UNE Townies | Reviews | TuneFM! | UNE Gaming Society | Get Involved!
MELANIE EVE PEASE
CAYDEN MONCKTON
EDITOR IN CHIEF
DESIGN EDITOR Volume 4, Episode 1
contributors John Shirley Sarah Owen Nathan John Coombs China Ragazza Barbara Elenora Rennell Camille Newport Gordon Rowland Rachel Greig Denusha Butler Zoey Hemsworth Liam Dudgeon Sarah Delva Mitchell Harris Intahsone Phanoraj Katherine Atkins David Stevenson-Relf Liam Carney Koady Humphreys Tania Court Professor Peter Creamer Judd Newton A Super Pretentious Coffee Dick Kayla Gray
editors@nucleus.org.au
CONTACT (02) 6773 2311
www.nucleus.org.au
CONTENTS 04 Editorial 05 Letters To The Editors 06 UNE News 10 Alan Rickman 11 David Bowie 12 Sir Terry Wogan 13 Lemmy Kilmister 14 Edgar Mitchell 15 Heroes 17 UNE Townies 20 University Of New England Student Science & Technology Association 21 Video Did Not Kill The Radio Star 22 Avoiding Armidale Winters, You’re Doing It Wrong 23 Coffee Review: Prue And Olive 24 Be More Than A Piece Of Paper 25 Beyond The Sunset 26 UNE Gaming Society
DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily FLect those of the staff of Nucleus or UNESA, All contributions must not contain content that may be considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, violence provoking or plagiarised. Some material may contain mature language, but anything containing excessive profanity will not be published. Publication is always at the discretion of the editors. All content is published under the Creative Commons by 3.0 license.
EDITORIAL January saw Donald Trump earn the endorsement of the only person less able to lead America, Sarah Palin. In a bizarre speech that must have been mistakenly taken from a MADlibs pad, Sarah clawed her way back into the spotlight. FIrst,
FIlled
the late December death of Motörhead’s Lemmy was followed by the unexpected news that David Bowie had succumbed to liver cancer. Then Alan, and the deluge began. The obituaries this month will also, sadly, include a few from the past and present faculty. Meanwhile, the university continues to run roughshod over the student population - now attempting to ensure that students are ‘best represented’ in several areas by taking the responsibility for them away and giving UNESA a ‘consultative’ role. For more information on this, just FL the magazine over and check out the special section devoted to this, and previous run-ins the students have had with the Overlords. (Especially important for Freshers, so you know what you’re getting yourselves in to.) So, as we start up the 2016 academic year, there’s a lot going on in the world, and a lot going on at UNE. Our next edition will introduce a few new columns and columnists, and will be FI of the student population, both on-, and off-campus. Until next time, Jimmy and The Chief. (Cayden and Mel.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Dear Editorial Staff, I am aware that photographs were taken on behalf of Nucleus in Dixson Library this morning, including photographs of library staff. This photography was undertaken without authorisation in contravention of the Filming or Photographing in the Library procedure. This procedure can be found on the library website: http://www.une.edu.au/library/about-us/forms Please note, as the photography was unauthorised and there were no Library Talent Release Forms signed by the staff, these photographs are not to be used. Regards, Barbara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dear Barbara, Due to the drought of on-campus students we have received no letters this month besides your email. Therefore, it seemed only FItting that I write you a response within the pages of our FIrst issue. It was once upon a stormy day (approximately a week ago) that our sodden panda stumbled through the glistening doorways of Dixon Library with my camera armed self in tow. I had never taken photographs in the library before so I saw it as a golden opportunity in a well-known location. The staff were awesome and we proceeded to take many photos inside your premises unaware of the guidelines pertaining to photography in your establishment. We were swiftly evicted. The photos in concern remain unpublished and we can assure you they will remain as such until we have authorisation. To any aspiring Instagrammers; photos in the library are a no-no, the cafĂŠ is a good spot though. Regards and apologies, Cayden
UNE VALE TREVOR KNIGHT Vale Trevor Knight, one of the last enrolled at New England University College and Enrolments OfFI two decades, has passed away. FIrst point of contact between beginning students and the University from 1968, Trevor was an emphatic custodian of the path to higher learning for thousands of students.
Trevor was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 1972 to the United States Information Agency. He was a life member of the UNE Union. He formed and coached the St. Albert’s Rugby team in 1969 – the FI the college. Trevor was a gentleman and a scholar, he lived a rich, full life, one that was heavily linked to this institution and its students.
