The first MyDay events in 2017 for schools students to get a taste of higher education will be held at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga on Friday 7 April and Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 April.The MyDay program is held across the University throughout the year to give students from Years 11 and 12 a taste of 'living and learning' at CSU. They have a chance to find out about courses they have experienced an interest in, visit CSU facilities, meet academic staff and have a hands-on experience on campus.In 2017, the program has been extended to include parents who can attend separate information sessions to find out additional relevant information such as costs, accommodation, and the support available at CSU.From 9.30am to 2.30pm on Friday 7 April, school students who have expressed interested in the fields of communication and creative industries, teaching and education, psychology, social work, oral health, medical radiation science, medical science, nursing, IT, accounting and business are due to visit the University in Wagga Wagga.Degrees in agricultural science, science and agricultural business management will dominate the MyDay events at CSU in Wagga Wagga from 12 noon to 5:00pm on Monday 10 April and 8.30am to 2pm on Tuesday 11 April.The full MyDay program in 2017 can be found on the CSU Future Students page here.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will celebrate Australia's cultural diversity with a Harmony Day event on Friday 24 March.The celebrations will coincide with a two-day visit to regional NSW by approximately 200 international students from the CSU Study Centres in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 March.They will join CSU students in Wagga Wagga for Harmony Day from 11.30am to 1pm on Friday at The Hub.Organised by the University's Office for Students, the event will include a barbeque, music, a large map for students to locate their country of origin, free cupcakes, Henna hand tattooing, and an Indigenous artefact display.International student liaison officer Ms Jacquie Blomfield said, "The Office for Students hopes to see the Harmony Day event grow and involve staff and students across Charles Sturt University, and allow all to appreciate our diverse culture."

Charles Sturt University (CSU) academics and local social workers will celebrate World Social Work Day on Tuesday 21 March at a special dinner in Wagga Wagga.Lecturer in social work and human services in the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences Ms Therese Jones-Mutton (pictured) said, "Social workers are passionate advocates for a more socially-just Australia, and nationally the Australian Association of Social Work is promoting the difference social workers make to society."Locally, the World Social Work Day celebration is being organised by the Wagga Social Work Network which is now its third year of operation. We feel it is important to highlight the value of social work to society on this significant international day."In 2017 World Social Work Day highlights the theme 'Promoting Community and Environmental Sustainability', which relates to the third pillar of the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development.Ms Jones-Mutton, who is also an organising committee member of the celebrations in Wagga Wagga, said, "The Wagga Social Work Network is a network of professional social workers and social work students. Its aim is to network, share information, participate in continuing education, and mentor and support students coming into the profession."At the Network dinner on Tuesday night the audience will hear an address by leading international guest speaker, Professor Tiina Silvasti. She is Professor of Social and Public Policy in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.CSU offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Social Work and Human Services, read more here.

A new writer-in-residence at the Booranga Writers' Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will present two events in March.The Centre's Creative Director Ms Kathryn Halliwell said Melbourne author Mr Rajith Savanadasa (pictured) will present a public reading on Thursday 23 March, and a writing workshop on Saturday 25 March."It is with great pleasure that Booranga Writers' Centre welcomes Rajith Savanadasa as our first writer-in-residence for 2017," Ms Halliwell said. "We feel privileged to have such a talented young writer sharing his work with us through the upcoming author reading, and Booranga writing workshop."I encourage all in the region who are interested in writing and literature to attend his public reading and the writing workshop."Mr Savanadasa was born in Sri Lanka and now lives in Melbourne. He runs Open City Stories, an oral history project documenting the lives of a group of asylum seekers in Melbourne and is working on the next phase of it. He is currently working on a follow-up to his debut novel Ruins which has recently been longlisted for the Australian Literary Society 2017 Gold Medal award. Mr Savanadasa was shortlisted for the Asia-Europe Foundation short story prize in 2013, the Fish Publishing short story prize in 2013, received a Wheeler Centre Hotdesk Fellowship in 2014, and was part of the QWC/Hachette Manuscript Development Program in 2014.The March events will be held:Thursday 23 March, 5pm to 7pmPublic reading at the Museum of the Riverina at the Historic Council Chambers, corner of Morrow and Baylis Streets, Wagga Wagga. All are welcome to this free event, with refreshments provided.Saturday 25 March, 2pm to 4pmWriting workshop at the Booranga Writers' Centre, Mambarra Drive at CSU in Wagga Wagga. All are welcome. The workshop is free to members of Wagga Wagga Writers' Writers Inc. and $5 for non-members.

