Chronicle: The Lockdown Edition 2020-2021

Chronicle The Lockdown Edition 2020–2021

Contents From the Principal

1

Student Club President

2

Student leadership reflections

3

From the Dean of Students

4

Student leadership – Residential Advisors

5

2020 and 2021 in review

6

#20Places20Faces

10

Formal Dinner 2021

14

Alumni connections

15

Communitas report

16

Student mural art installation

17

Around the grounds

18

Careers in fine arts

20

High notes

21

We will rock you

22

Christmas in November

24

Employable you

25

Academic support

26

Queer diversity

28

One community

29

The first 50 days

30

Hilda’s puppy Pearl

60 th

SAVE THE DATE

anniversary celebrations in 2024!

2024 will be a milestone year as we celebrate our 60th anniversary! You are warmly invited to participate in the myriad of activities that will be on offer. Suggestions are most welcome!

Keep in touch with us as we will announce upcoming events soon, and help us find your college friends who may have lost touch with us.

31

Valedictory Dinner 2021

32

Stay connected

34

Acknowledgement of Country We acknowledge and pay respect to the Wurrundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land upon which our college is situated. We pay our respect to all the Elders of Indigenous students who call St Hilda’s home. We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community, the University of Melbourne, and the wider world.

ST HILDA’S COLLEGE The University of Melbourne 19 – 27 College Crescent Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia Tel +61 3 9248 8400 Email: communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu.au www.hildas.unimelb.edu.au

b St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021

St Hilda’s College Ltd ABN: 68 426 085 488 ISSN: 1442-6935 Principal: Dr Brenda Holt Editor: Lyn Edwards Thank you to all contributors Photography: Dan Rankin Design: Sophie Campbell Front cover: College Musical, We Will Rock You - Dan Rankin This magazine is printed on FSC Mix Certified paper made from 100% post consumer waste.

LEADERSHIP

FROM THE PRINCIPAL Like all in Melbourne, 2020-2021 will go down in our memories as the ‘lockdown years.’ With a full contingent of students here in the worst part of Melbourne’s experience of the pandemic, our students have been locked down for many months in this small campus of St Hilda’s College.

While no one would ever want to re-live the last two years, students have been very quick to point out that this has truly been the best place to be anywhere in Victoria. Friendships run deep and bonds are even tighter through an experience unlike any other. I am delighted to report that despite the virus spreading in Melbourne, we were able to keep it out until 2022. Our students have been vigilant, looked after each other well, and got vaccinated quickly.

After what was 2020, we had high hopes for 2021. Almost all of Semester 1 was ‘normal.’ Orientation Week was again ranked highly, with a score of 93/100. Academically, our top students were treated to an outstanding dinner led by Prof Lynn Gillam, one of our Fellows. We ran an Employability Dinner with alumni as guests and a Career Mentoring program, wonderfully aided by more of our great alumni. In sports, our women won the intercollegiate Cricket and Hockey; the men intercollegiate Soccer. We were well placed to win the overall prize with the best netball team we have every fielded due to play in August.

Although the netball and all other Sem 2, 2021 sports did not happen because of lockdowns, our students still got busy.

I want our wider community Gala Night in October which brought to understand how this locked the very worthy Sony Foundation extra down community of students has funds due to our charity auction. responded. Instead of our full college going into a spin of depression and We also had activities during self-pity for all of the things we were lockdown organised every single losing during the six weekend: netball and lockdowns we have volleyball tournaments, We also had activities faced, our student amazing race, hottest during lockdown community went 100, AFL Grand Final, organised every single into action. Our GC spring market, RUOK weekend.

Charity Conveners led day, Wear it Purple Day, us to focus on others student club elections, instead of ourselves. Not one, not Battle of the Bands, Variety Night, and three but four fantastic acts of charity: angels and mortals. And of course, the St Hilda’s broke all college records in show did go on – our play conveners the intercollegiate blood drive; Walk presented We Will Rock You, albeit for a Week where students walked as a movie (we were given rights for for 24 hours per day for 7 days raised a one-off showing). even more money for the McGrath So, we have kept ourselves occupied.

Foundation than last year; and Mullets And of course, online university for Mental Health not only brought has happened all along – well two of our students, Fred and Mali, supplemented by our academic to fame with alternative careers as team. Our students’ overall grade hairdressers, but also much greater point average has lifted 4.5 points awareness around the importance of over the last four years and we are our mental health. Finally, we had a very proud of this too. Our Board and Fellows continue to be a great source of inspiration to us, and their selfless service to the College is so appreciated.

I am very lucky to have such a great team, both staff and student leaders, to support all of our students to feel a great sense of belonging to Hilda’s and even more to be the very best person they can be.

Thank you for your ongoing support of St Hilda’s College.

Dr Brenda Holt Principal Double vaccinated

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 1

LEADERSHIP

Leading from the front What a year 2021 has been! It has felt like an unpredictable rollercoaster, however we have gotten through it together with resilience and a lot of Communitas.

I am incredibly grateful for my time at St Hilda’s. I have loved every minute of it, and it has been a truly transformative experience. Being a student at St Hilda’s has opened my eyes to how big the world is, and I’ve been able to meet and be inspired by many amazing people.

It has been a big year for the College.

We ran the first Wurundjeri Cultural Heritage talk, the first College-wide international event Flight Night and the first College-wide Pride night.

We had a range of events from We Will Rock You, the College Musical, to many formal dinners and other fun social events. Throughout lockdown we relied on our Charity Convenors who coordinated Gala Night, the College Sleep Out, Walk for A Week for the McGrath Foundation and Mullets for Mental Health to help

2 St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021

us focus on others. We experienced sporting success in semester 1 winning flags in the Women’s Cricket, Women’s Hockey and Men’s Soccer in a penalty shootout.

The achievements of 2021 are the result of an amazing team effort by the GC who adapted again and again as our year got turned on its head.

The exec team, VP Tom Gregory, Secretary Nathan Turner and Treasurer Nicholas Durham showed tremendous resilience and leadership in the face of adversity and continued to adapt and respond as required.

Throughout the year we were supported by the staff who guided and supported us.

The best parts of College for me have been all the little moments. All the small day-to-day experiences

you only get when living in a college environment such as chats in the dining rooms and cups of tea in the student kitchen. It has been a privilege to share these moments and I have always felt nothing but love and support from the community.

It has been my pleasure and an honour to be the President this year and I will carry this experience with me throughout my life. I will miss being at St Hilda’s but I am leaving enriched by the experiences and friendships and have nothing but happy memories and love in my heart. I look forward to joining the alumni community and continuing to be a part of the College.

Thanks for everything, Hilda’s.

Georgie Bailey Student Club President 2021

LEADERSHIP

2020 STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Reflections

Lily and Oscar (President and Vice-President of the Student Club General Committee 2020) agree that the time spent in their respective leadership roles was often challenging but always incredibly rewarding. Starting out, neither really knew what they were signing up for but honestly loved every second of it and are so grateful to have had the partnership they did, and in the year they had.

