document_title: Blaine Anderson

question_text: what episode does blaine and kurt get back together

text: Blaine Anderson

text: Storylines[edit]

text: Season 2[edit]

text: Blaine Anderson is introduced in the episode "Never Been Kissed" as the lead soloist of the Dalton Academy Warblers a cappella musical group. He meets Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), a member of the rival glee club New Directions. When Kurt asks if Blaine is gay, Blaine matter-of-factly says he is; Kurt tells Blaine that he is being bullied at school for being gay, and Blaine reveals that he too was harassed at his old school, so he transferred to Dalton Academy, which enforces a no-bullying policy. Blaine befriends Kurt, and helps him stand up to his tormentor, Dave Karofsky (Max Adler).[6][7] When the threats and violence against Kurt reach a dangerous level, he transfers to Dalton Academy.[8] He falls in love with Blaine,[9] who is initially oblivious to Kurt's feelings even as their friendship grows. Blaine enlists Kurt's help to serenade his crush Jeremiah (Alexander Nifong), the assistant manager at a local Gap store. Jeremiah is subsequently fired and rebuffs Blaine. Kurt confesses his feelings, and Blaine tells Kurt that he cares for him, but is terrible at romance and does not want to risk damaging their friendship.[10]

text: Kurt and Blaine attend a party hosted by New Directions co-captain Rachel Berry (Lea Michele). The attendees play spin the bottle, which results in Rachel and Blaine kissing. In the aftermath, Blaine wonders whether he might be bisexual, and goes on a date with Rachel. When she kisses him again while they are both sober, he concludes that he is indeed gay, which relieves Kurt.[11]

text: After learning of Kurt’s ignorance of sexual matters, Blaine visits Kurt's father, Burt (Mike O'Malley), and prompts him to give Kurt "the talk" about sex.[12] As the Warblers prepare to perform at the Regional show choir competition, Kurt admits that he is jealous of how many solos Blaine gets. At a subsequent group meeting, Kurt arrives late and announces that the group's mascot canary is dead; he sings "Blackbird" in honor of the bird. While Kurt is singing, Blaine has a revelation, and later tells Kurt that he reciprocates his feelings and kisses him. At Regionals, the two sing a duet of "Candles" by Hey Monday. The Warblers lose to New Directions, but while Kurt is very disappointed, Blaine tells him that even though they lost, in reality, they won each other which makes losing Regionals worth it.[13] After Kurt transfers back to McKinley, he invites Blaine to be his date at his junior prom in "Prom Queen"; both are shocked when Kurt wins Prom Queen due to having received an overwhelming number of unwanted write-in votes in the secret balloting. Karofsky, the Prom King, leaves to avoid dancing with a guy in the traditional dance between King and Queen, and Kurt dances with Blaine instead.[14] After Kurt returns from Nationals in New York, he and Blaine admit their love for one another.[15]

text: Season 3[edit]

text: In the first episode of the third season, "The Purple Piano Project", Blaine transfers to McKinley High at the beginning of his junior year to be closer to Kurt, who is a senior, and joins New Directions.[16] He later auditions for the role of Bernardo in the school musical West Side Story, so as not to compete against Kurt who wants to play the male lead, Tony, but is cast as Tony himself.[17][18] In the episode "The First Time", Blaine is pursued by Sebastian Smythe (Grant Gustin), a new Dalton Academy Warbler. Kurt and Blaine meet up with Sebastian at a gay bar, Blaine gets drunk, and afterward tries to get Kurt to have sex with him in the car. Kurt refuses, they have a fight, and Blaine decides to walk home. After the West Side Story opening night, they apologize to each other, and decide to go to Blaine's house. They are later shown in bed together, apparently having just had sex for the first time.[19] When New Directions and the Warblers informally compete in "Michael" to determine which club can perform Michael Jackson's music at the upcoming show choir Regionals, Sebastian throws a slushie containing rock salt at Kurt, but Blaine interposes himself and is hit in the eye; his cornea is badly scratched and requires surgery.[20] His eye heals, and he is back in time for New Directions to defeat the Warblers at Regionals.[21] Blaine's older brother Cooper (Matt Bomer), a successful actor in commercials, visits Ohio, and the two achieve a rapprochement.[22] Blaine's relationship with Kurt is later strained when Kurt text-flirts with a boy he met while preparing for his NYADA audition, and by Kurt's eagerness to leave for New York after graduation, which would separate the two at least until Blaine graduated the following year.[23] The two patch things up, the glee club wins at Nationals, and the pair is still a couple at the end of the school year, though Blaine is still uneasy about the prolonged physical separation facing them.[24]

text: Season 4[edit]

text: In the first episode of the fourth season, "The New Rachel", Blaine becomes the lead singer of New Directions and successfully prompts Kurt to follow his New York City dreams.[25] In addition, Blaine successfully runs for senior class president with Sam (Chord Overstreet), and the two subsequently develop a friendship.[26] Kurt inadvertently pulls away from Blaine due to his Vogue.com internship; distraught and feeling isolated from his friends, Blaine cheats on Kurt.[26][27] After confessing to Kurt of his infidelity, Kurt severs all ties.[27] New Directions' Nationals trophy is stolen by Hunter Clarington (Nolan Gerard Funk), the new captain of the Dalton Academy Warblers.[28] When Blaine goes to Dalton Academy to retrieve it, Hunter and Sebastian attempt to seduce Blaine into returning to the Warblers. Blaine becomes conflicted, believing that he does not belong in New Directions.[28] Sam ultimately convinces him that, despite having done a bad thing to Kurt, Blaine is still a good person and an important member of New Directions.[28]

text: Kurt begins to mend their relationship in "Thanksgiving", just before New Directions loses at Sectionals to the Warblers, and they spend Christmas together in New York City.[29][30] Though he and Kurt continue to be on good terms, Blaine finds himself developing a crush on his best friend, Sam, which he knows will come to nothing as he knows Sam is not gay; the two of them team up to find evidence that the Warblers cheated at Sectionals, which means New Directions will be competing at Regionals. He ends up going to the Sadie Hawkins dance with Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz), who has developed a crush on him, but as friends only.[31] When Kurt comes to Lima for the wedding of glee club director Will (Matthew Morrison) and Emma (Jayma Mays)—which Emma flees—he and Blaine make out beforehand, and sleep together afterward, though they do not resume a permanent relationship.[32]

text: Blaine had briefly joined the Cheerios when it looked like New Directions would be disbanding after their Sectionals loss, and cheerleading coach Sue (Jane Lynch) blackmails Blaine into rejoining; Blaine and Sam hatch up a plan to bring Sue down from the inside.[1] Blaine eventually confesses to Sam that he has feelings for him, to which Sam assures him that he is somewhat flattered by Blaine's honesty and attraction, and that it would not change the fact that Blaine is still Sam's best friend.[33] Blaine still loves Kurt and asks Burt for his permission to propose to Kurt, but Burt tells him they're too young to marry, and advises him to wait.[34] Blaine remains determined, however, and while shopping for a ring, he meets Jan (Patty Duke), a lesbian jeweler who has been with her partner Liz (Meredith Baxter) for over thirty years. Jan offers to be a mentor to him, and Blaine and Kurt later have dinner with Jan and Liz, where Jan and Liz explain how their relationship evolved over the years and their experience with the growing mainstream acceptance of gay people.[35] New Directions wins at Regionals, and Will and Emma get married immediately afterward, with the glee club, plus some graduates including Kurt, in attendance. Blaine is shown, after the ceremony is over, holding a jewelry box behind his back.[35]

text: Season 5[edit]

text: In the season premiere, "Love Love Love", Blaine and Kurt agree to be boyfriends again. Blaine still wants to marry Kurt, and stages an elaborate and successful marriage proposal at Dalton Academy where he and Kurt first met, accompanied by New Directions, and all their rival show choir groups, including the Warblers. He auditions for NYADA and is accepted. New Directions comes in second at Nationals, and is disbanded by Sue for not being champions. Blaine graduates as class valedictorian, and then moves to New York to be with Kurt. They start off living together, but though they remain engaged, Blaine ultimately moves out because the two of them realize they still need their own space. The relationship between them goes through rocky patches, including Blaine's insecurity when Kurt becomes popular at school, and when an influential socialite and NYADA supporter hears Blaine perform and takes an interest in his future career, though she is not impressed by Kurt and ultimately tries to break them up, though she fails and ultimately supports them both. Their engagement is strengthened by having weathered these storms, and Blaine moves back in with Kurt.

