An Open Invitation…
Our Alumni Trustee, Jevon, has something to ask his fellow UoN alumni…
As an Alumni Trustee of the Students Union, I’ve been aware of the new Waterside Campus for some time. But driving along the A45 at the weekend I finally saw the cranes and construction at the campus site and it made me realise that it really isn’t that long until we say goodbye to Park Campus.
Now, I’ve been lucky to have retained enough of a connection with the university that I have been able to see the many changes take place at Park over the years, but the finality of a new campus makes me wonder how many of my fellow alumni have had the opportunity to see the changes? I wonder how many of us would like the chance to say a last farewell to it.
“spending time as a student at the university (or Nene College as it was back in my day) provides you with connections to people that make a significant impact on your life.”
I know harking back to the formative years and reveling in nostalgia doesn’t always appeal to everyone, but spending time as a student at the university (or Nene College as it was back in my day) provides you with connections to people that make a significant impact on your life. And from what I can garner from the alumni on my social media accounts, a lot of friendship groups from those university days do survive (and have done). The university was never too large to be too daunting and its size always made it feel like one unified community than several disparate ones.
The out of town, green location (which may have been a pain to get to for those not staying in halls of residence — and I was one for my whole three years) always felt welcoming. The halls of residence may have undergone small changes and changes of name, but they remain essentially the same. I find that even now with all the newer buildings, the university retains its allure; everything from the big, gold seal to the green fields… even the old lodge house at the front.
So my question to you, fellow University of Northampton/Nene College alumni, is shall we say a fond goodbye to what once was our community before it is transformed into homes? Can we have one last nostalgic visit to Park Campus for old times’ sake? Perhaps it will inspire a visit to the new campus so that we can see what we could bring to recreate that special community for future generations.
Jevon Corbett
University Of Northampton Students Union Alumni Trustee
