COCA News September 2019

Volume 23 Issue 3 September 2019

ACADEMIC RESULTS/ICC NEWS/ALUMNI UPDATES A magazine for Old Collegians, Friends of Cromwell, Current Residents and their Families

CROMWELL COLLEGE

CONTENTS 03 PRINCIPAL’S LETTER 04 - 05 COCA PRESIDENT REPORT/FUTURE DATES 06 - 14 ACADEMIC DINNER 2019 15 COCA LinkedIn 16 - 19 COCA STORIES & NEWS 20 - 21 UNIVERSITY MEDAL 22 - 23 DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD 24 - 25 TOUCH FINALS 26 - 27 ACADEMIC BREAKFASTS 28 LAST FORMAL DINNER 29 - 34 ICC & CROMWELL NEWS 35 CULTURAL DINNER 2019 36 INFO

2 COCA NEWS

PRINCIPAL’S LETTER

To the Cromwell Community

The first half of second semester has been extremely busy for all of our students. As you will see in this edition of COCA News, there has been the usual healthy blend of academic, pastoral, cultural, sporting and community events.

I would like to highlight the ongoing strong culture of academic excellence here at Cromwell. Five students achieved a GPA of 7.0, and the college average GPA is again above 5. Cromwell is certainly a place where diligence and commitment, supplemented with our extensive academic support programs can lead to exceptional results for our students. The following pages tell this story in greater detail through the Academic Dinner.

This semester has seen the Cromwell community fully involved in the intercollege sporting and cultural competitions with some positive results and high participation rates. Along with the usual mix of great traditional social events, there has been a focus on inclusive events on campus which are dry, which have seen high attendance. Cromwell is a college where the dominant culture is not focused on heavy drinking.

As I write, the elections and appointments for next year’s student leadership positions are well under way. These will be announced in our December edition. Confident but never complacent, Cromwell’s enrolment position for 2020 looks strong. Despite a large departing third year cohort and the smaller Year 12 cohort in schools state wide this year, Cromwell currently has more confirmed enrolments for next year than at this time in previous years. I strongly encourage you to continue to sing the praises of this very special place in your personal and professional networks.

Jenny and I (and “Ollie”) wish all students a safe and refreshing mid semester break, and we look forward to the students returning early in October. As always, my door is always open to anyone who wishes to chat with me.

Kind regards

Mr R.A. Switzer, M.Ed. B.Ed.St. Dip.T. MACE, MACEL, MAICD PRINCIPAL

COCA NEWS 3

COCA Cromwell Old Collegians Association

CROMWELL COLLEGE

est. 1973

y yq y yD

COCA President Report The year is quickly passing by with a number of touchpoints over the past couple of months keeping everyone busy.

We were fortunate enough to be able to host our inaugural COCA Formal Dinner on Tuesday 6th August. Our special guest was Yolie ‘Boing’ Entsch (1981 - 1983), who was joined by two tables of past Cromwellians enjoying their evening back at the College.

We hope to see the COCA Formal Dinner as a regular fixture of the College for years to come.

Later in August COCA hit the pavement to run the Bridge to Brisbane 2019. A group of past Cromwellians and current students combined forces to tackle the 10km course throughout the streets of Brisbane. Again we hope to see this community activity continue in future years.

Our academic breakfasts have continued in Semester Two with a number of BEL Faculty and medical students enjoying from the experiences and advice of past Cromwellians. A massive thank you to the ex-Cromwellians who gave up their time to pass on their pearls of wisdom.

A special mention must go to committee member, Alexandra Newton, who has worked tirelessly this year to structure these breakfasts and has contributed so much to the COCA cause. Thank you Alex.

To close out this quarters report I’d like to formally announce that the COCA AGM will be taking place at Cromwell College on Saturday 23rd November 12pm. All are welcome and encouraged to attend the AGM. This will be followed by the COCA Xmas party which will again be held at the Regatta Hotel in Toowong from 3pm onwards.

Last year it was fantastic to see so many familiar faces throughout the afternoon with Ross and Jenny tipped to mosey on down at some stage again.

As always if you wish to get in touch or are interested to join the committee please email me on coca@cromwell.uq.edu.au or call on 0435 317 624.

Ben Durance 0435 317 624 COCA President

4 COCA NEWS

UPCOMING COCA EVENTS

Join the COCA Management Committee The COCA Management Committee are looking for alumni to join its Board.

If you are interested in giving back to the Cromwell community and would like more information, please contact coca@cromwell.uq.edu.au

COCA Christmas Drinks (and AGM) 23rd of November Save the Date for the annual COCA Christmas drinks and general meeting. More details to follow.

