LIVE cocktail party!

Last week, the Melbourne Uni Leadership, Involvement and Volunteer Experience Uni threw and awesome cocktail party for students involved with various organisations around campus, and anyone who was interested in volunteering, to network and find out more about the opportunities available.

A speed-dating-type game got us all talking, albeit awkwardly at first, and free flowing beer, wine and bubbly removed (almost) all the awkwardness by the time the dancing started. We were also entertained by a fantastic hip-hop dance duo.

Various organisations had set up stalls with representatives ready to give us all the information we might need to get involved, whether it be travelling to Africa or undertaking sustainability projects closer to home. There were also inspiring presentations about past and future projects that had us wishing there were more than 24 hours in a day so we could try everything.

It was an altogether fun night and a great reminder that there is so much on offer at Melbourne Uni in terms of organisations wanting to make a positive change in the world. We would highly encourage everyone to attend next year and get involved!

Below are some of the organisations present at the party which you may like to get involved with:

VSAP, email them at vsap.aid@gmail.com

Change & Switch, email them at info@changeandswitch.org

Oaktree Foundation, email them at info@theoaktree.org

GAPS, email them at info@gaps.org.au

Students in Free Enterprise, email them at sife@sifeaustralia.org.au

Student Ambassador Leadership Program, email them at r.manessis@unimelb.edu.au

AIESEC, apply using the online form

Engineers Without Borders, email them at info@ewb.org.au

Project Management Workshop

Tonight, from 5:30 to 9:30(ish), we participated in the Project Management Workshop, which is a compulsory part of SALP. As this is a new initiative this year, we didn't know what to expect. We thought it would quite scary, that we would be grilled on our project idea. But actually it was quite a fun night designed to get us to think creatively about our project. We didn't even have to have a concrete idea!

We began by looking at a problem we all wish we could solve: Melbourne's public transport. We drew a problem map linking the different issues and causes of the problem and thus getting the the core root of it. We had to ensure that our project addressed this root cause of the problem in order for it to be successful. This process was repeated for our own project idea.



We then talked about how to fix the problem within the parameters or restraints that we have placed on us, particularly in relation to SALP guidelines and funding issues. Finally, we presented our project idea to the other ALGs present and received feedback.



Though we already had a project in mind, the workshop was helpful in getting us to think more creatively about our project and while the nude calendar idea may not make it to the action stage, we are going to try to create a documentary/book about the International Cuisine nights as a permanent record of the stories of all the people we've met.

ALG Meeting – Tuesday 12th May

We've decided on a project! We think....

We're partnering with the Coolibah, a drop-in centre for older, homeless people in the Carlton area and the Ecumenical Migration Centre to develop a program through which we would ideally employ recently arrived refugees or migrants to teach cooking classes in their traditional cuisines at Coolibah. We would run regular International Cuisine Nights at Coolibah with all the members sharing a meal and sharing stories. We're meeting with the Coolibah members tomorrow to put forward our proposal and get their input. We're aiming to complete our proposal and Knowledge Transfer grant application by the end of the week.



The following are the details of the project as drawn up during our meeting today.

Aims:

• Developing a sense of community for marginalised people.
• Increasing self respect, dignity and a sense of achievement by creating a meal.
• Facilitating dialogue in order to gain an understanding of different. communities i.e. between homeless people and refugees and university students.
• Providing employment for refugees.
• Possibly have a permanent record of the sessions e.g. blog/book etc.
• Possibly provide a certificate upon completion of the program for each member.

How we’ll achieve those aims:

• Have a few people each session give a talk about their lives. Perhaps powerpoint presentation with a photo and basic info. We could meet up with the speakers and prepare the presentation on his computer.
• Getting refugees with EMC to teach their local cuisines.
• Sharing a meal and stories/socialising.
• Getting other uni students/SALPers involved in volunteering.
• Initially keep a blog of our involvement.

Timeline:

• Proposal and Kknowledge Transfer Grant due 15th May.
• Finish application for funding by 22nd May.
• Finish planning stage by the end of the winter holidays.
• Put plan into action a couple of weeks into 2nd semester.

Plan for each session:

• Shopping with cook (1 hr).
• Preparing presentation with presenter (1 hr).
• Introduction to the cooking instructor, what meal we’re cooking, where it’s coming from etc (15 mins).
• Cooking and preparation (45 mins).
• Share stories while meal is cooking (30 mins).
• Eating time (45 mins).
• Clean up and possibly briefing the cook/presenter for the following week (45 mins).

Potential sources of income:

• Willow (Ralph’s family business): providing bakeware.
• Cooking company sponsorship (advertised on blog, good pr for companies).
• Ad revenue from blog.
• KT Grant.
• Other grants.
• Fundraising.
• Second bite/Fareshare/supermarkets donating food and ingredients.

Potential problems:

• What if we don’t get a grant?
• Availability of ingredients.
• What if no one is willing to share their stories?
• What if refugees don’t want to do it?
• What if people are not available over the holidays to do the bulk of the work?
• Would refugees etc be unwilling to work on religious holidays e.g. Sundays etc?
• What if the traditional international food takes too long to cook?
• Logistics: how would we structure the cooking process and get everyone involved?
  

