Monthly Archives: October 2017

SHART ATTACK

From: Mike M. Shart, VC, Lune Valley Enterprise University (LuVE-U)
To: All staff
Cc: Hewlett Venklinne, Head Coordinator: Credence Coordination
Subject: Our Latest Accolade

Dear all,

Jubilations aside, allow me to express my jubilation at our jubilation!

You won’t have failed to notice that LuVE-U was mentioned in the press this week. But this was no ordinary press mention – we have been named ‘Higher Education Provider of the Year’ by none other than the Racing Post! Now, some of you may be asking why a publication that deals solely with horse racing would dedicate a front page to exulting us as its designated Higher Education Provider of the year. Indeed, I asked myself the very same question, but Hewlett assures me that this only goes to show how deeply we have penetrated the public psyche. That LuVE-U could possibly catch the attention of a publication so distracted by matters other than HE is a boon, I am told.

Hewlett also tells me, on an entirely unrelated note, that the hot tip for this Sunday’s race is ‘Buffalo Catscan’, and that a tenner on the nose for Buffalo Catscan to win wouldn’t go amiss. Hewlett also tells me that by way of gratitude, in keeping with the highest academic tradition, we should all unite in purchasing a copy of the Racing Post from our nearest newsagent to read precisely what the publication has said about us – some sort of copyright restriction prevents me from sharing the related text in full, apparently.

So yes. Let’s all buy the Racing Post to see what they said about us. And, by way of continued gratitude, let all 20,000 of us take an interest in the racing and buy the Racing Post every day, for all the Racing, Cards, and Results. Explore our Horse and Jockey Profiles, only in the Racing Post.

All the best,
MMS.

THEATRE REVIEW: THE SUITCASE

Lancaster University had yet another works outing at the Dukes on the 28th September. Your correspondent is sure there were some people at the show who were not Lancaster University employees but that particular evening it did feel that they were very much in the minority. They were gathered to watch a performance by the Market Theatre from Johannesburg, South Africa as part of a five city English Tour. The play was ‘The Suitcase’ as developed by the company’s artistic director Sibongeleni James Ngcobo from a short story by Es’kia Mpphahlele. Based on a true story, the play tells the story of a newly married young couple (Timi and Namhla) who leave their rural village in 1950s South Africa, for the bright lights of Durban. With few savings and scant possessions and no work to be had Timi, brilliantly played by Siyabonga Thwala, starts to lose his moral compass. Desperate to provide for his pregnant wife he steals a suitcase not knowing what might be inside; an act which has frightening consequences.

On a wooden pallet in the centre of the stage stands a table, chair and a shelf. To one side of the pallet is a small wooden bench; to the other, a dustbin. The sprawling, hostile city that surrounds this one-room hub is brought to people-filled life by two ‘storytellers’, Molatlhegi Dube and Nhlanhla Lata. Timi’s route through the city circles the little room where Masasa Mbangeni’s Namhla tries to keep hope alive.

Hugh Masekela provided the perfect soundtrack to the piece – bright, jazz shaded with blues and echoes of hymns (a stunning live vocal trio and guitarist), which amplified the story’s scope.

This was one of a three night run at the Dukes and was a wonderful experience, evocative, visual, moving and full of sharply detailed performances, humour and deep humanity. Of course the relationship between the University and the Dukes is a symbiotic one but on nights such as these we should be very pleased, living in our small provincial city perched on the North West corner of England, that we have access to such high quality international theatre.

LETTERS

Dear subtext,

Can anyone who saw this kind of behaviour from doors [see article on weird door behaviour in subtext 165] let me know which ones? Most of the access controlled doors are supposed to fail open, especially those on fire routes.

I’d like to investigate ones not doing the right thing if they’re ours,
or pass them over to Facilities if they’re somebody else’s.

Regards,

Tabitha Tipper

********

Dear subtext,

I have been grateful for your coverage of the spine remodelling project, as well the various questionable and expensive projects that the University has taken on in past year. Given this, I thought you might be interested to see this pamphlet (http://tinyurl.com/yc7txqw5) that me, Joey French and few other disabled comrades produced, written to spread information about and critique the remodelling project currently underway on campus. (It cites your newsletter as well.) They have already been distributed at Fresher’s Fair Part 1 and to school tours; people seem interested to know the full extent, expense and effects of the project, and we intend to continue distributing throughout this term.

Keep up the good work,

JN Hoad