2008-09 Graduation Yearbook

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PrefaceThis is the first year that the Students’ Union has published a Graduation Yearbook, and 2008/09 - your final year at Nottingham Trent - has been a year of firsts.

2008/09 saw the installation of Sir Michael Parkinson as NTU’s first Chan-cellor. In April, Sir Michael launched the UK’s largest student-dedicated newsroom in the new Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism and, later this year, we’ll see the opening of the newly-regenerated Newton and Arkwright buildings. NTU has gained first place in the 2009 People and Planet Green League, becoming the most environmentally-friendly uni-versity in the UK. The 2008 QAA institutional audit commended NTU on Welcome Week; on the embedding of employability; on the commitment to research-informed teaching; and on the supervision, support and monitoring of postgraduate research students. In September 2008, Alan Johnson, then Health Secretary, opened the Anthony Nolan Trust Cord Blood Bank - a ground-breaking new facility that will offer a lifeline to thousands of patients with life-threatening illnesses. NTU’s world-leading research was recognised in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise and won a 72% increase in our research grant from HEFCE.

There were countless other memorable moments from 2008/09 and many of them are captured in the Yearbook.

As you look through the pages, you may find photos of you, of your friends, of events you took part in during the year but it may be that your special moments from the year are captured only in your own photos and own memories. I hope you had a good year and a great experience throughout your time at NTU. Most of all, I hope that the skills and knowledge you gained and the friends you made will stay with you and grow with you throughout your lifetime.

I wish you every success and happiness in your future career.

Professor Neil T. Gorman, D.L.Vice-Chancellor

EditorialI’m not entirely sure what to write here so due to my rather incon-venient writers block I am going to borrow some words from a great and inspirational man, Mr Frank Sinatra...

“And now the end is near... and so we face the final curtain...”

Today is a special and memorable day in each of our lives, the start of the real world. The last few years of lec-tures, tutorials, essays, dissertations and assessments are all over, we’ve done the hard part and today we get to walk across the stage and be given the confirmation that it was all worth it; our degree. Congratulations!

Sadly there are drawbacks to the celebration, and that is that the official goodbye to the student lifestyle that we have all become accustomed to has finally arrived. Gone are the days of staying in bed all day, take-aways 24/7 and partying all night long.

A lot of love, care and attention have gone into this Yearbook and I hope that you will all treasure it for years to come. Please ensure that you use the space in the back to write messages etc to one another and make your copy personal to you. The Yearbook is full of your memories and lots of photos, a few articles to encourage you to start taking things a bit more seriously, as well as some interviews with members of NTU Alumni.

I hope that everyone who gradu-ates today is leaving Trent with the best memories of their university experience. The aim of this book is not only to remind you of these memories in years to come, but also to showcase how great you all looked at Graduation Ball. Trent students scrub up well!

Over the last few months the majority of us have packed up our belongings and decided what is worth keeping and what posses-sions are to be discarded. Some of us have gone back home, others stayed in Nottingham and others are off travelling the globe, but wherever you go, whatever you do and however you get there always remember... T-R-E-N-T- We are the Trent Army!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed, especially those of you who sent in your best memo-ries of Trent and to the everyone at NTSU and NTU who assisted me with putting all of this together. I hope that you are all proud to be a member of the Trent Army and to have graduated from NTU. Good Luck in all your future endeavours and adventures, and never forget your uni days!

Love,

Amy Victoria GathercoleEditor

Thanks...A huge thank you to everyone who made this possible:

Stephanie Combs, Lucy Knighton, AndrewTrendell, James Davies, Marjorie Brown, Drew Heatley, Patrick Taylor, Melanie Ward, Graham Taylor, Stefan Ebelewicz, David Baird, Arfan Razak, Louise Holland, Sarah Harrison, NTU Alumni Office, Jayne Whiteley, VC Neil Gorman, and everyone who sent in all of their Trent Memories!

2 | Platform | Class of 2009 Graduation Yearbook Class of 2009 Graduation Yearbook | Platform | 3

This year has been one to remember for the Executive Committee of your Students Union. We have made big changes, set new standards and laid strong foundations for future years.

The year began with the biggest and best Welcome Week that Trent has ever seen and ended with the big-gest and best Graduation Ball that Trent has ever seen. In the mean time though, there has been plenty of other stuff to shout about too. We ran the first Education Cam-paign in living memory at Trent, raised over £56,000 for charity, sold out the Ice Arena for the Ice Hockey match during the best ever supported Varsity series, saw Trent Media gain national recogni-tion, ran blood donor sessions on site, were nationally recognised for our efforts to be an ethical or-ganisation, saw both Sports and Societies grow in membership, and importantly, we changed our constitution to allow the Union to better represent all Trent students.

All this, and everything else that we and the Union have achieved over the last twelve

months could not have been possible without the Students here and their undying love for Trent. Having all been Trent students we know how passionate people here are about their Uni and how amazing it is to be part of the Trent family, so we’d like to say a massive thank you to you all, not just for making this year an amazing experience but for mak-ing our whole time at Trent absolutely incredible.

Thank you everyone, and congratulations on your Graduation!

Love, Your Exec 2008/09

[Photos, from top: Sergi Arbusa; Katie Corbett; Patrick Taylor]


ABit ofContrastThis article was sent into Platform early in the year, with a letterattached that stated:

“I enclose some memories of my own student days. Compare with your own experiences.

Sincerely, Marjorie Brown – B.A. Dip. Ed. Dip, Child Psych”

As it provides some interesting thoughts we felt we should share it with you...

Hopefully it will remind us not to take everything for granted.

Love,Platform

“You may have seen students [or have been a student] stacking shelves in a Supermarket or helping in shops. These students are trying to earn some cash to pay off their debts that they accumulated whilst studying. Some are rich enough not to need to.

Now, all have some choice [in where they work] - as Wartime students, we had no choice. War work was com-pulsory, except for the lucky ones. I worked as a Welder in a factory, assuring that the tracks made by four other women that I worked with would not collapse in use on the Battlefield. Easier work for me was pick-ing the strawberries and potatoes and visiting social service clients and helping out in a Hospital. They even let me see operations.

Present day students would be appalled at our living conditions, sharing a room with three other students with a bitterly cold wind blowing through the board-ed up windows when we tried to light our one source of heat, a coal fire. How I looked forward to regular parcels of this black gold sent by my parents in Wales. One day a postman discovered our secret, a parcel once leaked. Sadly I had to report - no more coal supplies. Food parcels would have been very welcome. We were of-ten so hungry.

Our sufferings were nothing compared with those of sailors we saw, ready to risk their lives on Atlantic convoys, or the wounded soldiers carried to our local hospital. We remember the sad faces of French sail-ors, now homeless, their ship scuttled on Mersey Wa-ters. Though no-one took advantage of an opportunity to practice one’s French.

