This time last year… Quote of the day

Dickson College’s 30 Year Celebrations

November 21st, 2006 at 01:37pm

As Jey correctly guessed the other day, I attended Dickson College’s 30 year celebrations on Friday afternoon.

I must admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by the whole thing…between the fashion parade, the various musical acts scattered through the buildings, the even more scattered food and drink, and the display of memorabilia in the library, I just thought the whole thing seemed very scattered and disjointed.

In isolation, the individual events were good, some mildly deafening, but good none-the-less, and the highlight of the event was almost certainly the sheer number of people who turned up, and the sheer number of Department of Education officials who were there to witness support the college has.

In fact, I think that was the whole point…have enough people turn up and appear interested in the college to show the Stanhope government that Dickson shouldn’t be closed.

It was also good to catch up with a few people I haven’t seen for a while (including an ex-Dickson student who was one of my high school teachers), and even revisit the Majura Cafe (wonderful coffee and carrot cake…and no noticeable yell-a-thons!).

The speeches were quite clearly politically motivated, and I didn’t expect anything else, but I just got the impression that the whole event was less of a “remember the last 30 years” event, and more of a “Save Dickson College” event…I think a better balance could have been acheived with a larger emphasis on the last 30 years, which would have in turn emphasised the reasons for keeping Dickson open, just without the overtly noticeable grandstanding (selling “Save Dickson” t-shirts for example).

Admittedly I do think the event had an impact on the Department Officials…but I’m not in the least bit surprised that the media seemed completely uninterested in the event. I did notice an ABC News and Current Affairs car parked at the college, and I’m certain they were looking to cover a birthday celebration…and then gave up once they looked around for a little while.

I do think that the rumoured plan of closing Copland College and keeping Dickson open is the likely plan, and I think the event on Friday helped the “Save Dickson” cause…but it really didn’t feel like a birthday…perhaps that was just the general mood of the people intent on saving the college…but I do have to hope that if, as Dickson College Board Chair Sally Rose suggested in her speech, these birthday celebrations become a five-yearly occurence, the furture events are a tad more jubilant and “birthdayish”.

Samuel

Entry Filed under: Canberra Stories,Samuel's Editorials

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7 Comments

  • 1. Jey  |  November 21st, 2006 at 5:33 pm

    what, no piccies?

    Thanks for the report though.

  • 2. Samuel  |  November 21st, 2006 at 10:39 pm

    My current employer doesn’t like cameras…and I didn’t feel like storing the camera in a spot which isn’t overly secure for the second time for the week.

    Tuesday, post-2CA’s birthday was scary enough, not being 100% sure that the camera would be there when I got back to it.

    Also, I didn’t leave work until nearly an hour of the celebration had already passed…so I didn’t think I could really do it justice with the camera.

  • 3. Chuck A. Spear  |  November 21st, 2006 at 11:28 pm

    Closing schools is ridiculous considering they educate people. Do our governments want to subsadise the transport fees for students who are forced to travel further?

    My guess is no.

  • 4. Captain Flume  |  November 22nd, 2006 at 3:58 am

    Sounds like a bit of a fizzle, Sam. On a scale of one to ten, how likely do you think it is that Dick son will be closed?

    And do you think it’s okay if Cockland gets closed in lieu of Dickson? No personal connections with Old Cock, as the chaps used to call it?

    It really looks like Stanhope has made a big balls-up of the whole situation. But then, this is Kairnbra.

    Chuck, I don’t think travel is such a bad idea. When i was a lad I had to walk 12 miles with nothing but bit of cut-up tyre tread on my feet to serve as makeshift shoes just for the privilage of having the brothers beat the **** out of me. And I was grateful.

    But today, it’s important that all students cross the roads to their pools and jacuzi$ in an orderly fashion.

    Progress.

    And at no time during this rambling response was there anything close to resembling a coherent thought. I award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul.

  • 5. Jey  |  November 22nd, 2006 at 7:25 am

    Samuel, fair ‘nough.

    Captain, I think you’re the one who needs the mercy.

  • 6. Loki  |  November 22nd, 2006 at 8:12 am

    Captain, you seem to have some very odd fixations.

  • 7. Captain Flume  |  November 22nd, 2006 at 8:43 pm

    Ahhh… apologies. I decided to try a new liquor called ‘Jinro’ last night. It’s from Korea. It’s quite potent. I don’t recommend it.

    Get me drunk and all I want to talk about is shoes made from Dunlop tyres and walking in orderly fashion.

    When I start talking about the vagaries of aplitude modulation, thunderstorms, and the advantages of African-American women, then I know I’m in trouble.


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