The Echo 2016

THE ECHO // 2016 robert menzies college

Echo (verb): (of a sound) be repeated or reverberate after the original sound has stopped.

Robert Menzies College The Echo 2016

Dean’s Report - 2016 What a year 2016 has been!

This time last year, I was busy packing up my life to move into RMC – as were many of you. What felt new and strange in January now feels normal and truly like home. I know that plenty of others have had the same experience over the course of the year, and it’s great to hear your stories of how you have come to think of RMC as a second home, and the community here as one big family. That’s certainly true for us!

While many of us were new here – over 50% of current residents have been here less than 12 months – RMC itself remained much the same in 2016. Formal dinners occurred as usual, with a huge amount of effort from Ryan Stoltz and the cultural committee, the kitchen and maintenance staff, and Liz in the office. International Night was a particular highlight for me, as I got to see the amazing culinary talents of so many of our residents as well as our regular kitchen staff. Christmas in Winter was also a brilliantly fun evening, celebrating all that is daggy and lovable about Christmas and giving us a fantastic chance to gather as a big family to rejoice together. My kids were pretty upset at having to go to bed before Santa and Mrs Claus arrived – maybe next year they’ll be big enough to wait up! Valedictory Dinner gave us a great chance to thank those who have served us at RMC this year, and to farewell those leaving – a significant moment for all of us.

The College’s mission has been the same this year as it always has been – to provide a caring community, to promote academic excellence, and to give residents a chance to hear about Jesus. The RTs and the Student Executive have done a brilliant job this year of creating community both in the blocks and for the college as a whole. O-Week was a whirlwind, with enough different events to make everyone feel welcome and at home here. We won the dance-off again, and one of the highlights of the year for me has been watching our dance performed after every formal event – what a great demonstration of our togetherness! Sporting events have also cemented us as a college community, as we regularly defeated DLC (even though we lost the competition overall) and maintained our pride in our sports-person-ship (not a real word) and our commitment to fairness and sporting excellence. More recently, our debating team once again won the Mansfield Cup – the third year in a row we’ve defeated DLC with our brains and our wit. Returning residents have formed real friendships with freshers, and together we’ve worked hard at supporting each other and maintaining our community. This edition of the Echo captures so much of what our community has been this year – my particular thanks to Jack Bailey for working so hard to put it all together as a memento for us all.

Academically it’s been a terrific year too. In first semester, 25 residents – almost 10% of the college – received two or more High Distinctions in their courses. That’s a phenomenal achievement! Academic tutors have worked really hard helping residents out with their studies and allowing them to achieve their potential. We’ve hosted ten academic dinners, from Ancient History to Law, Education to Management, and had some great discussions with women excelling in those fields who had brilliant advice to give to current residents and alumni.

Our Chaplaincy RTs have worked hard too to give residents a chance to learn about Christianity. The Think True Thursday events have promoted great discussions on spirituality and how religion intersects with our everyday lives. The college Chaplains have continued to be a great support for anyone needing wise advice or just someone to listen.

As I look back over my first year at RMC, I am already starting to forget the challenges, and remember only the good times. For me, it’s been a chance to meet so many wonderful residents, to work alongside a great bunch of RTs, DOs, academic tutors and student exec members, and a year filled with brilliant experiences, including my first RMCSA Ball! A holiday is definitely in order, but I’m looking forward to welcoming you all home again in February for another great year, filled with much that will continue the same, but some great new experiences too. Thanks for making us feel so welcomed and at home at RMC – it’s a privilege to be here.

Dr. Katrina Clifford ~ Dean of RMC

RMCSA Student Executive Report - 2016 2016… What a year it has been for the Student Executive; from Freshers in 2015 to the leaders in 2016!

We eagerly awaited the appearance of new faces and also familiar ones to show them what 2016 had in store for them.

We started off the year with O-Week, and as per usual, the week started off with the ‘Awkward Lunch’ the time where small talk is your best friend. This is the first insight into RMC that Freshers have - with no clue what was in store for the week ahead. Who would have expected to be forced to dance their hearts out against DLC, losing the majority of your hair (if not all of it), and of course the absurd fun in the sun and some very questionable challenges on what we affectionately call scav hunt! We saw Speed Dating, Tour De Mac, Harbour Cruise, Pub Crawl, Coffee Crawl and of course the very debatable ABC costumes.