text: Season 6[edit]

text: Blaine returns to Lima after Kurt ended their engagement, having become so despondent that his schoolwork suffered and he was cut by NYADA. He becomes the coach of the Dalton Academy Warblers, and begins dating Dave Karofsky after a chance encounter at the local gay bar. Kurt, having realized he still loves Blaine and regretting that he ended the engagement, arranges for his NYADA off-campus semester to be in Lima, helping Rachel to coach a reinstated New Directions—Will had left McKinley High to coach Vocal Adrenaline. Unfortunately, by the time he arrives, Blaine and Karofsky are already a couple, and there is further strain between Kurt and Blaine as coaches of rival show choirs. In "The Hurt Locker, Part Two", Sue, who "ships Klaine" and is desperate for Kurt and Blaine to reunite, locks them both in a fake elevator and refuses to let them leave until they kiss. After resisting for a great many hours, Blaine and Kurt share a passionate kiss, but do not reunite afterward. In "Transitioning", Blaine sings a duet with Kurt, "Somebody Loves You", and afterward, kisses Kurt. The following day, Blaine, knowing that he is still in love with Kurt, breaks up with Karofsky; however, Kurt is still seeing an older man, Walter. In "A Wedding", Kurt tells Walter that he is going to Brittany and Santana's wedding with Blaine, not him, and on Walter's advice, returns to Blaine; the two again become a couple. At the wedding, Brittany insists that Kurt and Blaine get married alongside her and Santana. Though skeptical at first, Kurt and Blaine agree and get married, with Burt officiating the joint ceremony. Dalton Academy burns down in "The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester", and the Warblers who transfer to McKinley are accepted into New Directions, with Blaine joining Rachel and Kurt as the coaches of the combined glee club. In the series finale, "Dreams Come True", after New Directions wins Nationals, Blaine and Kurt leave for New York, with Blaine attending NYU and Kurt returning to NYADA along with a reinstated Rachel. The episode jumps ahead to 2020, and Blaine and Kurt are shown to be actors and a celebrity married couple; they also visit schools to entertain and talk about acceptance. Rachel, who is married to Jesse, is pregnant with Blaine and Kurt's child.

text: Development[edit]

text: Casting and creation[edit]

text: Blaine is portrayed by actor Darren Criss, who had auditioned for Glee several times for several roles before the character Blaine was created.[36] He originally auditioned to play Finn Hudson.[37] Criss made several audition videos for Glee, of which he posted only one to the social networking website MySpace where he sang a cover of Bill Withers' song "Lean on Me". Although the series writers have seen them, he considers them supplemental to his main audition, which was for series creator Ryan Murphy.[36][38] Murphy had not seen any of Criss's previous auditions, but knew he was the right actor for Blaine as soon as he saw this one.[39] The actor cut his long hair before auditioning, to suit the "serious and preppy" role.[38]

text: Prior to the production of season two, rumors circulated that upcoming episodes would feature a love interest for Kurt.[40] Initial fan and media speculation suggested that Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet) was created to fill this role; however, according to Overstreet, Sam's storyline quickly paired him with Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) as a result of the chemistry the producers detected between him and Agron.[41] In September 2010, it was confirmed that Criss would join the show in a "much-talked-about new gay role".[42] Media speculation suggested that Blaine would be Kurt's new love interest.[40] His original character description was: "a cute and charismatic gay student from a rival Glee club named the Dalton Academy Warblers—will maintain a strictly platonic friendship with McKinley High's most out and proud pupil. But could that change as the season progresses? Yes, it could."[42] Murphy stated that Blaine's arc would be a significant one. He explained, "He sort of becomes Kurt's mentor and then maybe love [...] Kurt really admires him and respects him."[43]

text: Following his first few appearances, it was reported that Criss had been confirmed as a series regular for the remainder of season two and for season three of Glee.[44] This was based on comments by Murphy, who said: "Darren has become such a sensation in one week, which I love. I think there's a hunger for him and a positive relationship role model. He’ll definitely continue through the year and longer."[39] However, the actor later denied that his role had been upgraded and said: "It's never really been officially confirmed to me. I think the option is there and that they want to keep Blaine around."[45] Murphy revealed that Blaine may join New Directions during the third season.[46] Criss hoped that this would not come to pass, as he enjoys being at Dalton Academy, but conceded: "it's not my call. I'm happy to serve whatever story they want."[47] For the third season of Glee, Criss was promoted to a series regular,[48] and Blaine did join New Directions when he transferred to McKinley High to be with Kurt.[49]

text: Characterization[edit]

text:
"This is the first time I'd really seen an out student that was so young and innocent and really struggling with the big ordeal that it is to be an out student at such an early age. When other shows present the gay character thing, it's typically been in much more adult situations, like gay men living in New York or closeted men who are married and struggling with that ordeal, or having sex on the subway, but never really the core of the journey of defining your sexuality. Blaine offers a beautiful counter to that and makes such a great addition to the many-colored palette that is Glee."
Criss on Blaine[50]

tag: div

text: Upon Blaine's first appearance, Criss described his character as being a "very charismatic, put-together, composed guy." He stated that although Blaine is gay, he is not "overly queeny, and not too butch either," and that while his sexuality is a "huge part of who he is", it is not a major facet of how he wishes to be perceived. Due to similarities which stem from their shared sexuality, Blaine "sees a lot of himself in Kurt, in terms of experiences and the way they feel about the world around them. He feels the need to impart his knowledge, be a source of strength for him, and really help him through what he's going through."[3] Initially, Criss felt that the most important element of his character was to give Kurt "someone he can relate to", and demonstrate that Kurt could have "a young out male friend, a support system".[40]

text: Criss discussed his personal connection with Blaine in an interview with Vanity Fair. He explained that he grew up among the "gay community", being with theater performers, so was raised without a concept of sexuality being an issue. Criss stated that, although he identifies as straight, "it really doesn't come into play with me in this role. As an actor, your objective is always to play the scene. And this in case, he happens to be a gay teen."[3] Talk show host and media personality Ellen DeGeneres deemed Blaine "a very confident gay teen, which is something you don't see much on television."[51] However, Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times assessed that "despite the image he projects, he, too, is just a kid trying to figure things out as he goes along."[52] Criss feels that Blaine's confidence is an important aspect of his character, as it is rare for gay teenagers on television to be so "sure of themselves." He hopes that "all the kids struggling with this issue can look to a guy like Blaine and feel [inspired] by his confidence."[53]

text: Relationships[edit]

text: The Kurt–Blaine relationship, sometimes referred to by the portmanteau "Klaine" by Glee fans and the media,[54] developed slowly. As the series showrunner, Murphy felt tasked with keeping the two apart as long as possible.[40] He was initially unsure whether the relationship would become a romantic one, and intended to gauge public response to their friendship before planning future developments. He commented, "Part of me thinks he should be the boyfriend, part of me thinks he should just be the mentor. I didn't want to decide that until we got into sort of the middle of the season."[39] In December 2010, Colfer said, "Fans really want it to happen. It's funny how many people want to see these boys hook up. We'll see."[55] Based on the characters' chemistry and the "immediate outcry" from fans who wanted to see them as a couple, Murphy decided to have Blaine become Kurt's love interest. Criss noted: "We all want to see Kurt happy, and like all great love stories, if you have two people that can be together you've got to hold it up."[56]

