University of Hertfordshire
UH
School of Humanities
Yearbook 2020 Go Herts! Go Humanities!
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Contents Introduction from the Dean 3 Celebrating Our Final Year Students!
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Meet the Tutors! 8 Class of 2020 11 Photojournalism Society Competition
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Student in Lockdown Diary 16 Who We Are & What We Do
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The Creators 19 This version of the yearbook is for printing. It contains highresolution images which have not been highly compressed.
Introduction Professor Anne Murphy, Dean School of Humanities University of Hertfordshire
In this yearbook you will find a summary of various departments from the School of Humanities and chosen paths by the class of 2020 graduates at the University of Hertfordshire.
• The ability to acquire the skills that are valuable no matter what path you take • and a skill that, no matter how much society and technology changes, will serve you for life – the ability to learn and adapt.
I was delighted to be asked to introduce our first School of Humanities Yearbook. I am very proud of our School, the students who study with us and the colleagues who teach and support them. The School is a wonderfully varied place. We are home to seven subject areas: English Language & Linguistics, English Literature & Creative Writing, History, Languages, Philosophy, Politics & International Relations and Media. We have around 90 members of staff, both academic and professional, and nearly 900 students. Our students come from all over the world to study at UH.
In the pages that follow you will find celebrations of all these things as seen through the eyes of the students who are graduating in the class of 2020. As you leave UH, I hope this yearbook will remind you of the friends you made, the successes you experienced and the struggles you overcame.
There’s much emphasis these days on the value for money and future earning power of a university education. But educational success should not be measured by what you will earn, it should be measured by:
The staff of the School of Humanities wish you every success for the future and thank you for being part of our lives and contributing to our community of learning.
I, and my colleagues, are very proud of our students. The graduating class of 2020 are leaving us at a time of unprecedented global uncertainty. But as students of the humanities, you have the skills and adaptability to succeed and to make a positive contribution to the world.
• The ability to rise to the challenge of being exposed to new ideas, different perspectives, debate and argument; 3
Celebrating Our Final Year Students! Name: Tara Campling Degree: English Language & Communications with Creative Writing & Journalism Year of Graduation: 2020 What is your hobby & what does it entail? My hobby would be photography as I like taking pictures to try and tell a story. Why did you choose Photography? When I was in secondary school, I used to enjoy walking around a local golf course in the evenings to get some exercise. I would always end up taking pictures of this on my phone, and my hobby slowly developed into me taking different pictures at different places, to the point I decided to do this as an A-Level at college. How long have you been doing Photography? I would say about 6 years since when I was a year 11 student. How do you balance Photography and University life? It is a struggle, as I like dedicating days to going out to take pictures, but it is not easy to do this with lectures and assignments.
What do you enjoy about Photography? The freedom it gives me. I can escape through it. When I’m taking pictures all that seems to matter is whatever I can see through my lens and the outcome once I press the shutter. How has Photography helped you? It has helped me escape when I have needed to, for example when I have lots of deadlines. I enjoy the editing process as much as the shooting process, so I find this a nice break between university work. Do you have any struggles? I would love to be able to invest in some more advanced equipment, however, it is very expensive which is a big negative. What about the future? I find photography helped me relax at uni. and I hope it will beyond. It’s important to keep in touch with your interests, just as much as it is to work hard.
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Don’t forget your hobbies once you graduate and find yourself in the world of work.
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Students at home Name: Scarlett Heselwood Degree: Philosophy & Media, Joint Honours Year of Graduation: 2020 What is your hobby & what does it entail? Falconry, I basically help and assist in taking care of a private collection of birds of prey. I get to travel around teaching people about the birds. This includes attending events from school events to weddings. Why did you choose Falconry? I’ve always been into birds since I was a kid, it’s always been something I’ve been into, wanting to get my own bird. I have a strong interest in birds and wildlife, and I get to talk about my passion with others. How long have you been doing Falconry? 5 years this summer, I was 16 when I started. How do you balance Falconry and University life? It’s very time-consuming, being a Humanities student, I have low contact hours. So, I tend to spend most mornings when I’m not in classes and every other day with the birds. Making sure I get assignments and things started early. What do you enjoy most about Falconry? I like the displays the most. I love talking about the birds to people, working with kids and the public. I get to create an impact on people, getting to see the kids happy makes me happy.
