Meet the Clubs and Societies of UNSW! Beginning of Year Q+A

We reached out to the Clubs and Societies of UNSW with some key questions about who they are, what their goals are for the year ahead, and what you need to know about how to get involved. Whether you’re a first year at UNSW – welcome, we hope you have an amazing time here! – or you’re just interested in what’s available, this is the place to be – this is the super wholesome, funny, occasionally spicy, and straight-up informative content that makes UNSW culture.

Thank you to all of the amazing teams we interviewed for their time and thank you for bringing so much to UNSW!

*Some Clubs and Societies didn’t respond to our request for an interview. If you represent a Club or Society that wasn’t involved, sorry we didn’t get your contact details! Did you know there are over 300 Clubs and Societies at UNSW? That’s a lot. However, if we can, we’d love to hear from all of you! If you’d like the details of your Club or Society in this directory, email us at tharunka@arc.unsw.edu.au !

Show All
Hide All

Faculty Societies

Advertising and Public Relations Society (‘APRS’)

Represented by Emily Yin (Careers and Sponsorships Director) and Joanna Pramudia (President)
Contact details: Website, Facebook, Email

  1. Are there any common misconceptions about the Society?
    Emily: APRS is probably perceived as one of the smaller society’s on-campus and the associated misconception with that would be that size directly correlates to potential. However, APRS executives withhold ambition and value in their operations and aim for even greater things. Additionally, APRS executives and members are not students who strictly study Media (PR & Advertising); in fact we have a diverse range of students coming from Science, Business, Design, etc. 
    Joanna: People assume you need to be studying Advertising and PR to be in this society, but that is not the case! Many of our competition winners in previous years have come from business, engineering and double degrees. It’s what makes this society so fun to be a part of. We have a broad spectrum of students. 
  2. What motivated you to get involved?
    Emily: My media major aligns with Advertising and PR Society and I had involved myself in their 2019 Canva case competition, which was a huge lollipop moment for me – being my first case competition and being able to succeed to the final round really motivated me to work with our members as well as guiding me into my career too. APRS is a relatively smaller society which prioritises the community first and helping students be exposed to the interdependent industry of PR, advertising, marketing and event management. Such values are integral to me finding my upcoming career and being a part of a community which follows that. 
    Joanna: I was volunteering in a smaller role in the previous year. However for 2020 I saw a greater potential in which APRS could have and I wanted to help fulfil my vision for it. Being a part of a society made me realise how important being involved in university was rather than purely academic grades. It’s rewarding to know you have a role in helping a society grow. It also makes this short time at University so worthwhile. I want to be able to look back at the end of the year and be proud of all that we have accomplished.
  3. What are you – and the whole committee – most looking forward to this year?
    Emily: This year, as a careers and sponsorships director, 2020 is a year which myself and the team are looking forward too. With O-week being a huge part of university life, we are striving to produce goodie bags which are not only like a survival kit but one which interacts with brands which students all love and have effectively managed their advertising and public reputation. 
    Joanna: I’m most looking forward to growing a team together, and all the exciting events we will get to hold for students at uni. A lot of us have not been in our positions this year, so for everyone it is an amazing learning experience, one which is difficult to get outside of university. 
  4. What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year?
    Emily: This year, we are aiming for quality events which puts our members first and allows them to have an advantage when it comes to entering the work force. Whether it’s a social or career event, we are hoping to engage members with knowledge, experience and education. As a careers and sponsorships director, I really want everyone to gain exposure to the workforce whether it be offering exclusive job openings or creating memorable moments between executives. 
    Joanna: I am hoping to produce events that we can be proud of! When I was in first year I was so nervous to join any societies cause I didn’t think I belonged in them. I want to be able to create a community for first years to get settled and explore their career opportunities at the same time. Hopefully some students that participate in our events also consider volunteering such as in committee so they can take their next steps into a more rewarding university experience.
  5. What are your hopes for how [committee/society/collective] will be present in UNSW life this year?
    Emily: I hope APRS can gain attraction within students, no matter what level of familiarity they are with university. Our events are really open to those who just want a little more knowledge about media as well as those who wish to gain connections with our industry leaders. Thus, APRS strives to become the go-to media society as well as one which holds openness and holism. 
    Joanna: I hope people will get to know the society a little better. Although we are not as big number wise, we do have a small team of students who are very passionate and driven. I hope this society can help encourage students to get involved in university life and get to know the students you are studying alongside. We are all in the same boat! 
  6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting the Society?
    Emily: Trimesters have created a concern in students’ interests throughout the year; particularly, in term 2 and 3 students tend to get bored and lazy due to the stress that has amounted on them during the year. However, UNSW2025 is not only ambitious but beneficial for all, and APRS aims to adapt to student and administrative changes by showcasing that if we can adjust, our members can follow or draw inspiration from it at the very least. 
    Joanna: Trimesters were a big shock to students at UNSW, as well as incoming students. Students might feel more pressure with academic load increasing. In many ways many of the teachers are still getting used to it, I know some of mine are! However with this being the case, UNSW does an amazing job with helping support students such as UNSW2025 strategies put in place. I hope as we get closer to achieving some of the 2025 goals at UNSW, this society can also help support and advocate for these goals. I myself have been a student caller at UNSW helping raise funds for disadvantaged students wanting to go to university. This experience in particular has opened my eyes to the importance of helping other students.
  7. What would you say is at the heart of the Society – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?
    Emily: APRS welcomes anyone and everyone. We are an inclusive bunch who is extremely motivated to showcase media companies and brands who we use and love on a daily. For example, our O-week goodie bag will feature Oscar Wylee, Nutella, Red Bull, Muji and more! Our events can give you greater insight into what a day in the life of a media personnel looks like, to gaining an internship and even being involved in our subcommittee. 
    Joanna: I always think community and experience is the greatest thing you can get out of a society. I highly encourage any students wanting to take the next step in their career development as well as helping improving social skills to try to participate in a society. The skills I’ve learned from being a leader in a society is invaluable, such as learning how to problem solve and work with different personalities as well as organisation skills. So if you come across an opportunity to volunteer in a society, go for it! Who knows where it will lead you. 
  8. If you could say only one thing about the Society, what would it be?
    Emily: APRS has no limits. 
    Joanna: We’re evolving! 
  9. If the society were a flavour of ice cream, which would it be?
    Emily: Ferrero Rocher because everyone knows advertising and PR but they may think we are hard to find. 
    Joanna: Oh man this is tough! The chocolate Sunday’s at McDonald’s because everyone loves them, haha!

Criminology Society

Represented by Helen Li (President)
One thing to know? They’re super friendly and love to help out other students!

Website: https://unswcrimsoc.wixsite.com/unswcrimsoc
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/UNSWCrimSoc/ Facebook Discussion Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrimSocDiscussionGroup/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unswcrimsoc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/unswcrimsoc
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18440203/admin/

1. What’s a common misconception about your society? 
A common misconception about CrimSoc is that you must be a criminology student to join. We welcome anyone who has an interest in criminology! Although some of our events are tailored to criminology students, such as our study sessions, we also host social events such as BBQs, trivia night and escape rooms! Students from other faculties may also be interested in our speaker panels that we hold throughout the year as we discuss topics that are relevant to other fields of study.

2. What motivated you to get involved with CrimSoc? 
I joined CrimSoc in my first year as a Social Events Assistant because I was really eager to get involved in the social part of university life and I thought that joining CrimSoc would be the perfect opportunity to get to know students who are also studying criminology. Joining CrimSoc as an assistant also allowed me to gain new skills related to event planning and management.

3. What are your – and your fellow committee members – most looking forward to this year? 
We are looking forward to meeting new first year criminology students and welcoming them to UNSW and CrimSoc. We are super excited to plan new events, such as our first year movie night, and have even more students participate this year!

4. What are your – and your fellow committee members – working towards? 
We are working towards growing CrimSoc and getting more first year students involved in the society! We are also working towards creating new events, both educational and social, in order to enhance criminology students’ university experience!

5. What are your hopes for how CrimSoc will be present in UNSW life this year? 
I hope that CrimSoc will play a big role in getting criminology students involved in university life. I also hope that more non-criminology students join us and discover more about what criminology is and what CrimSoc does.

6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting CrimSoc? 
Yes, I predict getting first years involved as a challenge. Many first years are either unaware of the events held by CrimSoc or are too shy to get involved because they don’t know anyone. That’s why one of our main goals this year is to get the word out about CrimSoc and encourage first years to come along to our events to meet other criminology students! 

Trimesters are a bit tricky as it means that students have a heavier workload and therefore have less time to spare on their social life. However, that’s why we try to plan all our events with assessments and exam period in mind.

7. What would you say is at the very heart of CrimSoc – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved? 

At the very heart of CrimSoc are criminology students who are passionate about the field of criminology and sharing this with other students. I’d like prospective members to know that CrimSoc is a friendly and welcoming society for all students with an interest in criminology and criminal justice. We hold numerous educational and social events throughout the year such as speaker panels, study sessions, trivia night and escape rooms. These events are a great way to improve your criminology knowledge, meet likeminded students and make friends!

8. If you could say only *one* thing about CrimSoc, what would it be
We are all super friendly and love to help out other students!

9. If CrimSoc were a fruit, which fruit would it be?
CrimSoc would probably be a unique fruit like dragon fruit, not known by everyone; however, still delicious!

Performance Societies

CSE Revue

Represented by Nicole De Vera (2020 Director) and Jeremy Lim (2020 President/Producer)

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/cserevue/
FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cserevue/
Instagram: @cserevue

To get involved submit an EOI form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepJsvFmoJnJMYAZfELs3wOKF_6DWefpQf1tkZKkqQV6iIN4Q/viewform?usp=sf_link

1.    What’s a common misconception about CSE Revue?
Nicole: One common misconception is that you need to be a CSE student to be able to do CSE Revue or even to understand the jokes. I’m here to debunk that theory and say that revues are welcome for everyone to join. I’m not even a CSE student myself but the culture surrounding revue was one that really made me feel welcome.
Jeremy: A misconception is that you have to be creatively talented to be a part of Cast, but you really can come into Open Rehearsals with ZERO prior experience in performing arts!

2.    What motivated you to get involved?
Nicole: When I first started being involved in revue, it was a way to express myself in a way that I enjoyed. The last time I had the opportunity to be on stage was Year 12 when I chose performances for Music 1. I transferred to UNSW from another university and I heavily struggled to meet like-minded people with whom I could genuinely bond with. After two years, I’ve been involved in several portfolios and am now a director this year! I have also met some like-minded people in the society who I now consider some of my closest and greatest friends.
Jeremy: I attended a Promos workshop with some of my friends who were doing Cast. I didn’t have the time to do Cast, and so I neglected the other society portfolio teams until I got to meet the people involved with running the show. 2 years later, I’ve done around 6 portfolios, including a Cast, and I’m now the President-Producer for 2020’s show!

3.    What are you most looking forward to this year?
Nicole: As a team, we’re definitely looking forward to our show in Trimester 2. We’re looking forward to people committed to putting their best foot forward. Being a director this year, I’m looking forward to cast members being able to perform on stage regardless of what got them there in the first place. I’d like them to be able to take away some performance skills that they can transfer to other aspects of their life such as talking in a presentation and I’d like memories and friendships to form and evolve.  
Jeremy: Show week! A culmination of so many micro details, decisions and effort, which is shown to the public. We want to showcase the talents of all our actors, singers, dancers, tech teams, costume makers, band, cooks, event organisers, front of house, and more! The show would not be possible without our volunteers, and to see the show come to life is the most rewarding experience!