And, of course, the two year winning streak for the Fresher Dance-Off. The year flew by in the blink of an eye… well time does fly when you’re supposed to be studying. The Student Executive is proud to have brought you so many events throughout the year, such as; the Holi festival, International Night, Christmas in Winter, the annual RMCSA Ball, Spring Festival, the Mansfield Cup (where our debaters won for the third straight year) and many, many more. But we must acknowledge all the hard work and efforts from the Executive Representatives and their committees for all they have done throughout the year.

RMC wouldn’t really be a place without all the residents. Without your contribution and the help of every member of the RMCSA, college wouldn’t be our home, it would just be a house. It has been an incredible year and it’s crazy to think that 2016 has gone so quickly. It has been an honour for us being your Student Executive for the year; we have truly enjoyed this year and hope that you have too! We wish the best of luck for the 2017 Executive. Go hard Menzies!

Daniel and the RMCSA Student Executive 2016

Robert Menzies College Student Association Executive 2016 President - Daniel Zhou Vice President - Laura Anderson Secretary - Ly Khanh Ha Treasurer - Lachlan Ho Community, Communications and Marketing Representative - Hannah Murray A Block Captain - Cindy Diep B Block Captain - Zoe Walters C Block Captain - Shubham Chohda D Block Captain - Dean Bevitt S Block Captain - Edward Lo N Block Captain - Vichai Konangi Cultural Representative - Ryan Stoltz Cultural Committee Member - Jonty Boshier Cultural Committee Member - Kyah Murphy Cultural Committee Member - Elle Yeo Social Representative - Izzy Green Moore Social Committee Member - Madeline Chalker Social Committee Member - Zoe Speer Social Committee Member - Vaseekaran Vijayakumar Sport Representative - Maddie Martin Sport Committee Member - Andrew Holdsworth Sport Committee Member - Lilly Kirkby Sport Committee Member - Ryan Lawler Sustainability, Volunteering and Fundraising Representative - N/A SVF Committee Member - Ngoc Bao Pham SVF Committee Member - Pasi Fadzai SVF Committee Member - Keely McDermott SVF Committee Member - Jess McLeod SVF Committee Member - Yue Wang

Scav Hunt 2016 Winners - ‘Team Majestic’ Leaders: Maddie Martin, Matt Croese and Jack Bailey Team Members: Zoe Speer, Alex Wall, Minh Long Nguyen Vu, Shannon Martin, Amy Thomson, Zoe Walters and Keely McDermott

O-Week

Orientation (noun): Familiarisation with something.

Orientation (noun): Familiarisation with something.

O-Week Teeshirts Another year, another shirt.

Above: 2016 O-Week Shirt Across Page: 2012 - 2015 O-Week Shirts

O-Week Awards Ultimate Fresher - Ryan Lawler Honourable Freshers - Zoe Speer and Jonty Boshier Best Harbour Cruise Squad - Cindy Diep, Keely McDermott, Shannon Martin, Imogen Cox, Katelin Kelly and Zoe Speer Best ABC Costume - Grace Armstrong and Zoe Selby Best Underager - Madeline MacLean Best Fresher Cut - Julian Aenishaenslin Best Dancers - Kyah Murphy and Alex Wall Best O-Week Injury - Jordan Batten

Fresher Dance 2016 Song: ‘Sorry’ - Justin Bieber

The Fresher Dance-Off between RMC and friendly rival college DLC, has been happening since the late 2000’s. After 5 years in a row of losing, RMC first won the coveted Dance-Off trophy in 2015. RMC’s luck continued into 2016, with everyone dancing themselves to another victory!

Recent Fresher Dance-Off songs: 2012 - You Make Me Feel - Cobra Starship Feat. Sabi 2013 - I Love It - Icona Pop Feat. Charli XCX 2014 - Timber - Pitbull Feat. Ke$ha 2015 - Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson Feat. Bruno Mars

O-Week

RMCSA Committee Reports

Jess Moran being ‘ponded’

Community, Communications and Marketing Report In every community there is work to be done. Robert Menzies College is a community that plays an important role in helping people transition into university. The kinds of celebrations, parties, programs and initiatives that RMC provides enable our community to progress and prosper.

