THE GRADUATE UNIONÂ
NEWSLETTER MARCH 2018
Contents / GU Newsletter
CONTENTS GU COLLEGIATE
MEMBER NEWS
04
March Monthly Luncheon Ms Shailee Basnet
14
The Rotary Club of Carlton Book Fair
05
Coming Monthly Luncheons
15
Vietnamese Tet Festival 2018
06
Welcome BBQ at Graduate House
07
College Table Professor John O’Toole AM
Valete — Honorary Life Member, Miss Betty Keay RESIDENT MEMBERS NEWS 16
FEATURE 08 09
Bron Williams Founder and Director of Backstory Consultancy Reflections on the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919
REVIEWS 10
February Monthly Luncheon Review Mr Graham Dudley
13
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS 18
January 2018 Listings
OTHER SECTIONS 19
Discovering Melbourne
20
Innovation CancerSEEK: A new blood test for early detection of common cancers
English Conversation Corner
21
Extracurricular A piece of America in northern Australia
The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia visits Graduate House
22
Feedback
23
Diamond Jubilee Capital Fundraising Donation Form
GRADUATE HOUSE NEWS 12
Friends of Rotary (GHFoR) Volunteers for BBQ at Bunnings
Fire Drill at Graduate House
Oaktree ‘Live Below the Line’ $2 Luncheon
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
GU COLLEGIATE JobFocus Group Session
English Conversation Corner
Italian Conversation Dinner
Join Members to share and discuss the ‘how to’ in gaining employment after postgraduate qualification.
Practise your English conversational skills in a relaxed and casual environment.
Come along to dine while learning to speak Italian with an experienced teacher.
Free for Resident Members
Members $17 non-members $25
7:30pm Mon, 5th March
7:30pm Mon, 12 and 26th March
6:00pm Tue, 6 and 20th March
Monthly Luncheon
Bridge Nights
Welcome BBQ
Ms Shailee Barnet’s talk is titled From Everest to Empowerment — The Seven Summits Women Team.
Join in a game or learn to play the card game Bridge. Enjoy biscuits, tea and coffee.
Resident Members $10 non-resident Members $30 general public $40 concession $35
Members $2 non-members $5
Join us for a mixed grill BBQ as we welcome new and returning Residents to a new academic year.
12:00pm for 12:30pm start Wed, 7th March
7:20pm for 7:30pm start Wed, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th March
Special Morning Breakfast
College Table
Women's Forum
Non-resident Members are welcome to join Resident Members for a hearty breakfast at Graduate House.
Professor John O’Toole AM will speak on Drama and Arts in Educational Settings
The topic for March is What Will 2018 Bring?
Free for Resident Members non-resident Members $20
Members $12 non-Members $20 loyalty card holders $15
Lunch is at Member and non-member prices
7:30am – 8:30am Tue, 13th March
12:00noon for 12:30pm start Fri, 16th March
10:00am for 10:30am start Wed, 21st March
Free for Resident Members Non-members $25
th
th
Resident Members Free non-resident Members $22 guest and non-members $32 concession $27 6:00pm onwards Fri, 9th March
from
Forum is free
BOOK NOW via our website, by phone (03) 9347 3428, by email to admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or at Reception.
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
Ms Shailee Basnet Shailee Basnet, born and raised in Kathmandu, is a former journalist who scaled Mt Everest in the year 2008. She then led the ‘Seven Summits Women Team’ to climb the highest mountain in each continent. Despite several socio-economic challenges, the Seven Summits Women Team became the first female group in the world to climb the 7 Summits in the year 2014. Shailee coleads programs dedicated to education and empowerment with her teammate, Maya Gurung. She runs a program to help young female survivors of trafficking become trekking guides. Following the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, Shailee is leading the recovery of schools in one of the worst hit villages. Shailee is also a professional stand-up comic, performing regularly in Nepal and the US. As a speaker, Shailee takes audiences on a virtual journey of the Himalayas, sharing some hard-earned insights.
MONTHLY LUNCHEON ‘Everest to Empowerment’ Graduate House 220 Leicester Street, Carlton 3053 Wednesday, 7th March, 2018 12 NOON arrival for a 12:30 PM start
Bookings
Cost
Tel: (03) 9347 3428 Email: admingh@graduatehouse.com.au Website: graduatehouse.com.au
$
RSVP by Monday, 5th March, 2018
10 Resident Members 30 Non-Resident Members
$
35 Concession
$
40 General Public
$
ABN 55610664963 IARN A0023234B
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
Coming Monthly Luncheons Wednesday, 4th April Mr Louis Coutts is a management consultant in Melbourne. His writing ranges from commentaries on politics, economics and management to stories of his extensive travels and quiet observations from his daily life.
Wednesday, 2nd May Mr Paul Briggs is a Yorta Yorta man from Shepparton with a wealth of experience in Aboriginal community development. In 2005, Paul became the first Indigenous man to join the Council of The University of Melbourne in its 150-year history.