4.    What are you working towards?
Nicole: As a team, our goal is to put on a wonderful show. We have a lot of portfolios which has something for everybody. Promotions on campus which is an outlet we use to advertise our show is something we look forward to. Promoting around campus is one way we reach out to our prospective audience and we’d like to share as much of the theatre joy to everyone as much as possible.
Jeremy: We want to expand the reach of Revue to the wider university community, as we believe it is a quintessential part of university culture/life. One day, I really do hope that everyone considers doing something for Revue, as we have over 15 teams with different commitments and skill building!

5.    What are your hopes for how CSE Revue will be present in UNSW life this year?

Nicole: We’re hoping to have more social events running throughout the term which would encourage newer members to come along. We’ll be having social events throughout term 1 and promotions running around towards the latter half of term 2 and we would be ecstatic to share something that has taken us months of forming relationships and major decisions with the society.
Jeremy: We want our social events to create a welcoming atmosphere for new Revuers to come in, whilst maintaining the interest of older and experienced Revuers. We will have a lot of promotions, marketing and fundraising activities, that will allow students and staff to know about us.

6.    Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters affecting CSE Revue?
Nicole: Trimesters haven’t had a substantial effect on CSE Revue as historically, we’ve been running production for 8 weeks and have been able to present a high-quality show year by year.
Jeremy: Trimesters mean we have a shorter time period to rehearse the show and to recruit people, with a lot more assessment tasks and commitments that will disrupt the schedule. We also predict some challenges with promotions, as we really want to make CSE Revue bigger and better than before! Despite the time constraints, it’s good to be able to have a show each term, rather than Law and CSE sharing Semester 2 before 2019. This means we can focus our efforts on individual Revues, and theme reveal becomes even more hype as a result!

7.    What would you say is at the heart of CSE Revue – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?
Nicole: There is honestly something for everyone and it’s not limited to performance. If you want to start off on or improve on your singing, dancing and acting? Come along! We have 15 teams within the society (we refer to them as “portfolios”) that you can be involved in if being on stage isn’t your cup of tea. You can help with maintaining our website, helping out with on the ground promotions and increasing our presence on social media, being involved with planning social events, helping to usher the audience into Science Theatre, cooking food to share with everyone. These members are the true unsung heroes of Revue, the oil to the revue engine. Without them, we wouldn’t have a show to run. A flourish of creativity is also needed in order to help with the society and our show with arranging and composing music for a band with a variety of instruments, helping to illustrate the promotional material, creating set and props that would be used on stage, being able to mix sound and balance light to enhance and assist the performances in coming to life. What I love about revue is, for the majority of our portfolios, you don’t need to have prior experience to join in as we’ll help you along the way.

Jeremy: Joining Revue really expanded my theatrics and interest in performing arts, as it immerses my creative talent away from just academic studies. Being involved in university life means to indulge in opportunities that take you out of your comfort zone. I believe people are turned off by the commitment or the talents needed, but CSE Revue truly welcomes everyone to be a part of the show

8.    If you could say only one thing about CSE Revue, what would it be?
Nicole: There’s a culmination of events that make Revue as strong as it is. Everyone you meet is also like-minded and that’s why I keep coming back. From the social events of organising chill events like board games, where you can come to unwind from all the assignment and exam stress, to scripts blocks and costumes blocks where you can put your creativity in full force.
Jeremy: Revue isn’t just a society, we’re a family and I promise, by joining any of our teams, you’ll enrich your experience in university and grow as a person!

9.    If the Revue were a flavour of ice cream, which would it be?Nicole: I would say neapolitan ice cream. You have a few different flavours and you can combine the flavours that really make it unique and be an experience like none other.
Jeremy: Mango ice cream! We’re sweet, we’re fruity and we’re chilllll!

D2MG

Represented by the Committee

Facebook group: D2MG UNSW
Instagram @d2mgunsw
Facebook message any of our execs, or our page “D2MG Hip Hop Society”
Email: d2mg.unsw@gmail.com

  • Upcoming events:

Meet & Greet (Week 1)
Free Intro to Dance Workshop (Week 1)
Graffiti Workshop (Week 3)
Crew Auditions (Week 3)

  1. Are there any misconceptions about the society?

D2MG Hip Hop society is mainly seen as just a dance society. While we do cater to dance, we also offer the 3 other elements of Hip Hop (which is what D2MG stands for), that is- Dance, DJ, MC and Graffiti. This year, we plan to delve deeper in these elements, offering workshops in each element.

Also, D2MG is (for some reason) seen as an intimidating society! Maybe it’s because of our red and black colour, but I can 100% guarantee you that the people in this society are nothing but a bunch of kids who are just incredibly passionate in learning about Hip Hop culture, and super keen to share this love with everyone else, new and old! 

2. What motivated you to get involved? 

I originally really enjoyed dance, but I couldn’t find myself having a commitment for it as my architecture degree was very workload heavy. However, when I saw D2MG back in 2018, it looked like a society where the executive members were really just having a good time, dancing together and socialising. I felt like joining D2MG could help me stay committed in dance without even thinking about it- as I made valuable friends who I could chill with! 

3. What are you – and the whole committee- most looking forward to this year?
I would probably say we are looking forward to seeing the new members to come this year. Sounds corny, but it’s true! We love seeing the new faces of D2MG and allowing them to embark on their journey of learning more about Hip Hop culture! And just seeing the growth of someone who just joined our society, as they become more confident in expressing themselves whether it be in dance, mc, dj, or graffiti, is very inspiring to watch!