What most female students soon realised about the Uni-versity was the shortage of men. Exempt from military service, medical students were very popular!“


Somanymemories...

The best 4 years and I have

met some amazing people and

friends for life with lots of fun

nights out...Norton Court is the

best halls!! The best memory

has to be the grad ball and

making it till 7am with all my

closest friends.

T R E N T...WE ARE THE TRENT

ARMY:D.

All the best to everyone!!

Wai Lau There’s no possible way I could begin to reduce my three years at Trent into just one memory from moving into Sandby on that very first day I’ve felt honoured and privileged to be part of the Trent Army. First and second year held so many funny, but for me third year and being part of the well known Gedling Grove house (or G.G) has been amazing. Despite exams, essays, dissertations and documentaries these girls have been there for me when things have been tough and I hope I’ve helped them when they’ve had a bad time.

But of course the nights out are what has made Trent so memorable whether it’s a sit in in Ocean, arguing with the taxi driver over who dropped cheese in the taxi, being known personally at Tipoos, dancing on the podiums in Walkabout, fishbowls and triples in BZR, six room challenge in Oceana or VKs, double rodka bulls and the sports hall at Climax, I know Trent has made me the per-son I am today and I will ‘never forget’ it!Charlotte Frenchman

Field trips, Summer Balls, Candy

Floss and Katy the Carnie, Ocean,

Brackenhurst antics (we may be

a small campus but we know how

to have fun), Fresher Repping,

Campaigns Week, High School

Musical times with the Geogra-

phy girls, Wine nights...I couldn’t

pick one favourite memory! I’ve

loved my three years at Trent

and have made some amazing

friends!! I’m proud to be part of

the TRENT army! Xxx

Danielle Kirk

My favourite memories at Trent have to be 2009 in general. I had a wonderful friendship group that had had some changes over the 3 years but had been truly brilliant. Fly fm had gone from strength to strength and I was proud to be a part of the special things they did. I hosted an awards ceremony with Geordie Steph in front of 250 people, which was mental. Graduation ball was incredible. And I found a brilliant girlfriend to share all these great times with. University has been the best time of my life thank you to the people who have been a part of it. “We’ll get there fella. . . But we’ll get there laughing” XSam Jarrett

SickkkkkkkkO

timeO!! Best

four years

ever, onwards

and upward

to the class of

‘09’Lizzie Tottie Having THE most amazing time all of the time, abso-lutely loving University life and meeting some of the most fantastic people in the world! It is so hard to sum up my three years of University ... apart from to say that I have loved every single second of it! Xxx

Emma Louise Henson

I’ll never forget the chants, the banter and the

occasional streaker at the varsity series! My per-

sonal favourite memories have got to be those

spent at Gedling Grove in my final year. Com-

monly known as G.G and the Rowdy Girls house,

these girls have become my family! There have

been tears, laughter, fire extinguisher fights, GG

breakfasts and so many memories will remain

in that house! But through all the fancy dress,

oceans, kinkis (not making it out) carnages, 21sts,

‘WE ARE FRIENDS WITH....’ cocktail buckets, sick

buckets, Trent Kebabs and Tipppppppooooss,

I have had an amazing time and have been so

lucky to share it with my favourite people. I’ll

never forget T-R-E-N-T we are the Trent Army!!

GG AND CROMWELL WOOP...xxxx

Lucie Birkett So many incredible memo-

ries...after parties on the so-

fas, drunken trips to co-op,

sit-ins at drink the bar dry

and meeting the most amaz-

ing people. Best years of my

life... thanks Trent! Xxx

Terri Stern

Meeting everyone after a good night

out in Ocean in the 24 hour co-op in

West Bridgford. Passing on knowledge and a love of

Trent to the Freshers and watching them

make memories of their own. Rooth Cannavan

There’s quite a few but

the highlight has to be

sitting in a room with 200

Fresher Reps singing “Sex

is on Fire” on the last night

of Fresher’s week 08/09

– soundtrack of the year!

Thank you Trent for the

best years of my life, we

will miss you all!

AJ Souter

Being at Trent has been the most interesting,

rewarding and fun experi-ence of my life to date.

It’s given me many oppor-tunities and experiences

along the way that on walk-ing into Djanogly lecture

theatre in first year I never even contemplated. The

friends that I’ve made and the memories that we share

are all unforgettable. Highlights include, Law Balls!, Varsity Ice

Hockey, Platform, Trent Media, crazy walks home to Wezzie B

and of course the standard Trent Ents like , Kinki, The Big O and

obviously Climax. I wish everyone good luck in the future and thanks for helping

me make this yearbook happen. I leave with a smile on my face

and a song in my heart... T-R-E-N-T ...We are the TRENT ARMY!

xxxxxAmy V Gathercole

I can’t name just one best memory

but in Freshers my best memo-

ries have to be Templers and then

drunken walks to Oceana, I have

had so many amazing times at Trent

that were mostly down to my GG +

extras lovelies. I can’t miss out tour

with the Trent Tigers which was out

of this world! I have generally had

the best three years of my life, no

regrets at all!Beth Mullan Feroze

So many

memories... my best one being meeting my

girlfriend in the hallowed Church of Oceana on a Tues-day night... who is currently sat opposite me. My favourite

memory of a fantastic three years!

Drew Heatley


Somanymemories...

(And Jagerbombs + Ride + Ski + Surf!!)

My favourite experiences at Trent have been the Varsity series’ I love the rivalry, the camaraderie, the occasional streaker and most of all being game-side for a lot of the matches, photographing them for Platform.

Katie Corbett

The first day of university was a nervous one and a

scary one for me, as I had no friends, didn’t know

any teachers and before

this was generally ‘spoon fed’ so

was anxious! But within the first week I

knew many people and all the lecturers

and started to enjoy the experience im-

mensely, I now miss the good times and

wish all the best for my fellow students

and lecturers.Asim Wahid

The best

thing

about Trent has been life at

Brackenhurst, everyone knows

everyone, and it has its own little

community. I have met some of

the most amazing people there

some of which I know will be

friends for life. Brack also knows

how to have fun with great par-

ties, the best of which where the

Balls- all three of them!

Zoe Bingham

I can’t

believe it’s

over already! Great

memo-ries and fun

times with the most amazing

people :) Miss everyone already

and I have had some of the funni-

est nights out over the three years!

I love Trent!! x

Natalie Ward

My best memory has to be the fieldtrip

to Spain we went as first year geogra-

phers... it was so much fun and was the

first time I properly got to know some

amazing people! Brackenhurst has been

a great campus too and even though it’s

small, has thrown some wonderful balls

year after year! I will definitely miss be-

ing at Trent and I am so glad that I came

here... x

Amy Heath

My best memories from

the last three years mostly came in first year, when I met the most

amazing people in Halls MERIDIAN

COURT - loved you all. Also the law

balls from each year which have

given me some of the most awe-

some memories. XSarah Baker

The sheer number

of ring of fire

games with dif-

ferent people over

the years who all loved one

thing..getting drunk!

