Author Archives: Alice Allwright

History Professor appears on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are

School of History Professor Julie Anderson has appeared on BBC’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ helping comedian David Walliams find out more about his family history.

Julie provided David with some information on his great great grandfather, who was a patient at Salisbury Infirmary in 1884, suffering from cataracts. You can watch the full episode on the iplayer here, and Julie has shared more about her appearance with the School of History team…

What was it like being on ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’

Being on the show is really good fun. When the researchers call you months in advance, you have no idea of the identity of the person you are going to be working with – it is revealed shortly before you start filming. Before that, there is lots of discussion and the researchers on the show get tips from you about what they should be looking at and images and documents that might work on tv. The crew was so professional and patient and they made me feel relaxed.

What was David Walliams like?

David is obviously an experienced professional who was funny in real life, and curious about his family. He was tall too.

Did anything funny happen while you were filming?

When we were standing outside doing our ‘meet’, people kept recognising David and shouting hello to him. But most people were really respectful as they could see we were working.

Were you nervous?

Not really – I have done TV before and I did a WDYTYA before with Martin Freeman before I came to Kent – I did a lot of work on his show as it was centred on the sensitive topic of venereal disease – that time I ended up on the cutting room floor – which can happen with TV shows as they only have so much time to present everything. It was disappointing, but working with Martin and the crew was great and I remember laughing all day.

What is the strangest thing about doing a tv show like WDYTYA?

Probably all the walking and pointing. You have to make sure you have nice clean nails as you have to point to lines on documents. What goes on behind the scenes is a surprise – our cameraman was contorting himself in all kinds of ways to get the best shot, and you have to try and not notice. There are lots of people in the space – producers, director, camera and sound persons, so it is not as ‘intimate’ as it looks. There were about seven of us in a little staircase.

Did the segment take a long time to film?

That is one of the oddest things about performing in front of a camera. It takes a really long time to do the filming, so that the director is satisfied. Things can go wrong with the sound and you have to wear a microphone which attaches to your clothes – it is usually stuck under your jacket and then a pack with batteries attached behind you which is really heavy and is why I always wear trousers. I sat in a stairwell with David for at least an hour and a half and I was numb and stiff when I finally got up, even though we took breaks to get different camera angles. You have to do the same thing over and over with different camera angles.

Is filming WDYTYA different from other types of tv?

It is because you are moving and engaging. In a lot of tv historians are talking heads and you stand or sit in a chair. When you are walking and moving it is harder. And when the enthusiasm for history overtakes you, you often forget yourself and get really enthusiastic. With tv you have to think about where your body is in relation to the camera and not bump your microphone.

Did you ever think that being in front of a tv camera would be part of your job as a historian at a university?

Never! I thought tv was only for male historians who did war and royalty. It is good to see a more diverse range of historians on tv these days. I have done a couple of programmes a year since 2011, and I really enjoy doing them.

Who are the people you enjoy working with the most on tv programmes?

I really enjoy working with the researchers and producers. They work so hard to get the context and interpretation right, and there is a lot of communication before the programme is filmed. Interestingly, they often have History degrees, so that may be something for our students to consider as a career in the future.

What did you learn from David Walliams?

He gave me instructions on how to walk up stairs when you are being filmed from above. Not necessarily a life skill necessary to a historian, but you never know.

SEPnet Diversity Webinar: Nurturing community and belonging

The University of Kent will be hosting the SEPnet Diversity Webinar Nurturing community & belonging – particularly during Covid-19 on Wednesday 2 December 2020, 10.00 – 13.00

Building an inclusive community within universities where students and staff feel heard and supported is more important than ever in the current climate. Universities need to consider the impact of remote working and studying as well as dealing with future uncertainty for different groups including, for example, 1^st generation students, those from different BAME backgrounds and those with physical and mental health issues.