How has Falconry helped you? It’s created a career path for me. I’ve gained skills to start my own business. Do you have a least favourite part of Falconry? The cleaning, especially when it comes to breeding the birds. It’s so gross, because you have to leave them to it but it’s a real benefit working with the birds so it’s a trade-off. Do you have anything you want to share with the Humanities graduates of 2020? Do your best and try and follow your passions, make goals for them. Scarlett’s Falconry Instagram Account is @ hawkeye_hack Make sure to go and check it out!
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It’s really good for networking, it’s also given me a lot of personal responsibility, organisation skills and I gain connections all over the world.
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Students who studied abroad Name: Andy Goodwin Degree: Major in History & Minor in Media Cultures Year of Graduation: 2020 How did you find out about the University of Hertfordshire, and why do you study here? The main reason why I wanted to study at Hertfordshire was because of the opportunity to study abroad. Since I came here, I have found that the staff are super friendly, with a passion for their subjects. Are you involved in any student activities? (Active Students or Societies) I’m a part of a society, Trident Media, in my final year and also the university football team. It’s been a great way to meet new people since most of my friends graduated last year. Prior to joining these societies, I was a part of Motiv8 a company within the Enactus society in second year. If I could go back and restart university, I would join and try new societies as they have been so much fun.
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My main aspiration before starting was that I really wanted to study abroad and experience a different culture as I have had this passion ever since I was young.
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What are some of your most memorable moments at University? Since studying abroad, it has opened my eyes up to the wider world and made me want to travel even more. What do you enjoy most about it? Learning. Acquiring knowledge of the past that I would have not thought to look into. Why did you choose to study abroad? I always wanted to study in America. Oklahoma was a chance to experience a new culture. I visited places I would have never have thought about and I met people I don’t think I would ever have met, if I hadn’t taken up this opportunity. What did you learn and experience during your study abroad? With my study abroad it offered me a chance to choose subjects that I wouldn’t have ever thought I could do. Any goals after graduation? Honestly the main goal is to get a job preferably in the civil service or go into a career centred around research.
Name: Louise Thomas Degree: BA(Hons) Mass Communication Year of graduation: 2020 Why did you choose to study at the University of Hertfordshire? I wanted to study not too far from home but I was also attracted to travel abroad. So, I decided to go to Hertfordshire because there is a student study abroad programme. Why study abroad? Studying abroad is the best experience that I ever had in my life. I was very immersed in Singaporean culture during my time there. What were your aspirations before you entered the university? I always had high ambitions and once here, I managed to get accepted on the study abroad programme which became my goal and gave me lots of motivation. How was your experience in UH? I really love the school. The teachers are very open and friendly. I enjoy discussions with my lecturers. As a group, they are a very interesting community and they do their best for the students.
Did you join any student societies?. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to join a society because I live in London and there are no late buses. However, I did join the film club that ran every Thursday evening at 6pm and I really enjoyed the wide range of different films that were shown. What has been the best memory you have from your university life? My most vivid memory is participating in film production as I worked in a really nice team with some of my classmates. We created fun short films where we were shooting around campus, in different accommodation blocks. We also shot video in the fields at the back of de Havilland Campus. I really enjoyed making films and working closely with everyone in the team. What are your goals after graduation? My ultimate goal is to travel, as I want to pursue something meaningful in life. As soon as I graduate, my plan is to travel to Japan or South Korea. I plan to apply to be an English teacher in South Korea for a year as soon as I get a chance.
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I would say that I still consider the people that I met in Singapore to be my closest friends in all the world.
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Meet the tutors! Here are some of the tutors you will know from your time at UH. They are all working on professional activities from home and hoping to re-connect with students at graduation. Here are the Creative Writing tutors!
Joe Thomas
Simon Vinnicombe
Christopher Clark
Lorna Gibb
Drew Pautz
Philosophy Tutors!
Brendan Larvor
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Constantine Sandis
Craig Bourne
Finlay Malcolm
Erin Plunkett
Karl Egerton
Politics tutors in their homes!
Elissa Randazzo
Benjamin Nutt
Hannah Richter
Ignasi Torrent Olivia History tutors all smiles!
Tim Stafford
Eureka Henrich
Jen Evans
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Daniel Grey
Katrina Navickas
Leanne Calvert
William Bainbridge
Tony Shaw
Media tutors!
Alan Clark
Sharon Magnus
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Catherine Cox
Ruth Garland
Peter Thomas
James Nichols
Class of 2020!