Vale Emeritus Professor Faith Trent Emeritus Professor Faith Trent passed early 2016 after leading an incredible and distinguished career. In addition to serving as the Executive Dean of Education, Humanities, and Law at Flinders University, Faith Trent served recently as Deputy Vice-Chancellor from April 2014 to June 2015 here at UNE. Faith also received many awards over her impressive career including the Order of Australia (2003) and the Australian College of Education MacKillop Medal (2010). Faith is survived by her two sons, Morgan and Farron, and will be greatly missed by friends and family.
NEWS Vale Natashia Scully Tash’ Scully, UNE lecturer in nursing lost her hard fought battle with breast cancer in early February. According to those who knew her, Tash was a bright and vivacious woman who faced her illness with courage. Natashia joined the UNE School of Health in 2010 having received her Bachelor of Nursing from the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, earning the faculty of Health Sciences Medal. With a background in emergency medicine, Natashia was passionate about her profession, and educating the best nurses for the future. She is survived by her husband and two sons.
Congrats Garry UNE graduate Garry Burge has been honoured with an Oxley Australia Day hero award in recognition for his work raising awareness of the challenges in education and employment faced by adults with Asperger’s. Garry was almost through his second attempt at a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Politics, and utilising the support services the university had to offer when he was diagnosed. Garry credits the open nature of the university, in both its green spaces and its relationships between students, academics and support services, as a major part of his success. If you are in need of support services, or have special needs, please contact studentsupport@une.edu.au. to Work: an Asperger’s Story in the Dixson Library.
THINGS WRITTEN BY STUDENTS AND STUFF!
I saw love today. Not the tawdry, instant Tinder-brand of ‘luv’. This love was hunched and slow – Two pairs of feet shufFLing in comfortable shoes. A love worn smooth by time as their faces became craggy.
“I have never been able to plan my life. I just lurch from indecision to indecision.” Alan Rickman. Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman, who didn’t play bad guys but very interesting people, will forever be for me one of the most talented actors in the world. Most people will remember him as the slimy but endearing Professor Snape, but in my mind he can be no one other than Metatron - the voice of God. Rickman’s voice is one of the reasons he was so well known. It’s hard to not hear that deep rich voice and not immediately fall in love with the man behind it. He set the bar for villains in movies, made us hold our sides with laughter in Galaxy Quest and showed us his beautiful voice could hold a tune in Sweeney Todd. A man of many talents, one of which was graphic design, he didn’t get into acting until later in his life, it was his love of the theatre that ultimately led him onto our screens and into our hearts. Since then he has had a professional acting career that has lasted nearly forty years, a career that has encompassed stage, screen, television and even directing. Alan was more than just an actor though. He was a man that people loved, including his life partner Rima Horton. I will always remember seeing him in movies and interviews and thinking that he would be a great guy to hang out with. Cancer has taken so many lives and I wish that we had movies to remember all of the victims it has claimed. We can, however, re-watch Harry Potter and remember our favourite potions master. Alan Rickman, if I can become half the actor you were I will be very blessed and happy.
By Grabthar’s Hammer we will miss you.
Nathan John Coombs
“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” David Bowie. David Robert Jones was a funny looking fella. He was skinny, pale and possessed of bad teeth and non-matching eyes. Yet somehow this man, under his FIfty years. David Bowie was an entire section of pop culture all by himself. First he wowed as Ziggy Stardust, then Aladdin Sane introduced the iconic lightning bolt. The Thin White Duke wore suits. No matter the incarnation, David Bowie was bewitching. He was the Goblin king who stole babies, and the man who fell to earth. But he did it all with a smile and the gentle grace of a true star. Such a star that, after his passing, Belgian amateur astronomers at MIRA Public Observatory in conjunction with radio station Studio Brussels created a “Bowie asterism” of seven stars which had been in the vicinity of Mars at the time of Bowie’s death; when appropriately connected they form the iconic lightning bolt. A main-belt asteroid was named ‘342843 Davidbowie’ on the 5th January last year. His death two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his nal alFIrst in a run of celebrity deaths that marked the beginning of 2016. David was a personal hero of mine, an artist unafraid to take risks and talented enough to almost always get away with it. From the top of his blonde head to his bony toes, Bowie had whatever it was that makes someone loved, and we can only wonder at the music that he took with him as he went gently into that good night. China Ragazza
“It’s been a wonderful, wonderful evening. I mean, not musically of course, but in terms of spectacle…” Sir Terry Wogan, on Eurovision Sir Terry Wogan was a man who dominated several forms of entertainment for decades, starting in radio as a young man, by 2008 his morning program ‘Waking Up with Wogan’ had a daily audience of 8 million, the largest in Europe. From the 14th February 2010, Wogan began hosting a two-hour Sunday program, Weekend Wogan. He ceased broadcasting in November 2015 due to ill health. On television, Sir Terry hosted the British broadcast of Eurovision. For 35 years his ascerbic wit, delivered in his soothing lilt provided commentary to the spectacle for generations of viewers. Sir Terry gave up hosting the contest in 2010, bemoaning the fact that it was no longer a simple song contest. His other important television work was as host of Children in Need, the annual telethon was overseen by Terry for 30 years, he failed to host the 2015 show, but had hoped to return to the position in 2016. Much has been made of his taking a fee for this work, but the money came from the BBC, and every penny was donated to charity. Sir Terry was a family man with a big heart and a fast wit. He will be missed by many. Elenora Rennell
“People don’t become better when they’re dead; you just talk about them as if they are, but it’s not true! People are still assholes, they’re just dead assholes! … I didn’t have a really important life, but at least it’s been funny.” Lemmy Kilmister Born in one of those English villages-with-hyphens that conjure images of FIelds and canals with those puttering boats in them, whether that’s true or not, Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister would become a legend in heavy metal music, as the founder, frontman and bass player of Motörhead. Singing like a man with a broken neck, Lemmy kept his microphone high, allegedly to keep his eyes away from the disappointingly small crowds of early gigs, and looked to be screaming at the heavens. Even after they found worldwide acclaim. The band’s appearance in The Young Ones episode “Bambi” was the rst time I saw the band, and I loved them from that moment onwards. Lemmy’s gravelly voice was perfect accompaniment to the frenzied music. Lemmy inspired a plethora of artists, Ozzy Osbourne was a lifelong friend and described Lemmy as his hero, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Metallica and Iron Maiden were all quick to pay tribute to the 70 year-old. Diagnosed with cancer only two days before his death, Lemmy wanted to share the news of his terminal illness with the world but died four days after his birthday, on the 28th December 2015, before a statement could be drafted. Camille Newport
“To me, that (spaceFL learn from this? What is it we are learning? That’s important, because I think what we’re trying to do is discover ourselves and our place in the cosmos, and we don’t know. We’re still looking for that.” Edgar Mitchell In a month and-a-bit of losing heroes, a quiet man, not too well-known, especially not by me, passed away aged 85. His name was Edgar Mitchell and he was the 6th man on the moon. And he was a cool dude. He passed away on the 4th of February, on the eve of the 45th anniversary of his only lunar landing. His mission, aboard the lunar lander Antares and commanded by the rst American in space Alan Shepard Jr, set several records: -The time of the longest distance traversed on the lunar surface and the largest payload returned from lunar surface -The longest lunar stay time (33 hours). -The FI -Mitchell helped collect 94 pounds of lunar rock and soil samples that were tries for analysis. er a solution to Apollo 13’s in-space problems, ultimately helping to bring the three-man team home safely. Mitchell seems like a man possessed of a keen intelligence and a curiosity to see and know as much of the universe as possible. He was a pioneer and a scholar. One of the lucky dozen to tread upon the Moon’s powdery surface, Edgar was a very special human being. Gordon Rowland
HEROES I wanted to uary, 2016.
nd a way to address the loss of so many of our heroes in Jan-
I wanted to explore why the deaths of intimate strangers can grip people as much as the deaths of those they love dearly, of people they see every day. I scoured journal articles, books on psychology and a myriad of other sources, FInding what I was looking for. Then. There it was. On bloody Twitter of all places. “Thinking about how we mourn artists we’ve never met. We don’t cry because we knew them, we cry because they helped us know ourselves.” A user named @ElusiveJ did in 140 characters what I had been searching in vain for in massive tomes and long-winded articles. So, whether it was David Bowie’s energy, Alan Rickman’s dulcet tones and classical education, Lemmy’s gravelly voice, the mayor who was told “Sir, the Titanic’s just arrived”, the ingenuity of the sixth man on the Moon, the voice of Disney’s Robin Hood, Boba Fett or the man who took over from Mel Blanc and gave you Marvin the Martian, it’s okay to mourn the people you never met. Because without them you might not have met yourself. Kayla Gray
The staggering amount of awesome that was extinguished from the world in January was breathtaking. An unbelievable number of talented humans succumbed, mostly, to cancer. I wish that I could give each and every human being who was lost to the world a special mention here- especially all the unsung heroes who passed, mourned by only their closest friends and family, but I can’t. This paper would be a million pages long and make you want to tear your eyes out. So, I am instead going to urge you all, old and young to be wary of certain risks and the ways you can possibly spot any pesky cancer before it is too late. Cover up in the sun. We all remember the demented cartoon bird telling us to Slip, Slop Slap, turns out he was right. Check your spots and freckles regularly for any change in colour, size or shape. If in doubt, get it checked out. Melanoma is the single most common cancer reported in Australia. Ladies, check your breasts. I know many immature boys might read this, waggle their eyebrows and offer to ‘help you out’, when you’re done rolling your eyes, make sure you schedule the time for a self-examination. You have a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 85. Boys, you’re probably gonna be down there anyway at some point, so make sure you’re not carrying any unwanted growth in your trousers. Testicular cancer is the second most common cancer in men ages 18-39.
