ALIA New Graduates Group: The social pages

CSU Melbourne students end-of-semester get-together

Saturday 3 July 2004, Blue Train Café, Southbank, Melbourne

Frances Monaghan and Tania Barry - ALIA NGG members

Heading into town Saturday night for the CSU students and friends end-of-semester gathering the first question was where to park. Without giving away any secrets, my chosen spot just happened to be near a theatre, where I was able to gather my thoughts and my camera after the tricky business of reversing into a parking spot. I had an audience for this complicated manoevre and am glad to say I scored a few laughs. Nearly didn't make it to Blue Train, there were auditions on at the theatre (in full view mind you) and I was strongly tempted to linger. The twilight was gorgeous as you can see from the photo, and I did in fact see a fiddler sitting on the wall, dressed in a nice tweed suit, as I walked by the Arts Centre. I made a donation and was rewarded with a 'thank you little girl' which made me think for a minute.

Blue Train was buzzing, I had a milkshake in the lounge while waiting for everyone to show up. Some nice world type music was playing and I checked out some of the brochures lying around the lounge. Interesting courses from CAE, among other things, definitely to put on the to do list.

I was under strict instructions to only take flattering photos, which made me a little self-conscious at first, but I got over it by demonstrating the theory of camera angles and why long shots are generally a bad idea in a café with harsh overhead lighting. Am I boring you? (Yes. ed)

People drifted in and we passed the time waiting for a table making jokes about the residential school and how we would do it differently next time. Catching the train vs driving, finding out how the phones worked in the residential flats before coming, finding out the opening hours of the milk bar and the cost of a cab into town (for the nights when another evening spent lingering over dinner in the food hall just didn't seem to be making the most of things). The best tip seemed to be taking good walking shoes, CSU arent kidding about that hill into the university grounds!)

Study tips and worries were shared: how will we cope next semester? Have we overestimated the time commitment, what about when we get sick or family needs more time than expected , is dropping one subject maybe the best option, and even - I have never written a report before! Most students seemed to be doing INF115 (Information Technology in Libraries) and INF301 (Contemporary Library Management) next semester. The question was raised over what non-library major some students planned to undertake, with history, vocational education, marketing and human resource management being most talked about. The most common study tip seemed to be plans to start early, but we all know what is said about best laid plans. Debriefing completed, everyone moved on to PJ O'Briens for some more music and chat. A relaxing and helpful end of semester get together, we should do it more often. And we might.

Top row: Fiddler at southbank, Twilight, Blue Train Café Southbank, Tania Barry (CSU student extraordinaire) Kathy sampling the delicious on tap beer
Middle row: Emma (in pink) , Kathy, Adele and friend
Bottom row: Tania C and Kat, Fran

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