Service at Duchesne has made a great start to 2008. This year Duchesne wanted to do something a little different for lent, and from this the ‘Give back, don’t give up’ theme was born. Therefore, we decided in addition to giving up cordial we would do something each week to give back to our community. The first week of university kicked off our first activity, the inter-college Blood Drive. I am very proud to announce that Duchesne was the second highest blood donator of all the colleges. Next cab off the rank was ‘Clean Up Australia Day’. Duchesne again showed their support for the community by donning gloves and picking up rubbish along the river banks and roads of St Lucia. Our final activity was dining in the amazing Muooz Eritrean restaurant, Moorooka, which is run by Eritrean refugees to Australia. Dining in this restaurant was an amazing cultural and culinary experience that I am sure all the girls who attended will treasure for many years to come.

Attendance, at the dawn service on ANZAC day was also very high, so high in fact that we hired a bus to take us all to the city and back. I know that all the girls who attended, though weary eyed were very moved by the sombre experience of the dawn service on ANZAC day.

Currently, at Duchesne we are taking some small steps to making Duchesne more environmentally friendly by offering mugs instead of styrofoam cups in the common room kitchenette. We have got off to a great start, much to the credit of all the girls at Duchesne, keep up the good work.

Our next service activity is approaching fast. The ‘Rotary Fun Run’ in aid of the ‘Think Pink’ foundation will be held on the 25th of May in the University grounds. I am hoping for a turn out to rival all the previous events, so girls let’s show off our sporting prowess in the Service arena and get keen for a FUN RUN.

Jacinta McDonald

Liturgy/Service Convenor