Craig Britzman

Jodie Hawk

sworth

Running stark naked

over Trent Bridge

Cricket Ground. Next ball

Trent take a wicket. Naked-

tastic.

Jonny Watkins

Making the most of final year with our parties at Pierrepont

Road with my amaz-ing housemates and

friends! XMelanie Ward

My best memory is at the after

party for Grad Ball -The last song

Never Forget- Take that. It was

amazing to see everyone getting

involved and loving it.

I’ll miss Trent, Good luck to eve-

ryone in whatever they do

x

Jenny Vesty

There are so many memories that

it’s a nightmare to think of the

best one but I’ve narrowed it down

to two. My first and last day at Trent;

1.) I was in a lecture surrounded by people

just as confused as I was. I struck up a con-

versation with two of them and we decided to go for a drink.

It was 11am, the pubs had just started serving. In an hour

we had a bottle of wine, a jug of woowoo and several shots,

at 12.30pm I was singing and dancing the YMCA outside the

YMCA and promptly fell off the curb! - Best 1st day ever!

2.) Graduation Ball. As I looked around at 7.30am, everyone

had gone and I didn’t feel sad that this was the end of my Uni

life, instead I was happy and above all proud to have been part

of something so amazing. Trent 4eva! X

Jen Skuse

Jack Gallon

Just one word – BAYWATCH!

TRENT = Amazing

friends

and

amazingmemories


Somanymemories...

There are way too many best memories! I’ve enjoyed every minute at Trent! Good luck to everyone for the future...Miss you all! XxxRaman Jagpal

I have so many

amazing memories

at Trent I wouldn’t

know where to start...

but I do know that I’m Trent until

I die!! I think I will cry myself

to sleep every Weds night that

I am not in Ocean for the rest

of my life! Hockey socials have

made my Uni life complete. I’ve

met some of the most awesome

people and I will never forget

any of them... I love you all xxxxx

T-R-E-N-T we are the Trent Army!

EPIC! Xx

Charlotte Brain

Mojitos in Coco Tang on the

most random night out with

Sarah and Erica, Sarah falling

over in town and sliding across

the ground in true style, Lauren falling

asleep on the bus on the way home from

the city and going all the way to the

airport, singing ‘lets all have a disco!’

loudly with the boys to wake the neigh-

bours up, every single fancy dress night

and generally dancing till we dropped in

Ocean.... I have loved every second!

Helen Louise Kimber We started the night going out for a few quiet drinks before ending up wasted trying to get into Tantra. To

get in we have to put our black socks over our shoes and in the case of one guy swap shoes with a guy going home just to get in. Ended up out of cash so using my credit card to buy drinks as we attempt to chat up any women in there before ending the night in the strip club with very little memory of anything apart from trying to convince the strippers that we’re pro athletes as they dance away .. epic!Drinks and Strippers - £150 each Awesome night out - Priceless!!!All topped off the next day when we go for a

good old Toby Carvery to chat and re-live the awesome night of Trent!!!!Ross Davies

There are way too many memories!

I will never ever forget Trent Army

and the amazing people I have

met, I will never forget Ocean EVER, I

will always remember Trent Women’s rugby

and have had the best socials ever but most

of all I will never forget the family that is

TRENT! Have amazing memories of Peverell!

(D BLOCK till I die!) Egging, food fights,

drunken messes, the beast, fire drills, cock-

tail night! ring of fire, flirt! Absolutely amaz-

ing and definitely had the time of my life!

My most treasured memories involve every

single one of the amazing people I have met,

feel totally lost without you all! The best

three years of my life! The after party was

immense! Still can’t believe it’s over but I

wouldn’t change a thing! X

Becca Gaffney

The best choice I have ever made was coming to Trent! The best three years of my life!-Trent Women’s Football Club has definitely pulled me through; amazing times, some

amazing people and memories I will never forget! -Swimming in the ‘Big O’ every

week! -Varsity series -Fresher Repping -Campaign week -Drink the bars dry...Clifton! -TOUR!!

I have met some amazing people along the way and you have all helped to make Trent the greatest experience it could have possibly been x x x

Emily Clare

There have been so many unforgettable

moments at Trent! Being part of the Trent

Army has just been the best experience

of my life! NORTON COURT and playing “who can bring the

most random item home on a night out?” was an in-

teresting game played- the car headrest, wheelbar-

row and 32” TV. Being taken home in an ambulance

and a police riot van were pretty special moments

too, especially when my dad organised a surprise

ride in a fire engine to take us to the last ever climax

to make it official that I’ve used all three emergency

services whilst being at uni! Through all the shots

,fancy dress, dipping, disco rooming,kinkying,carnag

ing,21st,table dancing ,bike rack riding ,Broadmarsh

sliding ,baywatching and KEBABISHing its been an

AMAZING time shared with AMAZING people!!Love

you TRENT xxx Vicky Irreson

I cannot even begin to imag-

ine my life if I didn’t come to

Trent! It has been the best

experience of my life and I

wouldn’t change a thing! Wednesday

nights with HOCKEYYYY have by far

held my fondest memories!!! The bar

crawls (and the entertainment that we

came across between each bar) then

ending up in Ocean...AMAZZZING!

Also first year at GILL STREET was just

awesome!!!! Throughout my years at

Trent, I have met the most amazing

people who I know I will not loose

touch with! It has been full of such

fun, happy times xxx

Kajal ‘Tina Turner’ Vaghji

The Point in Clifton around the regulars’ table carries the most memo-ries where I met loads of people and made best friends! Good times that will be missed xxxMona Nanamy

What can I say!

Trent has been

the best time of

my life! All the

friends I made which I will

not forget for life and all

the crazy nights we’ve

all been on! It’s just been

amazing!! Xx

Jiggy Desai

Peverell fire alarms...although annoying was very funny seeing who left whose room. The bomb scare in first year of Uni

when we all had to wait in the car park in bare feet.

Nearly getting an asbo in second year and stealing money around the bar at the end of each flirt and of course the baywatch song... fun times xxx

Laura Martin

Consequenc-es, Piction-ary, ring of fire, bully drink-ing and curries at the Birrell Road Massive! Danielle Povey

Most of my best memories of Trent are from my final year, although I had some fantastic nights out in Year 1 as a Fresher - Templars before Ocean and Oceana were amazing, pitchers AND Pro Evo, what more could you want?

I made loads of friends in the IR Soc, went to some cracking house parties and had some great nights out; also, running in the elections was such an exhilarating experience, a true roller-coaster of emotions.There’s only one regret - that I didn’t do things right from the beginning, and that I didn’t do even more! But it’s been a truly great trip, and I would like to thank everyone who’s contributed to all my good times!

