International Week!

This week the USU is proud to present International Week, a celebration of our great cultural diversity on campus. The week will run over three days starting tomorrow Tuesday the 27^th of March. Our International Student interns have been working around the clock to bring you a fantastic program which you can find out more about at http://www.facebook.com/events/413357602013084/.

What you should attend and why…

It’s lovely weather with the sun beating down on your head and all you want to do is get to the beach. Unfortunately you have that pesky chem lecture and only a one hour break before your prac. Well on Tuesday between the hours of 11 and 3 we’ll bring the beach to you with a fair dinkum rinky dink Surf Simulator on the New Law Lawns.

I watch a lot of Jet Li movies. I do, it’s a thing. I even dabbled in the fine art for a few years. I didn’t have a lot of talent but, the martial artists doing a demonstration at the New Law Lawn on Wednesday from 1230 are really good at it, fact. Go and watch them, but stand at least three meters away and do not do anything offensive.

Alas, the time has come for me to go and eat some lunch. Whilst a Manning Burger normally covers it, today I feel like something a little different. Aha! This seems like the perfectly coincidental opportunity to segue into mentioning the SUSHI TRAIN on from 12 on Wednesday at the new lawn.

When: Tuesday 28^th, Wednesday 29^th and Thursday 30^th

Where: All around campus

What: International Week

Program: http://www.facebook.com/events/413357602013084/

Who: Yun Liu, Danny Wang and the USU

Rhys Pogonoski

Board Director

Come to the inagural meeting of the USU Interfaith Council!

Thursday March 29th, the University of Sydney will have its inaugural meeting of The USU Interfaith Council. If the members of the Council can work together to achieve sound results for students, it should be a lasting institution at the University. 

Below you will find the program proposal and resolution which the board voted unanimously in favour of at its meeting in October 2011. It was heartening to see student representatives showing consensus in support of a measure which would support religious diversity, freedom and representation on campus.  

The council itself has only been able to come into fruition through the hard work of many people. There has been lobbying by many students on campus for many years, members of the USU programs department have been immensely supportive and the Interfaith Directors have played a strong hand in ensuring the delivery of the council as a forum for students to express their faith on campus.

The Interfaith Council will achieve a number objectives as outlined in the document attached. There is no doubt that the members of the council can look forward to making a valuable contribution to the life of the student body.

Mina Nada

Board Director

USU and Charity - Feelin’ Good

So, it’s Week 2 and if you’ve already started procrastinating in class, hiding behind your Macbook to stare at your Facebook newsfeed, you would have encountered the Kony 2012 Campaign. Apart from a slick 30-minute video on Youtube, a stylish red campaign design and all your friends changing their profile pictures to Kony, you may or may not know that the Campaign is for a charity cause to support children in Africa, raising more than $5 million around the world.

More fun facts: In 2009, an estimated $303.7 billion was donated to charitable causes in the U.S. In 2006, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated a whopping $8 Million to charities alone. In the UK, there are about 169,000 charities, with 13.2 million people volunteering in charities. In Australia, around $11 Billion in money, good and services is given to non-profit organizations by individuals and businesses every year, which includes 87% of Australians and 67% of businesses.

Okay, I realize I have bombarded you with enough impressive charity facts already. But why, you ask?

Well, whilst we poor uni students are no Brangelinas with millions to give away, we can still support charities or non-profit organisations in our local community, or even on campus. Charities need community support, but it doesn’t always have to cost. It can come in many forms- money, time, or influence. Time and influence are invaluable assets that allow someone to get involved

In fact, the University of Sydney Union is also a charity, sort of. As a non-profit organisation, any profit that we make from our commercial operations goes right back into the student experience. This means that when you buy a cup of coffee from the Fisher coffee cart, your money will go towards funding a club or society on campus. Currently, there are 19 clubs and societies on Campus that work towards Humanitarian and charitable causes. But The USU is going beyond clubs and societies to support charitable causes. In November 2011, the USU Board passed the motion to endorse an official charity, (changing every two years as decided by board) and put in place the student leadership position of the Charity Officer to work with the charity organisation.

This is a really great initiative on behalf of the USU and one which you, as a member, can be proud of. The USU is dedicated to growth, and to provide you with a bigger and better student experience every year, but giving back to the student community is just as important. The role of the Charity Officer offers the union a direct way to be responsive to humanitarian causes on campus, and allows students with new volunteering opportunities in community and social work.

For 2012-13, the USU has endorsed Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) as its official charity. AIME is an Indigenous corporation, a not-for-profit charity that provides a six-year Mentoring program for Indigenous Australian high school students to give them the skills, opportunities and confidence to finish high school. It has proven to dramatically improve the chances of Indigenous kids finishing school. Apart from the impact AIME has on school students, it also provides an invaluable opportunity to university students to gain hands-on experience working with indigenous high school students as mentors.

The USU’s endorsement of AIME will strengthen an existing positive partnership with the charity. As well, AIME was borne out of the University of Sydney through the Union, founded by past students! To tie it all up nicely, the work of the Charity officer will also go hand-in-hand with the development of the USU Indigenous Week.

How can you get involved? Sign up to a humanitarian or community aid club or society on Campus, or apply for one of the student positions! Currently, applications for the Charity Officer and the Humanitarian Week Directors are open, and close on the 19th of March.

And here’s why you should do it: giving back gives everyone the feel-good factor, and here’s the evidence: William T. Harbaugh, Associate Professor of Economics of at the University of Oregon has studied the neural responses linked with the act of voluntary giving. His 2007 study revealed a common ‘warm glow’ felt by subjects when they were given $100 and asked to decide where the money should go. Increased satisfaction was linked directly with the act of voluntary giving!

Astha Rajvanshi
Board Director

Sh*t Girls Say**...

In celebration of International Women's Day 2012 a week of profiles of wonderful Women of the USU…

From the Cellar to the meeting rooms of Holme, right back down to the basement level, across the lawns to the lecture halls, over to the walls of Verge and the workshops of PNR and far beyond, the Women of the USU are a multi talented bunch and you're damn right they have some sh*t to say...

Standing at the helm of the USU, President Sibella Matthews can manage commercial operations, student programs, strategic thinking and orders a mean take away.

My name is Sibella, but my friends call me "hey guuuurl". When I grow up I want to travel, but at the moment I'm also dabbling in being a professional student.  A wise woman once told me stop focusing on what women want, and start celebrating what women can give. Celebrate the different perspective women can bring to leadership teams. What makes your blood boil? Bullying and intimidation. I first worked out I was a woman when my parents gave me a Minnie Mouse denim jacket for my fourth birthday which I refused to wear because it was covered in pink bows. If someone told me to "get back in the kitchen" I would be very confused because I have no experience or expertise in cooking. I will be spending international women's day at the USU International Women's Day Celebration and listening to Destiny's Child. My year ahead holds law classes, four more months on the USU Board, and then exchange to The Netherlands!  Betty Draper, Joan 'Red' Harris or Peggy Olson? Haven't watched Mad Men, but my all time favourite female TV hero is Veronica Mars. Anything else of note...? www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lPQZni7I18

Bernice Zandona sings a fine tune and packs a pretty punch over at The Con.

My name is Bernice Zandona, but my friends call me Bernizzle. When I grow up I want to be  an opera singer, but at the moment I'm also dabbling in procrastination, shopping, library shelving. A wise woman once told me to challenge why things are the way they are rather than blindly accepting societal conventions. What makes your blood boil? Close-mindedness. I first worked out I was a woman when - I was asked to fill this out. If someone told me to "get back in the kitchen" I would probably get in there and poison their food. I will be spending international women's day at class, Hermanns and the opera. My year ahead holds lots of hard work. Betty Draper, Joan 'Red' Harris or Peggy Olson? Joan.


Heading up the amazing Women in Engineering Society Rachel Herman is proving that when it comes to biomedical engineering biology ain't nothing but a thang.


My name is Rachel Herman. But my friends call me Rach. When I grow up I want to be a part of something that makes me happy. But at the moment I'm also dabbling in Biomedical Engineering. A wise woman once told me "Confidence is the most attractive quality in a person". What makes your blood boil - People expecting things without giving back. I first worked out I was a woman when I realised I could do everything and anything, just like my mother. If someone told me to "get back in the kitchen" I would tell them to make their own damn sandwich, they would probably cook better than me anyway. I will be spending international women's day at the USU International Women's Day event at Hermanns, and the engineering Slip 'n' Slide. My year ahead holds organising fantastic events for the members of SUWIE. Betty Draper, Joan 'Red' Harris or Peggy Olson? Peggy Olson, I know what it can be like studying in a male dominated industry. Anything else of note I would encourage everyone to get involved in their university life, there are so many opportunities to make your time so much more enjoyable.

Bec O’Brien, PhD Student, Koori Centre Contributor, seriously fierce lady.

My name is Rebecca , but my friends call me Bec. When I grow up I want to be a sociologist focusing upon issues of knowledge and education, but at the moment I'm also dabbling in (still sociology), native title and Indigenous knowledge systems. A wise woman once told me "if you see the need for change in the world, you're the only one who will make it. So stop complaining, get off your backside and do something about it"- thanks mum. What makes your blood boil? Andrew Bolt- without fail. Every time he opens his mouth. That man could order a coffee and it'd make me hate him a little more than I already do (though one questions how 'black' he would need his coffee to be for it to be considered a real 'coffee'). If someone told me to "get back in the kitchen" I would probably follow directions and find a rolling pin to beat them with. I will be spending International Women's Day revisiting Aileen Moreton-Robinson's 'Talkin' up the white woman', a complete must on the feminist reading list. Betty Draper, Joan 'Red' Harris or Peggy Olson? I wish I could say Joan, I really do- but I'm on team Peggy. This is a woman who figured out what she wanted, went for it in the face of so many obstacles and without possibly even hearing the word 'feminism' demonstrated that her lady parts in no way diminished her as a person or worker (shock horror!). Anything else of note...? Again... can't say it enough, if you haven't come across 'Talkin' up the white woman' pick up a copy!

Standing up, sitting down and dancing across your twitter feed, Gen Fricker is one funny lady.

My name is Genevieve Fricker, but my friends call me J Frick (my friends are jerks). When I grow up I want to be a fabulously rich old maid like Joan Rivers, but at the moment I'm dabbling in stand up comedy. A wise woman once told me that 'we need darkness to appreciate light'. In life and in comedy, I think this is true. What makes your blood boil? When people say women aren't funny. As Tina Fey says, "It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that because you don't like something, it is empirically not good. I don't like Chinese food, but I don't [try] to prove it doesn't exist." I first worked out I was a woman when other people became interested in what was going on with my chest. Other than that, I'm still working it out. If someone told me to "get back in the kitchen", I'd get back in The Kitchen (The Kitchen is the name of my fabulously appointed 18th century villa overlooking Lake Como). I will be spending International Women's Day in a van somewhere on the road between Byron Bay and Sydney, as I'm currently touring the east coast of Australia. My year ahead holds working on a second solo comedy show, gigging and travelling overseas. Betty Draper, Joan 'Red' Harris or Peggy Olson (Mad Men characters)? None of them. I'm the demure secretary in the background who by night is busy being a secret agent fighting the Cold War, dating Batman, and inventing the internet.

** This is a parody of the video phenomenon... I am in no way saying that the stuff these girls say is sh*t at all! (Although I bet they have muttered "Could you pass me the blanket?")                  


International Women's Day!

Hi there! Whether you have just recuperated from partying at O Week, fighting the guy at the timetable office, your amazing holiday or returned from the world of full time summer work muttering “Never again, I’m staying at Uni for as long as I possibly can” let me be the first to blog…  Welcome to Uni 2012!

If you’re new to Uni (or have lost a significant amount of brain cells in the space of three months) may I suggest picking up a copy of The Bull magazine and reading up on all their tips for the start of Semester. Then, if you forgot to join Clubs and Societies make sure you do a little Facebook and USU Website trawling this week to ensure your supply of free BBQ lunches and trivia teams for the upcoming year.  Beyond that, we have a new Asian food outlet at Wentworth (om nom nom), Raw Food has all your salad and juice requirements and the taps are good to go at Manning and Hermann’s (although you could always go check that out yourself for good measure). And if all that wasn’t enough Week 1 also coincides with International Women’s Day, Thursday March 8^th, which means this week’s blog post is not only informative but also THEMED!

Over 100 years ago some women (over 1 million) in Europe decided the fact that they couldn’t vote was plain out balls (yup, that’s a pun) and so they got together and walked around with some signs (over 300 demonstrations across Europe). Now its 2012 and things look slightly different - particularly if you are sitting reading this at a computer in a university and you yourself are, or are surrounded by, women. International Women’s Day has morphed into a celebration of progress, a moment to observe the work of women and men in the fight for gender equality in the past and an opportunity to write up some serious goal lists for the future.

When discussing the relevance of women’s movements in contemporary Australia its easy for people to quickly look around and wildly point out female identifying figures of authority …”Look over there! It’s OK! Our Prime Minister has lady bits! Phew!”… But to do this really only tells half the story and if we WANTED to boil it down to numbers and percentages or lists of power then I doubt the story would actually be that flaterring anyway. Furthermore, as citizens of a global community you only have to lift your gaze ever so slightly to see that for many women throughout Australia and the world there are challenges beyond the line at the Copy Centre and getting WiFi to work on campus.

And so we at the USU are paying homage to our fearless ladies of the past (the University of Sydney Union was actually split into a men’s union and a women’s union, and the Women’s Union owned Manning, fact) and celebrating today’s women with an International Women’s Day event at Hermann’s Bar on Thursday 12pm – 2pm! (Come by! Wear purple! Buy a ribbon!) run by Women of the USU (now with awesome purple singlets). And all week I am going to be profiling some amazing Women of the USU on the blog! So stay tuned, raise your fist, bake a cake, buy a ribbon, burn your bra, knit a jumper, cast a vote (even if its just in employee of the month at your local supermarket) roller derby and party on all in the name of International Women’s Day!

Brigid Dixon

USU Board Director

Women’s Portfolio (I’m in your kitchen, smashing your patriarchy)