Month: September 2024

The Semester 1 academic results show an average Semester Average Mark (SAM) of 74.2%. On previous results the College’s SAMs continues an upward trend with Semester 1 SAMs being beaten year after year.

The College community congratulates the 2024 undergraduate Paulines on their hard work and commitment to their studies, as half the current students attained Distinctions or High Distinctions.

Our high achievers include Ben Varela (BE(Hons) II/BSc) with a SAM of 94.5 who commented: “I’m extremely fortunate, I study a degree I enjoy at one of the best universities in Australia with a caring family and fantastic friends to back me up. Even with this, it’s hard to imagine a greater fortune than living at St. Paul’s. Yes, I’ve been continually challenged by my residence and study, but it’s only been to my benefit. I’ve learnt how to use tools of self-development and how to hold a hopeful outlook toward the world, which I hope to share through my future career in biomedical engineering.”

Grace Merrilees (BSc I/MD) was our top performing fresher with a SAM of 94.25. Grace said: “I would say that my first year of study at university has had its ups and downs, and it took me a while to get my bearings. I have been fortunate to have had the support of like-minded intellectuals from the outset, particularly through St Paul’s’ incredible tutorial program. Being a part of a community that allows you to learn from senior students has been invaluable, and has pushed me to achieve my personal best. Furthermore, I am excited by my continuing studies in Anatomy, and later Medicine, and hope this will allow me to maintain academic momentum through upcoming semesters.”

The Graduate House community includes 15 research students and 29 Doctor of Medicine (MD) students progressing well. There are 35 coursework students with an impressive average SAM of 73.3%.

There were 360 tutorials completed in Semester 1 with the majority in Commerce, Engineering and Medicine. The tutorial programme continues to be one of the most important advantages of the student experience at St Paul’s and enjoys great support among all students particularly due to the contribution of our 3rd and 4th year undergraduates who are tutors and the postgraduate members of Graduate House who provide such value to the programme.  

Acting Senior Tutor Lucy Williams has thanked the tutors and her assistant senior tutors on their efforts so far. She said “Tutorials are a great setting for freshers to be guided through the new joys and frustrations of university life. As well as deepening their subject knowledge, College tutorials help first years adjust to the unique demands of tertiary study. It’s also an important opportunity for our seniors to gain valuable mentoring and critical thinking experience before entering the workforce.”

Our Assistant Senior Tutor – Medicine, Arnav Shetty has been overseeing the tutorial programme for our MD students in Graduate House. The programme provides weekly content and clinical tutorials run by the senior medical students for MD I and II.

Innovations in 2024 have included:

• clinical and anatomy tutorials alongside weekly content sessions;
• a full-length practice clinical exam, with physical examination, history taking, and results interpretation session, run for MD I to help prepare for this unique and novel form of assessment;
• GAMSAT specialist section tutorials from high-scoring medical students have been ongoing in anticipation of the September sitting, a system that will continue into the new year;
• a specialist radiology tutorial run by resident consultant radiologist Dr Rathan Subramaniam; and
• a joint formal dinner where GH medical students and medicine-keen undergraduates mingled and discussed the course content and tips for success.

Arnav congratulated the MD III students who recently completed their MD projects, he said “this is a 14-week research experience where students work on an individual research project and produce written work worthy of publication. Their research will be presented to Graduate House at a symposium later this year.” Arnav also acknowledged the MD IV students who have recently completed their last examinations for their degree. “They will be engaged in clinical and leadership workshops and placement in their specialty of choice for the remainder of the year” he said.

Students interested in medical school and want to have a chat about requirements, pathways, and pace of the course may contact Arnav at 045 2175360.

Old Paulines may be interested to learn about the Medical Alumni Scholarships that have been operating for the last 14 years. Click here if you want to learn more.

The two points separation between St Andrew’s and St Paul’s heightened the excitement and tension of the Palladian Instrumental Ensemble competition on 12 September in the Refectory of the USU Holme Building. The win to St Paul’s added three and 2nd place to St Andrew’s added two points leaving us a point apart at the end of the night, with St John’s in 3rd place.

So, in 2024 this becomes the second Palladian win for St Paul’s. Congratulations go to the members of the winning ensemble: Adam Wong and Hugh Baker on guitar, Max Philips and Hugh Jordan on trumpet, Felix Power and Helen Jordan on saxophone, Aidan Cheung on tuba, Jackson Hawley on bass guitar, Daniel Paridis on drums, Bligh Walter on keyboard and vocals, Freya Carmody and Charlotte Hocking on vocals.

Their piece titled Decades and arranged by Adam Wong, consisted of a medley of Johnny B Goode, All You Need is Love and Waterloo.

