news
Dunmore Lang College NEWS 1
DUNMORE LANG COLLEGE
Dr Alasdair
Murrie-West
Principal of
Dunmore Lang
College
Welcome from the
Principal
As the year comes to an end, I have
been reflecting on the role of Colleges
in fostering success and the contribution
we can make to both the University and
our wider communities.
Colleges are first and foremost engaged
and engaging communities: providing
support for students transitioning from
secondary to tertiary education as well
as (for most of our students) leaving
rural and regional areas to live in a major
city, beginning a semi-independent
life, finding their future pathways and
meeting their future life friends and
partners.
We encourage students to embody
several core values that both support
the community as well as providing the
necessary guidelines for successfully
living together. By emphasising personal
integrity, honesty and a willingness to
take responsibility through leadership
roles and community service, students
create a community that fosters
autonomy and independence alongside
respect for others and the need for a safe
and supportive living environment.
In a world that is increasingly
depersonalised and depersonalising –
Colleges do the opposite. We are about
people, connections and community.
Is this an old fashioned aim? Yes, in
some ways it is but these values are also
timeless and much needed skills for life.
In holding to these values, residential
Colleges provide a framework and
opportunities for bringing theoretical
knowledge as well as practical,
communication, teamwork and
intercultural skills together in ways that
enrich university learning and develops
the future leaders, entrepreneurs,
researchers and innovators for Australia
and beyond.
These are the strengths I see among
the student community here in
Dunmore Lang College. Like all closeknit communities, we have had our
occasional ups and downs but what has
impressed me is the maturity with which
differences have been addressed and
the willingness to find common ground.
There is an important commitment to
justice and speaking up for others and
there is a culture of respect for others.
Where this has been tested, it has been
students who identified the breach and
students who were part of the resolution
– it has been evidence of a healthy,
respectful and safe community. There is a strong ethic of care for others
– from ensuring friends get home safely,
travelling to support friends facing
a family loss or illness, study groups,
academic mentoring, hospital visiting
as well as listening to and supporting
each other.
Students have also contributed to the
wider community through volunteering
and fundraising with impressive results.
The academic results are significantly
higher than the averages across the
university with 57% of Dunmore Lang
College students attaining a credit or
higher against the expected average
of 50%. In addition, 70% of scholarship
students gained a credit grade or higher
and this is particularly important given
our awards are more targeted at social
inclusion and financial need, than
academic merit
We are refurbishing the original buildings
for the first time in 41 years and we are
looking forward to unveiling this exciting
new development in 2014 as we build
on the College’s strong foundations and
re-energise for the next 41 years.
I have enjoyed my first year as Principal
very much and I am very grateful for the
support and contribution of the College
Board members, the staff and RAs for
their care, support and commitment,
the ADS and student leadership teams
for their enthusiasm and hard work,
as well as every member of the 2013
student community. I look forward to
see many of you again next year as well
as welcoming our new students from
around Australia and across the world.
Dr Alasdair Murrie-West
Principal, Dunmore Lang College
December
2013
2 Dunmore Lang College NEWS
President’s Report
What a year
it’s been, I
can’t believe
it’s over.
2013 has
blown bY!
This year the
ADS has hosted
more than 75
events for the entire College to enjoy
and engage in. These included the Ball,
International Night, Conception Day,
the Musical, as well as smaller events
such as Table Tennis Tournaments, Trivia
Nights, Grooves on the Grass and the
Lord of the Rings Marathon. From the
success of these events, I can honestly
say that there has been something for
everyone this year at DLC.
Along with the traditional events, 2013
saw the introduction of the Barker Cup.
With what we hope will become an
annual tradition, this rugby match is a
time when DLC and RMC (temporarily)
put their rivalries aside to join forces
to compete against two colleges from
UNSW. Despite strong competition, we
went down by one point in the dying
seconds of the match.
As well as having an awesome time,
we have also achieved some milestones
that made 2013 a real success. For the
first time in many years, we achieved
a clean sweep in all of the three InterCollege events (Fresher Dance, Debate
and Sport), as well as raising around
$5000 for a variety of charities including
the Cancer Council, World Vision and
the Salvation Army.
All these accomplishments and fun
happen with a lot of hard work behind
the scenes. I would like to thank Ali,
Tom and Seb for their dedication all
year: it would not have been the same
without them. The 20 committee heads
have done an amazing job and made
College an enjoyable experience for
everyone by providing a mixture of
new and annual events. They have
been tremendous.
