For a lot of you this is your first ever exam period and you’re probably feeling very overwhelmed and exhausted.
Please just try and remember that this isn’t the end of the world and that this isn’t the most important thing in your life. Make sure to keep taking care of yourself and make sure you’re at least getting some sleep and aren’t just surviving off snacks! It’s important to keep healthy and keep taking care of yourself while you study!
Reconciliation Dinner
Reconciliation dinner is a permanent event held at college annually during Reconciliation Week which seeks to pay respect to the Aboriginal community and learn about ways in which society can improve in our understanding and attitudes towards Indigenous culture.
Our guest speaker Emily Sutton spoke about the ways in which we can work towards being more respectful and how we can get involved with Walanga Muru, Macquarie University’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student engagement and strategy office. A powerful speech was also given by Tae Elvin (a snippit of the speech is featured on the righthand page), who spoke about current political and societal issues in regards to reconciliation.
If you’re concerned or just feel like you may need further education about these issues make sure to contact the student team at Walanga Muru, they would be happy to help answer questions.
The ‘R’ Word
I would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Custodians and Elders of the land on which we meet today, the Wattamattagal people of the Darug nation, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.
1. What is Reconciliation?
We are all here for a very special day. A day that signifies the remembrance of past atrocities against countless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Firstly, I ask all of you now, why are you here? This is a compulsory event for RMC residents in their first 12 months here. Are you here for the food? Are you here to support your Indigenous peers? Are you here to learn more about what you can do to further the cause of reconciliation?
Secondly, how many of us know what reconciliation means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? Most would pull a definition from the dictionary, “[…]”. Others may have gained their understanding from the biblical texts, “[…]”. However, it is my belief that this type of reconciliation will never be achieved for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australian society.
2. Australia’s current attempts at ‘symbolic’ reconciliation
Examples of previous attempts of reconciliation include Paul Keating’s Redfern Speech; John Howard’s address in 2000 and Kevin Rudd’s National Apology to the Indigenous Australians. However, these all failed to acknowledge genocidal history of Australia, merely dismissing it as a ‘blemish’ in Australian History. These were not practical actions and did not improve the systematic racist ideology embedded into Australia’s institutional systems and societal structure.
3. Is it reconciliation or just racism?
Whose attitudes are we actually trying to change with ‘reconciliation’? Building positive relationships and trust? Or is reconciliation just a Band-Aid to cover racism? These are some of the important issues we need to be thinking about as a society, particularly on a day like today.
- Tae Elvin
Vivid is an annual light show that takes place in Sydney over a few weeks. It has beautiful displays all along the harbour and in the Botanic Gardens. This year almost all of college ventured out to observe the beautiful displays. We have managed to gather all of the group photos of our RMC residents out seeing the lights and even got some pictures of the lights if you weren’t able to make it out to see them. Everyone had a great night filled with food, fun and entertainment. If you didn’t get a chance to go then there is bound to be some residents who will venture out there again with you!
VIVID BLOCK EVENTS C-BLOCK
B-BLOCK
A-BLOCK
E-BLOCK
Leavers supper
Saying goodbye to some of our favourite college students is always hard, whether they are residents who are finishing up their degrees or international students who are going home at the end of semester - we will miss them all.
The supper was filled with custard tarts, chocolate cake, vanilla slice and hot chocolate and gave everyone a chance to remember back to their favourite memories of RMC.
Presented with beautiful plaques and certificates to commemorate their time at college, the residents danced, ate and chatted the night away and celebrated the fun they’ve had at college.
Last Saturday night (the end of week 13) Nicole and I found ourselves sitting in the top A common room with 9 boxes of pizza. We were expecting a storm. A horde of hungry residents that had been promised the delicious baked goods known to us as “Pizza” were bound to be on their way. We knew it would be tough, monitoring pizza consumption and juggling the busy work of handing out named study packs was sure to be a challenge. But Nicole and I knew it was our Katrina-given duty to continue.
Over the course of the next 2 hours, residents filtered in and out of the small room next to the stairs. Each grabbed a few slices of pizza and a study pack complete with a pen, some lollies, and some words of encouragement. These hours were filled with some laughs, but mostly stressed flavored conversations about the exams that were looming above everyone’s head.