AGM When: Where: Time:

Saturday 23rd November Cromwell College 12 noon

DRINKS When: 23rd November Where: The Regatta, Toowong Time: 3pm Applications for the COCA Management Committee must be made by the 9th of November.

Please contact COCA Secretary Alan Wrigley (coca@ cromwell.uq.edu.au) for more information, or to submit your expression of interest.

CROMWELL COLLEGE y yq y yD

$+ VO ( Looking for somewhere to host your next conference or event?

Cromwell offers COCA members discount for accommodation, function rooms and use of The Deck......

Please contact us at stay@cromwell.uq.edu.au and we can tailor make a package for you

COCA NEWS 5

ACADEMIC DINNER 2019

The Academic Dinner, a highlight in the annual calendar, was held on Tuesday 20 August. The guest speaker this year was Dr Catherine Ball, a renowned environmental scientist and business woman who hails from England, but has spent a significant part of her life in Western Australian and now Queensland.

Inspired by a childhood love of the natural world, Catherine’s breakthrough work focused on sending drones to remote areas of coastline to observe endangered turtle colonies. Her work with drones supports Australia as being the world leader in the non-military application of drone technology, also known as “drones for good”. In 2017 she co-created The World of Drones Congress which runs annually and focuses on all parts of the drone economy, and the future of the industry. Catherine also won Telstra’s Queensland Business Woman of the Year in 2015 and in her talk made it clear that she is a passionate advocate for diversity in all spheres of work and life.

Cromwell students performed solidly this past semester with the College Grade Point Average being 5.07. There were five students who achieved the perfect score of 7 (GPA 7.0) for every course they studied. Congratulations go to these students.

In total, there were 61 students who received a GPA of 6.00 or better and 154 students who received a GPA of 5.00 or better in semester one 2019. For the first time this year the academic achievements of students for the second half of the previous year were recognised at an Academic Dinner.

Straight Sevens students: Michael Crome, Dale Schlaphoff, Flynn McConnell, Lauren Sprague, Hamish Williams, Jasmine Burr, Ross Switzer & guest speaker Dr Catherine Ball (courtesy of Saxton Speakers)

The awards and prizes presented at the Academic Dinner are below. Sincere thanks to the Board members who gave of their time to attended the Academic Dinner in support of the students, staff and the college. Cromwell College also remains indebted to the many generous benefactors who donate awards and prizes to the students.

Straight Sevens (GPA 7.0) Jasmine Burr B Engineering (Hons)/M Engineering Flynn McConnell B Information Technology Dale Schlaphoff B Music (Composition) Lauren Sprague B Economics/B Science (Sem 2 2018) Hamish Williams B Commerce Academic Excellence (GPA 6.50 - 6.99) Susan Alex B Health Sciences Hannah Amey B Bus Man/B International Hotel & Tourism Management Aki Barry B Engineering (Hons)/B Maths Sophie Bates B Engineering (Hons) Nicholas Brown B Science (Sem 2 2018) Jasmine Burr B Engineering (Hons)/M Engineering (Sem 2 2018) Nicola Chaney B Communication Abbey Croughan B Speech Pathology (Hons) Elly Domrow B Engineering (Hons)/B Economics Tessa Erikson B Commerce/B Economics Eva Fenelon B Advanced Business (Hons)

COCA NEWS 7

ACADEMIC DINNER 2019 (cont.)

Academic Excellence (GPA 6.50 - 6.99) cont.