Thanks to Alasdair, Rachel and the
RA team; we appreciate your support
throughout the year.
I believe that 2014 at DLC will be
another terrific year to be involved.
Joshua Magann
President
Association of Dunmore Lang Students
Student Leadership 2014
Dunmore Lang College takes seriously the input of our student
leadership teams in all aspects of the College administration and we
are very much looking forward to working with the new 2014 line up.
ADS EXEC 2014 back: Drew
Nguyen, Thomas Bobby FRONT:
Lily Barnett, Stephanie Bailey,
Courtney Mills
With a new team of Residential Advisers,
the newly elected Association of Dunmore
Lang Students (ADS) Executive and two
student Sub-Dean positions, we are poised
to begin the year with fresh, vibrant
ideas and a whole lot of enthusiasm.
The Residential Adviser (RA) team are an
essential aspect of both the pastoral care
and leadership of the College. The RAs
are located on each floor of the College
to provide advice and assistance as well
as being a place to hang out and have a
coffee and chat to help students become
integrated within the DLC community.
They work closely with College staff to
ensure everyone has the best possible
experience of living in College.
The 2014 team members are: Richard
Manchee (Bellata, NSW), Rebecca
Stokes (Wauchope, NSW), Emma Parker
(Beechwood, NSW), Tayler Parnell (South
Africa), Indi Angel-Auld (Gum Flat, NSW),
Bridget Byrnes (Wagga Wagga, NSW),
Seamus Murray (Toowoomba, NSW),
Jerome Meyer (Coffs Harbour, NSW),
Alycia Cranston (Bathurst, NSW),
Sebastian Howe (Toronto, NSW), Jessica
Preston (Leeton, NSW), Jhade MunroGreentree (Dorrigo, NSW), Grace Healey
(Charlestown, NSW), Jeremy Lowe
(Run-O-Water, NSW), Stuart Kempson
(Orange, NSW), Timothy Porter (Bathurst,
NSW) & Siham Yahya (Tel-Aviv, Jaffa).
The ADS is the driving force behind
the active social, sporting and cultural
calendar in the College. Each year they
run activities, large and small, from DVD
Marathons to the annual College Ball
ensuring there is something for everyone
to become involved in and enjoy.
The 2014 team is the largest we have
had with President: Andrew Nguyen
(Fairy Meadow, NSW), Senior Vice
President: Courtney Mills (Orange, NSW),
Social Vice President: Stephanie Bailey
(Tamworth, NSW), Treasurer: Thomas
Bobby (North Avoca, NSW) & Secretary:
Lily Barnett (Wallabadah, NSW) who
in addition to organising events and
activities, oversee the work of a number of
committees dedicated to providing social,
academic and cultural events throughout
the year.
2014 will also see the introduction of two
new positions with Academic Sub-Dean:
Crystal Breneger & Post-Graduate SubDean: Siham Yahya. These appointments
will further support the College academic
environment.
Working collaboratively, we are confident
the student leadership team will ensure
DLC continues to be a great place to live
in 2014 and it will be a fantastic year for
all our residents.
Dunmore Lang College NEWS 3
2013 Charity Committee: Making our Contribution
The Charity committee had a great start to 2013 when Emma Parker
and Lian Drinan joined forces to lead this committee throughout
the first semester.
Creativity, thrift shop and a love to pester
people allowed this committee to hold
the most successful intercollege event to
date... the ‘Winter Wonderland’ Op Shop
Ball.
The night involved dresses and joggers,
denim on denim, puffy sleeves, furry hats,
a king and a queen and most memorably
the golf caddy. However, this night wasn’t
just about having a great time – crazy
ticket sales meant DLC managed to raise
over $2000 for the Salvation Army’s Red
Shield Appeal.
Unfortunately as the semester ended,
Lian departed from her role as Charity
head and left Emma heartbroken until the
enthusiastic first year resident, Tierneigh
Parnell stepped up to the challenge and
filled the role.
The second semester was full of money
raising and Good Samaritan acts. DLC
opened up their hearts (and their wallets)
and worked together to fill 17 shoeboxes
with gifts to bring joy for children in need
The ‘Winter Wonderland’
Op Shop Ball
by participating in Operation Christmas
Child.
In October, which was National Breast
Cancer month, the ladies of DLC met
for a night filled with all things pink and
yummy to raise money for the fight
against breast cancer. Altogether with
generous donations from students,
Alasdair and the ADS, a whopping $700
was raised.
