ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app

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On Wednesday March 6th, the First Nations community of students, staff and academics across the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app gathered at the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre (WIC) for the ‘Welcome to WIC’ event.

Attendees travelled from as far away as Bega and Moree to attend the event, which brings together members of the University’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community before the beginning of the year’s first semester.

The annual event has become a highlight in the WIC calendar, a chance to welcome students, particularly those in their first year of study, to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app and to the Woolyungah community ahead of another big academic year.

The event opened with a Smoking Ceremony and official welcome for students. Following this, lunch was provided for all attendees, with many different choices on offer to ensure everyone could have something to eat whilst connecting with other people involved in the WIC community. 

At the conclusion of the event, we asked some of the first-year students about what the day had meant to them and their fledgling academic journey at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app.

Josevata, who is studying a Bachelor of Arts Majoring in Creative Writing said that he enjoyed the event and the experience, with one highlight being the sense of community.

“It’s been good, everyone coming together has been a highlight, the togetherness,” he said.

Harry, who is commencing a Bachelor of Engineering with a view to Major in Environmental Engineering, said that some aspects of the day were particularly “special.”

“Welcome to WIC, the smoking ceremony was pretty special, it was good to see all the Elders come around and share their wisdom with us,” he said.

“I really enjoyed the smoking ceremony, and the mad feed today was pretty good as well.”

Bailey, who is studying Electrical Engineering, said that the event brought the community together.

“There was a good sense of togetherness, it felt like a big community, like a family,” he said.

“The smoke brought everyone together.”

The Welcome to WIC event marks the start of a big 2024 for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app and the WIC community. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student enrolment has soared to record highs at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app, with over 600 First Nations students enrolled at the University this year. ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app is also host to the Indigenous National Games from June 23-27, with events to be held at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½app Sports Hub.