This community begins in O-Week, where everyone is taken out of their comfort zones and into a new way of living. O-Week left us feeling hungover and in physical pain, but it also left us with new friends and a place that we could call home. As the year went on, we learnt how to finish assignments and still make it out to Ranch and Ubar every week. Despite the heartbreaks, drama, and broken glass, the community continued to grow as we experienced the ups and downs of college life together.

The community at RMC in 2016 is supported by people with hearts full of love, ears open to listening, and hands willing to help. At sporting events, our teams were full of college pride and were always supported by people cheering on the sidelines.At social events, where we had some of the highest attendances to date, people were always willing to have a good time. At cultural events, people were always willing to put up their hands to perform, and everyone immersed themselves in our cultural traditions at RMCwhether this be by way of dress or trying new types of food. At sustainability events, everyone was willing to support the cause and participate in the activities we planned. At community events, we had the chance to try out new activities that ranged from art to boardgames to waterslides. Overall, the effort we have devoted to the 2016 RMCSA events have created a community that we know will have long-lasting benefits.

Our community is made up of people that show up and support us when things get hard, and celebrate with us when things are great, that create the backbone of our life at RMC. I want to say thank you to the 2016 exec, committees, residential tutors, and block captains. Thank you for helping to foster the community spirit at RMC. I have thoroughly enjoyed my year as CCM Rep, and would like to wish Keely and the exec-elect the best of luck for next year.

Hannah Murray

Cultural Report Oh wow, what a year it has been. From staying up late to make the snowflakes to getting up early to get our Holi on. It has been an exciting, challenging and colourful year as the Cultural Rep for 2016. A reminder - it’s not an RMC event without the (winning) fresher dance being played. Holi was one where friends turned to enemies as everyone tried to get the most amount of colour on themselves, and thankfully, the beloved courtyard remains stain free and the fish are thriving. Commencement Dinner was the first formal dinner, where everyone looked 10/10. The freshers got to meet each other and also got to meet other residents from the same faculty. International night was a culture explosion, from the different performances and the amazing cooks, thanks Lois, it was an enjoyable night for all. Christmas in Winter was a time for it to snow at RMC, I remembering sitting with the cultural committee cutting out the snowflakes and Elle yelled at us because clearly we could not cut out snowflakes. I’d like to thank the cultural committee; Elle Yao, Jonty Bosher and Kyah Murphy for being there to hear my many rants and helping with the setup for the events. Valedictory Dinner was the final event, where we said goodbye to many friends, and heard Leon’s final poem. A special thanks to everyone who helped in any way with the setup, pack up and of course being involved in all the Cultural events.

And remember if Sorry plays, I’ll be watching…

Ryan Stoltz

Social Report What an incredible year 2016 has been for the Social Committee! It has taken a lot of time and energy to organise the social events for college this year to encourage RMC residents to have interactions outside of the dining hall. From the ABC Party and Harbour Cruise in O-Week, to Grooves on the Grass at DLC, the RMCSA Ball and Halloween Harbour Cruise, we’ve had a little bit of everything. These events all aim to give people at college a chance to let loose and take a break from the stresses of university life. I think we did pretty well!

We started off in O-Week with the Anything But Clothes party at UBAR where we lead RMC to victory for the second year running in the dance off against DLC (Will you ever be able to hear Sorry without hearing Maddie, Ryan & Hannah’s voices?). The following evening we had our #SquadGoals Harbour Cruise, where we brought together old and new members of college to create some fantastic memories.

Although we had a few tense moments (not naming any names) both nights were a great success!

Special shout out to the winners of ‘Best Dressed’ for ABC – Grace Armstrong and Zoe Selby. With appearances from the ever-classic garbage bags and of course, sheets and caution tape. And our ‘Best Dressed’ for Harbour Cruise – the Arthur Squad. Let’s be real though, we all know the Exec’s Cartel Squad should have won. Apparently you shouldn’t give a prize to yourself, someone told me. Special mentions also to the M&M Squad and the RT Minions (although I hated you for it).