The Charity Committee ended the
semester by participating in the ‘Electric
Run’ where we ran 5km to electric beats
decked out in glow sticks to raise money
and show our support to the Cancer
Council.
This was a successful year of planning
social events that make a difference to
those in need throughout our community.
We can’t wait for more good deeds and
enjoyable fundraising
events in 2014!
4 Dunmore Lang College NEWS
Scholarships
Through our partnerships with
Macquarie University and the
support of our generous donors,
Dunmore Lang College provides
a broad range of scholarships
and bursaries for new, returning
and senior students. In 2014 the
total of the scholarship support
will be in excess of half a million
dollars.
A number of our scholarships honour the
contribution of important people in the
life and history of the College.
Mr John Almgren AM and Mrs Yvonne
Almgren have been closely associated
with the College for several years and
fund a number of awards ranging from
assistance with accommodation fees
through to the prestigious John Dunmore
Lang Senior Scholarship. This is awarded
to the senior student who has achieved
not only excellent academic results and
made a significant contribution to the
College community, but is also judged
to have the most potential to contribute
to the wider community through their
future professional career and community
service.
For 2014, Mr and Mrs Almgren have
very generously provided several new
scholarships and bursaries enabling the
College to provide a number of halffee scholarships and bursaries for high
achieving students who show potential
to contribute to both the College and
the wider community.
The Dorothy Knox Bursaries, which assist
students facing financial difficulties, are
in honour of the College’s founder – Miss
Dorothy Knox, who as the Principal of
Pymble Ladies College, was a tireless
campaigner for the establishment of
the College in 1972.
Each year we select one student who
has made an outstanding contribution
to the College to receive the Dr Margaret
Saville, named in honour of the founding
Principal of the College.
The student with the highest overall
academic results each year is awarded the
Dean Frost Prize provided by Dean’s family
in his memory.
In partnership with Macquarie University,
the College is able to offer a significant
number of scholarships including the
Elite Sports Scholarships, the Rural and
Regional Scholarships and The Macquarie
University Indigenous Students Incentive
Scholarship.
The College provides support based
on academic results and potential,
community service, financial need,
support for students who are the first
in their family to attend university, as
well as assistance to overcome distance,
especially from rural and remote areas.
Students are encouraged to
apply early via the webpage.
Dunmore Lang College NEWS 5
Scholarship speeches
My name is
Anna-Jane
Knight and
I come from
Wee Waa. I am
currently
finishing my
final year of
a Bachelor of
Speech and Hearing Sciences and
next year I hope to be studying
for a Masters of Clinical
Audiology.
At College, I have been surrounded with
so many different opportunities. From
my first year, I participated in almost all
of the extracurricular activities available,
such as social sports and the Inter-College
competitions.
It wasn’t until the end of my first year
when I decided I wanted a more active
role within the College that I nominated
for a position on the ADS Exec and was
My name is
Tim Porter. I
am studying
A Bachelor in
Chiropractic
Science and
this semester
I was the
recipient of
a DLC-MQ Elite Sport Scholarship.
I grew up on a farm outside Tullamore,
population of 200, in the middle of NSW.
I started playing soccer when I was seven,
rep soccer when I was 12 and at the end
of that season I made the regional team.
When I was in Year 8 we moved to Bathurst
and I was selected in the NSW Country
team. I played in that team at the Australian
National Football Championships for the
following 3 years. I was awarded my high
school’s ‘Sportsman of the Year’ Award
twice and in Year 12, I received the Pierre
de Coubertin award for outstanding
sportsmanship. I was accepted into
engineering at Wollongong Uni but
deferred because I wasn’t 100% sure that’s
what I wanted to get into. So I decided to
move out of home and try to make the
NSW Premier League; the top level
elected as the 2012 Secretary. I had a
really incredible year, in terms of building
on my relationships with peers as well as
the College administration. I also learned
a great deal about teamwork and acting
as a responsible leader, both inside and
outside of the College.
From there I made the choice to stay
on for my third year and was selected
to be an RA for 2013. Being an RA this
year has been a very different leadership
experience to what I had learnt on
the ADS. The element of pastoral care,
especially, is a huge responsibility and this
year I have really tried to be someone
who others feel that they can talk to
about anything.
I guess helping others is all I have ever
really wanted to do.
I hope to one-day work in a rural area
such as Wee Waa, where they are in
desperate need of quality health services.