text: Considering Blaine and Kurt's potential future together, Murphy planned to treat them the same as all other Glee relationships, by making their pairing "as flawed and as exposed as everyone else's."[40] This sentiment was re-iterated by executive producer Brad Falchuk, after the characters kissed for the first time. He revealed that their relationship would not run smoothly, and observed that once couples start dating, "Everything goes to hell."[46] Colfer suggested that Kurt returning to McKinley may cause difficulties in their relationship, but noted "Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right? That’s what they tell me. So even if they do go through some bumps in the road, it would be very realistic."[46] In a Q&A with Billboard on the day "Born This Way" ran with Kurt's McKinley return, Criss stated that Blaine and Kurt were "in the honeymoon stages" of their relationship, and would still be "at the end of the [second] season".[57]

text: In a July 2012 interview with E! News, Colfer said, "I would like to do something besides say 'I love you,' and I think Darren [Criss] and I agree on that. We're ready for the next step. They've been together for a while. Let's throw some spice and drama into that." Colfer quipped that he did not know what was in store for the couple, "I hear mixed things. I hear they're still together but then maybe they're breaking up."[58] In September 2012, Criss seconded Colfer, "We're like an old married couple now. Let's shake it up!"[59]

text: In the second season episode "Sexy", Blaine reveals he has a strained relationship with his father.[60]

text: Musical performances[edit]

text: As Blaine, Criss features in many musical performances, which have been released as singles, available for download. His first performance, "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry, was featured on the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 4.[61] It reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in the week ending November 27, 2010,[4] and was the best-selling song in the U.S. that week, selling 214,000 copies: the largest figure for a Glee title.[62] It was only the second U.S.-certified gold single in the show's history.[5] Both Billboard's Jillian Mapes and Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone deemed "Teenage Dream" the best song of "Never Been Kissed", the episode in which it featured.[63][64] The Daily News's Anthony Benigno gave the song an "A", and noted that it was "flawless" and improved on Perry's original.[65] The performance was nominated for the Best Gay Moment of the Year and Favorite Music Video awards at the 2010 AfterElton.com Visibility Awards.[66] A Billboard cover-feature on Criss noted that the performance "arguably ushered in the trend of more current pop hits being reworked by the [Glee] cast."[67]

text: Later songs performed by Blaine and the Warblers became popular enough to warrant a Warbler soundtrack album, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers.[68] The tracks had sold over 1.3 million copies as singles by the time the album was released.[69] Blaine performed the lead vocal on covers of Train's "Hey, Soul Sister", which peaked at number 32 in Canada,[70][71] "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child, which reached number 44 in the U.S.,[72][73] and Robin Thicke's "When I Get You Alone", which got to number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.[73][74] Criss downplayed his performance of "Bills, Bills, Bills", and jested that he ought to issue the group's lead singer, Beyoncé Knowles, an apology for his cover.[75] Blaine also led on "Silly Love Songs" by Wings,[76] and Maroon 5's "Misery",[77] which reached 45 and 52 respectively in the U.S.,[73][78] and Pink's "Raise Your Glass", which peaked at number 30 in Australia.[77][79]

text: Blaine duetted with Kurt on Frank Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside", which was included on Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album and reached number 53 in Canada.[80][81] It was reportedly the most downloaded track of the album, and called "by far the gayest thing that has ever been on TV" by Colfer. Murphy expressed his pride in the number for "push[ing] the envelope a bit."[82] Jessica Ronayne of Zap2it called the duet one of the Christmas episode's few saving graces.[83] Blaine and Kurt also duetted on Neon Trees' "Animal" and Hey Monday's "Candles",[84][85] which peaked at 62 and 71 in the U.S. respectively.[78][86] In an April 2011 interview, Criss stated that he did not feel established enough within the cast to make song suggestions, but had mentioned liking "Animal" to Murphy, who included it in a script soon thereafter.[67] Blaine shared a duet of "Don't You Want Me" by The Human League with Rachel, which Reiter deemed a musical highlight of the episode "Blame It on the Alcohol".[87] It was included on Glee: The Music, Volume 5, and peaked at number 44 in Australia.[79][88]

text: Over the course of the season, Blaine's musical performances leading the Warblers became so prevalent that he was called out for it on-screen. Criss offered the insight: "Blaine definitely had his moment in the sun. I think it's time to focus back on the characters that fans of the show really know and love. Completely objectively from watching the show, I was like, 'Why does Blaine get all these songs? This is ridiculous. I want to hear other people doing stuff.' I think we're focusing a little more back on New Directions and taking a little bit of a break from the Warblers."[67]

text: In the first episode of season three of Glee, "The Purple Piano Project", Blaine sings "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones when he transfers to McKinley and quits the Warblers for New Directions. After successfully auditioning later in the season for the school's production of West Side Story with "Something's Coming" from the musical, he sings "Tonight" in rehearsal and "One Hand, One Heart" in performance, both with his co-star Rachel. He sings lead or co-lead on several songs with New Directions, including "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"; "Perfect" and "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" with Kurt; "Control" and "Man in the Mirror" with Artie and others; and his first original song, the duet "Extraordinary Merry Christmas", with Rachel.

text:
In special tribute episode to Michael Jackson, "Michael", Blaine sings "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". Futterman wrote that Blaine's "slick showmanship" made him a "natural for lead vocals",[89] and TVLine's Michael Slezak called it "the best use of Darren Criss' voice on Glee in quite some time" and gave it an "A−". Entertainment Weekly's Joseph Brannigan Lynch also gave it an "A−", and said Criss "captured the excitement and the spunky bravado of the original".[90] MTV's Kevin P. Sullivan was another fan of "the sheer awesomeness of Darren Criss" on the song, and characterized it as "a tribute that's more respectful than any other in the episode".[91]
In the fourteenth episode of the third season, "On My Way", Blaine performs "Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant, which is sung during the Dave Karofsky suicide sequence. Futterman said Blaine "flawlessly deliver[ed] the vocal".[92] Lynch called it a "chilling rendition" that was "hard to shake" and gave it an "A−", the same grade given by Slezak, who wrote, "taken on its own, Blaine's vocal was strong and passionate—perhaps better than the original".[93][94] Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle said it was the "best" of the episode, and added that the "scene was really, really well done and carried maximum emotional punch".[95] In the following episode, "Big Brother", Blaine shares a duet of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" with his brother Cooper (Matt Bomer). Crystal Bell of HuffPost TV called it the "highlight of the episode", and it was Hankinson's favorite performance: "Bomer and Criss did a fantastic job bringing it to life".[96][97] Futterman said that "it was initially disconcerting to envision" two brothers singing about a "former love", but she noted that it "was less weird in context".[98] In its first week, the cover sold 152,000 digital downloads in the US, and was number twenty-six on the Billboard Hot 100.[99]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Blaine has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Ellen DeGeneres praised Criss's portrayal, and described him as one of Glee's breakout stars.[51] Entertainment Weekly named him one of the breakout stars of 2010, with the comment: "It took about 2 minutes and 11 seconds on Glee for Darren Criss to turn into a bona fide Gleek phenomenon. [...] And it doesn't hurt that his character Blaine's warm relationship with the show's other openly gay character, Chris Colfer's Kurt, continues to resonate with fans."[100] In November 2010, the publication also named Criss the series' best guest-star to date, and praised him for "seamlessly entering the fold with his charm and great voice."[101] Ronayne deemed him "a much better addition to the show than Chord Overstreet".[83] Following his Glee debut, Criss won the We're Wilde About You Rising Star Award at the 2011 Dorian Awards, presented by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association.[102][103] He also won the 2011 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Breakout Star.[104]

