Theatre/Media students at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Communication will stage a production of the classic Greek tragedy Medea, by Euripides, at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC) from Thursday 7 to Saturday 9 June. Twenty five third year students are involved as cast and crew for the production which is being directed by CSU lecturer Ms Annabel Scholes. “Medea was first performed in 431BC and I chose it because of its timeless relevance to modern audiences,” Ms Scholes said. “Medea is a tragedy, a story of betrayal and terrible revenge. It is a challenging script for the actors, and because no copyright applies, it allows us to modernise and retell the story in an innovative way. With support from industry professionals, students produce the entire show, including set design, costume, sound, lighting, stage management, production management, assistant directing, multimedia and publicity.”

Professor Allan Curtis, Professor of Integrated Environmental Management at Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Director of the Institute for Land, Water and Society, will present a seminar that examines the uptake of natural resource management in Australia on Wednesday 16 May on CSU Bathurst Campus. In the seminar titled Progress with regional NRM: a social researcher’s perspective, Professor Curtis will draw on his research and experience with catchment management in regional Australia. His research examines the social dimensions of catchment management, including how landholders adopted conservation practices, the social and institutional arrangements for catchment management and the evaluation of natural resource management programs. Professor Curtis is currently involved in research examining aspects of governance for regional firms; projects providing social data to underpin catchment management; and the assessment of constraints on the uptake of automated irrigation technology.

Seven Charles Sturt University (CSU) primary education students will participate in a three week program at Hannam University, South Korea in June and July. The students will study Korean language and culture before spending a week in a Korean primary school assisting in teaching English. Alex Elibank-Murray, professional experience liaison officer within the CSU School of Teacher Education (SOTE) said, “We hope their experience will be positive so we can continue to offer this to other CSU students.” Peter Bryson, a fourth year primary student, is looking forward to travelling to Asia for the first time. “I’ve been to North and Central America, but I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn’t speak the local language, so I can experience what it’s like for someone to come into my classroom who doesn’t speak English. It will be challenging and exciting.” Nikita Mulder (second year primary) said, “I’ve never been overseas. When I saw this it seemed like a really good opportunity. I’m really looking forward to it.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) project, engaging thousands of school students in the study of astronomy, was recently showcased around the globe at the 7th annual Megaconference. Megaconference brings together speakers from all over the world and aims to push the boundaries of video conferencing technology. Professor David McKinnon explains that his presentation, the first session of the conference, was accessed by 23 000 sites using 450 ”Multipoint Control Units”, of which Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet) was one. For their efforts, AARNet and CSU were nominated for a 2007 Advanced Technology Summit Award, which recognises the use of ”exciting new technologies”. Professor McKinnon said the Award nomination was, “Gratifying and immensely satisfying to be one of the two or three international nominations for this award amongst so many Americans”.

While grain growers rejoice, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) livestock expert is warning recent widespread rainfall across New South Wales and Victoria brings risks as well as great benefits for pastoralists. Professor Kym Abbott from the CSU School of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences Wagga Wagga Campus says sheep flocks and cattle herds face the increased threat of parasitic infestation over the next four to six weeks as parasite larvae, that had lain dormant in the soil, move onto pastures. He is urging sheep and cattle producers to closely monitor parasite egg counts over the next few months to treat sheep if necessary but avoid the excessive use of drenches. Professor Abbott says sheep and calves in particular risk weight loss and scour from parasites such as Brown Stomach worm, Black Scour worm and Nematodirus which thrive after prolonged periods of drought.

A visiting expert from the United Kingdom (UK) will discuss the importance of communication and of working together to identify and support children with speech, language and communication impairment at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Bathurst tonight, Tuesday 22 May. Professor Sue Roulstone from the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, UK, will discuss Children’s speech and language difficulties; whose problem are they? in a free public lecture. “Speech and language are closely linked to our social context,” Professor Roulstone said. “Our culture and our interests affect the way we speak and the words we use. In the lecture I will consider the differences in how we think and talk about children’s speech and language difficulties, and the differences in the ways we help the children. Based on our UK research, I will identify the different roles played by families, professionals and the children themselves as they grow up.” The lecture is open to teachers, speech pathologists, health professionals and interested members of the public.

Recipients of Charles Sturt Foundation scholarships for 2007 will be recognised at the presentation ceremony at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Bathurst Campus on Friday 25 May. Two hundred and thirty five scholarships worth over $500 000 will be awarded to new and continuing students studying across the five main campuses at CSU, including scholarships to 111 students on the Bathurst Campus. As well as receiving the scholarships, which are awarded on the basis of academic merit, leadership and contribution to the community, the ceremony provides an opportunity for the students to meet their scholarship donor. Head of Campus, Professor Greg Walker, will introduce scholarship donors and recipients, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Ian McIntosh will present scholarship certificates. Tom Nicol, receiving the Nine Network Richard Carleton Memorial Scholarship, will present a vote of thanks on behalf of the scholars.

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic wants Australians to become more involved in the formulation of public policy, saying this could make the world a better and more peaceful place. Associate Professor Leonora Ritter, Head of the School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies said that, “the biggest difference we could make would be to increase the amount of love and security and decrease the amount of fear and anxiety in the world. And we can do that at a micro level. If you smile at the girl at the supermarket, she might not hit her child when she gets home that night, and her girl might not grow up to be racist or violent. You have got to start somewhere. Human beings have enormous frailty because they are susceptible to anxiety, fear, anger and aggression”. At the broader level, Dr Ritter said she would, “try to engage people more in the political process so they can change the world for the better. It is not about left versus right. It is about promoting human values such as kindness and charity.” Dr Ritter will speak on Putting the “i” into public policy tomorrow, Wednesday 23 May at the next All Saints’ Cathedral Forum in Bathurst.

What’s it like to have a sibling with a disability? According to Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD student Jacqueline Barr, “These children take on a parent-like role, they are jealous of the time their sibling gets from their parents, and they are worried about the child and their parents. I also found that siblings of a child with a speech impairment often act as a protector and interpreter”. But having a sibling with a disability can also make the child “more understanding of other people’s needs and more sympathetic to differences in other people,” she said. As part of her PhD studies, Ms Barr is developing an in-service program for teachers addressing the needs of these siblings. A paper on Jacqueline Barr’s research into the impact of being a sibling of a child with a communication disorder was recently accepted in the US journal Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools.