ESS 2025 Social Programme
Looking back at ESS 2025, I am thrilled with how this year’s social programme has been received. There was a great variety of different events in the programme that ensured there was something for everyone over the course of the sessions. By having an event each evening, participants were able to really make the most out of their Essex experience striking the perfect balance of ‘work hard’ and ‘play hard’!
The welcome night dinner gave the participants a chance to unwind after travelling to campus, with a choice of lasagne or chilli con carne and a drinks networking reception. The participants were able to meet their instructors, peers and the ESS staff members before the first day of classes.
The first day of class was then followed by a pizza night in the Student’s Union bar, which provided a relaxed setting in which participants could build on the connections made during their lessons. The pizza was made in-house by the Students’ Union staff and received rave reviews from the participants!
We also welcomed participants to use our sports facilities whilst living on campus, which included the Sports Arena. The sporting events were particularly popular, with participants enjoying pickleball and badminton as a great icebreaker. Finishing with a game of ‘around the world’ brought all participants together on one court in high spirits (with only a hint of competitive edge!). Alongside these sessions, we had a climbing evening ran by an instructor where participants were able to learn the basics of rope climbing and practise a new found skill on the Essex Climbing Wall.
Every Wednesday we hosted a guest speaker as part of the Harold Clarke Speaker Series. We heard engaging and relevant talks from Prof. Jason Reifler, Dr Annalivia Polselli, Prof. Federica Genovese and Dr Robert Walker. Online participants also joined these talks via Zoom which brought together all participants of the Summer School for thought-provoking lectures. For in-person participants, the talk was followed by a networking drinks reception and the opportunity to make comments, ask questions and compare notes with the speakers, instructors and their peers.
We hosted a number of different events in the Students’ Union bar, this included a quiz night and a karaoke night. During the quiz, participants battled it out answering general knowledge, pop culture, geographical and Essex based questions in order to win University of Essex merchandise! Karaoke was a great farewell to the summer school, it saw new friendships being solidified over renditions of Charli XCX, ABBA and Lunapop – I would like to apologise for my (enthusiastic but questionable) rendition of Baby by Justin Bieber! These events were accompanied by buffets and drinks vouchers.
Lasty, we hosted everyone’s favourite event – the annual Wivenhoe Pub Crawl! This took place on both Friday evenings for session 1 and 2 and we began by working up an appetite during our walk to the first pub. The scenic walk along the River Colne took us to the Greyhound, before stopping off at three other pubs in Wivenhoe. Taking in the views, eating delicious pub grub and quenching our thirst with drinks that Wivenhoe had to offer, the pub crawl ended up being a huge success among the participants (and the instructors!).Thankfully the British weather was on our side, allowing everyone to enjoy both pub crawls in glorious sunshine which made the option of a beer garden a very appealing option too!
I am really pleased with the success of the social programme, hearing the positive feedback and seeing participants leaving the summer school, not only with new knowledge and academic fulfilment, but also with great memories and new friendships. It has been extremely rewarding for all of us at Essex Summer School. I am delighted participants have enjoyed attending the events as much as I have enjoyed planning them!
Thank you, ESS Class of 2025, until next year!
By Ellie Giger, Events Assistant
