UCLifex is proud to present the 2022 Campus Life Awards night!
On Friday 4th November, we recognised and celebrated all the events and efforts by our clubs and societies. Here are our winners for the night:
On Campus Event of the Year
The On Campus Event of the Year honors clubs or societies making a genuine effort towards enhancing the campus culture and providing a vibrant campus experience for students. The on-campus event can be a social or a professional development opportunity for students, all on-campus club events are eligible, big or small.
Highly Commended:
· Canberra Business Society – Business Basics Workshop
· UC Supporting Women in STEM (SWIS) – Paint and Sip
· Canberra Law Students Society (CLSS) – Clerkship Info Evening
Winner:
UC Midwifery Society – In Conversation with Dr Hazel Keedle
In September, the UC Midwifery Society welcomed Dr Hazel Keedle, a midwifery VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) researcher for an in-conversation event, also moderated by midwifery lecturer Bek Bowman. With over 80 people in attendance, the event brought together present and past students, midwifery staff and local midwives to understand how to support women and planning for a vaginal birth. With caesarean rates increasing to 15% and above, this event was a fantastic opportunity to discuss a very topical and ever growing area of midwifery.
Off Campus Event of the Year
The Off Campus Event of the Year is designed to recognise clubs and societies that are willing to step outside the comfort of working with UC Life on campus and willing to stage physical events off campus.
Highly Commended:
· UC Supporting Women in STEM (SWIS) – Women in Security Explorers Networking Night
· Canberra Law Students Society (CLSS) – ALSA Conference 2022
Winner:
UC Snowsports – Beginners Trip to Jindabyne
This event was able to facilitate 50 new students at UC and ANU who have never skied, snowboarded or in some cases never seen snow. The trip was able to educate the students about the logistics that go into planning a visit to the snow such as where to buy ski passes, how to drive safely etc. Teaching 1 beginner is hard enough imagine 20 which is exactly what UC Snowsport was able to do successfully by giving lessons for skiing and snowboarding to the members. The event had amazing feedback and attendees found it exciting and engaging.
Best Physical Product
The best physical product award recognizes a club that has taken their branding to the next level or created a unique item for students.
Winner:
UC Supporting Women in Stem (UC SWIS) Resource Packs
UC SWIS handpicked over 20 different organisations and initiatives which students would find helpful if they ever found themselves in a tough spot or just need some support. These organisations donated some goodies, merch, and information which UC SWISS collated into a resource pack. It made the students more aware of the different services available internally and externally at the university.
UC Community Engagement Award
The community service award is to honour a club that has contributed to the UC community or has strived to improve connections within the UC community. Community Engagement can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, including clubs volunteering time towards multiple UC events or projects, Orientation Week, Open Day, faculty-led initiatives or even other clubs events.
Highly Commended:
· UC Supporting Women in STEM (SWIS)
Winner:
UC International Students Society
UCISS aim to create the environment of a home away from home for UC students and aims to break the barriers and unify all cultures which they have done so successfully. The club made it a priority to be involved in all activities on campus and they have been visible across campus. Apart from collaborating with multiple clubs for events, UCISS also played a huge part in getting the UC students together for Cross-Culture week where they held competitions, workshops and more. They also shone at the moonlight markets where they collaborated with many other cultural clubs and started the #FlauntYourCulture event where they got attendees to wear traditional clothes from their cultures. Along with food from around the globe, they also held impromptu flash dances at the moonlight markets which helped students interact with one another and become a part of the diverse community at UC.
Club's Choice Award
The Club's Choice award is for club executive members to nominate the Executive team of another club. This executive team must have contributed to the engagement of students within and outside their club and stayed active within their community.
Winner:
UC Biomedical and Medical Science Society (BAMSS)
Their executive committee has been consistent throughout the year and ever since their inception last year have been actively engaging with their members, volunteering on other UC clubs and the larger UC student community. Winning the majority as voted by their peers; the BAMSS committee take away the inaugural club's choice award!
Social Media Engagement Award
The Social Media Engagement award is to honour the club that has strived to establish a strong online presence, regularly engaged with their club members online, and made a name for themselves within the broader UC Community.
Winner:
UC Supporting Women in STEM (SWIS)
Posting on your social media about upcoming events is simply not enough in 2022. UC SWIS have understood the assignment and run with it. Running over five giveaways throughout the year, posting high quality graphics in line with brand colours, interactive content such as word searches, study tips, promotion of their own events as well as promotion of other club’s contents and other STEM initiatives has set UC SWIS apart in terms of their social media engagement.
Make Your Own Awards
The Make Your Own Award is exactly as it sounds – we encourage clubs to get creative!
The Most Impressive Guest at an Event Award:
Canberra Law Students Society (CLSS)
For hosting Chief Justice Lucy McCallum at their Mooting Masterclass for UC law students at the ACT Supreme Court in August this year. Wow!
The Ghosting Award:
UC Communications Society (UCOMMS)
For effectively creating an engaging and exciting first semester with laser tag, a full Canberra industry trip and boosting up their core member base and member experience. Then they went ghost in second semester and stopped replying to our messages. Boo!
Club Upstart Award
The Club Upstart Award is a long running award to recognise the best new club this year. The club must have affiliated for its first time in 2020 and made a genuine contribution to campus culture this year.
UC Indian Association
Unsung Hero Award
The Unsung Hero Award is to acknowledge individuals who may not hold a leadership position within their club, but have made a positive impact on the club or society. These are the people who can make a huge impact on leaders and members in the club without realising or asking for acknowledgement.