Natalie Ferris B Acting Grace Gaston B Design Madeleine Hardy B Arts April Heasley B Arts Oliver Jeaffreson B Engineering (Hons) Ben Johnson B Business Management (Sem 2 2018) Filip Juricev- Martincev B Information Technology/B Mathematics (Sem 2 2018) Isabelle Jurss B Env Man (Hons) Lily Kenway B Design/B Engineering (Hons) Emily Knox B Arts Joshua Lai B Engineering (Hons) Kiara McIntyre B Occupational Therapy (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Christina Meelen B Arts Alexandra Mison B Music (Hons)/B Science Finn Newsway B Fine Arts Riley Raynes B Adv Fin Econ (Hons) Lucy Ribbe Kelso B Physiotherapy Honours Matthew Smith B Engineering (Hons)/B Maths Lauren Sprague B Adv Fin Econ (Hons)/Dip Languages Mitchell Taylor B Engineering (Hons)/B Science Nicholas Versic B Science Sophie Walker B Vision Science Leo Walz B Clinical Exercise Physiology Joshua Wellwood B Engineering (Hons)/B Maths (Sem 2 2018) Adam Wormington B Engineering (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) High Academic Achievement (GPA 6.0 – 6.49) Ruby Alcock B Laws (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Emily Brantz B Commerce Emma Butler B Arts/B Education (Sec) Nicola Chaney B Communication (Sem 2 2018) Abbey Croughan B Science (Sem 2 2018) Natasha Dalton B Speech Pathology (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Emily Debortoli B Health Sciences Madeleine Dillon B Mathematics/B Commerce (Sem 2 2018) Lize-Marie Dorgeloh B Psychological Science (Hons) Alanna Efstathis B Engineering (Hons) Natalia Frick B Physiotherapy (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Rebecca Grace B Education (Primary) (Sem 2 2018) Dominic Graves B Acting Bailey Gray B Architectural Design Samantha Green B Justice /B Laws (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Kimberley Gunther B Advanced Science (Hons) Madeleine Hardy B Arts Ryan Johnson B Engineering (Hons)/B Computer Science (Sem 2 2018) Madeleine Jordon B Medical Imaging (Hons) Filip Juricev- Martincev B Inf Tech /B Mathematics Isabelle Jurss B Env Man (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Chelsea Larkin B Business /B Media and Communication Flynn McConnell B Information Technology (Sem 2 2018)

High Academic Achievement (GPA 6.0 – 6.49) (cont.)

Kiara McIntyre B Occupational Therapy (Hons) Molly Miles B Nursing Alexandra Mison B Music (Hons)/B Science (Sem 2 2018) Ally Molachino B Architectural Design Anna Murley B Advanced Science (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Joseph Noble B Mathematics Mitchell Northcote B Criminology and CJ (Hons) Joseph Novy B Business - International Pedro Nunes B Exercise and Nutritional Science Daniel Parker B Business - International Elouise Parker B Biomedical Science Dinali Rajakaruna B Arts Riley Raynes B Adv Fin Econ (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Lucy Ribbe Kelso B Physiotherapy (Hons) (Sem 2 2018) Mitchell Sauer B Engineering (Hons)/B Science Connor Shelton B Science Jeffrey Van Niekerk B Computer Science Sophie Walker B Vision Science (Sem 2 2018) Cullam Wiseman B Engineering (Hons) Adam Wormington B Engineering (Hons) Bing Zhi Wu B Engineering (Hons)/B Commerce Cromwell College Prizes 2019 Senior Tutor Award: Outstanding contribution to the Academic Tutorial Program Hamish Williams Cromwell Students’ Association Prize: Outstanding Contribution to College Life and Academic Achievement Callum Breetzke D.C. Gale Shield Awarded to the corridor with the highest average GPA from Semester One Top Cock First Year Highest GPA Prize Dale Schlaphoff - Bachelor of Music (Composition) Edwin Hobart Lockley Prize: Highest GPA over three semesters in the HASS Faculty Alexandra Mison - Bachelor of Music (Hons)/Bachelor of Science Rod McElhinney Prize: Highest GPA over three semesters in the Science/Medicine Faculty Nicolas Brown - Bachelor of Science VE Hancock Award: Highest GPA over three semesters in the BEL Faculty

Hamish Williams - Bachelor of Commerce

College Governors Prize: Highest GPA over three semesters in the HBS Faculty Molly Miles - Bachelor of Nursing

COCA NEWS 9

Cromwell College Prizes 2019 (cont.)

Old Collegians’ Prize: Highest GPA over three semesters in the EAIT Faculty Jasmine Burr - Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)/M Engineering Yvonne Rogers Memorial Prize Student achieving the greatest improvement in GPA Mollie Graham - Bachelor of Education (Primary) Cromwell College Foundation Scholarship: Exceptional performance over five semesters in any field Jasmine Burr - Bachelor of Engineering (Hons)/M Engineering Elly Domrow - B Engineering (Hons)/B Economics

10 COCA NEWS

Jasmine Burr & Molly Miles

Top Cock (D.C. Gale Shield winners)

Elly Domrow & Ross Switzer

Alexandra Mison

Dr Douglas Porter & Eric McChesney-Clark

Lillian Horneman-Wren, Nicholas Brown, Dr Joe Goodall

Michael Crome, Jasmine Burr, Elly Domrow, Ross Switzer

Dr Catherine Ball

COCA NEWS 11

12 COCA NEWS

COCA NEWS 13

14 COCA NEWS

RECONNECTING WITH COCA THROUGH LinkedIN

Did you know that you can link with Cromwell alumni through LinkedIn?

