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College news
OUR NEW RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IS OPEN
The Hon Dan Tehan officially opened our new 100-room residential building on 7 February. The eco-friendly building includes a large, open study area, a two-level Junior Common Room, music rooms, the David Tan Visual Arts Studio and a shaded courtyard. In line with Trinity College’s commitment to sustainability, the new building is heated and cooled using geothermal energy, has a solar system and harvests and reuses rainwater for the gardens and toilets. The building, designed by Hayball, was shortlisted in the IDEA interior design awards.
KERRY GLEESON NAMED NEW BOARD CHAIR
Kerry Gleeson has been named incoming Chair of the Trinity College Board and will be the first woman to serve in the role. She will take over the position from Charles Sitch when his term concludes in May 2021. Kerry is an experienced non-executive director and has been on the Trinity College Board since 2015. She is also a member of the Finance and Audit Committee and Chair of the Pathways School Business Committee. ‘My vision for 2021 is for the Board to continue to focus on the wellbeing of our students,’ she says. ‘As we adjust to what many are terming the “new normal”, I want us to focus on and embrace the creation of a new normal that ensures Trinity continues to operate as a strong, vibrant college and an important and valued part of the Melbourne community, as it has done for more than a century.’
BALNHDHURR EXHIBITION
We opened the exhibition Balnhdhurr – A Lasting Impression in Trinity’s Burke Gallery on 20 February. The exhibition showcased nearly 100 artworks produced through the Yirrkala Print Space, which is located on the tip of North East Arnhem Land.
JUTTODDIE – BREAKING TRADITION
COVID-19 restrictions meant 2020 was the first year since its introduction in 1931 that the annual Juttoddie steeplechase didn’t go ahead.
PEACEBUILDER'S CONFERENCE
At our third annual Peacebuilder’s Conference, University of Notre Dame Associate Professor for Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding David Anderson Hooker led a discussion about how the arts can help heal generational trauma and shape new beginnings in line with the theme Healing Our Stories. Australian X Factor winner, Eurovision representative and Masked Singer contestant Isaiah Firebrace joined the discussion and treated participants to an incredible online performance.
NEW SENIOR STUDENT – OSCAR HOLLANDS
Congratulations to our new Senior Student Oscar Hollands, who takes over the role from Morgan Galea. Oscar says that he’d ‘never seen so many smiles per square inch’ when he joined Trinity in 2018 and felt immediately welcome. He now aims to ensure all of Trinity’s resident students feel the same warmth and collegiality, particularly in light of 2020’s on-campus disruption.
‘It’s through shared experiences that you really integrate, so my main goal as Senior Student will be to create as many shared experiences as possible, such as arts groups, bands, social events and other opportunities that let people find common interests and help them meet people outside of their spheres, particularly in terms of their physical buildings or their year levels.’
We offer many thanks to Morgan for his exceptional leadership in 2020 and for helping our students navigate one of the most challenging years in Trinity’s history.
FOUNDATION STUDIES GETS CREATIVE IN LOCKDOWN
Our Foundation Studies students created a series of wellbeing videos to show support for one another in lockdown (while our staff delivered care packages to accommodation facilities), held an online media festival to showcase their creative works and showed off their best performances through an online lip sync battle. For the first time in Trinity’s history, we held virtual ceremonies for our graduating students.
BEHAN CARPARK WINS ARCHITECTURE AWARD
The Behan car park was upgraded and won the 2020 AILA Victoria Landscape Architecture Award for Cultural Heritage.
DR SCOTT KIRKLAND NAMED AS INAUGURAL STOCKDALE CHAIR
In February, accomplished researcher and writer Dr Scott Kirkland was named our Theological School’s inaugural John and Jeanne Stockdale Chair in Practical Theology and Ethics. The creation of the position was made possible thanks to a generous gift to the Theological School by the late John Stockdale.
VIRTUAL FIRESIDE CHATS
We held virtual fireside chats with a range of speakers, including our 2020 Gourlay Visiting Professor of Ethics in Business, Professor Andrew Crane, of the University of Bath, who addressed the issue of modern slavery, and Professor Edward ‘Ned’ Foley, Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law at Ohio State’s law school, who spoke about the US presidential election.
CHOIR TOURS NORTH AMERICA
The Choir of Trinity College squeezed in a tour of Canada and the US from 29 January to 14 February before international borders closed, giving 14 performances in cities including Toronto, Boston, New York and Washington, DC. The choir also released a new album, Walking on Waves.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Trinity celebrated International Women’s Day in March with a panel discussion about Indigenous women in leadership, which was moderated by Dr Shireen Morris. Panellists Rona Glynn-McDonald, Associate Professor Sana Nakata, Dr Janine Mohamed and Belinda Duarte offered insights into some of the many areas in which inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women lead and better our society.
PUBLISHING SUCCESS FOR THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL STAFF
Our Theological School staff published a number of books, including The Ministry of Women in the New Testament: Reclaiming the Biblical Vision for Church Leadership by the Revd Canon Professor Dorothy Lee (for release in February 2021); God Has Chosen: The Doctrine of Election Through Christian History by the Revd Professor Mark Lindsay; and Epicureanism and the Gospel of John by the Revd Dr Fergus King.
GROUND BROKEN AT 611 ELIZABETH STREET
The site of our new campus at 611 Elizabeth Street officially broke ground on 10 February. The planned multi-level building will be used by our Pathways School when we consolidate several of our smaller Carlton campuses into a comprehensive second campus. The development forms part of a new educational and biomedical precinct.
RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE GETS CREATIVE IN LOCKDOWN
Our on-campus Residential College students held a Survivor contest, modelled on the TV show of the same name, which was filmed and streamed to students both on and off campus to maintain a sense of collegiality during the first Melbourne lockdown. Other lockdown activities included morning fitness sessions on the Bul, a virtual Corri Feud (a Family Feud spin-off) and online mindfulness sessions. The Trinity versus St Hilda’s COVID Cup was also introduced, which involved socially distanced sports and cultural competitions.
THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL VISITING PROFESSOR
In March, we welcomed Ulrike LinkWieczorek from the University of Oldenburg as our Theological School’s visiting professor. Professor Link-Wieczorek’s visit aimed to help forge research connections and explore student exchange partnership opportunities between the University of Oldenburg and Australian institutions.
RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE FUNDRAISERS
Residential College students hosted a number of fundraisers throughout the year, including a 50-kilometre charity run for multiple sclerosis research, a 24-hour piano-playing marathon by student Ian Coyukiat to raise money for the Australian Red Cross, and a 12-hour relay as part of Connor’s Run to support brain cancer research.
WEAR IT PURPLE DAY
We got involved in Wear it Purple Day on 28 August to show our support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Trinity’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance organised some colourful cakes to celebrate.
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONE
10 February marked the 150th anniversary of the laying of Trinity College’s foundation stone.