“The roles gave us the opportunity to grow as people and leaders but more importantly, allowed us to help make the college experience better for others. Despite all that was going on in the world around us during 2020, we were still able to learn from each other and our community which made our year at Hilda’s really special. We both met and worked with some amazing people including each other, and are really proud of the legacy we have left.”

Lily Collins, GC President 2020 and Oscar Bird, GC Vice President 2020 Lily Collins, Georgie Bailey and Oscar Bird

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 3

LEADERSHIP

FROM THE DEAN OF STUDENTS It’s always hard to look back over the past two years and pick out highlights from what has been both an incredibly challenging but also incredibly rewarding year. As I know our amazing student leaders will share stories on the exciting social, sporting, cultural and charitable events we enjoyed, I would like to celebrate the opportunities that many of our students have had for personal and professional development within our busy calendar.

Finding ways to improve themselves is a core driver for many of our students and the need to build leadership and people skills beyond the foundations of a standard university degree is becoming more and more important as the professional world becomes increasingly competitive. It’s been wonderful to see our students engage in some great opportunities.

We held our first ‘Employable You’ dinner with guest speaker and College Fellow, Richard Dent, OAM, alongside a panel of young alumni speaking about their experiences of finishing up studies and moving in to the professional workforce. We were

able to hear from a diverse range of faculty experience and get an insight in to life after university A series of seminars and webinars was held that targeted employability and professional development skills including goal setting, time management, leading with empathy and design thinking. We also welcomed College Fellow, Kim MacMillan, who spoke to our students about unconscious bias. Kim brought decades of experience in executive leadership roles within engineering and generated great discussion within the College.

Our senior students participated in a mock-assessment centre aimed at simulating real world recruitment processes used by major employers.

The whole day’s exercise allowed students to practice a professional interview, undertake and understand the purpose behind psychometric and personality testing, participate in an observed group negotiation task and also deliver a short presentation.

The experience was supported by College Fellows and alumni who added amazing industry context to the feedback that each student was given to improve their performance at future recruitment opportunities.

It’s been a long 2020 and 2021, but I am grateful for the student leaders, Residential Tutors and Senior RAs for continuing to step up and support each other. I look forward to watching the future successes of those who are leaving us and continuing to help those who stay to develop as a change champion and future leader.

James Hardiman Dean of Students

Senior Common Room, Commencement 2021

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LEADERSHIP Ciara Hadley

Harrison Neville

Ian Lam

Lily Collins

Liz Stevens

Oscar Bird

Caitlin Smith

Emily Flynn

Bella Garzolini

Ella Davidson

Student leadership Residential Advisors In 2020 the College Pastoral Care Program was enhanced so that every student had a block tutor, a peer mentor, a career mentor, and a residential advisor. Ten third year students (pictured above) were appointed as our inaugural Residential Advisors, ably supported by a comprehensive training program. The training includes first aid, mental health first aid, emergency management and response, ethical bystander and first responder skills. The new 2022 RA team are keen, and ready to take on their new leadership role. Meet three of them here.

“Being an RA is such an opportunity for growth and change! I love this college, and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to make it an even better place. Hilda’s is great because of its people, so to have an opportunity to give back to them is a true honour.”

Zodie Bolic – Fine Arts, Mackay QLD

“I am excited to be an RA for 2022 as the position provides an opportunity to support the community from within and ensure that everyone is finding their place at college. I can’t wait to give back to my fellow Hildarians!”

Oliver Merchant – Biomedicine, Canberra, ACT

“I am super keen to become an RA at Hilda’s because it will allow me to support the incoming new students and help them settle into university life. Moving away from home and into a college can be a big jump. The RA team will help ease this transition and ensure everyone is set up well and supported for a really exciting 2022.”

Katie Pearce – Design, Auckland, NZ

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 5

2020 IN REVIEW

2020 GC President and VP

the year that was

O-Week

Bushdance

New Dean

Welcome Saturday International Women’s Day

Commencement Dinner

Cricket

6 St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021

2020 IN REVIEW

Academic Dinner

Amazing race

Ball

Christmas in July

Graduation

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 7

2021 IN REVIEW

2021

the year that was

Women’s Cricket GC President and VP Welcome Saturday

Café

Employable You Dinner

O-Week

Cross Country Commencement Dinner Athletics

8 St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021

2021 IN REVIEW

Men’s Soccer

Christmas and Gala

PRIDE Netball

Play

Walk for a Week

Ball

Wear it Purple

Rowing regatta Blood drive

Graduation Mullets

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 9

CURRENT STUDENTS

#20Places20Faces We proudly celebrate diversity and warmly welcome students from rural areas, regional towns, interstate locations and international destinations. 20Places20Faces profiles have been introduced on social media as a ‘get to know you’ for our community, and highlights the inclusive ethos that is at the heart of St Hilda’s.

Dempsey Doyle (2021) Dempsey, from Gippsland in regional Victoria, studies a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne.

She hopes to undertake a double major in criminology and psychology, with plans to study law in the future. Having been a House Music Captain at Gippsland Grammar’s Garnsey Campus, Dempsey loves immersing herself in the arts. She participated in the school’s concert, jazz and choir ensembles for seven years, discovered passions for theatre and debating, and travelled to Japan on exchange.

During her time in high school, Dempsey was able to hone her skills in singing as well as in six different instruments an asset for the pre-lockdown college-based performance events such as HildasFest and Variety Night. Dempsey chose St Hilda’s because of the warm and welcoming community atmosphere, as well as the seemingly endless opportunities for her to express herself.

Brady Crack (2021) Brady is a science student studying geology at the University of Melbourne.

Growing up in Tasmania, Brady developed a passion for both the performing arts and the sciences, and hopes to combine both skillsets for a career in science communication. Although we were unable to schedule the full calendar of events in 2021, Brady was a star in the virtual musical production of We Will Rock You. Brady attended Scotch Oakburn College, and chose St Hilda’s for its fantastic community spirit and comfortable size of 222 students, where everyone knows everyone.

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Ben Wrobel (2021) Ben is studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. Originally from Geelong, Ben was awarded the IB Dux at Kardinia International College in 2020.

Following undergraduate studies, he is considering pursuing a Doctor of Medicine. In their spare time, Ben loves to play volleyball, and took part in the staff vs student volleyball match for Get Your Life in Order week. Ben also enjoys reading and getting around Hilda’s events. Ben chose Hilda’s for the welcoming and inclusive environment, and the academic support program.

Francois Xavier-Beau (2019) Francois, from St Etienne in France, completed a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne.

Francois aspires to undertake research in both pathology and stem cells, with the hope of revealing new ways in which these two fields coincide.

