Australia Up Close Variety Is the Spice of University Life By DARREN McLEAN	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
大学の魅力はバラエティー 4年間にわたりオーストラリアの最新事情を送ってきてくれたChelsea McLeanさんに代わり、今月からChelseaさんの弟のDarren McLean君がこのコラムを担当することになりました。Darren君は、ゴールド・コーストにあるGriffith Universityに入学したばかりの18歳。オーストラリアの学生生活をフレッシュな感覚でレポートしてくれます。

G'day. I am the younger brother of Chelsea, who previously wrote "Australia Up Close." At 18 years of age I have just started studying engineering and business at Griffith University on the Gold Coast.

Griffith University is a public university with over 6,000 students studying nursing, science, arts, business and engineering. Being government funded, Griffith University attracts many local school leavers who wish to study close to home.

Located in the center of the Gold Coast, Griffith University is an attractive destination for overseas students as well. At Griffith, 15 percent of the student body is international students, coming from over 60 countries. An international student support service helps foreign students before and after they arrive in Australia with both personal and academic advice.

Also, the Griffith University English Language Institute offers a two-month intensive English course to prepare foreign students with the language skills required for university. Homestay can also be arranged through the language institute. This is a great way for international students to enjoy the Australian lifestyle to its fullest.

Hiro Higashiyama came to Griffith University this year and found that it was the students, in particular his flatmates, who helped him settle in the most. Higashiyama also said most Australian students want to gain an understanding of foreign students' cultures. Cultural diversity is an important part of the university experience.

A recent study into the academic performance of first-year university students showed that overseas students "outstudy" local students. This was attributed to the fact that overseas students have made a firm decision to leave home so they can study a chosen field. Local students, however, are often uncertain of their goals and only attend university because they can continue to learn while living at home.

Apart from focusing on their chosen academic fields, Griffith students also cross onto the sporting field for a chance to socialize.

In June each year the NCUSA Games are held. NCUSA is the Northern Conference University Sports Association and includes all universities in Queensland and some in northern New South Wales.

The NCUSA Games are a huge sporting event where over 5,000 students from 12 different universities gather to compete in 14 different sports. Thousands of excited university students converging on one township provides the formula for an unforgettable experience.

This year the NCUSA Games were hosted at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba, about a two-hour drive from the Gold Coast. I was part of the Griffith University baseball team. Other sports included tennis, golf, basketball and waterpolo.

Shogo Yanagawa, a Japanese baseball player from Bond University on the Gold Coast, enjoyed the NCUSA Games. Yanagawa said, "I had a lot of fun at the games because I could play a sport competitively with my friends in a friendly environment."

When I visited Japan in the summer of 1990 I watched a baseball game at Koshien Stadium. The thousands of cheering supporters clearly showed how enormously popular baseball is in Japan.

In Australia baseball is just starting to be recognized as an Australian sport. At present baseball is upstaged by cricket as Australia's most played bat and ball game. Baseball is becoming increasingly popular, especially among local junior leagues, but cricket will always be strongly supported in Australia due to our English heritage.

The NCUSA Games are one of many enjoyable parts of university life in Australia. Griffith University has a Student Guild, which is an organization run by the students to ensure students' needs are met in all areas of university life. The president of the Student Guild, Teena Morrow, said, "The Student Guild is a channel for students to voice their opinions and concerns."

The Student Guild also organizes many informative and recreational events throughout the year. Such events include toga parties, theater nights, and musical competitions between university bands. Also, there is an open day each year where the public is invited onto the university campus. This year's open day saw an "iaido" demonstration, revealing the ancient tradition to a fascinated audience.

All of these social events are great ways for students to make friends outside the lecture theater. After all, it is the comradeship among fellow students that makes Australian university life such an enjoyable experience.

If you wish to contact me you can write to the address below. I would be pleased to hear from you about your lives in Japan, how you perceive Australians and our culture, and any suggestions for future editions of "Australia Up Close." I look forward to bringing you an up-close view of Australia each month.

Shukan ST: Aug. 8, 1997

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