Edition 9 | 2015

The Voice EDITION NINE

7 WEEKS DONE AND ONLY A TERM TO GO FOR THE YEAR...

The term has come to a close with another break heading our way next week. It honestly seems like a couple weeks away we went on winter vacation - we’re not really sure how 7 weeks passed so quickly.

This issue is a small update on the events that have occured in our last two weeks. We present to you our RMSCA 2016 alongside a re-cap of dodgeball and the North Ryde Fun Run. Thank you to everyone who particpated this year.

In good news, our rivalry against DLC is looking promsing this year. Keep an eye out for rugby and touch and other events that’ll ensure we take the trophy in 2015.

Enjoy mum’s home cooking and see you next term.

Jack + Ivana

North Ryde Fun Run

This year RMC had a massive 74 entrants for the annual North Ryde Fun Run. This made up 20% of the overall number of all entrants. Menzies, compared to DLC, had the most participants in both the 2km walk and 5km intercollegiate run. We managed to raise just over $900 for research into treatments for Anxiety and Depression in young people. This was inclusive of the money raised at Christmas in Winter, as well as over 2 dozen students who opted to pay the full student rate, meaning more money for charity.

RMC and the SVF committee donated $150 each to subsidise the entry fee for Menzies students.

The fastest RMC female was Kait Massey, who came second overall. Brendon Fallon proved to be Menzies strongest competitor on the day, coming in 5th position.

A big thanks to Avanti, for all the effort she put into the event, as well as some members of the Student Executive.

Dodgeball

Sunday the 6th of September saw Menzies continue our winning streak against DLC - with the RMC men and women winning their Dodgeball matches against DLC’s men and women. Unfortunately, the winning streak didn’t extend to the Village, whose men defeated our men. We did, however, win the match against the Village women, who didn’t show up. A win by default is still a win.

Everyone played well and proved just how formidable Menzies can be when we stand together.

The next Intercollege sporting event is Rugby/Touch Football, to be held on the 25th of October. Sports Representative Hannah is your go to girl if you would like to get involved.

Diary of an Optus Rockcorp’s volunteer

Wednesday 2nd September 2015

Dear Diary,

Today I volunteered with the Optus Rockcorps. Basically I gave 4 hours of my time and in return I got a ticket to an exclusive event at Luna Park’s Big Top. This year the performers are; The Veronicas, Wiz Khalifa, Peking Duk and Raury.

We set out at just after 9.30 to walk to the Ivanhoe estate, which is where the volunteering project was taking place. It took longer to get there because Jack went some weird way, before admitting he didn’t know where we were actually going. Upon our arrival, we signed in and were given our Rockcorps teeshirts. Avanti embarrassed us all by being a little bit over excited about seeing The Veronicas. Sadly, we didn’t get to stay together and work as a big group, some of us ended up merely painted for four hours, whilst others actually did hard work, mainly RMC’s power couple, Jackvanti.

In the end, the work we all did helped to make the area look fresh and rejuvenated, (even if the purple paint was ghastly), and continued Menzies relationship with the Salvation Army’s work at the Ivanhoe Estate.

Wednesday 30th September 2015

Dear Diary,

Today was the day of the concert. Unfortunately, The Veronicas were unable to perform, so much of the evening was spent dealing with Avanti’s tears, and regrettably, her rage. All in all, I am glad we volunteered, helping others feels great.

Robert Menzies College Student Association AGM

Wednesday the 9th of September saw the college gather together for the RMSCA AGM. Amongst the proceedings, the new Student Executive was voted in and several constitutional changes were made.

Amendments to the 2015 RMCSA Constitution:

I. Officially affiliating the RMCSA with Robert Menzies College.

II. A revision of the definition of when membership to the RMCSA ends.

III. Updating the funding rules for the SVF and Fire Alarm Fund, with the aim of using these funds more effectively.

IV. Updating the RMCSA’s membership fee for Term 4.

V. Incorporating the use of “Block Captains” into the CCM portfolio, to more accurately reflect the set up currently in place.

Robert Menzies College Student Association Executive 2016

President

Daniel Zhou

Vice President

Laura Anderson

Treasurer Lachlan Ho

Secretary Ly Khanh Ha

Community, Communications and Marketing Representative Hannah Murray

Cultural Representative Ryan Stoltz

Social Representative

Isobel Green Moore

Sports Representative Maddie Martin

Sustainability, Volunteering and Fundraising Representative Erika Hoedt

RMCSA Presidential Address 2015

It's been a great year with you, my friends. And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again. We've come a long way from where we began. Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again, when I see you again.

As I walked up here to this podium, I got the strangest feeling of Deja Vu. I hope and pray that there is no glitch in The Matrix. Roughly a year ago we all sat down as Taylor presented her Presidential address and the Exec candidates anxiously awaited their turn to speak, and here it is happening again before our very eyes. A year has passed and boy, what a year it has been. From our triumphant O Week dance off victory, to our dominating Red Shield appeal turnout, our fantastic fighting spirit in sports, and our great times out at parties and events. This year would not have been as it was without the residents, bringing fun, enthusiasm and shenanigans to RMC.