4. What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year?
D2MG is always working towards making a family of members, passionate in Hip Hop every year. And it is honestly so amazing, see how our family grows every year. This year round, we are officially making weekly training sessions for our society members who want to or are freestyling in dance! When I joined it, I was very shy of dancing in front of people, and just freestyling in general, but at the end of every week, I felt so much better about myself as everyone there was so supportive! I encourage anyone who enjoys dancing or grooving around, or just a tad interested in freestyle to give it a go! It is definitely less scary than it seems!

5. What are your hopes for how D2MG will be present in UNSW life this year? 
We hope to bring light upon DJ, MC and Graffiti more this year! We want to give one’s UNSW life an opportunity to explore Hip Hop through these elements, whether it be a one off experience, or an experience that allows someone to find a potential hobby in one of those elements! 

We just hope to give people more exposure to these elements!

6. What would you say is at the heart of the society – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?

At the heart of the society, is our love to grow as individuals. Hip Hop is a form of expression that one can convey through its elements, particularly dance. We just really love seeing the confidence that people grow throughout the year, and their love for self expression! You really will learn so much more about yourself by simply delving in the 4 elements of Hip Hop.  

7. If you could say only one thing about the Society, what would it be?
We are incredibly supportive of self growth/ improvement! Like, you really won’t know how incredibly supportive we really are until you join our society! You can catch us at our Meet and Greet next week on thursday (20th Feb 11-2PM) along with a Hip Hop workshop (that I am teaching hehe, 2-3PM), and see how fun + supportive we are!

Not sure if that was one thing… oops! 

8. If the Society were a fruit, which would it be? A watermelon! We may seem hardcore/tough on the outside, but on the inside we are very sweet people who just want to share the love of Hip Hop! LOL

Law Revue

Represented by Nick (President/Director), Sonia (Treasurer/Producer), Rabiba (Secretary/Arc Delegate/Producer), Sarah (Co-Vice President/Director), and Kevin (Co-Vice President/Director).

Social Media:

Facebook, Insta, Youtube, Website

Upcoming events:
Wk 1-2pm Thurs 20th Feb – Law Revue at Clubs Taster Day

Wk 3 – Lawsoc combined Post-Law Camp Drinks 

Wk 7 – MTS combined Drama Games & Sketch Block 

Wk 9 – Dance Block


Are there any common misconceptions about the Society?

Nick (President/Director): Definitely that we’re a cult or only for law students or both. We’re really not just for law students though, like we have portfolios for graphic design, marketing, set design, social events and basically everything under the sun! As to whether we’re a cult, you’ll have to join to find out. 😉

Kevin (Co-Vice President/Director): That we’re reviewing Law… Or that there’s a barrier of entry to the society if you’re not a law student, a drama nerd, super extroverted or you can’t sing or dance well. If you’re good at something, join us and lean further into it. If you’re bad at something, join us and dare to suck! We’ve been there too.

Rabiba (Secretary/Arc Delegate/Producer): I had this misconception right at the beginning when I first joined the society which was that I had to be somewhat talented or at least ‘good’ to join. Whether that be ‘good’ at sewing to join the Costumes team, ‘good’ at cooking to join the Wellbeing portfolio, or ‘good’ at singing or dancing or acting (or all 3) to join Cast. Mind you I was (and still am to be honest) terrible at all of them. But I quickly realised that Law Revue didn’t care about any of that – it focused on the growth and inclusivity of its members, no matter their experience or where they came from, and that’s what I value the most. 

What motivated you to get involved?

Kevin (Co-Vice President/Director): Seeing my first show got my mind buzzing about what different things I could do with that stage. The stage alone lends itself to so many different portfolios that I wanted to see what I could bring to each of them. Having completed my stint in the Band, Videos and Cast, Directing the show this year is I guess the culmination of my 2 years in the revue community.

Sonia (Treasurer/Producer): Honestly, I spent a lot of time deciding whether to do Law revue or not. But I knew that revue was something I will never have the opportunity to do again after I leave University and with this mindset – I took a leap of faith and got involved. I think I got to a point in my life where I wanted to creativity push myself outside of my comfort zone and build my confidence. Having done Cast, I found that revue is an outlet where you can explore yourself and find a community that will support you. 

Rabiba (Secretary/Arc Delegate/Producer): For me, Revue was this crazy big diverse family where you can meet all sorts of people and personalities. It was refreshing how such a diverse family was so warm and welcoming, no matter who you were. And I think it was because of that encouraging and non-judgemental environment that made me want to join and try and push myself outside my comfort zone. The dedication you see from all the people involved in the society is so inspiring and you learn so much about yourself and the people around you- how could I not want to be a part of it?

Sarah (Co-Vice President/Director):  I first heard of Law Revue in 2018. Now, I’ll be honest, going into it, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d never seen or heard of a revue before and just thought it’d be nothing more than a fun night out to support my friend. And a fun night indeed it was. Something you might not know about me is that I’ve performed in and run shows from the likes of high school productions to Sydney Fringe Festival. But I had never laughed so hard at the jokes and characters, I’d never seen creativity pushed in such a weird and cool direction, let alone something run in such a smooth and distinctive way. I genuinely remember turning to my friend and saying, “I want to do that.” 

What are you most looking forward to this year?

Nick (President/Director): I’m personally looking forward to seeing new members develop themselves in both a personal and creative capacity and being at least partially responsible for that. I think that with all the big visions my executive team have going into the new year and the talent we have to pull it off, it’ll be a big year for Law Revue and I’m really excited for what’s to come.

Kevin (Co-Vice President/Director): I already know that show term is going to be an absolute trip! Between meeting new casties, seeing them grow and coordinating with all the moving parts to have your year long vision come to life, it’s said that the final month or two is where it all pays off for us! That said, I’m plenty excited to see all the small BTS changes we’re going to make to the society as a brand and how that carries on throughout the year. 