On the 6th of February 2020, the Humanities class of 2020 were gathered together in De Havilland’s Law Court Building to celebrate their time at the university with a professional photoshoot. They were joined by lecturers and friends to celebrate these monumental moments that will be remembered for a lifetime. Spending time with friends and our lecturers was key to us on this day. We wanted to celebrate the connection we shared and all the hard work we had completed together throughout our years at the University of Hertfordshire.
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Photojournalism Society Competition The Photojournalism Competition was the first competition that was organized by the newly formed UH Journalism Society. The competition had three themes: contrast, emotions, and silhouettes. Participants chose one theme on which to base their entries. The photos were judged by professional photographers from the media company, 1854 Media. 13 people took part and a winner and a runner-up, shown below, were chosen
Captured by Edward Paxton. Theme: Contrast The UH Journalism Society is a society created for students who are intrigued by current affairs and love writing. The society was led by the chairperson Sheetal Martine Joseph together with committee members. For more information on the society’s activities and the competition, please visit their Instagram account: @hertsjournalismsociety
Captured by Kar Chi Lee. Theme: Emotions 15
Student in Lockdown Diary Name: Paige Law Degree: Media & Creative Writing Year of Graduation: 2020 Studying from home, especially while being near the end of my degree, has been a rather big struggle. However, I have found myself being more productive with my work and assignments as I haven’t been distracted by things, I would usually have the chance to do at University, living in student accommodation and having fun! Like many others, I have struggled to adjust to not having the space that I am privileged with usually and I miss my normal routine. I find it harder to communicate with people through email or technology. For example, it has been a challenge when completing project work with group members on the other side of the world. Many students flew home just before the lockdown started and we have
had to work with time differences and each person’s varied routines. But it is good to connect. Communication has given me strength and become a key element that has kept me active and motivated. I realise that it’s so important to keep that connection with the people you need and care about, whether it be friends, family, classmates or lecturers. It keeps that little bit of normality going.
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The support from lecturers and my classmates throughout this time has been the key to my success in completing my studies and assignments.
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Who We Are & What We Do You know your own modules but have you ever wondered about the other subject areas in the School of Humanities and what they do? Here’s our guide to who they are and what they are most proud of this year! Philosophy Who we are and what we do: The Philosophy Group teaches and researches philosophy and religious studies. We aim to help our students develop the combination of imagination and rigour typical of the best philosophy. Our major achievements this year: Success in securing external funding from the LeverhulmeTrust, the Mind Association and the Alphawood Foundation has released permanent staff to pursue their research and allowed us to add fresh faces and fresh ideas to our teaching team. Politics and International Relations Who we are and what we do:The PIR group is made up of scholars with a broad range of interests in Politics and International Relations theory and practice. Our aim is to support students in the development of critical and analytical skills and to help them build an understanding of the contemporary challenge in an increasingly complex world. Our major achievements this year: We have worked hard to set up a new MA course in International Relations, which will start in 2020, and we have managed to move our BA courses online at very short notice to respond to the pandemic. We are also excited to have given our final year and second year students the opportunity to meet professionals from all walks of life who have graduated with an Undergraduate or Post-graduate degree in Politics and International Relations. English Literature Who we are and what we do: The Literature group is made up of research-active academics specialising in literary cultures ranging from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century. Our aim, and our passion, is to share our interests with students, and help them hone their skills as communicators and thinkers in a world which needs these attributes more than ever before. Our major achievements this year: Developing a truly innovative online Master’s programme with global appeal, consolidating our expertise with strong academic results across all levels of study, and extending further our ongoing work to facilitate a more inclusive learning environment for all of our students. Media Who we are and what we do: The Media group comprises Film, Media and Journalism. We are a mix of experienced practitioners and media theorists, all with a passion for the industry. Our aim is to help build confidence, a sense of community and communication skills through supporting students to gain a mix of skills in a supportive community enabling them to have a good chance of success in the communications field. Our major achievements this year: This year we have focused on increasing awareness of employment opportunities and student celebrating success, from offering students the chance to do 17
