Saturday, May 17, 2008

Academia

I thought that I would show you a glimpse of the place that I am working....University College Cork.
I work as an examinations invigilator...well someone has to do it!!

The photos were all taken with my camera phone so don't expect too much.
the University was founded in 1845 and was called Queens University part of Queens University Ireland until 1908. It is now a constituent College of The National University of Ireland.
The campus with its Tudor Gothic Quadrangle has to be on of the most beautiful places to learn that I have ever seen.


The lawn is cut into 4 sections by paths but rarely do you see anybody walking along the. To do so is said to be bad luck...as in failing ones exams!! The one time that they are used is on graduation day when the graduands walk along them in their gowns to the ceremony.



Lots more buildings joined the quad as the university expanded, some architecturally uninspiring but more recent ones compliment the quad and are architectually stunning I think.

This is the new students union building. I often supervise in the De Vere Hall at the top of the building used also nowadays for graduation ceremonies as the Aula Maxima can no longer cope with the numbers.





There are two cafes on the ground and first floors and looking out from the upper one you can see the new building the O'Rahilly Building housing the language departments.



This new area with it's circular amphitheatre incorporates another old building the Honan Chapel





Built in 1916 and named after the Honan family it has the most stunning mosaic floor







and stained glass windows by Harry Clarke.




There is frequently a wedding to be seen from the cafe on a well earned coffee break. Nowadays both bride and groom have to be graduates of UCC. I had thought my daughter might get married here but they opted for the College Chapel at University College Galway...see the very beginning of this blog!

This week I was suprised to see crocodile files of primary school children walking round the campus. Nothing suprising in that except that they were all wearing gowns, an academic experience very reminiscent of Hogwarts. I am sure the kids loved it.

Strange because this academic experience is not as true as it used to be as gradualtes don't see a gown until the day that they graduate and rarely own one.

In my day..in another life in another University we had to buy an undergraduate gown, very plain..hard wearing material and not at all fancy.
Those in halls of residence had to wear the gown for meals but for me the only time I wore it was for the lectures of a certain Professor who insisted on this...it was rather nice really except when you forgot to bring it and were turfed out of the lecture!!

My gown has come in handy on several occasions tho'. I used to have a flair for dressing my children up for the local fancy dress competition and this is what I dressed my daughter in when she was tiny. Shortened the gown to fit and made pipe cleaner spectacles and a papier mache mortar board. Complete with degree certificate and a copy of one of her dad's books .. she was following in father's footsteps!



Little did I know she would almost equal her dad (still one degree behind him!) and finally graduate with a PhD leaving her black gowns behind.



This is her dad at his D.Sc conferring in his glitzy gown,



'twas the only one of his conferrings that he ever attended and he did that only to please his mum and dad who were so proud of him ( we were too!!)
Now isn't he just something!!

Oh, and I did dress my son up once as a smurf..his favorite..good job that wasn't prophetic and he didn't turn blue and end up as one!

8 comments:

  1. Pamela,

    This is a beautiful campus. I love the mosaic floor. I'd love to explore this college as would my daughter. Thank you for sharing the pictures. Your daughter looks so cute in the cap and gown & glasses. Then all grown up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's just beautiful -- I even liked the stormy sky picture. It's so very green! You're absolutely right about the mosaic floor. The university I went to has a "quad" with those intersecting walkways -- but they were always crowded with students. As for "robes" they were something we wore around the dorm to cover our jamies! We did get to wear robed to graduate, but did that in the basketball arena, not very glamorous.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm so glad you sent me here! The college is gorgeous. I would love to visit. Your daughter is a little doll and I know you are very proud of her and your husband. Thank you so much for sharing this glimpse into your world.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Pam,
    I love all the pictures! I must come visit one day. You must be very proud of your daughter...what a cutie pie.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love looking at the pictures (even the old ones). How I wish my universities look like this. The one I'm taking my master's, Open University Malaysia is in the heart of town and its a rental. But I heard that they have shifted to the main campus which is modern but more fitted for a university. I will be visiting there when I have to meet up with my supervisor. I am now just doing my project so hopefully by September I have graduated with a master's.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You know why it's so green don't you..cos it rains all the time!! hence the stormy sky!
    I guess the intersecting walkways are a University classic.
    It is funny that the students NEVER walk across them.
    Robes over you jamies is a great use for them.
    The university I went to in Wales was very modern not a quad in sight.
    Cork is lovely especially because the stone was quarried on site and the quarry was used as a sunken sports pitch 'til they built a library in/on it.
    The mosaic floor is way better than I have shown when seen as a whole. We get loads of Americans touring the campus.
    My daughter is still a sweetie, so is her dad.
    Zarina what are you doing your masters in??

    ReplyDelete
  7. Pamela

    I'm doing multimedia communications. My background is electrical engineering but I like the social (ppl) aspect of ICT. My project is on www.BookCrossing.com which is my other love beside tatting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Zarina that sounds fab. I read all about bookcrossing ages ago but I can't remember if I actually did it, I think I did but i have never found one. Must do it again.
    Your project must be interesting.

    ReplyDelete

I love to read your comments, it keeps me going....but please do not use my real name in your comments or on your blog. Tatskool is my online name and I love it.