The importance of giving back to the
community is something I have learnt
through my time here at Dunmore Lang
College.
I would like to thank John and Yvonne
Almgren. Their incredible generosity has
helped so many students at DLC and
I am so grateful to be one of them.
I cannot explain enough how honoured,
thankful and appreciative I am for this
award.
I first became interested in speech and
hearing when my grandfather got his
first hearing aids and since then I have
realised just how important being able to
hear is in life. Audiologists have the ability
to positively change a person’s life and
I hope one day in the future I too can
bestow this kind of generosity on
someone, and help him or her prepare
for their future.
of football in NSW. I knew that if I didn’t
try then, I wouldn’t get the chance again.
Bonnyrigg FC, one of the biggest clubs
in the NSW Premier League. I wasn’t
sure whether I could invest the time and
money required to play at that level again.
While trying to decide if I would play
or not, I was notified that I would be a
recipient of this scholarship for semester
2, which made the decision very easy. This
was the first time that I had received any
meaningful financial assistance for my
sport in the 13 years I have been playing,
and it has made the second half of this
year so much easier than it would have
been.
The first Premier League club I trialled
with signed me, so I played for Parramatta
FC in their under 20s. Coming into a new
club I had start at the bottom. I gradually
earned more game time as the season
progressed and the coach and manager
saw what I could do. My performances
got me noticed by the first grade coach
and I made my first grade debut in a
pre-season friendly against the Western
Sydney Wanderers at Parramatta Stadium
in front of about 2000 people – probably
the highlight of my career so far.
That was a pretty tough year for me and I
had a few ongoing back problems during
the season, so when I moved back home
for a few months over Christmas I went
to visit a chiropractor. By the end of my
first half hour appointment I had already
decided I wanted to study chiropractic,
so I applied and got accepted into to
Macquarie Uni.
I decided to train locally with Northern
Spirit FC, then my old coach from
Parramatta contacted me, saying he
had a position in his under 20s team at
Anna-Jane Knight
John Dunmore Lang Senior Scholar
I would like to thank Craig and Cindy from
the University for their support. Without
the scholarship I probably wouldn’t have
played in the NSW premier league again,
and I wouldn’t be in the position I am
currently in to play professional football
next season. I can’t say how much of a
dream come true this is for me, coming
from a small town to where I am now. I
aim to play in the A-League one day and
this scholarship has certainly helped me
on my way to achieving this. So thank
you again!
Tim Porter
Sports Scholarship
6 Dunmore Lang College NEWS
Scholarship speeches
My name is
Nidala Barker,
I am recipient
of the rural
and regional
scholarship.
I was born
and bred
in Broome,
Western
Australia. I am currently
undertaking a bachelor of
primary education, majoring
in social justice.
My grandmother was a firm believer in
education. At 15 she had her first child,
and by her fourth, she was working three
jobs paid respectively 75c, $1 and $1.10
an hour. She didn’t do it because she had
to, or because she wanted nice things, she
did it because there was nothing more
important to her then the education of
her children – and that meant paying for
private school.
You see where I am from, if you want to
get an education, its simple, you have
to leave. I learnt that lesson at 11 years
old, when I was granted the opportunity
to go to Paris for high school. To be
honest, I didn’t want to go, I was perfectly
happy with going fishing everyday and
walking around barefoot. But my dad and
grandmother packed my bags and sent
me on my way. At first I hated it, but as I
came home every year to visit, I could see
a growing divide between my cousins
and I. They where off having babies, and
I had only just kissed a boy for the first
time.
I wondered what had happened to them;
what happened to my cousin Karim who
wanted to become an engineer? To my
cousin Gaby who was going to become
an artist and go to Rome? To Petris who
wanted to have his own music studio?
To Tornina who wanted to become an
archaeologist?
That’s when it hit me: they couldn’t, they
where stuck, always just scraping by,
always missing that little bit, that little
step that would allow them to go and
discover themselves and the world.
I understood that I was the lucky one, I
wasn’t just getting a better education,
I was getting a better future.
After graduating with honors from high
school, I moved back home and got a full
time and two part time jobs, did that for
six months. I applied for university and got
in. No need to say, my family was pretty
happy about that. But unfortunately
my dad lost his job, and when the date
came for me to leave for university, I just
didn’t have the money. So I decided that
I would put off university until both my
family and I were back on our feet.
