An update on uni life

Hello everybody! It has been a while since my last blog because I have been super busy! Aren't we all though? I wanted to give you an update on how life at Macquarie is for me.

I can't believe the first semester of uni is almost over. As I write this, I only have one exam to go. The first two were surprisingly easy (or so I think. Let's wait 'til I get the marks back). The one coming up in a couple days is going to be the hardest. 2 hours for three long response questions. I am normally really good at this sort of thing but I haven't been paying as much attention to this subject as it has been the least interesting for me when I thought it would be my favourite. It is Human Resource Management. The subject I wanted to major in. Yes it has only been one semester and I could have just had a bad unit or lecturer or whatever, but I really don't feel interested anymore. 

So far outside of class, I have attended one Uni Bar party, a few Sydney Uni parties (and actually made more friends there than I have at my own uni) participated in the FirstSTEP mentoring program for business students, went to the careers fair, gone to see a uni soccer game, participated in a drum performance, participated in a casual drum circle and attended a resume writing class of which I have included a photo of.

The one good thing about that class is that I made a friend. I hang out in the 'Queer Space' in between classes at uni and one day early in the semester before a lecture I saw a girl with the same textbook as me. I asked her if she was going to the lecture that was on in ten minutes and she said yes. We walked there together and sat next to each other and it became a routine (until we were both bored out of our brains and skipped the last few lectures [which is terrible and I never thought I would be the kind of person to skip lectures - especially in my first semester but I just lost interest]). We had a group assignment for the tutorial class and joined together with another guy.  We had two assessments to do together. A debate and an essay. We were a good team because our marks were at the upper end of the scale in our class.

I have been seeing the careers adviser as of about a month ago and just had my third session with her today. She is much more helpful than my high school careers adviser ever was. I can't wait to do the homework she sets for me every week so I can get closer to finding a career path that makes sense. I was feeling extremely stressed and anxious before my first appointment because I couldn't stop thinking of all the money and time I was wasting doing a course that isn't right for me. I actually booked an appointment with the counsellor because I just needed to vent about the hard time I was having at uni. I hated going to campus because I wasn't enjoying anything. 

After class when I would go and get something to eat and sit up in the queer space to try and socialise, I would just eat and observe everyone's conversations. Due to the fact that I have two jobs and live a fair way away from campus I don't spend much time there. I go to class, have a meal or snack and go. Everyone around me spent most of their week on campus and was making close bonds with everyone. Or they were in their second or third year and had groups of friends formed already. I felt like an intruder. I still do around some people. Things are starting to get a little better. A couple people always make the effort to talk to me even when they are already in a conversation when they see me. I am in the music society and after joining a drum circle, one of the members invited me to his place for the next time he has a jam session. That made my day. He barely knows me and he showed so much kindness and warmth.

My Croatian class is full of people that I get along with. It is a very interactive class every week so we have gotten to know each other very well. I love them all so much and they make my day every time I see them. After the final exam we all went to Max Brenner and had a delicious reward together. We sat and talked for a couple hours. It was lovely. After one of the girls I was studying with said she was craving schnitzel, the Cro in me kicked in and invited the whole class over for dinner. I had planned to make schnitzel later in the week anyway so it was perfect. A few people were available and made the journey to my little town house in the western suburbs to eat on a Thursday night. It was a great night and I felt like I was in an episode of 'Come Dine With Me', just without any negative comments!

So that's a lot of information to take in and I have even more stories to tell. However there are many more blogs to write so stay tuned to keep updated! Thank you for reading.

- Dibs

Miss Extra-Curricular

So I have always been one to put my hand up and participate in anything and everything that was thrown at me. If it's exciting, if it's for a good cause, if I'm learning or helping someone out I like to be involved. A quick summary of my extracurricular activities include; public speaking, dirt bike riding from the age of about four, karate when I was about 6 years old, netball from ages 8-10, tap dancing for a couple years after, baseball, debating, drama (TV, Film & Theatre) classes for three or four years, football (soccer) for most of my high school years, musical theatre, music (I play a couple instruments well and try to play many more [I even have a trumpet that I have always wanted to perfect but never stuck with it]), being on the Student Rep Council and probably a few more things.