text: Indecision over his sexuality in the episode "Blame It on the Alcohol" drew some negative reviews of Blaine. Reiter noted that, "So much of Blaine's charm has been his certainty about who he is." Though she found his subplot with Rachel "fun", she commented: "Blaine's overwrought speech in the coffee shop after Rachel asks him out just felt off-key. Saying 'bye' to the Blaine sexual-confusion storyline wouldn't make us angry at all."[87] Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club also criticised the storyline, which, he wrote, "seemed like it might be an interesting, complicated look at teenage sexuality and how it can seem formed but might be more fluid than most teens would give it credit for, then lost its nerve and took the easy way out."[105] AfterElton.com's Chris O'Guinn felt that the only aspect of the storyline handled acceptably was Blaine questioning whether he was bisexual, rather than outright straight. He criticized the shallow examination of his feelings, and wrote: "Bisexuality is such a contentious issue that it should not be fumbled this way. For a character to say 'maybe I'm bi' in one scene and then the next say, 'nope, definitely gay' is almost cruel in how dismissive it is toward bisexuals by trivializing the intense confusion that many bisexual people feel in coming to terms with their orientation."[106] In a more positive review, Canning opined that Blaine and Kurt's conversation about sexuality was "great". He was "glad it wasn't an easy talk for either of them" and said that it "felt very real for kids in this situation."[107]

text: Blaine and Kurt's relationship has been generally well received. They were named Favorite TV Couple at the 2010 AfterElton.com Visibility Awards,[66] and have been lauded for "leading the way" in representing gay teenagers on television by Entertainment Weekly.[82] Jarett Wieselman of the New York Post referred to them as "one of the most beloved TV couples of the millennium".[2] When they "finally solidified what their relationship actually is" in the episode "Silly Love Songs", IGN's Robert Canning noted that his opinion of Blaine improved. He commented: "I love that the [serenading of Jeremiah] blew up in Blaine's face. The character has always come off to me as annoyingly arrogant, but "Silly Love Songs" humanized the guy. Guess I may have to like him now."[108] Their first kiss, in the episode "Original Song", was met with critical acclaim. Mark Perigard of The Boston Herald wrote, "It was utterly, sweetly romantic, and Criss sold the hell out of the moment. It's long overdue and it will silence the growing legion of critics out there who were unhappy with the pace of this story."[109] Entertainment Weekly's Mandi Bierly was so impressed with the scene that she was initially concerned it may be a dream sequence, "because we don't get romantic, unapologetic first kisses like that between young gay characters on network TV." She wrote, "Relationships aren't easy. They’ll make mistakes. But if they stay true to themselves, and continue to be as open and honest with each other, we're in for something special."[110] Kevin Fallon of The Atlantic thought the kiss was "sweet", and stated that he was pleased that it attracted no controversy whatsoever.[111] Aly Semigran of MTV praised the interaction between Blaine and Kurt. She called the kiss scene a "sweet, real and, shockingly, un-hyped moment", and praised Criss and Colfer for "handl[ing] it with dignity and honesty".[112]

text: While Lesley Goldberg of The Hollywood Reporter was pleased Blaine's season three transfer to McKinley in the first episode increased Criss' screen time with Colfer and the New Directions cast, she stated that the move "screams of co-dependency."[113] In contrast, Entertainment Weekly's Abby West found it romantic, and noted: "Blaine and Kurt, with their budding love and witty, pseudo-urbane ways, are my favorite couple to watch. ... I look forward to hearing [Blaine] sing more, watching him bump up against the insular Glee clubbers, and seeing him show off his non-uniform attire.[114] Several reviewers were unhappy with the second episode's revelation that Blaine was a junior, not a senior like Kurt, as had been implied in the previous season. VanDerWerff wrote that Blaine "seems to have simultaneously gotten younger and had a complete personality transplant over the summer", Billboard's Rae Votta noted "the continuity-bending plot point that he's somehow a Junior and not a Senior like his boyfriend", and Samantha Urban of The Dallas Morning News allowed her exasperation to show: "Oh really, Glee? Blaine's a junior? Blaine's younger than Kurt? Fine. FINE."[115][116][117]

text: Kurt and Blaine make the decision to have sex for the first time in "The First Time" episode; many critics were enthusiastic about the fact that a gay couple was being given such a storyline. Canning said that Kurt and Blaine's "attempts to get a little wild", and "trying to grow up faster than they should", were "the better parts of the episode as they felt the most realistic".[118] Futterman praised their departure from the bar as a "very faithful and honest scene".[119] VanDerWerff and BuddyTV contributor John Kubicek both had issues with Blaine's characterization. The latter asserted that he "just behaves however the writers need him to behave in order for the scene to work", while the former said that Blaine's season three storyline "hasn’t been bad by any means, but it does feel like Darren Criss is playing someone who’s quite a bit different from the guy he was playing last season".[120] Bell was impressed by the way the characters' relationship "inspires gay youth in a way that we haven't seen on network television yet" and called them "amazing role models for all teens", and The Atlantic writer Kevin Fallon said it was "remarkable" and a "milestone" that "the decision by gay teen characters to lose their virginities is given equal weight to that of a straight couple".[121]

text: Discussing public response to his character, Criss stated that he particularly enjoyed comments from "people from parts of the world who are maybe not as exposed to certain ideologies", but had reconsidered their stance on relationships and human rights as a result of the Blaine–Kurt storyline. He called this response "phenomenal", and said: "I was a straight kid growing up in a very gay community and it's something that I've had to watch so many friends have to struggle with and have no place to go to identify in kind of a grander media culture. To be a small piece of that machine is incredibly wonderful."[122]


document_title: Open University

question_text: who has given first the idea of starting open university

root

text: Open University

text: History[edit]

text: The Open University was founded by the Labour government under Prime Minister Harold Wilson.  Wilson was a strong advocate, using the vision of Michael Young. Planning commenced in 1965 under Minister of State for Education Jennie Lee, who established a model for the OU as one of widening access to the highest standards of scholarship in higher education, and set up a planning committee consisting of university vice-chancellors, educationalists and television broadcasters, chaired by Sir Peter Venables. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Assistant Director of Engineering at the time James Redmond, had obtained most of his qualifications at night school, and his natural enthusiasm for the project did much to overcome the technical difficulties of using television to broadcast teaching programmes.

tag: p

text: Wilson envisioned The Open University as a major marker in the Labour Party's commitment to modernising British society. He believed that it would help build a more competitive economy while also promoting greater equality of opportunity and social mobility. The planned utilisation of television and radio to broadcast its courses was also supposed to link The Open University to the technological revolution underway, which Wilson saw as a major ally of his modernization schemes. However, from the start Lee encountered widespread scepticism and even opposition from within and without the Labour Party, including senior officials in the DES; her departmental head Anthony Crosland; the Treasury; Ministerial colleagues, such as Richard Crossman; and commercial broadcasters. The Open University was realized due to Lee's unflagging determination and tenacity in 1965–67, the steadfast support from Wilson, and the fact that the anticipated costs, as reported to Lee and Wilson by Arnold Goodman, seemed very modest. By the time the actual, much higher costs became apparent, it was too late to scrap the fledgling open university.[21]

text: Organisation and administration[edit]

text: Staff[edit]

text: The majority of staff are part-time Associate Lecturers and, as of the 2009–10 academic year, almost 8,000 work for the OU.[22] There are also 1,286 (mostly full-time) salaried academic employees (central academics based at Walton Hall and Staff Tutors based in a variety of regional locations) who are research active and responsible for the production and presentation of teaching materials, 1,931 who are academic-related and 1,902 support staff (including secretaries and technicians).[23]  Salaries are the OU's main cost—over £275 million for the 2009–2010 academic year.[23] In 2010 the OU became one of the Sunday Times' Best Places to Work in the Public Sector.

