Page 16 - Luce 2016
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S enior  C o mmon  Ro om




          From the                                                           there is an interaction between the
          Vice-Principal                                                     genetics and environment of an animal
                                                                             in determining its working memory
          The theme of this year’s ‘O week’                                  capacity; essentially, what determines
          was Frodo Week, encompassing all                                   how many things an animal can keep in
          things ‘Lord of the Rings’. I was initially                        mind at once? In addition to his studies,
          excited about this theme for I had read                            Ariel was also recently elected president
          The Hobbit as a child but as O week                                of the student group at the Florey, a
          approached, it dawned on me that I                                 role which he will use to expand the
          wasn’t that au fait with the trilogy, that I                       educational, leadership and social
          hadn’t actually watched any of the films                           opportunities for its talented group of
          and that I had very little time to swat up   Fiona, Xavier, Ella and Nina Cadorel  young researchers.
          before everyone arrived.         As I reflect on the year, I am proud of
                                           all of our students for the way they have   Dr Richard Liu recently passed his
          My husband Xavier and I embarked on   approached their studies and their own   confirmation for his PhD in the
          the daunting task of watching the trilogy   personal growth as independent adults.    Department of Paediatrics. He has also
          before O week… little did I know it was   They have immersed themselves in   been awarded the MCRI Postgraduate
          12 hours long!  For a time poor mother   College life, seized opportunities with   Health Research Scholarship and has
          of twins, this was an epic undertaking.   vigour and have represented the College   spent a significant amount of his time
          Needless to say I was determined to see   with pride.              travelling around Australia as part of
          it and so I began my own journey with                              the Child Health CheckPoint, a flagship
          Frodo and his motley crew and watched   Throughout the year, our tutor team has   research project within Australia’s only
          as they navigated their way to Mordor.   enthusiastically engaged in the life of the   ongoing longitudinal study of children.
                                           College, participating in intercollegiate   Richard has recently been elected
          As I immersed myself in the world   sporting events, College dinners and   onto the inaugural governing board of
          of Hobbits, Orcs, Dwarfs and Elves,   special events. It was a wonderful year   Community Health Advancement and
          it morphed with my JCH world and   for the professional achievement of our   Student Engagement (CHASE) as Deputy
          it dawned on me that a great deal of   residential tutor team. Julia Hastings   Chairperson. CHASE, a health literacy
          parallels existed between ‘The Lord of   wrote, produced and performed her   mentorship program in disadvantaged
          the Rings’ and JCH and that there were   one-woman show, ‘Fame, Fortune and   schools, was successfully delivered in
          life lessons from which our students   Lies: The Life and Music of Eileen Joyce’.    three schools and reached over 100
          would benefit.                   Julia’s show was such a success she was   students in 2015, with plans to expand
                                           asked to offer repeat performances.    to five schools in 2016. Richard was
          Frodo had inherited the daunting task   Congratulations, Julia.    awarded the College’s 2015 Enid Joske
          to journey to Mordor to destroy ‘The                               Scholarship in acknowledgement of his
          Ring’… and so too, our new students   Xavier Cadorel was awarded the 2015   professional success and his contribution
          were beginning the daunting task   Architecture Faculty Teaching Excellence  as a residential tutor. Congratulations,
          of navigating their way through the   award. Xavier and his teaching team   Richard, on this fine achievement.
          unknown lands of Janet Clarke Hall and   also received the faculty’s award for
          the greater kingdom that is Melbourne   innovative curriculum design for their   I would like to acknowledge the
          University.                      subject, Environmental Building Systems.  contribution that Catherine and Jamie
                                           Congratulations to Alice Pung and Nick   Hart have made to the College over
          In my Commencement Dinner Toast   Cadel on the birth of their son, Leo.  It   the past three years. Jamie fulfilled
          to the Junior Common Room I shared   has been delightful watching Leo grow   the role of Sport Mentor and assisted
          some advice learnt from the trilogy,   and develop throughout the year. He   JCH students in developing their own
          encouraging them ‘like Frodo, to find   is loved by all of the JCH community,   personal fitness programs. Catherine
          inner moral courage and resilience, to   including the other JCH children in
          pursue your dreams and to work hard to   residence, Ella and Nina Cadorel and
          achieve your goals’.             Theo Hart.

                                                      Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston
                                                      commenced his doctoral
                                                      studies at the Florey
                                                      Institute of Neuroscience
                                                      and Mental Health in
                                                      July 2015, investigating
                                                      how environmental
                                                      manipulations can rescue   Hamish Brown in Tokyo
                                                      deficits of spatial learning   has been an exceptional residential
                                                      and memory in a mouse   Psychology tutor. Her passion for
                                                      model of impaired      education and student wellbeing has
                                                      cognition. With his first   been greatly appreciated. During her
                                                      set of experiments he   time in residence, Catherine supported
          Tutors go mad!                              hopes to uncover whether   numerous Psychology students. She

      16    LUCE  Number 14  2015
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