Melanie Eve Pease
UNE TOWNIES UNE Townies is an organisation that provides help and support to those students at UNE who are living off-campus. We provide academic, cultural and pastoral care for those of you living in town. Basically, we offer the same support for our students as the colleges do, we just don’t all live together. To be a Townies member you don’t need to be straight out of high school and in your rst year of university. A townie can be any current student who has recently moved to Armidale from one of the colleges, or from another town. We love you mature aged students just as much as all our younger freshers. To be a part of the Townies group is to be included in all aspects of university life; social, academic, and everything in between. For those of you that are in FInd yourselves without the support you previously had, I highly recommend becoming a part of the family. We can help you out with most things including where to nd your classes, how to enrol, how to create your timetable, and most importantly how to navigate the Moodle site. Not to mention the amazing social events and study nights we put on for you guys! Speaking of social events… Be sure to check out our O-Week Program for some of the events and important academic sessions that are happening around the university and within the town itself. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for upcoming events and important information. If you have any questions about us or what else we can provide, please don’t hesitate to contact us as we are here to help. We will be walking around the campus during O-Week, as well as having a stall set up on lifesaver day (where you can sign up to be a townie), and at all of our amazing events.
RACHEL GREIG
Denusha (President) I’m a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology)/ Bachelor of Science (Forensics) student in my second year. I love coffee, getting involved in my community and I can’t resist a good book. I’m keen to make this year one to remember and I look forward to getting to know all of my Townies! We have some awesome events planned for this year so like our Facebook page and stay tuned!
Zoey (Vice President) Zoey here. I am your 2016 Vice president! I am in a Bachelor of Criminology.
FIrst
year student . During my orientation week I made some lasting memories and friends for life. I’ve not ony met great friends, I’ve learnt leadership skills,
So returners, welcome back. Freshers, I welcome you. Get involved, enjoy the experience, and I look forward to meeting and getting to know each and every one of you. Liam (Treasurer) Hi, I’m Liam, and I’m the Townies Treasurer this year. I’m studying Bachelor of Secondary Education (Mathematics), and my hobbies include trying (unsuccessfully) to balance having a social life, working, playing FInding time to study. Look for my bald head, they say it brings wisdom and good advice.
Sarah (Secretary) Hi there, studying a Ba of Law/Criminology but spend an unfortunate amount of my time on incredibly mature pursuits including cartoons, Facebook arguments and naps. I’ve been a townie for over two years now and look forward to helping you freshers take full advantage of the experience.
Mitchell (Welfare & Education) Hey. I’m studying a BSc in Mathematics and I love all things numerical. The best thing about living in town is the freedom and independence that comes with it!
Rachel (Social) I’m a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Criminology student currently in my fourth year. I love to get a little nerdy, drink wine and just generally have a fun time. Planning for an amazing year ahead in townies, with some great social events for you all to attend. Can’t wait to meet all you fun and fabulous new people!
Cayden (Social) Hello again readers, I’m currently undertaking a Bachelor of Zoology, I’m in my second year. Additionally, I am the Design Editor for Nucleus. I’ve lived in town for a couple of years now. Before moving to Armidale I did a lot of travel within Australia, ending up in places as far as Broome. I look forward to meeting everyone and wish both freshers, and returners, the best of luck with their 2016 studies.
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND STUDENT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION Hello! Are you a brand new fresher studying at UNE? Are you enrolled in a course within the School of Science and Technology?
Well, we’ve got some news for you! We are very excited to have recently established the University of New England Student Science & Tech Association! (UNESSTA for short).
Finally us Science kids have some student representation, as well as student organised events and activities! First up we have Lifesaver Day!
Come say hey and pick our brains about textbooks, units, courses, trimesters; anything and everything! Sign up for membership/interest and go in the entry for some super cool science themed stationary. If you are interested in joining us on the committee or have some suggestions in what we can offer you and your peers swing by and let us know. We will be hosting several events and activities throughout the academic year, and are here to represent you so please don’t be shy!
