The Wyvern Society Newsletter - July 2009 Queen’S College University of Melbourne in Aeternum
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The Wyvern Society Newsletter - July 2009 Queen’s College University of Melbourne In Aeternum Inside: Eakins Redevelopment now offi cially open! College rowing – the “most successful year in College history” Current student and past parent profi les Professor David Runia with Julian Flanagan (far left), Club President, Lachlan Brennan, and Tyrone Ghaswala at the President’s Turn In Aeternum - July 2009 Master’s Report am writing thishis report the morning sincece I returned from a three week trip The close contacts with the University after one off the more extraordinary to Southern Africa (where I did anotanother are invaluable now that the impact of I days of myy time here as Master. If stint of teaching at the University of the Melbourne Model is being more and you could have visited our site 24 hours Stellenbosch), wee hhave experienced more felt. There can be no doubt that ago and stood in the quad you wouldwou the month of MayMay, and what a month the radical changes which the Universityy have seenen a swarm of workers—staff, it was! UnquestionablyUnques the highlight has introduced constitute the greatestst students (evenev though it is exam time) was the remarkable performance of the challenge that the College has facedced for and externals—allls frantically labouring to four crews at the annual Regatta. Their many decades. This year for thee fi rst get the westernte end of Eakins Hall, the success was astounding. Celebrations time Queen’s had no fi rst yearar medicalmed area betweenen Eakins and South and the afterwards were spirited but in the students. The most pressingg tasktas we quad readyy forf the grand event planned circumstances reasonably measured have now is to prepare forr the arrival for 4.30pm.0pm It was like an extreme make- (even if some members of the Senior of the full-blown graduatee proprogramme over programmepro on TV. But by 3pm the Common Room found the spoonbangs in 2011. The success of the building miraclei had occurred. All was in readiness of more than twenty minutes a bit long). projects which you will readrea more about and two hours later a crowd of more It was an unforgettable occasion. But elsewhere in this magazineazin will be than one hundred visitors saw the new now the College is very quiet again, absolutely crucial for thishis process. facilities opened by Prof. David Penington. with all the students keeping their heads After many years this long-neglected well down. The extent of their time- Lastly I have to report to you the very part of Eakins Hall is back in use. The management skills will become apparent disappointing event thatha took place in view from the renovated Stafford room when the exam results are published in mid-January. It was discoveredsc that the in all directions is quite stunning. We July. College’s Presiding chair,air in which the have had to be very patient, and there Master sits at high table,e, was missing. has been considerable disruption to the At the beginning of the year I assumed The chair has been in thehe College’s College’s normal activities. But it is now another role, as Chair of the Heads of possession at least sincee thet 1920’s and all done and the College can boast new Colleges. For many years the twelve is a feature of every Collegeege photo since and splendid state-of-the-art facilities. Colleges have worked together very that time. We have made a thorought The opening has been one of the real closely, most importantly in the area investigation, in which the policepoli too highlights of the year so far. of admissions and inter-collegiate were involved, but not a singlele uuseful clue competitions, but also in many other has emerged. The entire matterer is utterly Four months ago a group of 96 freshers domains. One of the most interesting puzzling, especially when one takeskes intoi arrived at the College to be welcomed by aspects of the role is the increased account that the object is far too heavyeavy the 16 O’week leaders. A week later they contact that I now have with the to be taken away by a single person. were joined by 112 returning students. University. Recently the Provost and Any assistance that Wyverns can give After some changes during summer Heads of Colleges committee (PaHoC) in recovering the chair would be most break the student leadership, led by has been established to improve gratefully received. President Lachlan Brennan and VP Matt consultation on matters of common Morey took over the reins. It has been interest. This group proved invaluable David T Runia, Master a real pleasure working together with when suddenly we had to confront the them and the GC. The College settled possibility of a swine fl u epidemic (two down quickly and until Easter life at the cases occurred at Queen’s, fortunately College was relatively sedate. However, neither very serious). 