Early career researchers can be forgotten and feel a lack of empowerment and anxiety about their future. Understanding how different groups engage with their working and learning environment is key to helping them feel a sense of belonging and enabling them to achieve their potential.

This annual workshop will explore how we can engage students and support early career researchers through specific interventions aimed at addressing these challenges. This event is aimed at all STEM staff, PGRs and student representatives and those responsible for diversity and inclusion including Project Juno and diversity champions, Athena SWAN representatives, HR managers and academics.

The workshop will be chaired by Professor Nigel Mason, Head of School of Physical Sciences at University of Kent and is FREE to attend. Places are limited. Please register for a place on the Eventbrite website on a first come, first served basis. Please circulate to your relevant colleagues.

Joining instructions and a link to join the webinar will be sent nearer the time.

PROGRAMME

10.00 Chair’s Introduction – Professor, Nigel Mason, Head of School and E&D Committee

10.15 The effect of online/remote learning on widening participating students

Amy Low, Service Delivery Director, AbilityNet

10.40 Understanding attainment differentials at a London-based university: student engagement through a mixed-method lens

Dr Diego Bunge, Independent Researcher and Dr Daniel Hartley, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

11.05 Early Career Researcher Mental Health in Academia

Dr Zoë Ayres, Research Scientist and Mental Health Advocate

11.30 Panel discussion

11.50 Break

12.05 Breakout group discussions

12.35 Summary and questions

13.00 Close of proceedings

Support for students self-isolating

We are committed to supporting all individual students and households who are required to self-isolate, whether on or off campus.

Our guide to support for students who are self-isolating is now available online.

When we receive notification of a student needing to self-isolate, their academic school will be informed. Staff from across the school, including academic staff, advisors and administrative staff, will be on hand to support the self-isolation period. This will include contacting students to ensure they are on track with their studies, and providing any resources, materials or support they need to help with their remote learning.

Professional services departments from across the University are working together to provide a package of care for students who are self-isolating. This includes providing a food care pack to get through the first day for students in self-catering accommodation and food deliveries for those on our Bed and Flex or Bed and Bistro packages. Arrangements have been made to help students with laundry, bedding, cleaning materials and to ensure they can receive mail and parcels.

A range of support is being offered to students self-isolating, including welfare checks by the Colleges and Community Life Team, regular check in calls and emails, which can be to individual students and households. Students can access online specialist support such as, counselling services and mental health support, if required, through the Student Support and Wellbeing Team. We also have a 24/7 nursing team available on campus.

A programme of events, activitiess, challenges and competitions have been brought together to help students get through their self-isolation period. More information can be found on the Student Coronavirus webpages.

Care first webinars w/c 19 October 2020

Our official Employee Assistance Programme provider, Care first offers a numbers of services and provide useful advice and support, including weekly webinars.

This week’s (Monday 19 October – Friday 23 October) webinars are as follows:

Monday 19 October 2020 – ‘How Care first can support you’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link.

Tuesday 20 October 2020 – ‘Speaking with people who are breaking the Rules’
Time: 12.30-13.00 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Wednesday 21 October 2020 – ‘Tips to avoid and alleviate conference call anxiety’
Time: 13.00-13.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Thursday 22 October 2020 – ‘Alcohol Awareness’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Friday 16 October 2020 – ‘Breast Cancer Awareness’
Time: 12.00-12.30 – to register please click on this Go to webinar link

Kent Sport running groups

Kent Sport is bringing back our popular running groups! Dust off those old trainers and get back to running. Whether you’re just starting out or a confident runner, we have adapted our sessions to suit everyone. All running groups are open to students and staff. Remember to book online and meet at the Sports Centre.

Beginners’ Running (Couch To 5K)

Our 10-week Couch to 5K program is perfect for those just starting out and will get you comfortably running each week, leading up to a 30 minute run (approx. 5km) in just 10 weeks. This relaxed and sociable session requires no experience, just a pair of trainers and a sense of humour. Our experienced staff will support you every step of the way and before you know it, you’ll be confident to hit the roads on your own.

