Sail Magazine 2020 [Eng]

CENTENARY EVENTS

CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY

2020 was supposed to be the year that we celebrated our centenary. However, the extraordinary and devasting effects of the pandemic across the globe, have rightly taken precedence instead this year. Since opening our doors 100 years ago we have innovated, collaborated and grown into a dual campus, world-class institution which serves its community, educates its people, tackles global problems and provides a home for many; our achievements have impacted the world in many ways, and we are extremely proud to have reached this significant milestone in our rich history. Unfortunately, we are unable to celebrate these achievements in the way we had planned, so we have taken the difficult decision to postpone all physical centenary events in 2020. Instead, alongside the crucial donations we receive from our generous supporters, £200,000 previously set aside for our centenary celebrations will be used to fight Covid-19, support our students, and drive innovation, as we begin our next 100 years. While we are disappointed not to be celebrating in person with our alumni, staff, partners, students and friends, we must ensure the safety of our communities and acknowledge that this is a very difficult time for many of the Swansea family. So, in order to keep our Swansea University community entertained and informed during lockdown, we have hosted a series of events online, with more in the pipeline.

On the 29th April, Varsity went virtual. Our student sports teams pitted themselves against arch-rivals Cardiff in a range of online challenges, such as Rugby Ball Keepie Uppies, The Dizzy Penalties Challenge, The Snorkel, Too Hot to Squat and much, much more. Over the course of the day, Swansea triumphed by 17 – 14 to claim the Virtual Varsity crown. A fantastic day culminated with a Virtual Varsity Quiz hosted by Welsh International, Ryan Jones and featuring a host of alumni and friends including Liz Johnson, Paul Thorburn, Alun Wyn Jones, Michael Sheen, Max Boyce and Eddie Izzard. On the 13th May, alumni gathered on Swansea Uni Connect to share their photos and memories of their time in Swansea. During the event, more than 350 photos were shared – spanning 100 years of Swansea University.

CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU’VE MISSED:

All the photos can still be viewed on the photos and albums section of SwanseaUniConnect.com Watch the Varsity video here Swan.ac/virtual-varsity

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