I spend quite a lot of time walking around the campus between meetings. Not having taken up residence in the Rotunda (the octagonal castelated building between Firth Hall and the Park), I meet a lot of people by going to see them rather than having them come to me. I do quite a lot of business in cafés - Coffee Revolution, City View Café and the Jessop West Café in particular. Walking between meetings and appointments gives me the chance to meet a whole variety of people, to pass the time of day, and to try to gauge the general mood around the place.  I've been in the University a long time now, and I know a lot of people to say hello to.  I know a lot of people's names, although there are others who I always speak to but whose departments or names are unknown to me. 

There are, in addition people who say hello to me but who I don't remember meeting before. Shortly after the start of the acacdemic year this happens quite a lot when students, particularly overseas students, say hello to me when they see me.  They recognise me because I have stood at the front of the Octagon Centre, or a lecture theatre, and tried to convey a warm welcome to the university to them. I take it that I have succeeded in conveying that warmth, when they choose to respond to me as I am crossing Tower Court or entering the Management School.

I try to learn the names of my students as quickly as I can - carrying the mug shot photographs of them all as first years to my third year class for the first few sessions until I am confident in bringing them in to discussion with a personal invitation.  It disappoints me when students sometimes claim that  no one other than their personal tutor knows their name.  The use of names and personal greetings is part of the lubrication of society - showing respect to people around us, and recognising that we are part of a shared experience.

But a couple of days ago I surprised a student by saying hello to him as I passed him. I was certain I knew him - had met him before - could probably even think of his name if I tried hard enough.  He looked at me as if to say 'I've never seen you before in my life' (although in relaity he must have sat through one of those welcome sessions at the start of the year a few sessions ago). I realised a little later who he was - and no, I had never met him before. It was just that his face was so familiar to me - as the captain of Sheffield's University Challenge team.