Being a part of all of these little communities and social groups led me to many great events. From hosting my drama school's annual 'Silver Screen Awards' to shaving my head and helping organise other fundraisers as part of the SRC to performing with my band (that was formed at school) at the grand final of the Mounties 'Battle of the Bands' competition. I have performed at Fairfield City Council's annual youth festival 'Bring it On!' as well as volunteered there helping out the NSW Family Planning stall which was taking photo's for the This is Oz campaign (http://www.thisisoz.com.au/). By performing a pantomime titled 'Jungle Jack and Jill' I was able to entertain audiences at the Cancer Council's Relay for Life, McHappy Day and the Teddy Bear's Picnic. I do these things because they are fun, rewarding, a great way to socialise and build experience and valuable communication and performance skills. 

The extracurricular activity that has brought me the most joy is being a big part of the CAPA faculty at high school. I still miss my drama class to this day. The students and my amazing teacher Pat. I miss the music rooms, the fancy instruments I got to use and just collaborating with so many talented and creative minds. Drama took me to participate in the annual Manly festival. My class was lucky enough to make massive lanterns shaped as saxophones and double basses. We got to march with them down to the beach in the parade. For my major group project I became very close with the two other girls I was working with. We performed in assembly in front of hundreds of students. None of the drama students wanted to perform in the senior assembly and they chose to perform to the year 7's and 8's & 9's. On the day, the M.C. announced that it was time for our performance and the moment came for us to walk into a packed school stadium. As we took our positions we were all hoping not to embarrass ourselves. After the first couple of lines the audience reacted better than we could have hoped for. The moment of joy and relief when they understood our performance and laughed and clapped was a moment I will never forget. I love performing. The rush. The adrenaline. The way I can evoke so many emotions from the people watching. 
Being actively involved in music at school brought me so much happiness. The teacher that made my high school experience so much more enriched is Teresa. She believes in so many young musicians and encourages everyone to perform, no matter what their skill level is. As a result of having this lovely woman around, I participated in numerous little gigs at school, numerous assemblies and in the annual music night at our local club. I was placed in a myriad of ensembles and worked my way up to the 'elite ensemble'. From this group we formed 'G62' (named after the classroom we spent the majority of our time practicing in during our spare time and even during school holidays). Being in G62 brought so many opportunities. From band competitions to recording our original songs in a studio and being interviewed on Hope 103.2. I also got to sing the song I wrote at the grand final of the Battle of the Bands. I assisted the woodwind ensemble, the vocal ensemble and other groups in their performances because I was the go-to drummer and I loved it! 

I take advantage of everything that is offered to me. Before university started, I participated in activities for 'future students' like 'Macquarie in a Day' and open day. During the first week of uni holidays I attended a careers workshop that focussed on resume writing. I take as much information in as I can when it is offered to me... as long as it doesn't involve reading journal articles because they are boring 99.9% of the time. I'm supposed to be doing my first assignment that is due first day back at the moment but I am writing this because I love the Pinnacle Foundation and I love the blogs! 
In summary my drama teacher left our class with some advice on our last day. She told us to participate in life. To be proactive and be involved in as many things as we can. To take life easy and to do what makes us happy. Everyone started crying. She was so right. Thank you Pat D.W. 

By DIBS

Music is not a hobby, it's a lifestyle

I’ve played trumpet for as long as I can remember. Barely old enough for primary school, I wandered up to my Dad’s bedroom and just started playing ‘Oh When the Saints’. Or so the story goes. 

I received formal tuition throughout primary school, and I went to a secondary school specialising in music education. Music has been kind to me - travel, television appearances and ANZAC Day services are just some of the exciting opportunities it has provided.

However, there’s a false romantic haze surrounding musicians, perhaps assisted by Hollywood and shows like the X Factor. Don’t be fooled by the get-famous-quick culture, it promotes the belief that a musician must possess no more than luck and the ability to look good on stage.

The truth is, I do not lead the life of a rock-star and music is actually a really hard slog.

At uni there are lectures, rehearsals and workshops. In addition to this, there’s at least six hours personal practice. Then there are external rehearsals and performances. It may not be accountancy or medicine, but it’s definitely not a hobby. I am married to my art - it is a lifestyle and a career pathway.

