September 2014
2014 RES CLUB COMMITTEE WITH KEITH CONLEY AND JANET LINN
Res Club retreat identifies
connection points with alumni
In early August, fourteen Res Club
committee members made the trip to
Bickley Outdoor Recreation Camp in
the Perth foothills for the inaugural Res
Club Retreat. They were accompanied by
Janet Linn (Deputy Principal) and Cam
Barnes (Hall RA and former President of
the UWA Student Guild).
On Friday afternoon there was an opportunity
for early arrivals to take a walk in the foothills.
The program after dinner was a session with
Janet which debriefed Orientation Week
activities and participation. The group then
worked on the best ways for Hall alumni to
assist and engage with current residents.
Major areas in which committee members felt
that alumni could assist were in the areas of:
• careers – through offering workshops on
“life after college/Uni, work placement, internships, graduate job opportunities ,
vacation work and work shadowing
• creating networks through mentoring,
reunions, dinners, social sports and
UniHaller feature articles
• funding – through bursaries, alumni with
connections which would support resident
activities e.g. access to venues, media,
entertainment and food.
On Saturday morning Cam presented
a workshop on Risk Management and
Resilience. The group then took advantage
of the glorious weather to explore the
Bickley recreation area on mountain bikes
before heading back to camp for a lunch
with the Hall RA team.
EUNICE AND MABEL ON THEIR MOUNTAIN BIKES AT THE RETREAT
UniHall Insider
UniHaller
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Dear residents and alumni
Welcome to the re-modelled newsletter
for University Hall, which we have called
Unihaller. It now replaces two previous
publications, the Insider and Hallmark
that were sent to residents and alumni
respectively. We hope you enjoy reading the
Unihaller in the spirit of creating connections
by sharing news and insights between
alumni and current residents of the Hall.
By combining the two separate publications
we hope to bring the two communities
a little closer together – residents see
something of what our alumni are up
to, and the alumni gain a glimpse into
contemporary Hall life. In each edition we
hope to feature a resident or member of
alumni, starting with our very hardworking
President of the Residents Club, Jimson Tan.
The second semester of the year has
started and we welcome the 130 new
residents who have joined us for their
academic journey. Many have come from
overseas and parts far and wide in our fair
country. We hope you have settled into
university and Hall life and enjoyed all the
social activities the Residents Club and
RAs organised for you. The Residential
Life Coordinators, Stef, Stuart and Annaleis,
are meeting with each of the new residents
to help answer any questions and provide
additional support if needed. From the vibe
in the Dining Room, the new residents have
adjusted very well and have quickly made
new friends. I encourage you all to think about
joining a new table through the next few
weeks and introducing yourself to a Unihaller
you have not met. The experience is both
rewarding and refreshing.
The alumni have also been busy organising
a series of professional development and
bursary fundraising events to directly support
current and future students. Look for details
in this edition. Alumni and residents are
welcome to attend.
I would also like to gratefully acknowledge
the continuing support the University Club
gives to our residents. Not only do they
provide consistently excellent catering in our
dining room but they also generously donate
$20,000 to be distributed as bursaries to
residents in financial need. We recently made
even $1,000 distributions to 20 very relieved
and happy students. Many thanks to Gary Ellis
and his team for their important contribution
to hall life.
Please note, we also welcome
contributions to the Unihaller! We
are particularly keen to hear of any
professional development opportunities
that might exist for our wonderful cohort
of talented students. To do so, please
contact the Deputy Principal, Janet Linn.
Keith Conley
Principal University Hall
The University of Western Australia
UNIHALLER RESIDENT PROFILE –
JIMSON TAN, RES CLUB PRESIDENT 2014
How did you come to be a resident
at the Hall?
I was on vacation here in Perth and was at
a house party where I met Clement Cher
through a mutual friend. At that time I was
still looking for accommodation and Clement
suggested that I applied for University Hall
(Currie Hall back then). After applying through
a student service agent, I got a call from Janet
Linn for my phone interview. It was quite
nerve wrecking but after about a week I got an
email notifying me that I’ve received an offer
of accommodation at Currie Hall!
