Japan Fundraising Concert

The Japanese earthquake of the 11th March and the subsequent tsunami brought images of extraordinary destruction into living rooms all around the world.  Members of the NCV community were deeply shocked at the tragedy, with several residents having family and friends in affected areas. In response to the events of 11th March, NCV resident Elina Yasumoto kindly offered to perform a fundraising concert to raise money for the victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Elina is an accomplished pianist, having graduated previously from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and University of Melbourne Faculty of Music.  At the concert, which was held in the NCV Common Room on 28th March 2011, Elina performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor.

During the performance Phillip Shovk, who is a well known Australian pianist and a multiple prize winner at the Sydney International Piano Competition, accompanied Elina. Phillip played a piano transcription of the orchestral part of the concerto.  It was a wonderful privilege to enjoy music of this caliber here at NCV, and we are very grateful to Elina for initiating the event and to Phillip for giving of his time to support this worthy cause.  Residents dug deep into their pockets for the cause, with the concert raising almost $1,000 for victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

Japan Fundraising Concert

NCV BBQ March

Seven times during the course of the year NCV residents gather in the courtyard for a BBQ cooked by the friendly Senior Residents.  The barbecues have become an institution, providing a regular opportunity to socialize over food in an otherwise self-catered environment.

Typical NCV BBQ fare includes marinated chicken thighs, pork or beef sausages and marinated steaks. Spinach and ricotta patties are available for vegetarian residents, and a selection of salads is also available.

On some occasions the barbecue has been combined with other events, such as a table tennis competition, some theatre sports or a games evening.

At our last BBQ on the 25th March, over 150 residents gathered to enjoy great free food and good company.

The NCV barbecue will continue to be an important regular NCV event into the future.

NCV BBQ March

Our First PhD Graduate

I'm pleased to announce that while the NCV has only been open for just over two years, we have recently seen our first resident graduate with a PhD. Congratulations to Dr Laura Sharpe.  Laura was actually the first resident I welcomed when we opened the NCV for the first time on the 4th January 2009. It seems fitting that our first resident is also the first to graduate in the PhD program.

Above (L to R): Trevor Cairney (Master), Laura Sharpe, John Quinn (Dean)

Her thesis was in the broad field of Biochemistry and was titled 'Investigating the roles of Akt targets in cholesterol regulation and protein transport'.  Dr Sharpe is now working in the same laboratory as a Post Doctoral Fellow and continues to live at the New College Village.  We're very proud of Laura and congratulate her on this achievement. John Quinn and I were delighted to be part of the academic procession and to be on stage when she accepted her testamur.  Well done Laura.

Our First PhD Graduate

Orientation Week 2011

In 2011 NCV ran its second O’Week program, with the aim of helping residents to settle in and get to know other people. The O’Week program was organized by the Dean and Senior Residents, and included a number of different events.

The week began with two tours of Sydney. On Saturday 19th February, students set off to the Sydney Fish Markets for some delicious lunch, and then went on a walking tour to “Explore Sydney, Its Stories and Secrets”.  The following day (Sunday 20th) saw students head down to Circular Quay to see the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, before taking a ferry across the Harbour to the famous Manly Beach for some ice cream.

On Monday 21st February, new residents were officially welcomed to NCV by the Master, Professor Trevor Cairney, and the Dean Dr John Quinn at a reception in the Main Common Room.  After the formalities, the students joined a supper crawl, moving from floor to floor of the NCV building to meet the Senior Resident team, enjoying a different snack on each floor and meeting other residents (both new and old) as well.

The NCV Building (Sydney City in Background)

For students it’s essential to know where and when to see a good film at a cheap price. For UNSW students and NCV residents the most common destination for this is the Ritz Cinema at The Spot in Randwick on Tuesday night.  So on the Tuesday of O’Week, residents gathered in the courtyard at 6 pm and headed off to the Ritz to see “The King’s Speech” at 7:10 pm. The Spot is also the place for food and dessert, so after the film residents stopped off to enjoy some coffee and cake.

On Wednesday 23rd February two events were held.  Firstly, The Dean hosted a “Research Student Mixer” between 6.30 and 7.30 pm on the Roof Top Terrace. The aim of this event was to introduce the research students to each other, helping to form links between residents embarking on research degrees. This was followed by the NCV Trivia Night (8-10pm), where residents competed alongside their floormates for trivia supremacy. Level 3 carried the day, pipping Level 6 by a single point, with Level 4 a single point further behind.

NCV Residents Enjoying Cocktails

Thursday 24th February saw residents hit some of the classy cocktail bars in the city, at NCV’s Inaugural 5-Star Hotel Crawl.  Destinations included the Shangri La’s Blu Bar on 36, the Opera Bar at the Sydney Opera House and the ECQ Bar at Quay Grand.  Residents enjoyed a quiet drink with great company and magnificent views.

