Issue 4, Monday 11 March 2002

Orientation gives new students great start to uni life

Hundreds of new students have been welcomed to the Caulfield campus over the last couple of weeks with a range of events and activities.

The Orientation activities commenced with a free welcome breakfast on Wednesday 27 February and a  traditional smoking ceremony held by Aboriginal elder, Joy Murphy Wandin.

The ceremony, involving fire and gum leaves, cleansed the land, which Joy explains as: "Cleansing and removing what is not needed and a feeling of something new. Together with the fresh area of land and a renewed spirit this ceremony creates a new beginning and a celebration in a new time".

The Mayor of the City of Glen Eira Cr Noel Erlich, Campus Director John White and MONSU Caulfield President Tim Wilson (pictured L-R), as well as other staff and students participated in the smoking ceremony.

The official welcome ceremony for all new students was held in Chisholm Hall and the academic procession was lead into and out of the hall by didgeridoo player Ron Murray.

Following the official welcome new students were given guided tours by current students as well as faculty welcomes with a range of academic and social activities continuing throughout the week.

The events and activities continued last week with one of the highlights being the Orientation Fair where faculties, departments and support services set up in Chisholm Hall to provide further advice and assistance to students (pictured below).

Special thanks to Helen Dunne and Graeme Hyman and the campus Orientation committee together with the Orientation Fair sub-committtee for their hard work and dedication to the program. Thanks also to the many current students who acted as hosts and the staff in faculty and support service areas who helped make new students' transition to  university a little easier.

International Women's Day lunch 

Over 120 staff and students attended the International Women's Day Lunch at the Caulfield Racecourse last Wednesday. 

Welcomed by the Campus Director, participants enjoyed a two course lunch and were entertained, inspired and challenged by guest speaker Dur-e Dara.

Probably most well known for her association with Stephanie's Restaurant as manager and co-proprietor for many years, Dur-e spoke of the value of story-telling, of sharing competence without competing, of believing in one’s self, and of the importance of cooking, smelling, talking, and loving. 

With passion and enthusiasm, she stressed the importance of listening to young women and of having households that strived for democracy. 

As well, Dur-e identified three types of relationships important to her: those with all people where she can listen and observe; those with people her own age who can challenge her practices and be upfront with her; and those with young people where she can hear their vision giving her hope for the future.

She encouraged participants to question all that they say, do and feel while believing in themselves and trusting their intuition.

	John White, Dur-e Dara and MONSU Caulfield President Tim Wilson at the luncheon.
	Staff and students enjoyed the opportunity to mix and chat in a social setting at the Heath Function centre at the Racecourse.

Getting to the heart of the matter

According to the National Heart Foundation more than six million adults aged 25 or over have high blood cholesterol levels in Australia.  

On its own, a high blood cholesterol level is not necessarily a problem, but coupled with one or more other risk factors for heart disease, it is often the straw that breaks the camel's back.  

Many people have more than one risk factor for heart disease and the level of risk increases with the number of risk factors.  It is, therefore, very important to know what your cholesterol levels are and to keep them at a healthy level before you have any problems.

So what is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a white, waxy substance which, despite its bad reputation, is essential for life.  Good cholesterol (HDL) is used as a structural component of nerve and brain cells. 'Bad' cholesterol (LDL) is easily deposited in the arteries, narrowing the diameter and impeding blood flow to the heart and other organs.  Our liver makes all the cholesterol we need, if we eat a lot more, we get too much circulating in our blood.

How do you keep your  'bad' cholesterol levels low and the ‘good’ cholesterol levels high?

• Eat less fat. All animal foods contain some ready-made cholesterol, but that is only a problem if they are also high in saturated fat. For example, prawns contain cholesterol, but have virtually no saturated fat, so they are fine (if they are not battered, fried or crumbed). Eggs have cholesterol too, but they are not rich in saturated fat, so it is fine to enjoy an egg, but don’t fry it with sausages and fatty bacon.

• Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. The more you weigh, the more your body stores fat and cholesterol
• Keep physically active: it raises your 'good' (HDL) levels. At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days.
• Eat more fruits, vegetables and soy products, more wholegrain breads and cereals, more seafood (Omega-3 fats are very healthy). And choose low-fat dairy products and lean meat. And if you like, add an egg. 

If you are interested in having a risk assessment that will include heart check, cholesterol and diabetic blood test contact Community Services and arrange for an appointment with one of the Doctors.  Monash Caulfield Health Service is a bulk billing medical practice on campus, situated in Community Services.  This service is available to staff, students, family and friends.

Can you afford the Flu?

The flu vaccine is now available at Monash Caulfield Health Service, located  at Community Services, for $15.

Influenza, usually shortened to 'flu', is a viral infection that is easily spread from person to person.  The symptoms include fever, headache and aching muscles and joints.  You may also have a runny nose, cough or sore throat.  This illness often requires a minimum of one week off work. 

This year, why not weigh up the pros and cons of vaccination?  The flu vaccine does not prevent all coughs, colds and viruses, but it does offer protection against the new strains of influenza virus.  

Following the vaccination it takes about two weeks for the new protective antibodies to build up to effective levels, so you need to think about vaccination before a flu outbreak begins.  Most cases of flu in Australia occur between May and September, so the best time to be vaccinated is in autumn.. 

Monash Caulfield Health service is a bulk billing medical clinic with both male and female doctors. To make an appointment, contact the Health Service on extn 32500.

Caulfield moves

Two staff members from the Caulfield campus will be leaving at the end of the week - Paula Dunstan, manager of the International Office, and Amgad Louka from the Audiovisual Production Unit.

Paula will be taking up a position at Korowa Anglican Girls' School heading up the school's international recruitment area and Amgad is taking up a position at RMIT after 11 years at Monash. 

The campus would like to thank both Paula and Amgad for their valuable work at the campus and wish them all the best with their new endeavours. 

Are you or someone you know making a move this year either to a new job, a conference or through a collaborative venture? Please let Offcourse know. 

Diary dates

Friday 15 March Accounting and Finance seminar 'Corporate collapse in the new millennium', by Julie Margret, Deakin A&F. SG03, Clayton campus. 1.15 pm.

Tuesday 19 March Official opening of the tennis courts at East Caulfield Reserve. Staff are very welcome to attend. 1.30pm.

Thursday 21 March Monash Marketing seminar 'Quick response methods used by UK fashion retailers', by Dr Grete Birtwistle, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland. Ramler Conference Room, building S. 10 am - 12 noon. Bookings essential. Contact Colin Jevons on extn 32304.

Friday 22 March Accounting and Finance seminar 'Sensitivity of Australian bank stock returns to market, interest and exchange rate risks: a generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity in mean (GARCH-M) approach', By Dr Worthington, QUT. Room A1.37, Caulfield campus. 12 noon.

Authorised by the Office of the Campus Director - Caulfield 

Contributions can be emailed to Julie. Ryan@adm.monash.edu.au by 5 pm Thursdays.