A-BLOCK PIZZA NIGHT
Overall it was a good night that I think reduced a lot of stress, and a great way to end the first semester of the year for A block.
- Jake (A-Block RA)
COLLEGE FIRE PIT NIGHT
Warming their hands around the fire, residents from all college blocks enjoyed some casual conversation around the fire pit. As usual many many marshmallows were toasted over the fire and Julian was taking his typical aesthetic photos of the fire (as you can see to the right). The night was relaxing and is always a popular way to procrastinate the night away!
DONUT EXAM SUPPER
And shoutout to Amy and Mark who smiled for the candid photo of the exam supper!
As the first of the exam suppers commenced on Monday night, huge numbers of residents rushed to the common room as they found out that donuts would be the snack of choice. Boxes and boxes of donuts lined the coffee tables and were descended upon by the hungry and stressed students. Although there was a huge number of donuts, they disappeared before you could say ‘exam stress’.
For anyone who missed out, make sure to head down to the common room at 9pm on everynight (except Saturday) to enjoy some yummy exam supper!
Remember to break down big tasks into smaller tasks to make it more managable
Transfer to an Arts Degree so you don’t gotta do anything - Pat M
Here are some of the tips and study tricks form the residents at college. Not sure if you will want to trust all of them, but if you’re desperate then here they are! We’ve also added in some of our study tips too!
Make triple shots of espresso your new best friend! - Jake B
Have plenty of study snacks hehehehehehe ...... (and then be prepared to work it off after exams RIP) - Nicole C
Learn to take breaks at set times. The Pomodoro technique is to study for 25min and then break for 5min
Put chocolate at random lines on the page you’re writing on and when you get to that line you can eat it! - Anna F
Le snak - Mitch S
tips for duringstudying the exam period
Breathe, eat, sleep and shower
Change up your study environment by getting out of your room and studying at the library, at a cafe, outside or in the study rooms at college
Take the time to know your enemies - Tim M
Remember to be cautious of other people and don’t make too much noise late at night or in the study rooms
Avoid your main procrastination methods
Try and get into a good sleep cycle, staying up all night will only make you feel worse!
Make a study schedule and try to stick to it
Maybe try some different study methods if you are having trouble with your studies
Try and remember that exams aren’t the end of the world and that you will get through it in the end
Now we’ll just have to see how NSW holds up in the second and third games to see if they can win for the first time since 2014. However, QLD have proven time and time again that they know how to dominate the field so it’s still any mans game.
Coming into the second half of the game the replay camera had to be consulted multiple times as the referee struggled to make determinate calls on some of the maroon and blues tries. Although QLD start the second half strong the blues continue their dominance and manage to stay ahead making numerous tries and the tension builds amongst the common room as the end of the game nears.
In the last seconds of the game there is relief around the common room as the NSW supporters realise they have claimed the first game of the State of Origin for 2018 with a final score of 22-12.
Ready to cheer on their teams the game had an intense start, with the maroon player Valentine Holmes making an impressive intercept and running the length of the field to scoreupsetting many of the blues supporting residents. At the end of the first half the blues were leading the game with a score of 8-6.
Gathered in the common room on the Wednesday the 6th June the residents of RMC prepared for one of the great Australian sporting faceoffs of the yearthe NSW vs. QLD State of Origin. Squashed onto the rows of couches and enjoying the chocolate and snacks the residents settled down for an intense round 1 game surrounded by a combination of red and blue balloons and streamers.
State of Origin Game 1
study schedule Planning
Creating a study schedule is one of the best things we recommend you do to organise yourself for the exam period (and it also helps you procrastinate a little longer by getting organised).
It’s best to set out a study schedule across the days you have before the exam while making sure that what you are dedicating to each day is a managable amount and includes breaks for food (all three meals plus exam supper) and possibly the gym (or a nap!). Dedicating time slots for each task is also a great idea, often a stricter schedule can be more effective in motivation and eliminating procrastination.
Make sure to give yourself some kind of reward for studying too, it’s a good motivator to get some actual work done. Something like taking a food break or watching a short YouTube video may be good - although be careful to not fall into the deep hole that is YouTube.