Social Run Club

The clue is in the name – this ‘social’ group will meet twice a week at the Sports Centre and will be guided by an experienced member of staff. Whether you’ve done a bit of running in the past, or a regular runner, this group is perfect for you! Each week the route may change depending on the group’s preferences, but we’ll be there to provide that much needed motivation.

Due to the current situation, we have had to impose social distancing measures into all our sessions:

You must book and pay for each session online in advance.
We have restricted the session size to 11 participants and 1 coach
On arrival, you will need to check in for the session at the Sports Centre reception. You may have to queue outside the Sports Centre before checking in
Please wear a mask or face covering as you enter reception
Once checked in, meet the coach outside the Sports Centre and maintain social distancing at all times during the session
Please arrive ready for your session. Our locker and changing facilities are currently unavailable

If you’re interested in any of the running groups, check out our running groups blog item for session days and times.

Nostalgia interview with Leslie de Vries

In the latest episode of the Nostalgia podcast series, Dr Chris Deacy, Head of the Department of Religious Studies, interviews Leslie De Vries, who is Lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University.

In this interview, Leslie explains why he wanted to be a ‘normal kid’ growing up, and how he was a bit of a dreamer in school. He later became involved in playing music and we discover how he became interested in East Asia through martial arts.

Leslie also talks about his research and teaching interests, about he got to shake hands with Lionel Richie, why playing in a band wasn’t the right path for him, why one lifetime doesn’t seem enough, living in East Asia and how it drives his teaching, his dream for the future and why he prefers to look forward rather than back.

Dr Rosie Wyles publishes ‘Costumes in Greek Tragedy’

Dr Rosie Wyles, Lecturer in the Department of Classical and Archaeological Studies, has published a new book titled Costumes in Greek Tragedy (Bloomsbury, 2020).

The core of the book focuses on tragic costume in its original performance context of fifth-century Athens, but the implications of subsequent uses in Roman and more recent performances are also taken into consideration.

Rosie says: “I’ve been thinking about the significance of props for the past 10 years. I knew from my work on costume (Costume in Greek Tragedy, 2011) that swords enjoyed a dominant stage presence in tragedy. This project was about understanding the significance of this when interpreted within the wider civic context. Studying the treatment of swords, voting equipment and masks on stage revealed props’ important role in the shaping of Athenian identity. This research is defined by its innovative approach to exploring the notion of Athenian citizenship and theatre’s relationship with society.”

This area of Rosie’s work is also explored in a lecture she gave for the University’s “Think Kent” series:

Ben Hutchinson publishes ‘The Midlife Mind’

Ben Hutchinson, Professor of European Literature in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, has recently published a new book titled The Midlife Mind (Reaktion Books, 2020).

The meaning of life is a common concern, but what is the meaning of midlife? With the help of illustrious writers such as Dante, Montaigne, Beauvoir, Goethe and Beckett, The Midlife Mind sets out to answer this question.

Ben says: “Part literary biography, part non-fiction autobiography, this book constitutes a ‘memoir of the middle’. Just as we are all supposed to be middle-class now, so we all seem to be middle-aged. But what does this term even mean? Meditating on what it means to be nel mezzo del cammin, this book represents a transparent attempt to work through my own midlife crisis. I’m not sure it’s worked, but it’s been fun trying.”

Help promote the next Undergraduate and Postgraduate Open Events!

We are hosting the next Virtual Open Events on the following dates:

Undergraduate Virtual Open Event on Saturday 14 November 2020, from 10.00 – 14.00 (UK Time)

Postgraduate Virtual Open Event on Wednesday 18 November 2020, from 12.00 – 15.00 (UK Time)

Our last undergraduate event in October saw 2,360 bookings with 46% attending, that’s 1,652 visitors on the day, as it’s a virtual event we’re able to keep the link live for longer and saw new attendees join the event each day. Virtual open days are a great opportunity to all potential students to engage with course presentations from our specialist academics and attend live Q&A sessions, as well as find out more about our facilities on campus.