But then, the unthinkable happened –
I was granted a scholarship. A scholarship
that allowed me to come to university, a
scholarship that would allow me to not
always be worried about not making
the end of the month, a scholarship
that would allow me to grow into who
I’d always aspired to be – a person who
could make a difference.
So I moved here, and discovered a world
of knowledge and opportunity way
beyond anything I could have got back
home. Here people know what they want
to do, they are motivated and inspiring,
coming from different backgrounds but
with one common goal, which is to better
themselves.
and she says to me “I know exactly who
you are, you’re my Margaret Williams”. It
took me a second, but then I realised –
Margaret Williams, first indigenous person
to graduate from university back in 1959.
What my Gran meant, is that with my
scholarship, I was doing the unthinkable, I
was not just doing something positive for
myself, but I was showing my community
that what we thought was out of reach
was obtainable.
I have four younger siblings, and
countless cousins, nieces and nephews
and I know that all of them won’t get the
opportunities I was given, but it’s people
like you, people that give back to the
community, that will allow for them to
maybe have a chance to be as lucky as I
was. So thank you: thank you for allowing
me to discover university, thank you for
making me part of the DLC community,
thanks for helping me achieve what
my Nan would have wanted for me,
thanks for helping me become a positive
example for my family and community,
thanks for giving me a chance, thanks for
making my story a happy one, and thanks
for helping me to hopefully change the
world a little.
Nidala Barker
Rural and Regional Scholarship
It changed my entire view of the world, I
finally understood the saying “the world is
your oyster.” It did not mean it was a cage
keeping me under water and really salty,
it meant that it was a safe place for me
to grow and become whoever I choose
to be. My scholarship is that oyster, you
didn’t make a difference in my life – you
changed it.
When I went home for the first time after I
moved to university, I was at my grans and
at this point she was pretty sick, taking
strong pain killers and on oxygen 24
hours a day. As I was mopping her floor,
and I heard her say “Margaret can you
come refill my cup of tea?” and so I looked
back and I said to her “Gran, my name
isn’t Margaret” and I’m thinking maybe it’s
the medication she is on making her a
little forgetful. But then as I see her face,
I notice she has a typical sassy Gran look
Margaret Williams, the first indigenous
person to graduate from university
in 1959.
Dunmore Lang College NEWS 7
My name
is Bridget
Byrnes, I’m
studying a
Bachelor of
International
Studies and
I’m also
the very
privileged recipient of the
Paragon Risk management
Scholarship.
Growing up in Wagga Wagga I quickly
learnt to seize every opportunity that
arose and to explore beyond the very
comfortable horizons of my hometown.
I adored attending and representing
Australia at state and international Girl
Guide Camps, and meeting people with
different beliefs.
In 2010, I was selected as one of twelve
youth from across the state to voice the
opinions and concerns of youth from my
region as part of a Reference Group to the
NSW Commission for Children and Young
Peoples.
I continued to immerse myself in
everything my school and home had to
offer. I was in the debating club, model
United Nations, orchestra, mock trial
team, became a Junior Girl Guide leader
for a year and played just about every
sport. I enjoyed mentoring students over
the phone through the Smith Family’s
student 2 student program and still
volunteer as a St Vincent de Paul Kids
Camp leader.
In 2011, I was awarded Wagga Wagga’s
Young Citizen of the Year award and after
completing the HSC, travelled to Vietnam,
volunteering for nearly five months as an
English teacher in a Primary School. I could
see clearly just how valuable education
was, which cemented my decision to
attend university this year.
University still remains the one thing that
I’ve been most apprehensive about. I’m
the first person in my family to attend
University, but my Mother and Father have
always supported and encouraged the
furthering of my education.
My first year has been a whirlwind of
adventure and surprise. College has not
only afforded me with the community of
like minded and determined friends but
a new home providing opportunities I’d
never envisaged accomplishing in my
first year. I’ve been able to contribute in
The New Rooms
Dunmore Lang College is getting
a makeover: with a new, spacious
and interactive common room
area and each private single
occupancy bedroom receiving
an upgrade.
Residents in these rooms can expect a
king single bed, complete with new duvet
covers and blankets with some under bed
storage. Extra storage space will also be
found under and above a large desk, new
shelving units with pin board, as well as
generous additional shelving that runs
the length of the wall.
An open plan flexible multi-use section,
with hanging space provides a roomy
area for all of your clothes and other items.
The room also features a black-out blind
and a modern wash basin complete with
MORE storage! These renovations will be
completed in anticipation of the start of
the 2014 academic year and providing
maximum comfort for new and returning
students.