Giuseppe Lab

Everything about Trent has been

amazing! Freshers week was such

a blur, my favourite memory was

a huge game of “I have never” be-

tween the reps and the Freshers. ( I can never

look at some people the same way again!)

The last few weeks were amazing, with boat

trips, Oceana, the return of Templars and sit-

ting on the floor and refusing to leave at both

Ocean and Drink the Bar Dry! The Grad Ball

was just fantastic, with great acts, an amaz-

ing after party and not getting to bed until

9am! I wish I could be a student forever but in

the words of Take That, my uni song, “We’ve

had good times” but “soon this will be some-

one else’s dream!” Trent Army forever!!

Emma Jane Stephenson


Somanymemories...

My best memories of TRENT are the Rufford 05/06 crew, Flirt! on Friday nights and bo-geying behind the bar at the point, 64 Melton

Road and the slip and slide, Ocean and the cra-zy kinki costumes, Rocky City and the tattoo abuse, Born in the 80’s rave!, Drinking the bar dry on a termly basis, Brack Ball, Grad Ball and Surviving to 7am! All the best to every-one who’s graduating this year! Thanks Trent! Xxx

Gemma Jardine

Definitely Trent rugby Un-

ion varsity, 06,07,08 and 09!!

The best atmosphere ever, and

playing in front of the Trent

army is immense!! Also Callela

Fest....fantastic memeories! x

Katie Astbury

Business School lecturer Vince Sax-on, locking the freshers in the lec-ture theatre shouting at everyone for

about an hour. We never did see him again...

Tom Cockeram

The first ever Varsity Ice Hock-

ey I saw when Trent were los-

ing badly but came back in the

last 5 minutes to win, I couldn’t

speak the next day from all the

chanting and abuse we threw at

the Notts scum.

Dominic Lindsey

There’s just too much I could write here. Volunteering: Running soci-eties (+ all the wicked things I got to do in them), I.E. throwing con-doms at people, painting all sorts of things, fundraising for the “Random genocide” (I’m saying “Rwandan”, I swear!). Nights out: Scummy Ocean with the Baywatch theme and fancy dress (Kinki!), Pound a Pint at Varsity, LEG WOBBLER, cheap pitchers at Templars, going canoeing in the arboretum drunk, library drunk, Victoria Centre pool drunk! And of course the absolutely unforgettable Gradu-ation Ball (survi- vor!). Nights in: sledding down the Gill Street hill, 15 Waverley street mansion (do I need to say more?!). Above it all are the amazing people I’ve met along the way, I love you guys, and you’ve made university the best three years of my life! It’s a shame the degree got in the way...

Rob Netherway

Trent = cracking

R a c h e l O’Brien

Every memory at Trent has been

amazing, but my best memories have

been made in Ocean and at 6 Colville

Street, from the Sainsbury’s delivery

man to watching Harry trying to feed

her car chicken. Each moment will nev-

er be forgotten!!

Shehzana Dharamsi

Loved every minute of it, the worst m e m o r y in three years was

finishing...

Dominic Hay

The best three years of my life!! I will never forget all the great nights out, I think ocean has to sum up the best nights at Trent, all the costumes, cheap drinks (that seem to spill more on you or the floor than actually in your mouth) and the song Infinity! WE ARE TRENT ARMY :)

I’ve loved every single day of my time at Trent and have met so many amazing people that I will never forget, I want to thank EVERY sin-gle person who has been apart of it. Special thanks to Tanya who has been one of my best friends throughout these three years and just wouldn’t have been so amazing without her.

Good luck to everyone for the future, stay in touch and hope to see you all again one day x x x

Chloe Voller

My friends and the rugby girls have made my time at Trent. Being here for 3 years makes me think I’m still going to see these people everyday day rest of my life. I struggle to think I might not hear from them or see them everyday now I have left

Trent.

However my memories are social nights, shopping trips, random trip to hospital, drink-ing and nights out on socials and the dip in the ocean every Wednesday. Loves it xxxx

Charlotte Stearman

I enjoyed the grad ball

just ‘cos it was a great night to spend with my

friends before I had to say goodbye and move back

home!Jules Mann

I have loved every minute that I have spent at Trent!! It really was the best choice I have ever made!! I have so many amazing memories here and its all because of the amazing friends that I have made over my three years. Being part of the Trent Army could possibly be the best thing I have ever done!

Grace Sharpes

I loved everything about being at Trent. The memories I have are of all the amazing people that I met here. They are the best friends anyone could ever wish for and I will never forget a single one of them. Coming to Trent was the best decision I ever made.

Sinead Ann

My best memories of Nottingham are how me and my friends would always leave our work to the last minute, usually in favour of the pub and then complain how much work we had to do! Most of all I will miss the banter! Would I do it all again...T.R.E.N.T!! (Hart, J., 2009. I hate harvard referencing, 22(07), pp...)

Jack Hart

I am proud to be from Trent and I don’t think a lot of people can say that about their University. Climax, Oceana, Ocean, DV8! Var-sity, Brack Ball, Exec Elections, Initi8, RaG, travelling to Newcas-tle and losing 15-0 playing Table Tennis! Hitchhiking to Dublin and doing anything else apart from assignment s! I have loved every moment, from Welcome Week 2005 to The Survi- vor’s photo after Grad Ball, but none of it would have been worth it without the people I have met along the way. I have definitely made some friends for life! Good luck to every-one graduating this year!

Dominic Smith

Meeting Rachel O’Brien has to be the single greatest moment not only of university but of my whole life.

...On a more serious note. Best three years of my life. The de-gree is the least important thing that I’ve gained from it. The most important? The amazing people I’ve met who I will never forget (in-cluding Rachel O’Brien) xLiam Wilson

Studying at Nottingham Trent has given me some of the best memories that I will cherish forever (T.R.E.N.T. WE ARE THE TRENT ARMY!). Not only have I met some of the greatest people who I know

will carry on being great friends, but I have had the experience and independ-ence to find out just who I am. I even surprised myself with a good degree haha!!! I’m very sad to be leaving, but good luck to everyone who is graduating and good luck to my friends graduating next year. Miss you guys.

Hollie Marshall

Going to Trent Uni was one of the best de-cisions I’ve ever made, I’ll never forget the amazing friends I made and the awesome nights out from going for a dip in the ocean to

boogying in the disco room at Oceana! The graduation ball was a night I’ll never forget, I love you all guys and good luck in the future! T.R.E.N.T WE ARE THE TRENT ARMY!!!XXX

Sentho Pembleton


Platform meets…

Platform: Is performing gigs exclusively for University students unusual for you?Calvin Harris: Recently no, we’ve been doing quite a few uni balls, and they’ve been interesting. We’ve done the whole spectrum of uni balls. We didn’t really do that many before.