What do you study at University? How
have you been involved in Hall life?
I’m currently a third year commerce student
majoring in economics and finance. I was
initially quite overwhelmed as I wasn’t used
to living around so many people on a daily
basis. However I decided to push myself out
of my comfort zone and get more involved in
the community by running for the position
of Social Representative in the Residents’
Club Committee. Over the years I have slowly
worked my way up the committee and
eventually got elected as President for the
2014 Residents’ Club Committee. 2 | unihall.uwa.edu.au
I have also volunteered with the Community
service group to cook meals at the Ronald
McDonald house for sick children. It was
truly rewarding and touching for us when the
families came to thank us at the end of night.
What are your fondest memories
of living at the Hall?
My fondest memory of living at Hall definitely
has to be in my first year in Currie Hall. In
2012 while Currie Hall was going under
construction, we did not have a games room
so all the game equipment were kept in the
dining hall. Every night people would be
hanging out in the dining hall studying or
having a game of pool with one another,
it really felt like a home away from home.
Can you share a bit about your
future plans?
To be honest, I’m pretty nervous but excited
at the same time to enter the work force.
I’m currently applying for graduate positions
for consultancy in Perth, over in the east coast
and in Singapore. For my long-term plans,
I’d really like to move to London and pursue
my master’s.
JIMSON (BOTTOM RIGHT) WITH OTHER DELEGATES
AT 2014 NAUUC CONFERENCE
Anything else you would like to share
with fellow residents?
If there’s one thing I’d like to share with
everyone, it’s to really make full use of your
time in college. Living at college has really
changed my life; it gave me the opportunity
to meet people from all over the world and
to learn about their cultures and traditions.
On a lighter note, it gives you the chance to
travel the world without having to pay for
accommodation!
UNIHALL
UniHaller
Insider
High Tea Semester 2 Welcome
Over 100 new residents arrived at
University Hall for Semester 2. They were
invited to celebrate their arrival with a
Welcome High Tea on Friday 18 July.
September 2014 | 3
UniHaller
BEACH DISCOVERY TOUR, O WEEK
O WEEK JULY 2014
The University Hall Residents’ Club had
a wonderful Semester 2 2014 O-week in
UniHall. ResClub planned a mixture of
different activities for the new residents
this semester. We kick-started the
week with an Ugly Sweater Party which
generated an awesome vibe amongst
the residents, a vibe which remained
throughout the whole of O-week.
The following days saw residents partake in a
range of events, from more physical activities
such as Laser Tag and Bounce Inc. to some
more relaxed events such as the Coffee Crawl.
Quiz Night concluded our O-week where all
attendees had the chance to win prizes such
as college essentials (stationary, washing
powder, food and electronics). It was a
amazing week filled with excitement and great
energy where new residents had the chance
to forge new friendships and experience the
college lifestyle and spirit.
Kristine Labayog
Vice President Residents Club
NEW RESIDENTS AT THE O WEEK BOUNCE EVENT
RON GIBSON’S NETWORKING SEMINAR
BRINGS RESIDENTS AND ALUMNI TOGETHER
The Alumni Steering Committee has been
active in creating ways to bring alumni
and residents together for a shared
learning experience. Charles Johnson,
ASC Chair, introduced us to Mr Ron Gibson,
one of Australia’s leading presenters on
networking and how to be an effective
networker and communicator. The
seminar was part of the Professional
Series, in UniHall’s Learning Program.
The August 19th event was a great
success, attracting 85 residents and
alumni who gained useful strategies
for improving their networking skills and
confidence. Refreshments were served at the
end of the presentation and there were still
groups “networking” at 9pm.
PRESENTER RON GIBSON
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UNIHALL
UniHaller
Insider
RESIDENTIAL ADVISOR
KAMSANI BIN-SALLEH ATTENDS
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP
SYMPOSIUM
The University Scholars’ Leadership Symposium is an annual
leadership programme for international students who not only
want to see changes in the world, but who want to change the
world. The conference is hosted in a different developing country
in the Asia Pacific region each year and provides the opportunity
for young leaders to hear from some truly inspirational people.