If you are a returning student and would like to become a member or would like more information about joining the committee please contact either myself (President) or Eliza Metz- UNESSTA President: emetz@myune.edu.au Dane Lyddiard- UNESSTA Secretary: dlyddiar@myune.edu.au
Video did not kill the Radio star. Do you want to be invited to cool parties and meet amazing people from almost every walk of life, but don’t know how? Do you want to learn about radio and article writing for a newspaper/magazine? Do you want to have fun while learning valuable lessons that can help you get a job? If you answered yes, maybe or no to any/all of these questions, why don’t you volunteer for Tune FM and Nucleus? Hey Fresher, random volunteer from Tune FM here, I see you already looked at the rhetorical questions I thought up for you. What do you think? Do you want to volunteer for Tune FM or Nucleus? If this is all the motivation you need to volunteer for Tune, walk on into the studio now and ask for Tania, the station manager or email Tania at tcourt3@une.edu.au to express interest. If you want to submit an article, review, story, photo or letter to the editors contact Mel, the Editor-in-chief for 2016, or her hardy and stalwart companion and Design Editor, Cayden at editors@nucleus.org.au and arrange to have a chat. For those who need a bit more, Tune FM and Nucleus are fun and exciting ways to introduce thine-self to UNE life and the parties that are happening on campus. Some of the awesome things you can do as a volunteer are; interviewing bands, going on air and talking about what you want to talk about, meeting loads of interesting and new people, having brilliant professors on air with you and more. Tune FM and Nucleus not only can bring fun times but you can also get some awesome work experience, knowledge of Wide Orbit (our music system), and professional sound recording and broadcasting equipment.
Most degrees span 3 to 4 years, if you become a volunteer as a fresher, that’s 3 to 4 years of work place experience, and Tania as a reference and I quote, “I give a great reference.” Volunteering at Tune FM or Nucleus can add some good content to any resume, no matter the Degree. If this still isn’t enough to convince you to volunteer here at Tune FM and Nucleus, drop in to the studio, ask us any question you like and we will try to answer them. Or if you can’t make it up the hill, email Tania at tcourt3@ une.edu.au or the Nucleus Team at editors@nucleus.org.au. Intahsone Phanoraj, 2nd Year, Tune FM volunteer.
Avoiding Armidale Winters, You’re Doing it Wrong Recently UNE sent out a survey to discover where in the world its students are based. One particular location stood out from the pack. Shane Kearn is studying a Bachelor of Organisational Leadership from Casey Research Centre in Antarctica. Due to return to Australia in February, Shane continues his studies even during the isolated 8 months of Antarctic winter. A time he spends with 18 other researchers, cut off from the outside world in a presumably classier and geekier Big Brother house. While many students past and present can attest that a drunken stumble back to college after ‘Stro night in June can feel icy, Shane’s experience of the extreme climate of the south pole puts that in perspective.
Coffee Review Prue And Olive
Prue and Olive offers a great range of coffees and teas for everyone from the casual coffee dabbler to the pretentious coffee snobs that can tell you where a coffee bean originated from the scent of a passing stranger’s fart. They offer competitive prices and great taste for the takeaway connoisseur, and for those who dare to venture deeper they have a great selection of mugs and teapots on display that you can request to partake your desired beverage from. Located conveniently across the road from the spiffy new Courthouse, Prue and Olive offer divine views of the soon-to-be incarcerated for onlookers to gawk at over their jentacular beverage of choice. A super pretentious coffee dick.
Be More Than A Piece Of Paper Welcome Freshers! Firstly, let me introduce myself.. I am Koady, the Internal Representative on the UNE Students Association, and am entering my 3rd year of a Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Law. I am proud of being one of those students that gets involved, and am so happy that I made the decision to do so. piece of advice, get involved! Too many students wait for their second year to get involved in the numerous clubs and societies around the university and by the time you’ve started to really contribute to the university you’re basically on your way to graduation FInd your niche and make your short stay here more meaningful. The best way to contribute to the student community is to volunteer or join one of our many clubs and societies - many of them will give you the skills and abilities that will make you more employable once you are out of here. Personally, the TuneFM! volunteer program and enactusUNE, have both provided me with skills and networks that have seen me grow as a student. There is a plethora of clubs and societies to get involved in as well as opportunities within your own college, or the Townies group, so check out the list below and see where you’d like to go. The greatest reason why you should join a club or become a volunteer is that you gain a voice within the university, the more you are, the louder you become. It is so important for a university to have loud and proud student cohort, as the more engaged we are as a cohort the better the university can become. On that note, don’t forget to check out the FLipside ofthe magazine. There are many things happening at the moment, and now is the time to defend the collective student voice. For advice on how best to get involved shoot me an email at khumphr9@myune. edu.au and/or run into me at events throughout O-week! Don’t forget to listen to the UNESA Radio show on TuneFm! 106.9 Monday’s 2-4 for the latest UNE Get involved, and evolve!
