Tag Archives: student

Jul 12 2025
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Daily Post, Family Member, Portrait

Joe prepares to graduate

Friday 11th July 2025, 1.45pm (day 5,069)

Joe, graduation photo queue, 11/7/25

The photo of Joe (with Clare) on 9/9/2021 was the last one of him taken before he headed north, to Dundee, and his studies at the University of Abertay. 1,391 days later, here he is at the other end — his graduation ceremony. Yes, of course I am a proud parent, how could it be otherwise? We cannot know what his future will bring, but he has made it to this particular transitional point relatively unscathed, at least. Congratulations to him and everyone else from Abertay (it’s a small college and so got through the entirety of its graduations in two ceremonies today: at Manchester there are three ceremonies a day for two whole weeks).

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Jun 27 2025
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

Keela’s rig

Thursday 26th June 2025, 11.00am (day 5,054)

Keela and VR rig, 26/6/25

It’s nice when my students can still impress me, and, currently, Keela’s dissertation project is certainly doing that — although I can’t tell you what it is, not for any sinister reasons but just because it’s not finished yet and not my business to tell you. But, yes, it involves virtual reality, she doesn’t wear a rig on a regular basis. I do not believe my office noticeboard has featured before so there you go, a chance to check out the randomly accumulated display of items upon it for the first, and who knows, perhaps the last time.

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May 07 2025
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Studious contemplation

Tuesday 6th March 2025, 9.35am (day 5,003)

My last scheduled day of on-campus teaching in this academic year. Very few turned up, but that’s OK, it was an optional class. Hopefully they are all off in studious contemplation somewhere, like she seems to be: although quite probably she’s just checking social media while she has her fag.

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Mar 01 2025
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Daily Post, Interior

Study space

Friday 28th February 2025, 9.10am (day 4,936)

Not many students are seen on campus at just after 9am on a Friday, then again, nor am I, all that often. She seems engrossed enough in something, anyway. I hope I managed to keep my class entertained too.

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Aug 21 2024
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Daily Post, Urban scene

Making an effort

Tuesday 20th August 2024, 8.40am (day 4,744)

Empty campus, 20/8/24

The title of this post can have multiple meanings today — for me, and, presumably, for him. Being on campus at all in August requires some kind of effort, but particularly at 8.40am: this is actually the earliest Manchester shot I have published in well over a year. But we were both there, and my day went well enough: I hope his did too.

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Mar 09 2024
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Daily Post, Interior

At uni, late

Thursday 7th March 2024, 5.05pm (day 4,578)

Late uni class, 7/3/24

I am not often to be found at work after 5pm — not ‘in the office’ anyway — and heaven forbid that uni’s now seemingly random system of allocating timetable slots gives me a 5-6pm class next year, or any other year. I can feel the ennui even when spying on them from across the corner of the Ellen Wilkinson Building.

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May 17 2023
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Daily Post, Interior

Study space (abstract)

Tuesday 16th May 2023, 2.10pm (day 4,282)

Study space, 16/5/23

Did something I have not done for 11 days and went onto campus. It seemed busy today: ‘revision week’ has kicked in. This student was one of many using the various little pods and cubbyholes that are littered around the place. This is intended as an abstract, a study in yellow (or is it green?), shapes and shadows. And portrait format rather than landscape, something else I don’t do much of lately.

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Feb 11 2023
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Daily Post, Portrait, Stranger

Rock photos exhibition, UoM

Friday 10th February 2023, 1.10pm (as you can see) (day 4,187)

Rock photos exhibition, 10/2/23

So little time do I spend on campus these days that I had not noticed the great exhibition of old Manchester rock scene photographs in the main canteen, in University Place. Some superb pictures: notice Ian Curtis to bottom left, the rest of Joy Division above, and then Tony Wilson, Peter Saville and Alan Erasmus (Factory Records more or less) under the relevant sign.

Fantastic to look at; but I wonder whether it’s wasted on the students, most of whom, let’s face it, have been born since 2000 AD and unless they have very cool parents haven’t the slightest idea who Joy Division are or ever were — particularly if they come from China. It’s not a value judgment.

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May 08 2022
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Daily Post, Interior

Dim sum

Friday 6th May 2022, 1.25pm (day 3,907)

Dim sum, 6/5/22

Treated myself, and my PhD student Steve (well, we split the bill) to a rarity for me, a working lunch, courtesy of the huge Tai Wu restaurant that sits just next door to the campus. And the dim sum were very fine. I’m still glad it’s Friday, though.

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Dec 05 2021
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Daily Post, Friend, Portrait

The ‘Bistro de Paris’ (Manchester version)

Saturday 4th December 2021, 6.15pm (day 3,754)

Mithila and colleague, 4/12/21

On 4th December 2020, a year ago, I had my one and only day of face-to-face teaching in the whole of the academic year 2020-21. The students last year had a difficult time of it for reasons that were totally (taken) out of their control, but most of them made it through. Including Mithila, seen on the left here, who as a result of having finally received her results, invited me to have a mulled wine on her at the Christmas market. Cheers, and well done all. (And hi to the colleague too, who clearly wanted to be in on the photo as well.)

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