be one of the biggest live tours
in history, with an estimated one million people seeing the
band’s first tour together as a five-piece since 1995.
1. What was Take That’s first number 1 single?
Take That and Robbie Williams have between them sold
over 80 million albums, played to over 14.5 million people
live, won 19 BRIT Awards, had 13 number one albums,
17 number one singles, won eight MTV awards and five
Ivor Novello awards.
3. Who beat Take That’s single “Babe” to the
Christmas number 1 spot in 1993?
Tickets sold out the day they went on sale in October –
but you could be one of the lucky fans who get to see the
14559 SF About US 2 A4 magazine.indd 32
2. What was Robbie Williams first solo
number 1 single?
Email your answer to aboutus@sunderland.ac.uk
by Friday, April 29. The winner will be chosen at random
from all correct entries. Please note that this competition
is only open to current University of Sunderland staff.
22/12/10 10:59:32

WIN! WIN! - University of Sunderland

Transcription

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