Born in Mexico, Francois has resided in five different countries throughout his life. He joined the St Hilda’s community after completing a scientific baccalaureate at the International French School of Singapore. During his time in Melbourne, Francois has discovered quite a passion for Australian rules footy. Francois chose St Hilda’s due to the many amenities, and the caring environment for students far from home.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Bella Reynolds (2020) Bella, from Sydney, studies Commerce at the University of Melbourne. Former Performing Arts Captain and Senior Prefect at school, Bella doesn’t mind hard work and loves a challenge. She has already landed a marketing job, and aims high, with the ultimate goal to be the first female CEO of Disney! Bella jumped straight into student leadership at Hilda’s taking on First Year Rep in 2020, and in 2021, Cultural Director.

Zoe Stevens (2020) Zoe from Ballarat, is studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. Since an early age, Zoe has had a strong interest in science and scientific research, with a fascination about how the world works and why things are the way they are. A high academic achiever at Ballarat High School, Zoe excelled in biology, english and physics to name a few. Upon visiting St Hilda’s for a tour, Zoe felt immediately comfortable, happy and at home. The variety of places to study and relax, and the just right size where everyone knows everyone were highlights.

“St Hilda’s is big enough to find your niche, a good group of friends and quiet places to be alone, but also small enough to experience a tight-knit community and feel at ease going to communal spaces to socialise and bond with everyone.”

Augustin Kadende (2020) Augustin is studying Politics and International Relations and Sociology at the University of Melbourne. Originally from the Congo, he moved to Australia on a Humanitarian visa in late 2010, after spending six years in a refugee camp in Malawi. Augustin is driven to make a difference. In 2019, he was appointed College Captain at Emmanuel College in Altona, the first leader of African descent. “That broke a lot of stereotypes around what African Australians can achieve.

Representation is really important.” Augustin is the recipient of the St Hilda’s Humanitas Scholarship, proudly funded by a founding student, and is immensely grateful for the opportunities the College has provided him.

“Our struggles determine our successes.

What we go through at St Hilda’s will help to determine whether we become people of character. Those people with character are the ones who change the world and leave a legacy.

That’s what Hilda’s provides to students – an opportunity to create a legacy.”

Georgie Bailey (2019) 2021 Student Club President, Georgie, from St Ignatius College in Adelaide, loves it here. Second in her family to call St Hilda’s home, with younger sister Lucy waiting in the wings, Georgie is studying Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne and aspires for a career in medicine. Leading from the front during challenging times, Georgie is determined to keep our student community safe and strong!

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 11

CURRENT STUDENTS

#20Places20Faces Paige Blyth (2020) Paige, from Gippsland, is studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. Following this degree, Paige hopes to undertake postgraduate study in clinical neuropsychology, and aspires to be a Neuropsychologist. Formerly from St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School, Paige was House Captain and School Prefect. Paige loves sport and has been a cheerleader, and coach for 10 years, competing as far afield as Hawaii!

The family daffodil farm in Gippsland is awash with colour now as thousands of plants are blooming just in time for Daffodil Day last Friday. Paige chose St Hilda’s because of the secure, homely atmosphere and close proximity to the University of Melbourne.

Naomi Lam (2020) St Hilda’s International Rep in 2021 and RA in 2022, Naomi left her home in Hong Kong and travelled over 7,000 kms to study at the University of Melbourne. Studying a Bachelor of Science, with a major in Zoology, Naomi believes that conservation of wildlife and biodiversity is crucial for a future where a healthy balance and relationship with the environment can be sustained. Formerly from the International College Hong Kong, Naomi was Touch Rugby A Grade Girls team captain, and participated in school drama productions along with performing in the Hong Kong School Drama Festival. Following in the footsteps of older brother and past student leader, Ian. Naomi chose St Hilda’s because of the close-knit community environment, a pre-requisite being so far from home.

Abir Srivastava (2020) Abir, from Alice Springs, studies Science at the University of Melbourne, with an interest in genetics.

Former School Captain at St Phillips College, Abir participated in the Round Square International Exchange Program travelling to South Africa for an exchange stay. Abir joined St Hilda’s after being inspired by the spirit of community and all there is on offer.

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Harry Quail (2020) Meet Harry Quail from Woorndoo in regional Victoria. Harry is studying Design at the University of Melbourne and hopes to pursue a career in urban or regional development.

Harry attended Ballarat and Clarendon College, was Chair of the Boarding House White Ribbon Committee, and Performing Arts Leader.

Harry is a talented saxophonist, clarinettist and flautist, performing in many ensembles. In fact, he has formed an awesome jazz trio. We have been fortunate to hear Harry play his sax at College, and hope he is a starter for our Jazz in the Quad event later this year.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Zara Williams (2020) Zara from Singapore, is studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne and has a keen interest in Psychology. Living in Singapore since 2006, and attending the Australian International School, Zara was Principal’s Prefect and chair of the SRC. From Year 9, Zara participated in the National Youth Achievement Award (the Duke of Edinburgh equivalent). In addition, Zara participated in the Schools 4 School India and Nepal Project, which is a co-curricular initiative to help underprivileged children with school and life essentials, such as shoes. Zara loves hiking and playing sport, and was the U19 Team Captain at school for the division 1 Volleyball team for three years. St Hilda’s was Zara’s first preference because of the welcoming and down to earth nature of the community. She is our 2022 President.

Sophie Michael (2021) Sophie is currently studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. She particularly enjoys Biology, and is planning to undertake a major in Human Structure and Function. Formerly from Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Perth, Sophie hopes to go on to study Postgraduate Law (Juris Doctor) after her undergraduate degree. With co-curricular interests in the arts, Sophie takes acting courses at TAFTA and enjoys creative writing in her spare time. She also recently had a role as a dancer in the virtual College Play We Will Rock You.

“I chose St Hilda’s because of the warm, welcoming and down to earth atmosphere out of all of the colleges on offer.”

Cooper Eves (2021)

Gabby Winston (2020) Gabby joined St Hilda’s in 2020 to study a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, and aspires to work in the media. Formerly from The Friends School in Hobart, Gabby was House Captain, performed in school musicals and participated in a school exchange to a sister school Uelzen, Germany. Gabby is socially aware, creative, and sporty and enjoys AFL, netball and tennis.

“I chose St Hilda’s College as I resonated with Communitas spirit. I care deeply that no-one is left behind and everyone feels valued and cared for. These are attributes that I associate with St Hilda’s.”

Elite sports person, Cooper, from Perth, is studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. Cooper is certainly at the top of his game with a long list of sporting achievements in European handball, AFL, basketball and swimming. In 2016 and 2017, Cooper represented his home state of WA, as Captain of the U16 and U18 Cockburn Cougars WABL teams. In 2019, Cooper’s focus turned to footy, playing for the East Fremantle Sharks in the WAFL Colts Competition. In addition to sporting prowess, Cooper held leadership positions at his former school, All Saints’ College.

Academically, Cooper enjoys solving complex problems in mathematics. Crossing the Nullarbor to join St Hilda’s was a simple decision due to the warm welcome throughout the process, and Cooper’s belief in the College statement “to enable students to explore passions and interests and build the confidence they need to lead.”