The other ensemble piece St Paul’s performed on the night was Birdland by Maynard Ferguson, which was with a 17-piece jazz band and only received one mark less than the winning piece.

Some of the comments from the adjudicators were: “the general rizz was infectious”; “the gold spangled jacket is iconic” and “impressive in the power and general energy, also the visual/physical element of the performance”.

Another great victory for St Paul’s by our musically talented Paulines.

Palladian point scores after this penultimate competition were: St Andrew’s 15 | St Paul’s 14 | St John’s 9 | Women’s 8 | Sancta 4 | Wesley 4

Enthusiasm and great concentration led to a performance from a ‘scratch choir’ of Paulines that won one of the two Palladian Vocal Ensemble competitions on 29 August in the USU Refectory. Just over 100 Paulines joined forces to create the largest ensemble of voices for a Palladian team. This choir sang Kircher’s Cornerstone accompanied by our own Organ Scholar Bailey Yeates on piano. Quite frankly most of the singers are not choristers and had never done this before, they did have some expert support amongst them with the 17 resident members of the St Paul’s College Choir and all were under the direction and tutelage of our Director of Music Jack Stephens. Congratulations well deserved for an amazing effort and an emotionally charged and fine performance.

The smaller ensemble scored a highly commended singing Words by the Real Group in close harmony. It was impossible to tell the top performers apart – all of them were so good!

DEBATING: St Andrews 1st | St Paul’s 2nd | Wesley 3rd

ART: Women’s 1st | St John’s 2nd | Sancta 3rd

There is more excitement than ever-before in the Palladian Cup in 2024. The current point scores have St Paul’s and St Andrew’s ‘neck-and-neck’.

Palladian point scores sit at: St Andrew’s 13 | St Paul’s 11 | Women’s 8 | St John’s 8 | Sancta 4 | Wesley 4

Congratulations to the College’s Rawson Cup and Rosebowl Soccer teams on their outstanding performances on the field over the last few weeks. The Rawson team won three matches and drew one bringing the Soccer Trophy home for the sixth year in succession.

The result of the College’s Rosebowl Soccer team was an impressive undefeated, with two wins and three draws, leading to a second in the point scores behind St Andrew’s. The scores tell the story of the tough competition as all had close games with many draws.

Soccer Results

RAWSON CUP

Round 1:  St Paul’s def St John’s 3-0 | Round 2: St Paul’s drew Wesley 1-1 | Round 3: St Paul’s def St Andrew’s 3-1

St Paul’s 1st | St John’s 2nd | Wesley 3rd | St Andrew’s 4th

ROSEBOWL

Round 1: St Paul’s drew Wesley 1-1 | Round 2: St Paul’s def Sancta 3-0 | Round 3: St Paul’s drew St Andrew’s 1-1 | Round 4: St Paul’s def St John’s 2-1 | Round 5: St Paul’s def Women’s 1-0

St Andrew’s 1st | St Paul’s 2nd | Wesley 3rd | St John’s 4th | Women’s and Sancta eq 5th

Basketball

The Rosebowl Basketball teams were well matched especially the nail-biter between Paul’s and Women’s with us just one point ahead at the final buzzer. Andrew’s missed out again in the Rawson losing much needed points for the overall competition. We congratulate Wesley on its wins in both Rawson and Rosebowl. St Paul’s 2nd and 3rd gave us an edge on the points tally putting Paul’s at no. 1 in the 2024 Rawson Cup.   

Basketball Results

RAWSON CUP

Round 1: St Paul’s def St Andrew’s 64-49 | Round 2: St Paul’s def St John’s 53-51 | Round 3: Wesley def St Paul’s 66-45

Wesley 1st | St Paul’s 2nd | St John’s 3rd | St Andrew’s 4th

ROSEBOWL

Round 1: St Andrew’s def St Paul’s 34-25 | Round 2: St Paul’s def Sancta 68-43 | Round 3: St Paul’s def St John’s 49-21 | Round 4: St Paul’s def Women’s 48-47 | Round 5: Wesley def St Paul’s 61-39

Wesley 1st | St Andrew’s 2nd | St Paul’s 3rd | Women’s 4th | Sancta 5th | St John’s 6th

Current Intercol Sports point scores

RAWSON CUP

St Paul’s 17 | St Andrew’s 16 | Wesley 12 | St John’s 11

ROSEBOWL

St Andrw’s 47 | Wesley 34 | St Paul’s 25 | Women’s 18.5 | St John’s 17 | Sancta 8.5

Coming up: Tennis this week and next; Athletics on 16 October