RAYNA BLAND | NEWS
Welcome to The Campus Lowdown! This news section of Grapeshot is your place to find campus related information, society news and the relevant programs Macquarie University offers. Obviously this section has taken a hit given that the campus is in lockdown and we are stuck home. Despite this, there are still plenty of Macquarie Uni related activities and groups to discover! It is times like these when I am really grateful for the internet and even Zoom. I think it is amazing we can still remain so connected to each other despite the ever increasing stay-at-home orders.
Reader, I hope you are well and coping okay. This lockdown is mentally gruelling and definitely a bit boring. It is okay to rest and it is okay to be sad. If you feel like you need help you can reach out to Student Wellbeing. You can also read all the back issues of Grapeshot. We have plenty of spirit lifting material.
As we have been in lockdown for so long in Sydney, there is really nothing happening on campus so this will be an online rendition of the Lowdown!
If you have any campus news or info about your student group or society you want to share, send your submissions to grapeshot@mq.edu.au. We would love to hear from you.
Student Representative Committee (SRC) Passes Motion Against Staff Cuts
Over the past year or so, Macquarie Students Against the Cuts have been tirelessly campaigning against the severe budget changes dished out by the Macquarie University board. On the 8th of July, the SRC passed a motion opposing academic staff redundancies. On their Instagram @mq_src the council highlighted how the cuts are “reflective of Macquarie Uni prioritisation of profits over student education.” The motion was presented by Amy Lamont, a staunch left wing activist and SRC Undergraduate Representative, who has been involved in many campaigns such as fighting for climate justice since her time at Macquarie.
This action is highly significant. In the past, the Macquarie SRC has been reluctant to appear too political or too controversial to the executive board so in my opinion it is awesome to see some change coming about.
If you would like to raise any concerns or have any questions about the SRC, you can send your inquiries to: src@mq.edu.au
Writers@MQ
Like to write? Find your people with the student group Writers@MQ. This is a space to connect with likeminded people who can provide feedback, support, and company while you achieve your writing goals. The group offers fortnightly seminars on writing techniques covering many mediums such as poetry, screenwriting, short story, and genre fiction. Writers@MQ also run social events during the breaks and have held power-writing sessions, group writing projects, and feedback sessions in the past.
You can find them on Facebook at Writes@MQ or on the Macquarie University Club and Societies webpage.
Humans of MQ
In October 2018, the wonderfully beautiful Instagram account @humansofmq was created by Sam Chahine. The page shares the stories and portraits of humans: staff and students from Macquarie University. The page also features people from all around the Macquarie area too.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Sam, a creative and kind soul who has a passion for sharing these stories of Macquarie humans. Sam explained the account started lightheartedly with him photographing his friends and sharing their stories but it quickly grew from there. He started capturing people from different societies, staff, and even business owners from Macquarie Centre. Diversity is important for Sam and you can see that value all throughout the page. Sam has also been working on a musical called King Meer: The Musical, it is a story of Gods. Unfortunately lockdown has slowed the process down as it was meant to be showing in November but keep an eye out! You do not want to miss the creative work of Sam Chahine.
You can follow the Instagram account @humansofmq to keep up with interesting stories about people, and thought-provoking polls that Sam shares on the accounts' stories.
MQ Careers Week Online
From August 9th to August 13th, the MQ Careers Week ran online. Seminars ran everyday and included coverage on topics such as PACE, ePortfolios, and why you should volunteer. There are recordings available of all of these events. Check out the Career and Employment Centre or MQ CareerHub for more information.
Find the recordings here:
MQ Study Buddy Program
The SRC has brought back the MQ Study Buddy Program. This program connects you with another MQ student undertaking similar units and with similar interests. Isolation can be very lonely and this can deeply affect your studies. By using this program you can connect with others and be productive too. It is a win/win.
To participate in this program head to the MQ Uni website, hit ‘Support,’ then ‘Peer Support,’ and you should see the Study Buddy Program.
Alternatively, here is the link:
Once you have found the website you just need to fill out a brief form identifying your interests and within 1-2 weeks in your student inbox you will receive an email notifying you of your new study buddy! How cute.
The Thief Vending Machine
This is a warning to you all.
The new vending machine in the Central Campus building by the pool tables (the chips and drink one) is A THIEF. Not once but TWICE that machine ate my $5 notes. I was hungry, I was devastated, and I was hurt. The vending machine company's customer service was crap and I never heard anything back when I complained. So yeah, I thought this was worthy to include here because I don’t tolerate robot thieves and I do not want the same thing to happen to you. I never thought my university nemesis would be a vending machine but here we are. Save your pennies and bring snacks from home otherwise you might end up $10 poorer and chipless like me.