Brenton Stacey/Kirsten Bolinger
Public relations officer/Public relations assistant
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

It’s “down time” and Avondale College’s Lake Macquarie campus feels empty. Most staff members and students are preparing for the weekend—shopping, perhaps even studying—but not Chris Starrett. The men’s residence assistant is taking two other students out to maintain the garden at a house in Alton Road in Cooranbong. Pick A Street is a regular Friday afternoon activity in Watson Hall. The concept is simple: pick a street in the local community and knock on the door of each house until you find a resident who needs a job completed. A typical response: “What? So, it’s free? No catch?” The ministry helps the guys feel good, says Chris. “We return as a group and we’re just sharing stories.” The experience not only benefits the residents—one donated a case of Sprite to say thank you—but also strengthens the connection between the students.

Mateship

Director Deirdre Hough with residents of Ella Boyd Hall. Credit: Ann Stafford.

Mateship: it’s one of the key characteristics of Watson. Serving as a residence assistant has taught Chris to befriend others for no other reasons than “they’re a Watson Hall brother.” Director Pr Mark McNeill and colleague Pr Shane Roberts initiate some of this relationship building by pairing new with old students—each carries a photograph of the other—as part of a “buddy” system. The two see themselves as friends the students can call on at any time.

Mark pulls out a small, framed whiteboard to illustrate. He gave the board to a student called Tommy so Tommy could plan when to complete his assignments. Tommy struggled with his studies and with issues in his personal life. He left before the end of the academic year but returned the board with these words scrawled in blue marker: “I haven’t seen people that care as much as you. . . . The people I have become friends with are for life. You ‘sevos’ are a great bunch of people.” “This guy kept me busy,” says Mark, “but his response reminds me of why I do what I do.”

Live it
Join It, Do It, Plan It, Believe It, Give It: these statements are part of the Live It theme in women’s residences Andre and Ella Boyd Halls this year.

The theme incorporates five keys to life: community; health; education; spirituality; and service. The directors of the residences do not tell the students how to incorporate the theme into their lives but encourage them to make their own plans. “If we create a vision for the girls, then we’ve done our job,” says assistant director Mere Neale.

Each floor of the residences has a residence assistant whose role includes leading worship on each floor and leading on a rotational basis the combined residence worship on Wednesday evenings. Chantal Heise is one of the assistants. She and the students on her floor are praying for the victims of sex trafficking across a specific national border. They’re also praying for the traffickers, the authorities and the churches in the area. “Most of the girls didn’t know this was an issue and they were incensed,” says Chantal. “It empowered them to pray.”

Chantal and her floor’s response to the Live It challenge is not an isolated example. Students have initiated 10 Bible studies this year, reports women’s residence director Deirdre Hough. This is not an uncommon occurrence, says one of the other residence assistants, Rebekah Bamford. “We bond in a spiritual as well as a friendship sense. It just happens that way when you’re praying for each other and living so close to one another.”

Avondale College will use the money it receives from donations to its Annual Appeal this year to renovate 15-20 rooms in Andre and Watson Halls. Rooms will not only look better but will encourage more students to live on campus. Click here to discover more about this project.