P: Would you say they’re bet-ter crowds?CH: You can usually rely on a uni ball crowd to have imbibed a certain amount of alcohol, which always results in a better reaction. So the answer is yes, these gigs tend to go off that little bit extra.

P: Your first two singles propelled you into the

mainstream quite quickly. Would you say there is extra pressure on you to keep the momentum going?CH: I don’t really know, I just sort of muddle on, and just make songs as they go. There was never really any pres-sure to do a second album; the Dizzee record was just a stopgap between the two. It just ended up being bigger than anyone thought it’d be. It’s just been a mixture of luck, timing and the fact that the songs were good. It’s a good mixture for me.

P: You’ve got the album out in August; have you got a lot of festival activity this sum-mer? Dizzee played Reading and Leeds – do you think

you’re diverse enough to play these?CH: I think Reading and Leeds are the ones that I probably couldn’t do. I think it’s a rocky crowd, and not many people have seen the live shows, but maybe after they’d seen it they’d think it could go down at Reading and Leeds, but just seeing your name on a Reading and Leeds bill, I think people would immediately have an adverse reaction to that.

P: Your success didn’t happen overnight; what do you think of this ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ culture with the ‘overnight celebrity’ phenomenon?CH: I think that’s fine; eve-ryone has their place in that

sort of thing. We’ve always had talent shows; I remember Sheena Easton won a talent show and no one was bad-mouthing Sheena Easton. So it goes back way before most people were born, who are complaining about it now. It’s making money, and people like to make money appar-ently, so this is why they exist. And it’s entertaining as well, it’s a TV show and it’s good to have a laugh at other people’s expense – everyone enjoys it. If I walked up on the stage now and I fell over, 99%, possibly 100 would be pissing themselves! A person falling over is one of the fun-niest things you can see. It’s one of the most basic human needs to see someone suffer,

and get pleasure from that, it makes everyone feel better and that’s why we laugh.

P: You’ve produced some songs for Kylie on the X album, and recently turned down working with Lady GaGa; what do you prefer – producing or performing?CH: I like making songs, that’s one of my favourite things to do. The whole reason I get to perform is because I make the songs in the first place, so I would always pick mak-ing songs.

P: You were nominated for a Brit Award and an Ivor Novello; if you could win any award, what would it be?CH: It’d be a Grammy wouldn’t it? The Grammy’s the one; it’s the award to win. Not a Brit Award, are you kidding me? No, a Grammy, they’re the ul-timate awards. But numerous wise men have said awards ceremonies are shite unless you actually win one.

P: I read an article some-where recently that you said you ‘re-invented disco’…?CH: That’s PR nonsense. You see you make a record then give it to the record label, and then that’s where all the problems begin! They need to sell the record, so they need an angle from which to sell the record. That’s how they work, that’s not how the people who make music work. So that’s what they get on with, and I end up answer-ing the questions that they came up with, so it comes full circle.

P: Are you affected by the re-views you read, do you think, “that’s not what I’m trying to say at all”, or are you unaf-fected?CH: Now I think fuck it, but I always read reviews - I think everyone does. You can usu-ally work out from the review if they don’t really get it.

P: As someone who has set

their goals out and achieved them, what advice would you give to the guys and girls graduating right now?CH: I would say be cynical. Don’t trust anybody! Be happy above anything else. Be happy and cynical, you can’t balance those two!

P: Finally, how on earth did you film the video for The Girls?CH: Heavy medication! You can tell at the beginning I’m very jaded and emotion-less!

Interview conducted by Drew Heatley and Graham Taylor

Background Photo:David Baird (www.david-baird.co.uk)


The After Party was a newly added bonus this year, and went down as a great success in Trent history - hopefully a tradition that will now con-tinue year on year. Most people just did not want the night to end, and so the partygoers poured in through the doors of the familiar SU. The usual DJ’s were hard at work to keep us awake, the drinks were as cheap as ever, and the energy was eclectic.

As time ticked on and on, and the clock struck 6.30am, with the Survivors Photo drawing closer, the music took a different turn and all the classic Trent songs began to play. The arms went up around one another, people climbed up onto one another’s shoulders, and the circles enclosed whilst the tears began to flow as the entire room belted out the familiar lyrics of the comforting sound of Take That singing... “We’ve come so far, we’ve reached so high... we’ve looked each day and night in the eye and we’re still so young and we hope for more...” for the final time.

So, Trent, in those immortal words “we’ve had success, we’ve had good times,” and I hope that you all remember this.

Amy V GathercoleEditor

Graduation Ball 2009 Review:

There have been many words that I have heard used to describe what Grad Ball was, and EPIC is the one that I feel best describes it.

I’ve not spoken to a single person who did not have a great time. For the graduates - you did it! Grad Ball was your final night at Trent, and the Survivors Photo proves just how much stamina the Trent Army really has. And for the non-graduating attendees, you’ve got it all to look forward to again. From 7pm – 7am we partied, danced, sang our hearts out, cried our makeup off, and enjoyed what really was the best night at university (for a lot of people.)

It began with people arriving in their masses - girls in their posh frocks and the boys all suited and booted - to be greeted by fire breathers on stilts, whilst having their photos taken (which you can find at www.takethatphoto.co.uk) by the professionals, and then on into the arena itself to be greeted by curtains and twinkling lights.

The guests then entered through the draped curtains to find themselves transported into a beautiful setting including a casino and circus-style stalls. Walking through further, everyone could then see the huge stage in the arena where the entertainment for the night would later echo from, and in front of which everyone would dance ‘til their feet hurt. The main event began with the ever impressive and energetic Feeder, then rocked out to new boy on the block Calvin Harris’ disco reinventions, through to a powerful and pounding DJ set from Pendulum. All in all, very memorable... well, depending on how much alcohol you consumed!

18 | Platform | Class of 2009 Graduation Yearbook

Takealook

inside

[Grad Ball Photos (pages 20-37): Stefan Ebelewicz]










Official Graduation Ball

2009 Survivors’ Photo

(Taken at 7:00am on Friday

19th June 2009)

Photo: Patrick Taylor


The Killers - When YOu Were YOunG: With an aptly euphorically nos-talgic tone, The Killers pro-vide the perfect soundtrack to growing up, moving on, and looking back.

elBOW - One DaY liKe THIS: A glorious and celes-tial celebration of love, life and the simple things. This will see you right.

lCD sOunDsYsTem - all mY FrienDs: This triumphant tune from the disco-infiltrating dance-punk pioneer soundtracked many a night of ecstasy, reminding us that its your friends that keep you dancing.

We are sCienTisTs – AFTEr HoUrS: Last year’s indie anthem to those ten-der drunken moments of romance. Altogether now: SAY...THAT YOU’LL STAY.

rADIoHEAD – 15 STEP: Artful, experimental, epic, understated yet com-plete, the opener from In Rainbows is an orgasmic electro-rock Odyssey. [Andy Trendell}

heaD auTOmaTiCa - BeaTinG hearT BaBY: A Rock City main room clas-sic. Sing, dance, and drink cheeky vimto... Good times.

PenDulum - FasTen yoUr SEATBELTS: Yes, all Pendulum songs do sound the same... Regardless, this is a huge tune to kick start any party.

sOulja BOY - CranK THAT: Doesn’t matter where you are, if you’re out this WILL get played... and everyone WILL do the dance like it or not.

FranK Turner - a lOve WOrTh KeePinG: Mellow, heart-wrenching, beautiful, worth keeping.

OPeraTOr Please - leave iT alOne: Prob-ably the best thing to come out of an Australian Battle of the Bands, ever.[Sarah Harrison]

FeDDe le GranD – PUT YOur hanDs uP FOr DETroIT: This track an-nounced our arrival at Not-tingham Trent – the iconic dance number peppering

many a Climax Saturday and had all our drunken hands in the air.

enTer shiKari – Sorry YOu’re nOT a Win-ner: Enter Shikari hit the ground running with this dirty great tune mixing heavy rock with some elec-tronica, whetting students’ appetites for the up-coming festival mosh pits.

Foo FIGHTErS – THE PreTenDer: Dave Grohl and his band of merry men smashed back into our consciousness with this frenetic rock track, which rightly became one of the Foo’s most popular.

FALL oUT Boy – THIS ain’T a sCene: Their most successful charting single to date, the Chicago quartet deliver a call to arms against the preference of style over substance of the ‘emo’ social scene. KinGs OF leOn – SEx On Fire: The sons of a preacher man conquered the mainstream well and truly with this song and it’s immense hook, and eased

us into our final year of studies. [Drew Heatley]

iGlu anD harTlY – THIS CITy: A timeless slice of good old fashioned pop-rock (this one’s for you Pete)

M.I.A – PaPer Planes: None can deny the sheer class of this song. It’s also the perfect opportunity to pretend to be far more street than you actually are.

This TOWn neeDs Guns – 26 is DanCier Than 4: This indie floor filler, with its mathy, quirk-pop tendan-cies saw us through many a sweaty night out in 2nd year.

seCOnDsmile – THIS IS YOur hOme TOWn anD iT’s CuTTinG YOu: An epic and intense post-hard-core anthem to soundtrack the experience of being away from home for the past 3 years.

exPlOsiOns in The Sky – The BirTh anD DEATH oF THE DAy: A slow-burning, sky-reaching post-rock classic. Everyone should have this in their lives. [Graham Turner]

Honourary Extras:alPhaBeaT - FasCinaTiOn: The word is on your lips...

BlaCK eYeD Peas - BooM BooM PoW: Because we’d hate to seem 2000 and late

vamPire WeeKenD – A PunK: Ey Ey Ey Ey!

rihanna – UMBrELLA: No, you’ll never escape it. We won’t let you.

FoALS – CASSIUS: Math-ematic glory.

DIzzEE rASCAL FEAT Calvin harris – DanCe Wiv me: S’up darlin? I’ve been keeping my eye on your movement...

miChael jaCKsOn – YOu Wanna Be sTarTin sOmeThin’: RIP. We will miss you x A.T.

To listen to this playlist using SPOTIFY, rear-ranged so it makes party sense, head over to www.ntumusicplat-form.blogspot.com

- Peace and love x

Platform’sGraduation PlaylistPlatform Music’s graduates’ soundtrack to the university years

FavouriteFilms fromUniWe asked some graduates which film most reminded them of their time at Trent. Here is what they said...

“Top Gun ...I attended a screening at the little known charming cinema, The Savoy which was a special screening which is a annual event where people dress up and it was a predominantly student event.“Sarah Hemsworth

“St.Trinians... It reminds me of uni and girly nights in full of giggles... ‘Snakes in the Grass’”Rebecca Wood

“Anchorman... I watched it for the first time during Welcome Week in 2005 and have laughed so hard for the past four years, watching it with various groups of friends that I have made along the way.”Dominic Smith

“Legally Blonde... since first year, around revision time or just when I felt that my degree wasn’t fun I watched this and realised how unrealistic it all was...but it did teach me the meaning of Mens Rea!“Amy V Gathercole

“Hot Rod... The perfect student film, it comes from the comedy genius of Saturday Night Live stars ‘the lonely island’ and is without a doubt one of the funniest films and it shows that, if you put your mind to it...you can achieve ANYTHING! (Cool Beans!)“Melanie Ward

“Van Wilder... obvious reasons... being at uni for too long... having too much fun and nearly not getting a degree!!”Sarah Mason


Three years ago the new Trent freshers poured onto campus

in their thousands ready to make new friends, have some fun, and most importantly, complete a degree that would help them prosper and flourish in their future careers.

Few would have banked upon graduating in the worst eco-nomic climate in 20 years, in the midst of a global recession. The Class of 2009 will also be the most indebted in history thanks to the £3,000 top-up fees, mean-ing students face the highest graduate unemployment levels in a generation, coupled with the worst finances. Hardly the help-ing hand most were expecting from their shiny new degree.

Predictions suggest that 40,000 students will still be looking for work in six months’ time, which could help tip the figure of unem-ployed under-25s past the 1 mil-lion mark. Whilst student loan repayments won’t start until one is earning £15,000 per year, many students can’t help feeling aggrieved; this isn’t exactly what they signed up for.

More students than ever before are opting for an extra year of postgraduate study in a bid to ride out the worst of the unem-ployment battle, but statistics suggest that graduating in 2010 holds little hope for an economic improvement. Paul Redmond, head of careers at Liverpool University, said: “Since the onset of the credit crunch, demand for careers interviews has increased by 30%. We are also noticing a huge increase in demand for work-based internships, volun-tary work and part-time jobs.”

Another tactic to evade the quest for jobs is to go travelling. The student travel agency STA said it has seen a 14% rise in applica-tions for working visas, indi-cating that more students are considering travelling and work-ing abroad this year, despite the harsh economic conditions across the globe.

But is burying your head in the sand really the answer? Just because the competition is fierce, it does not mean failure is inevi-table. Employers now, more than ever, are searching for independ-

ent, industrious and hardy can-didates - so that year travelling on your CV might hinder your prospects rather than aid them.

Increasing numbers of students are turning to bar and retail work to make ends meet, yet at least this displays a work ethic to any potential employer. A will-ingness to get your hands dirty in order to get to where you want to be is an attribute that may well put you head and shoulders above the rest.

Just because something is diffi-cult, it does not mean we should not try. The jobs are out there, they’re just tougher to find. They’ll be harder to get, but the sense of achievement should you get one will be ten-fold. Trent students have continually prov-en that they’re bright, enthusias-tic, resourceful students - which make for exciting, individual and employable graduates. Don’t be tempted to shy away from the challenge. If something’s worth having, you’re going to have to work for it.