Koady Humphreys - Internal Representative, UNESA
Have you ever heard about those students that sleep all day and only come out at night? Have you ever dreaded those lecturers of urban-legend that seem harsh and in human with how they mark you? Maybe there is a far less simple explanation (other than a massive hangover), that reads like a dodgy plot from a B-Grade horror movie. If you have that kind of overactive imagination, you may find Beyond the Sunset right up your dark, spooky, vampire-ridden alley. Beyond the Sunset is renowned for its continuous Live-Action Roleplaying (LARP) game in the Chronicles of Darkness setting with interacting games and characters all over Australia and beyond. LARP is like improvised theatre with a character you choose to portray (but with no audience and therefore; no hecklers). You take on a fictional character and react the way you think they would in situations determined by yourself and the other players. The setting is the Chronicles of Darkness by White Wolf – an exaggerated shadowy reflection of the real world with elements of the supernatural. The games Beyond the Sunset play locally are: Vampire: the Requiem (Nocturnal, immortal predators satiating dark hunger with dominance over their environment and society) Changeling: the Lost (Rebuilding after escaping from the captivity of beautiful nightmares that now pervade a home you have lost) Mage: the Awakening (society rejects your magic, others hunt you for it and conspiracies dictate its use) You can find Beyond the Sunset all over Australia and the world, but most importantly there is a Beyond the Sunset group right here in Armidale at the University of New England! For an example of what fun is to be had in LARP, come to A Heartless Betrayal on the 20th of February - a classic host-a-murder style game with vampires – where a prominent position holder is found with their heart ripped out and a lot deader than they normally would be. Find out more about it through the QR code to the side. Also look for Beyond the Sunset at the UNE Lifesaver Day on the Tuesday the 16th of February, where you can ask about us and our games. For more details on both the local Beyond the Sunset group and if you are not local, around the rest of Australia, contact: Katherine Atkins, Armidale Domain Coordinator. Email: dc@armidale.beyondthesunset.org.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bts.armidale/
UNE GAMING SOCIETY UNE Gaming Society offers new opportunities to meet people and forge friendships. Our nights run weekly and attract quite a lot of people from staff, students and community members. We operate from the ‘Stro 6pm on Tuesdays and will be starting 23/02/16. We offer a variety of different themed nights and encourage new and old members to come along and participate. The nights are free format, offering a variety of activities such as consoles and tabletop based games. We have a strong following around Magic the Gathering, and online games like League of Legends or Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Occasionally we hold tournaments and cosplay nights, where we dress up and compete in various types of games. Last year we held a Magic the Gathering and Warmachine event which had a massive turnout and was a great success. We are looking to hold even more events this year with a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament set for late March and the possibility of a League of Legends tournament second semester. We also have a weekly radio show run on Mondays at 6pm through TuneFM, where we discuss the latest gaming news, and games we’ve been playing so feel free to listen in if you get the opportunity. We are looking into running workshops around computer maintenance and website design if we can generate interest as well, so please bring your friends along and discuss with us on our nights what you’d like to see. Feel free to email us at unegamingsociety@gmail.com Contact our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UNEGamingSociety/ Join our group https://www.facebook.com/groups/UNEGamingSociety/ to get in touch with us and hear the latest news about upcoming events and what you’d like to see on them. Regards,
David Stevenson-Relf President UNE Gaming Society
WHAT’s 2016’s MUST HAVE CELEBRITY ACCESSORY?
Liam Carney Vice-President UNE Gaming Society
THE SARAH PALIN SEAL OF APPROVAL
CANCER
Does The University Really Care ABout us?
UNE vs. UNESA | Drummond & Smith
CONTENTS
04 And I Thought Annabelle Duncan Liked Students? 06 Correspondence From Peter Creamer 07 UNESA’s Response to Peter Creamer’s Proposal 11 Further Correspondence From Peter Creamer 12 What Happened To Drummond & Smith College At The End Of Last Year?