work experience in local radio to holding an exhibition of their advertising campaigns. We have introduced global modules that decolonise the curriculum and we have brought media experts into the seminar room. We moved all our courses online within a week. English Language and Linguistics Who we are and what we do: The English Language & Linguistics group is a team of applied linguists engaged in analysing language data to gain insights about different aspects of language. We support our students to look at language and communication and to build up their skills through a mix of theoretical and practical tasks. Our major achievements this year: We introduced new modules in the first year and worked on decolonizing the curriculum (such as introducing new topics and a variety of authors). We made the transition to online provision for undergraduates and the MA TESOL within a week We miss not being able to say goodbye to the final years in person this year History Who we are and what we do: The History group is dedicated to ensuring that our students leave us with the skills necessary to take their next steps in life. As global citizens and advocates for their local communities, our students are both sensitive to, and embrace, diversity in all its forms, and are empowered with the critical thinking skills to challenge and make a difference in the world around them. Our major achievements this year: Have included showcasing our final year student’s work at a successful dissertation conference; continuing our work to globalise and decolonize the histories that we teach and explore together with our students; contributing to University events such as International Women’s Day, and celebrating our class of 2020. We can’t wait to see you all at graduation! Languages Who we are what we do: Learning a language opens the world up for you. Not only do you meet students from other subjects you may not normally come across, but you will explore the world outside the UK. You can use your new language skills to network internationally and you will gain a competitive advantage as a graduate in the global job market. Our major achievements this year: Students from a range of diverse backgrounds contributed to videos promoting languages, our new project of ‘Languages for Fun’ was approved and we have used quizzes in formal assessments at beginner’s levels while reinstating the advanced route for French. We moved all language modules online within a very short period of time! Creative Writing Who we are and what we do: Creative Writing includes poets, authors and writers for stage and screen, who all practise in their subject professionally as well as teaching on our degrees. Our aim is to help build confidence, a sense of community and creative writing skills through supporting students to create work that will help them compete for publishing contracts, agents and commissions as well as jobs in many related fields such as journalism, publishing and literary event organisation. Our major achievements this year: This year we have focused on increasing awareness of employment contacts and opportunities for our students, with exciting collaborations with a theatre company and the continued success of our poetry hub. We moved our teaching online within a week and added new mechanisms to ensure students were supported during the transition. 18
The Creators Our main idea for the yearbook is to show the achievements and experiences of graduates from the School of Humanities during their time at the University of Hertfordshire. Kimberly Cheah Su-Chien Hiya! I’m Kim because people usually call me Kimberly when they’re angry at me! I am a final year student in Mass Communications and it is has been my great pleasure to take part in this project as it has enhanced my creativity. I have been delighted to have worked with the hard-working girls in the team and I can’t appreciate them enough. My roles included being Art Director for the Yearbook and research for the School of Humanities blog content. Paige Law Hi Everyone! I’m Paige. I’m a final year student studying Media & Creative Writing. I have had so much fun working with my team of brilliant girls for this project. My role within the group was mainly working writing content for the blog and working on content for the yearbook. Serene Ding Sze Lyn Hello! I’m Serene Ding, a student from the School of Humanities currently having my final year in Mass Communications. I’m glad to be able to work with the School of Humanities for this Yearbook and really thankful for this opportunity! My role in this team is the Sub-editor and Picture Editor. One fact about me is that I really love to eat spicy food! Shu Jun Lee (Rachel) Howdy, everyone! I am Shu Jun Lee (Rachel) from Malaysia. I have completed my final year in the School of Humanities. For this project, I would say it is has been my pleasure to work with my excellent teammates and supportive lecturers. My role in this team was mainly focused on blog content. Other than that, I am also a sub-editor for the yearbook of the Class of 2020. 19
University of Hertfordshire
UH
School of Humanities
Loved UH? Loved Studying? If you want to go on to post-graduate study, improving your knowledge and skills base, please consider one of our highly rated MAs. You may well be eligible for a 20% discount on fees too. For more information please contact members of staff below: • Journalism and Media Communications, contact Ruth Garland - R.Garland@herts.ac.uk • Creative Writing, contact Lorna Gibb - L.Gibb@herts.ac.uk • Global Film and Television (online), Lies Lanckman - L.lanckman@herts.ac.uk • Folklore Studies, contact Owen Davies - 0.Davies@herts.ac.uk • History, contact Katrina Navickas - K.Navickas@herts.ac.uk • International Relations, contact Benjamin Nutt - B.Nutt@herts.ac.uk • Literature and Culture (online), contact Chris Lloyd - C.Lloyd@herts.ac.uk • Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, contact Gwyneth James - G.M.James@ herts.ac.uk
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