I’ve come to accept that there is no luck involved. To become a professional, one must put in a lifetime’s worth of work. I go through phases of love and hate; bemoaning my abilities, lack of social life, job prospects and the state of the arts. I sometimes worry that my efforts don’t make a positive and tangible contribution to society, but promptly remind myself that there is always a place for the arts and its technicians. Without them, the community would have a bland landscape. 

Thanks to the generous investment of the Pinnacle Foundation and those who assisted my application, I have finally purchased a new trumpet. Previously unattainable because of a lack of funds, I spent nearly four years borrowing inadequate equipment. Thankfully, I will no longer have to experience embarrassing auditions or stunted musical growth.

For me, the purchase of my new Yamaha Chicago C was as significant as buying a house. Besides the obviously enormous expense, they both carry similar notions of a new beginning. This professional standard trumpet is perfect for orchestral work and will encourage my musical development, signaling a transition from student to professional musician.

I begin my final year of undergraduate studies with feelings of excitement and ambition. It’s not just going to be fun and games, but when I feel doubtful, I remind myself of the importance of music. It has the ability to heal and to increase intelligence, evoke love or rage. I sometimes reminisce about my very first musical encounter:

A group of musicians came to perform to my kindergarten class, after which there was a question and answer session. I raised my hand to comment. With my other hand to my chest, I said ‘when you played, I felt it inside me’.

By Ben Nielsen

Knowledge is Power

For my first blog post of the year, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ying Hao Li. Ying Hao means vast ocean. The characters are written 瀛昊and the similar character, 嬴 is the family name of the first emperor of China. If the Chinese text renders properly, you can also see it is one of the most complicated characters to write. My mother had great hopes for me, clearly.

I can describe myself quite ordinarily of course. I am 21 going on 22. When I left high school I wanted to go to university to study as much as I can for as long as I can. I enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) and a Bachelor of Laws – so I could be there for six years, seven if I took an honours year for my Bachelor of Arts. I decided that I will study government in my Media and Communications course because I wanted to be a press gallery or court reporter. Like many other students I had a change of heart after my first year. I couldn't bear the intellectual punishment of committing myself to studying only government and only media to the exclusion of other subjects. So I exorcised the Media and Communications part of my degree and started taking the wide range of humanities that a Bachelor of Arts allows me. So I took philosophy and genders studies and majored in history. I am now in my final year of studies and I have the freedom to choose my law electives. So I chose again to broaden my horizons with a law honours thesis in administrative law, advanced federal constitutional law and tax. After this year, who knows where I will be. I hope to secure an appointment as a judge’s associate or work at a law firm.

But like my name, which at first seemed quite ordinary, these very trivial things can appear extraordinary.

Let me begin elsewhere however. In the book of Genesis, there was a story. It was a story about a man and a woman who gained the knowledge of good and evil. For their knowledge, and their insolence in obtaining that knowledge, they were expelled from the gated Garden of Eden. Because they would not submit, because they wanted the same knowledge possessed of their maker, they were exiled. But from their exile, civilization grew.

Regardless what you believe, there is a grain of truth to this story. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Alexander Pope thought knowledge was dangerous because a little of it will cause us to speak like fools. Perhaps he was unnecessarily patronizing. A fool will betray his ignorance whether armed with knowledge or not. For the rest of us, arming ourselves with knowledge is a dangerous thing for those who trade on power and oppression. A little knowledge, like a little flame in a dark room, will illuminate our surroundings and show us the walls that hold us back. 

The story in Genesis is apt to describe the study of the humanities. I studied law and government, philosophy, gender studies, and history because these pieces of knowledge equip me with the skills to question the way things are. And often knowledge means having knowledge of the questions that are never asked, let alone the answers to these difficult, difficult questions. So exercise your wits and ask questions. Let us ask, what does globalization means for individuals who do not share the profits of multinational corporations? Or is national security worth preserving if the means by which our government polices terrorism is by taking away the rights of its citizens? 

Don’t be complacent with the familiar and the ordinary. Test your limits and embrace the extraordinary.

By Ying Hao (Nathan) Li