The first essential step is to become a member of Cromwell College UQ on LinkedIn. If already a member, please list Cromwell College UQ as ‘education’ instead of under ‘experience’.

COCA NEWS 15

WENDY PAVEY (1983)

Many thanks to Wendy for answering our questions about her time here at Cromwell.

Where are you from originally and what made you choose Cromwell?

Gold Coast. My parents liked the idea of “The Protector”.

Years at Cromwell? Which corridor?

1983. Top North.

Fresher Name?

“Trendy” but only because it rhymed.”Daggy” would have been more accurate.

What did you study?

BA - majored in Government (double) and journalism/media.

Who has influenced you?

Marcus Aurelius – “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” (And esoteric stuff like that ensured I didn’t date anyone at Cromwell.)

What are you doing now?

I work as a personal brand strategist, building a profile for leaders so they never have to apply for the roles they want.

Do you see/keep in touch with other COCA Alumni?

Cassie (Michael) Lam and I were at school and Cromwell together. Anyone who’d like to reconnect can find me on LinkedIn. What advice would you give to other graduates?

Connect to everyone you know from uni/school/sports/ activities on LinkedIn. In five years, some of them will be working in amazing jobs for amazing companies in amazing cities. You never know where that might lead.

And lastly, if you only had three words to describe yourself, which three would you use?

Creative, empathetic, resilient.

Wendy first day at Cromwell - February 1983 16 COCA NEWS

COCA FORMAL DINNER COCA were privileged to host a formal dinner at College featuring one of our fantastic alumni members, Yolie “Boing” Entsch, who gave a rousing speech with an engaging combination of nostalgia, advice and inspiration to a full house of students.

Supported by friends and other COCA members, Yolie reflected on her time at college between 1981 to 1983, her university studies, varied career paths and eventually founder of her own social enterprise. The students were very interested and entertained, with college administration saying it was the best formal dinner turnout for the year.

Having the students in stitches with stories from the creation of Bunker parties to dragon boat races floating away down the Brisbane River. The speech resonated well with students and guests alike, particularly the various lessons leart from our time at Cromwell, the friendships we create and keep alive well into our careers, and giving back to our communities to empower others. These values are aligned with both COCA and Yolie’s company Younity Works.

COCA are excited to work with Cromwell College administration to present more of these alumni presentations for the college multiple times a year. To do this we are starting to look for volunteers from the ex-students who have a story of their journey to share that broadens the minds of the students and fosters the growth of the alumni community. Along with this COCA will be looking to having 2 tables worth of alumni and guests to support the speakers at future presentations, so please register interest for any of these with COCA president Ben Durance.

To find out more about Yolie’s company Younity works (http://younityworks.com.au/) and its important values focussed on fostering social purpose and meeting the 7 United Nations sustainable development goals.

L to R: Joanne Landmark, Janet Firkin, Yolie Entsch, Melissa and Terry Karydas, Nick Brook, Roxane Mutschler

COCA NEWS 17

COCA @ CHORALFEST Taisha ‘Phun & Games’ Paterson-Burr

When I joined the Cromwell Choralfest Choir as a fresher in 2015, I had never sung in a choir before and could not have predicted how involved in choral music I was going to later become. By my third year at Cromwell, I was singing in three choirs and had switched into a Bachelor of Music majoring in classical voice. Since then, I have been lucky enough to sing with some fantastic choirs, including the National Youth Choir of Australia (NYCA).

Each year, NYCA brings together young singers aged 18-26 from across the country for a one-week season.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of singing in their 2019 season down in Sydney. The 2019 season was particularly unusual as NYCA was the choir in residence at the biggest winter music school ever run by the Australian branch of the Royal School of Church Music. This made for an incredibly busy week but also gave the NYCA singers the chance to work with some of the finest church musicians in the world.

In the space of eight days, NYCA sang three church services, a proms concert, our own concert, a full Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Bach’s magnificent St. Matthew Passion. Although the intense rehearsals needed to prepare such a volume of music were exhausting, spending so much time rehearsing alongside more experienced singers improved my own ensemble skills out of sight. I also treasured the chance to get to know like-minded musicians from around the country and left with many new friends who I’ll hopefully cross paths with for years to come.

For me, the highlight of the week was singing the St. Matthew Passion in Sydney Town Hall with a professional Baroque orchestra. We were led by David Hill, an English conductor who is undeniably the world expert on the St. Matthew Passion, having conducted it professionally well over fifty times. It was inspiring to observe the sheer level of musicality possessed by David and by other conductors we worked with that week.