Preparations for the event are underway and those who are taking part have been informed by the Recruitment team

It would be a great help if our Staff could promote the virtual event across their platforms, either on their school websites and on social channels, to attend the events, you will need to register for your place – using the link below. As well as forwarding on to friends or family members who may be interested in our courses at Kent. Please see further information about the events:

Undergraduate event

Postgraduate event

Here’s some positive feedback from the last undergraduate open day on 3 October:

‘I found the open day very insightful into the culture of the University of Kent.’

‘It was extremely helpful as there was a mixture of students currently doing the course, and tutors, so we get a few different perspectives on the course that you want to apply for.’

‘An excellent day made the university very appealing. Everyone was really helpful and friendly.’

‘Dr Rosie Wyles was very inspiring and enthusiastic!! Could not have asked for more!’

Top 10 tips to make IT work for you

No matter where you’re working from, whether from home or on campus, these top 10 tips from Sarah Fisher, User Experience and Digital Content Officer, will help you make the most of Kent IT services.

1. Save your work to the cloud

Have you used your OneDrive yet? It’s the online equivalent of a personal folder to save your work and access it anywhere. You can easily share documents with colleagues for comment and collaborative working. See our OneDrive for Business guide

2. Chat online, and collaborate around topics

Microsoft Teams lets you have audio, video or text chats with staff and students online. Don’t just use the chat feature: ask for a team or a channel to get the full benefits of shared storage space for organising work around a theme. You can set up a team and different channels to help you more easily work within your team, and across teams and silos. Save files to Teams if a specific group of staff will benefit from accessing it on a regular basis. See the Teams guide

3. Microsoft 365 offers so much more

You can organise your to do list, plan project work across teams, record meetings and share video, create an online calendar for booking resources, and more. Check out the different apps now available in our Microsoft 365 guide

4. New: Software Finder

Find the software and apps to help both staff and students work and study in our expanded Software Finder. The site started out as a directory of recommended productivity tools, but now houses all the software that Kent buys on your behalf. It tells you what’s available on staff and student PCs as well as your own devices, and how to access it. For a quick overview and to use it, see our Software guide

5. Slow internet day? Restart your router

If you’re internet is slower than usual and its affecting your access to Kent resources, restarting your internet router can really help.

We recommend giving your web router a weekly reboot if you can. Turn it off for a few minutes and then turn it back on to see the difference. Make it a Monday morning task to start the week with full speed ahead!

6. Stay connected with virtual tea breaks

Virtual tea breaks are so important when you’re working from home. Many teams have regular tea breaks once a day so that everyone gets the opportunity for human connection. MS Teams makes this easy to set up: set up a Teams meeting as a recurring calendar appointment.

7. Time your meetings to include microbreaks

To make sure everyone can take breaks between online meetings, limit them to 50-55 minutes rather than a full hour. Try not to commit to attending two or three meetings consecutively without giving yourself a break!

8. How is your home office set up?

Did you know you can move a wired PC to anywhere in the house? It doesn’t have to be within reach of a network connection. A network power socket adaptor will let you connect to the internet via a power socket.

Remember too that you need to optimise the space to make sure your set up is ergonomic. Log into the University of Kent workstation assessment tool if you want to check.

9. Only use the VPN when necessary!

Our Forticlient VPN is there to help connect to the Kent network when you need it. Try and remember to disconnect from it when you no longer need it. You don’t need it to use Teams or OneDrive. If everyone disconnected when not needed this would help improve its speed for everyone else. More about VPN and how to access it

10. New Library and IT website

Find out about the range of services on offer and how to access them. Have a look to see what you can benefit from, or to ask us for help with any of our services: kent.ac.uk/library