The University of Melbourne Voice

Issues, views, debate, University news and events, fortnightly

Vol. 3, No. 5, 14 July - 10 August 2008

Cover Story

China and the Pressure to Perform
Tens of thousands of athletes, trainers, support staff, officials and fans are headed for the Olympic Games in Beijing with dreams of winning. But there’s more to it than medals.

The Many Faces of Fandom
Fans will be under the spotlight. England’s ‘Barmy Army’ and Australia’s ‘Fanatics’ are just two of the more well-known groups guaranteed to be a presence at Olympic venues.

Infrastructure Looking to the Future
How China handles its impressive new Olympic infrastructure both during the Games and after the athletes have gone home is also under scrutiny according to Dr Hao Wu of the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning.

Vets on track in Hong Kong
Keeping Australia’s animal Olympians healthy will take University of Melbourne veterinary scientist Dr Kate Savage to China as a treating veterinarian in the Australian equestrian team.

Must-sees in China
As sports fans get set to travel to China for the Beijing Olympics, University of Melbourne students and academics share their personal and professional knowledge with JANINE SIM-JONES on some of the best places to visit

News

Ironmen Face Test of Mettle
Training programs for Olympians, triathletes and other elite sports people are set to reach new levels of precision helped by a University of Melbourne pilot study of 2007 Hawaii Ironman triathlon urine samples. The study uses the new science of metabolomics to analyse and profile metabolites produced in cells from metabolic reactions, providing a ‘snapshot’ of the cells’ metabolic state.

From the Vice-Chancellor
The Olympics of Knowledge

Reviews and Previews

‘It’s You and Your Stupid Rules’
Michael Currie is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist. His speciality is working with adolescent boys who have chronic anger and aggression problems. Doing Anger Differently, Helping Adolescent Boys brings together 20 years of experience and is written for parents, teachers and other professionals so that they can understand – and respond to – adolescent anger and aggression.

Adventurous Literary Footsteps
We are in a phase of Australia’s cultural life where commercial pressures are intensifying and the online space is dynamic – so it is precisely now that a refined literary journal such as Meanjin has so much potential, according to its new editor, Sophie Cunningham.

Women’s Battle to Vote
Voting rights for women in the antipodes were won ‘colony-by-colony’.

Knowledge Transfer

Reporting on the GM Debate
Ultimately, the most critical issue for sustainable farming is whether we can grow enough food to sustain the human population

Rising from the ASHE
When Doreen Wright saw the benefits her sons were gaining from their involvement in the Academy of Sport, Health and Education (ASHE) in Shepparton she thought she could do with some similar inspiration.

Reflections of Fitzroy
At one point in the 1920s, when the six o’clock swill marked the closing of pubs, two undoubtedly formidable women stood guard at the intersection of Brunswick and Moor Streets in Fitzroy, reigning over their aptly named hotels Labour in Vain and The Perseverance.

Students with 2020 Vision
Senior academics were not the only University of Melbourne representatives to participate at the recent 2020 Summits held in Canberra in April.

Engineering a Future
“With an engineering degree you can really change the world,” says University of Melbourne Dean of Engineering Professor Iven Mareels. “And we have some exciting changes happening in the field of engineering at Melbourne.”

Reading Between the Lines
Children’s reading improves when teachers focus on when children are ready to learn rather than finding out what they cannot do, according to research from the University of Melbourne and the Catholic Education Office.

Profiles

Computing the Science of Life
A $100 million Victorian State Government –University of Melbourne supercomputing initiative may help reverse Australia’s brain drain, Professor Peter Rathjen tells REBECCA SCOTT.

Tower Artist has Solid Foundations
Creative freedom, teachers ‘like coaches’, and ‘amazing’ facilities are part of what Daniel Stojkovich enjoys about his University of Melbourne Fine Arts course at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA).

Alumni

Good Medicine for Peak Performance
Alison Campbell is set to help Australia win gold in Beijing, without even setting foot on a sports field. As medical coordinator, physiotherapist and anti-doping officer for the Australian Paralympic team, Ms Campbell literally has the health of 160 athletes in her hands. And these are the very same hands that usually treat players from Melbourne’s Uni Blues football team.

Athlete of Economics
One of the largest Press Centres in Olympic history will cater 24 hours a day to the needs of the world’s media at the Beijing Games – but it’s on a budget.

Inspired Performance
With 50 metres to go, Ralph Doubell knew an Olympic 800 metres Gold Medal was his for the taking – the psychological tie between him and his closest rival had snapped.

Sport

Best of Luck to Our 14 Olympians
University of Melbourne students, alumni and Sports Association club members will represent Australia in fencing, modern pentathlon, rowing and water polo in Beijing.

Foil play in Beijing
Fencer Amber Parkinson is set to make her first advance on Olympic competition when the elimination bouts begin at the Beijing Olympics on 13 August. The University of Melbourne Master of Arts alumna has represented Australia at numerous World and Commonwealth Fencing Championships – but after two decades of involvement in the sport it is the first time she will compete at the Olympics.

An Olympic Record
The University of Melbourne has a long and proud involvement with the Olympic movement. Students, alumni, staff and club members have represented Australian at the Games on some 140 occasions.

What's On

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