We also reccommend ripping out this page and use the study schedule layout to attempt your own schedule! Good luck with your exams!
Oh and don’t let the memes fool you, do some damn study!
humans of RMC
Human #13 Anna fry
What is your favourite memory of RMC so far?
much more entertaining though (sorry fellow Coffs kids).
What do you study? And what is your favourite part of your degree?
Oh no there’s so many to choose from! I will have to say doing the fresher dance at U Bar and absolutely destroying DLC was pretty satisfying. Both the Laurens did an amazing job with the dance, I’ll probably remember it for the rest of my life tbh.
Where are you from? Does it differ a lot to Sydney/ Australia?
I am from Coffs Harbour, which is a coastal town on the North Coast of NSW. I’m definitely missing the warmer weather and how easy it is to get to the beach from my house! The people here are so
I’m doing a Bachelor of Social Science, majoring in Anthropology. My favourite part so far has been being exposed to different cultures across the world that I normally wouldn’t ever think about, it’s interesting to see how other people view the world. My degree allows me to do field work with different societal groups which I absolutely love, and hopefully I’ll get the chance to do ethnographic work overseas at some point in the future!
What other event would you like to see happen at college this year? And what has been your favourite event so far?
A lip sync battle would be so much fun! I could definitely see everyone getting up and getting into it. And my favourite event so far was Scav Hunt in O Week, team Rainbow Nation may not have won the competition but we won the hearts of the people, that’s a win in my eyes! I also enjoyed all of Arts Week, I never thought I would have the courage to recite Shakespeare in front of a group but it paid off!
What’s an interesting fact about you?
Depends what you would call interesting really. Some would find me performing at the Opera House seven times pretty interesting, but I prefer the fact that I can blow bubbles off my tongue from spit. Yes I know it’s gross but I bet you can’t (not a money bet though bc I’m broke).
Human #14 Lauren Coppel
What is your favourite memory of RMC so far?
My favourite RMC memory would have to be some of the late night ‘study’ room sessions from last semester. Mostly because of the range of study snacks we had every night but also because of the many hilarious moments with the exchangers, Caitlin Gabriel’s constant ability to procrastinate and of course many high school musical sing-alongs!
(after gapping). I absolutely love Sydney so I’m very glad that I stayed here!
What do you study? And what is your favourite part of your degree?
I study a Bachelor of Marketing & Media which I absolutely love. My favourite part of my degree would have to be the subjects where we have the chance to focus on the practical implementation of Marketing and its day to day application instead of all the theory. This semester I also took a coding elective which I LOVED and probably has to be my favourite subject/part of my degree so far.
Where are you from? Does it differ a lot to Sydney/ Australia?
I actually grew up in Sydney in Killara (15 mins away from here) and have lived there since I was 2. When I finished high school my parents and my younger brother moved to Singapore and so I moved into college
What has been your favourite part about being on the Exec and being the Social rep?
My favourite part about being on the Exec would definitely have been anything to do with the Fresher Dance. The choreography
sessions, while sometimes frustrating were hilarious (especially when it featured Tami sexually crawling on the ground) and then obviously teaching it to the freshers was so fun! My fave part about Social rep would be organising the events themselves as I love event planning so I’ve really enjoyed my whole job. I also love it because seeing people have fun at your events is super rewarding too which makes the planning all worth it.
Have you enjoyed organising Ball this year? What would you say to someone who isn’t sure whether they should go?
So far I have loved organising Ball! Whilst it’s a little bit stressful and my ‘to-do’ list magically keeps growing every day, it’s really cool to see the vision in my head slowly come to life. For those who aren’t sure if it is worth going I definitely think it is (not just because it’s my event) but because it’s a lovely night where you get to have a beautiful dinner at a spectacular
venue (not biased I swear) with all your best pals. Everyone is dressed up pretty glam too which is always cool to see and overall it’s just an enjoyable night. Lots of people always say Ball is their highlight of the year (no pressure right??) so I definitely think it’s one you don’t want to miss!!
What’s an interesting fact about you?
Since I was 5 I have always wanted to be a spy (cue the eye-roll) but I’ve actually always thought being a spy would be super cool. I could probably get away with it because I have 4 passports (thats 2 facts for the price of 1) however I would never last because I can’t keep my mouth shut for too long...