UniHaller RA Kamsani Bin-Salleh - along with 700 other students from
all over the world – was nominated to attend the 2014 Symposium in
Phnom Penh, Cambodia August 1st-7th. Each delegate was able to
experience activities that contribute to their holistic development
and empower them to become excellent global citizens.
Kam’s photos on this page are from the “Learning Journey” where
delegates had the privilege of meeting some of the Khmer people
of Cambodia. He visited the PSE Institute, “Pour un Sourire d’Enfant”
(For a child’s smile), an organisation dedicated to lifting children out
of poverty through education. There are three schools which prepare
students for 28 different careers and PSE takes care of more than 6000
children every day.
Dental Night
In August, UniHall’s Dentistry students organised an dental
hygiene seminar for residents. This was their second time
organising this event, following the very well received
“Make Your Teeth Shine Bright (Like a Diamond)” seminar
that was organised in Semester 1, 2013.
This year’s seminar covered basic topics like the importance of regular
dental hygiene, techniques of brushing and flossing and diet. The
presentation was expanded to cover other topics relevant to young
adults, like sports drinks and alcohol consumption. With the aid of
the Dental Health Education Unit in Mount Henry, as well as sponsors
like Oral-B, the organisers were able to provide free toothbrush,
toothpaste and dental floss samples for participants. Oral-B also
kindly provided an electric toothbrush (worth upwards of $100) that
was won by a sporting volunteer who did a live demonstration of
plaque disclosing for the audience.
The seminar attracted over 80 participants and proved to be a very
enjoyable and informative evening for residents.
KAMSANI WITH THE LOCAL CHILDREN
Kai Sheng Kwoh
September 2014 | 5
UniHaller
Semester 2 Mentors
On Monday 28 July, our Semester 2
Mentors welcomed their new Mentees to
the Hall at a delicious dessert in K House
Common Room. Thanks to RA, Felicia
Bateman, who was the chief organiser of
the evening.
University Hall Mentors are senior students
who volunteer their time to assist new
residents in their transition to college life.
Mentors make contact with residents prior
to their arrival at the Hall and meet them in
person within their first few days. Thanks to
our partnership with UCafé, Uni Hall Mentors
catch up with their Mentees for free coffee and
muffin dates over the semester. We are very
grateful to our mentors for their dedication
to building an inclusive and welcoming
community at University Hall.
University Hall would like to acknowledge and thank our fabulous
2014 Semester 2 Mentors
Afiq Rahman
Ahmed Saleh
Aidan Brettner
Alex Glen
Alethea Vaz
Alyssa Shapland
Andrew Lam
Ash Tyndall
Brianna Bourke
Carlo Guaia
Carmen Tan
Cass Greenwell
Dave Wong
Eric Ma
Gordon Kam
Halcyon Milne
Jacelyn Aw
James Popp
Jeremy Tan
Jessica Yeoh
Joey Bin-Omar
Joyce Soo
Julian Coleman
Kaisheng Kwoh
Katherine Loh
Kenneth Woo
Mabel Han
Madeleine Pang
Martin Wong
Mia Ridzuan
Monika Siekelova
Shanen Soh
Shea Patey
Sian Brand
Yan Ming Wong
Yi-Lin Chin
Zeda Lee
Zhan Yi Lim
Madeleine Granger
Marcela Soares
Costa
Javirthaa
Rengasamy
UNIVERSITY HALL HONOUR BOARD
Well done to the residents listed below for achieving an outstanding set of results for their units studied in
semester 1 2014. Your efforts will be formally recognised at an academic evening in late September which is
currently being planned.