We enjoyed momentous events such as the always fun O-Week, International Night, the brilliant RMCSA Ball, the list goes on. None of these would have been possible without the work of the beautiful, bold and brainy 2015 Student Executive who worked so hard to give you a memorable year in college. It has been an honour and a privilege to work with everyone to make this year as much fun as we could muster.

I want to wish the candidates best of luck, the Student Exec is a fantastic experience, and I’m sure you will have a great time with it as you go out and make 2016 your year. Thank you everyone. Let’s get this show on the road!

Leon Dhemba

Conception Day

Conception Day. A day of music, drinks, overpriced food and more drinks. Heartbreakingly, Conception Day will not be held in 2015. The reason, rising costs and diminishing attendance. In honour of a day that many saw as a highlight of semester two, we have decided to look at the history of Conception Day.

The very first Conception Day was held in 1969. It was developed by the Macquarie University Student Union with the aim of promoting a sense of community amongst the university’s students.

Where does the name Conception Day come from? Well, as most students at Macquarie know, (well, should know), our university is named after Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Lachlan Macquarie was born on the 31st of January, 1762. With Session 1 starting in late February or early March, the end of January is a poor time to gather students at the lake for a music festival. Instead, the clever Student Union estimated the time that Lachlan Macquarie would have been, you guessed it, conceived.

And so, for the next 4 and a half decades, the future of Australia would gather at the university’s lake, listen to bands such as Birds of Tokyo and Art Vs. Science, as well as purchase outrageously priced drinks.

For us college kids, Conception Day brought with it its own set of events. We would rise early in the morning for a barbecue breakfast in the courtyard, donning our official Menzies Conception Day shirt (causing outrage since 2014).

For 2015, the university has promised “an all new approach to celebrating university life at Macquarie University”. They will bring together food, music and people in a festival-style atmosphere.

Hanging Succulent Jars

What you need:

Little Jars (Daiso - $2.80 for two)

Dirt and Succulents - (Dirt will come with succulents; $6.80 each pot, which has about two/three plants and dirt will fill two jars)

Butchers String ($5.50 for 100m from woolies)

Method:

1. Uproot succulents from pots and place to the side.

2. Fill jars to the brim with dirt.

BY LAURA ANDERSON

3. Make a hole in the dirt with your finger, place the roots into the hole and push dirt firmly around the base of the plant.

4. Add as many succulents as you want to each jar. Clean jars under cold water, letting some water over the plants to compact dirt. Measure string to go around the top of the jar at least 3 times and loosely tie the ends together.

5. Cut 4 lengths of string twice as long as you would like the plant to hang and tread one end of each string through the string loosely tied around the jar. Tighten the string around the jar, and tie off, triple knotting. Cut the ends of the knot off.

6. Slide the 4 pieces of string equal distances around the jar. At equal lengths, pull all the ends vertically above the jar and double knot the ends. Trim the ends of the knot to tidy up.

- Succulents are part of the cactus family - they are virtually impossible to kill.

- They only need to be watered about once a week

- If a leaf breaks off - replant it! It will grow its own roots and turn into its individual plant

Succulent Log Pots

What you need: Succulents! Dirt! Hollow logs! Black garden tarp!

Method:

1. Find a hollow log the width you and and saw (by hand or chainsaw, I use chainsaw for a cleaner cut) the log the width you want… you might need a farmer friend for this step.

2. Push a square of tarp through the centre, covering the inside edges and making a base for the dirt!

3. Fill the hole with damp dirt!

4. Make a hole in the dirt with your finger, place the roots of the succulent into the hole and push dirt firmly around the base of the plant. Add as many succulents as you want to each jar!

5. Water them and put them in sunlight.

AUG 28 - SEP 11

Special Mention for Benjamin Sam getting his head caught in the train turn style like a cow. Let's steer away from puns guys.

Avanti Joshi: ‘My Aunty lives in Singapore.’

Maddie Martin: ‘What's the capital of Singapore? Bangkok?’

Eleanor Leal: ‘I'm gonna have plenty of kids all with different fathers so I get heaps of child support’

Henry Stack: ‘Since Burto and Palmer moved out, I'm the most popular now’

Charlotte Harrison: ‘Girls just used to sit at my school in year 8 and eat lip balm.’

George Timotheou: (While sitting in the dining hall) ‘Every time I hear someone walking up the stairs, I just pray that it's someone hot’

Imogen Southwell: ‘I’m not ready for maccas yet. Can you get alcohol from maccas?’

Joe Duffy : ‘I've never unfolded a chinese food box. It's too depressing I'd rather just eat it straight from the box’

Laura Coleman: ‘Maddie do you have a rash in a different place’

Maddie Martin: (on the phone) ‘Umm Dad, I gotta go’

Darcy Albert: ‘What's the Dead Sea? I don't watch Pirates of the Caribbean, so I don't know’

Laura Anderson: ‘Any dietary requirements’ Laura Coleman: ‘I eat a lot’

Scott Carter: (talking about car fines) ‘This isn't North Korea; be reasonable... wait it isn't North Korea, if it was, they would just shoot you’

Special mention to Avanti Joshi, for running away and crying after her first kiss. Which happened in the line for assembly.

Imogen Southwell: ‘Knowing how to like out a girl is such an important skill’