1 Queen’s College The Wyvern Society Newsletter Vice-Master’s Report Swotvac & Exams or the last few weeks College has I’m drawnwn to the Library and Lade during been all about Swotvac and the Swotvac and the exams. It’s easy tot F examsexams-nolectureslotsofstudy - no lectures, lots of study, remember what it was liklike to be ‘stuck considerable stress. Throw in coughs and in thee books’ and you feel very close to colds, add some fl u and H1N1, and its residentsnts as a consequence. Wandering easy to understand what pressures our the Collegeollege you see not just the favofavourite students have been working under. hauntsnts for study but how various these are.e. Given oour plans to build a new The community’s response to this has Academiccademic and Cultural Centre, each tour been typical. From seniors and tutors iss pure education.educatio have come tips for studying. Found on the intranet’s news section, the tips Studentstudents need highly fl exible detail how to manage your time, where arrangements.angements. Some seeksee peace and to study,udy, who can providepr help and the quiet,t, others bustle and blare.blare Carrels benefi ts of exercise and suffisu cient sleep. are less popular than desks for three or It’s all about being practical andan showing four, or more if discussion rooms are what works. available. The fl oor is popular, with bean bags profuse. Add laptops,ps, intinternet and These days the tutorial programmee startss whiteboards, and allow folk to snacsnack even a little later in semester. This loads up in the library’s inner sanctum, andnd you academic support when it’s needed theth begin to picture Queen’s in full swing. most. At this time it’s common for tutorstor to run back to back hourly sessions, During every O’Week I talk to the Students making the most of Library facilities and this is in addition to one on one freshers about building their house during consultations. semester. The 1st month you lay the foundations, the 2nd month you erect Yet no one can really study without the walls, the 3rd month you tie down breaks and hence the art of the roof. Then, when chill winds and rain procrastination. Rooms get cleaned,d, descend after lectures fi nish, you can be laundry piles shrink and daily downballwnba sure to be warm and dry inside. It’s corny, games on the Slab draw mothss as if I know, but easy to take on board. I’m a fl ame. There is the old adagedage thatth a pleased to say that most students pay college marches on itss stomach.stoma During heed and so, when Swotvac and exams June Eakins takeses folk frofrom late breakfast do come around, the intense learning to lunch, to afternoonafternoo tea, to dinner and at Queen’s is more about superior on to supper. That’s not to mention the understanding than just a pass grade. energies extracted from what’s on offer in the Emporium. Dr Philip A. Mosely, Vice-Master 2 In Aeternum - July 2009 Commencement Dinner 2009 The College’s 122nd Commencement Dinner was held in Eakins Hall on Wednesday 4 March. Among the special guests present were Principal of Wesley College, Helen Drennan; Principal of Melbourne Girls Grammar; Catherine Misson; Julian Stephens (Law, 1969) and his wife Katarina Klaric; Cedric Vear (Medicine, 1943); Graeme Latham; and Os Nelson (1950) with his wife Betty. Gemma Naylon, recipient of the Indigenous Scholarship with Richard Divall AO, OBE President of Council, John Castles AM with David Thomas (Science), formerly of Wesley College Dr Helen Drennan with Tyrone Ghaswala from Perth, recipient of the Johnstone-Need Scholarship Lunch with Trustees of the Fred J Cato Charitable Fund It is fair to say that without the generous support of Fred J Cato, a member of the College Council in 1895 and for a time its co-Treasurer, and a few other wealthy Methodist merchants, Queen’s College would not have survived the fi nancial crises of the 1890s. In 1928 he established the Fred J. Cato Charitable Fund for ‘the advancement of education and religion, the relief of sickness and poverty, and other charitable purposes benefi cial to the community.’ The Fund still exists, and its Trustees (three of whom are Queen’s College alumni) annually disburse funds in accordance with his wishes. Included in this funding are the Una B. Porter Scholarships Chair of the Fred J Cato Charitable Fund, Rev Professor Robert Gribben (1961), at Queen’s, named after Fred’s daughter who was the fi rst Una Porter Scholarship recipients Scott Williams (Arts) and Maggie Webb woman graduate in Psychiatric Medicine from the University of (Arts), Fund Secretary Rev John Cleghorn, Librarian Robin McComiskey, Melbourne.