What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year

Sonia (Treasurer/Producer): We are currently working on bringing more awareness to our society through our online platforms by posting videos and snippets of our show. As an executive team, our goal this year is to leave a mark and create a show that is memorable and fun. Most importantly, we want to watch the members in our society grow and push themselves into things they never thought they would do – dance, act, sing, organise events, cook, design, write, make costumes etc

Rabiba (Secretary/Arc Delegate/Producer): Personally I want to try and get as many people as I can involved in the society to see what it has to offer them. Law Revue brings about something different for each person and I want to be able to spread that positive impact to as many people as possible.

What are your hopes for how the Law Revue will be present in UNSW life this year?

Kevin (Co-Vice President/Director): I want to see Revue as an institution back in the public eye as something that students with any inkling in creativity, or interest in helping put on an entire stage show, are attracted to. 

Sonia (Treasurer/Producer): I want people to see the way I see Revue. I want Revue to have a constant presence in people’s minds. It’s a creative outlet where students are able to develop their confidence, communication and other soft skills. What you get out of revue is transferable across any interview and work experiences. But most importantly, it is an inclusive family that supports each other.

Rabiba (Secretary/Arc Delegate/Producer): I want Law Revue to be seen as an integral part of the university experience. Being part of Law Revue, particularly as cast, is an amazing experience and something I would recommend to anyone to participate in at least once before they graduate from university. What amazed me was the number of people I met who got involved, or continued to stay involved, with Law Revue even after they graduated and started working full-time, just because they wanted to experience it at least once. I believe the society brings so much value to a person that just isn’t seen or understood until you’ve actually gone through the process, so I hope it becomes an integral aspect of university culture and life at UNSW.

Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting the Revue?

Nick (President/Director): I’m pretty sure the average student would not have heard of UNSW2025 unless they’d heard of it prior and honestly, I’m the same. However, after reading into the UNSW2025 Strategic Plan and through its ‘In Action’ booklet, I’m noticing a few things that explain the state of the Law Revue Society and student life generally throughout UNSW. In all 32 pages of the UNSW2025 Strategic Plan, I could not find one mention of student life or extracurricular involvement, let alone a measure or aim to improve on this. This just goes to show how little the university administration values the student experience and, along with the implementation of the trimester model against the wishes of the academic and student body, seems to explain the slow but definitely noticeable decline in university engagement and culture. 

Sonia (Treasurer/Producer): Personally, with trimesters I understand that students do not have that much time because the workload has increased. As a result, many students are hesitant to commit to 7-8 weeks of Cast rehearsals or to be a part of other Portfolios. 

What would you say is at the heart of the society – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?

Nick (President/Director): The society fundamentally is about inclusivity and growth, and what that means is that we welcome anyone in any course of study or stage of their degree to take part in creating a great production. All that we ask is that you’re willing to put the effort in and get involved, because by doing so you’ll go through immense personal development and make great friends along the way.

Rabiba (Secretary/Arc Delegate/Producer): Law Revue is all about inclusivity and growth- it’s what makes us such a diverse open and welcoming family. Joining the society will introduce you to such interesting and unique personalities, each person so different, and yet everyone is just as friendly, as welcoming, and as passionate as each other. What I would say to prospective members is to not be afraid and to not doubt their skills or abilities cause none of that matters in the society. There is no judgement or critique but simply an environment for taking risks, experimenting, growing one’s confidence and providing an outlet for one’s creative abilities. Take a leap of faith, join Law Revue, and see where it takes you.

If you could say only one thing about the Society, what would it be?

Nick (President/Director): I swear we’re not a cult :’) 

Sonia (Treasurer/Producer): Revue is not only about singing, dancing, and acting. It is about discovering something new about yourself and having a platform to be who you want to be. I think everyone needs to do one revue before they finish university because this experience is invaluable and you will never have the opportunity to do this again.

Rabiba (Secretary/Arc Delegate/Producer): If you’re looking for a place where your quirkiness is welcomed, can meet free-spirited friends who are supportive and open-minded, can grow your own courage and confidence, and be comfortable being 100% yourself, then Law Revue is the place for you.

If the Law Revue were a vegetable, which would it be?

Sonia (Treasurer/Producer): A broccoli. Like broccoli, Revue can be raw, soft, hard or overcooked. Everyone can have their own opinion and preference on how they want to eat it but at the end of the day, we are still part of the same family. 

Nick (President/Director) : A KFC Golden Gaytime Krusher. Like the Golden Gaytime Krusher, Law Revue is super costly on the surface but once you commit to it, it’s just so worth it. Wait, it was supposed to be a vegetable? 

Med Revue

Represented by Henry Chen (Producer)
Facebook Page
Facebook Group
Expression of Interest Form

1. Are there any common misconceptions about Med Revue?
Too many! That we only take Med students (none of this year’s exec do Med). That we only take people with prior experience in singing, acting or dancing (actually, we don’t believe in auditions).

2. What motivated you to get involved?
After performing in the cast of Law Revue 2017 – Lady and the Trump – I just needed more revue in my life. So I ended up helping around the show with Tech and Publications for Med Revue 2018, and here I am now!

3. What are you – and the whole committee – most looking forward to this year?
It’ll be marvellous to invite a whole new crop of cast and portfolio members into our warm and loving community. And of course, we’re looking forward to seeing the smiles on our audience’s faces as they walk out of the theatre after our show!

4. What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year?
We want to grow the society and get more audience members to come to our show! It’s always a balance between goals like cast experience, show quality, and audience numbers.

5. What are your hopes for how Med Revue will be present in student life this year?
There are two sides to it. Our comedy sketch show in Term 1 Week 8 is a cornerstone of student life – and all the work that goes into it provides myriad volunteering opportunities for anyone looking to develop any kind of skill. To be honest, Med Revue is a big part of how I ended up editing Tharunka!

6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting the Society?
Trimesters have been challenging because students are on campus less often. This makes it more difficult to promote the show towards Weeks 6 and 7, because even though people are going to class, physically there are fewer people around.

