“This is great I want to do it for a living”- An Interview with DANIEL LEA

Mary — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:10:11 +0000

1. What inspired you to join the teaching profession?

It was partly an interest in research and partly a desire to pass on an enthusiasm for something that I think is a great way to spend your life. I remember sitting in a tutorial in college spending half an hour discussing the use of word choice in a particular phrase in Hamlet and thinking to myself, ‘this is great, I want to be able to do this for a living’. I’ve always enjoyed interacting with people who are really interested in ideas and how books work and are prepared to talk about them. (more…)

“I can learn so much myself”- An Interview with CATHERINE MORLEY

Mary — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:46:11 +0000

who are we talking about?

1. What inspired you to join the teaching profession?

Before I became a university lecturer I was a teacher in a secondary school, which I enjoyed very much. However, when I was offered a scholarship for a PhD, I felt it was too good an opportunity to miss and so accepted it and gave up my teaching job. So, in a way, I kind of stumbled into academic lecturing. However, I had been growing increasingly dissatisfied with secondary teaching. I was tired of teaching youngsters who were uninterested in literature and simply present because of their curriculum. So, I felt with university teaching I would be working with students who wanted to study literature, who were passionate about reading and writing. This was the main impetus behind my decision to become a university lecturer. (more…)

“I personally love coming up with really ‘out there’ ideas”- an interview with ALEX GOODY

Mary — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:20:30 +0000

1. What inspired you to join the teaching profession?

A corny answer, but I have actually always wanted to be a teacher. As a young girl it was teaching, or being a poet, I spent a brief time in my teens wanting to be a director in the theatre, but literature and teaching always won out in the end. My inspiration really came as a third year undergraduate at York when I had an amazing tutor in twentieth-century literature: he introduced me to the work of the poet Mina Loy (who I subsequently went on to write a PhD on) and had such faith in me, that I knew I could be an academic. It certainly has to be a vocation, because the financial rewards are far from grand. (more…)

LAURA HARRIS GIVES US SOME THOUGHTS ON HER FAVOURITE LECTURERS

Mary — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:10:14 +0000

I am a student studying English studies and in my final year at Oxford Brookes; throughout the three years I have been influenced by several people but none more than by lecturers, Alex Goody, Catherine Morley and Daniel Lea. (more…)

BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Historian’, Julia Kostova

Amy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:15:49 +0000

Kostova plunges the reader directly into a gripping, enthralling historical panorama, supplemented by affable characters and beautiful European landscapes. (more…)

EDITORIAL: SOCIETIES SECTION

Lucy — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:33:33 +0000

If you’re anything like me you will share concerns about the way societies are run and promoted here at Brookes. Let me assert, however, this is not an attack on the dedicated individuals who run these societies, who provide a realm of cultural and social diversity catering to all possible whims. It is also not linked to the Student Union representatives who strive for the upkeep of the 72 societies already affiliated at Brookes.

My concerns are with the lack of communication between these student bodies and the student population.

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Climate Change

admin — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:22:14 +0000

Hows does it affect you?

What can you do to save energy?

Have your say.

Human Rights, Protest, China and the Olympics - Have your say

admin — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:21:19 +0000

Recently the long standing peaceful protests for China to respect Human Rights have taken the media spotlight with the focus of the Olympic games and the protests have been joined in number by many more who believe China should respect peoples fundamental Human Rights.

Unfortunately these protests have attracted the media’s attention, not for the fact that many thousands around the world have the peacefully demonstrated positive message that Human Rights should be respected by all but for the few passionate people that have broken through the neccessary security protection to get to the Olympic torch and demonstrate their views forcefully.

Has the message behind the protests been shrouded by the over zealous protestors or is this neccessary to get the message of respect for Human Right accross? (more…)

OxVox.co.uk official web site launch.

admin — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:51:13 +0000

Oxford Brookes’ first dedicated student media website goes live.OxVox

The champagne was flowing last night in a celebration of the launch of oxvox.co.uk. Societies editor, Lucy Porter commented, ‘we’ll definitely be having more oxvox parties’, so look out for the next Journalism Society night. The fancy dress theme ‘dress as a famous headline’ produced some interesting costumes including Amy Whinehouse, Pete Doherty, Lunar Wo/man and the Olympic torch.

This is the just start of Brookes online media and we have big ambitions for next year. The evening was intended to raise awareness of Brookes media, if you would like to get involved please contact opportunities@oxvox.co.uk. (more…)

WIN AN IPOD COURTESY OF WWW.RSVPPRO.COM

admin — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:06:29 +0000

Your sophisticated alternative for party invitations.

Facebook (FB), who doesn’t use it? I certainly do! With the social life nearing more and more towards the internet, are you finding it harder to get your friends together? As I said I am a user of FB, but I found when using their events feature, it was clunky, too basic and many of my guest would forget about the event.

(more…)