Visit the Dunmore Lang
College website to take
a virtual tour of the new
rooms.
the charity, international and magazine
committee, partake in just about every
intercollege sport competition, found
myself in the musical and was even
crowned queen of the OP-Shop ball.
Through Macquarie University I’ve become
a member of Rotaract, I’ve joined Amnesty,
the Macquarie University Water Polo Club
and work casually as a swimming teacher
at the university pool. I’ve also completed
a bit of study and have been selected
to undertake a French language unit in
France this summer. I hope to later work
in international development aid.
Above all my accomplishments this year,
I’m most proud and excited to have
been appointed as a Resident Advisor at
College next semester. I hope, through
the experiences of moving beyond my
comfort zones, I will be able to inspire
those around me to live the DLC motto
of ‘Learning, Leadership and Service’.
I’m so privileged and thankful to be the
recipient of the Paragon Risk management
Scholarship. I cannot thank you enough.
Bridget Byrnes
Paragon Step Forward Scholarship
8 Dunmore Lang College NEWS
greatest asset and we won both the men
and women’s individual races and the
women’s relay.
Sports Committee 2013
– another successful year
2013 has witnessed one of the most competitive and closely
contested years of Inter-College sport to date.
Our year commenced with the lesson that looks can be deceiving.
Despite the outstanding attendance of a Red Army, Volleyball was
not our sport and we were slaughtered in style.
Inter-College debate confirmed we
are indeed not only the better-looking
College but also the more eloquent and
erudite winners. Luckily, the waterpolo
proved much more fruitful with the likes
of Luke White, Joshua Magann, Imogen
Morrissey and Maddison Seagrave making
a splash for an overall win on the day.
In netball, Ben McCrum supplied us with
ample entertainment as player, coach and
referee all rolled into one. Tierneigh Parnell
and Carlton Hollsten racked up the points
while Imogen Morrisey and Jessica Preston
ran rings around the opposition. And, as
always, Brendon Donnelly tried, diving his
way into the floor, the goal posts, the walls
and eventually our hearts.
Despite the constitution of Emily
Cavanagh and Anna Knight, soccer was
a wholly different kind of challenge. For
the world’s most popular sport the girls
seemed to be severely lacking in anyone
who knew what they were doing, but
somehow they still managed to dampen
the egos of some very over-confident
American Villagers. The boys had more
success with Tim Porter and Brayden Jones
handling either end of the field for two
spectacular wins and some even more
spectacular post-goal celebrations.
The break saw us come back with
vengeance in the Courtyard Challenge.
Despite being late and somewhat under
the weather, speed proved to be our
At the basketball we learnt that as
a College we were slightly vertically
challenged but despite this the girls
and boys teams both managed one win
each with newcomer Michael Lawler and
old hat Jhade Munro-Greentree playing
starring roles.
Squash and Badminton surely don’t count
as real sports so we won’t mention those
results, but table tennis on the other hand,
a contender for the ‘wonder game’ went
DLC’s way. We aced it.
With just one more event on the calendar
left, Dunmore Lang and Robert Menzies
are tied in first place on the ladder.
The Rugby and Touch football was a
great day to finish the year with plenty of
spectators, food and music. Drew Nguyen
took us head first into an epic rugby
match against Robert Menzies earning a
‘College Scar’. It was a nail biter, ending in
a ten-all draw with Stuart Kempson being
named man of the match. Points still
tied, it was the girls who pushed us over
the line. Lily Barnett lead the charge to
two convincing wins, once again making
Dunmore Lang sporting champions.
So, as the year comes to a close and with
the Inter-College shield remaining in our
hands we can proudly reflect on a year of
great sport, great camaraderie and great
times all shared with a group of great
people.
Dunmore Lang College NEWS 9
Sportswoman of the Year Imogen Morrissey
If you’d asked me at the start of the year
what the Sportswoman of 2013 would be
like I would have given you qualities such
as determination, ruthlessness, aggression,
a keen sense of competitiveness and a
game face to match it.
Imogen rocked up to the Inter-College
volleyball with her usual big smile, hair in
pigtails, ever calm and friendly composure
and out of nowhere put on some
seriously big hits... fluke surely. Nope.
Sport after sport Imogen wowed us
with her skill, making her one of the most
deceptive athletes I think I’ve ever met.