7. What would you say is at the heart of the society – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?
We are a community that is always open and always inclusive. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, there’s a place for you in Med Revue.

8. If you could say only one thing about the Society, what would it be?
I’m always awestruck by how diverse it is! We’ve got students from all backgrounds, from all over Sydney, studying Arts, Commerce, Science, Law, CompSci, Engineering… And we all come together to – of all things – put on a comedy sketch show!

9. If Med Revue were a flavour of ice cream, what would it be?
Chocolate! Dependable, sweet, and soul-affirming.

NUTS

Represented by Jordan Barnes (President)

Facebook page, Instagram
Next show: NUTS and Bolts: A Comedy Sketch Show (6th-7th March, Studio One)

1. Are there any common misconceptions about NUTS?
That you have to be some amazing, award winning actor to get involved! We accept literally everyone, regardless of skill level. We also have so many opportunities to get involved outside of just acting (crew, directing, designing etc.), which not a lot of people realise!

2. What motivated you to get involved?
I had lots of fun doing co-curricular drama during high school, so joining NUTS felt like a natural integration of that hobby into my uni experience. I also had no friends when I started uni (lol).

3. What are you – and the whole committee – most looking forward to this year?
This is pretty much the same every year, but we’re definitely looking forward to signing up new members! Seeing new faces both on stage and off is 100% the most rewarding part of the society’s growth.

4. What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year?
We’re aiming to put on more shows this year than ever before! That, combined with our enquiries into bigger and better theatre spaces means there’ll literally be so many opportunities to get involved.

5. What are your hopes for how NUTS will be present in UNSW life this year?
I’m hoping for more integration between NUTS and the other performing arts societies on campus (MTS, the revue societies etc.). There’s so much amazing talent at UNSW and we need to capitalise on it (and maybe hold some killer joint social events???? other execs hit me up).

6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting the Society?
Trimesters definitely prove a challenge, in that students generally don’t have as much time to commit to actually doing a show. Although most of our members manage to get around that by being next-level over-committers.

7. What would you say is at the heart of the society – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?
I’d say the heart of NUTS comes out during a bump-in for a show, when it’s 11pm and you’ve been at the theatre since 9am and the tech run is taking AGES but everyone’s just sticking it out because they have such a genuine passion for the work they’re producing and they want the show to be the best it can possibly be! That camaraderie is for sure the heart of the society, and I’d say to prospective members that’s it’s one of the best feelings in the world <3 (lmao that’s so sappy, but it’s true!!!)

8. If you could say only one thing about the Society, what would it be?
It’s a lot of fun! Also it will become your whole life. That’s two things, sorry.

9. If NUTS were a flavour of ice cream, which would it be?
Hazelnut, duh (apologies to people with allergies). 

SOAP (Society of Orchestra And Pipers)

We post the majority of our updates online. You can find us @unswsoap on Facebook. Well be having our term 1 concert on Tuesday 21st of April 7pm in Clancy Auditorium. It is a combined concert with our orchestra and wind symphony. 

 1.  What’s a common misconception about SOAP?
I’ve met some people asking me if SOAP is a society motivated by cleaning. I am afraid to disappoint you because SOAP stands for Society of Orchestra And Pipers, we are a society motivated by playing music! We have a symphony orchestra and a wind band and we specialize in music for the respective groups. 

2.  What motivated you to get involved?
I too am motivated by music. I think there is value in the collective pursuit of perfection in musical harmony and the entertainment it brings to everyone involved. It’s a type of satisfaction that is also annoyingly fleeting which drives me to seek for more. 

3.    What are you most looking forward to this year?
I think it’s a little redundant to say everyone in the committee is looking forward to making music, but the purpose of our society is pretty much just that. So perhaps we’ll look into organising more boardgame nights because I like boardgames. 

4. What are you working towards?
One of our biggest concerns last year was audience numbers. Despite our best efforts to hold concerts and weekly rehearsals, we are pretty bogged down by venue hire costs so we are working towards spreading the joy of music to more people across the uni. 

5.    What are your hopes for how SOAP will be present in UNSW life this year?
I have the slight inclination that orchestral and wind band music isn’t exactly the trendiest genre of music, so I hope that 2020 would be the year where we see a resurgence in popularity for some jolly good old fashioned “live music”. Kind of like how big glasses were all the rage in the 70s and now they’re back again. 

6.    Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters affecting you?
I think the university -like all companies- have the goal to be bigger and better, and I’m happy as long as they don’t one day decide that SOAP is a redundancy in the betterment of the institution. Club involvement was down in 2019 university wide due to uncertainties regarding trimesters, so I can only hope that people would feel more comfortable getting involved this year. 

7. What would you say is at the heart of SOAP – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?
I think at the heart this is still a social gathering, and music is an extension to that. If you don’t feel comfortable getting involved socially but are still feeling lonely then playing music gives you a reason to be there, much like how some smokers use smoking as an excuse to engage in conversations (SOAP does not encourage the act of smoking). And of course, music making is the cherry on top. 

8. If you could say only one thing about SOAP, what would it be?
Not for cleaning.  

9.If SOAP were a vegetable, which would it be?
Baby broccoli.

Volunteering and Hobby Societies

CREATEUNSW

Represented by Daniel Wong (President)

Website, Facebook, YouTube


1. What’s a common misconception about Create?

A common but not entirely unfair misconception is that people don’t really know what we actually do. The base assumption in older students is that we make rockets and other aerial robotics, which is fair since we totally used to but that split off a while back to make flight labs. Younger students assume we are the Vivid people, which is fair because we totally were but now that is Illuminate. New students don’t have any idea what to think of us since we are a society, we run projects, workshops, sell electronics on campus, and also fund other peoples projects through the starters program. We cover a wide area of activities and functions on campus, so no wonder they are confused. Innovation is a highly held value so the changes are just what has happened along the path of create pursuing those values. 