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 13

CURRENT STUDENTS

Formal Dinner May 2021

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As a close-knit living community, St Hilda’s is connected across generations by the Communitas spirit. This family connection lives on in current students Toby Masters and Elise Taylor.

Toby, from Torquay, is studying a Bachelor of Science. He came to Hilda’s as a first year in 2020, and stayed for a second year in 2021. Toby has a deep family connection with Hilda’s. Both his Mum, Nicole Masters (PY 1991) and Dad, Anthony Masters (PY 1990) are alumni, as well as his aunties, Brooke Masters (PY 1994) and Naomi Brown (PY 1993).

Toby says his family all look back fondly on their time at Hilda’s. His parents always emphasised that Hilda’s was a very talented sporting college, and this influenced Toby’s decision to continue the family tradition. Toby has loved this aspect of college, saying his favourite thing about Hilda’s is “having a whole college cheer your team on in a grand final – it’s an electric atmosphere.”

Elise, from Melbourne, is also studying a Bachelor of Science.

Her mum, Wendy Mattschoss (PY 1980), dad, Chesley Taylor (PY 1980) two aunties Debbie Mattschoss (PY 1975) and Wendy Taylor (PY 1981) and uncle, Graham Pitson (PY 1981) all attended St Hilda’s.

A parent’s perspective “This year in particular, St Hilda’s College has become a place where long lasting friendships have blossomed, special occasions have been celebrated, and many varied opportunities provided, that have encouraged independence, resilience, and the camaraderie to get through tough times with kindness, laughter and the support of each other.“ Lisa Bailey (Georgie 2019-2021 and Tom 2016-2017) “The decision to send our kids to live at St Hilda’s was simply the best.

The wrap around support and inclusive, friendly atmosphere was what drove both our young adults to choose Hilda’s, and they have thrived. The challenges in transitioning from living at home and attending a small high school in a remote area of the NT, to navigating the vast and impersonal behemoth that is university, has been entirely mitigated through the care and support of St Hilda’s staff. My young adults have made excellent friends at college, found kindred spirits who share their interests, and are well placed to continue their journeys to adulthood. I would highly recommend Hilda’s to any parent looking for a great community to augment their child’s university life. Thank you all so much.”

Megan and Andrew Pickering (Bryn 2019 and Charlotte 2020) “As a father, St Hilda’s College did make me proud of my sons’ achievements.

St Hilda’s taught me to be grateful. I am so grateful that St Hilda’s provided the frame onto which all our son’s decisions could be made. When to go hard, when to pull back, when to commit for others benefits. When to stand your ground, sometimes in the minority, and how to come to grips with the big picture. Academic learning in Australia has changed fundamentally, leaving a void in the learning and developments needs of our young leaders.

St Hilda’s helps fill the void. They provide the pastoral care, mentoring, sport, outdoor opportunities, and academic support that is simply not available to the day students. I am forever grateful to St Hilda’s for the opportunities offered to our son. I am even more grateful that he grabbed them with both hands.”

Dr Mark Garkaklis (Alec 2018-2020)

“My mum and dad have always told me that their college days were the best days of their lives,” she said.

Elise’s parents wanted all their children to have the same wonderful opportunities, and so their family tradition is continued. Elise is immensely proud of the sense of community that Hilda’s has retained after all these years. “Our motto, Communitas, really does give the best description of the community we have nurtured,” she said.

The Baileys

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 15

ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY

Alumni connections

COMMUNITAS REPORT

Communitas: making a difference

Walk for a Week 2021

Despite the challenges of another lockdown-affected year, the St Hilda’s community banded together in the spirit of Communitas to give back to the broader community through a variety of charity and fundraising events.

Kicking off in April, we formed a Lifeblood team and began routine trips to the blood bank to donate much-needed blood and plasma.

This initiative gained momentum as the year progressed, cultivating in a landslide victory in the Intercollegiate Blood Drive and an amazing total of 102 donations for the year which will go on to save around 306 lives.

Walk for a Week returned to the calendar in August, where we challenged the College to always have at least one student walking around the front and back quads for a full week. In total, we managed to cover approximately 870km across

Naomi Luhan particpating in the 2021 Intercollegiate Blood Drive

16 St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021

the 168 hours, and raise $4,259 for the McGrath Foundation and its invaluable breast cancer care.

Sony Foundation. We have also been contacting a wide range of businesses, sporting teams, alumni, and parents to source some amazing items for an online auction that will launch early next year.

At the beginning of September, resident hairdressers Fred Hughes and Mali Gordon gave around 30 St Hilda’s students and tutors dashing The amazing team of Charity mullets to support the Black Dog Convenors (Oliver Merchant, Zara Institute’s Mullets for Mental Health Williams, India Veevers, and Holly initiative. As well as McGrath) and I would raising a staggering like to thank everyone in We have been able $11,389 to support the St Hilda’s community to make a significant the organisation’s that made these contribution to the life-saving work, events possible and community around this event triggered contributed in whatever incredibly important way they could. We have us during tough time. conversations been able to make a about mental health significant contribution and raised awareness around this to the community around us during important topic in our community. tough times, and we hope that giving back and service will continue to be at The grand finale for the year was Gala the heart of St Hilda’s values moving Night, where we ran a talent auction forward. that sold some of the best skills and items from within the College.

Luke Williams Ranging from a whiskey tasting night Communitas Director 2021 to customised crochet items, the auction drew significant interest and raised a huge total of $6,148 for the

ART INSTALLATION

Student mural

art installation

Mali Gordon has been making art for as long as she can remember. “I started creating because I wanted to be better than my older sister,” she recalled. Over time, this initial spark has evolved into an intense passion for visual arts. In 2019, Mali took a gap year, and spent time experimenting with oil paints, coloured pencils and lino prints.

Mali moved to Hilda’s in 2020, and studies Graphic Design and Art History at the University of Melbourne. In her second year, Mali was elected as the GC Arts Convenor. In this role, she aimed to start a culture where the fine arts are valued, and where people who may have had less exposure to art could appreciate it.

“A lot of contemporary art is inaccessible to the general public nowadays, and often requires a lot of context to understand it,” Mali noted. It was with this in mind that she saw creating a mural for the Hilda’s community as a perfect starting point. Thus, Mali set out to create a mural incorporating themes that the whole Hilda’s community can relate to; music, and the joy of music. “When I think of college, I think of dancing with everyone and having a good time. I wanted to encapsulate that feeling into the mural,” Mali said. Mali chose to use Hildarians as references for the figures in the mural.

Between studying her Bachelor of Design full time and working a casual job, Mali said that finding time to complete the mural was a challenge. “Medium limitations also affected my progress, and every single colour block and line had to have two to five coats of paint,” she said. However, Mali found the experience greatly rewarding, and is proud to have completed her largest scale work to date. “I hope that everyone that sees the mural feels the same joy that I do when I see it,” Mali said.