text: Credit union[edit]

text: Open University Employees Credit Union Limited is a savings and loans co-operative established by the University for staff in 1994. A member of the Association of British Credit Unions Limited,[24] it is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members’ savings are protected against business failure by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.[25]

text: Academic divisions[edit]

text: Faculties[edit]

text: In 2016, the university reorganised its departments and now operates with the Faculties of Arts & Social Sciences; The Open University Business School (OUBS); The Open University Law School; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM); Wellbeing, Education & Language Studies; Institute of Educational Technology (IET); Knowledge Media Institute (KMI).

text: Business school[edit]

text: In 1982, Open University offered a course titled, "The Effective Manager," developed by a team that was lead by Charles Handy. After the reported success of the course, Derek S. Pugh proposed the establishment of a business school. In 1988, the Open University Business School (OUBS) was founded by the Faculty of Management department, for which professor Andrew Thomson was appointed to head. Thomson's main goal was the offering of an MBA program, which was eventually funded through a grant from the Department of Education and Science (DES). In 1989, the first class of MBA students were enrolled.[26]

text: The Open University Business school is accredited by the international accrediting bodies AACSB,[27] AMBA,[28] and EQUIS.[29] It was placed in the top 1% of UK business schools after having received triple-accreditation.[30][31]

text: The OU Business School's MBA programme was ranked 13th in the Financial Times’s global rankings of online and distance learning MBA providers which featured five European schools, four of which were in the UK.[32]

text: Singapore Institute of Management Open University Centre[edit]

text: From 1992 to 2005, the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) ran the Open University Degree Programme (OUDP), in collaboration with The Open University, United Kingdom (OUUK). which was re-named the Singapore Institute of Management's Open University Centre (SIM-OUC) as one of SIM's autonomous entity. In 2005, after SIM formed SIM University (UniSIM), it took over SIM-OUC students and granted those who graduated in 2006 a choice between a UniSIM or OUUK degree.[33]

text: Academic profile[edit]

text: Teaching methods[edit]

text: The OU uses a variety of methods for teaching, including written and audio materials, the Internet, disc-based software and television programmes on DVD. Course-based television broadcasts by the BBC, which started on 3 January 1971, ceased on 15 December 2006.[34]  Materials comprise originally authored work by in-house and external academic contributors, and from third-party materials licensed for use by OU students. For most modules, students are supported by tutors ("Associate Lecturers") who provide feedback on their work and are generally available to them at face-to-face tutorials, by telephone, and/or on the Internet. A number of short courses worth ten credits are now available that do not have an assigned tutor but offer an online conferencing service (Internet Forum) where help and advice is offered through conferencing "Moderators".

text: Some modules have mandatory day schools. These are day-long sessions which a student must attend in order to pass the module. One example of such a module is the K301 – Advanced Certificate in Health Promotion – which has two mandatory day schools/workshops, focusing on communication skills, counselling and practical issues, related to health promotion. Nevertheless, it is possible to be excused on the basis of ill-health (or other extenuating circumstances) and many courses have no mandatory face-to-face component.

text: Similarly, many modules have traditionally offered week-long summer schools offering an opportunity for students to remove themselves from the general distractions of their life and focus on their study for a short time.

text: Over the past ten years the university has adopted a policy of separating residential modules from distance-full-time taught modules. Exemption from attendance at residential schools, always as an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE), is sometimes available for disabled students and others who find it impossible to attend in person (See "Qualifications-Undergraduate" section.)

text:
For many years the OU produced television and radio programmes aimed at bringing learning to a wider audience. In its early years most of these were in the form of documentaries or filmed lectures. Latterly, most OU-associated programming was mainstream and broadcast in peak hours, including series such as Rough Science and "Battle of the Geeks", while older-style programming was carried in the BBC Learning Zone.
In 2004 the OU announced it was to stop its late-night programmes on BBC Two, and the last programme was broadcast at 5.30am on 16 December 2006. The OU now plans to focus on semi-academic television programmes, such as many now broadcast on BBC Four.

text: The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education review published in December 2015 found five areas of good practice and made three recommendations for improvement.[35] The English national survey of student satisfaction has twice put the Open University in first place.

text: In October 2006, the OU joined the Open educational resources movement with the launch of OpenLearn. A growing selection of current and past distance learning course materials will be released for free access, including downloadable versions for educators to modify (under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA licence), plus free collaborative learning-support tools.

text: The OU is researching the use of virtual worlds in teaching and learning, and has two main islands in Second Life. These islands are called Open University island[36] and OUtopia village.[37] They are separated by a third region "OU Ocean." In May 2009 these regions formed the basis of a case study[38] by Linden Lab, the company which owns Second Life.

text: As of mid-2010, the university led the list of contributing universities in the number of downloads of its material from the educational resources site iTunes U, with downloads of over 20 million.[39] Open University continues to adopt Moodle as the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with their own team deploying custom plugins.[40][41]

text: Since 2013, the OU has set up a MOOC platform called FutureLearn which is now the UK's largest provider of free online courses.

text: Assessment methods[edit]

text: Open University modules are often assessed using an equal weighting of examinations and coursework. The coursework component normally takes the form of between two and seven tutor marked assignments (TMAs) and, occasionally, may also include up to six multiple-choice or "missing word" 10-question interactive computer marked assignments (iCMAs). The examinable component is usually an invigilated three-hour paper regardless of the size of the module (although on some modules it can be up to three three-hour papers[42]), but an increasing number of modules instead have an EMA (End of Module Assessment) which is similar to a TMA, in that it is completed at home, but is regarded as an exam for grading purposes.

text: Modules results are sometimes issued on a graded basis, consisting of pass grades 1 (threshold 85%, a distinction), 2 (70–84%), 3 (55–69%) & 4 (40–54%), and fail (below 40%). This grade is calculated as the lower of the overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) and overall examination score (OES).

text: These grades can be weighted[43] according to their level, and combined to calculate the classification of a degree. An undergraduate degree will weight level 3 modules twice as much as level 2, and in postgraduate programmes all M level modules are equally weighted.

text: Qualifications[edit]

text: Undergraduate[edit]

text: Open University modules have associated with them a number of Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) credits – usually 30 or 60 – depending on the quantity of the material in the module and a level (1, 2, 3, or 4) corresponding to the complexity, with 120 credits roughly equating to the year of study for a full-time student.

text: The OU offers a large number of undergraduate qualifications, including certificates, diplomas, and bachelor's degrees, based on both level and quantity of study. An OU undergraduate degree requires 300 (or 360 for honours) CATS credits.

text: Students are generally advised not to undertake more than 60 credits per year, meaning that an undergraduate degree will take typically six years to complete. With the exception of some degrees in fast moving areas (such as computing) there is generally no limit on the time which a student may take. Students need special permission to take more than 120 credits (equivalent to full-time study) at any time;[44] such permission is not usually granted.[citation needed]

text: Originally the BA was the only undergraduate degree, and it was unnamed. The modern OU grants degrees of Bachelor of Arts (BA), Science (BSc), Laws (LLB) and Engineering (BEng); the BA and BSc may be named (following a specified syllabus) or unnamed (constructed of courses chosen by the student) degrees.