Nur Afini Abdul Jalil
Aaron Fordham
Qi Yang Lim
Peter Selby
Nurul Shafinas Abdul
Rahman
Karl Fuderer
Tat Seng Lim
Alyssa Shapland
Mark Abraham
Emily Goh
Chun-Han Lin
Hee Woong Shin
Nigel Ang
Jervis Goh
Chen Yu Liu
Jiwon Shin
Matthew Auw
Madeleine Granger
Bei Bei Loh
Sivitra Sivarajan
Bronwyn Ayre
Winston Green
Jolyn Loh
Ya Yen Sim
Evgeniia Balanova
John Grigson
Jake Lombardo
Andrea Smith
Joel Beasley
Joe Grundy
Christianne Luger
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Jake Smith
Isaiah Bolden
Siti Haji Haris
I-Zack Lum
Gonzalo Smith Morrondo
Brianna Bourke
Magnus HambletonDaryl
Manoo
Stacie Starcevich
Simonne Brown
Calista Ho
Noomayra Mahbub
Chao Sun
Lahni Campbell
Eunice Ho
Christine McCagh
Rhiannon Sweeney
James Carrick
Jia Huang Ho
Samantha McLean
Alisa Tan
David Chai
Brenda Ho
Willem Meyer
Jeremy Tan
Wei Zhi Chang
Nur Farhanah Ho
Amanda Mottershead
Sherwin Tan
Chloe Ann Chee
Reanne Ho
Douglas Nelson
Clarence Tan
Clement Cher
Si Chek Ho
Caroline Neo
Michelle Tang
Samuel Cher
Monika Holler
Cheryl Ng
Mark Tang
Georgiana Cheuk
Ashlyn Hooten
Kenny Ng
Yee Peng Tang
Ai Vui Chew
Laila Hughes
Amanda Ng
Lai Ting Tham
Benjamin Chew
Eleanor Jones
Chern Ron Ong
Terence Thien
Jing Yi Choo
Joshua Kalmund
Elizabeth Ong
Ashwin Thirupathy
Nicole Ciemniak
Darshini Kannesan
Angelin Ooi
Lionel Thompson
Lucy Clark
Darren Khee
Nithya D/O Palanivelu
Ralph Thomsen
Linus Cohen
Eleanor Kim
Shawn Pang
Ashley Tyndall
Alexander Collen
Yun Koum Kim
Shea Patey
Xiang Un Wan
Alejandra Cornelio
Guillermo
Kristian Kirkwood
Bonnie Paton
Eloise Wee
Alexander Cresswell
Cheryl Koh
Daniel Payten
Shi Hua Wee
Michael de Sousa
Mei Ling Koh
Grace Peh
George Williams
Grace Dimmick
Ka Wai Kong
Ying Sui Peh
Chloe Wong
Rebecca Dreyer
Keat Kua
Julia Phillips
Clarence Wong
Delphine Duplain
Abhijeet Kulkarni
Lauren Pienaar
Karen Wong
Jacqueline Ellison
Danica Lamb
Tsz Ching Poon
Alwyn Wong
Daniel Eng
Justin Lee
Adisorn Popp
Yan Ming Wong
Anthea Engelenberg
Stefanie Lee
Marie Regent
Kenneth Woo
Denby Evans
Eik Ming Leong
Emma Reje
Michael Wu
Inez Faiz
Faith Leong
Ilyas Ridhuan
Shiliang Yan
Mary Fletche
Zac Leow
Evgeny Rogozik
Jia Yun Yeoh
Adrian Sciarrone
Amy Zhang
UNIHALL
UniHaller
Insider
UniHall Bake Off
Kavi and Camille’s Leadership project was a Cupcake Bake Off which culminated with
a judging ceremony on Saturday 23 August in front of a crowd of forty-five UniHallers.
Feats your eyes on the delicious products from our Hall contestants!
September 2014 | 7
UniHaller
ALUMNI MATTERS
The Alumni Steering Committee
was formed in 2013 to report to
the University Hall Council and
work to further the achievement
of the University Hall’s strategic
objective of fostering linkages and
engagement with alumni.