Let's meet Adam

Name: Adam Fenech
Course: Commerce/Arts
Year Level: 3rd
Interests: Any kind of sport, non fiction books, travel, investing and teaching
I'm listening to: my black lab barking at the cat that lives in my front garden
Maybe I should: start cooking dinner
Forever seems like: I just miss the tram
I never want to lose: (nothing to add)
I believe: in belief
I sometimes: forget to flush the toilet

SALP Camp!

On the 1st of May, most of ALG 7 (minus Ralph who went the week before) travelled to Benloch, Victoria for our first SALP camp. For some of us this was the first time we'd been on camp since early high school so we were understandably excited. We all grabbed a room together, ate the meals we'd brought with us and then the activities started.


The camp was a great opportunity to get to know the members of our ALG better as well as meeting and making friends with other SALPers. We found that teaching leadership and teamwork skills through games was a subtle but effective way of getting the message across (though we're still at a loss as to what the broom dance was supposed to teach us). One of the main themes that arose during camp was how sharing knowledge and skills could benefit everyone and increase the reach and impact of individual projects. We realised that we don't have to compete with others all the time but sometimes competition leads to better outcomes. The trick is knowing when it is appropriate to compete and when we should work together. Similarly, we learnt that there are different kinds of leaders possessing different skills and qualities and it is important to know how to utilise each type of personality.

We also had some free time to socialise. We used this time to go for a walk around the grounds at night with feeble torches, the boys trying to scare us along the way, and learning the impossible card game, 500. Hamish tried to convince us that the Jack of diamonds was actually a Jack of hearts and was higher than the Queen, King and Ace. We still don't believe him.

Now we're all looking forward to the camp reunion next week!

Let's meet Ling Sing

Name: Ling Sing Ch'ng.
Course: Medicine.
Year Level: 3rd year.
Interests: watching films, drama, jogging (although only short distance).
I'm listening to: It's 6.22am in the morning, I can only hear cars passing by my house.
Maybe I should: start revising my lecture notes, test is coming up.
I will always: wish that it's holidays.
Forever seems like impossible as no one can live forever.
I never want to lose: anything.
I believe: perseverance is very important.
I sometimes: follow the plan for the day, most of the time, I lan it and never follow.

Let's meet Hamish

Name: Hamish
Course: Chemical Engineering / Science
Year level: 3rd
Interests: Reading, watching movies, riding, exploring random religions of the world and skiing.
I'm listening to: The hum of the refridgerator.
Maybe I should: stay in my bed for the rest of the week and turn my mobile off, because my group assignment is due on Friday.
Forever seems like: Overtaking other bicycle commuters, even if they are 50 years older and are riding a kids Repco BMX bike that they found in hard rubbish.
I never ever want to lose: my credit card.
I believe: that despite the barriers of religion, race and bank balance that seperate us everyone can, and should, get along. Housemates can be excepted.
I sometimes: buy light beer because it's only $11.50 for a sixpack. Can you believe that, $11.50?!

Let's meet Louise

Name: Louise McNeil
Course: Arts. Just Arts.
Year Level: 2nd.
Interests: Reading, travel, interesting films, writing to-do lists that are never completed, languages...
I'm listening to: the pitter-patter of little (doggy) feet.
Maybe I should: have done at least some work this weekend.
I will always: have a messy room, no matter how long I spend tidying it up.
Forever seems like: the time it takes for a train to arrive when you've got something important to get to.
I never want to lost: the ability to function autonomously.
I believe: that "the Secret" is complete rubbish.
I sometimes: write awful, awful lyrics.

ALG Meeting – Friday 1st May

Video: Hamish discussing potential project ideas in the area of sustainability with Ardoch Youth Foundation.

Aims:

• To report back on the research we’d done into potential project areas (sustainability, sick children and the homeless).
• To narrow down our options or ideally decide on a project idea.

After discovering (courtesy of Adam and Ling Sing) that the Starlight Foundation had the fun activities for sick kids area covered and deciding that a multicultural garden may not be thinking as big as we wanted to, we settled on homelessness. Ralph did a lot of research and found that the Brotherhood of St Lawrence we very keen to work with us on a project that would develop the confidence and skills of homeless people in the Carlton area as well as ensuring they had a safe place to go and fun things to do.

Follow up:

• We have a meeting with BSL next Tuesday where we will discuss potential project ideas.
• After the meeting we should be able to decide whether to partner with BSL and begin the planning stage of our project. If not, it’s back to the drawing board (or a tiny whiteboard in the law library discussion rooms, as the case may be).

Let's meet Timea

Name: Timea Stan
Course: Arts/Law
Year Level: 3rd
Interests: Reading, writing, shopping, animals, history, travel and languages.
I'm listening to: Sade coming from my dad’s computer. It’s like bashing your head against the wall continuously for 3 minutes and 56 seconds.
Maybe I should: get out of bed, it’s past midday.
I will always: prefer white marshmallows.
Forever seems like: the broom dance.
I never ever want to lose: my idealism.
I believe: my garden in spring is heaven on earth. Too bad it’s always prettiest during swotvac.
I sometimes: put bailey’s in my hot chocolate.

Let's meet Ralph

Name: Ralph Wilson
Starsign: Aries
Course: BCom/BSci
Year: 4th
Interests: Watching sport
Listening to: housemates who think they know humourous responses to this profile.
Maybe I should: tell them they have a twisted sense of humour.
I will always: be much more creative than them.
Forever seems like: uni will never end.
I never want to lose.
I believe: responsibility shouldn't increase with age.

Ciao.