text: Many OU faculties have now introduced short modules worth ten credits. Most of these modules are taught online, and start at regular intervals throughout the year. They typically provide an introduction to a broader subject over a period of ten weeks, these are generally timed during vacations at conventional universities in order to take advantage of their facilities. Some science modules, which require only home study, are complemented by residential courses, in order to allow the student to gain practical laboratory experience in that field; typically, an award of degree or diploma will require completion of both.

text: Different modules are run at different times of the year, but, typically, a 30 or 60 credit module will run either from October to June or from February to October. Assessment is by both continual assessment (with, normally, between four and eight assignments during the year) and, for most, a final examination or, on some modules, a major assignment.

text: Degrees[edit]

text: As well as degrees in named subject, the Open University also grants "Open" Bachelor's degrees where the syllabus is designed by the students by combining any number of Open University modules up to 300 credits for an Open degree and 360 credits for an Open honours degree – the main restriction on which courses can be included is that there must be at least 60 at level 3 for the "ordinary degree" and 120 at level 3 for honours and in both cases no more than 120 at level 1. The Open degree may be awarded as a Bachelor of Arts Open or a Bachelor of Science Open either with or without honours. Without honours, at least 150 credits at level 1 and above and 60 credits at level 2 and above are required in the field, either art or science, for the Open degree to carry that name. For a degree with honours, no more than 120 credits at level 1, 120 credits at level 2 and above and 120 credits at level 3 and above are required.

text: Other qualifications[edit]

text: The Open University grants undergraduate Certificates (abbreviated Cert) typically awarded after 60 completed credits at Level 1 or Level 3 (where each credit corresponds to roughly 10 hours of study, therefore 60 credits represent about 600 hours of effort), Diplomas (abbreviated Dip) after 120 credits – typically 60 credits at Level 2 and 60 credits at Level 3. Open University also awards Foundation degrees (abbreviated FD).

text: OU also offers a limited number of CertHE (120 CATS) and DipHE (240 CATS).

text: Postgraduate[edit]

text: The Open University provides the opportunity to study for a PhD on a part-time distance, or a full-time basis (on-site for science subjects, off-site with some supervisions on-site for arts) in a wide range of disciplines as well as an EdD for professionals in education. The university also offers a range of Master's levels modules such as the MBA and MPA, MSc, MA and MEd, and MRes, as well as the professional PGCE qualification and a number of postgraduate diplomas and certificates including innovative practice-based modules and postgraduate computing qualifications for professionals. Postgraduate certificates are awarded for 60 credits of study on specified modules; postgraduate diplomas are awarded for 120 credits of study on specified modules. The university offers "Advanced Diplomas" that involve 60 credits at undergraduate level and 60 credits at postgraduate level – these are designed as "bridges" between undergraduate and postgraduate study.

text: Degree ceremonies[edit]

text: Unlike most United Kingdom universities, degree ceremonies at the Open University are not graduation ceremonies as such (the occasion on which degrees are formally conferred on those who have achieved substantive degrees)—although honours degrees are normally conferred on these occasions. The Open University degree ceremony is officially known as a "Presentation of Graduates" at which those who have already had a degree bestowed on them are presented to the University Chancellor or his/her representative. Open University graduates normally graduate in absentia at a joint meeting of the university's council and senate ("congregation") which takes place at a meeting entirely separate from the degree ceremony.

text: The university's degree ceremonies occur throughout the year at various prestigious auditorium venues located throughout the United Kingdom, plus one each in Ireland and Continental Western Europe. In the year 2010 the OU held 26 degree ceremonies including Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Ely and Versailles. These ceremonies are presided over by a senior academic at Pro-Vice-Chancellor level or higher, and have the normal formal rituals associated with a graduation ceremony, including academic dress, procession and university mace.

text: In year 2000, the Open University was the first to host an online "virtual" graduation ceremony in the United Kingdom together with an audience at the OU's campus in Milton Keynes. Twenty-six students in eight countries, from the United States of America to Hong Kong, were presented for their master's degrees in the online graduation, including, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Tim Berners-Lee one of the founders of the World Wide Web on whom was conferred an honorary doctorate.[45]

text: Research[edit]

text:
Rankings
 ARWU[46](2018, world)
 601–700 QS[47](2019, world)
 601+ THE[48](2018, world)
 401-500 CWTS Leiden[49](2018, world)
 367

tag: table

text: Like other UK universities, the OU actively engages in research. The OU's Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute has become particularly well known to the public through its involvement in space missions. In October 2006, the Cassini-Huygens mission including 15 people from the OU received the 2006 "Laurels for Team Achievement Award" from the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Cassini-Huygens' successful completion of its seven-year, two billion-mile journey in January 2005 to Saturn ended with Huygens landing farther away from Earth than any previous probe or craft in the history of space exploration. The first instrument to touch Saturn's moon Titan was the Surface Science Package containing nine sensors to investigate the physical properties of Titan's surface. It was built by a team at the OU led by Professor John Zarnecki.

text: The OU employs over 500 people engaged in research in over 25 areas, and there are over 1,200 research students. It spends approximately £20 million each year on research, around £6 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the remainder from external funders.[citation needed]

text: The Open University also runs the Open Research Online (ORO) website.[50]

text: Students[edit]

text: In the 2015–16 academic year, there were 174,739 enrolled students.[51] The majority of students in the 2015–16 academic year were aged between 25 and 34 years old, with the median age of new undergraduates being 28.[51] Most students were from England (99,834), while 14,903 were from Scotland, 6,668 from Wales, 3,667 from Northern Ireland and 4,900 from elsewhere in the European Union, plus others elsewhere. 60% of undergraduates were female, with 53% of those taking postgraduate modules being male. 22,664 of students in 2015–16 had declared disabilities.[51]

text: Young undergraduates[edit]

text: While most of those studying are mature students, an increasingly large proportion of new undergraduates are aged between 17 and 25, to the extent that the OU now has more students in this age range than any other UK university.[52][53] The reduction in financial support for those attending traditional universities, coupled with the use of technologies such as iTunes and YouTube that appeal to this demographic, is believed to be behind this growth.[54]

text: By 2011, 32,000 undergraduates were under 25 years old,[52] representing around 25% of new students.[55] In 2010, 29,000 undergraduates were in this age range.[56] In the 2003–2004 academic year around 20% of new undergraduates were under 25,[57] up from 12.5% in 1996–1997[57] (the year before top-up fees were announced). In 2010 approximately 55% of those under 25 were also in full-time employment.[56]

text: The OU works with some schools to introduce A-Level students to OU study and in 2009–10 3% of undergraduates were under 18 years old.

text: The OU's youngest graduate so far is a 15-year-old boy from Wales who gained a BSc First Class Honours in 2014.[58]

text: Courses[edit]

text: Unlike other universities, where students register for a programme, OU students register separately for individual modules (which may be 10, 15, 20, 30 or 60 CATS credits, equivalent to 5, 7.5, 10, 15 or 30 ECTS credits). These modules may then be linked into degree programmes.

text: During the 2009–10 academic year social studies was the most popular study area (with 16,381 full-time equivalent students), followed by biological and physical sciences (12,357) and historical and philosophical studies (8,686); student numbers even on smaller undergraduate programmes, such as creative arts and design[23] are still significant (2,528) as are postgraduate registrations on programmes such as mass communications and documentation (123 full-time equivalent students).

