Versa: Issue Ten

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OA News
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PADDLING TO
Success
KINDNESS
A Pocket Guide
FROM MATHEMATICS
To Hurricanes
WENDY FANG AND MICHAEL LEVENE (OA 1984)
Congratulations to Michael Levene (OA 1984), who
has recently won a major title in the 2021 US Open
Mixed Doubles Table Tennis Championship.
On Thursday 16th December 2021, Michael and his
doubles partner Wendy Fang (pictured above), were
awarded first place in the Over 50s category in Las Vegas.
Michael said “It was a tough match, we saved numerous
match points in both the semi-final and final but managed
to find inspiration and focus at exactly the right moments
in our matches. Titles are not won on the day, they are won
in weeks, months and years preceding the event through
practice and training”.
Having started playing at School in his first year on a
teacher’s desk using books, board rubbers for nets and a
plastic ball, Michael developed a liking for table tennis. His
passion for the sport has lasted a lifetime and Michael has
played in events all over the world, holding national rankings
and in recent years, teaching children the sport. Michael
enjoys the fast nature of the sport and likens it to playing
chess at 90mph, keeping him in good health and shape.
Congratulations once again Michael!
SARAH CARTON AND SEAN WYER (OA 2016)
Is being kind worth it? We all know and are told that it’s
the right thing to do and can make you feel good about
yourself, but could kindness have tangible benefits for
our families, workplaces and the wider world?
Kindness: A Pocket Guide is a
short yet comprehensive plain-
English exploration of what is
now known about the science
behind consciously choosing to be
kind. Author Sebastian Bóo (OA
1997) has spent the last 11 years
researching kindness, doing a PhD
on its relevance to management
and leadership and attending
conferences and reading journals
on the subject, so you don’t have
to. The book’s 12 short chapters
make readers instant experts on
kindness, able to lift research
knowledge off the page and put it to use in
their next conversation, presentation or interview. The
advantages of committing to kindness in workplaces,
education, healthcare and society at large are all
discussed, evidenced and championed, demonstrating
the underlying message that kindness is not just nice,
but necessary for building a better future.
MUSIC AND
MINCE PIES
In the run up to Christmas 2021, Sean Wyer
(Bracebridge) (OA 2016) was in St Albans treating the
audience of St Peter’s Church to an evening of original
music and the odd Christmas tune.
Supported by BBC Introducing, Sean took to the stage on
Thursday 9th December to perform his hits. The evening
including a duet with singer songwriter Sarah Carton and
a break between sets for wine and mince pies!
Sean said: “It was so lovely to come back, performing in St
Albans again. Thank you so much to everyone who braved
Omicron and came along to support myself and Sarah.”
Sharan Majumdar (OA 1989) is a Professor of
Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Miami, USA.
Following a sabbatical in Reading last year, Sharan is
now back in Miami teaching and researching hurricanes and
tackling two main questions: “How does a hurricane develop
from a disorganised cluster of thunderstorms?” and “Why do
some hurricanes intensify faster than expected?”
“Meteorology requires mathematics, and I still use the
calculus and statistical methods that I learned in Sixth
Form. We use several tools to answer the two questions
above. One is specially equipped aircrafts, which are mobile
WHAT IT’S
LIKE
to Study…
labs that fly into the hurricanes. Another is the computer
model, comprising differential equations and physics
schemes that are solved on supercomputers.
“Looking towards the future, many questions remain,
including the effects of climate change. Reducing hurricane
impacts requires collaborations across many areas, including
architecture, communication, economics, engineering,
law, management, medicine, politics, psychology, public
health, and sociology. Since hurricanes will not go away, we
must use the best knowledge and tools to predict them and
mitigate their impacts on humans and the economy”.
Left: Satellite image of Hurricane Laura
as it approached Louisiana, USA, on 26
August 2020. Right: Two-day experimental
model prediction by the European Centre
for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts of
the winds in Hurricane Laura. The purple
colours show predicted winds of 150 mph,
which actually occurred.
We would like to thank the following OAs
who participated this term in our annual
‘What it’s Like to Study’ series of talks
exploring what life is like at university. During the
Spring Term, Dimitri Chamay (OA 2019), Oliver
Gates (OA 2019), Ed Vickery (OA 2019), Dillon
Jagsi (OA 2019), Danny McCurley (OA 2020), Taylor
Burdett (OA 2020), Will Holmes (OA 2020) and
Keagan Witts (OA 2015) all returned to School to
discuss their experiences of Higher Education with
students in the current Lower Sixth, providing them
with valuable insight into what studying at university
might be like for them.
We are always looking for OAs who are willing
to help students and recent leavers with advice
regarding university and careers, whether it be in the
form of work experience offers, advice or talks on a
subject or industry. Please do get in touch with the
Development Office if you think you could help.