Mullets for mental health Mullets have made something of a comeback in recent years, but for the Hilda’s community this September, the retro hairstyle is more than just a haircut. A team of forty St Hilda’s students and tutors donned a mullet in support of the Black Dog Institute’s ‘Mullets for Mental Health’ campaign.

Mid-lockdown with hairdressers closed, students Mali Gordon and Fred Hughes grabbed their clippers and together transformed all forty heads of hair. Mental health is an important yet often stigmatised topic, and these haircuts are a small way of

generating conversation about mental health in the Hilda’s community.

Over the month of September, the Hilda’s community raised $11,389 for the Black Dog institute. These funds will be used to support groundbreaking research into early detection, prevention, and treatment of common mental health disorders.

Peeter Mirlieb, from Canberra, donned an eccentric mullet for a month,

which certainly got people talking.

“Lockdown was a difficult time for a lot of people and it meant a lot to be able to help raise awareness and money for the Mullets for Mental health cause. It was awesome to see everyone around the College rocking mullets,” Peeter said.

It seems that mullets are certainly not out of style, and neither is the important conversation around mental health.

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 17

COLLEGE SPORT

Around the grounds College sport provides students with an opportunity to come together, compete, develop friendships and cheer on their community.

St Hilda’s punches above our weight, and in 2021 this was no different.

Semester 1 treated Hildarians to 8 different sports – cricket, tennis, athletics, cross country, hockey, soccer, table tennis and rowing.

The first sport on the calendar sent the Hilda’s cohort all around Parkville, seeking out the various ovals where Cricket matches would be played under the scorching March sun. Both teams transitioned well into finals matches after winning throughout pool play. Following a challenging semi-final match against Queens, the boys finished their season with a third-place finish against Trinity in the pouring rain. The girls went on to win the competition after two close finals matches against Newman and UC. Impressive performances were recognised at the annual Cricket Vote count that was held at the Brunswick Bowling Club. Lachlan (Lachie) Pedley and Pip McWilliams were acknowledged as the most valuable players and many other awards were given out to commemorate both the players and the loyal support crew.

The Athletics carnival and CrossCountry race was our opportunity to prove ourselves as one of the smallest, yet fastest colleges on the Crescent.

Hunter Wright and Alex Tarr led the way on the track taking out the 100m men’s and women’s finals respectively.

Tennis and Table Tennis were also played, and our teams fought well against competitive opposition.

Hilda’s cemented our area on the banks of the Yarra for the rowing regatta with the smell of Tyso’s breakfast BBQ and loud chants.

The rowers competed well

Nathan Gee (2021)

throughout the day, with the women’s boat earning a 2nd place finish in the B Final. It was a beautiful morning in the city enjoyed by all.

Two highlights of the sporting year for Hilda’s were the Women’s Hockey and Men’s soccer grand finals! Both played against our fierce rival neighbours, Queen’s College, and were both won by the mighty green and blue. The atmosphere created by the united support crew set the tone for our fighting spirit that led both teams to victory. Face paint, merch and chants galore – they were both moments that made us feel very proud to be Hildarians.

Despite the interruptions to the sporting calendar, fellow Sport Director, Lachie and I are incredibly proud of the effort and passion that the students of Hilda’s bought to their sport in 2021.

Finishing 2nd in the overall college points for the Tickner Cup is a great achievement and testament to the strength of Communitas. We look forward to following the progress of Hilda’s sporting teams into the future, hopefully all codes scheduled in 2022!

Katie Pearce Female Sport Director 2021

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2020 SPORT WITH A DIFFERENCE With a commendable start to the 2020 year, our sports representatives Emily and Luke organised a full calendar for the St Hilda’s teams.

Beginning the semester with Grand Final appearances by both our boys and girls cricket, the community spirits were high and every sideline was packed full of supporters to watch our athletes compete.

Students participated in the intercollegiate competition ‘Run for Equality’ in support of ‘Our Watch’ (a charity for the prevention of violence against women and their children), coming in 4th place. As restrictions slowly eased, our athletic and tennis seasons were regrettably cut short – but not before many of our community members demonstrated cases of amazing talent on the track, oval, field and court.

COLLEGE SPORT

Sporting Spotlight Sally Howie (2021) “I relocated from Darwin, Northern Territory and attended boarding school at The Geelong College for my final two years of schooling.

I am studying a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne and in the Elite Athlete program where I play premier league hockey for the Melbourne University Hockey Club. I have represented both the Northern Territory and Victoria on numerous occasions and was recently selected in the HC Melbourne squad as a development player.

I love Hilda’s because it has allowed me to balance my hockey whilst staying ahead of my university work with the assistance of tutors, Brenda and the staff. Hilda’s allows me to balance both commitments whist still enjoying the social side to university and sport. I look forward to enjoying the full Hilda’s experience in 2022.”

Sally Howie, Rod Lyle Sport Scholarship recipient 2022

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 19

FINE ARTS

Careers in fine arts As an elite contemporary dancer studying through VCA in Southbank, Natalie (Nat) Koch’s (2019) university routine is very different from that of a typical student. Discovering her passion for dance at 3 years of age, Nat has developed her talent over the years and is a high-achieving artist with skills covering tap and jazz, to ballet and more performative styles. Nat has had the opportunity to work alongside role models and stars in the field, such as renowned artist Phillip Adams who was awarded the Australian Council Award for Dance in 2018. Being in a supportive college community, Nat knows she can always rely on others when her schedule gets the best of her. The countless hours and effort is a testament to her commitment to achieve success.

Xanthe LoweBrown (2019), is an academic all-rounder and passionate musician. Having picked up the

piano early, and then the guitar in Grade 4, she loves the creativity and possibilities that music brings into her life. After having a speaker talk to her Year 12 cohort about her career as a Pediatric Neurologic Music Therapist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Xanthe realised this career would combine her passion for music and helping people. The University of Melbourne is renowned for its Master in Music Therapy, and Xanthe is enjoying all of her subjects though there have been a few surprises “the contemporary guitar course has turned out not to be as contemporary as I thought! It has included Bach which I would not have expected, but it’s been great to expand my repertoire”. Xanthe is still determined to become a Music Therapist working either with children or in aged care.

At 12 years of age, Henny Walters (2021) performed in her first professional musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Her favourite roles in the South Australian plays were Anne Frank in the 2017 production of The Diary of

Tom Sporne at the 2021 Graduate Art Show

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Anne Frank, and Helen Keller in the production of The Miracle Worker. For these shows, Henny was nominated for awards multiple times, including: The Curtain Call Best Young Actor award, the Adelaide Critics Circle Emerging Artist of the Year Award Adelaide, and Best Youth Female Actor Award and the Adelaide Theatre Guide’s Best Female Young Performer. After studying a year of Law and Journalism in Adelaide, Henny was so excited to be accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). Moving to Melbourne, and joining a bustling arts hub has been a highlight, in particular performing in Chess the Musical with Henny’s university company.

