Events, Events, Events
If there is one thing that TCNJ can take away from the University of Newcastle (UoN) , its extracurricular events.
The week before classes started is dubbed “O-Week” and is composed of about 10 days worth of social events, most of which include dorm parties that inevitably lead to a night out on the town. Although the bars and clubs had their own themes throughout the week, the International House (IH) students organized their own twists. “WTF are you wearing”, UV & Fluro, Beach, and Surprise Pair Parties all made an appearance. In addition to these events, the IH upperclassman also organize parties throughout the year in addition to a formal “Commencement” and “Farewell” dinner at the beginning and end of each semester respectively. In the US, with our drinking age, this type of organization might not be possible. However, it is worth saying that all of these events were a blast. They provided great ways to both make friends and cement a feeling of community amongst 200+ residents.
“O-Week” also included events organized by the university themselves. These ranged from excursions to Blackbutt Wildlife Reserve, to mini surf lessons and more formal orientation style events. These two weeks had an abundant amount of barbies, which have become synonymous with sliced bread and sausage. If you’re adventurous you can go for tomato sauce (not ketchup) or BBQ sauce (also not the standard).
Where UoN thrives, I think, is in its clubs. In particular UNESN, or the University of Newcastle Exchange Student Network, and the Newcastle University Mountaineering Club. UNESN provides excursions around Newcastle throughout the year with each event tailored to exchange students. These include Hunter Valley wine tours, day trips, and rugby matches. The highlight of their lineup is the Sydney Harbor Boat Party coming up in a few weeks. Open bar, Open food and free nightclub tickets. Its gonna be a wild time.
The mountaineering club on the other hand, is more general. In addition to free nights on the climbing wall, which I have been using liberally, the club organizes day and weekend trips into the heart of Australia for events ranging from canyoning, outdoor rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, and camping. The kicker, all gear and transportation included. You can even rent any of their gear for a trip of your own. I had the chance to go on a beginner Canyoning trip a few days ago, and I can say it was some of the most fun I have had during my time here. Decked out in wetsuits and with drybags in tow we waded, swam, and scrambled through beautiful canyons in the Australian bush. We even ran into a suprise repel (abscel in Australia) down the canyon wall. Luckily, the beginners were surrounded by professional and competent upperclassmen who kept everything running smoothly. Throughout the 12 hr day, I met some super cool people and only got bitten by 1 leech!
When you exhaust all of the preplanned adventures, you can turn to good old fashioned exploration. With a few friends, I traveled to Sydney (12 AUD = $8.50 for both ways!) for a few days. After visiting Bondi beach, we took a tour of Circular Quay (pronounced “Circular Key”) and the iconic Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House. That night, I had my first stay in a hostel. It was surprising and uneventful. Expecting simple group living arrangements I was surprised by how much attention the hostel paid to having a social atmosphere and strong community. Imagine a college dorm turned into a hotel for travelers, and you’ve got it pinned.
Last but not least, sometimes you don’t need to plan anything at all. The amazing thing about social living situations is how spontaneous life can be. Sometimes random encounters turn out best of all.
Looking forward, I have events and tripped planned for almost every weekend of the semester and many of the weekdays. Classes have just begun and, unfortunately, I still have work to do. Yet with the ability to work on the go and get up at a reasonable time, I am confident I will be able to explore to my heart’s content.
Until next time.
