An expert in the study of paranormal events from Charles Sturt University (CSU) believes the only scary thing about Halloween is the risk of tooth decay from all the sweets that children have an excuse to guzzle on the day. Dr Krissy Wilson, Head of CSU’s Science of Anomalistic Phenomena research unit, said the celebration of Halloween most likely started as a pagan tradition that coincided with the new harvest. “It later became a Christian celebration of All Hallows or All Saints Day. Modern times have seen it evolve into ‘Halloween’ – which came literally from ‘hallowed’ or ‘holy’ – that typically involves trick or treating, dressing up in silly outfits and watching horror movies!”

Students and staff from Charles Sturt University (CSU) will put their bike riding credentials on the line when they join thousands of fellow NSW commuters and ride to the University to celebrate NSW Bike Week on Tuesday 18 September. As part of the ride-to-work activities, supported by Albury City, the bicycle commuters will receive expert advice on maintaining and repairing their machines before and after their ride, which will leave at 7.45am from the old CSU Library car park in Guinea Street, Albury, and continue along the cycle path that follows the freeway to Thurgoona. Fellow riders are able to join the group along the way. The group is due to finish at the Gums Café, CSU in Albury-Wodonga, at 8.30am, where they will receive breakfast sponsored by CSU Green. Event coordinator across the University, Ms Nicola Smith, said the event, to also be held at other CSU campuses, aims to increase the knowledge of bike paths around CSU campuses, increase bike safety and get more CSU staff and students involved in local bicycle groups. “We want more Charles Sturt University people taking part in active transport and decreasing our carbon footprint,” Ms Smith said.

A search into the past of the Riverina and Murray regions is being made easier with the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Regional Archives extending its opening hours in Wagga Wagga. The collection, which spans 4 500 metres of shelves and boxes, includes State Archives, Regional Records and CSU Archives. CSU Regional Archives Manager, Mr Wayne Doubleday said, “We extended the weekday opening hours to include the first Saturday of each month as a trial. The idea is to be open to people from the wider community and Charles Sturt University who cannot visit the Archives in normal business hours during the week. The collection is so diverse, I think anyone who visits will definitely find something to interest them, from photographs, newspapers and maps, to land records and family history resources - just to name a few. We’re incredibly lucky to have a great resource like the Archives based in regional NSW. It’s amazing what you can find in history if you look hard enough.” The CSU Regional Archives is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 3pm. The next weekend opening will be Saturday 6 August.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) researchers are asking beef producers to help them find out more information about a condition affecting up to 10 percent of calves. Researchers from the Fred Morley Unit are undertaking one of the first studies of the impact of scours (diarrhoea) in calves in Australian beef herds. It is the most common symptom of illness in young calves reducing growth rates and causing death in a small number of cases. Senior lecturer with the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Dr Jan Lievaart said,  “Most of the research into calf scours in beef cattle has been done in Northern America and this project aims to get hard data for the Australian situation to see if there are any differences”. Surveys have been sent to 1 000 beef producers in the Hume Livestock Health and Pest Authority area and researchers hope to follow up by collecting samples from affected animals to identify the types of pathogens causing the infection. Producers who return their surveys will receive free entry to the EH Graham Centre  Beef Field Day on Thursday 4 August.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) has won the prestigious team award for the third year in a row at the Australian Universities Crops Competition. Held at Temora from Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 September, the competition saw students from five universities tested on everything from seed identification and grain grading to business management and production practices. CSU Bachelor of Agricultural Science student Ms Georgina Rees from Lara in Victoria placed second in the individual student category. She will now travel to the United States to compete in the crops competition at the Chicago Fair in November. Lecturer in crop agronomy from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Dr Sergio Moroni said, “The standard of competition was very high and being named as the top team for a third consecutive year is an outstanding achievement. It was pleasing to see the confident performance of the Charles Sturt University students during the event."

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) veterinarian said the Hendra virus is very unlikely to pose an immediate risk for horse owners in southern NSW. However, senior lecturer in Equine Medicine with the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Dr Kris Hughes, said a confirmed case of the Hendra virus at Wollongbar on the north coast does serve as a warning for all horse owners, veterinarians and other individuals dealing with horses in the region to be vigilant. “The risk is very low given our geographical location, but people should be aware of any changes in their horses’ behaviour, neurological signs and respiratory signs,” he said. The Hendra virus is transmitted to horses by flying foxes and is known to emerge only in autumn and winter in Queensland and northern NSW. In rare cases it can be transmitted from horses to humans and four of the seven people ever diagnosed with the virus have died. Dr Hughes hopes a vaccine being developed by the Australian Animal Health Laboratory will be available and widely distributed next year.

University students committed to the environment will put their ideas on show in the main street of Albury this week as part of the Students on Sustainability (SoS) conference being staged at Charles Sturt University (CSU) until Sunday 10 July. A stall will be set up in Dean Street in central Albury to allow the residents of Albury-Wodonga to be photographed in front of artwork highlighting the importance of healthy water futures, allowing them to add messages of support, starting Wednesday 6 July. These photos will then be displayed to the public on Friday 8 July from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at the University. Event co-organiser and CSU environment student, Ms Meryn Shaw, said the students wanted to involve the community in the activities, with around 400 students expected to gather for the five day event. The local Wiradjuri community and CSU Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Nick Klomp, will welcome participants to the SoS conference from 9am to 10.30 am on Wednesday  6 July.

Approximately 430 students in China have graduated with degrees in business studies from Charles Sturt University (CSU) during June. The CSU graduation events in China began on 8 June, with graduates celebrating their academic successes at Yangzhou University west of Shanghai. This was followed by similar ceremonies on 10 June at Jilin University of Finance and Economics in Changchun in northern China, and on 15 June at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics in Kunming in the centre of the country. Head of the International School of Business and Partnerships, Associate Professor John Atkinson, said the events culminate four years of study for these students, and highlight the importance of CSU’s international partnerships through which its courses can be offered in the rapidly growing international education market in China. In March, Professor Atkinson visited China to welcome 750 new students to their studies with CSU. “Charles Sturt University is well known in China, as it has offered this course to students there for over 10 years,” Professor Atkinson said. See photos of graduations at CSU here.

Early childhood education students from Europe have joined six other international students from as far as Canada, Ghana and Korea to commence their studies in the second academic session at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga. Ms Ines Suhonjic from Sweden and Ms Louise Nedergaard Rathleff from Denmark will study subjects from the University’s degree in early childhood and primary education for four months, using scholarships they won under a new European U Mobility project, which encourages the exchange of undergraduate students between three European and three Australian universities, including CSU. Both students said they always dreamed of coming to Australia, but could only afford it with the help of the scholarship. Ms Nedergaard Rathleff, from the Danish town of Hjorring, said she wanted to see regional Australia rather than the cities as she was more used to outgoing country people and having nature around her. The second academic session at CSU commenced on Monday 11 July and continues to Friday 28 October.