Page 13 - Luce 2018
P. 13

J unior  C o mmon  Ro om                                                   J unior  C o mmon  Ro om





                                                                                 Mara Quach
                                                                                 Inter-Collegiate Activities Council
                                                                                 President

                                                                                 Coming to Australia as an international
                                                                                 student, I never thought I stood a chance
                                                                                 of obtaining any leadership positions.
                                                                                 It scared me to think I’d have to speak
                                                                                 for and in front of people with my
                                                                                 horrendous vocabulary and confusing
                                                                                 accent that is neither Aussie nor
                                                                                 Vietnamese. Plus, always lingering was
                                                                                 this illusion that in order to be a leader
                                                                                 you had to be perfect, or have been
 Shake it off...  Rowing regatta  Mara Quach, Carol Isaac, Ella James            born with the skill set, or at least have
 From the    matches to crowd-surfing at the Fresher   is a community that, for many, becomes a   JCH Students Leading Inter-Collegiate Councils  been exposed to it from a young age –
                                                                                 none of which applied to me. In a word,
 Senior Student  Dance-Off, Knighty has had a very   home away from home. I’d like to take this   As noted earlier, the intercollegiate scene has a particularly ‘JCH’ flavour at present:   my own inadequacy was what I feared.
 opportunity to thank everyone who made
 memorable debut year.
 my College experience so special. From   here our three Presidents reflect upon their life at JCH and their new roles.
 Is a college simply a place to live?    My personal highlight of the year was   my very first day, I was amazed by the   However, the last three years at JCH
                                                                                 has completely changed my mind. The
 A place to eat? A place to learn?   organising our inaugural panel event and   kind, energetic and inclusive nature of our   Carol Isaac    Ella James    College was different from my high
 During my first few months as Student   networking night, ‘Shaping the Future’   College and will always be proud to call   Inter-Collegiate Council President  Inter-Collegiate Sports Council President  school experience. From the very first
 Club President, Dr Powell and I had   (see p.10). This event stemmed from   myself a JCHer.   moment I set foot into JCH, the motto of
 many lengthy discussions about our   our desire to provide members of the   After being part of the 2017-2018 JCH   At the inter-collegiate level, sport   ‘give it a try’ was being echoed by my
 vision for JCH in 2018. In the wake of   student club with non-traditional career   It has been a pleasure to serve the   Student Club Executive, I was eager   provides us with far more than simply   O-Week leaders, my fellow JCHers, and
 much attention from the media regarding  advice and a chance to connect with   community this year and I wish the   to get more involved and contribute   a physical and mental challenge. It   the staff members. I could not simply
 the culture of colleges around Australia,   young professionals.   new executive and the wider College   more to the inter-collegiate culture   connects us with a range of people   sit around. I was able to participate in
 we reflected on our College values and   community all the very best for the future.   and tradition. In my role at JCH I have   not only from JCH but also from other   almost all the sports, most of which
 what makes JCH such a special place   When I began my time as Student Club   learned countless valuable lessons about   colleges, forcing us to step outside our   I’d never played before, and ended up
 in which to to live. Following these   President, I wrote a list of everything I   Thenu Herath    leadership from staff and fellow students   comfort zones and delivering us a sense   becoming the student club’s Sports Rep
 discussions, the Student Club Executive   wanted to achieve. While I am delighted   Senior Student and    including teamwork, time management   of pride in our College.   at the end of the year. Before JCH, the
 narrowed down our vision statement   to report that everything on this list (and   Student Club President  and understanding different viewpoints.   only sport I played was badminton, and
 to three simple words: Unity, Passion   more!) has been completed, I cannot   Betty Elliott Scholar  I have learned to give everything my   Attempting to develop a program suitable   the last time I had thrown a ball of any
 and Enrichment. Each of our goals for   take all the credit. This year would not   best, improve on my mistakes and not   for the needs of both the smaller and   sort was in Grade 4!
 the year was drawn from our ultimate   have been possible without the efforts   be afraid when taking chances. JCH has   larger colleges is one of the ICSC’s
 objective which was to create a united   of my executive team. Zach, Marize,   a wonderful culture in which students   greatest challenges. Problems faced   I have to admit, my year of leadership
 and passionate community that offers   Cyrielle, Emily, Naomi, Carol and Will   and staff are connected to one another.   by the larger colleges in sport are not   as Sports Rep was mediocre at best -
 enriching opportunities for its members.   have shown an incredible commitment   This community has always supported   the same as those faced by the smaller   but I gained the confidence needed
    to the College in each of their roles. I   me in my endeavours and encouraged   colleges and endeavoring to provide a   to become an O-Week leader in
 We implemented a number of projects   cannot thank them enough for trusting   me to think ‘outside the box’.   solution to suit all can prove difficult.  my second year, which led me to
 throughout the year, including the   our vision for the year and for all the   I think the ICSC President role will give   so many other opportunities (one of
 reintroduction of academic gowns for   hilarious memories.   When campaigning to be a Sports   JCH a stronger voice in the intercollegiate   which included being the publicity
 the Junior Common Room. Perhaps our   Representative at Janet Clarke Hall, I   setting, and hopefully deliver some   manager for a project at the University’s
 most exciting legacy is the creation of   On my first day in Janet Clarke Hall, I   was surrounded by the friends I had   positive change. For me, the role is an   musical association which I enjoyed
 a College mascot. Knighty McKightface   was unsure of exactly what it meant to   made during my first year at College. It   opportunity to serve JCH and attempt to   enormously). I had the chance to
 has become a treasured member of   live in a ‘college’. Two and a half years   was a lot easier to win votes when my   implement a few changes to the program   participate in things outside of my
 our small community. From cheering   later, I have grown to know that it is not   contribution to JCH was well known.  to benefit all colleges involved.  biomedicine degree.
 our students on at early morning sports   only a place to live, eat and learn. JCH   Good pass!
            In stark contrast was the process of
            electing the ICC President, which   JCH has been my home for the past   The role of ICAC President has kept me
            in part included a panel interview   two years and has taught me lots about   quite busy, but the joy and fulfilment it
            with people I didn’t know well. This   harnessing the opportunities that emerge,   has given me allows me no complaints.
            process was fraught with nerves and   valuing the people around me and   I learnt how much I enjoy all the aspects
            uneasiness. However, I knew that having   being honest in everything I do. I think   of being a leader and came to appreciate
            representation from JCH on the Inter-  that some of the best advice someone   the opportunity these experiences
            Collegiate Council could only make us   could receive about leadership is to be   will offer me in the future. I went from
            better as a community.            fearless in pursuing the opportunities   a timid person ashamed of my own
                                              that present themselves, making the most   inadequacy to someone eagerly chairing
            As President of the ICC I want to be   of the talents of the people that you are   meetings with absolutely no trouble –
            able to ensure that the most valuable   involved with and, in whatever decisions   all thanks to having a great network of
            elements of the JCH culture are   you make, doing the ethically right   supportive people surrounding me every
            incorporated into the entire inter-  thing. I couldn’t be more thankful for the   day at JCH.
            collegiate community.             lessons JCH has taught me and hope to
 Shani Brampton
 Down at the river bank                       represent the College well in the inter-
 Thenu as Moana  Intercollegiate soccer       collegiate setting.
 12  LUCE  Number 17  2018                                                                        J anet Clarke Hall  13
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