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.

Orange residents with the cycling bug can get into the spirit of NSW Bike Week by joining Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and students and the Orange Bicycle User Group (BUG) on a bicycle orienteering ride on Sunday 23 September. Starting and finishing at the CSU Cellar Door, the ride will let riders decide their own route by visiting check-points around north Orange and answering a simple question at each. All riders are welcome for the 15km event, which should take about two hours at an easy pace. The event will be one of two Bike Week rides for CSU campus staff and students, who will also embark on a ride-to-work event on Wednesday 19 September. This year’s ride is gearing up to be bigger than ever, beginning at Bill’s Beans in McLachlan Street at 8.30am before the ‘peleton’ heads down Leeds Parade to the campus for breakfast. CSU Campus Services Manager Mr Mark Chapman said while the ride-to-work event was for CSU staff and students, the orienteering ride on 23 September was open to the public. “The public event is aimed at participation so be sure and invite your family and friends,” he said. “The start time will be between 11am and noon, so come along and enjoy an easy afternoon cycling and even taste a CSU wine while you’re on our campus.”

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) lawn bowls team travels to Adelaide next week to defend the national title it won at last year’s Australian University Games. The gold medal follows years of hard work for the team, which earned a place in the increasingly competitive competition’s top tier in 2009. The team won a first division bronze in 2010 and, finally, the long-awaited gold medal last year. CSU Student Support Team Leader Mr Nik Granger said the past 10 years had seen a sharp increase in the standards of competition at the games, which were now Australia’s largest annual multi-sport event. “You’ve got Olympians, Commonwealth Games medallists and various state and national representatives throughout the competition,” he said. “CSU will have students from our Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga competing, as well as several distance education students.” CSU’s Ultimate Frisbee team will compete in division two this year with hopes of securing a gold or silver medal to earn elevation into division one for the 2013 games and the University team will also include individual representatives in cycling and athletics.

Tickets have almost sold out for the biennial Tony McGrane Memorial Scholarship Dinner at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo on Monday 24 September. The late Mr Tony McGrane, OAM, was a Mayor of Dubbo from 1991 to 1999, and was then the Independent NSW Member for Dubbo. The dinner’s guest speaker is the Independent Federal Member for New England, the Hon. Tony Windsor, MP. Mr McGrane and Mr Windsor served together as Independent in the NSW Parliament. Head of CSU in Dubbo Dr Beverley Moriarty said the dinner would raise money for the Tony McGrane Scholarship, which gives students from the Orana region and Dubbo electorate an opportunity to gain a higher education. “It’s fantastic to see the level of support the community has given us and a testament to the lasting impact Tony had on the area,” she said. “Tony was very well-known in the community, he was very much loved and respected and he was instrumental in bringing Charles Sturt University to Dubbo. He passed away in 2004, but everyone you talk to in Dubbo remembers him and gives a little smile whenever they speak about him. They all have a story to tell about him.” Tickets for the Tony McGrane Memorial Scholarship Dinner are on sale for $130 per head. To purchase, contact CSU on (02) 6885 7370.