For the third year we continued on with our combined RMC and DLC event Grooves on the Grass. This event is a chance for everyone to take an afternoon off to chill out with a few drinks and listen to RMC and DLC’s talented musicians. We heard from Cindy Diep, Patrick Newall, Angus Jones, Fadzai Pasi & Abhiraj Arjun and of course Alice’s Adventure. This event is probably one of the only opportunity for RMC and DLC to intermingle without a competition (although I’m sure there were debates about who had the better musicians).

We ended the semester with our ever present End Of Semester party – where RMC-ers dressed up as something beginning with the letter of their block. Special mentions go to: the Bad Berry Boys from B-Block, Cavewomen, Male Cheerleaders... even some Catholics showed up! Special thanks to our treasurer Lachlan Ho for being such a top bloke with the bar tab. I know some of us felt the after effects of his generosity the next morning.

Semester Two started off with off with a bang, with planning well underway for the RMCSA Annual Ball.

Curzon Hall was an amazing location for all 185 people who attended, decked out to the nines. This is the biggest event of the year for the Social Committee and apart from a few mishaps (a few people were quadruple fisting it resulting in a switch to table service only) it was an incredible night. Special thanks to our amazing photographer Philippa and our Photobooth man Mathew.

Our year was rounded out with the Halloween Harbour Cruise. There were some truly amazing costumes – the cast of Breaking Bad a personal favourite, along with the cast of Alice in Wonderland, the traditional glam and gore and even Harambe made an appearance. With the addition of spirits on this Harbour Cruise it was a small miracle that it went off without any issues, so cheers for making my life easier!

Finally, I have to give a special thank you to my Social Committee members: Madeline Chalker, Zoe Speer & Vasee Vijayakumar. I have been so privileged to have your help in running these events this year and I definitely couldn’t have done it without you all. You went above and beyond and I am so proud of all of you. I also need to thank the rest of the Student Exec. Thank you for putting up with my stress head tendencies and always being there for support when I needed it. Lastly, I’d like to wish Lilly Kirkby all the best of luck as next year’s Social Rep. I know she will do a fantastic job and will do the college proud.

Thank you so much for appointing me your Social Rep for 2016. I’ve had an absolutely incredible time planning all the events this year and helping to represent College. I hope you guys had as much fun at this year’s events as I did.

Izzy Green Moore (Social Rep) Madeline Chalker, Zoe Speer, Vasee Vijayakumar (Social Committee)

Sports Report 2016 was set to be the year RMC was to win the intercollege sports cup, this brand new group of freshers looked capable to do the job for us and get us over the line. However it was not to be, once again.

The year was kicked off with Volleyball, the turn out was solid, good vibes were surrounding us for the first intercollege sports event! DLC rocked up in their true form and there was no Village to be seen, as usual. This event was pretty solid for RMC, tying with DLC at the end of the day, with a few wins and a few losses.

Next we had waterpolo, on probably the most miserable day of intercollege sporting. Our teams were looking strong; the guys had a good amount of numbers, whilst our girls learnt how hard it is to swim for 4 minutes, for 4 quarters!! The guys began with a group huddle followed by some fancy synchronized diving. With swim relays cancelled (due to the miserable weather) RMC was only fortunate enough to win one game. Shout out to Ella and Mealz for the girls and Andrew for the boys, good effort on that village guy!

Netball was next, where we struggled slightly on the court. Grace Armstrong controlled the center court for the girls, with Mealz bringing it home in GA. For the fellas, Sank and Dillon teamed up as a scoring power couple, with Jim controlling the play as center. Unfortunately we were unable to beat DLC, but did beat the (no-show) Village! We finished off the day with a fun mixed game between RMC members.

To finish off semester 1 for intercollege sports we played soccer! The boys had a strong looking team, highlighted by a useless ex RMC guy who plays for the Wanderers…lucky that we had Jordan, Niyi, Raichi, Benji and Minh Long. This is where a few of our girls shone brightly. Shout out to our RMC girls who play for Macquarie; Kyah, Zoe, Sarah and Sarah. Britto, you da MVP for that weird belly flop fall you had!

The start of semester 2 brought us Dodgeball and if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball! The gods were on our side today grabbing a few wins on the court and a few people finding out they’re quite good at chucking balls at DLC! Following this brought us Basketball. We were looking strong and feeling extra tall, however it was not meant to be. DLC women ran all over the girls, winning by 30 points. However, Jess did kill it, holding our womens team together! We were all hopeful that our boys would pull through, surely with Shooter and Sank the guys were guaranteed a win. However the Village guys actually showed up, winning all of their games through a few key players.

