Former Olympic swimming champion Mr Michael Klim was the guest of honour and presented awards to student sports and social groups at the annual Blues Ball at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst recently. CSU student support officer Ms Jean Ryan said, “The Blues Ball awards give us the opportunity to recognise the considerable talent of the University’s students, and a great night was had by all. It was particularly pleasing to have the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Andrew Vann, attend, and to welcome Mr Michael Klim and recently returned London Olympics competitor Ms Jo Brigden-Jones (K4 kayaking) who received the Distance Education Sportsperson of the Year Award.” The Head of Campus at CSU in Bathurst, Mr Col Sharp, also attended the Blues Ball to celebrate the students’ achievements. Mr Lachlan Martens and Mr James Dunston, members of the CSU Sports Council, shared the master of ceremonies role.

The television studio at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will have a younger audience than usual when CSU students recreate the popular ABC Television program, Play School on Friday 12 October. Under the supervision of television production lecturer Mr Patrick Sproule, the Bachelor of Arts (Television Production) students will record  an episode of Play School before a live audience of children from the nearby CSU Children’s Centre and Goodstart Early Learning Ashmont. Bachelor of Arts (Design for Theatre and Television) students have re-created the Play School set for the children. Acting students will play the role of Play School presenters. “Having a live audience adds a further element of reality and feedback to our students' learning experience with the children usually being quite forthcoming with comments on what they like most in the production. With a colourful and detailed set and great performances from our acting students, it also provides a fantastic opportunity for the children to see how one of their favourite television shows is made in the studio environment,” said Mr Sproule. The children will also be given a tour of the Play School set in the television studios. The television studio is one of the facilities available to students in the University’s School of Communication and Creative Industries. Read more about the Bachelor of Arts (Television Production), (Acting for Stage and Screen) and (Design for Theatre & Television) degrees here.

Twenty five Charles Sturt University (CSU) students will assist with the organisation of the 2012 Inland Sea of Sound Festival of world music in Bathurst from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 October. Ms Kate Smith, lecturer in theatre/media at the CSU School of Communication and Creative Industries in Bathurst, said, “The students are involved in work experience and internships as production staff and crew for the event. This includes stage management, production management, and volunteer coordination of events in backyards, in the park, and at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.” The 2012 Inland Sea of Sound Festival features musician-led workshops, two twilight concerts in private backyards, and leading performers - Jeff Lang, Rasa Duende, Fred Smith, Liz Frencham, Greg Sheehan, Bandaluzia, Kerrianne Cox, Kim Sanders, Jade Flynn, and the Sea of Sound Band. More information and tickets can be obtained from the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre at 105 William Street, Bathurst, or on 6333 6161 or at www.bmec.com.au or www.inlandseaofsound.com. 

A leading water ecologist from Charles Sturt University (CSU) believes the allocation of environmental water and various environmental works and measures designed to spread water across the wetlands will allow the environment of the Murray Darling Basin to adapt to climate change. “These works spread water across the wetlands, allow wetlands to drain, and allow fish to migrate,” says Professor Max Finlayson, director of CSU’s Institute for Land, Water and Society. “The ecological condition of the Murray River and its many wetlands has been the subject of much contention and many policy responses in recent years, including the current Murray Darling Basin Plan. This has included major concerns over ecological changes in major wetlands along the river.  I will use my experiences from the mouth of the Murray to illustrate some of the quandaries we face.” Professor Finlayson will present his views at the next public seminar in the Murray-Darling Basin Seminar series, titled ’Climate change adaptation for the Murray River’, at 4pm on Thursday 4 October at CSU in Albury-Wodonga.

Charles Sturt University's (CSU) lawn bowls team has won through to the gold medal match of the Australian University Games (AUG) in Adelaide to defend the national title it won last year. CSU team manager, Mr Nik Granger, said the team had won five of its seven pool games to qualify third for the play-offs behind the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the University of NSW (UNSW). “We lost to both universities in the pool stage, but we beat UNSW in the semi-final and the team is confident it can knock over UWA in the final”, he said. CSU first earned a place in the top tier of the AUG in 2009 and won a first division bronze in 2010 before taking the national title last year. Mr Granger said the past 10 years had seen a sharp increase in the standard of competition at the Games, which were now Australia’s largest annual multi-sport event. “There are Olympians, Commonwealth Games medallists, and various state and national representatives throughout the competition,” he said. “CSU will have students from our Albury-Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and Bathurst campuses competing as well as several distance education students.”

The link between nutrition and heart health will be explored when the Senior Manager of Food Supply at the Heart Foundation speaks at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga this Friday 28 September. Ms Barbara Eden will be a guest lecturer for Bachelor of Health Sciences (Nutrition and Dietetics) students from the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences at CSU in Wagga Wagga from 9am to 11am. With cardiovascular disease the leading cause of death in Australia, Ms Eden will also speak with local health professionals and CSU staff from 1.30pm to 3pm. Lecturer in nutrition and dietetics, Ms Jackie Priestly, said, “Charles Sturt University is extremely fortunate to be able to host Barbara to update our nutrition and dietetic students and local health professionals on the latest evidence and effective strategies in the fight against cardiovascular disease.”  

A celebration of the diverse cultures that make up Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga will be held on Friday 28 September. The Global Day activity begins on the sporting field when 100 students and staff from the CSU Study Centres in Melbourne and Sydney take on a team from CSU in Wagga Wagga in friendly cricket and soccer matches. Members of the student social organisation, the International Students Club will also put their cricket skills to the test in a match against University staff. CSU Student Support Officer, Mr Roger Ansell said the day will wrap up with live music and international food at the Crow Bar with students encouraged to wear their national costume. “Charles Sturt University is proud to host students and staff from many different cultures and backgrounds, Mr Ansell said. “The University thrives on this diversity. Global Day is a chance to not only recognise the diversity, it’s a day to celebrate, share and appreciate our differences in music, sport, dance, food and religion while also celebrating our ‘sameness’ in just about everything else.” 

Charles Sturt University (CSU) staff and student cyclists will gather for a group social ride to the University in Bathurst on Wednesday 19 September as part of NSW Bike Week activities. Bike Week event coordinator at CSU, Ms Nicola Smith, from CSU Green,  said events were planned for all CSU campus towns. “We encourage the University’s staff and students to cycle-to-work as a fun, healthy and low carbon means of transport which is gaining in popularity,” Ms Smith said. “The group ride during Bike Week also promotes safety and economic savings, as fuel prices and motoring costs continue to climb.” There will be a Bike Ready Event on the library lawn at CSU on Tuesday 18 September from 12pm to 2pm for cyclists to check and prepare bikes ahead of the group ride the following day. Cyclists will meet at 8am on Wednesday 19 September at Banjo’s café, William Street, Bathurst, for a free breakfast before departing at 8.30am to ride to the University.

Teaching English to young Taiwanese students is a rewarding experience for Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Ontario graduate Mr Donald Joyce. Born and raised in Canada, Mr Joyce had been teaching in Taiwan but wanted to gain formal qualifications, so completed a Bachelor of Primary Education Studies (BPES) at CSU in 2011. He’s now teaching at the Zhongshan Private Elementary School in Taipei. “There are many challenges that go along with teaching students whose first language is not English. You have to be creative in how you deliver your lessons and manage the classroom,” he said. Mr Joyce believes the skills gained studying at CSU have made him a better teacher. “I bring in my guitar and sing because I now recognize the importance of music and how it can be a useful tool in teaching,” he said. “This is something I would never have done in the past as my guitar skills are very basic and my singing defies description.  Now I feel compelled to take risks as a teacher because I know it will be beneficial for the students.” Read the full story here.