text: The most popular module during 2009–10 was DD101 An introduction to the social sciences (7,512 students), followed by AA100 The Arts Past and Present, B120 An Introduction to Business Studies, K101 An Introduction to Health and Social Care and Y163 Starting with Psychology.[23]

text: Fees and financial assistance[edit]

text: 17,634 students received financial assistance towards their study in 2015–16.[51] The typical cost for United Kingdom-based students of a Bachelor's honours degree at the OU was between £3,780 and £5,130 in 2009-10. From September 2012 the Government reduced its funding for all students residing in England and fees went up to compensate. English students pay higher fees than those living in the rest of the United Kingdom. The average cost of one full-time year or 120 credits rose to £5,000, bringing the cost of an average Bachelor's honours degree for an English student to £15,000. (European Union and international students pay more as the university does not receive government funding for them).[23]  The most important revenue stream to the Open University is now academic fees paid by the students, which totalled about £157 million in 2009–10 and £248 million in 2015–16.[23][51]

text: Qualifications awarded[edit]

text: The university enrolled fewer than 50,000 students in the 1970–71 academic year, but it quickly exceeded that number by 1974–75.[23] By 1987–88 yearly enrollment had doubled to 100,000 students, passing 200,000 by 2001–02 and 250,000 in 2009–10.[23] Numbers fell when the fee regime changed.

text: Cumulatively, by the end of 2009–10 the OU had educated more than 1.5 million students and awarded 819,564 qualifications after successful assessment.[23]

text: In addition, the Open University provides certification for qualifications at Ruskin College in Oxford and Richmond, the American International University in London, a private liberal arts institution. (Until 2008, it provided the same service for the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland).

text: Open University Students Association[edit]

text: The Open University Students Association is the equivalent of a students' union for the Open University, and is a registered charity wholly funded by the Open University (OU). The association is governed by a Board of Trustees and a Central Executive Committee. Each student registered with the OU automatically becomes part of the Students Association unless they elect to formally opt out. It offers opportunities to meet up, volunteer, find information and access services to support learning.

text: Notable current and former academics[edit]

text:
Jocelyn Bell Burnell – astronomer
Tim Benton – art historian
Gordon Brown – former Prime Minister and OU tutor
Catherine Cooke – architect and Russian scholar
Nigel Cross – design researcher
David Edmonds – philosopher, broadcaster
Katharine Ellis – music historian
Dimitra Fimi - writer and academic
Anna Ford – journalist
Brian J. Ford – author
Monica Grady – meteoricist
Brian Goodwin – biologist
Oswald Hanfling – philosopher and interpreter of Wittgenstein
Stuart Hall – social scientist
Arthur Marwick – historian
Doreen Massey – geographer
Oliver Penrose – mathematician
Mike Pentz – physicist
Colin Pillinger – planetary scientist
Steven Rose – biologist
Russell Stannard – physicist
Hilary Wainwright – editor of Red Pepper magazine
Nigel Warburton – philosopher, author
Margaret Wetherell – discourse analyst, social psychologist
Glenn White – astronomer
Robin Wilson – mathematician
John Zarnecki – space scientist

tag: ul

text: Notable alumni, graduates and honorees[edit]

text: The OU has over two million alumni, including:

text:
Tim Berners-Lee – engineer, computer scientist and inventor of the World Wide Web; recipient of OU honorary doctorate[59]
Joan Armatrading – singer, songwriter and guitarist[60]
Elizabeth Arnold – children's writer
Craig Brown – former Scotland football manager[61]
Natalya Kaspersky – co-founder and co-owner of Kaspersky Lab[62]
Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burridge – Royal Air Force (RAF) officer[63]
Katy Cavanagh – former Coronation Street TV soap actress; played character Julie Carp[64]
Peter Cottrell – soldier, author and military historian
Bobby Cummines OBE FRSA – charity chief executive and reformed offender; recipient of OU honorary degree
Romola Garai – actress
Dean Gratton – author and columnist
Frank Hampson – illustrator and creator of Dan Dare
Sir Lenny Henry – entertainer[65]
Gerry Hughes – sailor, first single-handed crossing of the Atlantic by a deaf person
Myra Hindley – convicted murderer and prisoner[66]
Myleene Klass – actress and media personality
Paul Marsden – writer, businessman and former Labour/Liberal Democrat MP
Neil McIntosh – journalist
Gordon Pask – cybernetician and psychologist
David Andrew Phoenix OBE – biochemist
John Reid – Labour politician and former Cabinet minister
Talulah Riley – actress[67]
Graham Smith – CEO of Republic
Mary Stuart – Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lincoln[68]
David Wilkinson – psychologist, ambiguity theorist and Oxford academic
Meles Zenawi – former Prime Minister of Ethiopia[69]

text: In fiction[edit]

text: The Open University has been featured in many film and television programmes. The plot of Educating Rita surrounds the working class character aiming to "improve" herself by studying English literature. She attends private tutorials run by alcoholic lecturer Frank.[70]

text: Television characters have also followed OU courses. These include Anne Bryce in the BBC sit-com Ever Decreasing Circles, Yvonne Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart and  Bulman, in the ITV spin-off from the series Strangers. Sheila Grant (Sue Johnston) was accused of having an affair with her tutor in Brookside. Onslow, a character from Keeping up Appearances, watches Open University programming on television from time to time.

text: In autumn 2006, Lenny Henry was a star in Slings and Arrows, a one-off BBC television drama which he also wrote, about someone who falls in love while on an OU English Literature course. (Henry has himself completed an OU degree in English.)[65]

text: In the 2006–07 TV series Life on Mars, Sam Tyler received messages from the real world via Open University programmes late at night.

text: Doreen from Birds of a Feather announced she had been accepted by the Open University to do a degree in psychology and began studying with the University in series 3.

text: Partner institutions[edit]

text:
All Nations Christian College[71][72]
Ada, the National College for Digital Skills[72]
American College of Thessaloniki[72]
Amity Global Varsity[72]
Arab Open University[72]
Architectural Association School of Architecture[72]
Ballet West[72]
Bridgwater and Taunton College[72]
Calderdale College[72]
Cambridge Muslim College[72]
Christie's Education[72]
City of Liverpool College[72]
Craven College[72]
Education for Health[72]
Havering College of Further and Higher Education[72]
HKU – University of the Arts Utrecht, Netherlands[72]
Hochschule Fresenius Heidelberg[72]
Hull College Group including Harrogate College[72]
Leeds City College[72]
London College of Creative Media[72]
London College of International Business Studies[72]
Maryvale Institute[72]
New College Durham[72]
Newham College University Centre[72]
Niccolò Cusano Italian University London[72]
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust[72]
Plymouth College of Art[72]
Regent's University London[72]
Richmond, The American International University in London[72]
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Military Aviation Academy[72]
Ruskin College, Oxford[72]
South Essex College[72]
The American College of Greece - DEREE College[72]
The Sheffield College[72]
University Centre Quayside[72]


document_title: Lateral corticospinal tract

question_text: where are descending tracts found in the spinal cord

text: Lateral corticospinal tract

text: Structure[edit]

text: Descending motor pathways carry motor signals from the brain down the spinal cord and to the target muscle or organ. They typically consist of an upper motor neuron and a lower motor neuron. The lateral corticospinal tract is a descending motor pathway that begins in the cerebral cortex, decussates in the pyramids of the lower medulla[1] (also known as the medulla oblongata or the cervicomedullary junction, which is the most posterior division of the brain[2]) and proceeds down the contralateral side of the spinal cord. It is the largest part of the corticospinal tract. It extends throughout the entire length of the medulla spinalis, and on transverse section appears as an oval area in front of the posterior column and medial to the posterior spinocerebellar tract.

text: Function[edit]

text: Axons in the lateral corticospinal tract leave out of the tract and into the anterior horns of the spinal cord. It controls fine movement of ipsilateral limbs (albeit contralateral to the corresponding motor cortex) as it lies distal to the pyramidal decussation. Control of more central axial and girdle muscles comes from the anterior corticospinal tract.[3]

text: Damage to different parts of the body will cause deficits, depending on whether the damage is above (rostral) or below (caudal) the pyramidal decussation. Damage to the body above the pyramidal decussation will cause contralateral motor deficits. For example, if there is a lesion at the pre-central gyrus in the right cerebral cortex, then the left side of the body will be affected. Whereas damage below the pyramidal decussation will result in ipsilateral motor deficits. For example, spinal cord damage on the left side of the lateral corticospinal tract at the thoracic level can cause motor deficits to the left side of the body.

text: Clinical significance[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Poliomyelitis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis arise out of complications in the lateral corticospinal tract. Both of these diseases result in muscle atrophy. In poliomyelitis, the poliovirus destroys motor neurons found in the brainstem and anterior horn of the spinal cord. This inhibits the lower motor neurons of the lateral corticospinal tract from travelling to the target muscle or organ and delivering the signal from the brain. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the lateral side of the spinal cord undergoes scarring. The astrocytes found in the spinal cord, which are vital to the healthy functioning of the central nervous system, fail to reabsorb a specific neurotransmitter. This causes the neurotransmitter to reach toxic levels and leads to scarring in the lateral regions of the spinal cord. This also disrupts neural signal transmission.

text: Additional images[edit]

text:
Decussation of pyramids.