The final, and most anticipated sports event Rugby 10’s and touch was finally upon us. With the Village once again being a no show, we kicked off the day with a friendly mixed game of touch, just to get the legs moving. The girls killed it in touch against DLC, with key performances from Grace, Zoe (before she injured herself) and Laura. It was then the boys turn to have a run and a chance to beat DLC in rugby.

Thanks to Aleks, Alec and Alex for leading the team and thanks to David for creating some entertainment.

What a year it was on the sporting field! Thanks for everyone who played in a sports event and to anyone who came to support their fellow collegians. We came close, but not close enough! Good luck to Pasi for next year. Congrats to Grace for Sportswoman of the Year and to Ryan for Sportsman of the Year.

Maddie Martin (Sports Representative) Lilly Kirkby, Andrew Holdsworth and Ryan Lawler (Sports Committee)

Sustainablilty, Volunteering and Fundraising 2016 Sustainability:

In first term, Robert Menzies College attacked the sustainability element of the SVF portfolio by participating in Earth Hour, turning out all the lights in the college. Earth Hour started in 2007, when Sydney turned all the lights off for an hour in attempt to protect the planet from carbon emissions.

Although all the lights were out, the college did not dull; the courtyard was lit with glow sticks, sparklers and the famous Menzies spirit. Those who had uni commitments were unaffected as the study rooms and communal areas kept the lights on. Overall, the night was a great success as the majority of the college joined us in the courtyard for food, picnic blankets and singing.

Volunteering:

It has become a Robert Menzies tradition to partake in the Red Shield appeal, assisting the Salvation Army to raise money for those struck by trauma. This year, almost 20 students withstood the wind and the rain, door knocking to collect donations from the North Ryde community.

The majority of students at RMC have moved far away from their home and families, which can be a daunting process, but we, as a community, stick together and make sure everyone feels comfortable in their new home. Being involved in the Red Shield appeal, and working with the outer community builds on the idea of community that RMC embraces so wholeheartedly. Helping other people in need and putting the wellbeing of others before our own are values Robert Menzies endeavour to display.

Our involvement with the Salvation Army reflects on values our college believe are of the utmost importance; community, growth, selflessness and giving. These values leave our community as one in which everyone is accepted, allowing Robert Menzies to be a place everyone can call home.

Fundraising:

In the second semester, Robert Menzies residents took yet another chance to give back to their community, having both a girls night and a boys night in order to raise money for both breast cancer and prostate cancer research. The girls played ‘pin the kiss on the hunk’ in their pyjamas, painted their nails and ate their body weight in sugar, while conversation, laughter and battle cries emanated through the courtyard. Overall, the night raised a little more than $150, which was matched by the Robert Menzies College Student Association funds, so over $300 was donated to cancer research.

Laura Anderson (Vice President)

Reflections Coming to Australia from Zimbabwe I had no idea what to expect. Here I was, a foreigner in a new land, no parents to guide me, no one I knew to help me out. I was alone in this strange place. And then I arrived at Robert Menzies College, the lady at the front desk helped me out and one of the best journeys of my life so far had begun. The people I have met have had an impact on me, big or small, I’ve made tons of friends, stayed up much later than I should, partied it up at the Ranch, Ubar and in the city, made some elaborate costumes, eaten far more rice than I should, thrown people in ponds, broken and fractured some bones, made many mistakes, and have fallen in love. As I look back, I have fierce pride at all we have done as a college. I brought us within one point of winning the Intercollege Sports as Sports Rep, I was a part of the Exec that won the Fresher Dance Off for the first time in Menzies history, was part of a stellar RT team, worked with the brilliant kitchen staff, and with the hard-working maintenance crew, helped start up Dungeons and Dragons at the college and bared my soul with many (maybe too many?) a poem. This was but a snippet of the wonderful experiences I’ve had. It’s been a truly epic adventure, but like all adventures, it must reach a conclusion.

RMC turned out to be more than just a place to stay while I studied, RMC became life, RMC became love, RMC became home and I would not trade the experience for the world.