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And I thought Annabelle Duncan liked students? It does seem that holding an olive branch out to UNE results in them eating the olives and spitting the pits in your face. I must say that I am a little disappointed. Let us recap on what UNE senior management has been up to recently. First Robb College was shut down, Drummond and Smith lost their college. Next, Margaret Sims, the UNE President of the National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEIU) has taken UNE to court for “restricting the staff voice” and now it is UNESA’s turn to join the wagon of fun that is dealing with UNE senior management. During Trimester 3, on the 10th of November to be precise, UNESA received a ‘proposal’ (pronounced ‘ultimatum’) from the University requesting that UNESA hand over the Independent Advocates (Uni4Me), the radio station (TuneFM), the 2nd hand bookshop, and the Clubs and Societies, to be placed under the control of UNE Life. This, to add insult to injury, was after the services had been unceremoniously dumped on UNESA at the beginning of 2014, by one of the many recent iterations of UNE senior management. The reasons given to UNESA as to why we should no longer operate these services were two fold; 1. That it is inappropriate for students to employ staff (???), and 2. Concern about the liability of the enterprises (???). FL
the majority of SSAF funds, in the vicinity of $1M, would be a rather convenient outcome if this proposal goes through. This proposal came from none other than ofFI er (the man who brought you the Drummond and Smith saga), however when he sent us the proposal, he had been at UNE for around 5 months, which is not quite enough time to conceive of this alone. I am not sure what you are thinking right now, but UNESA was confused. We actually thought that anyone old enough to run their own business, employ staff and have in their possession the resources to do so, could handle such a commitment and understand the risks, be they ‘student’ or not. And, despite operating in an uncertain environment (the threat of takeover has been looming almost since the enterprises were handed over.) UNESA has managed to run these to the benefI and consistent manner.
On the 24th of November, in response to the ‘proposal’, UNESA formulated a series of questions to clarify what the university wanted to achieve and why, only to receive evasive, politician style answers with no substance–only spelling and grammatical errors. We found these responses just a teeny-tiny bit offensive and rather condescending. UNE then wanted to impose these changes at the end of December, while most students were off campus, so they would return to the new regime. Part of this devious plot included shafting the Media coordinator and the Clubs & Societies Coordinator and replacing both their positions with one UNE Life employee. I made representations on behalf of our staff that this timing (Christmas/ holiday season) was particularly unkind and also, that UNESA needed time to consult with our membership when they return in Tri 1. Fortunately the University saw some reason and they agreed to employ the staff until the 4th of March 2016, though are holding our enterprises to ransom by not approving any SSAF (YOUR Student Services Amenities Fee) funding until they are handed over. I don’t really know what I can say. The University is short-changing itself by doing this to students. The reasons given are weak and follow the same logic of people who don’t cross a road for fear of being hit by a car. Students who have made a decision to study at UNE have branded their degrees, which will follow them for the rest of their lives, with this University’s insignia. If you want to know why UNESA is largely invisible, it is because we get caught up in this political nonsense which restricts us from doing the FIt to students. It feels like the University is forcing students to become radicalised or otherwise become completely subservient to the University’s whim. At this stage, UNESA can see no bene
t to student’s from this proposal.
All the documents pertaining to UNESA’s discussions with Prof. Creamer are printed on the following pages. Please let us (UNESA) know what you think. Email: unesa@une.edu.au Sincerely, Judd Newton UNESA President
UNESA Preliminary Response to CSO Proposal UNESA Preliminary Response to CSO Proposal 1.0 Purpose
UNESA appreciates the spirit of consultation provided by this letter, howeve order the for UNESA make a fair and considered response to the proposal the Board UNESA appreciates spirit ofto consultation provided by this letter, however in requests some additional clarification around some key points. This clarification wil assist the Board in making a decision and will aid in informing students during our consultative process. The Board has provided a brief history of UNESA as a contex aid and to assist with any questions that may surround the function of UNESA (Appendix A.)
2.0 Questions around the proposal 2.1 Letter of Proposal from CSO
please explain how this would operate?
for each of the enterprises?
and organised? been an important part of ascertaining, communicating and meeting the needs of students and student groups, how would this communication be maintained?
what circumstances? a member of the University’s executive, how does the University propose that
running the enterprises?
current arrangements under UNESA?
collapse of student representation at UNE, including the UNE Student Association as it
In order to facilitate this change the University set up Services UNE Ltd, a Services UNE Ltd originally had the presidents of the two student associations on it,
federal legislation stipulates that its expenditure must be done in consultation with reintroduced student associations did not comply with the legislation because their
cooperation of UNE, a constitution for UNESA was drafted and in June 2013 UNESA was
Continued...