Committee members
Mr Charles Johnson (Chair)
Mr Matt Budge (Council Representative)
Mr George McCullagh
Associate Professor Georgina Fyfe
Assistant Professor Nazim Khan
Ms Leane Eynon
Mr Lee Williams
Dr Raj Zaman
Mr Wolfgang Lewandrowski
Ms Nora Khalid (International Representative
– Malaysia)
Ms Amy Baumhoff (International
Representative – Zimbabwe)
Mr Eng Han Loo (International Representative
– Singapore)
Ms Winnie Chong (International
Representative – Singapore)
Mr Keith Conley (University Hall Principal)
Ms Janet Linn (University Hall Deputy
Principal & Alumni Manager),
Ms Milica Rajkovic (University Hall
Admin Assistant)
CAN YOU IDENTIFY ANYONE IN THESE PHOTOS?
1983 HOCKEY TEAM
EVENTS
Career Focus Panel September
15th at University Hall, K House
Common Room
The evening was facilitated by ASC
member George McCullagh. The MC
was current resident Tom Campbell.
Panellists included:
• Chris Evans who served as leader
of the government in the Senate
and as Minister for Immigration
and Citizenship, Minister for
Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and
Workplace Relations and Minister for
Tertiary Education, Skills, Science
and Research during the terms of the
Rudd and Gillard governments.
• Alison Gaines Global Practice Leader
for the international services firm
Gerard Daniels. Alison is a Governor
of The College of Law (Australasia)
Ltd and Chair of the College of Law
Western Australia Pty Ltd; Divisional
Council member of the Australian
Institute of Company Directors and
Director of Leadership WA. Alison
was Deputy Chancellor of Murdoch
University from 2007-09.
• Tony Pietropiccolo AM CEO of
Centrecare, one of the largest not
for profit social welfare agencies
in WA. Tony was appointed as a
Member of the Order of Australia
in the General Division (AM) for
service to the community as the
director of Centrecare through the
generation of programs supporting
individuals and families, including
affordable housing and the welfare of
indigenous Australians and refugees.
Wine Appreciation Evening
Thursday 13 November
5.30–7.30pm
More details soon but save the date
in your calendars!
AUGUST 1982 RESIDENTS ENJOYING UNI LIFE – DO YOU KNOW ANYONE HERE?
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UNIHALL
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Leadership Program 2014
The Leadership Program is one of six
Residential Life programs available
to residents. As part of the Hall’s
commitment to fostering leadership
capabilities and opportunities amongst
residents, the year-long program offers
participants seminars and workshops
in theories of leadership, social change,
women in leadership, confidence building
and effective communication as well as
engaging them with a mentor and in an
individual project to benefit the Hall.
Participants also go on an annual weekend
Retreat. This year’s Retreat is reviewed below
by several of this year’s leaders.
Leadership Retreat 2014
The Leadership Retreat is an opportunity
for participants of the Leadership Program
to get away from college and university and
all the distractions of everyday life, to reflect
on the year to date, engage in team building
and leadership exercises and just to get to
know each other a little better. There were a
number of workshops and opportunities for
us to reflect on our own leadership journey
and the type of leaders we would like to
become. As someone who has had a number
of leadership roles in the past, one of the
more rewarding aspects of the retreat was
stepping back and encouraging people to
whom leadership may be something new. In
the evenings we played board games and an
incredible game of ‘Werewolf’ in front of the
camp fire put together by Mez and Halcyon.
I managed to get killed off pretty early in both
games but they were nonetheless a lot of fun.
All in all the weekend was a blast, I made a
bunch of new friends, learnt a lot and gained
new perspectives in the workshops. This was
a great opportunity to take a look at myself
and the type of leader I am and want to be.
On the afternoon of Friday, the 15th of August,
the aspiring leaders from University Hall’s
Leadership Program headed out to Bickley
Outdoor Recreation Camp for our retreat.
During this awesome weekend, we were
encouraged not only to challenge ourselves
as individuals, but also as part of a team, with
heaps of entertaining games and activities.
Participating in team games has got to be one
of the best ways to get to know people and
make already existing friendships stronger!