That my involvement in music began with Choralfest still amazes me on occasion, and, in hindsight, I think the most valuable thing about my time at Cromwell was that it led me in directions which I couldn’t have found alone but have been very glad to follow.

NYCA in concert, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney 18 COCA NEWS

Bridge to Brisbane 2019 On Sunday 25th August, both Cromwell College and COCA combined forces to participate in the annual Bridge to Brisbane event. Several Crommie students and alumni met at the start line, to run, jog or walk the 5km or 10km course. Ben Gibson, last year’s Great Court Race winner, came 6th in the 5km event. A few met up afterwards for a coffee in South Bank. We will definitely show our Crommie Ticker at the 2020 event.

L to R (top): James Porteous, Lauren Sprague, Ella Erikson, Natalia Frick, Elouise Parker (front) Nick Jin, Chelsea Blauberg, Ted Butler Elouise Parker and Ted Butler

COCA alumni and current Cromwell students enjoying a coffee after B2B COCA NEWS 19

UNIVERSITY MEDAL

Jemimah ‘Clink’ Thompson (2014 - 2016)

I came to Cromwell in 2014 from Proserpine, one of many rural kids seeking a home in the big city. So, I settled on Cromwell mainly because it was small, banking on this meaning close-knit.

Within my small-town horizons, physics was the most exciting subject I knew, and I arrived fairly confident that I wanted to be a physicist—but one semester of philosophy (and a tour of the physics labs in the dungeons underneath the university) made me think twice.

My years at Cromwell were fun, stretching and even transforming. Choralfest, One Act Play, corridor Discussion Groups, and an impossible number of homemade costumes are amongst my fondest memories. My third year was also the pilot year for the Spiritual Enquiry Representative and Academic Mentor roles, and I got to take on both. But all that eagerness to mentor others really only grew out of the change I experienced myself. I finished up studying a different degree to the one I’d started, realising firstly that research didn’t have to be scientific to be worthwhile, and then that philosophy didn’t have to be atheistic to have integrity.

I decided that philosophy asked the best questions, that Christianity gave the best answers, and that the best friendships were the ones made while nutting them out. By my third year my enduring friends at Cromwell were the same ten people who were unfailingly awake for when the doors opened to the dining room at 7am, bright eyed and ready to converse about life, the universe and everything—because a sleep-in is a waste of a new day and a good discussion! We unironically called ourselves the Breakfast Club and continued to catch up for breakfast after we’d all left college.

By the end of my degree all those early mornings had paid off. I graduated in 2018 with First Class Honours in philosophy and was awarded a University Medal the following July. I’ve spent the last year in Sydney doing some study at Moore Theological College while preparing my honours thesis for publication and applying to PhD programs. Following the encouragement of my friends and family and the assistance of my extraordinary honours supervisor, Professor Deborah Brown, I was admitted to Yale’s 5–6 year philosophy program on a full scholarship.

Starting August 2019, I’ll be off exploring Breakfast Club 20 COCA NEWS

the modern concept of the human being, the ordered universe, the nature of scientific and moral knowledge, and their relationship to the phenomenon of secularity. No dungeon laboratories for me now, only endless libraries and endlessly interesting conversations—I couldn’t think of anything more exciting!

Mini Ball 2015

Ball 2015

Top Han 2016

COCA NEWS 21

DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD

Lily Kenway

On the 19th of July this year, myself and 62 other Gold Award recipients from across Queensland attended the Duke of Edinburgh Award Ceremony at Brisbane City Hall. 2019 is a special year for the Duke of Ed Award Program, as it marks 60 years since the implementation of the scheme in Australia. We were fortunate enough to have the Governor of Queensland, Honourable Paul de Jersey, and the Honourable Grace Grace, Minister for Education attend our diamond anniversary ceremony.

The Gold Award is the third and final stage of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, with participants having to complete their Bronze and Silver Awards prior. Each award consists of hours of continual community service, physical recreation and development of personal skills, with the Gold Award requiring students to dedicate one hour every week for a whole year to each category. We also embark on two Adventurous Journeys per award, designed to teach us new skills, further our personal development and fuel our passion for adventure.

On my Gold Award Adventurous Journeys, I participated in two 5-day canoeing trips in NSW; one on the Clarence River and the other on the Nymboida River. The days consisted of up to 8 hours of canoeing through white water rapids, sometimes from sunrise to sunset. All of our clothing, food, cooking trangias, tents, bedding and toiletries were stored in our personal barrels which we packed (and unpacked) into our canoes every morning. Although these trips were the most physically demanding we had experienced, they were by far the most rewarding in the end.

