E is for… Exams [ABC Sundae]
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Examinations are a necessary part of the University experience, like it or not. The interesting thing about exams for Honours classes (at least for Politics Honours) is that we don’t have exams at the end of Term 1, but on the other hand, we do have up to six of them during the Spring exam season. That means less panic right during December, less studying in a cold flat while wearing eight layers of clothing and a woolly hat, less stress right before the holidays and essentially more holiday days. Not bad.
Everyone has their own ways of going about exams, and there are so many things you see at every single exam. You see some people with their heads on the table for quite a bit of the exam, some with piles of pens just in case they all break, some with several cans of energy drinks and a large bottle of water, and some who seem to be able to write like there’s no tomorrow from the very beginning of the exam to the very end. Someone always has a cough, someone always has a runny nose, someone just can’t sit comfortably and keeps shifting (which makes a lot of noise in Bute Hall), and someone always needs to go to the bathroom several times. Never seen anyone fall asleep, yet, although at one exam one person did have their head on the desk for most of the exam. Anything I’ve forgotten?
Which ones of the above are you guilty of? I always have a lot of pens and drinks with me, and a flu every now and then.
Which brings me to something I realized a while back: why are exams during the times when everyone has a flu or a cold or hay fever?
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Giant Halloween Spider
In celebration of Halloween, a spider I encountered while taking photos around campus. This particular photo is from the staircase from the 11th floor of the Boyd Orr Building, one of my favourite spots for a good panoramic view of the Gilmorehill Campus of the University of Glasgow. That particular view can be seen here.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
James B. Thomson
On the side of the Thomson Building is the above inscription, which reads:
This extension of the Anatomical Department was erected by the trustees of James B Thomson from funds entrusted to them for distribution amongst such charitable and benevolent or educational institutions in Glasgow or the West of Scotland as they themselves may select.
There have been quite a few people called James Thomson at the University of Glasgow, and the two most famous ones, a father and son, died in 1849 and 1892. The father was an Irish mathematician, notable for the formation of the thermodynamics school at Glasgow University, and the son was and engineer and physicist at the University. They are both somewhat overshadowed by William Thomson, the former’s son and the latter’s younger brother, who became to be better known as Lord Kelvin.
Then again, the James B. Thomson mentioned above could be another James Thomson altogether.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Thomson Building
The Thomson Building has probably the most unfortunate location on campus, being tucked away just next to the grand Sir Gilbert Scott Building, the University’s Main Building. Still, it does contain within it something quite exquisite: the Anatomy Museum, now known as the Laboratory of Human Anatomy. It was named in honour of Allen Thomson (1809-1884), Regius Professor of Anatomy from 1848 to 1877. The building, originally built around the same time as the Sir Gilbert Scott Building, was extended in 1908 and 1977.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Medical Fridges
And to cap off the quick tour of the Links buildings, a chance encounter with a row of fridges casually chilling in the hallway at the eastern end of the Davidson Building. If there’s anyone out there reading this who knows, care to divulge us on what the fridges hold within them? I assume it’s not just snacks and lunches.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Davidson’s Stairs
I do quite like photographing staircases, don’t I?
That’s the staircase at the eastern end of the Davidson Building. Had a bit of difficulty finding my way out of the building, having gotten lost the entire way around the three linked buildings. I thought I’d walk through quickly from one end to the other in about 10 minutes, but I ended up spending a half an hour trying to find my way around.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Medical Links
A different kind of a panorama, this one inside the Wolfson Building, where the medical buildings link up, taken from above the courtyard. Took a few tries to get this picture, finally ending up taking a panorama of the view. If I had a better camera and a different lens, it probably would have been significantly easier. Still, quite like the outcome.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Medical Lab
Trying to peek into some rooms in the medical buildings, but unfortunately all the doors were closed or there were people around who I didn’t feel like disturbing as they worked. From what I can deduce, quite a bit of the floor space of the West Medical Building is reserved for medical laboratories, such as above, spread out over an interestingly confusing inner layout.
Any medicine student or others familiar with the West Medical Building, Wolfson Building and the Davidson Building know of any interesting and perhaps even hidden aspects of interest in the aforementioned buildings? Or precisely what goes on in the buildings?
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Medical Literature
Thwarted in my effort to photograph the West Medical lecture theatre, I decided to make the most of it and quickly exploring the three linked building in the south-west corner of campus. The West Medical Building and the Davidson Building are connected by the Wolfson (Link) Building. It’d just take me 10 minutes to walk from one end of the linked buildings to the other, right?
Quite soon, in the West Medical Building, I got lost. Somewhere in the middle I fond the above staircase, neighboroughed by an old (at least old looking) bookcase, filled with a random assortment of medical literature. I assume this doesn’t count as a departmental library, does it?
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
West Medical Building Lecture Theatre
I went on a small quest to photograph the third largest lecture theatre on campus, the West Medical Building’s Lecture Theatre, located in the south-west corner of the Gilmorehill campus. I’ve previously partially shown the part of the building where the lecture theatre is located, but I wanted to get a look at it from the inside.
Unfortunately, upon walking into the building to possibly photograph the lecture theatre, I was greeted with the above sight. Demolition? Or refurbishment? Is the lecture theatre also facing the same treatment as the Boyd Orr lecture theatres have received? I’ve been told by some that this was one of the nicest lecture theatres at the University of Glasgow, so a refurbishment and modernization might take away from it’s previous glory.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
No Cuts! No Fees!
Student’s protesting education cuts and tuition fees at Glasgow University after the Government’s Browne Review was released, with proposals for significantly raising the tuition fees for English students and cutting the teaching budget. While Scottish students (and non-UK EU students) pay no tuition fees at Scottish Universities, raising fees in England would have a knock-on effect on Scotland’s Universities. Then there’s the cuts to education budgets. Pictured above is the No Cuts! No Fees! protest march at the University of Glasgow on October 20th, 2010.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
SRC Autumn Elections 2010
It’s election time at the University of Glasgow, with the SRC’s Autumn Elections. It might have been the cold, or the shortage of candidates, but there were significantly less people out campaigning this time around. So, a different view of the elections this time.
I’ve actually been mulling a run for a position in the SRC in the March elections.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Inside Gilmorehill Centre
Recently the Gilmorehill Centre has been serving the University of Glasgow as the Gilmorehill G12 Centre, housing the Film, Television and Theatre Department along with a functioning theatre (the James Arnott Theatre, a cinema (the Andrew Stewart Cinema) and conference centre. There are also modern offices and classrooms. (If you’re looking for the classrooms, there are two ways of getting to them: the long way and the short way. The short way is just right of the entrance, the long way is to the left.)
Interestingly, if you visit the GilmorehillG12 website at http://www.gilmorehillg12.co.uk you will be greeted with the words “Gilmorehill G12 is now closed”. No matter where I look I can’t find any information on why it’s closed, when it closed and what it supposed to be now. The University’s websites either still list it as G12 or ignore the new development completely. Anyone know more about what’s going on with the Gilmorehill Centre, or is it merely a cosmetic change?
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Gilmorehill Centre
Interestingly, not one of the three churches on University Avenue, former and current, have a spire, and the Gilmorehill Centre is no different. Built in 1877, it was originally known as the Anderson Free Church and was built by the same guy who made the Stewart Memorial Fountain in Kelvingrove Park, James Sellars.
In 1963 (or the 1950s, according to some sources) it came into ownership of the University of Glasgow and was converted into an examination hall. In 1997 it was renovated to become the Gilmorehill Centre with funding from the Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund and the Gifted Seats Scheme.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
D is for… D’oh! [ABC Sundae]
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How do you spell “University”?
Found this on a receipt from the Glasgow University Registry back in September. I’d call it quite embarrassing, but for the fact that I make that same mistake way too often when I’m typing quickly. (If you ever spot me making that mistake on this blog, please leave a comment on that particular post or photo.)
If anyone reading this wants to notify the Registry about this little blunder, feel free to do so. I’d assume someone might have noticed this by now, but you never know. I’ve featured a similar spelling mistake before, this one on the wall inside the Wolfson Medical School Building. That one’s been corrected already, so I don’t think this one will stick around for so long.
Do you know of any other glaring spelling mistakes around the Glasgow University campus?
