News

Top venue award

Essex students have the number one venue in the country on their doorstep.

Sub Zero, the flagship Students’ Union nightclub, was recognised by the entertainments industry as the 'Best Students' Venue in the UK' at the British Entertainment & Dance Awards, held at the Birmingham NEC. It saw off competition from the likes of Sheffield, Loughborough and Leeds Universities.

Formerly known as The Underground, the £1.25 million Sub Zero opened at the start of the 2006/07 academic year, following the biggest redevelopment project in the Students’ Union’s history.

The venue now plays host to some of the biggest names in music and live entertainment, with recent visits from DJ Paul Oakenfold, and pop princess Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Students’ Union Vice-President (Finance and Services), Phill Pearson, who received the award from TV broadcaster Patrick Kielty, said: 'We’re absolutely delighted that the industry has confirmed what we’ve known for a year – that we provide Essex students with the very best night out.'

Tickets for events in Sub Zero are available to students, staff and the public. For further information, see: www.essexstudent.com.

Sub Zero

Celebrations at Southend

Southend campus has scooped the Celebrate Awards 2007 Regeneration Award for the ERDF Business Innovation and Incubation Centre project which has provided £3.5 million towards the impressive building.

The Celebrate Awards showcase some of the achievements which have been made possible, in part, to European Funding. They recognise projects, people, businesses, places and communities which have benefited from European Structural Funds.

The Regeneration Award acknowledges projects that have successfully demonstrated great steps towards regeneration in the community through innovative builds. Projects demonstrate how their building project focused on regeneration of a place or area which bought about a positive change to the local community.

Director Linda Jones, who has now left her post to become executive director of the university centre in Peterborough, said this achievement was a wonderful way to mark the end of her time at the university.

 Julie Jones, Business Hub Manager, and Andrew Luff, Head of European structural funds at EEDA

New space

In memory of Professor Thomas Puttfarken who died suddenly a year ago, a new common room has been created in the Department of Art History and Theory.

Known as Thomas’s Room, the relaxing space has been created in Professor Puttfarken’s former office, using sofas from the iLab and the colourful theme is continued with an art deco vase from his personal collection.

A portrait of Professor Puttfarken, who died on 5 October 2006 at the aged of 62, painted by former colleague John Nash decorates one wall.

Departmental Administrator, Libby Armstrong, said: ‘This room was his home. He would love the fact that we are now using it in such a way, we held some of the welcome receptions for new students in here.’

Professor Puttfarken was Head of Department at the time of his death, a position he held four times during his career at Essex, which spanned more than 30 years.

In addition a new departmental library has been set up, including more than 3,000 books donated to the University by Professor Puttfarken’s family.

Head of Department, Professor Peter Vergo, said: ‘The generosity of his family in donating his collection will greatly benefit all the staff and students. The intellectual legacy of these books is terrific.’

The library will double in size under the care of Tim Laughton, teaching fellow and librarian, as he brings all the works in the department together.

The Development Office and the Department of Art History have established a fund in memory of Professor Puttfarken. The Fund will be used to support post graduate art history students in their studies.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund can contact the Development Office for further details, telephone 01206 873412.

Staff and students can relax in Thomas's room

Also in the printed November edition of Wyvern:

• iLab new look
• Chinese links
• Top venue award