Don’t forget! If you want to be a Human of RMC all you have to do is contact one of the editors and we’ll happily send you the questions and feature you in our next issue!
START HERE
It’s Friday night, are you staying in or are you heading to the city to have some fun?
It’s Friday night, are you staying in or are you heading to the city to have some fun?
Staying in Heading out
Are you someone who is consistently out and about around college or do you prefer to stay in your room?
Are you someone who is consistently out and about around college or do you prefer to stay in your room?
Are you someone who is consistently out and about around college or do you prefer to stay in your room?
In your room
In your room
In your room
Quick, pick a colour!
Quick, pick a colour!
Quick, pick a colour!
Out and About
Out and About
Out and About
On dates do you like to go for long walks or out to dinner?
On dates do you like to go for long walks or out to dinner?
On dates do you like to go for long walks or out to dinner? Walks Dinner
On a night out do you go hard straight away or do you pace yourself?
Go hard or go home
Go hard or go home
On a night out do you go hard straight away or do you pace yourself?
On a night out do you go hard straight away or do you pace yourself?
Go hard or go home
What would you rather your super power be, super speed or flying?
What would you rather your super power be, super speed or flying?
It’s Friday night, are you staying in or are you heading to the city to have some fun? What would you rather your super power be, super speed or flying? Super speed
Super speed
Super speed
Red Green
Red Green
Red Green
QUIZ #1 THE VOICE
RESULTS: DIGBY BEAR
If you got Digby... y ou’re not at every event but when you are present, you are the life of the party!
If you got Bear… y ou are certainly a crazy one but everyone loves having you around!
If you got Digby... y ou’re not at every event but when you are present, you are the life of the party!
If you got Sable… y ou love to be social but also enjoy having time to yourself!
If you got Bear… y ou are certainly a crazy one but everyone loves having you around!
SABLE
Pace yourself
If you got Sable… y ou love to be social but also enjoy having time to yourself!
Do you prefer a beach holiday or camping
Do you prefer a beach holiday or camping?
Do you prefer a beach holiday or camping?
may
24 - June 11
Hannah: “Look how big Antarctica is! It must have a zoo!”
Brian: “Who sings this?”
Bell: “Michael Jackson. It must be his new album...Oh wait...”
Zoe S: “I am the definition of PG”
Tami: “If it’s white and jiggly don’t trust it”
Dan: “Is that life advice or food advice?”
Matt C: “People with symmetrical faces are naturally more attractive, that’s why Disney princesses are so hot!”
Lauren C: “It never goes in the hole when I want it to!”
Sarah: “This is why I go to bodybalance - so that one day I can turn the page over in my textbook with my toe”
Tyla: “It wasn’t moist enough”
Matt D: “When I was 7 I still thought girls had dicks”
Cindy *talking about The Kissing Booth*: “The actor is hot but his acting was not”
Emily S: “How many standards are in a shot?”
Sam D: “I’ll tell you all how Uber works right now: app open, PIN in, boom, magic Indian!” Amy J *staring at Dan after he flailed around like a salmon*: “Wow, that is a man right there”
Sarah *talking about an obstacle course* : “Back then I’d come straight off the farm so if I can lift a sheep I can lift myself”
Michael T: “I just want to be an unethical chinese business man”
Grace A: “Wow, look how many lectures I haven’t watched...”
Em S: “I’m trying to be healthy, and the watermelon is good, but the chocolate cake is better!”
THE Wiretap
After the last edition of the Voice came out we began to notice pictures of Tom had been torn out and put into the serviette boxes. Well now you can tear out this and put a picture of Tom’s face inside the serviette box into the serviette box!
#servietteinception
Share your voice!
Are you a creative soul and want to contribute to The Voice?
Send through your work as a message to our Facebook page or submit it annonymously to one of the editors! Any contributions are accepted - drawings, poems, stories, articles etc. And don’t forget any to send in any funny submissions to the Wiretap. If you want to be featured in the Humans of RMC section, let us know and we will interview you!
Or feel free to talk to one of the editors Zoe Walters (A207) or Jen Good (A203)