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
Welcome BBQ 6:00pm Friday, 9th March, 2018 The Graduate Union welcomes you to the new academic year! Join us for a mixed grill BBQ at Graduate House. There will be vegetarian options and a wide range of salads.
Resident Members Non-resident Members Guests and non-members Concession
FREE 22 $ 32 $ 27 $
RSVP by email admingh@graduatehouse.com.au contact us on (03) 9347 3428 or come to the Reception desk ABN 55610664963 IARN A0023234B
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GU Collegiate / GU Newsletter
College Table Professor John O’Toole AM will lead the discussion on Drama and Arts in Educational Settings. 12:00 NOON arrival for 12:30PM start Friday, 16th March, 2018
Professor John O’Toole AM was the Foundation Chair of Arts Education at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, and previously Professor of Drama Education and Applied Theatre at Griffith University. He developed several of Australia’s first drama education and applied theatre degrees and has written and co-written many standard text-books and research texts in drama and the arts, including The Process of Drama (1992), Dramawise Reimagined (2017) and Cooling Conflict (2005). Professor O’Toole is also a playwright and director in Young People’s and Community Theatre. He was appointed Lead Writer for the Arts and for Drama in the Australian Curriculum (2013). In 2014 he was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to drama in education, as a lecturer, author, mentor and researcher.
Book online at www.graduatehouse.com.au by phone 9347 3428, through email to admingh@graduatehouse.com.au or at the venue, 220 Leicester Street, Carlton. ABN: 55 610 664 963 | IARN: A0023234B
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Feature / GU Newsletter
Bron Williams
Founder and Director of Backstory Consultancy It is not only films that have a backstory. Humans do, too, and Bron Williams can help direct yours. Founder and Director of Backstory Consultancy since 2016, Bron is a transition and potential coach who relishes working with individuals and businesses to “own the past, embrace the present and create the future” they desire. “Everyone has a backstory – whether as individuals, businesses, cultures and nations,” Bron says. “Knowing how a backstory impacts current behaviour and attitudes can increase productivity, strengthen cohesion, embrace diversity and give you an edge, both personally and professionally.” Bron’s passionate, vibrant and thoughtful approach to providing clarity and helping you reach your potential is based on more than 30 years’ experience in the not-for-profit and education sectors. “I coach individuals through transition and to tap into their full potential so they can move ahead into their most fulfilled life. I coach businesses and organisations to make full use of the diverse talents and understandings that their teams bring.” A turning point in Bron’s career was when she was The Salvation Army’s Religious Liaison Officer and worked with asylum seekers from various faiths in the Nauru detention centre from 2013-2014. “It was life changing.” She especially enjoys helping women aged 40-plus in white-collar industries who could be frustrated that their skills are not being used and want to tap into their potential.
Bron Williams
“I deal well with change. That’s why I can help people.” To help you crawl through the cobwebs of life, Bron runs workshops and individually-tailored coaching packages. “Financially investing in yourself is a good return on investment.” And importantly, Bron has loved films and their backstories since childhood, when she spent Saturday afternoons watching TV with her dad. “The backstory of a film is the story that tells what led up to the main story or plot” (Merriam-
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Webster dictionary). This backstory sets the scene and provides explanation for behaviour and plot.” Learn more about Bron Williams and Backstory at: https://backstory.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwilliams/ https://www.facebook.com/ BronWilliams1856/ vvv
Feature / GU Newsletter
Reflections on the 1918 Influenza Pandemic Immunisation Coalition Annual Scientific Meeting and Dinner The Graduate Union CEO/Head of College, Dr Kerry Bennett, attended a dinner held as part of the Immunisation Coalition Annual Scientific Meeting at the Parkroyal Hotel, Melbourne Airport on Sunday, 4th February, 2018. The theme of the dinner, and the Annual Scientific Meeting, was ‘Reflections on the 1918 Pandemic’, which occurred 100 years ago. Commonly known as the ‘Spanish flu’, the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, the deadliest in history, was a global disaster, killing more people than in the Great War (known today as World War I). The 1918 flu was first observed in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. At the time, there were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this killer flu strain. Even though the 1918 flu was not isolated to one place, it became known around the world as the Spanish flu, as Spain was hit hard by the disease and was not subject to the wartime news blackouts that affected other European countries. (Even the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII, reportedly contracted the flu.) It infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide (about a third of the world’s population at that time) and killed an estimated 20 to 50 million people. Other estimates run as high as 100 million victims. The exact numbers are impossible to
know due to a lack of medical recordkeeping in many places. The flu was most deadly for people aged from 20 to 40 years. This pattern of morbidity was unusual for influenza, which is usually a killer of the elderly and Professor Peter Doherty AC at the 2018 ISG Annual Scientific young children. Meeting and Dinner More people died of influenza in a single year than in the four years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347–1351. Almost ninety years later, in 2008, researchers announced that they had discovered what made the 1918 flu so deadly: a group of three genes enabled the virus to weaken a victim’s bronchial tubes and lungs and clear the way for bacterial pneumonia.
