Some of the cognitive, cultural and biological reasons for belief in extraordinary phenomena will be examined at a seminar for staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 16 May. Dr Krissy Wilson, a lecturer at the CSU School of Psychology who established a new research unit called the Science of Anomalistic Phenomena (SOAP) at CSU in March this year, will present the seminar. “Consistent and wide-spread belief in the paranormal is a striking facet of the human condition, and belief in phenomena that contradict known scientific laws and principles is a common feature of all western societies,” Dr Wilson said. “There is little evidence to suggest that widespread paranormal beliefs are on the wane, and recent polls tend to suggest that such commonly held beliefs are on the increase. Whatever the truth might be, and whatever reasons people might have about why they believe, there can be little doubt that believers are not basing their beliefs upon scientific evidence. Indeed, most of the evidence put forward to support paranormal claims is anecdotal and open to alternative explanations.”

Seventy five Charles Sturt University (CSU) Foundation scholarships worth $142 700 in total will be presented to 70 CSU students at a luncheon ceremony in Bathurst on Friday 25 May. The ceremony will be attended by the Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett, AO, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Vann, the Head of Campus in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, and the Mayor of Bathurst, Councillor Greg Westman. Prominent guests include Ms Lyndey Milan, a food and wine broadcaster, author, TV personality and presenter of Lyndey and Blair’s Taste of Greece, who will present the inaugural Blair Milan Memorial Scholarship in honour of her son Blair, a CSU theatre/media alumnus, who died of cancer in 2011. Ms Milan will be accompanied by her partner, businessman Mr John Caldon, as well as colleagues, friends and family of Mr Blair Milan. Other inaugural CSU Foundation scholarships to be presented include the Lodge Chelmsford Masonic Scholarship, the Moree Plains Shire Council Scholarship, and the Widgiewa School Scholarship. Six students will also receive CSU Excellence Scholarships, awarded to students based on a combination of academic merit (an ATAR score of 95 and above) and evidence of demonstrated leadership and citizenship within the community.

Primary school students from Bathurst and Portland will attend special workshops at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 23 May to help motivate them to explore study options for when they finish high school. A total of 83 Year 5 and 6 students from Bathurst West Public School, Bathurst South Public School and Portland Central School will participate in the Check It Out Day, which is part of the Future Moves program at CSU. The manager of CSU Pre-entry Programs,  Ms Sue Rogan, said, “The Check It Out Day is an exciting interactive experience for primary school students that encourages them to consider university as an option when they leave school. It exposes students at a young age to the university experience so they develop confidence to seek information about courses and pathways as they go through high school.” The six workshops will provide hands-on experiences in art and science education, sport, communication and media, nursing and paramedicine. The students will also tour the campus, participate in activities on the sports fields, and join in a mock graduation. The CSU Check It Out Day runs from 9.30am to 2.30pm Wednesday 23 May at Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst.

The Australian University Sports (AUS) association has conferred an award on a Charles Sturt University (CSU) student support officer at Bathurst in recognition of her dedication to advancing participation in university sports. Ms Jean Ryan received the Service to Sport Award from AUS Life Member, Ms Ann Mitchell, at a special dinner at the Crowne Plaza Coogee Beach in Sydney on Thursday 17 May as part of the annual AUS conference. “I am surprised and delighted to receive this award, but the successes of Charles Sturt University sport is only achieved through the talent and enthusiasm of our students,” Ms Ryan said. The award citation states, ‘Jean has held numerous roles in the sports sector both within the University and the local community, and was the sole contributor to the organisation of CSU sport in Bathurst for at least 15 years.’

Third-year theatre/media students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will stage their production of a new play, Reductio Ad, which premieres at the Ponton Theatre on Wednesday 23 May. Reductio Ad was written by award-winning screenwriter and playwright Mr Ray Harding, and is directed by Ms Kate Smith, both lecturers at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst. Reductio Ad is a black comedy that tracks one day in the life of a dysfunctional family living in the year 2027 as the last survivors on Earth, or so they think. Ms Smith said, "This play explores our reliance on technology, celebrity, and religion to solve life's inexplicable mysteries in the face of annihilation. Ray Harding has created a landscape inhabited by a barely functioning family - Bazza, Beryl and their four adult children - who cling to their sanity as they seek refuge inside an abandoned detention centre as they seemingly ignore the harsh reality of their existence in a world destroyed by the impacts of climate change. This comic and at times paradoxical portrait of Australian society in the face of massive global change is off-beat and deeply provocative.”

A group of Charles Sturt University (CSU) students will host a Mini Relay For Life at the University on Saturday 26 May to raise awareness and funds for the Cancer Council, and they invite the Bathurst community to join in. The students, Ms Jenna Campbell, Ms Sarah Dowling, Mr Jerrod Alexander and Ms Ella Dumbrell, have organised the event with the support of the Cancer Council to raise money for cancer research, support and education programs. Ms Campbell said, “Relay For Life is a fun, outdoor fundraising event where teams of 10-15 people take turns to walk or run around an oval to honour the lives of people touched by cancer. Teams are encouraged to theme their outfits and tents and do something about cancer in their community in a simple and social way. It’s a great team-building fun event!” The CSU Mini Relay For Life will be staged at the CSU soccer field from 4pm-10pm Saturday 26 May. For more information, contact Ms Jenna Campbell on 0430 490 865.

Treatment for the blood cancers multiple myeloma and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma currently require some patients living in regional and rural Australia to travel considerable distances and stay for a period of time in major regional and metropolitan centres. Charles Sturt University (CSU) Honours student Ms Kerry Wagland is investigating how mothers living in regional areas with dependent children, and who have contracted these rare cancers, cope with their disease and treatment. Ms Wagland, with the support of CSU’s School of Psychology, is interviewing rural and regional women who have these diseases to understand how they impact on the mother’s daily life and her relationships. “I am seeking to gain insights into the challenges faced by these women, especially when they have to travel to and stay at a major treatment centre. I am hoping this will lead to improved support for these women,” Ms Wagland said. The interviews, to be carried out for up to one hour face-to-face or via telephone, will be conducted until 31 August 2012.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst is the venue for the annual FACTS Day (Facts About Careers and Tertiary Study) for Year 12 students across the central west on Thursday 24 May. FACTS Day is organised by the Central West Careers Advisers Association to assist students explore their future career and employment opportunities. Prospective Student Adviser at CSU, Ms Fran Dwyer, said, “Approximately 120 representatives from more than 60 career and employer organisations, including universities, private providers, TAFE, Centrelink, police, and other government agencies, will provide information to about 1 000 Year 12 students from schools in Bathurst, Lithgow, Kandos, Oberon, Blayney, Cowra, Orange, Molong and Wellington. As in the past, FACTS Day provides regional final-year high school students the opportunity to speak with a range of educational providers, and hear a motivational speaker. It is also an opportunity for students to experience Charles Sturt University by attending the campus, which some schools will tour.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and students are being encouraged to express on film their ideas for environmental sustainability. The Eco Literacy Film Festival aims to showcase short, three-minute films exploring how the University can reduce its environmental footprint in areas of biodiversity, energy and transport, waste water and pollution, and food and produce. Festival Co-ordinator, Ms Natasha Hard said a total of $6 000 in prizes is on offer and the films will be shown in an online and on campus film festival later in the year. “Anyone who has a phone can make a film and make a difference,” she said. “By celebrating some of the great things being done and highlighting new opportunities, we hope to support interest and action in the area of sustainability across Charles Sturt University.” The festival is funded by a grant from CSU Green. Entries close at 11.59pm on Friday 6 July. Read more about the Eco Literacy Film Festival here.