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Save Otago Lane
A substantial number of people (some say over 1000) took part in a protest march around the West End, raising awareness for the potential fate of one the quaint lanes the West End is known for. This particular lane, Otago Lane, is located a few blocks east of the Glasgow University Union, and boasts several very interesting old shops as well as a speciality tea house called Tchai Ovna. They’re all under threat from a building proposal to replace the lane with tall modern residential blocks.
I took the above photo as the march was proceeding on University Avenue towards Byres Road and the other well-known small lanes down that way, namely Ruthven Lane, Cresswell Lane and Ashton Lane.
You can find more information about the effort to save Otago Lane by going to saveotagolane.co.uk/.
I’ve uploaded a bunch more photos of the protest march on Flickr, which you can find under “Glasgow Events”.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Twenty’s Plenty in the Autumn
The last of my autumn views of Glasgow University, for now at least, is also my favourite one of the lot. Technically it’s not specifically from Glasgow University, but close anyway. The tree and the speed limit sign is on University Avenue, by Ashton Road, across the street from the Sir Graeme Davies Building.
Now, fingers crossed that we get a very white winter in Glasgow so I can post a bunch of snowy scenes of the University.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Autumn on Hillhead Street
Just up the road from the University Library is a block of mid to late 19th century tenement buildings on Hillhead Street. Although a large number of the 19th century buildings were bulldozed in the latter half of the 20th century to make way for new university buildings, thankfully a number of them have remained on campus.
The tenements on the left contain departmental offices, such as Psychology, and student halls of residence, for the lucky ones who get to stay in halls on campus and live just a block from the Library.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Rising Above
More autumn colours, with the tower of the Glasgow University Library sticking out from between the trees on Library Hill.
Here’s a question: does anyone know if it’s possible to get up to the very top of the tower to look out of those small windows? I assume the view from up there is quite impressive.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Autumn on Lilybank Gardens
I recently featured Lilybank Gardens on this blog, but with autumn under way, I figured I just had to post this photo of the green space in all its autumn glory. On a related note, as I’ve mentioned before, Lilybank Gardens is one of the most underused green spaces around campus. Question is, why hasn’t the University utilized the space better, perhaps by adding a few benches, perhaps a few flower beds, even a small rose garden? Or are there possibly plans for construction or such?
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Autumn in Glasgow
The most colourful of seasons, as seen at the University of Glasgow. The above scene is from Library Hill, looking up at the Fraser Building and the Round Reading Room.
Seeing as how I have in previous years at Glasgow forgotten to capture the autumn landscape, I made an effort to counter that this autumn. In keeping with that, I’ll post some autumn scenes from the University of Glasgow in the following days.
The problem I now have is that I took too many autumn photos around campus and I’m having a hard time picking a select few.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
QMU Coaster
Another random discovery, in the Board Room of the Queen Margaret Union. The Union’s don’t really use their coats of arms as much as I’d personally prefer. Then again, it might just be me. Just feel that the use of the coat of arms would add to the prestige of the union (plus a coat of arms on the QMU building might make it look a bit better). At least they use it on the membership card, which is a nice touch.
Wonder how old that coaster is? It looks quite well used.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
Accountancy Hallway
Ever wonder what the Lion and Unicorn Staircase leads to?
The answer is, it leads to the Department of Accounting and Finance. How they landed one of the nicest departmental entrances on campus, I have no idea. The Staircase in question is just behind the doors in the middle of the photo. To the right is the reason I went exploring in this part of the Main Building, which, unfortunately, was locked at the time I was there. Some other day then. This is in continuation of my plan to explore the Main Building more thoroughly this year.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
GUU Shop
Haven’t been to the Glasgow University Union for a while, so here’s a shot from the GUU Shop, coupled with a hint: if you’re buying University merchandise, basically folders, hoodies, calendars, and anything else with a University of Glasgow coat of arms on it, there are four shops on campus that sell such products, with varying stock and more importantly varying prices. To get the best price on whatever it is that you’re buying, say, a University scarf, check the GUU Shop, the QMU Shop and the University’s Visitor Centre in the Main Building for the lowest price. If it’s folders or such that you’re after, the John Smith’s Bookshop in the Fraser Building is the fourth place to go check the prices at.
[Sept-Oct 2010 Poll: What societies have you been a member of at Glasgow University?] Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below! © 2010 GlasgowUniPhoto.com
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