Your Voice
by Kristin Hankins
1978 was an eventful year. China introduced the One Child Policy, Israel invaded Lebanon and Vietnam attacked Cambodia. The home-brewing of beer was legalised in the USA, the first test tube baby was born, and closer to home, the first Mardi Gras was held in Sydney. And, of course (although perhaps less notable) was the birth of Joshua Mark Zyderveld on Saturday, September 23rd.
Thirty…. two years on, and we find Josh at Avondale, living in dorms and studying International Development Studies (IDS). This isn’t, however, the only course that Josh has commenced. A seemingly perpetual student, Josh has dabbled in Primary Education, Secondary Education, the beginnings of an Arts degree, as well as a short period of Nursing.
Much of his time as a student was also spent in Watson Hall. “Dorm life is very different now – I used to be the social butterfly who needed to be included in everything. This still has its place, but now I have a life outside college,” Josh says. Somewhat surprisingly, he believes the cafeteria is the best part of college – “You spend every meal at a table with maybe 20 other people, all laughing and joking. In other environments this would happen once a month at best. It’s like a personal restaurant.”
But why, after all these years, has he settled with IDS? It may sound cliché, but Josh feels that this career choice is about making a difference. “I’ve always wanted to study something that gave me an increased awareness of international affairs. IDS does this, although I’ve definitely learnt more about the world from a combination of this study and my travels,” Josh says.
Recently, these travels have taken Josh out of his comfort zone, to explore the mysteries of India and Nepal. He shares how arriving at Calcutta was one of the most intense experiences of the trip – upon landing, he was immediately confronted by the “stench of dirty people and putrid open sewage”. Josh was able to establish a connection with the culture and the land through the many adventures he had and people he met during his time away. This connection with the culture has instilled in Josh a desire to live a simple, moral life.
This trip is only one of many experiences Josh has had since finishing school, including both getting his skydiving licence, and spending six hours climbing a 150m high cliff (which he states was the most terrifying thing he has ever done!). Because of the diversity of his life, some students believe that Josh Zyderveld is all about experience rather than success. And, apart from the measure of success required to fund these experiences, Josh definitely agrees.