We also learnt a little bit about what it means
to be a leader from some of our inspiring RA’s
and RLC’s. Furthermore, we were encouraged
by the support of our peers to give a
presentation on our projects for the year (as
members of the Leadership Program, we had
been given the opportunity to plan and run
our own event). We learned so much from
each other over such a small period of time.
Look out for more of our Leadership Projects
coming soon to Uni Hall!
Alyssa Shapland
Julian Coleman
Events Manager,
University Hall Residents Club
September 2014 | 9
UniHaller
Aboriginal Cultural Project:
EXPERIENCING ONE OF THE OLDEST LIVING
CULTURES IN THE WORLD
First of all, we would like to raise a toast
to all involved in the Aboriginal Cultural
Project (ACP) 2014. A team of six Uni
Hallers (Jessica Yeoh Jiayun, Javirthaa
Rengasamy, Olga Valchuk, Daniel Eng,
Grace Tzuzhen Peh and Muhammad Afiq
Bin Abd Rahman) led by Annaleis, Stefanie
and Matthew Lee spent two weeks in
Geraldton, volunteering our services to
a range of Aboriginal Organisations and
learning, immersing and understanding
about Aboriginal culture, language
and history.
Two weeks away from the hustle and bustle
of city life, surrounded by the unblemished
Midwest landscape and meeting people with
great warm and smiles, was an eye opening
and insightful experience from the word “go”.
We jumped into the minibus and began our
awesome journey. We stayed at Gunnado
farm, approximately 30 mins away from the
city of Geraldton with panoramic views of
canola fields. It was truly inspiring, filled with
laughter, surprises and great conversations
along the entire trip. Not to mention, our fun
board/card game sessions, themed dinners,
road trips and late night chats.
Our Interactions with people from the
Aboriginal community was the main purpose
of this trip. Bundiyarra, which means “a good
place to be”, is an Aboriginal community
hub that serves to preserve the Wajarri
and Bandimaya cultures, traditions and
languages. It should be recognized that
Indigenous peoples are not homogeneous.
We met and conversed with members of the
Aboriginal community like Auntie Merrilyn,
Marcelle, Richard, Jayden, Ross, Auntie
Gloria who worked tirelessly to engage
the Aboriginal community. They shared
their stories and experiences and we were
blown away by their warmth, hospitality
and welcome.
We assisted in the organisation of a sports
carnival for 12 schools around Geraldton.
There was beauty in the amazing and diverse
range of people attracted to the sports
carnival during NAIDOC week. With more than
250 people attending, it was the biggest event
that an ACP team has ever undertaken. Their
sunny and vibrant smiles brightened our day
and gave us the energy and motivation to
interact and to carry out our station duties.
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As we look back, it is important for us to ask
whether we accomplished what we set out to
do. To this I would say a resounding yes!
The NAIDOC week theme for this year was
Serving Country – Centenary & Beyond. This
was to recognise honour and highlight all
Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander men and
women who have fought in defence of their
country but were not recognized before. We
attended the Servicemen’s Memorial dawn
service. It started at 6am which meant that
we were up bright and early to be bussed
to the venue to help with the preparation
of breakfast. It was a solemn event,
remembering fallen soldiers. One veteran
Aboriginal soldier, Graham Taylor (left), spoke
pensively on his experiences, challenges and
obstacles during his stint in the Vietnam War.
On the other hand, there was Gloria Forgarty
(right) who lost her beloved father, Arthur
Forgarty, to the Great War. Hailing from Mount
Magnet, she endeavours to participate in the
yearly NAIDOC events in memory of her father.
During the memorial event, we could not help
but shed tears upon seeing Gloria’s eyes well
up as she placed a commemoration wreath
for her father beside the three flagpoles
bearing the flags of Australia, Aboriginal and
Torres Straits Islanders.
The next day, we were also involved with the
NAIDOC servicemen lunch at Bundiyarra.
Tents were erected, chairs placed in neat
straight rows and military decorations were
hung. Furthermore, we bound the information
on fallen servicemen and women who fought
for the country, laminated interviews and
articles which brought awareness to the
fallen soldiers and drew attention to the
overarching umbrella of reconciliation.