The final aspect to the Gold Award which differs from its previous counterparts is the Residential Project. Participants are required to spend five days away from home in an unfamiliar environment, to challenge our outlook on who we are when we’re not surrounded by people or places we are comfortable with. Last year, I took a three-week service and learning expedition to Tanzania with a small group from my school. We spent most of our time working with community groups and schools in Dar Es Salaam, Dodoma and Zanzibar, where we helped further the student’s English skills in preparation for the standardised tests all year seven students take to determine whether they get to attend secondary schooling. I adored the 22 COCA NEWS

time I spent forming relationships with the students, whether they were 5 or 20 years old. As clichĂŠ as it sounds, we definitely learnt much more about the important things in life than they learnt from us.

My Gold Award experience brought me nothing but joy, as it challenged and encouraged me to seek out new ventures, which I will continue to do for the rest of my life. After all of the hours, and passion I dedicated to the program, I am definitely very proud to have received such an esteemed award.

COCA NEWS 23

TOUCH NATIONALS

Sidney Blake

After taking a break from competitive touch football while completing Grade 12 and settling into my first year of university, I decided that 2019 was the year for a comeback. And what a year it has been so far!

In April I was lucky enough to be selected in the QUT Mixed Touch Football team alongside five other females and eight male players. For 12 weeks we trained and bonded together until finally it came time to travel to the Gold Coast to compete at the long-awaited Division 2 UniSport Nationals competition. Our side came out firing, convincingly winning all games on the first day 14+ to nil. Unfortunately, after a grand final performance in the semi-final on day 3, we lost to the eventuating winners of the competition, the University of Wollongong, in the last 30 seconds as they snuck in the winning try to end the game at 7 - 8.

Although promotion to Division 1 had now slipped from our grasp, third place was still in sight and after regrouping, we took the bronze on day 4 with a convincing 7 - 4 win against Southern Cross University.

Off the field, our team had become a tight-knit family unit that I will forever cherish and made many lifelong memories with. Playing alongside these 13 other talented players, all with different touch football backgrounds, gave me the opportunity to be exposed to different playing styles. Over the time spent at training and playing at Nationals, I became immersed in learning as much as I could from all of them whilst also contributing my own experience. Through this collaborative approach, I felt I improved greatly as a player and would consider this my highlight!

After an amazing week at Division 2 Nationals and hungry for more, I took my chances and trialled for the QUT Women’s Touch Football side and was successfully selected to play at the Division 1 UniSport Nationals in October. With another gold medal opportunity in sight, I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to play alongside 13 other talented females and make many more life-long memories and friends.

24 COCA NEWS

COCA NEWS 25

HEALTH & BEHAVIOURAL SCIE

On Thursday 27th July the first Academic breakfast was held for this semester. Our guest was Associate Professor Marina Reeves who is the Deputy Associate Dean (Researcher Development) in the Faculty of Medicine and Associate Professor (Nutrition) in the School of Public Health at UQ. She is also an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Heads the Nutrition Unit within the School.

Her program of research is focused on the role of weight management, diet and physical activity in improving outcomes for women diagnosed with breast cancer. Her research has been funded by a grant and fellowship funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). Marina is currently leading a pilot study evaluating an exercise and diet intervention for women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Marina spoke about her passion for her work which is balanced between teaching and research and the importance of becoming involved in a diverse range of interest groups while studying.

The students attending the breakfast found her to be very down to earth and energetic personality with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

ACADEMIC BREAKFAST FOR MEDICINE STUDENTS

A Science Faculty Breakfast was held on Saturday morning the 17th August in the Junior Common Room. Alumni Josh Sheehy (2014 - 2016), Matthew McMahon (2013 - 2015) and Jenyu Shaw (2014 - 2015) reflected on their Medical careers to date over breakfast, and answered a number of questions posed by Cromwell undergraduates who have provisional entry into Medicine.

L to R: Meghann Plant, Nicholas Brown, Joshua Sheehy, Matthew McMahon, Emma Dann, Joelle Cullen, Tiana Sheehy, Jenyu Shaw

26 COCA NEWS

ENCES ACADEMIC BREAKFAST

L to R: Tiana Sheehy, Marina Reeves, Michael Crome, Kiara McIntyre

Academic Breakfast with Cristina Cifuentes

On Monday 5th August, a small group of students in the EAIT Faculty met over breakfast with Cristina Cifuentes who is the Director of Oracle Labs in Brisbane. The Lab focuses on Program Analysis as it applies to finding vulnerabilities in software and enhancing the productivity of developers worldwide.