2. What motivated you to get involved?
Honestly man I just wanted to get in involved in something. I did so many of create’s tutorials that it seemed important to give something back to the club instead of just absorbing what they were putting out. I didn’t overthink it so no special story there. I just kept turning up to events and skidoosh I’m the marketing manager, who would have thought? Could happen to you too. Though not marketing manager, that’s my job. Subcommittee for marketing or events is open though, would love to see you join up.

3. What are you – and your fellow committee members – most looking forward to this year?
Well we would like the weather to chill out a bit but apart from that we are really excited to get the year kicked off. Create’s adjustment to trimesters has finally fallen into place so we can do less admin and organising and get into the meat of our activities and really make a tangible impact on the campus.

4. What are you – and your fellow committee members – working towards?
Getting our workshops and Droid Racing Challenge off the ground. Something for people starting out and something for the advanced students.  

5. What are your hopes for how Create UNSW will be present in UNSW life this year?

An interesting question. Create has the opportunity to move in a new direction now that Illuminate is established as its own independent project. We are setting ourselves up to build funds and upskill our community with frequent workshops and robotics comps for those a little more advanced than beginners. We want to be the technical club that everyone joins when they don’t know which technical club to join. We can give you a hand up with upskilling and when you have more confidence in your skills you will know the way you want to go after that. 

6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting Create?
With project Illuminate being split from create by the faculty into a VIP project, create no longer has its core activity to draw in the members. We are going to instead focus on our robotics angle to create a club where those who aren’t equipped to design robotics competitively can gain skills and work up the ranks and of course we will be catering to ENGG1000 students as we usually do. Trimesters were a disruptive force to create as I’m sure they were to other clubs. With less time aside from study each week the club’s members had less time to give and the model we operated upon needed to be completely restructured or we would risk burnout in our members and a collapse in our yearly activities. So a new model is required and we will be the ones to make it, we are a maker society after all. 

7. What would you say is at the heart of Create UNSW – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?

At the heart of create beats the belief that anyone can become a maker. Your cool machine ideas don’t need to be just dreams. Don’t discard or forget them. Join us, learn the skills, then give those dreams form and life. 

8. If you could say only one thing about Create UNSW, what would it be?
Come up skill with us and make wacky machines with your friends. 

9. If Create UNSW were a vegetable, what would it be?

Definitely sweet potato. We are wholesome to our members and give them the materials they need to get going and we are very versatile in the way we achieve it. You can find sweet potato beside chips, in a salad, or even in soup. We have a lot to offer and in a lot of different ways. 

Disney Society

Facebook page

Disney Big Trivia night cohosted by UNSW Roundhouse: March 3rd at 6PM

  1. Are there any common misconceptions about the Disney Club?

Lots of people think that we’re all childish here which isn’t all that true. If you grew up with Disney, we would love to help you reconnect with that childhood past and relive those happy times whilst at university. Or if you only recently grew to love Disney, it would be amazing to see you make more memories at Disney Society to look back on! 

At O-Week students often ask if all we do is watch Disney movies. We do watch movies. However, that is not all we do. We also plan trivia, games and karaoke nights for you all to have fun. If you have a suggestion just let us know and we’ll try to make it happen!

2. What motivated you to get involved?

I have always loved all aspects of Disney and wanted to meet people that had the same interests as me.

I wanted to build a friendly, open community where people of similar interests can feel a sense of belonging and connection. A society with fun events, interesting people and lots of perks like free food and prizes ;). It reminded me of my childhood when I watched a great deal of Disney movies and shows. I’ll let you in on a secret… back then I was obsessed with Lizzie McGuire ahahaa. The society was also a great way to impart my knowledge on future executives and learn more while having fun.

3. What are you – and the whole committee – most looking forward to this year?

We’re looking forward to growing Disney Society to be bigger and better this year with more targeted and varied events apart from our usual game nights and movie screenings. I’m especially looking forward to our Disney ice-skating event that we are planning to hold in term 2. 

4. What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year?

We are working towards getting more students involved in our events this year. We’ve teamed up with the Roundhouse to host a Big Trivia night on 03/03 from 6 – 9pm where we’ll be getting involved with all sorts of competitions along with the chance to win fantastic Disney related prizes. Hope to see you all there!

5. What are your hopes for how the Club will be present in UNSW life this year?

I’d hope to hold more events, more frequently on campus. I would also like to see our Disney Society members build long-lasting and meaningful friendships through attending our events. 

6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting the Club?

I’d say that it may be difficult to persuade a lot of students to come to our events as the term progresses because we would all be focusing on exams. I haven’t experienced what semesters are like but compared to high school, the trimester system is similar but a bit more demanding as there is a smaller window to hold events where students are not busy with exams and assignments. This would probably turn first years off of attending a lot of events. I’d still recommend coming to our Disney Society events since they are designed for students to have a bit of fun and relax while at Uni as dreamers do. We plan to have movie screenings of Frozen 2, games nights and we’re even organising a Disney on Ice event – get keen! Hopefully, we’ll see you at our events this year 🙂 

Getting sponsorships has always been a challenge since we aren’t quite as large of a society as ones like the faculty based Clubs. Sponsors would usually only accept a deal if we have a certain amount of members in the club or followers on social media. We are currently working on expanding our social reach by posting more frequently on our Facebook page. Please like our page and be prepared for some quality Disney memes and event notifications!

Lastly, we are definitely looking forward to the UNSW2025 Strategy. Even though it is quite a few years away, future executives would be able to hold events in the newly renovated Roundhouse and Village Green where there’d be better and more beautiful spaces for us to use. 

