2023 saw the return to normalcy for Curtin University after several years of uncertainty and instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Without the flash lockdowns and as case numbers eased, on-campus student engagement has begun to grow back into what it once was.
Events organised and run by the university and the Curtin Student Guild, separately and collaboratively, throughout the year had a significant impact on this growth.
However, perhaps the major driver in consistent student engagement came from the flourishing club culture across campus.
The annual Curtin Student Guild Club Awards are a way to recognise the achievements of clubs that have been particularly active in enhancing and enriching campus life at Curtin University.
There were seven awards up for grabs this year, and the winners and runner-ups can be found on the Guilds website here. The newest members of the Grok team sat down with some of the award winners this week. Here’s what they had to say.
From online gaming to international student societies, there is something for everyone
By Artemisia Blythe
The 2023 school year has ended, and the Curtin University Guild took some time to congratulate members of the Curtin community with the club awards. Curtin is home to over 100 clubs, each adding to the quality of student life on campus.
- People’s Choice Award
- Community Award
- Best New Club
- Most improved club
- Best Club Event
- Club of the Year
- Best O-day Stalls
Vice President of Activities Max Zhang said clubs are the backbone of what makes university enjoyable, and with so many options, there is something for everyone.
When talking about the Guild Club awards, Max said this inclusivity was reflected in the diversity of the winners.
“A highlight for me is seeing so many international student societies win awards this year, which brings forward how diverse our community is here,” he said.
This year’s winner of Club of the Year, and the $600 prize, was Curtin Esports. Club president Benjamin Burgess said the club aims to create a space where people can come together and share their interests in all forms of gaming.
“The most important thing for me was making sure people were actually talking to each other and getting to know each other. At the end of the day, the more friends you have around you on campus, the better it is,” he said.
Ben believed they had set a standard for the club, and next year, they want to continue to work to meet that standard. They want to grow the Esports community at Curtin, so it also becomes something broader.
The Curtin Esport discord server has become one of the largest gaming servers in WA, with 1200 members, according to the Curtin University Guild.
“We have the largest gaming server out of any university club centred around gaming,” Ben said.
Student life and club engagement on campus took a hit as a result of COVID-19, and this year both the Guild and club presidents have worked to re-engage the student body.
The esports club noticed a marked increase in engagement.
“We have seen growth on growth just coming out of COVID last year and this year having no restrictions, there has been constant improvement,” said Ben.
This year Max saw an improvement this year in campus life and student engagement in clubs and Guild-run activities.
“Obviously, we’re not at that level of engagement that we had before 2020 yet, but there has been a massive upswing between then and now in terms of attendance to club events across all areas of clubs,” said Max.
Clubs make up a large portion of student life on campus and, with the new year around the corner, Max said the largest piece of advice he has for incoming students is to get involved.
All new students are automatically members of the Guild, and through this, students have access to two vouchers to join any Curtin club for free.
Indexing success: Finance and Financial Planning wins Best New Club
By Noah Oska O’Reilly
Finance and Financial Planning Curtin (FFP), a club with more than 130 members, leaves the Nursing Paramedicine and Oral Health Student Society runner-up for Best New Club at this year’s Curtin Student Guild Awards.
The club’s mission statement is “to empower and educate finance students by providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking opportunities and career development.”
FFP co-founders Rebecca Downie and Nena-Rae Sutton believed the award was undeniable evidence of their efforts.
“Beck and I won a joint community service award in the middle of the year,” Nena said.
“So when the club won the award as well, it was not only rewarding for us, but it felt like we got to share the award with the club as a whole and with the committee [between 10-15 people] that worked so hard.
Nena (left) and Rebecca (right). Photo: Noah Oska O’Reilly.
“We are all pretty passionate and driven individuals, and we don’t do things half-arsed,” added Rebecca.
Nevertheless, a generational shift towards investing and financial literacy also contributed to FFP’s success.
“One of our most popular events was an investing workshop, which so many students rocked up to, like more than what we can hold,” said Nena.
“I think it’s indicative of both economic conditions and the shift to wanting to be more educated.”
The core competencies of the co-presidents did not replicate each other. They had a “yin and yang”relationship, said Rebecca.
“Beck is good at networking, getting people together, and connecting with the industry,” she said.
“The way I work is more behind the scenes.”
“It’s more administrative and focused on organising the committee, and being on track with making sure that everything happened the way it needed to happen.”
With more than 40 students and 20 professionals who attended, the FFP’s “crowning” success was the panel and networking event on August 30, said Rebecca.
“We had a lot of good feedback and a lot of interest from that, and two of the current committee members applied to be on the committee just from that panel,” she said.
Perth-based financial planning company Capital Partners Private Wealth Advisors was one of the event’s many sponsors.
Although next year’s committee has big shoes to fill, Nena expects the 2024 FFP president Imtiaz Galib will excel.
“Our vision for the club next semester is to be the nexus between academic learning and professional excellence,” Imtiaz said.
“We will not just network; we will foster meaningful, lasting connections that could be the stepping stones to prolific careers for many among us.”
“Together, we will build a culture of mutual respect, collaboration, and a shared passion for finance, and in the process help each other grow.”
The Choice of the People – The Curtin Hindu Club
By Mansi Mattoo
The annual Guild Club Awards recognise the student run clubs at Curtin University who actively engage and improve the events and the community around them.
This year, the Guild saw an enormous amount of engagement from clubs in organising a variety events, eventually leading to many clubs winning direct cash prizes to fund new initiatives and events on a larger scale.
Several winners and runner-ups across the seven awards including the Most Improved Club Award, Community Award, and the People’s Choice Award represent the diversity of the student clubs we have here on campus.
The Vice President of Activities, Max Zhang, says, “ He wants to ensure that the campus is a vibrant, fun, and social place to be by organising events and activities.”
The winner of “The People’s Choice Award 2023”, and a $300 prize, was the Curtin Hindu Club. This club aimed to enhance the culture and understanding of Hinduism and created a space for Hindu students to interact, enjoy, and learn.
The Curtin Hindu Club at its Holi event earlier in the year. Photo: Andrew Williams.
In an article published this year, club president Hetvi Vyas, said, “International students often find it challenging to connect with people because they don’t have that much time to make connections.”
The club believed in arranging events related to the culture as it made the atmosphere more home-like and nostalgic. One member commented “Their connection to their identity and culture was strengthened by the clubs’ events and approach to Hinduism.”
The festival of Holi, held at Curtin earlier in the year, brought the Hindu community together as the festival marked the essence of new beginnings and commemorated the start of the spring season, making it an opportunity to collaborate with all students and staff on campus.
With a constant approach to providing authentic and diverse events, the Hindu Club also organised spiritual activities like meditation and devotional hymns with the hope to foster a spiritual element within the younger generation.
Although studying is often what we tend to spend most of our time doing, it’s participation and involvement in activities like these which loosen our inner selves and help us make connections.
So, with clubs providing weekly opportunities for students, and sometimes staff, it’s never been easier to associate yourself with a like minded community.