Prior to founding Oracle Labs Australia, Cristina was the Principal Investigator of the Parfait bug tracking project at Sun Microsystems, then Oracle. Today, Oracle Parfait has become the defacto tool used by thousands of Oracle developers for bug and vulnerability detection in real-world, commercially sized C/C++/Java applications.

Cristina outlined very clearly her passion for tackling the big issues in the field of Program Analysis began with her doctoral work in binary decompilation at Queensland’s University of Technology. Before she joined Oracle and Sun Microsystems, Cristina held teaching posts at the University of Tasmania and University of Queensland. She spent a number of years working in the Silicon Valley and described the range of different project types as well as personal skills required of software engineers when working in the “start-up” space. Cristina continues to play an active role internationally in her work with programming languages, compiler construction and software. On the weekends, she channels her interests into mentoring young programmers through the CoderDojo network.

L to R: Laura Johnston, Clare Johnston, Mia Payne, Dr Cristina Cifuentes, Cassia Gulley, Ryan Johnson, Mitchell Taylor

COCA NEWS 27

LAST FORMAL DINNER OF 2020

On Tuesday night the 3rd September, we held our last formal dinner for 2020. We were very honoured to have Gerrard Gosens OAM come and speak to the students on the night.

He is one of Australia’s true high achievers - born with congenital blindness, at 16 he was Australia’s youngest ever recipient of a guide dog - Boss Junior joining him on the night.

He has gone on to become an adventurer, three-time Paralympian, Ironman, triathlete, chocolatier, motivational speaker and former Dancing with the Stars contestant.

Amongst his many achievements he has co-piloted an ultra-light glider around Queensland three times, climbed Mount Everest, run 2,000 kilometres from Cairns to Brisbane five times, represented Australia at three Paralympic Games, six Athletics World Championships and the 2012 Marathon World Cup, as well as being named Young Queenslander of the Year in 1995.

We also had Hayley Kitchener, who goes by her stage name Ellah K, perform Josh Groban’s “You are loved, don’t give up” on the night.

Hayley was born a phenomena: born with a visual impairment, she did not allow it to stop her from reaching her goals and passion for music. She is a well-known musician in the Queensland music industry conducting community choirs, teaching singing, playing and performing her original songs in Brisbane and internationally across Asia & Europe.

Her skill sets include singing, composing, writing music arrangement & teaching braille music to visual impaired students. Hayley also spent some time at Cromwell as our volunteer Chaplain in 2017 & 2018.

We thank both Gerrard and Hayley for inspiring us.

28 COCA NEWS

‘BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’ AT CROMWELL

The first week back for second semester saw many varied social activities to allow the students to catch up after the long midyear break. On the Thursday night, the Social Conveners turned the volleyball court into an outdoor cinema complete with food and fire pits. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ featured along with other movies making this dry night in a memorable one for all who attended. Thanks again to our engineering students who built the large screen!

FINE EFFORT AT ICC ORATORY COMPETITION April Heasley (First Year) delivered two superb addresses in the ICC Oratory competition on Monday 5th August. The prepared topic was “ Social Media: Friend or Foe“ and the impromptu topic was “FOMO is a Real Fear“. April was eagerly supported by many from Cromwell, and she was placed sixth out of ten in a very strong field of competitors. Well done April on a great effort, and to everyone who came along to support her!

COCA NEWS 29

Corridor Dinner for “Bottom North”

Thursday 1 August saw Jenny and Ross host their first corridor Dinner of this semester. The BN boys could choose from 6 possible mains, so they ‘democratically’ chose the pulled pork in BBQ Sauce with creamy potato bake, crunchy Asian slaw, and garlic bread. They finished with the chocolate cookie ice-cream sandwich with hot chocolate sauce, and chocolate brownie served with warm chocolate sauce! Thanks very much to Jenny for preparing and hosting a great night!

FINAL ICC SPORTING EVENT OF 2019

Last night was the last ICC sporting event of the year - the Athletics tournament. Well done to all Cromwell athletes for taking part - our Women finished in 3rd place and our Men 4th overall. A great result all round.

30 COCA NEWS

ONE ACT PLAY 2019

On Monday night the 9th of September, Cromwell College performed as part of the annual ICC One Act Play. This year’s piece “Helping Hand” was written by current 2nd year students Ethan Forge and Megan Callaghan. It was a comedy/drama using the comedy of well-known fictional/non-fictional relationships to highlight the more serious topic of mental health and well-being. The play did well coming 5th overall. Crommie Ticker was in full force with many students coming along and supporting on competition night.