7. What would you say is at the heart of the society – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?

I would say the people are the heart of the society. There are so many people who love Disney since most people grew up watching the movies. I would like perspective members to get involved with going to movie screenings whether they are at UNSW or at a cinema and attending board game nights (they have always been the most fun). No matter who you are, who you know or what movies you like (even if you like new live action movies :P) we will invite you with open arms. Don’t be afraid to come to our events, the Executives are friendly and would love to chat about Disney 🙂

8. If you could say only one thing about the Society, what would it be?

I would say the society is small but fun. We enjoy watching Disney movies together, playing board games and getting to know one another. 

It brings people together over a topic that is common to almost all people! Almost everyone has seen a Disney movie in their life and many desire to go to Disneyland. This is what makes the society open and accessible to all.

9. If Disney Club were a flavour of ice cream, which would it be?

Popping candy vanilla ice cream because we are the candy surprise that will turn your ordinary vanilla days into something magical. 

Knitting Society

Thanks again for reaching out to us! Our facebook group is UNSW Knitting and Crochet Society, and our Instagram is knitsocunsw.

Represented by the Committee

Facebook group, Facebook page, Instagram
Throughout the term we have weekly meetups, and a larger event called “Spherical Mayhem” where we sell kits and teach people how to make cute stuffed toys. We are also thinking of having a cross-stitching event this term.

1. Are there any common misconceptions about the Society?

We are old grannies (no! Definitely not)
There are no guys at all (no, almost half our members and execs are guys)
We only knit (we knit, crochet, sew and embroider)
We don’t exist (we do!)
We only make scarves (have you seen our cute amigurumi plush toys at our charity merch stall??? Check our our Instagram or Facebook page for photos!!)
People think at first that it’s too hard for them to learn how to make these things (but we’ll teach you, and you will surprise yourself! E.g. Eric, the 2020 President, knitted himself a jumper in his first year of learning!!!)

2. What motivated you to get involved?
Being a part of Knitsoc is a great creative release from the stresses of uni, plus I got to learn how to make plush toys

3. What are you – and the whole committee – most looking forward to this year?
We’re looking forward to all the new students that will join our society!

4. What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year?Expanding to other crafts, such as cross stitching, and beating last year’s charity merch stall donation!

5. What are your hopes for how KnitSoc will be present in UNSW life this year?
Be a big part of stressless/culture. Bring crafting back into students’ lives. Getting involved in, or organising our own, big events (e.g. Arc’s bushfire appeal Crafternoon, Stress Less week, Spherical Mayhem night, Charity Merch Stall etc.)

6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead?
Using up our massive yarn stash and not buying any more, and recruiting new members who will stay for the long term and keep this great club running!

7. What would you say is at the heart of the Society – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?
Knitting and crocheting in groups is fun, and you could learn a lot of techniques from each other and expand your repertoire!

8. If you could say only one thing about the Society, what would it be?
Knitsoc is a very wholesome society.

9. If KnitSoc were a flavour of ice cream, which would it be?
Rainbow

Robogals

1. Are there any common misconceptions about the Robogals?

When introducing Robogals, the name sometimes gets misunderstood as this society is for females and students with coding experience. This is absolutely not true! Our community includes students from all diverse backgrounds. We believe promoting STEM diversity relates to everyone. We also provide workshops that train volunteers the necessary skills to teach all of our workshops! I actually started volunteering for Robogals within my first semester with zero prior experience.

2. What motivated you to get involved?

I was motivated by Marita Cheng, Robogals’ founder! Robogals is a global organisation with more than 30 chapters around the world! When I learnt about the mission of Robogals at a tech conference from Marita, I knew my personal experience and passion resonated with this organisation. Growing up with minimal exposure to Computer Science and Software Engineering, I discovered my passion for the field only after starting university. I am motivated to work towards Robogals’ mission of “Inspiring the next generation of engineers” because I believe providing access to education provide chance of exposure to a different life and career. Thinking back now, as a kid, I would have loved the fun experience of a Robogals workshop.

3. What are you – and the whole committee – most looking forward to this year?

We are most looking forward to meeting the new student volunteers joining our community! To create the best welcome experience, we have scheduled many exciting events this year.

4. What are you working towards or hoping to achieve this year?

We are working towards growing our volunteer community! This year our society is committed to creating the best possible volunteer experience. We are kicking off the year with an Annual Volunteer Gala, where we have invited our company sponsors like Google, KPMG, to together celebrate the amazing achievement of our volunteers in 2019. We are also planning for many social and training events to make the Robogals experience better than ever.

5. What are your hopes for how Robogals will be present in UNSW life this year?

I hope Robogals will become an even stronger community that create rewarding and memorable experiences for all our members’ UNSW experience. I hope we can build valuable relationships, skills for our professional careers, personal growth and university life.

6. Do you predict any challenges in the year ahead? How are trimesters and the UNSW2025 progress affecting the Robogals?

While balancing trimester schedule clashes remains a major challenge, we have reflected on our 2019 experiences and are now more experienced and prepared for 2020. Robogals’ vision aligns perfectly with UNSW2025 as we strive towards providing access to STEM education to create a global culture of diversity in engineering.

7. What would you say is at the heart of the group – what would you like prospective members to know, particularly to encourage them to get involved?

Energy and passion is at the heart of Robogals. While our members come from different nationalities, degrees and backgrounds, we share a similar drive to work towards our mission and the will to welcome newcomers into our society! On top of our friendly community, our organisation is one of the best platforms you’ll find if you hope to develop your skills beyond university study. As Robogals is not only a student society, but a global organisation, we will provide you the global platform where you get to interact with global companies, education providers, school communities and the global Robogals network!

8. If you could say only one thing about Robogals, what would it be?

Passion!

9. If Robogals were a fruit, which would it be?

Maybe a watermelon. It reminds me of the fun summer night, when our volunteers hang out together and share good food, maybe also sharing a watermelon ;)!


Posted

in

,