A live band rang out in a penetrating chorus
of voices calling around Bundiyarra. Almost
500 people had converge to commemorate
fallen family members, friends or loved ones
who died and fought in the war for their
country. The aroma of fresh sizzling foods like
Kangaroo tail stew, baked fish and roasted
vegetables wafted through the Bundiyarra
community compound. Friends, neighbours,
curious onlookers, eager participants alike
enjoyed the commemoration ceremony, the
festival and of course the plethora of delicious
foods under the blessing of an intermittent
UNIHALL
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rain and partly sunny skies during the
Annual Aboriginal celebration. The honour
roll which was strategically placed on the
stage seemed to be a symbolic gesture that
their heroic gestures will never be forgotten.
Lest we forget.
Reflecting on what we went through, indeed
culture was shared and friendships made.
Although this trip is just the tip of the iceberg
and there are still many aspects of Aboriginal
life that we do not yet understand, we believe
that there were many learning points to
take away regardless of our background.
When we get to know people with different
ethnic backgrounds, from different cultural
histories, belief systems, and lifestyles, we
begin to realize that everyone has similar
basic needs. People want respect, love,
happiness, validation and of course hope for
a better future not just for themselves but
for the entire community. The way in which
these desires are pursued is where divergence
occurs, although the fundamentals are the
same. We can relate to almost everyone if we
look past the superficial facades that divide
us. In conclusion, there is much diversity,
innovation and greatness in experiencing one
of the oldest living cultures in the world that
we cannot help but be inspired. We would
strongly recommend any student looking for
a rich cultural experience to partake in this
amazing trip. We will definitely go back and
do it again any day!
Signing off,
Afiq Abd Rahman and the ACP Team
September 2014 | 11
UniHaller
REGIONAL VOLUNTEERING TRIP
day, digging holes, planting native species,
caging the plants to protect them and even
learning about animals in the area.
Overall, the Regional Volunteering Trip was
an amazing opportunity for the residents of
University Hall. “Fearless Leader” Hally was an
amazing team leader and the trip would not
have happened this year without her help!
What did you do this winter break? Ten
UniHall residents volunteered with 4
organisations and performed over 20
hours of volunteering to give back to
the community and raise awareness of
environmental issues in the area.
Thanks to the amazing team who came on the
trip: Martin Wong, Kimi Thien, Becky Dreyer,
Jane Ming, Willem Meyer, Angie Robinson,
Madi Granger & Mitch Paterson.
Bri Bourke
The group was led by Hally Milne and made
its way to Busselton in South West Western
Australia. Although Busselton is known for its
lovely weather and pristine landscapes, this
group was heading down south for alternative
reasons – they were on their way to volunteer!
The first day of volunteering lead the group to
Smith’s Beach, south of Busselton. Working
with Tangaroa Blue, the group collected
nearly 3,000 pieces of rubbish off the beach
including over a thousand pieces of small
plastic, plastic that is often ingested and
deadly for marine life and birds. The pristine
beaches of Busselton – and anywhere else
in the world for that matter – are actually
swimming (literally) in millions of pieces
of rubbish.
On the third day they volunteered with the
Landcare Nursery to repot plants, weed and
sanitise old containers. It may sound a little
boring, but this is one of the most crucial
pieces to the puzzle that is environmental
revegetation projects. Within the Landcare
Nursery, there would be no plants for anyone
to plant!
Following on from our day at the Nursery, we
worked with the Busselton-Dunsborough
Environment Centre Inc. planting trees amidst
the Tuart Woodlands. It was an interesting
12 | unihall.uwa.edu.au
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The second day of volunteering had residents
at a farm in Margaret River where they worked
with a local farmer to plant 1,500 seedlings.
The farmer wanted to reduce fertiliser and
other dangerous chemicals from entering
the natural streamline by revegetating the
area. It was a successful, albeit muddy, day of
tree planting!