Lumen Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 28
Letters to the Editor
Winner
Winner
Winner
Ode to the UofA (a digital rap)
Back in the Summer of ’69
First in family at Uni… so fine!
To Data Processing - my die now
was cast!
Punched cards, Daddy Cool at
Cloisters… what a blast!
CDC6400 on Frome
Came with SAIT lecturers who stood
alone
Fortran ’n COBOL; don’t drop those
cards!
Compile all those programs… ’twas the
whole 9 Yards!
’70 saw our moment of fame…
The News centrefold - first faculty at the
Lakes!
New campus adjacent to Abbatoir (Eew!)
and Airport (Wow!)
An ICL to program now.
Time flew by; computing expounded
Results every year in ’Tiser Lane… we all
joined the dash;
’72 soon arrived - it seemed like a flash!Careers in a warp from online to AI
Global villages connected in the blink of
an eye!
So surge into future discovery each dayWith my personal thanks to the great U
of A!!!!
Ken Murrell, B App Sc 1972
A favourite book
As a child, my favourite book was The Little
Black Princess by Aeneas Gunn, awarded
to me for second place in Grade 3. I had
always wanted to teach junior children, and
I began teaching Italian children from the
first market gardeners at Salisbury.
I then taught Indigenous children in
Alice Springs, my dream role. Many years
and teaching positions followed. I enjoyed
multicultural days, promoting English
development, and teaching at special
schools.
I never spent more than five years at any
school and was also an emergency teacher.
My reward was meeting pupils and parents
years later and them greeting me warmly,
“You taught me!”, “You taught my daughter
Jess in prep!”. My prize possession is a
bronze medal for bravery for saving a pupil
from drowning.
Opening my first favourite book all
those years ago began my amazing journey
through teaching.
Together across time
Melting pot
I’m five years old, visiting my dad at
work. He’s peeling an orange into a
manila envelope. I see a wall of bookcases, a
desk and a view down to the footbridge.
My time at the University of Adelaide was
a tapestry of lively conversations in the
courtyards bathed in sunlight and late-night
study sessions. The enthusiasm of inquisitive
minds filled each lecture classroom, where
concepts ignited like wildfire. I strolled
through the city’s diverse cultural offerings,
from local markets to art galleries, and I
frequently found inspiration in the most
unlikely locations.
Now I’m 17, it’s 40°c and I’ve been
queuing for hours on the Barr Smith steps,
waiting to enrol. Four years later, nights are
spent in the projection room, showing films
in the Union Cinema.
For a while I’m away; a decade in cold,
grey Europe. When I get back people say:
“You can still see a film in the Union
Cinema.” Then they say: “Come for a last
beer in the UniBar.” I drift away again.
But then someone says: “Join our club.
We’re building a community for women
like you.” And just like that, I’m back,
having meetings in Napier, then ThincLab.
Working on projects with peers was like
going on an exciting journey, with every
obstacle serving as a springboard for
development. My vision of the world was
expanded by the diverse community, which
was like a melting pot of viewpoints. My
journey’s heartbeats were the times I spent
laughing and dreaming together beneath the
old trees’ shade.
And I realise that my story and this
University are always running together,
across time.
I had mixed feelings of nostalgia as
graduation drew near for the relationships
we had made and the late-night coffees that
kept us motivated to pursue our goals.
Helen Chandler, BSc (Hons) 1997
Alicia Sexton, B Com 2020
Winner
Winner
Change a constant
A birthday poem
I began Uni life in ’89
Choosing The UofA as my place to shine
With the fabulous Footlights
I spent my time
Creating original theatre and friends
sublime.
These friends I have to this very day
And proudly I hold my degree - a BA*
My Uni years were the best.
Study and fun.
Happy Birthday Alma Mater
May there be more to come!
(*I did not receive high grades for first
year poetry BTW!)
Emily Branford, BA 1992
Gaining confidence
A slow transformation from a shy
school graduate to a young man with the
confidence that comes from the experience
of enthusiastic like-minded peers and the
examples of teachers at the pinnacle of
their field.
Dr Jules Begg, MBBS 1985
Anne Martin, Dip Arts and Ed 1961
28
My time at Adelaide was at a time when
the Uni was in a state of expansive
change, similar to the present day, with
the acquisitions of Waite Institute and
Roseworthy Ag College. Fond memories as
a country student studying at Roseworthy,
North Terrace and Waite campuses
meeting people from all walks of life;
and a community focused on enjoying
learning and life.
An environment that promoted
innovation above all, a playground for
political and social debate as extracurricular to our educational pathway.
I hope that continues despite the social and
political environment appearing to take a
greater role in current education across all
levels, as it generally stifles innovation...
something University of Adelaide is
recognised as a leader in worldwide. The
current process is challenging for a lot of
alumni, however innovation is linked to
change... change is a result of history plus
education reflected in the future.
Stewart McIntosh, B Ag Roseworthy 2002
