Campus Alive project kicks off
An exciting project to enliven the University of the Sunshine Coast campus kicked off in May when hundreds of students enjoyed a fun “Soccer Olympics” tournament at the USC Sports Stadium.
The tournament was organised by business students Lisa Kulpa, Pal Vangstein and Alicia Dent as a Project and Event Management assignment, and featured free food, drinks and entertainment.
The trio had been assigned to work for USC’s Faculty of Business Learning and Teaching Coordinator Dr Lesley Willcoxson and Student Initiatives Officer Julie Flanagan in organising the event as the first activity in a new Campus Alive project.
Lisa Kulpa said she, Pal and Alicia arranged for sponsors to provide free drinks, music by two DJs, and a free sausage sizzle.
“From what people told me, they had a lot of fun,” Lisa said. “Some people came up to me and asked if there was going to be another event like this next semester.”
Dr Willcoxson and Ms Flanagan praised the students for organising such a successful event, and especially for their initiative in gaining sponsorship.
“By all accounts, it was a great success in terms of building community on the campus,” Dr Willcoxson said.
She said several groups of Project and Event Management students had planned further Campus Alive events aimed at contributing to a more vibrant atmosphere at USC.
Ms Flanagan said a second “Soccer Olympics” event could be held later this year.
Other Campus Alive events planned for Semester 2 are monthly markets, a mature-age student get-together, and a Battle of the Bands competition involving bands from each of the three faculties.
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Mayor welcomes pledge of support
The mayor of the recently-elected Sunshine Coast Regional Council praised USC’s commitment to sustainability when he made a special address at the University’s 2008 Graduation Ceremony.
Before a crowd of 2,200 people, Mayor Bob Abbot welcomed a pledge by Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Thomas AM to support his leadership on sustainable development of the region.
Mr Abbot also foreshadowed a strong link between the new council and USC.
“I’m looking forward to a relationship between our council and this university to do a multitude of things on the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
“This is the first Sunshine Coast Council. We will make history. We will make a difference. We will significantly change the way business is done on the Sunshine Coast to create a bright, new future.
“We will need the University of the Sunshine Coast as a partner in that, and I appreciate most heartedly the offer by the Vice-Chancellor to assist in developing that change.”
Mr Abbot called on the graduates to make a difference in their chosen fields.
“I stand here tonight thinking that the amount of knowledge that has been imparted into the students through this organisation every year will help us (the council) as well to create that history,” he said.
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Two USC graduates on regional council
The University of the Sunshine Coast hosted the historic first public meeting of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council on Thursday 3 April.
Hundreds of people attended the event in USC’s Innovation Centre auditorium at which Mayor Abbot and the 12 councillors—including two USC graduates—took their oaths of office.
The University was chosen as neutral territory for the inaugural meeting of the merged local authorities of Noosa, Maroochy and Caloundra.
Many of the new councillors spoke about the importance of their roles in establishing the new regional council. Among them were two USC graduates—Keryn Jones in Division 3 and Chris Thompson in Division 4.
Councillor Jones graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science in 2005, while Councillor Thompson was one of the University’s inaugural graduates in 1999 after completing a Bachelor of Business (Information Systems).
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