Imogen is like the eye of a storm; cool,
calm and collected in the middle of
absolute chaos, and yet always causing
the most devastation. She has a
propensity to be in exactly the right place
at exactly the right time in every sport
she plays. It is this sporting intelligence
combined with her strength, endurance
and explosive speed off the mark that
makes her an incredible sportswoman.
But what makes her the most dangerous
player on the field, in the pool, on the
court or with any type of racquet is that
you won’t know when, you won’t know
where and you won’t know how, but
Imogen will be there; and you won’t
know because she’s done it all behind a
massive smile. She is the smiling assassin
of any and all arenas and she is a very
worthy recipient of the Dr Hugh McCredie
Sportswoman of the year.
Indi Angel-Auld
2013 ADS Sports Representative
Sportsman of the Year Timothy Porter
The Dunmore Lang College Sportsman
of the Year is an award that recognises
a member of the College for their
participation and contribution to the
year’s sporting events.
The Dunmore Lang College “Reds” thrive
on participation, performance and
most importantly passion. In 2013 first
year student Tim Porter demonstrated
these attributes in his ability as well as
his dedication to the DLC Reds. This all
started when he won the men’s single
300m-courtyard challenge with a very
strong finish over his opponents. As
the year went on Tim shone in the
Reds Soccer team, helping DLC win the
intercollege soccer against RMC and
Village and making Man of the Match
in both games.
As well as being a crucial member in
both social soccer and touch football
teams throughout each semester, Tim
threw himself into every sport including
Inter-College basketball, volleyball, soccer,
water polo, netball and debuted in his first
game of Rugby. In each of these sports he
proved to be one of the most skilled not
only due to his strong natural ability, at
also his dedication to training and game
day actions. Congratulations Tim on the
well deserved honor of being the 2013
Sportsman of the Year.
Maxwell Dodds
2013 ADS Sports Representative
10 Dunmore Lang College NEWS
DLC Academic Dinners
In the second semester of this year, the College ran a series of
‘Academic Dinners’.
These semi-formal occasions gave
students an opportunity to meet with
others studying the same subjects
and to learn more about how to apply
university learning to real life, from
academics, community leaders and other
professionals in their field.
The first speaker was a member of our
Alumni Committee, Peter Wise who is
also the the Chiropractic Skills Tutor at
the College. Peter has set up a successful
chiropractic business and was able to give
student practical tips and suggestions
for setting up a small business. Peter also
talked about the different chiropractic
techniques, skills and adjustments while
sharing in passion for changing the health
of Australians.
Our second speaker was Ted Quan, a
consultant psychologist who has worked
with adolescents for almost 20 years. Ted
has also lectured at Macquarie University
and worked at the University Campus
Well-Being Unit. He discussed some of
his more interesting cases with us, how
to prevent burnout and keep motivated,
the difficulties faced by people living with
mental illness, and the often surprising
places his interests have taken him over
the length of his career.
The last speaker was Soual the
entrepreneur of Gabe Gossage, who
foundered Planet Pen. His talk included
what counts as social entrepreneurship
how he created Planet Pen, the personal
and professional benefits of helping
others, especially those living on the
margins and how to turn small ideas
into big successes.
Every student who attended one of
these Academic Dinners came away
with something new to think about, and
exciting plans for their future.
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Global Dinner
This year the International
Committee relaunched the
Global Dinner. Armed with a stack of world facts
and delicious food prepared by the
kitchen, we set out to deliver a night
of role-playing that was not only fun and
challenging but also raised participant’s
awareness of the political and social issues facing people around the world.
From the actions of the secret police in
China, the storms in Haiti and the wealth
of food available in the USA, residents
got to experience these issues first hand
during the dinner.
We had a great turn-out from the
residents with everyone joining in to get a
piece of the world action. All in all, it was a
great opportunity for us to raise awareness
about some of these important issues
with the rest of the College.
We are looking forward to doing it again
next year!
Dunmore Lang College NEWS 11
Valedictory Dinner
The 2013 Valedictory Dinner brought the year to a
close on a high note as we farewelled ouR twelve
valedicts and acknowledged the contribution of
the student leadership teams: Resident Advisors,
ADS executive, Academic Tutors, Committee Heads
and Computer Support Officers.
A number of students were also recognised for their particular
contribution to the College throughout the year:
We announced the inaugural John Dunmore Lang Senior
Scholar – Anna-Jane Knight whose contribution to the College
has included leadership roles on the ADS and as an RA. Anna’s
speech can be found on page 5.