Leads: Lachlan Hopgood - The Narrator Natalie Ferris - Taylor the Therapist Cast: Finn Newsway - The Beast Hannah Adsett - Belle Mia Payne - Ariana Grande Kade Bryant - Romeo Laura Johnston - Juliet Oscar Crisp - Joseph Tiana Sheehy - Mary Lily Kenway - Rose Dominic Graves - Jack Joey McDonnell - Donald Trump April Heasley - Hilary Clinton …plus a wonderful cast of extras!

COCA NEWS 31

ICC SOCCER WEEKEND

Our Cromwell boys’ and girls’ teams had a very busy weekend of soccer, with several games being played over Saturday and Sunday. The teams put on a great show for all of the Crommie supporters - it was great to have so much encouragement coming from the sidelines. Fingers crossed the Crommie soccer teams can take out the ICC Competition.

GREAT RESULTS AT ICC BASKETBALL

The ICC Basketball Competition was held in the UQ Centre. There was again a great turn out of student and staff supporters to cheers the Cromwell teams. There were some close games and spirited contests with our girls finishing overall in 4th place and our boys in 2nd place. Congratulations to all involved in playing or supporting Cromwell Basketball this year!

L to R (top, bottom): Girls take time out with Ollie!; The Boys’ team together after being placed 2nd in the competition; Tori Elliot leads the Girls’ half time discussion.

32 COCA NEWS

ICC CRICKET ACTION

It was great to see a large squad of Cromwell cricketers rotate and take part in several ICC TwentyTwenty games played at the weekends against the other colleges. With a combination of talented, experienced and novice players, Cromwell fared quite well. Stand out examples would be the fine catches and wickets taken, and a magnificent century by William Ambrose!

Cromwell Cricket squad v St John’s College…..with their Number 1 Supporter!

LARGE SQUAD FOR CROMWELL RUGBY

The ICC Rugby Competition kicked off for Cromwell on Wednesday 31 July against King’s College under lights on UQ’s main oval. 32 boys are involved in Cromwell Rugby this season which shows great commitment and eager participation. Last night’s game saw many spectators in black and white in the grandstand to support the boys. Congratulations to King’s College who won the game, and to our boys who scored points against very strong opposition.

Boys in a huddle - eagerly supported by Ollie!

COCA NEWS 33

CROMWELL AT ICC ART SHOW

Cromwell was well represented at the recent ICC Art Show. Alexandra Mison, Nicola Chaney, Matthew Griffiths and Kaleb Jeynes all spent many hours preparing their very fine pieces of work for display. We hope to be able to display their excellent work in the dining room soon. A great effort by some very talented Cromwell students!

34 COCA NEWS

CULTURAL DINNER 2019

On the 17th of September we had our annual Cultural Awards Dinner, recognising the amazing talent and support of students over the year. Once again, this event supported the White Ribbon Foundation, who works to put an end to violence against women, and the students managed to raise almost three hundred dollars for this cause.

The evening began with canapĂŠs on the deck, where students enjoyed a performance by first year student Jack French. Students then moved inside the dining hall, where dinner was served and the awards got underway. Twenty four students were recognised for their contributions throughout the year. The most prestigious award, the ‘Cultural Cup’ was awarded to Oscar Crisp for his outstanding support and contributions to cultural events over his three years at Cromwell.

The highlight of the evening for many, was the guest performance by Brisbane based Hamilton Band, who performed for half an hour to close the evening. Their upbeat and lively performance had students up out of their seats. A huge thanks goes to them for once again making the evening such a success in 2019.

COCA NEWS 35

Cromwell College Song

CROMWELL COLLEGE

Cromwell is the greatest College, Proved by every kind of test; Seeking for the highest knowledge, Aiming always for the best.

Generous when we have the victory, Gracious if we know defeat, This is Cromwell’s firm tradition; Freeing Spirit, our heartbeat!

God’s own Spirit brings us freedom Is the Motto we profess; It provides us inspiration, Gives us strength in times of stress.

Hail or shine we stick together, Whether near or far apart; Ever caring, true and loyal, We bear Cromwell in our heart.

The song is sung to the music of “Hymn to Joy” (92 in the Australian Hymn Book)

Editor

Tania Dempsey

COCA President Ben Durance CONTACT

Tania Dempsey

EMAIL

coca@cromwell.uq.edu.au

ADDRESS

Walcott Street, ST LUCIA, QLD 4067

WEBSITE www.coca.net.au

www.cromwell.uq.edu.au

FACEBOOK

www.facebook.com/Cromwell.Old.Collegians.Association/