In late 2013, the University also handed to UNESA the responsibility for managing the following key areas of student tertiary amenity and student experience
UNESA acted to revive the student newspaper, Nucleus , as a support for the expression of student interests, to help build fraternity and a sense of ownership by promoting dialogue Nucleus is a key asset in building UNESA has also supported the development of Clubs and Societies, including the appointment of a Coordinator and the establishment of a Subcommittee under the main
student leaders, a conduit for advice on forming, building and managing clubs of all kinds, a transparent and carefully scrutinised funding mechanism, and access to other resources such
Students and student leaders have put in many volunteer hours to support and maintain
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What happened to Drummond & Smith College at the end of last year? On Tuesday 29th September 2015 (1 week before Tri 2 exams!), “Professor” Peter Creamer sent an email to D&S students telling them that Robb College was more popular, so 2016 would see Robb students moved into the D&S buildings and D&S students sent to Earle Page College. That afternoon, Creamer and Ashwin Bhutani (Director of Residential Services) held an open forum in the D&S dining hall to answer student questions. Rather than give real answers, they continued to reiterate the same talking points over and over and refused to engage in discussion. Students were just more pissed off afterwards. So much for UNE respecting the ability of their students to think critically. In the following weeks, Creamer met with student leaders of D&S and UNESA. When these meetings were unsuccessful, D&S students accepted their fate, studied for exams, and then let their hair down for one last week of partying and good times before saying farewell to their home for the last time. Why was D&S closed?
Drummond & Smith College occupancy had been declining Demand for places at Robb College in 2016 was expected to be high UNE sees Robb as their ‘premier college’ UNE had too many empty college rooms Robb students misbehaved when spread across 3 colleges, putting them back together shhh!) Who made this decision? According to Creamer it was a joint decision by UNE Senior Management, but that as CSO, he would be fully accountable for it. Sources say that Vice Chancellor Annabelle Duncan presented a broad overview of the plan to the UNE Council on 18th September 2015, but engaged in no real discussion and left many aspects unclear. Regardless, Council approved it. Shame on Where are D&S students this year? There are 43 returning students at Earle Page College as EPC residents. These students are NOT grouped in a renamed D Block as originally proposed by UNE, but have instead been spread throughout EPC. Another 7 or so students have transferred to other UNE Colleges, and the remaining 50 or so have either moved into town or found a new hometown. A handful have even found a new university. Where are the Robb students? Robb students are being housed in the Drummond & Smith College buildings, which have now been renamed Robb College. Conveniently for UNE, this is right next door to Safety and Security. Let’s hope they get on well with their other neighbours, St Alberts College.
Why does Robb get a waiting list when other Colleges are expected to pass on applications once full? Because Robb is the ‘premier brand’ of UNE. If Robb is full, why didn’t UNE give them buildings with more rooms instead of D&S, which is the smallest college?
Why did Robb students need to be located together if demand was still strong under the existing system? Another good question. Sources suggest UNE did it to ensure ongoing donations from Robb Alumni who threatened to withdraw funding. Throw in the behaviour issues and you can paint an interesting picture of the UNE-Robb relationship. What facilities will Robb College students use? They will be eating meals in the Drummond & Smith Dining Hall, and will only use the Robb fully disconnected from the old Robb College building, especially when the dining hall is also taken away. Will Robb College still move back in 2017? That’s what the Robb students were told, isn’t it? They were told that, but lol no. IF the heritage listing plan comes out in UNE’s favour, and IF UNE can somehow pull the money together (at least $10 million), then the old Robb College likely won’t be ready to house Robb students again until around 2020 at the earliest. With no Robb students using the facilities regularly and Robb already having a college, maybe UNE won’t even bother with the refurbishments. Perhaps Robb should have joined forces with the other colleges last year… Where has this left UNE? This entire saga has hurt UNE. Their Facebook rating plummeted from 4.6 to 2.3. There are still empty rooms in the colleges, plus the 200 at Old Robb College which always seem to be glossed over by UNE. After seeing how quickly the axe can fall, other colleges are fearful of their own future. A sour taste has been left in the mouths of both continuing students and graduates, which quickly spreads by word of mouth. One can only hope that the colleges will weather this storm, but without the proper commitment from UNE to ALL colleges, that may be an unrealistic pipe dream. Despite being the traditional backbone of UNE, the on-campus experience is quickly fading in favour of external, online students. With so many universities now offering online courses, UNE will be competing in a saturated market. On the other hand, UNE’s existing residential system would seem like a good investment at a time when other universities are scrambling to build and expand their own. This is an unfortunate path for UNE to be taking for the many quality staff members, students and alumni, but is an inevitable outcome when management decisions are made by those who value budgets and bonuses more than experience and education.
Does The University Really Care ABout us?
UNE vs. UNESA | Drummond & Smith