The Graduate Union presents its seventh annual Flu Vaccination Day
Since 1918, there have been several other influenza pandemics, although none as deadly. A flu pandemic from 1957–1958 killed around two million people worldwide, and a pandemic from 1968-1969 killed approximately one million people.
Where: Graduate House 220 Leicester Street, Carlton
A timely reminder that the flu season is upon us soon, and that The Graduate Union is once again partnering with the Immunisation Coalition for free flu vaccination shots, on Tuesday, 17th April, 2018.
When: Tuesday, 17th April, 2018 10.30AM to 2.30PM We encourage you to take advantage of the free flu shot. Booking information will be provided soon.
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Review / GU Newsletter
Monthly Luncheon Review Wednesday, 7th February, 2018 Mr Graham Dudley: The Stiffs in the Stacks – crime fiction set in public and other libraries Historian and avid crime-novel reader, Graham Dudley has a special interest in fiction involving murders in libraries. We can happily report that no dead bodies were found in Graduate House’s Johnston Library on the day of his talk during our Monthly Luncheon! On Wednesday, 7th February, Graham delivered a fascinating talk with a “not-too-serious” look at the genre with an equally fascinating title, ‘The Stiffs in the Stacks, or, Murder and Libraries’. The professional bookworm is eminently qualified to share his opinion because, as a retired public servant with an Honours degree in History from The University of Melbourne, he has worked at the magnificent State Library of Victoria, a shrine to literary history. He was also a member of the Committee of the Friends of the Baillieu Library at The University of Melbourne for more than 20 years and had served as President. Our CEO, Dr Kerry Bennett, was joined on Table 1 by Chair of Council, Cr Rhys Watson, and our Inaugural Patron, Mr Neil Taylor. Guests enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by our talented culinary team – eye fillet with mushroom sauce, mashed potato and asparagus. For dessert, a decadent baked berry cheesecake garnished with oranges and strawberries was served. Commencing his talk, Graham posed the question: “Why is it that libraries are seen as a typical locale for a crime, most often murder?” “The public image of the library is generally that of a quiet, comfortable and inviting place, a place where
Mr Graham Dudley
people read and study, and certainly a place where people and their belongings should be safe. Is it because of this warm, comfortable image that the eruption of fictitious crime, often violent, often deadly, is attractive to authors?” “It is also worth keeping in mind the words of P.D. James, from her book, A Taste for Death, seventh in the Commander Adam Dalgliesh series. Dalgliesh recalls “as he so often did, the words of an old detectivesergeant when he, Dalgliesh, had been a newly appointed DC. “Love, Lust, Loathing, Lucre, the four Ls of murder, laddie. And the greatest of these is lucre”.
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Graham expanded our vocabulary by saying that crime novels set in libraries are part of a much larger genre, that of bibliomurder or bibliomysteries. “There are crime and murder stories involving booksellers, authors, publishers, newspaper staff, bibliophiles, and of course books and manuscripts themselves,” he said. He provided the ‘Decalogue’ or Ten Commandments for Detective Stories published by the late British author, Monsignor Ronald Knox in 1929. Knox, a pioneer of detective fiction, said such novels: “Must have as its main interest the unravelling of a mystery; a mystery whose elements are clearly presented to the reader
at an early stage in the proceedings, and whose nature is such as to arouse curiosity, a curiosity which is gratified at the end.” Graham kindly provided a list of twenty-eight of his favourite crime authors with intriguing titles spanning The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block, The Body in the Library by crime doyenne Dame Agatha Christie and Dialogues of the Dead by Reginald Hill. Such is the enduring appeal of the prolific Agatha Christie that early first editions of her novels are worth five-figure sums. Referring to Dame Agatha as the ‘Queen Of Crime’, Graham zeroed in on her aptly titled novel, The Body in the Library. “This work, which was first published in 1942, features Miss Marple as the sleuth. In her foreword, Christie herself acknowledges that she is working within a cliché. For her ‘variation on a well-known theme’, Christie uses a “highly orthodox and conventional library” as the setting, but the body “on the other hand, must be a wildly improbable and highly sensational body”. Graham described as “absolute rippers” the two novels by author Reginald Hill: Dialogues of the Dead (2001) and Death’s Jest Book (2002). Another fascinating title, The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco, is known as a book, and a film starring
the actor, Sean Connery. “The large, multi-layered work is set in a Benedictine monastery in Italy in the year 1327. The detective is a Franciscan friar, Brother William of Baskerville, assisted by the young Benedictine novice Adso of Melk. The murder part of the story, which concerns us here, revolves around deaths of several of the library staff, some showing signs of poisoning around the tongue and the mouth.” “So here we have perhaps the ultimate. The book itself is the murder weapon, which is a good place to end.” An appreciative round of applause concluded Graham’s time at the podium at the Monthly Luncheon. During the audience Questions and Answers session, Graham referred to the British TV series, Midsomer Murders and joked: “It’s a place I’d never live. It has the highest per capita rate of deaths with about two or three murders an episode.” Another Inaugural Patron, Ms Heather Kudeviita, said she was a fan of crime writer Peter Temple, and asked why there weren’t more noted Australian authors in the genre. Graham confided that he doesn’t read many Australian crime authors and explained why: “Australians do better with crime short stories rather than novels.” Cr Rhys Watson delivered the closing address, describing the talk