A new book of poetry by a Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD graduate and former director of CSU's Booranga Writers' Centre was launched at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery on Saturday 4 March.The Only White Landscape, the second collection of poetry by Dr Derek Motion (second from right in photo), has been published by Australian poetry imprint Cordite Books (2017). It presents a series of poems that use the specific landscapes of regional NSW as a lens to investigate personal change."I'm really excited to see this book out in the world," says Derek Motion. "It's my second collection and it's particularly great this time to have been supported by Cordite Books, one of Australia's most reputable publishers of contemporary poetry."The Only White Landscape was officially launched by Mr David Gilbey, poet and adjunct senior lecturer in English in the CSU School of Humanities and Social Sciences."Like the shaman-poet of ancient times, Derek Motion creates something out of nothing, using words to mediate between chaos and existence, speaking an imperfect, centrifugal, sometimes incomprehensible language," Mr Gilbey said. "Derek has said his poems are an 'assembly point' and his non-conclusive riddling is spell-binding."Dr Motion now lives in Narrandera and works as a Regional Arts Development Officer, but grew up in Wagga Wagga where he studied creative writing has English (Honours) degree from CSU, going on to successfully complete a PhD at CSU on the 'poetics of failure' in Australian poetry. During this time Dr Motion worked as Director of the Booranga Writers' Centre and published his first collection of poems, Lollyology (2012).

Students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are aiming to change their behaviours to significantly reduce their carbon use in 2017.During the recent Orientation Week, nearly 300 students at CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and Port Macquarie signed a pledge to reduce their personal carbon footprint.CSU Green Manager, Mr Ed Maher, said that the students' behaviour changes would also contribute towards the University's carbon neutrality status."Charles Sturt University is currently the only University in Australia that has been certified as carbon neutral by the federal government. This means that we have done a lot of work to reduce our emissions and the remaining amount of greenhouse gases we emit into the atmosphere are equal to the amount that we offset through certified offset projects associated with reforestation in central NSW and a range of internationally-based renewable energy systems," Mr Maher said."The student pledges, which are a new Orientation activity, also make students aware of what it takes to be carbon neutral. The students embraced the initiative with absolute enthusiasm. This reminds us that our strong leadership in this area is important to these future leaders and professionals in the making."Student pledges included actions aimed at reducing waste and improving energy efficiency as well as in conserving water.Mr Maher said popular pledges included 'I'm committed to turning off my computer at the power point when not in use, using reusable bags and saying no to plastic and packaging, and get my coffee in a Keep Cup because I know disposable cups are rubbish and are not recyclable'."Charles Sturt University is supporting the students' pledges by employing four student Sustainability Advisers who live on campus and will lead sustainability initiatives with students and help them fulfil their pledges," he said.The advisers will live on CSU in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Orange and Wagga Wagga.

Staff and students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are doing their bit to help save Australian lives through blood donations.The annual Intercampus Blood Challenge is being held over the next four months and blood donations made by staff and students will be tallied.There's fierce competition amongst the campuses for the two award categories: the most total donations; and the highest percentage of donations.CSU in Port Macquarie has taken out the Challenge's highest percentage category for the past two years. CSU in Bathurst won the highest total donations in 2016.The University is also supporting the Australian Red Cross Blood Service's latest group donation campaign, known as Red25, with a large number of new students registering interest in donating blood during orientation week.In the 2016 Red25 program, staff and students at CSU in Albury-Wodonga won the Most Plasma Donations (Education) category and took second place in the Most Lives Saved category. A total of 183 donations were made, saving more than 450 lives.At CSU in Wagga Wagga, the student club, the Pharmers Society won both the Most Number of Plasma Donations (Education) for 2016 and took out third place in Most Lives Saved category. The pharmacy students were responsible for 118 blood donations, saving 354 Australian lives.To donate blood, call 13 14 95 or visit the website to make an appointment.

High school students from the Riverina will have the chance to explore careers in technology as the Big Day In makes its way to Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Wednesday 8 March.The Big Day In is an IT careers event designed for students in Years 9 to 12 as well as university students interested in careers in technology.The conference is hosted by CSU in conjunction with the ACS Foundation which facilitates sponsorship of technology education and research projects.CSU in Wagga Wagga is the first of 10 locations hosting Big Day In conferences around Australia. The free event be held in Joyes Hall, Pine Gully Road at CSU in Wagga Wagga from 9am to 2.30pm.Exhibitors at this year's event include Digital Careers, WiseTech Global, Adobe, Technology One, Agrihack, Westpac Group, PDK, TAFE, and Silvertone Electronics.ACS Foundation Executive Director Mr John Ridge, said "We aim to attract students who have an interest or passion for IT and technology, and give them the opportunity to hear from people in the industry, and ask them questions. "This allows them to be better informed before making decisions about their future careers."This is the third consecutive year that CSU has hosted the Big Day In conference, with over 400 students attending last year. Further information is available here.

Meeting cancer patients during her work placement has inspired a Charles Sturt University (CSU) student to shave her head to raise money to help people with the disease.Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science student, Ms Rachel Hindi, is taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave fundraising campaign."I'm specialising in radiation therapy and spent a work placement at a cancer therapy centre at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney," Ms Hindi said."It was very humbling to spend time with the patients I was treating and to gain a better understanding of the challenges they face and the impact that cancer has on them and their families."The other staff on my work placement we involved in fundraising and I decided that I wanted to do something to help."The money raised through The World's Greatest Shave gives families facing blood cancer emotional and practical support, as well as funding research."Ms Hindi's long curly locks will be shaved at The Crow Bar at CSU on Friday 17 March. You can support the CSU student here.Ms Hindi is in the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga. The Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (with specialisations) is a four year program offered by CSU in Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga.