Content warning: This article contains references to sexual assault and violence.
Uni is back for Term 4, and you’re probably drowning in mid-semester essays, but at least the ducklings are out and about. If you don’t have time to read more than one thing this week, here’s the news you might have missed.
ANU
On September 30 Geoffrey Robertson AO QC delivered the Faith Bandler Lecture. The lecture, named for Bandler who is known for his advocacy for the YES case for the Aboriginal question in the 1987 Referendum, is an annual lecture on Indigenous Rights. Robertson’s lecture discussed the advancement of the legal rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
ANU students won the global awards for three categories in the “highly competitive” Undergraduate Awards. Matthew Barton won the award for history, Melany Toombs for Law and Rosalind Moran for Music, Film & Theatre. The winners earn international recognition, as well as an invitation to the Global Summit in Ireland. Vanamali Hermans and Sarah Locker, also from ANU, won the Oceania regional award for Social Sciences and Business respectively.
The Grand Challenge Scheme (ANU) finals were held this week, with “Delivering zero-carbon energy to Asia Pacific” taking out top prize. The team will receive $10 million in funding. The team is led by Professor Ken Baldwin from the ANU Energy Change Institute.
The trial of Alex Ophel, who allegedly attacked students and a staff member during a class in August last year, began this week. This Court heard from witnesses of the event, and the defendant’s parents. Observer is keeping you updated in our daily blog.
ANUSA
The ANU Ethnocultural Department put on the inaugural Ethnocultural Revue, entitled ‘I’m not racist but…’ on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The event sold out for all three nights.
The Ethnocultural Department also announced the Ethnocultural Officer for 2019 as Aisha Sepita. Sepita will take on the role from December 1 this year. Sepita will be the third Ethnocultural officer of the relatively new department.
In other election news, nominations for the International Student’s Department (ISD) positions closed on Wednesday, and all executive positions were elected unopposed. The 2019 executive for ISD is:
President – Hazel Ang
Vice-President – Yitong Tao
Secretary – Zheuzheu Erin Qin
Treasurer – Yip Lew Ching
Nominations for 2019 ISD Social Director, Wellbeing director, Education Director and Publications Director opened on Thursday.
Campus
UniCorner Cafe, La Empanada, and Kubrick will not be in Kambri, and Harry Hartog will replace the Co-op bookshop in 2019. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Marnie Hughes-Warrington told Observer that the first building will be completed on 2 December, and the last on 30 January.
Advocacy
One year on from the release of the ANU Sexual Assault Policy, Observer examined how ANU is progressing in keeping its promises to improve. The Respectful Relationships unit will be trialling consent workshops next week, targeting residences and international students, but little research has been done into Restorative Justice. Read how the University is performing here.
Higher Education
The ANUSA Education Committee held a meeting this week to determine how the group will function going forward, and what it should be doing. Observer released a two part explainer on the history and function of the Education Committee and the influence of political factions. The Education Officer, Harry Needham, released a number of suggestions about Education Committee reform prior to the meeting.
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