as “absorbing” and “intriguing”, and adding that he would now look at libraries in an entirely different light. Cr Watson pondered whether it was human nature to be engrossed by crime, which encompassed “love, lust and loathing”. “Thank you, Graham for your wonderful talk and we appreciate your support of The Graduate Union,” Cr Watson said. Dr Kerry Bennett presented Graham with a gift - a bottle of wine - and said in jest that it could double as a weapon if he was confronted with a murderer. “Calm them down or knock them out!” Dr Bennett joked. The lucky raffle winner was the Reverend Keith Whitford - his prize was a bottle of wine to enjoy while reading a crime novel, perhaps in a library. Graham maintains ties with The University of Melbourne by attending meetings of the Honorary Research Fellows of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies. He also sits on the Committee of the Classical Association of Victoria and the Board of the Friends of Libraries Australia. Thank you, Graham, for sharing your wisdom, and reminding us to look over our shoulder the next time we’re perusing the shelves at a library! vvv
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Graduate House News / GU Newsletter
Fire Drill at Graduate House Safety is a priority for all Resident Members, Members, staff and visitors at Graduate House. We conducted a full emergency evacuation test, also known as a fire drill, on 31st January, 2018. We thank the following Resident Members for attending and educating themselves about the evacuation plan for our much-loved terraces: Parisa Shiran, Tim Stephens, Ahmed Farooq, Jane Buxton and Geng Wang. Our CEO/Head of College, Dr Kerry Bennett, took part in the fire drill and stressed the importance of all Resident Members knowing the procedure for an evacuation. “It is paramount that all Residents are prepared for a real-life emergency in case we are faced with that reality. They must know how to get out of Graduate House quickly. This requires that they know the location of the closest EXITS!” Dr Bennett said.
‘Graduate House Emergency Procedures’ are posted throughout the corridors with a floor plan showing the nearest EXIT. If fire breaks out, dial 000 immediately and assist in the evacuation of everyone from Graduate House.
evacuate by the nearest safe EXIT and gather at the Assembly Point. Do not re-enter, or allow others to enter, the building until the all-clear has been given.
During the test evacuation, Operations Manager, Daniel Clark briefed staff and Residents on what to do in a fire situation. He then performed the fire evacuation test by setting off the Emergency Warning System – the alarm – so that everyone was familiar with the sound.
What to do: in any emergency, dial 000 and ask for the Fire Brigade, Police or Ambulance.
Participants then evacuated and gathered at the Assembly Point: outside the main building and across Leicester Street in University Square.
Where to gather: the Assembly Point is outside the main building and across Leicester Street in University Square.
Daniel Clark stressed the importance of staying calm during an evacuation and to follow the instructions of Duty Residents and the Chief Warden.
If you hear the Emergency Warning System – a ‘whoop-whoop’ tone –
English Conversation Corner
Practise your English conversational skills in a relaxed and casual environment Every second Monday starting 26th February at 7.30PM in the Phillip Law Members’ Lounge off the Dining Room RSVP by phoning (03) 9347 3428 or email admingh@graduatehouse.com.au
English Every second Monday 12 / www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664th963 / IARN A0023234B al skills, in a starting 26 February at 7:30 pm
Graduate House News / GU Newsletter
A visit by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia His Excellency Mr Y Kristiarto S Legowo Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia On 29th January, 2018, The Graduate Union hosted a delegation from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra and the Consulate-General of the Republic of Indonesia, Victoria, led by His Excellency Mr Y Kristiarto S Legowo, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia. The delegation included Mr Zaenal Arifin, Consul, Consulate-General of the Republic of Indonesia and Mr Prima Januar Sastrawiria; Mr Billy Wibisono, First Secretary, Information and Socio-Cultural Affairs, and Mr Muhammad Imran Hanafi, Education and Cultural Attaché from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra. The dignitaries were hosted by Dr Ken V Loughnan AO, President of The Graduate Union. Attending and representing The Graduate Union was Dr Kerry Bennett, CEO/Head of College. The delegation was given a guided tour of Graduate House after their meeting, and afternoon tea was served in the Johnston Library. The delegation presented The Graduate Union with an ornamental gift (pictured, top right). It depicts a ‘gunungan’ (from ‘gunung’ which means ‘mountain’), also known as ‘kayon’ (forest), which plays the most important role in every wayang performance, the traditional Javanese shadow puppet show. Physically shaped as a symmetrical mountain, and decorated with plants and animals, the gunungan symbolises the universe, natural events, and human emotions in every story. His Excellency Mr Legowo expressed his appreciation for the afternoon tea and the opportunity to learn more about both our residential college and our membership association of graduates
Front row (left to right): His Excellency Mr Y Kristiarto S Legowo, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Australia and Dr Ken V Loughnan AO Back row (left to right): Mr Prima Januar Sastrawiria; Mr Zaenal Arifin; Mr Muhammad Imran Hanafi; Dr Kerry Bennett; Mr Billy Wibisono
vvv
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Members News / GU Newsletter
The Rotary Club of Carlton Book Fair, a Rotary Community Project The Rotary Club of Carlton was established in 1985 and is one of 33,000 Rotary clubs worldwide, with a total of 1.2 million members. They are a friendly and caring club and their aim is to do some good in the world and to make a difference. Rotary International works in partnership with organisations such as UNESCO World Health Organisation (WHO) and philanthropic partners such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and their own Rotary Foundation, to name just a few. One of Rotary’s major accomplishments, jointly with WHO, has been to almost entirely eradicate polio from the world. The Rotary Club of Carlton supports residents and local associations within their neighbourhood and is actively engaged in programs for Australian Mental Health, the provision of scholarships and educational opportunities for young people, and sports training for children. Rotary Carlton meet weekly for lunch on Tuesdays at Graduate House.