Leon Dhemba - RMCSA 2015 President

RMC Block Reports

A Block Report Residential Tutors: Hannah Stephens Sam Cooper

Others have cited concerns that my tiny hands are not large enough to hold the master key that has unlocked many many many locked doors. I assure you there is no problem. I have had no negative remarks in the past at all, my fingers are long and beautiful, and as it has been well documented, so are various other parts of my body. Such as my feet. There is no problem, I guarantee. This Year has been a great year for A Block since Sam was appointed and started taking extra courses from Trump university, A block has been made great again.

Hannah - What’s one thing girls are definitely

What’s been going on in A Block?

Sam- Some have cited concerns about the massive migration from C block. I mirror these concerns, when C-block sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they bring super smash brothers, they’re bringing FIFA, they bring stink, and they bring the milk thief. And some, I assume, are good people. I suggest we build a great wall, and we will get B-block to pay for it. In fact I’ve got word from an ‘extremely creditable source’ that Basel’s birth certificate is a fraud. The best method of attack I think is to go after their pets first, the cat will be the first one to be grabbed.

good at? Keeping boys in line. That is exactly what we have to do in Top A with two whole floors of boys beneath us to keep out of mischief. While Bottom and Middle A battled the milk thief, up top we battled the infamous cheese smell as we ascended the stairwell to our DUSK smelling residence leaving the cheese smell behind with a slam of the door. Top A has been a loving, collective and cohesive community this year, with such a wonderful group of girls making it so. From our dominos pizza movie nights, Madeline’s weekly call for Ranch, our (honorary) shrine to Eric, and our Urban Dictionary interactive learning classes, it can be said that us girls in top A maintained a strict studious lifestyle where no questionable shenanigans were had. I don’t think I could say a big enough thankyou to all of the wonderful ladies in Top A for making this year such a memorable one and for making it such an honour to have been your RT through all things good and bad in 2016.

B Block Report Residential Tutors: Shrav Joshi Angus Suttor

I am not being modest when I say that B Block is the best block there is at college. It is. As someone I used to know would say - ‘Sorry ‘bout it’. There is a reason we are RMC’s best kept secret - we operate in the shadows. Instead of kicking up a fuss in the dining hall about things, we are in our bedrooms trying to connect to the wifi so we can complain on the Block’s Facebook page. Anything from stolen food or utensils, messes in the kitchen and even worse the bathroom, ruined pants and towels from the overly generous amounts of bleach the cleaners use to complaining about people yelling in the Forest, if we can complain, we will. Our two RT’s, Shrav and Angus, definitely had their hands full this year with mid day conversations that were apparently happening ‘a little too loudly for 11 am’, to taking us all rock climbing and decoration making and to their biggest task of all, looking after us after nights up at the Ranch or Ubar.

When needed, B Block is second to none in pulling together a team for an event and then separating, never to speak again until the next one. This led us to multiple victories of the ‘Block Oar’ and ‘Block Wars’, which if either had happened this past year, I am sure we would have dominated in.

Whilst times may be changing and B Blockers are mingling more with the other Blocks, B Blockers will always have a special place in each others hearts.

I believe it was Stevie Nicks who sang that ‘Thunder only happens when it’s raining’. Well in B Block’s case, it may have been raining, but we saw nothing, we heard nothing and we have each others backs.

Over and Out. Jack Bailey (B Block Resident)

C Block Report Residential Tutors: Natasha Hewitt Basel Hindeleh

From the very first day of O-week, the C blockers were keen to be challenged, make friends and be involved in the life of the college. It has been fantastic to be a part of such a vibrant community that has been shaped by so many skills and a passion for caring for each other. The friendships in C block this year have blossomed and been a real source of encouragement and personal growth. It has been wonderful to see how so many people in C block have built lifelong friendships on a foundation of deep care and respect for each other. The friendships that we have made have been a source of laughter, happiness, comfort and support in both the joys and the struggles of this year.

There were many people from C block serving on student associations to create enjoyable opportunities for members of the college. Maddie Martin, Laura Anderson, Izzy Green Moore and Hannah Murray served with dedication and enthusiasm on the Student Executive to organise events and opportunities to connect with people from within RMC and with the local community. Vasee Vijayakumar, Andrew Holdsworth, Raman Wadhwa, Elle Yeo and Jess McLeod assisted on student committees to organise formal dinners, sports events and community service activities. At the Valedictory Dinner, Grace Armstrong received the RMC sportswoman of the year award and Julian Aenishaenslin-Rigoni received the RMC citizen of the year award. All the C blockers have shown enthusiasm, involvement and commitment to the many aspects of life at RMC. Thank you C block for such a wonderful year! I have enjoyed getting to know each of you and I wish you all the very best for the future.