Highly Commended:
Ethan Clements - UC Recreation
Winner:
Ebony Blyton (Canberra Law Student’s Society)
As the current treasurer of the Canberra Law Student’s Society,not only is Ebony managing the money, she has helped to organise, shop for, and contribute to the nitty-gritty parts of organising both Law Balls, organising competitions, flights, accommodation and payment plans for individuals attending a conference in Brisbane, setting up the Clerkship evening event and always strives to improve the student experience for law students at UC. She mostly works behind the scenes but does some of the most important work and always shows up to lend a hand when possible. For the wider community, she has also made events affordable and accessible, and helped to turn over a profit for the club.
Club Person of the Year
Highly Commended:
Chrystale Langford – UC Nursing Society
Winner:
Madhuli Kango (UC International Society)
Madhuli has been an important part of the UC International Students’ Society since its revival this year. In addition to her duties as the secretary, Madhuli has earnestly supported the social media team and is greatly responsible for the engagement across social media pages. Found across campus, Madhuli is always talking and interacting with the wider student body at UC, building networks and developing crucial connections. Leveraging her position at UC Thrive to mentor four new international students, transitioning them into life at Canberra and making the city a home away from home. Madhuli is brilliant and bubbly and performs efficiently even under stress. She is one of the busiest people you will ever meet but still makes time for everyone and fulfils every commitment she makes. Her cheerful, compassionate, and initiatory personality along with her ability to put in that extra effort make her the ideal nomination.
President of the Year
The President of the Year award has been established to recognize an outstanding individual who embraces the mission of their club while challenging its executive committee and members to advance new initiatives, acquire new skills, encourages engagement at all levels within the UC community and promotes an environment that inspires others to think outside the box. This can only be achieved if this individual shows great leadership qualities and commitment that spearheads the club and lays the foundations for ongoing success.
Highly Commended
Jasmine Turl – Canberra Law Students Society
Winner:
Caroline Stewart (UC Snowsports)
While the snow season only runs over 4 months of the year, Caroline Stewart has successfully managed to create, organise and run a club that has year-round activities, takes large amounts of students to off-campus events, plans week long trips, helped to make UC Snowsports one of the largest clubs on campus and manage her own studies simultaneously. She has learnt new skills outside her repertoire, including creating budgets and risk management reports, booking accommodations, designing new initiatives and partnerships with local Canberra businesses and giving back to the local community. As President, Caroline has secured partnerships with Capitol Brewing Co, Straight Lines and Thredbo for a second year, as well as welcoming partnerships with The Ruc, running fundraisers at UC and Bunnings, encouraging members to donate blood, participating in scavenger hunts to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis and ensuring that the UC Snowsports Club is as inclusive to students as possible. Her passion, enthusiasm and effort have not gone unnoticed by her club members or her executives.
Club of the Year
The Club of the Year Awards are divided into three categories reflecting the vast array of clubs on campus at the university. They are: Academic, Social and Cultural clubs and societies.
The club of the year is awarded to a club working at its best in each category. These clubs have practiced and refined the ways in which they engage with students and members to create an exceptional student experience.
Cultural Club of the Year
Winner:
UC Indian Association (UCIA)
Coming up from no members and no executive committee, the UC Indian Association has well and truly shown how far they can grow. UCIA welcomes students of any culture who are interested to know more about the Indian culture or participate in our celebration of different festivals. Running events such as the Indian versus Pakistan cricket match with a huge 70 attendees, organizing workshops during Multicultural week with industry specialists, a movie screening as well as a food stall with Indian food items during the Night Fest. The UCIA aims at being more than a cultural club, and so they have created an initiative to pair UCIA members with UCIA alumnus to provide advice regarding job applications to working in particular fields. They successfully hosted the Onam event, the first time in three years, and have managed to also bring in high-level senators such as David Pocock to talk to their members. UCIA has successfully created a cultural imprint in the Indian community at UC, welcoming all students and celebrating their diversity with great support networks.
Social Club of the Year
Winner:
UC Recreation and Entertainment Club (UC REC)
UC REC has successfully created a tradition: every Friday night, they run Friday Night Games from 5pm to 10pm throughout the year – unfortunately, that streak is broken as they’re all here tonight. They’ve held at least one event every month since the start of the year. As well as this, they’ve also held tabletop RPG nights on Mondays from 5pm for the entire year, they’ve held inclusive events such as Murder Mystery Nights, 24 hour gaming marathons and an upcoming Pokemon appreciation party at the end of November. The consistent ability to engage with members, willingness to create events and run them, engage with members at these events and uphold strong bonds with other clubs earned them the social club of the year.
Academic Club of the Year
Winner:
UC Supporting Women in STEM (SWIS)
Hosts of over 25 events in 2022 that engaged students academically and socially, UC SWIS sets itself apart a club that strives to make a membership value for money. Hosting the annual STEM Ball in conjunction with 3 other clubs, attending external events in the Canberra STEM community such as Women in ICT (WIC) and Australian Women in Security breakfasts, promoting collaboration with over 10 clubs at UC, taking members to the zoo, tours around Questacon, technology panels and women in security networking nights are just some of the academic events UC SWIS offer to their members. If that wasn’t enough, they also awarded 14 scholarships to various Cyber Con events, typically held outside of Canberra, which are also donated to members.