After the enormous success of last year’s inaugural Rotary book fair, where the proceeds were directed through Australian Rotary Health to aid the funding of mental health research, the Rotary Club of Carlton is again holding a Rotary Book Fair on Saturday, 5th May and Sunday, 6th May, 2018 from 10 am to 5 pm. The Book Fair will be held at the Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, 251 Faraday Street, Carlton. This, again, is a great opportunity to help and support Rotary Community Projects and Australian Mental Health Research. Please donate your books, vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs that you no longer read, look at, or listen to, at Graduate House Reception, Monday to Friday, 7 am to 7 pm, and visit the book fair to pick up a bargain or more! Thank you for supporting the Rotary Club of Carlton – their aim is to make a difference for the benefit of humanity and our community.
Oaktree Day
Live below the Line Lunch In May, 2017, Graduate House hosted its first ‘Live Below the Line’ luncheon and raised more than $1,100 from participation and donations from attendees. The luncheon provided the opportunity to experience the typical meal of those living below the poverty line of $2. To some of us, it could be an eye opener. We thank our generous donors for their support. We are once again pleased to host the Oaktree ‘Live Below the Line’ Luncheon in the Dining Room at Graduate House on Wednesday, 9th May, 2018, at 12 noon.
About Oaktree Oaktree is one of Australia’s largest youth-run organisation with over 150,000 supporters. Oaktree is about a group of young people leading a movement to end poverty. Change should start with a simple belief that extreme poverty is not acceptable and that we must work together to raise funds to end poverty in our lifetime.
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Member News / GU Newsletter
Vietnamese Tet Festival 2018 The largest Lunar New Year festival in Victoria Cr Viv Nguyen is also the President of the Vietnamese Community in Australia: Victorian Chapter, which hosted the Vietnamese Tet Festival. Cr Molina Asthana and Dr Kerry Bennett, CEO/Head of College of The Graduate Union were her guests at the Vietnamese Tet Festival (‘the largest Lunar New Year festival in Victoria!’) at the Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday, 3rd February, 2018. Also in attendance were the Premier of Victoria, The Hon Daniel Andrews MP; the Leader of the Opposition, The Hon Matthew Guy MP; State Government Ministers and Shadow Ministers, Members of Parliament from all major parties, Victorian Multicultural Commission Chairperson, Ms Helen Kapalos, Mayors, Councillors, and leaders of the Vietnamese community. There were performances, firecrackers, a dragon dance, calligraphy, martial arts demonstrations, karaoke, and lots of other activities, plus plenty of great food as well as the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Excellence Awards, honouring the top rated VCE students from the Vietnamese community.
From left: Dr Kerry Bennett; The Hon Frank Maguire MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Medical Research and Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Innovation; Cr Viv Nguyen and Cr Molina Asthana
Valete Honorary Life Member, Miss Betty Keay (1928–2018) We are saddened to learn of the death of Honorary Life Member, Miss Betty Keay on 31st January, 2018.
on a weekly basis, Betty continued to be a quiet leader and inspiration to the group.
Betty joined the Association in 1982. A long-time and highly skilled bridge player, Betty first got involved in Graduate House Bridge Nights in 2002. At that time, Bridge nights were just commencing and the numbers were small. Betty quickly took on the organisation of the Bridge Group and rebuilt it. Eventually, by word of mouth the group recruited members from the Neighbourhood House in Carlton, social workers, teachers and Carlton Probus.
During her time as a member, Betty was a supporter of the GU Monthly Luncheons, Twilight Lectures and Sunday Musical Concerts.
After handing the organisation of the Bridge Group to Graham Skews and Joan Thompson who alternate
We will miss you, Betty.
Betty was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for organising the Bridge Group at Graduate House at the 2013 Chairman’s Cocktail Party. At the 2014 Annual General Meeting, Betty Keay was awarded Honorary Life Membership of The Graduate Union of The University of Melbourne. A full tribute to Miss Betty Keay will soon be available on our website.