On Friday 25th February the Senior Resident Team cooked up a delicious barbecue of steaks, chicken fillet, sausages and vegetarian patties.  This was followed by a night of theatre sports and other games, with residents able to find their inner thespian or harness their as-to-now undiscovered comedic genius.

Lawn Bowls

Saturday afternoon saw NCVers head to Kensington Bowling Club for a quiet afternoon of Lawn Bowls. After this interested folk gathered for the Local Church Services Introduction (at 5 pm), at which the Dean gave new residents some guidance in what to look for in a new church.  Residents also promoted their own congregations, and introduced some of the various ministry opportunities available within NCV. At 8 pm focus turned to the Roof Top Terrace for the Inaugural NCV Wine & Cheese Night.  Along with enjoying some delicious wine and cheese, residents also had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of wine, ranking wines in order of price and identifying varietals.

The curtain came down on O’Week 2011 with a Sunday of sport.  Residents headed across to the University Gymnasium at 11 am for Badminton, basketball & Indoor Soccer. Once again, this was a great chance for residents to meet other sports-minded people, as well as check out some of the local sporting facilities.

Circular Quay at night

Orientation Week 2011

Christmas Day at the NCV

Because the New College Village was established as a postgraduate community, and the majority of residents are overseas students, many don't leave over the traditional Christmas period.

This year over 100 residents were still around for some of the Christmas period.  As a result, the residents organised a Christmas BBQ on the Rooftop Terrace.

Over 30 residents came along to enjoy the company of others on Christmas Day (25th December), to share good food and to celebrate. 

It was a wonderful time for people to enjoy wonderful warm, weather and sunshine without the pressure of classes. Residents shared food and helped to cook meat on the BBQ - Aussie style!

Summer is such a wonderful time at the NCV with plenty of oppretunities to enjoy the local beaches, big events like the New Year's Eve fireworks and the Festival of Sydney that runs through most of January.

Fireworks New Year's Eve 2011 (Sydney Harbour Bridge)

Christmas Day at the NCV

2010 Christmas Service - 9th December

The 2010 NCV Christmas Service was held in the Main Common Room on Thursday 9th December.  This provided an opportunity for residents to gather and reflect on some of the events which occurred around the time of Jesus’ birth, and the significance of those events for people 2000 years later.  The Master of New College and New College Village, Prof. Trevor Cairney, spoke on Matthew 2:1-12, a passage in the Bible which talks about the visit of the so-called Three Wise Men (more correctly, “The Magi”). The passage highlighted the response of the Magi to Jesus’ birth, and contrasted it with that of King Herod. Trevor drew some important conclusions from the passage, challenging residents to think about the real events which lay behind Christmas.

During the service the Dean of NCV, Dr John Quinn, also gave some historical background to the traditions around Christmas time: the use of conifers as Christmas trees, the tradition of decorating trees with baubles and lights, the association of red and white candy canes with Christmas and the origin of the term “carol” to describe Christmas songs. NCV’s always-able musicians led the residents in some well-known Christmas carols: “Silent Night”, “Away in a Manger”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Once in Royal David’s City”, “O Holy Night” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain”.  To finish the evening residents joined together in decorating the NCV Christmas Tree and enjoyed some traditional Christmas food: pannetone, Christmas cake, fruit mince pies and candy canes. It was a great way to start the holiday season with the NCV family!

2010 Christmas Service - 9th December

Science On Display

The foyer in the NCV now has a wonderful exhibit that celebrates the contribution of science and scientists at UNSW. A central focus of the display is the life and work of C.J. Kit Milner- UNSW’s Chair of Applied Physics (1952-1976) and the first Dean of Science.

Staff from New College and UNSW, together with family & friends of Kit Milner attended a morning tea on 24 September 2010 to view the new Kit Milner Scientific Instruments Display. The informal gathering included 3 generations of Milners, UNSW Archives staff, past and present senior UNSW academics, including the current Dean of Science, Prof. Merlin Crossley.

Above: Members of the Milner Family

The exhibition includes is a wall display covering some of the significant events Milner experienced while working at the UNSW School of Physics and a separate display cabinet housing personal artefacts highlighting Milner’s student life, work, literary interests and Christian faith. The physical display is also complemented by a virtual display that you will find HERE.

Above: Dr Jessica Milner Davis, daughter of Kit Milner

There were several short speeches from the College Master, Prof. Trevor Cairney and family members. Trevor outlined how the exhibit evolved over a couple of years with various people involved in the project throughout that time. The concept for an exhibit originated from the College’s desire to acknowledge the Milner family’s contributions to New College Village and recognise academics of UNSW’s past whose work shaped the university as we know today. There was special significance in NCV being home to such an exhibition as the site on which it stands was once home to the University's collection of historical scientific instruments.

Guests were also given an introduction to web pages of the exhibit on a large screen. The website also includes additional material not in the exhibit.

Following the speeches, guests wandered through the NCV foyer viewing the exhibit and scientific instruments. It was an enjoyable time for family and friends to catch up and reminisce.

Science On Display