Dunmore Lang College Medal
Joshua Magann
Academic Tutor of the Year
Caitlyn Commensoli
Toga Night: The Musical
Toga Night: The Musical premiered in October this
year. Written and directed by Freya Insall and
Stephanie Bailey, it was pronounced a great success,
being both a lot of fun to perform and watch.
Margaret Saville Prize
Clare Sutton
Hugh McCredie Sportswoman of the YearImogen Morrissey
Hugh McCredie Sportsman of the YearTim Porter
Toga Night follows the story of two star-crossed lovers hailing
from rival colleges, who must defy peer pressure in order to find
true love.
The hunt for talented and enthusiastic performers started
in Semester Two, and uncovered many vivacious onstage
personalities. By week four, there was a cast of around thirty
excited and sometimes nervous students ready to start
rehearsals. Two months later, after many gruelling hours of
repeating lines and perfecting dance moves, the cast was ready
for the performance.
Both performances saw the DLC performers delivered two
hilariously fun performances enjoyed by both students and
their families. The Student Night enjoyed
particular success with a full audience packed
in to see the show. Freya and Stephanie would
like to thank all involved including the cast,
stage crew, Dean of Students Rachel Anderson
and the Principal, Alasdair Murray-West for not
only making the Musical a possibility, but making
it the wonderful experience it was.
Dunmore Lang College NEWS 12
In appreciation of
Dunmore Lane College
beautiful and vital koala food trees have been
planted in Harrold’s Forest.
Deborah Tabart OAM
Chief Executive Officer
Environmental Sustainability
2013 has seen a relaunch of our
sustainability initiatives at DLC. We have made an effort to lift
the profile and highlight the
importance of sustainability to
our residents and to improve the
environmental performance of
the College as a whole. As part of the Greensteps Programme
in partnership with Macquarie University
a lumen survey was undertaken; the
practical outcome is that lower wattage
lights have been installed. We have also
worked closely with MU to complete an
energy use survey and develop strategies
to reduce our energy usage. The DLC
energy bill in June equalled $26 per
student per week. We were interested to
learn that this equates to 98.88 tons of
greenhouse gas emissions. To sequester
this amount of carbon 2513 seedlings
would need to be planted and grow
for 10 years. As a result of the energy
usage survey we implemented several
changes. The default setting to our
washing machines has been set to cold
water. Washing your clothes in hot water
instead of cold wastes more electricity
than leaving the refrigerator door open
24 hours a day for a year. Based on
one wash per resident per week we
can save over $110 per week. As the
common room is upgraded and the
rooms renovated, several other practical
environmental initiatives are being
implemented, including Eco-switch
power boards. MOOP Troopers Clean Up Campus Day
and the Sustainability Scavenger Hunt. This year has also seen us undertaking
a hands-on environmental action and
service project. Through participating
in the 2013 Macquarie University
Department Sustainability Challenge. Our tree will grow to become both a
home and a source of food for Australia’s
wild koalas. It will help to restore and
strengthen critical habitat linkages for
koalas living in an increasingly fragmented
landscape with many pressures and
threats to their daily lives and long-term
survival.
Our team building/sustainability related
activities included participating in the
down the barriers. Using the skills we
learned at the camp, we were able to
overcome the challenges that arose
throughout the year and increase our skills
as individuals and especially as a team.
The Year That Was
Although this year was not without its
challenges for the RAs, we all managed to
bond and work extremely well as a team
and come out stronger than ever. The
camp at the beginning of the year was
a great opportunity for us to really start
interacting as a team and begin breaking
Australian Koala Foundation
G.P.O. Box 2659, Brisbane
Queensland 4001 Australia
Phone: 61 (0) 7 3229 7233
Fax: 61 (0) 7 3221 0337
Email: [email protected]
With Josh completing his studies and
Sam heading off on exchange mid-year,
it was sad to see them leave, but we were
blessed with such great replacements we
were ready to start Semester Two as strong
as ever. The RAs would like to thank all the
students for all the fun we have had in the
past year – we hope we have helped you
have a great time at DLC! Good luck and
best wishes for the coming year ahead.
For our Clean Up project, we completed a
Bushcare@MQ activity weeding asparagus
fern and other noxious weeds from one
of Macquarie University’s more forgotten
vegetation patches on the College side
of the creek, at the back of the Cochlear
Building.
Our team achieved over 15 stars by
participating in the various sustainability
initiatives and as such, had a tree planted
in our honour via the Australian Koala
Foundation (AKF).