Miss Betty Keay (1928–2018)
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Members News / GU Newsletter
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly By Jean-Dominique Bauby (1997) Book review by Life Member, Mr Louis A Coutts I have just read a book, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by JeanDominique Bauby who was Editorin-Chief of the French magazine, Elle. In 1995 Bauby was test driving a new BMW in Paris when he felt ill. He stopped the car and sent his son for help. By the evening he was totally paralysed as a result of a stroke attacking his brain stem. He could move his head a little; one eye had to be permanently stitched closed; he could hear; his mind was unaffected and he had the use of one eye. Bauby said it was like being in a diving bell from which he could see but not escape. His body had become a prison from which he learned to release butterflies. He wanted to write. A therapist assembled the alphabet so that it could be seen by Bauby, but instead of the traditional alphabet, the first letter was E and the last was Z. The letters were arranged in descending order of use in the French language. By moving a pencil along the letters, the therapist would stop when Bauby would wink and that letter became a letter in a word and the words became sentences and the sentences paragraphs and the paragraphs chapters and the chapters became his book; all by transmitting thoughts to his eyelid that became his pen. Using his left eyelid as his pen, Bauby wrote his book two minutes per word. He released himself from the past and indulged himself in the present, releasing butterflies to decorate the future. To him, the past was lost as was the future, and so the present became overwhelmingly urgent. To me, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is perhaps one of the greatest, if not the greatest act of
literary heroism in the history of literature. The almost total lack of anger; the continual acceptance of his awful circumstances together with his compelling mind and humanity drove Bauby to make the most of every minute of the remainder of his life and to do it by expressions of love and a desire to create beauty. It moved me to think about time. According to Shakespeare, Richard II reflected in prison, “I wasted time and now doth time waste me”. He didn’t see the opportunities for the present, nor could he escape like a butterfly as did Bauby. It occurred to me that we are all prisoners of time. It is our past and it continues to define us, but it is dead. Each second that has passed is irrecoverable and lost forever. But what is not lost is our memory of that second and our memory becomes the warehouse of the millions of unchangeable events of our past seconds. Sometimes, these memories emerge uninvited in our conscious moments. It is in those unwanted visitations that I am reminded that the past is irrecoverable and that memories can only be altered by deceit. Unsaid words can never be said and said words can never be unsaid. The past can be a tyrant tethering us to regret. Sometimes it can be a reminder of danger. But in its deepest recesses are the secrets of how we loved. The memory of the past has the infallible ability to measure with precision how we loved and to confront us with its findings at awkward moments. If we have not loved enough, the present
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gives us the opportunity to create butterflies that decorate the future. If we are satisfied with how much we have loved, we have to create more butterflies so that there is a greater abundance of love in the world than hate. More and more butterflies entering the future! Jean-Dominique Bauby would be so happy and he would be free. Each second, each blink of the eyelid can be an act of love and we can create butterflies that touch others. The future can become the past so quickly that we have to match its speed with our capacity to love so that we are waiting for the future to be our messenger of love before it becomes the past. On the other hand, we can be Richard II and forgo the opportunity of the present to love and create butterflies. vvv
Louis A Coutts is the guest speaker at our April Monthly Luncheon on Wednesday, 4th April 2018.
Resident News/ GU Newsletter
Congratulations on your new job
VOLUNTEERS EERSVOLUNTEERS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ED NEEDED NEEDED Volunteers Wanted We are pleased to hear that Resident Member, Cassandra Gheorghe has started a new position as Stagiaire at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne. Cassandra was featured in our Captal Fundraising Campaign video. Wishing you all the best, Cassandra!
Ms Cassandra Gheorghe
otary Club of Carlton are ntly looking for volunteers to he BBQ roster for:
day, 17th March, 2018 nswick Bunnings
day, 24th March, 2018 ingwood Bunnings
ay, 15th April, 2018 nswick Bunnings
th at Collingwood Bunning Saturday, Saturday, 17 24th March, March, 2018 2018 at Collingwood Brunswick Bunnings at Bunnings Sunday, 15th April, 201 th at Brunswick Bunnings Saturday,15 24 March, 2018 th Sunday, April, 2018 at Brunswick Collingwood Bunnings at Bunnings
Sunday, 15th April, 2018 at Brunswick Bunnings
are available to help, please contact Shiran at Graduate House via email: The roster times @graduatehouse.com.au, to are: advise preferred roster time. 9:00 am – 11:00 am The roster timessome are: volunteer 11:00 if you can spare am – 1:00 pm nd help Rotary to do some good in am – 11:00 am 9:00 pm 1:00 – 3:00 pm rld! 11:00pmam––5:00 1:00pmpm 3:00 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
23234B
The Rotary Club of Carl looking for vol The Rotary Club of Carltoncurrently are staff the currently looking for volunteers to BBQ roster for staff the BBQ roster for: are The Rotary Club of Carlton Saturday, 17th March, 2 currently looking for volunteers to at Brunswick Bunnings Saturday, 17th March, 2018 staff the BBQ Bunnings roster for: at Brunswick Saturday, 24th March, 2
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
If you are available to help Parisa Shiran at Graduate 9:00 am – 11:00 am If you are available to help, please contact GHFoR@graduatehouse.c of your preferred Parisa Shiran at Graduate House via email: roster tim 11:00 am – 1:00 pm GHFoR@graduatehouse.com.au, to advise 1:00 pm – 3:00 pmIf you are available to help, please contact of your preferred roster time.Please volunteer if you ca time, via andemail: help Rotary to d 3:00 pm – 5:00 pmParisa Shiran at Graduate House GHFoR@graduatehouse.com.au, to advise the world! Please volunteer if you can spare some of yourand preferred rostertotime. time, help Rotary do some good in the world! Please volunteer if you can spare some time, and help Rotary to do some good in the world! ABN 55610 664 963 | IARN A0023234B The roster times are:
ABN 55610 664 963 | IARN A0023234B
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Academic and Professional Development Meetings / GU Newsletter
The following groups from The University of Melbourne have convened meetings, workshops and events at Graduate House during the month of January 2018.
Advancement Office Leadership Effectiveness Workshop 25th January 8 attendees
Melbourne Graduate School of Education 16th January 3 attendees
The Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program Planning Day 10th January 5 attendees
UoM Commercial Health Systems Management Graduation 30th January 55 attendees
The patronage of organisation Members in charitable, non-for-profit, government and professional development sectors is acknowledged here, as is that of our many Members who organise their functions at Graduate House.
Calabrese Cultural Association 16 January 8 attendees
Carlton Rotary — Lunch Meetings and Book Fair 23rd, 30th January 66 attendees
International Coach Federation (ICF) Victoria Branch 18th January 16 attendees
John Cain Foundation Lunch 23rd January 8 attendees
th
Environment Protection Authority (EPA) —
Regulatory Programs Unit, Planning 25th January 6 attendees
Order of St John 22nd January 8 attendees
Organisational Development Australia (ODA) - Lead Team Meet 23rd January 8 attendees
Slavery Links Slavery Links 24th January 4 attendees
The Graduate Union Collegiate Events and Governance Meetings 17th, 24th, 29th, 31st January 50 attendees
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Trinity College — Executive Planning Day 29th January 16 attendees
Discovering Melbourne / GU Newsletter
DISCOVERING MELBOURNE We share with you some interesting things to do in Melbourne for January and February 2018.
BE AWARE OF THE YEAR OF THE DOG
LOCAL SOLUTION FOR GLOBAL WARMING
16th – 28th February, 2018 Chinatown Little Bourke Street Melbourne CBD
1st – 28th February, 2018 Various Melbourne locations
The lucky number is 16 February for the (fire) cracker that is Chinese New Year and the arrival of the Year of the Dog. The dancing lion roars into action with its dragon dance in Chinatown on 18th February and Melbourne hosts lively, spectaculars across the suburbs to mark Australia’s strong bond between East and West. Chinatown and Chinese community organisations have celebrated the Lunar New Year in Little Bourke Street for 160 years. Don’t forget to crack open a fortune cookie for enlightenment … it may even come true.
The Sustainable Living Festival inspires locals to think globally and accelerate the uptake of sustainable living and find solutions for global warming. The guest speaker, American environmentalist Paul Hawken, will speak about ‘Drawdown: the plan to reverse global warming’ at the Dome at Birrarung Marr. Former Greens senator, Bob Brown will speak about ‘Beyond the green: the future of environmentalism’. Other highlights include ‘Wardrobe crisis: fast fashion and the race to sustainability’. http://slf.org.au/
https://melbournechinesenewyear.com/festival-events/
WALK THE WALK AND AND TALK MELBOURNE
WHO’S WHO IN THE ZOO
Daily Melbourne CBD
26th January – 10th March, 2018 Melbourne Zoo Elliott Avenue Parkville
Let your feet do the walking and discover the world-famous street-art attraction that is Hosier Lane in the Hidden Secrets Tours. Known as the ‘Original walking tours of Melbourne’. You can admire our enviable laneways and arcades that draw millions of tourists to Melbourne and be invigorated by a caffeine hit during the ‘Cafe Culture Walk’ that traverses the city’s pulsating coffee haunts. Or treat yourself to an indulgent ‘Progressive Afternoon Tea Stroll’ where chocolate is always on the menu.
Party animals will love Zoo Twilights, a celebration of local and international musicians at Melbourne Zoo. Pack a picnic basket, settle in on the lawn and be reassured that all proceeds from the night will go towards saving the Eastern Barred Bandicoot from extinction. Zoos Victoria has bred more than 650 bandicoots as part of a re-population program to recover the species. For a unique Melbourne experience, put on your exploration cap and wander through the Zoo from 5.30PM to 7.00AM before the animals go to bed.
https://hiddensecretstours.com/
https://zootwilights.org.au/ www.graduatehouse.com.au / ABN 55610 664 963 / IARN A0023234B / 19
Innovation / GU Newsletter
CancerSEEK: a new blood test for early detection of common cancers In encouraging news for people across the globe and especially cancer sufferers and their families, a US-led research team working with Australian collaborators has developed a new blood test or “liquid biopsy” for the early detection of eight common cancers. This means that tumours can be diagnosed before they have spread, when the chance of cure is high. Called CancerSEEK and developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, the blood test screens for key proteins and gene mutations that indicate the presence of one of eight types of cancer: ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas, oesophagus, bowel, lung and breast. In Victoria, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research scientists, Associate Professor Jeanne Tie and Professor Peter Gibbs, who also have joint appointments at Western Health, were the only Australians who contributed to the project. Associate Professor Jeanne Tie said: “CancerSEEK has the potential to be a one-stop, safe screening test for multiple tumour types that should have high community acceptance. For the first time we have the promise of a screening test that will lead to earlier diagnosis and improved survival outcomes for many tumour types that are major contributors to cancer deaths in our community”. Blood tests that can accurately detect the early stages of cancer, well before symptoms are present, are urgently needed, as cancer mortality rates are directly related to how advanced a cancer is at diagnosis. While screening tests for some cancers have already been developed, for many major tumour types there are no effective screening tests. The currently available screening tests can also be
unpleasant, have associated risks and uptake can be low. Importantly, each test can only screen for one cancer at a time. CancerSEEK tests were positive in a median of 70 per cent of the eight cancer types. The test was able to positively detect between 69 and 98 per cent of people who had one of five cancer types (ovary, liver, stomach, pancreas, and oesophagus) for which there are no screening tests currently available (for average-risk individuals). The research will be published in the international journal, Science. Source: Scimex: Breaking science news for Australia and New Zealand, 19th January 2018 https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/australian-researcherscontribute-to-a-new-blood-test-for-early-detectionof‑cancer vvv
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Extracurricular / GU Newsletter
A piece of America in northern Australia Australians and Canadians have more in common than we thought. Curtin University researchers have made a fascinating finding: rocks discovered in northern Queensland bear striking similarities to those found in North America, suggesting that part of northern Australia was actually part of North America 1.7 billion years ago. The research paper published by the Geological Society of America in GEOLOGY concluded that the rocks found in Georgetown, 412 kilometres west of Cairns, have signatures that are unknown in Australia and instead have a surprising resemblance to rocks found in Canada today. Curtin University PhD student, Adam Nordsvan from the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said that the findings unlocked important information about the 1.6 billion year old supercontinent, Nuna. “Our research shows that about 1.7 billion years ago, Georgetown rocks were deposited into a shallow sea when the region was part of North America. Georgetown then broke away from North America and collided with the Mount Isa region of northern Australia around 100 million years later,” Mr Nordsvan said. “This was a critical part of global continental reorganisation when almost all continents on Earth assembled to form the supercontinent called Nuna. Researchers then determined that when the supercontinent Nuna broke apart about 300 million years later, the Georgetown area did not drift away and instead became a new piece of real estate permanently stuck to Australia.
“Ongoing research by our team shows that this mountain belt, in contrast to the Himalayas, would not have been very high, suggesting the final continental assembling process that led to the formation of the supercontinent Nuna was not a hard collision like India’s recent collision with Asia,” Professor Li said. The research was co-authored by researchers from Curtin University, Monash University and the Geological Survey of Queensland. Source: Scimex: Breaking science news for Australia and New Zealand, 19th January, 2018 https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/curtin-researchersdiscover-a-piece-of-america-in-northern-australia vvv
The co-author of the research paper, John Curtin Distinguished Professor Zheng-Xiang Li, also from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the research also revealed new evidence of mountains being built in both the Georgetown region and Mt Isa when Georgetown collided with the rest of Australia.
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Feedback / GU Newsletter
FEEDBACK We value your feedback! Accommodation
Dining Room
The weekend host was very friendly and professional. The room was clean and comfortable, and the breakfast was very good. I highly recommend this accommodation: close to everything and great value for money. — Mrs Eva Bakos
It was a pleasure to celebrate my birthday with lunch at Graduate House — Mr John Hasker Good customer service and great value for money — Mr Richard Rees
The meals were the best I’ve had at Graduate House and the comfort as home. — Mrs Sandra Beck
The lucky feedback-giver for January 2018 is Member
Mr George Markou who won a bottle of
De Bortoli Sacred Hill Brut Cuvée
Your feedback is important Submit a Dining Room Feedback Form to be in the Monthly Draw AND to be in the running for the Year-End Prize of a
$500 Coles Myer Gift Voucher
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Donation Form / GU Newsletter
Diamond Jubilee Capital Fundraising Donation Form Graduate House, the only dedicated postgraduate residential college of the University of Melbourne, commemorated our 60th anniversary in 2017 by opening the next chapter in the life of our historic building. Our Diamond Jubilee Capital Fundraising Campaign will see us construct a new, 11-storey residential building to continue to provide quality accommodation and a vibrant collegiate environment for our Resident Members. Please help us realise this exciting plan by donating now.
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