The skills of a trainee hospitality worker at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga have been recognised during annual awards run by the not-for-profit training organisation, GTES. Mr Damian Slater, 20, from Wagga Wagga is one of three finalists in the trainee category of the GTES Apprentice & Trainee Awards, which recognise the excellence and dedication of GTES apprentices and trainees employed in various industries. The winners in five award categories for southern NSW and Victoria will be announced at a ceremony in Wagga Wagga on Friday 26 August. Undertaking a Certificate III in hospitality operations at TAFE NSW Riverina Institute, Mr Slater caters for students, staff and guests at CSU. . Mr Toby Perry, team leader of Food and Beverage Services at CSU in Albury-Wodonga and Wagga Wagga, said, “Damian is an excellent team member, who learns quickly, works hard under pressure, and has a genuine pleasure in serving people. His attention to detail and his respect and rapport with our customers help him to stand head and shoulders above where one would normally expect a trainee to be, so early in their career.”

Accessibility and human rights instead of rigid funding should be the priorities when planning health care services for rural and remote Australia, says Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Professor of Rural and Remote Pharmacy Patrick Ball. Professor Ball studied four communities in central west NSW as part of his examination of the provision of health services outside metropolitan Australia. “Governments have put forward centrally controlled, standardised solutions based on defined services and bricks and mortar,” he said. “We have evidence to show that rural and remote areas need more flexibility in allowing individual communities to meet their health needs and more emphasis on access to services rather than what hospital and which health facilities are located where.” Professor Patrick Ball will present a free public lecture on his research from 6pm in West Wyalong on Wednesday 3 August.

The social, sporting and cultural side of university life will be on show this Friday 2 March when the annual Club’s Day is held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. Hosted by the University’s Student Services, approximately 30 student clubs will be vying for new members from 1pm to 5pm outside the food and beverage venue, eat@20. The student organisations will range from football, hockey and netball clubs, to clubs aligned with courses such as animal science, oral health and acting. Students are being encouraged to join a club to enhance their University experiences. One of the clubs looking for new members will be the University’s Fire Twirling Club. Vice-president and CSU Bachelor of Information Technology, Mr Allan Buckman, said the club had 22 members in 2011 and performed at several student events on-campus last year and again during the recent Orientation Week.

Former and current police officers and school teachers are sought to participate in Charles Sturt University (CSU) research about decision-making in their careers. The study by Ms Loene Howes, a psychology student and a teacher for 14 years, will focus on the career decision-making of police officers and teachers who stay in these professions or enter new careers. “In particular, I need former school teachers and police officers who have gone into other fields, as well as current police officers and school teachers, to complete an anonymous online survey,” said Ms Howes. "The survey usually takes 10 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on how many questions are relevant to the experience of the individual completing the survey. I hope my research will be of use to police officers and teachers considering career change, counsellors assisting police officers and teachers with career transitions, and police and education departments in addressing the needs of staff and keeping experienced staff in the professions.” The survey can be found here. 

The campaign to support the Charles Sturt University (CSU) proposal for more medical training in regional Australia will hit the road this Friday 12 August in the 23rd Kidney Kar Rally.  CSU Advancement Officer, Mr Justin Williams is part of the support crew for the annual rally which raises money for children with kidney disease. As the convoy of colourful cars drives through regional NSW, Mr Williams will also be promoting the CSU Doctors 4 the Bush campaign.  CSU has submitted a proposal to the federal government for an Integrated Health and Medical Education Precinct in Orange, and a Medical and Health Services Precinct in Bathurst. It aims to provide medical and health training for students to help address the shortage of doctors in the bush. "When the opportunity arose to join in the rally I thought why not take this worthy cause on the road,” Mr Williams said. ”Evidence shows that if people are educated regionally they tend to stay here and with the regional health shortage, Charles Sturt University’s plan makes sense.”  The public can show its support for the Doctors 4 the Bush campaign by signing a petition when the Kidney Kar Rally rolls into town or by visiting the Doctors 4 the Bush website here.

The moving documentary Kapyong, about one of most significant and least acknowledged battles fought by Australian soldiers, will be screened at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Wednesday 10 August. Fought during the Korean War in the Kapyong Valley north of Seoul in April 1951, mainly Australian and Canadian soldiers in the United Nations forces faced the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army. The fierce battle was for a valley, the ancient and traditional invasion route to the capital, Seoul. If Kapyong fell, Seoul and the war would have been lost. Kapyong was written and directed by Australian filmmaker Dennis K Smith and produced by John Lewis of Arcimedia. The documentary, launched by the Prime Minister in Canberra on 29 April, features many shots produced by visual effects lecturer at CSU, Mr Andrew Hagan as the film’s Visual Effects Supervisor. Hosted by the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga, the special screening of Kaypong will include an exclusive insight into the making of the film by Mr Hagan. “The film required photorealistic visual effects, with the documentary demonstrating a new wave of digital SLR cinematography and production for independent filmmakers,” said Mr Hagan. Kapyong is rated M for Mature audiences.

An historic documentary exploring Muslim people through Australian history is the subject of a free screening in Wagga Wagga on Thursday 18 August. Highlighting Australia’s first interaction with Muslims, the Macassans, who travelled and traded well before European settlement, the documentary chronologically navigates the milestones for the Muslim community post-European settlement. The film captures the ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity of Muslims Down Under, and tells the stories of Muslim pioneers and their descendants, beginning with the pivotal role the Afghan camel herders played in the development of outback Australia, to the successful integration Muslims have made into modern Australian society. In the Footsteps of the Ancestors: Muslims Down Under by Ms Nada Roude can be seen at the Riverina Playhouse from 6pm. The event is hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in association with the Islamic Council of NSW.

There’ll be more than a few proud audience members at the official viewing of a new video to promote Wagga Wagga as a place to visit, to live and to do business. The four minute film, Wagga Wagga…Twice as Good, featuring members of the Wagga City Rugby Men’s Choir and Murrumbidgee Magic singing Eric Bogle’s Shelter, will be launched at 4pm on Saturday 25 February in Wagga Wagga. Produced by Mr Greg Conkey, the new film was directed and edited by Mr Matthew Olsen, a television production lecturer from the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga. In addition to the use of the University’s editing and audio equipment, television production lecturer, Mr Patrick Sproule, technical officer, Mr David Hawke, and technical support officer, Mr Andrew Harris, donated their time as sound engineers. Third-year television production student Mr Johannes Sudbrink, from Germany, was employed as camera operator. Mr Olsen said, “I felt, as a local resident, it was important I lend my professional skills to promote the wonders of Wagga Wagga to the wider world. By donating its facilities and staff, Charles Sturt University also shares this view.”

The role of librarians and teachers in preventing cyber-bullying will be discussed in a public lecture hosted by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Information Studies on Wednesday 29 February. In her lecture at CSU in Wagga Wagga, the Director of School Information Studies at McGill University in Canada, Associate Professor France Bouthillier, will explore how the popularity of social media and the commercialisation of new technology have the potential to bring cyber-bullying into public spaces such as libraries. CSU Research Fellow, Dr Paul Scifleet, said the School of Information Studies is excited to be hosting the seminar. “Balancing safety and a duty of care with access to social media in this rich information landscape is a genuine concern for us all,” he said. “Dr Bouthillier's presentation will be a valuable exploration of the current issues and challenges faced by those who provide public access.”