Sign the petitions for sustainable transport - battle on traffic congestion intensifies

Ngaire McGaw has invited you to the event 'Sign the petitions for sustainable transport - battle on traffic congestion intensifies'

 

Please sign our petitions and help Sustainable Jamboree counter campaigns currently underway which appear to be calling for car-friendly infrastructure without regard for sustainable alternatives.

Time: May 24, 2010 at 7am to October 1, 2010 at 7pm Location: Brisbane wide campaign Organized By: Ngaire McGaw Event Description: There is currently a frenzied call for car based infrastructure in the Centenary area. However, you can help counter it! Join the call for a blend of smart, sustainable solutions to traffic congestion by signing Sustainable Jamboree’s petitions to the both the Lord Mayor and State Parliament. We’re calling for consideration of options like: • transit lanes (sooner rather than later); • reliable high frequency express buses / train connections; • better access to telecommuting and flexible work conditions; • a better suburban cycle network, end of trip facilities, bicycle skills training, buddy systems and so on. You can request a pdf of the petitions from Mrs McGaw on phone 3375 7268. You can also sign the online version of the petition to the Lord Mayor at http://sustainablejamboree.org It’s anticipated that the e-petition to State Parliament will be hosted on their website, sponsored by Julie Attwood MP.

See more details and RSVP on Brisbane Transition Hub:

http://brisbanetransitionhub.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2879470%3AEvent%3A11463&xgi=2LVap0ur9ktSjg&xg_source=msg_invite_event

Enjoy your meal with friends: Is it an enjoying way to stay connected with your uni-mates?

This is a night dining out with some UQ postgraduate fellows at Jakarta restaurant in New Farm during the mid-semester break. Mid semester break has given us some time to catch up with classmates and refresh us for ceaseless assignments. That time we tasted various Indonesian foods and enjoyed a game at table by Ada before starting the meal. Among gossips about everything from the sky to the sea for relaxing, we kept talking over the meal about the game and cultural meanings of traditional games, and also study “burdens” like assignment topics, number of words, due dates, deadlines attached with sayings of good luck to each other.

I would like to share you some pictures caught our memorable student time as permitted by all participants of the meal and the author of pictures with his own picture titling:

"At the end of the day... Every bodies Happy...^_^ by Rio Alberto"

Yummy! My dish recommended by Rio, Indonesian eater :D

Good bye time... See you guys at the class again... 

A move from private concern to public concern

At the very first stage of the project, I brought my own concern of lack of interactions between UQ international students and domestic students into free dialogues with some classmates and friends from different UQ study programs. I then found that other students also share the same concern as mine, especially some expressed their experience of less interactions not only in between international and domestic students but also amongst international students themselves. This has been encouraged me to bring all ideas together and start a collective action plan to address the issue together. The project plan and activities can be found in the “About project” and "Project activities" pages of this blog (please revise and leave your comments).

Here I appreciatorily bring some of written comments on again to share with you all and call for your act on our shared agenda to create a change. I am sure that each of you from different countries with different language and cultures will have much to say and share with your mates. I am very much confident we can work out our path of joy and understanding. I hope this blog would at least initiate a platform for us to create a change. Let’s continue to share your ideas of how we can build interconnections amongst us.

@ Gorge: “Definitely your proposal is of some interest to us as well, and I think, like you as an international student, it would help a lot if there are more interconnections/interactions not only between international/local students but also international/international links. Coming from a multicultural traditional and multilingual country, my perception on local students here is not necessary what or who they really are, but what they are capable of doing. Very few in UQ have taken the option to open up to international students and this has help the two parties understanding each other. I believe you could be able to work out a way to make social interactions between local/international students more active and helpful. It would be help for local students going on international duties.

Focus on a specific point so we can contribute where required”.

@ Desley: “I think your topic sounds really interesting and this course seems like a perfect opportunity to look at building connections between local and international students. Not only because we have a very multicultural class but also because of its participatory nature. We can all connect through class group work, discussion board and blogging. Its been helpful to hear about your thoughts/journey in how you came to this and how you've observed something (like the gathering of students from particular backgrounds), talked to classmates who have shared similar concerns and have made the connection between the personal and the public. This is something I'm struggling to do with my own project!

I'm originally from Canada and have been in Australia for a while, though not in Brisbane. I have found it difficult sometimes to do community development projects in Brisbane as I don't know many people here and I find myself thinking about how to do projects in my own home town(s). Maybe because this is more comfortable for me! The distance can make this a challenge. I can only imagine this would be so much harder for international students new to Brisbane especially if English is not a first language. Building connections between local and international students at UQ itself may make a huge difference (as well as George's suggestion of connecting international students with each other). I hope to hear more details of your project soon!”

@ Shashi: “I just wanted to say that I enjoyed reading your post, and definitely think this is a project topic worth pursuing. In my four years at UQ, I have certainly noticed the lack of interaction and connection between local and international students. While there does seem to be support services available for international students (based on what I've seen advertised on campus and the MyUQ website), I think this is quite different to actually connecting with domestic students at the university, or other international students from different cultures and countries. I have noticed the distinct social groupings in both my classes, where people from the same culture tend to sit and talk together, as well as around campus in general (although I must say SWSP7123 is a big exception to this!!).
As a domestic student, I would love to make connections with and learn from other international students (and would be more than happy to let them practice English with me!), however it is often difficult to know how to reach out and initiate this interaction. I completely agree with what you said about how improving relationships between domestic and international students is really important for both of these groups. I think domestic students often do not recognise the challenges facing international students, not only in enrolling at university, but in managing the coursework, a new country, a different lifestyle, and often a different language as well!”

@ Nui: It is a fantastic idea you have there and I am sure that it will turn out well. I just like to say something in addition to comments you have received earlier. Our Community Development class is quite big and multicultural.  I personally feel like the interconnection among students in our class is very modest. It is probably something you can look at and work out how to built better interconnection within students our class.


@ Tim: “Your project idea as can be observed from most contributions is real and touches the heart of many. Let me just also add a few leads you might consider following. International students sponsored under the AUSAID undergo an Introductory Academic program, managed by the UQ Student Services. My observations with this program is that while the main aim of the program is to assist AUSAID sponsored international students to be abreast with academic expectations and settling down at UQ, the program does less to address the issues you have raised and wish to pursue. I guess, what am trying to say is that as you begin to analyse the various systems at play, you might wish to consider evaluating the role the Student Services plays. I see your project probably going beyond the fulfillment of the requirements of this course”.  

How wellknown is UQmates among UQ students

What are your opinions?
1. Do you know/heard about UQmates?
- Yes/No
2. How do you know/heard about UQmates? (you can choose more than one option)
- From friends
- UQ website
- Your students' association
- Orientation week/ market days
- Others (please indicate)
3. Have you ever participate in any of UQmates activities? (you can choose more than one option)
- Participate in Chatmates
- Participate in Socialmates
- Participate in Sports
- Volunteer
4. If you ever participate in UQmates activities, please share your opinions of their services. Do you have any suggestions for UQmates in their activities?

PS. The blog seems not to have a function allowing me to create a poll or maybe I just do not know how to utilize it if any function like that, so I post it on here and you can contribute your answers to the questions in the comment area below following the order of questions. Thank you so much!

Note: This poll was created for this project purpose and presents only the views of me and the people who give answers to it.