Natasha Hewitt

D Block Report Residential Tutors: Beth Hadfield Benjamin Sam Keelan Birch

Some might say someone has a Harry Potter fetish when you first enter D block with all its amazing Diagon Alley decorations, and they would be right.

It was officially deemed the best decorated block by the master himself and with that D block kicked off its shenanigans to a great start. However, much mischief was managed throughout the year, which includes but is not limited to; Hedwig trying to escape, pet bunny rabbits, forks mysteriously ending up in the middle of Katrina’s driveway, concussions and one of the RTs (he who shall not be named) doing the walk of shame after losing the master swipe and key.

First semester’s events involved movie nights in middle D with D blockers immersing themselves in the challenge of watching all the Harry Potter movies (but only getting around to 1 and 4), watching ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, ‘Pride Prejudice and Zombies’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’. D block fantastically brought a fan which everyone was a fan of. And an Easter supper of chocolate and hot cross buns was enjoyed before the mid-semester break. We also arranged an environmental event which challenged D blockers to be as environmentally friendly as possible within 24 hours. People caught public transport, refused to use their phone, lights or showers, ate vegan food and went without coffee. It seemed that some people had even gone Bear Grylls by doing everything humanly possible other than living in the wild. The winner took home their own personal tree. Semester one ended with a farewell surprise breakfast for our RT Benjamin.

The second semester saw the introduction of Keelan to our wizarding world of D block. The new semester also saw people moving out of RMC or just to a new block but fresh faces arrived and they were gladly welcomed. Second semester was a blast – almost quite literally – with D block holding the unofficial record of most fire alarms set off during the semester (a record we aren’t proud of but a record nonetheless). Stoves and microwaves were lit (accidentally) and so were teddy bears (again accidentally) but through the smoky stench D block held strong. Our major block event, organising and running Mental Health Week for the college, was a great success. Various activities included hand painting, nail polish and henna tattoos, stress ball making and face painting occurred throughout the week to raise awareness and were all attempted with enthusiasm and excitement. The week then ended with an awareness supper which the Dean Katrina spoke at and ended with letting any stress and anger out on a piñata - a therapeutic experience for all. A big thank you to all those D Blockers (and college extras) who participated, organised and helped in the activities. Adventures continued deep into the semester with the keen beans endeavouring in rock climbing and the more social kind gathering together for The Noodle Markets in the city. And let us not forget the unforgettable D block winning the debating against the rival block.

Thank you one and all for making D block your home and supporting and helping each other.

Mischief Managed, Beth Hadfield and Keelan Birch (And Benjamin Sam)

S/N Block Report Residential Tutors: Pip Fitzgerald James Robinson Jess Moran Moses Simiyu

This has been a wonderful year in SNail-block. We started off strong with a great turn out to our first block meeting (I make no apologies for my teacher clap). Meeting all of you wonderful people was lovely and I’ve felt privileged to be one of your RT’s this year. Though we’ve had our bumps along the way, nearly burning down the college, noise, slow wifi, me locking myself out of my room 20 times and more.

We’ve also had some fun times; playing cards against humanity in the common rooms, spontaneous kitchen parties, wifi riots, elevator chats, Sabrina always leaving yummy treats for us in the S-block kitchens and Wilkins and his awesome movies. Our organised events have also had some memorable moments like Candice’s fairy bread at our cultural night, Anh and his amazing ice skating, Kaanchi and her mints before movie night. I want to thank you all for these wonderful moments particularly Cristel, our Keen Bean award recipient, for coming to so many events, Jordan for not dying under our care, I’m glad Pip has been able to help patch you up so often, Queenie for letting me try out her rainbow skateboard and Eddie for always saying hi and checking in on me, you’ve been a great block captain despite your lack of Facebook.

We’ve baked, talked and most importantly eaten together for the past year and I have enjoyed almost every moment of it. Thanks SNazzy SNails, I love you all.

