Page 4 - Luce 2014

FRO M THE P RINCIPAL

… continued from p. 3
boundary, bringing natural light and beautiful views to an A Rhodes
area of the College in need of attention. The name of the
new building, Margaret Henderson House, reflects the Tradition
extraordinary contribution of Dr Henderson to the College
since she first walked through our doors as a student in 1934.
Margaret’s generous gift of $250,000 to our building fund will With the departure of
underwrite a significant portion of the costs associated with Joske Scholar Dr Jenny
the new building, but this is but one example of her generosity Tran to take up her Rhodes
to the College over more than eight decades. Scholarship the College
was delighted to offer Mr
While a small College, Janet Clarke Hall tries hard to offer Alexander Eastwood,
leadership both to its students and in the wider setting. Here 2015 Rhodes Scholar for
the achievements of our alumni continue to offer a bridge to Victoria, a residential
students imagining what place they might find in the wider tutorship in Science for the first half of 2015. Alex majored
world. Prof Ruth Fincher’s (1969) election as an Officer in in neuroscience as part of his science degree at Melbourne
the Order of Australia underlined her contribution to the University, and spent a year at the Florey Institute of
University, the College, and to education more generally. Neuroscience and Mental Health researching autism and
That the College was able to draw upon speakers from alumni communication impairment. He has worked extensively
of the calibre of Human Rights President Gillian Triggs (1964) with different conservation groups and was named
and historian Ann Blainey (1953) speaks volumes for the Bendigo Young Citizen of the Year in 2010. Alex will study
achievement and example offered by our alumni, alongside a Masters of Neuroscience at Oxford next year. While
younger speakers such as Dr Jenny Tran (2007) who was able Newman College rightly takes credit for Alex, JCH is proud
offer insights into applying for the Rhodes Scholarship before to have another exceptional role model for students living
she headed to Oxford. The College was also honoured to and teaching in residence.
host the third Ethical Decision Making Symposium, at which
students and staff from across the Group of Eight came
together to discuss the ethical choices and dilemmas faced in ‘All in a good cause’ was the
university and military settings. Principal’s response when
students shaved his head in
As Governments attempt to recast higher education and support of cancer research.
universities move to react, it is sometimes hard to disentangle Between them students, staff,
what is permanent and what is transient in our educational parents and friends managed to
settings. As I mention elsewhere in this edition I have become raise well over $2,400 – easily
less preoccupied with whether our students will succeed surpassing the $1,500 target Dr
professionally – another year of extraordinary academic results Powell had set for the haircut.
(over 40% H1s, and 90% honours) underlines their capacity The Principal showed slight
in this regard. It is not what our students will become in concern when he found out
terms of future prosperity but rather who they will become that his appointed hairdresser,
in terms of outlook and values that focuses my mind as we student Laura Main, had
build this incredibly intensive and rewarding little community practised her skills clipping
year by year. As the first college to admit women in Australia, poodles over the vacation –
JCH tried hard to be true to its traditions throughout 2014, but she did a sterling job
recognising that flexible workplace arrangements that
accommodate women at all stages of life are essential to
our values and ethos. The kindness of students towards the
Principal, as we navigated a year of sometimes unexpected
and uplifting changes in life, was something to behold – and
I wish to pay particular credit to the Student Club, and its
elected representatives, who never stopped working towards
the common good in everything they approached throughout
the year.

What place, then, for an Anglican College in an increasingly
secular society in which ‘cultural Christianity’ seems less
assured? If acceptance, tolerance, and love all find a place
in our College, we can be confident that Janet Clarke Hall
is striving to fulfill the call to offer ‘Education as Hope’
under discussion within the worldwide Anglican university
community. I hope that you enjoy reading about some of the
events that shaped 2014 for the College.
With Prof Shaun Ewen, Foundation Director for the Poche
Dr Damian Powell Centre for Indigenous Health, Dr Ross Coller, Deputy Director
Principal
for Development, and Prof Richard James, Pro-Vice Chancellor
(Academic) at the University’s Welcome to Country

4 LUCE Number 13 2014