Lucy Knighton

Got that interview? Here’s some top tips to ensure you set off full-steam ahead into your new career:

1. PREPARE

Everyone is going to be a little nervous, but doing some background research on the company and researching a few potential questions should ease any major tensions.

2. PRESENTATION

If you dress professionally, chances are you’ll feel professional and act in an according manner. Employers want to see that you’ve made and effort, and are serious about the position.

3. ANSWER TRICKY QUESTIONS WELL

Be prepared to explain any gaps in your employ-ment. If you went travelling for a year, explain why you think that experience makes you a better candidate. Don’t just say you felt like a year-long holiday, you’ll appear work-shy.

4. INTERVIEW THE INTERVIEWER

Go with a few questions of your own, you’ll seem engaged and enthusiastic. There’s nothing worse than the interviewer asking if you have anything to add only to be met with deafening silence.

5. RELAX!

You need to let your personality shine through, which won’t happen if you’re a gibbering wreck! Breathe, speak clearly and eloquently and try to be as natural as possible.

Lucy Knighton

Class of 2009: The Yearof the Harsh Reality


Even though you’re graduating, you can still take part in Unionactivities like Sports Clubs, Societies and Trent Media with an

NTSU Associate Membership - for just £10 a year!

Email [email protected] for more info and anapplication form.

Graduationis notgoodbye!Following your graduation you join the ranks of more than 85,000 alumni worldwide, and will remain a valued member of the Nottingham Trent University community.

Membership of the Alumni Association is free and automatic. Just keep in contact with us whenever you move on in your personal or professional life – we really want to hear about it!

Nottingham Trent Alumni Online is the Alumni Association’s web portal for all former students of the University. Visit www.ntu-alumni.org.uk to find out more. Soon after graduation you will be able to register to use the Alumni Online community area where you can search for Nottingham Trent University friends, add messages and photos, and update your details, all in a secure password-protected environment. You can also register for an ntualumni email address.

Also, as long as we have your up-to-date mailing address, you will receive Network, your alumni magazine. It’s packed with news about your fellow alumni, your university, events and reun-ions and developments in Nottingham. You can pick up the latest issue from our stand in the Byron building on graduation day.

The Alumni Relations team wishes you the very best with your plans for your career or further study. We hope that you will remember with pride and affection your achievements at the University as well as the city and the friends you have made.

Remember to send us copies of any great graduation photo-graphs. We look forward to hearing from you!

[email protected]

Benefits for you!Don’t forget - membership of the NTU Alumni Association is your passport to some great discounts, offers and special deals. Take a closer look at just a few examples of how you can benefit…

Food for thought with the Gourmet SocietyAs alumni of Nottingham Trent University, the Gour-met Society is offering you a 14-month membership for just £25 (normally £53 for 12 months) when you join quoting promotional code NTU. To find out

more, visit: www.thegourmetsociety.co.uk.

Get into the swing of things at Go Ape! Climb rope ladders, swing into giant nets, zip wire through trees, crawl through tunnels and inch along high-wire bridges. NTU alumni get a 20% discount off of the normal entry prices. To find out more visit: www.goape.co.uk or call 0845 643 9215.

Enjoy the sporting life with the NTU O2 fitness suitesMake the most of special discounted Sport and Fitness Membership at NTU. This offer is available if you join Nottingham Trent Students Union as an Associate Member (£10 annual fee). You will then

become eligible for Sport and Fitness Membership for less than half price for the academic year.

Plan that dream holiday withCottages4YouExclusive 10% discount on holidays booked through Cottages4You. The 10% discount applies to enchant-ing properties - from castles and villas to farmhouses and sites - throughout the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Visit the Cottages4You website at www.chooseacottage.co.uk/partners/NOT Alternatively call Cottages4You on 0870 191 7829 and quote NOT10.

For a full run-down of the many benefits available to alumni, visit www.ntualumni.org.uk

Class of 2009 Graduation Yearbook | Platform | 45

Earlier in this year I met Raz, 44 - an entrepreneur, who graduated from Trent with a BSc in Medical Sci-ences. He is now a very successful Restaurant owner and lives with his wife and family in Nottingham.

His restaurant, Curry Lounge, was picked pretty much by chance to appear in the now famous Gordon Ramsay television series, Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares on channel 4. Since then the place has become fa-mous, with crazy fans of Ramsay’s dining nightly.

Raz told stories about some of his more eccentric clients. One con-cerns a woman from Texas and her husband who took a two hour drive

to the airport in the states and flew to the U.K with the sole intention of dining at Curry Lounge; they stayed in a local hotel for the night and flew back to the USA the following morning. The woman is somewhat obsessed with Mr Ramsay and has flown all over the world just to dine in his restaurants; she left with hundreds of photos.

Another bizarre story involves twelve pilots from a Singapore Air-lines. They had seen Curry Lounge featured on the television show on their in flight entertainment system, and decided to turn up, didn’t book a table or anything.

One of the most extraordinary tales

that Raz told me about was about the best and most extravagant tip he has ever received. He received a booking via phone and thought it was a wind-up, so when the day came for the Russian party to dine he was expecting his friends from the casino around the corner; and not a limousine to pull up outside the restaurant and a Russian entrepreneur and his entourage to get out. Once he recovered from the shock, Raz served them. They enjoyed their evening so much that when it came time to pay the bill they left a rare Siberian diamond as an extravagant tip!

In the time between leaving Trent and owning his own business he travelled the world working for medi-cal drugs companies, in his words “I worked with Nytol... a drug that sends you to sleep and I worked with Viagra... a drug that does the opposite!” He literally lived out of a suitcase for two years as a successful travelling salesman and sales director and saw the world. He gave it all up when he turned to charitable work which he refers to as “incredible”. Since the success of the restaurant he has set up a charitable Trust too.

In 2004 he was asked to attend a confer-ence in Turkey. He was reluctant as it was in the area where bombs were being dropped, so he was in grave danger, but went anyway. He also attended a confer-ence in Iceland where the company had hired Boney M to play exclusively for them on a floating iceberg. “Wearing a tux and a fur coat is not exactly everyday attire...”

He realised that the lifestyle he was leading was no longer for him when he was at a conference in Cuba in 2005 and he heard Michael Jacksons’ Man in the Mirror playing. This is when he first started to doubt that he wanted to do this for the rest of his life. When he missed the birth of his second daughter that is when he realised he had had enough, she was a week premature and he was in Istanbul.

