News cont..

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CCE students awarded OCN certificates

A group of students with learning difficulties and disabilities were recently awarded certificates from the Open College Network, in a ceremony at the Gardner Arts Centre. The students were studying with the Centre for Continuing Education on a European course, which was funded by the European Social Fund and local authorities.

The course included a two-day trip in May to Bruges, where the 25 students stayed on a barge. As well as visiting churches and a chocolate factory, they took a boat trip on the canals and toured the town by pony and trap.

Changes in the Information Office

The annual Information Office party in July marked the departure of Sue Yates after nine years as Information Officer. Sue has moved to Bramber House to become Head of Student Support and Deputy Director of the new Student Services division.

Graduate intern Sally Hall also left this summer. Sally is now working part-time for the Evening Argus, which is sponsoring her to train as a journalist at Brighton College of Technology.

If you have any stories for the Bulletin or for local and national media, please contact Harriet Sexton (Assistant Information Officer and Bulletin editor) or Alison Field (Acting Information Officer) on ext. 8888. Email internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk or information@sussex.ac.uk, as appropriate.

Because of these changes in the Information Office staffing, we regret that the Bulletin will appear only fortnightly during the Autumn Term.

Warning!

Staff and students are asked to refrain from using staples to seal envelopes. There has been a recent number of incidents in which people have been hurt trying to open envelopes with staples in them.

Please also note that the Post Office will refuse to handle letters with staples in envelopes as they also have experienced the same kinds of accidents.

Music student hits a high note

Ekaterini Karamessini, a music research student in CulCom, has won the 1999 American Express Composition Competition. Her prize is the sum of £1,000 to cover the full costs of preparing a new choral work for the Chanctonbury Chorus.

The competition was open to any music student at Sussex and the jury consisted of the choir's conductor, Siobhan Denning, and Michael Finnissy and David Osmond-Smith from the University. Ekaterini will submit her complete score to the choir by the end of October. Rehearsals will begin in January 2000 and the work will be performed in June in St Peters Church, Steyning.

Litter Action Week

The week beginning 18 October has been designated 'Litter Action Week' by the University's Environmental Representatives' Network in cooperation with the Buildings and Services Division. Staff and students are asked to be aware of what they do with litter and waste and to take note of the following points:

• Please close bin lids after use.
• How adequate are waste facilities in your part of the University? If you need recycling bins, contact the Buildings and Services Helpdesk on ext. 7777.
• If you put up posters you are responsible for following Conference Office or Students' Union guidelines. Cleaning costs may be passed on to you if you ignore them.
• Cans and bottles left on lawns and pathways are dangerous.

During the Litter Action Week graffiti will be removed from the underpass under the A27 and the steps and path will be cleared up. Children in the crèche will be asked to tell off grown-ups who drop litter. You have been warned ...

Summer Graduation

University Chancellor, Lord Attenborough, personally shook hands with 1500 students at the summer graduation ceremonies, which took place at the Brighton Centre on 13 July. Twins Sarah and Rachel Webster celebrated their success after they both gained a First in Social Anthropology. The path of the twins' lives has so far been very similar and looks set to continue that way.

Having taken the same A levels, Sarah initially went to study at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies, but found she didn't like the expense of living in London. She came to Sussex because she was attracted by the course - not, she claims, because she couldn't be parted from her sister. However, they did live together in their second year and study in the same School (AFRAS). They also took identical subjects throughout their degree which, according to Sarah, was due to the fact that "We both have the same interests because we grew up together".

Sarah and Rachel are currently both training to teach English as a foreign language. Next year they plan to take a Masters in the same field as their first degree, with a view to working in India eventually.

Sarah (left) and Rachel Webster are delighted with their degree results.