Jess Moran

2016, the year of Brexit, Rio Olympics, Pokémon Go, as well as the return of the true flavour of Arnott’s Barbeque Shapes. For SNail Block, it was a year of triumph as we managed to get through another year of higher education and college shenanigans. We achieved this despite internet failure, pressing deadlines, evil gym equipment hell-bent on tearing our muscles and soles, as well as the ever-pleasant sound of the fire alarm between the hours of 11:00pm and 7:00am.

Our victories were various; in cooking, we won best cookies in the college Bake Off as well as tried a variety of cultural dishes prepared by our residents for our cultural night. Jonty and Jordan displayed their amazing oratory skills by claiming victory in the inter-block debate, with Jonty carrying his success into the inter-college debate against DLC. However, I believe that our true successes lie within everyday experiences of SNail Block. From hallway parties in S3, movie nights, card games and board games, to tea parties, study sessions, Snapchat battles, as well as midnight chats…and snacks.

Thank you guys so much for such an incredible year, and special thanks go out to James, Jess and Moses, without whom S and N Block would not have achieved the things it did without their support, care and encouragement. Wishing everyone all the best in the future, for within each of you is the power to forge your own path and make a difference in your own and other people’s lives.

Pip Fitzgerald

Events at RMC

Marsfield Cup Team 2016 Sarah Toohey, Matt Su, Chris Marlow and Jonty Boshier

RMCSA Annual Arts Week The RMC Arts Week is designed to challenge and nurture the artist within us all. Throughout the week, RMC residents can recite some Shakespeare, draw some chalk masterpieces, try their hand at Calligraphy and show off their talents to the rest of RMC at the Revue. Winners from the 2016 ArtsWeek included: Shakespeare Winner - Alex Wall Shakespeare Runner-Up - Matt Su Chalk Art Winner - Matt Su Chalk Art Runner-Up - Connie Noon, Lydia Lindfield and Sophie Harris RMC Revue Winner - Patrick Newall and Jim Johnston RMC Revue Runner-Up - Gen Smith and Rachel Joret Photograph Competition Winner Benjamin Sam

Commencement Dinner

RMCSA Annual Ball ~ Curzon Hall

RMCSA Annual Ball ~ Curzon Hall

Holi Festival ~ Festival of Colour

International Night

Spring Festival

Valedictory Dinner

Halloween

Re:Conception Day

Letter from the Editor

Writing, editing and formatting ‘The Echo’ has been a very nostalgic process for me, as it not only looks back on the year of 2016, but also becomes my last act as a resident of RMC. As 2017 bloomed and my name moved to the list of RMC Alumni, I started to reminisce on my time at RMC. My RMC journey started all the way back in 2013 and in the four years I have called RMC home, I have tried to pack as much of the ‘college experience’ into my life as I can. Whilst it hasn’t been the easiest place to live, the positive aspects far outweigh the negative. My one bit of advice to any RMC resident is to embrace every opportunity that the college has to offer.

I’ve been a member of the Student Executive, edited ‘The Voice’ and now ‘The Echo’, scrubbed my way through all the dishes in the kitchen, taken tours of all the blocks, I’ve won a couple of scavenger hunts and co-choreographed the first Fresher Dance to ever beat DLC. There are a lot of people who have assisted me during the four years RMC was my home and I’d like to take the time to thank them.

To my fellow Exec members of 2015, my co-editor of The Voice (Ivana), my coworkers and bosses in the various college jobs I have done and anyone else who helped me achieve the list of things above - a massive thank you.

To all the staff at RMC, some coworkers and other just amazingly helpful, patient people, I just want to say how great you guys all are (especially my main bae Lois). Special thanks to Paul Yeates and Katrina Clifford, Deans of RMC, who were both amazing sounding boards for all the whacky stuff I would have come to them with, whether it was Exec related, Voice related or just me wanting a solid rant.

Whilst the Neighbours theme tune sings about being there for one another and becoming good friends, being a resident at RMC is so much more than that. Your neighbours become your family. To my RMC neighbours, who became my friends and my family, thanks for being the whacky, ridiculous, second to none, incredible bunch of people you are.

As my good friend Michelle Bridges says - ‘you are in charge of your own happiness, go get some’.

Jack Bailey