Kickstart Wrapped With Grapey

You weren’t able to make it to Kickstart week? No worries. Editor in Chief Beth Nicholls and Editorial Assistant Niamh McGonnell-Hall recap Kickstart Week, covering events from student stalls to fun freebies!

Macquarie University hosted Kickstart Week earlier in the semester, during Week 0 and Week 1, to welcome new students to campus. Across these two weeks, the Kickstart program is designed to give new students a “launchpad” for their university journey, regardless of if they are transitioning from high school, joining from overseas, or starting as a mature age student. 

Kickstart Week not only included online and in-person classes and information sessions, but also fun events across campus, including campus tours, activities, interaction events, and of course, society stalls that ran for three days during late February at 1 Central Courtyard (1CC). 

Regardless of whether you were a new domestic or international student, or even a returning student in your second, third, fourth or beyond year, Kickstart Week had something to offer for you. From important information about advice and support on campus to meeting new friends at society stalls and even scoring a cheeky free Red Bull.

Grapeshot had the pleasure of featuring at all three days of the stalls down at 1CC, and it’s time for us to wrap up our gorgeous time spent meeting so many new and familiar faces. 

Day 1, Friday

Now you could say the vibes were slightly dampened on this cold Friday, with the grey clouds continuously weighing over our heads, but that didn’t stop anyone from having a blast. With the International Student Welcome happening just metres away at the Macquarie Theatre, the Grapeshot team were able to craft the perfect yap to introduce the new students to not only Grapeshot, but also to MQ. Our magazines were flying off the table, and people could not get enough of the Treatles. Day One was a huge success! (Except for the rain that finally decided to descend on us before we had finished packing up our stall.)

Day 2, Monday

With the sun belting down on us, we were all fueled up on free Red Bulls, desperately trying to evade the heat. Adorned with all things Grapeshot, our team continued to dutifully distribute our magazines from the archives along with our latest Grapey creation, the Grapeshot Student Cook Book for new and returning students alike. 

Gracing our colourful stall and making its first appearance was our Grapey’s Best Dressed board, a collection of celebrity looks and red carpet rambunctiousness. Whilst the Pedro Pascal fangirl in me [Niamh] was a little upset that his slutty little v-necks didn’t win him the crown by the end of day three, our #2 place champion Colman Domingo was equally as stylish in Versace at the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards. His Jean Schlumberger by Tiffany Bird on a Rock brooch completed his extravagant look. 

Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift graced our board with their GRAMMY outfits. Taylor Swift turned heads in custom Vivienne Westwood in her classic RED (Taylor’s Version) shade, complete with a red dangle ‘T’ in her thigh. JW Anderson was the one to dress Sabrina Carpenter in baby blue Old Hollywood glamour – it would seem feathers (and a massive pear cut diamond) are a girl's best friend! Chappell Roan’s Jean Paul Gaultier’s 2003 couture gown featuring the painting “Dancer With a Bouquet” by Edgar Degas swiftly swept her to the #1 place on Grapey’s Best Dressed.  

Day 3, Tuesday

Clearly the weather at Kickstart was either hot or raining with no inbetween. Unfortunately, on the last day of our stall, it started out as a bit wet, but that didn’t stop us. With our pile of Grapeshot magazines slowly dwindling, we continued to spread the Grapeshot word and inform students that no, you don’t have to pay for the magazine, and that it is indeed FREE! This time we were scoring free V Refresh’s (PSA: the yellow citrus lemonade one is the best), another form of caffeine – the only source of survival for the Grapeshot legends. 

Students loved putting a star next to their chosen winner on the best dressed board, after Repeat Offenders Editor, Nic, paraded it around to other societies to see who they thought deserved the crown. 

Our third and final day, like the previous two, was another day filled with Grapey love and success. 

We are forever grateful to each and every single person that stopped at the Grapeshot stall and said hello, regardless of if it was for free chocolate, a free magazine, or to get to know us a bit better! If you want to know more about us or get involved, please visit our website https://www.grapeshotmq.com.au/ or email us at grapeshot@mq.edu.au. 

And of course don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @grapeshotmq and sign up to our newsletter, Grapevine, using the QR code below!