He spoke to me about his experiences at University, some which are pretty impressive, and somewhat controver-sial. One, which is particularly relevant

to us at Platform, was when he posed as a rogue reviewer. The Black Orchid (now known as ISIS) was having its opening night in his first year so Raz and his mate (accomplice) Paul Travers fibbed their way in to the club, interviewed the manager and managed to score their own bar tab for them and their ‘associ-ates’ for the rest of the evening!

When talking about his days at Univer-sity he remembers Clifton as his “home”, and recalls a few anecdotes about his time there. Some of the crazy antics that he and his friends were involved in are outrageous and one even resulted in a sternly worded letter of warning being

sent by the Dean of the University! Raz and his friends decided to seal off an entire common room in H Block and cre-ate their own sauna using several flat’s kettles, with over forty people enjoying their accomplishment. He also assisted in the removal of his friends’ entire bedroom and supervised its relocation to the lawn, including power.

As his final words of congratulations Raz wanted to pass on the following to the graduating students of Trent: “Don’t get hung up if you cannot get a job in the same area as your degree, of all the people that I studied with only a hand-

ful actually has a job that has something to do with their degree”. He also urged, “you should take any job that you are offered as it is easier to get a job once you’ve had one... waiting staff, call cen-tre, anything just take it!”

He says that he personally owes a lot to Phil Bonner

”who was my tutor, as when I was involved in a car accident he was very understanding and even sent me bags of coursework to do”.

“I was fortunate to meet six/seven people on my first day at Trent that I spent the next four years with. They are now living and working all over the globe but we all still make the effort to keep in touch. In fact, some of the boys contacted me through Facebook after the T.V series aired and all came in one night and had a curry.”

Amy V GathercoleEditor

“Don’t get hung up if you cannot get a job in the same area as your

degree; of all the people that I studied with, only a handfulactually has a job that has

something to do with their degree”

Alumni ProfileArfan “raz” razak – Graduating Class of 1995


AlumniProfileLouise “Squeeze” Holland – Graduating Class of 1988

The woman behind one of the UK’s most phenomenal fundraising success stories was chosen as NTU’s Alumnus of the Year for 2008. We caught up with Louise Holland, who is still racing - and raising -for life. Louise studied at Clifton cam-pus whilst at Trent and her memories of Trent range from legendary 12-legged pub crawls that began in Old Market Square, to having difficulty dressing 6ft 6 (or so) men in bras and skirts for Netball socials at The Palais (now known to us as Oceana) for the 80s equivalent of Kinki Klassmates – “School girls and perverts”.

Initially upon leaving school, Lou-ise wanted to be a criminologist or a

forensic scientist. It was only when she discovered that Trent offered a Disability in Sport module that her mind was made up she was going to university in Not-tingham.

Ever-modest Louise Holland couldn’t have been more surprised when she heard she was Alumnus of the Year. Her instant reaction was: “But I’m only doing my job!” That job just happens to be a role in which she has supported the bat-tle against cancer by helping raise some £300 million. For Louise is the motivat-ing force behind ‘Race for Life’ – the annual women-only 5k run which has grown to become the largest fundrais-

ing series of its kind in the UK. Such has been her impact in advancing a worthy cause that the BSc (Hons) Sport Admin-istration and Science graduate won the Alumnus of the Year vote by a distance.

The award was launched last year to recognise alumni for their outstanding achievements, professional success and contributions to society. Louise, who is Local Supporter Fundraising Director for Cancer Research UK, said: “I had to read the letter several times before the news sank in. I feel honoured, excited and privileged - especially as it’s all come about because I’m simply doing a job I love.” She added: “I like to think the award reflects the dedication of everyone involved in our campaigns. I meet a lot of amazing, brave people who have suffered from or been affected by cancer. Their inspirational stories make me want to con-tinue doing my job as well as I can.” Louise, who graduated in 1988, was nominated by Principal Lecturer in the School of Education Doug Williamson. He supervised her disserta-tion on disability and sport in schools.

Doug said: “Always popular and sociable, Louise shone out amongst her peers through her pure energy and focused approach. It’s no surprise she has gone on to achieve so much for this worthy cause.” It was while working on her dissertation that Louise decided on her future career. She worked with the Brit-ish Sports Association for the Disabled before joining Cancer Research UK in 1994 and taking over the running of ‘Race for Life.’ Under her direction, the

event has grown meteorically. This year it raised more than £55 million as almost 700,000 women took part in 260 events countrywide.

The money raised goes directly to-wards pioneering work to help find new treatments for cancer. Now in charge of both national events and community fundraising, Louise admits her job is as challenging as it is rewarding. Her target is to raise some £110 million this year, a tough call even though she now has a 291-strong team as well as a cause which has captured the goodwill of the country. She would love to see one

million women taking part in ‘Race for Life’ one year: the record so far is around 750,000. The race concept is constantly developed - this year a 10k version was piloted. Looking back at her NTU days, Louise said: “The learning I gained - to-gether with the life experience of study-ing in Nottingham - helped make me who I am today. As for Doug Williamson, he’s a great lecturer. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have gone into my first job in disability sport.” He is the man who supported her dissertation, which she was so keen to do that she even started to write it in her second year. Louise refers to him as her Guru.

University is where you make great memories and Louise shared with us some experiences from her first day at university. “My dad was talking to another girl’s dad, the girl was wearing a blue pencil skirt, a red and white striped top and had a perm (it was the 80s), and this girl was called Cathy Lowe and is now the Godmother to my daughter. We met on the first day and were insepa-rable throughout uni as we studied the same course and we are still best friends today.” She also talked about how she came to have the nickname “Squeeze”, she assured us that it is not for inde-cent reasons and is quite innocent. “On

my first day a Freshers rep decided he disliked my nick-name and so gave me a new one, which by the end of uni everyone referred to me as, even lecturers. I remember on one occasion that someone rang the house and my mum refused to let them speak to me until they called me ‘Lou-ise’ as opposed to ‘Squeeze’.

She would like to congratulate all of the graduates at this year’s ceremonies and imparts the following advice: “Always follow your heart, do what’s best for you and not what anyone else tells you.” She explained that “I was advised to do a gap year and travel the world - instead I ignored this advice and applied for a job which I was not qualified for nor had the experience in... but I got it.” She and her husband are now looking forward to taking a “gap year” later in life upon her retirement.

Network Alumni Magazine & Amy V Gathercole, Editor

“I was advised to do a gap year and travel the world - instead Iignored this advice and applied

for a job which I was not qualified for nor had the experience in...

but I got it.”


Memories of Trent...We have already spoken to many members of the Trent Army about their best memories of being at Trent, but here is space for you to all do what a yearbook is all about: write personal messages to one another that will make you laugh, raise a smile, or even remind you of the embarrassing times and make you cringe for years to come!Here are several pages for you to do just that... what the heck, go crazy and stick in a photo or two...






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Grad-Issue-Cover-Spread.pdf 03/07/2009 17:25:56

Documents

2008-09 Graduation Yearbook