Endrico Botha (2019) dedicates himself to acting and drama through the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), with a full load of 40 plus hours per week. Endrico hopes to connect with industry professionals and expand his performance skills after his formal VCA degree. He was also lead in the 2019 College play, Be More Chill.

FINE ARTS

High notes 2021 Music – Nate Cross What a whacky year! Fortunately, the Hilda’s cultural scene was as vibrant as ever with plenty of musical mayhem to push through another peculiar year of Covidities.

Taking advantage of the relative freedom of semester 1, the music convenors put on the fan-favourite Hilda’s Fest, getting our groove on with our Sunday Night Fever disco theme! However, the sheer musical talent of our students ranged from silky Jazz ballads to bonified rock bangers. Our Hilda’s Disco Super Group™ very nearly brought the house down with an awesome rendition of Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, a tune heard throughout college gatherings for the rest of the year (though that may not have been purely our doing).

With an unexpected profit from Hilda’s fest and the looming challenges of a covid safe college musical, We Will Rock You, the convenors managed to negotiate joint support from the college and the student club to purchase new musical equipment, including a new drumkit, a new keyboard and loads of recording equipment! The covid oddities of semester 2 presented a great opportunity to put our new equipment to fantastic use. The immensely popular Variety Night saw a complete redesign adapting to restrictions. The talented folk of Hilda’s made video submissions which were then presented over Vimeo by the convenors to live audiences throughout the college and wherever home might be for families.

The feedback was overwhelmingly fantastic, with the cinematic Variety Night showcase just the kind of covid-safe-fun everyone needed.

This year has been a fantastic exposition of Hildarian creativity and ingenuity and this was definitely the case for our musical and cultural scene, thriving despite every challenge thrown at us!

Looking forward Alex Gorbatov (2018) and Co-Director Bailey Montgomerie (2018), formed the Divisi Chamber Singers in 2019, a chamber vocal ensemble comprising university students in their early 20s.

Divisi is a volunteer chamber choir specialising in unaccompanied chamber choral music. As a group of developing young professionals, the primary aim of Divisi is to develop the skill and ability of its members and artistic staff – Alex Gorbatov and Bailey Montogomerie musical and otherwise – through the performance and preparation of ensemble vocal music. The group’s members are sourced from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Gondwana Choirs, and other premiere musical institutions and organisations from around Australia.

Despite the difficulties of the last few years, the group has flourished. Their 2021 programs Compose Queer and La Nuova Musica drew critical acclaim whilst furthering the musical and organisational skills of its members. Cascading off this success, Alex and Bailey applied and received funding for their entire 2022 season. Using this funding, Divisi will record two albums, one in January and a second in May. Later in the year they will put on a play and two further concerts involving new music from Melbourne-based composers Meta Cohen, Ned Dijon, and Cameron Lam and a collaboration with Ensemble Ancien. Their base at St. Hilda’s continues to provide the ensemble with tangible support, such as a consistent rehearsal venue, and intangible support such as mentorship from college leadership, such as help managing the complexity of running a small business. You can find ticket links on their website (https://divisichamber.com) and hear of their performances by subscribing to their mailing list. If you are interested in hearing more or supporting the ensemble you can contact Alex and Bailey at divisichamber@gmail.com.

In the spotlight Zodie Bolic comes from Mackay, Queensland, where she spent a number of years training in a large variety of dance styles including contemporary, ballet, jazz and tap. She is now studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) at VCA within the University of Melbourne and was awarded the Agnes Robertson Undergraduate Entry Scholarship for Dance in her first year. Most recently, she performed in Mental Spaces at the Zodie Bolic opening of the University of Melbourne’s Science Gallery. Zodie has a passion for the intersectionality of arts, culture and politics within modern day Australia. Outside of her coursework, she is involved in the University of Melbourne Greens Club, the Intercollegiate Activities Council and the St Hilda’s Cultural Program.

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 21

COLLEGE MUSICAL

We Will Rock You St Hilda’s College 2021 production, We Will Rock You, was definitely one to remember! One could even say... it rocked the College’s socks off! Let us tell you a bit about the show.

Set 300 years into the future in a world ravaged by corporate monopoly and controlled by a corporation known as Globalsoft, We Will Rock You follows the tale of a prophecy as old as time itself. The divination foretells that somewhere on the planet, where live music is forbidden, several musical instruments have been hidden from the public eye.

However, as the planet is dictated by the callous Killer Queen and overrun by technology-possessed citizens, the prophecy is near unheard of by its population. Within this realm of authoritarianism, adolescent Galileo Figaro is a non-conformist who wishes to ‘break free’ from his society’s norms. He hears classic rock lyrics in his head, although he doesn’t understand what they mean, and is arrested when he refuses to follow his teacher’s instructions to ignore them.

Unbeknownst to him, these librettos

would pave the way for him to escape imprisonment and realise his destiny – to fulfil the prophecy and save live rock and roll.

Featuring timeless Queen hits such as Radio Gaga, Another One Bites the Dust and Somebody to Love, this musical tells the story of Galileo’s quest, and the relationships he builds with the likeminded rebels that he meets along the way to finding the power of rock.

Unfortunately, a Crazy Little Thing Called Covid got into our way and threw all of our plans out the window.

However, the show must go on! And that is exactly what we did, because nothing could Stop us Now! After multiple setbacks, the cast and crew all came together to do a One Night Only performance in the dining hall, with professional lighting, sound, fog machines, filming, photography, costumes, a full set design and

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choreography. And what a night it was!!

I will always remember the sigh of relief and the overwhelming adrenalin when the videographer and photographer screamed CUT and we knew that we had finally brought this vision to life. We had a beautiful red-carpet event for the premiere screening of the musical, where the college came together to sing, laugh and commemorate the Arts. It was a powerful moment for me, as at that exact moment, we would have been the only people in Victoria celebrating the beauty of live theatre.

Congratulate to all involved, the cast, the band, the production team and the convenors. Despite all the odds, we put on We Will Rock You and what a fabulous show it was!

Isabella Reynolds, Cultural Director Dempsey Doyle, cast member

COLLEGE MUSICAL

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 23

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Christmas in November

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EMPLOYABILITY PROGRAM

Employable You Gaining employment in the 21st century workplace is not just about technical understanding and subject knowledge. To be competitive, graduates need to demonstrate to employers that they have the disciplinespecific skills required, as wells as a broader range of employability skills. The College has implemented a three-year program designed to ensure students have everything they need for the world of work.

Employability Program

Social Enterprise

After 12 years of schooling that focused heavily on results and academic achievements, TEDx speaker Josh Farr realised that grades are not a marker of success, nor can they guarantee it. Instead, employers now seek a new skill set, one that cannot be taught in a lecture hall, in a lab or via Zoom. Identifying this gap in the market, Josh formed Campus Consultancy, an entrepreneurial leadership program aiming to “teach young leaders the principles, strategies, and mindsets that allow them to be most impactful” as both community members and workplace contributors. With testimonials across 26 Australian Universities, St Hilda’s was delighted to welcome Josh’s innovative approach. With a structured program tailored to every year level at college, Josh’s goal was to help develop students personally and professionally, and to equip them with an invaluable skill set to apply to life outside post St Hilda’s.

