Over the last few weeks, some lucky first year ANU students were among the first to experience the inaugural ANUSA First Year Faculty Camps. Thanks to the generosity of the Colleges in which the students were enrolled, camps went ahead for the Colleges of Science, Arts, Asia-Pacific, Law and Business and Economics. All but the former were held over the first weekend of March, while Science Camp took place on the preceding weekend.

The camps were considered a wonderful success by all involved, particularly the first years who got a taste of what exactly it is to be an ANU student, and more specifically, an ANU student who studies a particular field. They formed friendships that may last their whole lives or at least a semester of shared lectures. Some even found love. Such a grand display of intra-disciplinary bonding occurred through all of the standard camp activities, including but not limited to: awkward ice-breakers, canoeing, high ropes courses, archery, board games, friendly touch and soccer games, trivia nights, and evenings at the country pub.

Supplementing the recreational activities were, of course, the requisite academic chats and dispensing of helpful tips and advice from the later year mentors, who were all selected on the basis of their engagement and experience with their Colleges. Their help definitely contributed greatly to the smooth running of the camps, with their reward being able to attend the first year camps that had not existed for them.

Any treatment of the camps cannot, of course, exclude mention of the force of nature that is Alice McAvoy, Vice-President of ANUSA. Corralling her team of Faculty Representatives, she masterminded and coordinated the camps. Without her, not only would they have not taken place, but they would not have even been on the agenda. We would like to thank her and all others who were involved – each camp had an amazing time. We’d love to tell you more, but what goes on camp stays on camp.