Section of the medulla oblongata through the lower part of the decussation of the pyramids

Section of the medulla oblongata at the level of the decussation of the pyramids.

The motor tract.


document_title: List of colonial governors of Nyasaland

question_text: who was the first british administrator of nyasaland

text: List of colonial governors of Nyasaland

text: List of Colonial Heads of Malawi (Nyasaland)

text: (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

text:
Term
Incumbent
Notes

Nyasaland Districts Protectorate

1 February 1891 to 1893
Harry Hamilton Johnston, Commissioner

British Central Africa Protectorate

1893 to 16 April 1896
Harry Hamilton Johnston, Commissioner

16 April 1896 to 1 April 1907
Alfred Sharpe, Commissioner
from 1 January 1902 he was Commissioner, Commander-in-Chief and Consul-General[1]

Nyasaland

1 April 1907 to September 1907
Francis Barrow Pearce, acting Commissioner

October 1907 to 1 May 1908
William Henry Manning, acting Governor
1st Term

1 May 1908 to 1 April 1910
Alfred Sharpe, Governor

1 April 1910 to 4 July 1910
Francis Barrow Pearce, acting Governor

4 July 1910 to 6 February 1911
Henry Richard Wallis, acting Governor

6 February 1911 to 23 September 1913
William Henry Manning, acting Governor
2nd Term

23 September 1913 to 12 April 1923
George Smith, Governor
Knighted during tenure

12 April 1923 to 27 March 1924
Richard Sims Donkin Rankine, acting Governor

27 March 1924 to 30 May 1929
Charles Calvert Bowring, Governor

30 May 1929 to 7 November 1929
Wilfred Bennett Davidson-Houston, acting Governor

7 November 1929 to 22 November 1932
Shenton Thomas, Governor
Knighted during tenure

22 November 1932 to 9 April 1934
Hubert Winthrop Young, Governor

9 April 1934 to 21 September 1934
Kenneth Lambert Hall, acting Governor

21 September 1934 to 20 March 1939
Harold Baxter Kittermaster, Governor

20 March 1939 to 8 August 1942
Donald Mackenzie-Kennedy, Governor

8 August 1942 to 27 March 1947
Edmund Charles Smith Richards, Governor

30 March 1947 to 10 April 1956
Geoffrey Francis Taylor Colby, Governor
Knighted during tenure

1 August 1953 to 31 December 1963
Incorporated into the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

10 April 1956 to 10 April 1961
Robert Perceval Armitage, Governor

10 April 1961 to 6 July 1964
Glyn Smallwood Jones, Governor

6 July 1964
Independence as Malawi

text: For continuation after independence, see: List of heads of state of Malawi


document_title: Detroit blues

question_text: which artist is representative of the detroit blues style

text: Detroit blues

text:
hideThis article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (September 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

(Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text:
Detroit blues

Stylistic origins
Delta blues

Cultural origins
Early 20th century, Detroit, United States

Typical instruments

Electric guitar
harmonica
drums
piano
bass guitar
saxophone

text: Detroit blues is blues played by musicians residing in and around Detroit, Michigan, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s. Detroit blues originated when Delta blues performers migrated north from the Mississippi Delta and Memphis, Tennessee, to work in industrial plants in Detroit in the 1920s and 1930s. Typical Detroit blues is similar in style to Chicago blues. Its sound is distinguished from Delta blues by the use of electric amplified instruments and more varied instrumentation, including the bass guitar and piano.

text: The only Detroit blues performer to achieve national fame was John Lee Hooker, as record companies and promoters have tended to ignore the Detroit scene in favor of the larger, more influential Chicago blues. The Detroit scene was centered on the Black Bottom neighborhood.


document_title: Lyman series

question_text: what is the shortest wavelength of the lyman series

text: Lyman series

text: History[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: The first line in the spectrum of the Lyman series was discovered in 1906 by Harvard physicist Theodore Lyman, who was studying the ultraviolet spectrum of electrically excited hydrogen gas. The rest of the lines of the spectrum (all in the ultraviolet) were discovered by Lyman from 1906-1914. The spectrum of radiation emitted by hydrogen is non-continuous or discrete. Here is an illustration of the first series of hydrogen emission lines:

text: Historically, explaining the nature of the hydrogen spectrum was a considerable problem in physics. Nobody could predict the wavelengths of the hydrogen lines until 1885 when the Balmer formula gave an empirical formula for the visible hydrogen spectrum. Within five years Johannes Rydberg came up with an empirical formula that solved the problem, presented first in 1888 and in final form in 1890. Rydberg managed to find a formula to match the known Balmer series emission lines, and also predicted those not yet discovered. Different versions of the Rydberg formula with different simple numbers were found to generate different series of lines.

text: On December 1, 2011, it was announced that Voyager 1 detected the first Lyman-alpha radiation originating from the Milky Way galaxy. Lyman-alpha radiation had previously been detected from other galaxies, but due to interference from the Sun, the radiation from the Milky Way was not detectable.[1]

text: The Lyman series[edit]

text: The version of the Rydberg formula that generated the Lyman series was:[2]

text: Where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 2 (i.e., n = 2, 3, 4, …).

text: Therefore, the lines seen in the image above are the wavelengths corresponding to n = 2 on the right, to n = ∞ on the left. There are infinitely many spectral lines, but they become very dense as they approach n = ∞ (the Lyman limit), so only some of the first lines and the last one appear.

text: The wavelengths in the Lyman series are all ultraviolet:

text:
n
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
∞, the Lyman limit

Wavelength (nm)
121.6
102.6
97.3
95.0
93.8
93.1
92.6
92.3
92.1
91.9
91.18

text: Explanation and derivation[edit]

text: In 1913, when Niels Bohr produced his Bohr model theory, the reason why hydrogen spectral lines fit Rydberg's formula was explained. Bohr found that the electron bound to the hydrogen atom must have quantized energy levels described by the following formula,

text: According to Bohr's third assumption, whenever an electron falls from an initial energy level Ei to a final energy level Ef, the atom must emit radiation with a wavelength of

text: There is also a more comfortable notation when dealing with energy in units of electronvolts and wavelengths in units of angstroms,

text: Replacing the energy in the above formula with the expression for the energy in the hydrogen atom where the initial energy corresponds to energy level n and the final energy corresponds to energy level m,

text: Where RH is the same Rydberg constant for hydrogen from Rydberg's long known formula.

text: For the connection between Bohr, Rydberg, and Lyman, one must replace m with 1 to obtain

text: which is Rydberg's formula for the Lyman series. Therefore, each wavelength of the emission lines corresponds to an electron dropping from a certain energy level (greater than 1) to the first energy level.