Sabrina Liang (2019) decided to join a team of Hilda’s students on the quest for mental health education, support, and community progress. As an initiative introduced by Josh Farr from Campus Consultancy and Dean of Students, James Hardiman, Sabrina knew that this undertaking would be of benefit.

With an emphasis on building an extensive, engaged community both in-person and online, Josh urged students to reach out to their field mentors for coffee meet-ups, and communicate with role models regularly, as he has found this immensely beneficial for networking and job opportunities. The next business move for Josh is staying ahead of the curve, knowing what employers are looking for, and mentoring students to fill that void.

After outlining her interest, Sabrina regularly met with a group of 20 peers every week who were also beginning their social enterprise journey. Josh guided their ideas to areas of environmental sustainability, mental health, rural education, and youth empowerment; each being a topic he felt could benefit from the collaboration of young minds.

Sabrina and her group chose to focus on pastoral care and improving the mental wellbeing of their peers. Many student surveys and brainstorming sessions later, the team set their sights on the creation of care packages called ‘The Care’ that target the 5 senses. Hoping to include a range of products such as tea, a thoughts journal, candles, and chocolates to promote a calm environment and mind, they hoped that by manipulating the senses, students could ground themselves in their environment and reduce stress levels. Whilst the project was a success from development to presentation, it was unable to be progressed beyond the blueprint due to the pandemic.

Participants at the mentor meet and greet

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 25

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Academic support – beyond the books Our residential tutors provide a wide range of expertise, each with a story to share. The academic support teamwork with Hilda’s students to enable everyone to reach their full potential.

“I’ve really enjoyed being an on-campus tutor and getting to know the students and other staff members. It has been so rewarding to see the genetics and biology students’ progress through the semesters too! Hilda’s has also been a fabulous place to live while completing a PhD, being surrounded by others focused on academia makes the college environment ideal for others pursuing their studies.”

Natalia Benetti – Genetics and Epigenetics

Alex Cain (2016)

Luke Foley (2015)

Alex Cain moved from Perth to Hilda’s in 2016, to study a Bachelor of Science. From the outset, Alex was struck by the way Hilda’s embraced him wholeheartedly.

Luke Foley began his time at Hilda’s as a first year in 2015, studying a Bachelor of Biomedicine. Moving from a family farm in rural New South Wales, Luke said that Hilda’s community provided the support and friendships to help him transition to university life.

“I knew pretty early on that I wanted to stay for the full three years to get the most out of my experience here,” he said. During his undergraduate degree, he took on a number of leadership roles, including O Week Leader and Social Director. After completing his undergraduate degree, Alex commenced a Master of Engineering (Mechatronics) and moved out into a share house.

“This was a lot of fun, and the lessons I learnt at Hilda’s greatly facilitated this transition,” he said.

With a Master of Engineering under his belt, Alex is now undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Computer Science.

In 2021 Alex was appointed as an SRA, as well as the Hilda’s Maths and Engineering tutor.

“It has been a great opportunity to work with students directly and to use my experience to ensure students have the most enjoyable and rewarding experience possible,” he said.

Alex moved to Sydney in January 2022 to commence a role as Software Developer at Optiver.

26 St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021

Following his undergraduate degree, Luke began a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and commenced his role as a residential tutor at St Hilda’s.

“I love this role, as it allows me to support students in transitioning from high school to university learning” he said.

Luke was the SCR president in both 2019 and 2020.

Additionally, he took on numerous roles within University of Melbourne Medical Students Society, including the position of Vice President External in 2021.

Recently, Luke completed his MD and commenced as a junior doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital in January 2022.

While he is still figuring out a specific career pathway, he is looking forward to starting his career and finding his feet as a junior doctor.

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Sarah Fusinato (2015)

Adrian Oats (2016)

Sarah Fusinato, from Neerim South, Victoria, came to St Hilda’s in 2015 to study a Bachelor of Agriculture.

Sarah endeavoured to make the most out of her college experience: trying out for every sporting team, attending every event, and always supporting her peers from the sidelines. “College is such a unique experience and should definitely be cherished…The friends I made at college are now the closest people to me today” Sarah said.

Adrian Oats, from Rutherglen, Victoria came to St Hilda’s in 2016 with the intention of staying for just one year and was appointed GC President two years later in 2018.

Almost six years later, he is still involved and has a real passion for working with and developing young people.

In 2017 Sarah was appointed as the Student Club Vice President. “I really valued my experiences as Vice President, and the opportunity to lead and give back to the College that I have benefited so much from,” Sarah explained. In particular, part of her role was working in a small pastoral care team.

“This part of my role highlighted my passion for mental health and the wellbeing of the college community. Looking back, it was a big driver in eventually taking on the inaugural SRA role.”

After completing her Bachelor of Agriculture, Sarah spent some time working on a family dairy farm, as well as travelling. She was awarded the St Hilda’s Global Development Travel Scholarship, and took this opportunity to volunteer in Fiji, visit Vietnam and the United States.

In 2019, Sarah returned to Hilda’s as a non-residential Agriculture tutor and was appointed as an SRA in 2020.

Sarah finds this role immensely rewarding, and allows her to develop and support young people in a time of significant change in their lives. In addition, Sarah works full-time in the agriculture industry with BASF as a reconciliation analyst. “It is such a diverse industry.

The development opportunities are endless, and there is always something new to learn,” she said.

“I will always remember walking through the doors on my first day to a smiling O Week leader who yelled out ‘Hey Porridge, welcome to Hilda’s,’ before I even got a chance to make eye contact.”

At Hilda’s, Adrian got involved in almost everything, from sporting teams to being a lead in the college production.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Adrian had a year out of St Hilda’s in 2019. He commenced his Master of Teaching (Secondary) in the fields of Biology and Science.

Additionally, he was appointed as the Victorian State Representative for the National Association of Australian Colleges (NAAUC) and helped organise a national conference for over 150 student leaders in 2019. It was at this conference that he was elected to the position of President of NAAUC. Adrian has been a first-year psychology tutor and mentor and senior residential advisor (SRA). In 2022, he commenced a new role as Associate Dean. Currently, Adrian is juggling several other roles outside of St Hilda’s.

He is a part-time teacher at Simonds Catholic College, where he teaches Year 12 Psychology, Year 11 Ethics, and Year 10 Mathematics. He has also decided to continue his studies, beginning a Master of Youth Mental Health in 2021.

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 27

DIVERSITY AT COLLEGE

Queer diversity In striving to support all members of our St Hilda’s community, 2020 came with the introduction of a Queer Representative role into the GC leadership team. Ciara Hadley was awarded the inaugural Queer Representative, and was also awarded the Change Champion award in 2020.

Ciara organised community participation in the globallyrecognised ‘Wear it Purple Day’ in August, an annual event celebrating the LGBTQI+ community while also pushing for education and further awareness. With the assistance of one of our residential tutors Cass, whose role as an SRA correlates with the Hilda’s Inclusion Portfolio, the pair organised a day of activities to stimulate discussion. Beginning with a purple tie-dye activity in the front quad, accompanied with face painting, the day continued on to a student-run question panel. Ciara was overwhelmed with the attendance at this event, which continued into a presentation by guest speaker Jason

Ball who discussed his experience in the LGBTQI+ community. There has been noticeable change in pronoun use and general awareness throughout the college that Ciara should be immensely proud to have initiated.

Looking forward, Ciara hoped to organise a St Hilda’s Pride Night an on-campus evening focused on beneficial conversations surrounding the Queer community. Starting with a rainbow themed Formal Dinner accompanied by a range of musical acts and entertainment, the night was sure to be a favourite. Coming together with other Colleges around the Crescent, St Hilda’s participated

28 St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021

Ciara Hadley

in the intercollegiate Queer group picnic to foster friendship groups that otherwise may not have met.

Also sitting on Ciara’s 2020 ‘wish list’ was the introduction of LGBTeas, a frequent meeting of people from the St Hilda’s community to band together and discuss matters over a cuppa and nibbles. In the face of COVID regulations, Ciara is proud of the conversations her efforts have stimulated, and no doubt this culture will continue to flourish within our community.

DIVERSITY AT COLLEGE

One

community

Over the last four years, St Hilda’s College has made many steps to be more welcoming of LGBTQIA+ students. A queer group was established, creating a safe space for students to be themselves and raise concerns. This initial movement kick started a lot of change and made many queer students feel at home at Hilda’s.

2021 queer representative, Casey, felt welcomed by former rep and the community’s efforts to cater for queer diversity. They said, “having been given a space to be myself, I wanted everyone to feel as included and that’s what I aimed to do in the role.”

Wear it Purple Day

During 2021, Casey organised several events for both queer and ally students to enjoy.

On International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), many students participated in a pride netball round robin tournament. This promoted queer diversity in sport, especially when the atmosphere is very heteronormative.

Wear it Purple Day is annually celebrated and raises awareness about queer youth. On this day, many students showed their support by wearing purple and getting involved in crafts and other activities scattered around college campus. To finish the day, some current students shared their queer experience with the college in a Q and gAy panel session.

The final event was called Pride Night.

Originally planned to run in May due to Pride month being in June, the event aimed to promote LGBTQIA+ diversity and give allied students insight to queer culture. Students dressed up

Pride netball

in colourful attire and Casey gave an insightful speech about queer history, drag, and their personal experience.

This touching delivery was followed by a performance by drag queen, Avril La Trene. Many students enjoyed the evening and said it was their favourite event of the year.

In the role, Casey also pushed for changes to college culture to better support LGBTQIA+ students. This included changing the gendered bathroom signs so the College’s gender diverse students felt more

welcome. Casey also worked with Brenda and James to ensure all staff undergoes allyship training.

“I am excited to see the college continue to grow and be a safe space for queer students that choose to call this place their home.”

Casey Casimaty Queer Representative 2021

St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 29

CURRENT STUDENTS

The first 50 days, 2020 Entering a new community halfway through the year can be daunting, but new students Hunter Wright (Brisbane), Imogen Nelson (Sydney) and Augustin Kadende (Melbourne) were fortunate enough to arrive together. Their shared experience fostered friendships, making the transition into college life smooth and easy.

Hunter Wright

Imogen Nelson

Augustin Kadende

Having lived in a boarding school for 6 years, Hunter had learnt that smaller communities often offer the most supportive environments. Though the state-wide lockdown brought its own challenges, Hunter found the smaller student groups beneficial in allowing him to integrate into well.

With a huge smile and confident personality, Hunter was seen eagerly having conversations and never fails to brighten up a room. As a big sports player, Hunter enjoys volleyball and AFL games, and commenting that the food surpasses that of boarding school by a mile.

Imogen decided it was time for a change and what better way to do it than by joining a college community and making new friends. Selecting Melbourne after attending a school talk learning about college life, the engaging lifestyle, and endless challenging opportunities, Imogen was sold. Though she did not anticipate it, the balanced academic environment continues to motivate her to extend herself in her studies. To complement University work, Imogen loves how her new grounded network of friends who make the effort to encourage one another in everything they do. For the spring birthday season, Imogen was been busy organising gifts and surprises for each special day - an experience she never fully experienced while in high school.

Augustin (AK) from Melbourne made the practical decision to attend college due to the convenient proximity to University. Being an avid athlete, mainly in the realm of running and sprinting, AK knew that the on-campus lifestyle would support his training regime and give him countless opportunities within a community. As his first communal living experience, he arrived with an open mind expecting a slow integration into friendship groups. Yet, in alignment with our size and inclusive culture, AK found himself immediately comfortable and no longer feeling like one of the new kids. AK enjoys mealtimes as one of his favourite times of the day, as the community comes together to share stories and unwind.

Despite only living at Hilda’s for 50 days, it is hard to imagine a time when Hunter, Imogen and AK were not part of our community. Their energy continues to stimulate conversations, and we are so thankful that they chose us.

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CURRENT STUDENTS

Hilda’s puppy Pearl In August 2019, the College community welcomed a 4 month old black Labrador, Pearl, instating her as the official College dog. Pearl has bought so much joy and support to the students who love and adore her. Never a day goes by where Pearl isn’t surrounded by students, or seen rolling around in the dirt, collecting sticks, doing zoomies in the front quad, posing for social media photos, or playing fetch in the back quad. Affectionately known as ‘pup’ by GC President, Georgie, or ‘Hilda’s Puppy Pearl’ by Ella, Pearl has been a highlight at St Hilda’s, especially throughout the long periods of lockdown. St Hilda’s is a place to call home, and Pearl loves it here!

We have been blessed to have Lyn Edwards, our Director of Development and Engagement, at St Hilda’s for almost 5 years. Lyn has submitted her resignation and her last day will be the 25th of February. Lyn’s work has been instrumental in building our scholarship base, recruitment of fantastic students, building our social media and digital communications, engaging with alumni, and running top line events. Lyn also has volunteered many many hours of her personal time to ensure students here could still have some events through restrictions and lockdowns. It is hard to imagine the College without her and Pearl. We wish them well for the future - Dr Brenda Holt.

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VALEDICTORY DINNER

Valedictory Dinner 2021

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St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021 33

In the loop Stay connected with the College and each other and hear about what’s happening. https://www.facebook.com/sthildascollege/ @sthildasunimelb St Hilda’s College, University of Melbourne

19 – 25 College Crescent Parkville, Victoria 3052 Australia Tel +61 3 9248 8400 Email: communitas@hildas.unimelb.edu.au www.hildas.unimelb.edu.au 34 St Hilda’s College Chronicle 2020-2021