By Charley Ellwood, 2025 Burgmann Residents Association (BRA) President
This semester has been as fun and energetic as many have been in the past, and whilst our calendar was jam-packed, I want to showcase just a few of the highlights of Semester 1. As President, I have the privilege and honour of seeing this community thrive, and I hope that I have been able to play at least a small part in shaping this place, which has given us so much throughout our time at College.
A new look for BRA
One of the key projects that I wanted to embark on for BRA was the redesign of BRA's style guide. Initially, this was supposed to be an update of some of our letter templates, but after consultation with Housecom, it was clear there was an appetite for more. After months of consultation and discussion and more than 40 different options, we decided on our new logo, which was designed by third-year resident and design student Charlotte Wallace. Our gratitude to Charlotte cannot be understated, and we are so lucky to have her as a student and friend in our community. To hear more about the process, please read her story on the College's news page.
A new wave of ressies storm the halls
This year, the College welcomed another cohort of bright-eyed and nervous new residents to our community. After a sweltering move-in day and a jam-packed N-Week program, our new ressies were a part of our community. O-Week saw another incredible array of events, setting the tone for another busy year at the College. Despite chipping her tooth on night one, our noble O-Week Chair Charlotte Taylor and her committee put on a fantastic week enjoyed by all corners of the College. Thank you to all leadership team members for everything they did to make the start of the year so great!
Commencement
With barely enough time to learn what 'copping the five per cent' meant, Commencement was upon us! As the floor slowly began to smell of Bondi Sands and messages flew screaming, 'Does anyone know how to tie a tie?' Burgmann strutted their way into the National Arboretum dressed to impress. The night, as it usually is, was a great success and our gratitude to Ivana and the team for their tireless effort in doing so! Another year of photos that become social media profile pictures, or even worse, LinkedIn ones, and another year of conversations the morning after reminiscing, 'How good was last night?' Some honourable mentions should be passed on to everyone who somehow made it onto the bus on schedule and to Gen La Hei, who, after being ushered out of the venue at the end of the evening, turned to say, 'You can't kick out the Spirit Whip!'
‘Thirdmann’ out, ‘Secondmann’ in?
Our Daley Road rivals and Burgmann competitors will know far too well our unofficial name on the ISO and IAC field—'Thirdmann'.
In a welcome but still peculiarly frustrating turn of events, we have gone from finishing third in everything to now taking second spot in 40 Hours, Debating, Women's+ AFL, Road Relay, and Disc, to name a few.
In all seriousness, a congratulations to all our residents who have put their hand up to compete in our interhall competitions. Most importantly, a huge congratulations to our Badminton team who have secured our first premiership of the year in a thumping win over Bruce Hall!
Burg Day
One of the highlights of the Burg calendar and certainly a highlight for our ressies comes through our annual Burg Day. Yet again, what started as a cold Canberra morning quickly turned into a gorgeous sunny day as we all came together to celebrate what it means to be a Burg resident—credit to Max Dewhurst and his committee for putting on a great day.
Our beloved traditions continued, and new additions like face painting and a slip-and-slide made the occasion another memorable one. A nationwide egg shortage couldn't even stop us from enjoying the day and its festivities.
Big Night Out
In arguably the biggest interhall event of the year, Big Night Out (BNO) was once again an awesome battle of the bands, and our beloved BNO band was defending our rightful place as titleholder after last year's otherworldly, dreamlike set. Our team went out and once again proved how awesome and talented we are (no bias here at all). With some new first-year bandmates, our band put on a dizzying set that left an already boisterous Burgmann crowd completely rapturous. Burg achieved second place to a phenomenal Griffin band, and they should be immensely proud of the performance they put on for everyone.
Family Weekend
The BRA Family Weekend was again a great success, with the entire Housecom team working together to welcome families from far and wide to our home in a wonderful celebration of the wider Burg community. My immense gratitude to all those who were involved in putting together an incredible weekend. Over the weekend, we had a Trivia Night run by our Arts Team, a Bowls session at the RUC run by the Sports Team, Vice Presidents Gala Dinner, and a new Village Market event.
With over 570 attendees and close to $30,000 total raised for Burgmann's 2025 'Growing the Harriet Nixon Scholarship' appeal and the Amber's White Light Foundation, Family Weekend proved just how far-reaching and connected our community really is, and I think that's something we should all be so proud of.
Policy renewal
A major project that the College undertook over the summer break was the renewal of its important policy documents that governed our procedures related to sexual harm. Particularly with the introduction of the National Student Ombudsman and the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence, this was an important process done meticulously by the Rules Committee.
I want to acknowledge in particular the immense work of Acting Principal Taryn Stasakova, Board Secretary Mathew Lobb and Residential Advisor Tess McClintock, who all sat on the rules committee and gave many hours towards formulating these policies and ensuring the community understood them well. These are campus-leading reforms, informed by students, and will ensure a safe and supportive community.
Final reflections and the future of BRA
As we conclude the first half of 2025, I am immensely proud of our residents' work in building a thoughtful, inclusive, and energetic culture.
In my first speech to residents on Open Day, I gave the advice of making the most of the opportunities and Burg, getting involved, and stepping out of your comfort zone. Our new residents have well and truly done that, and the community at Burg continues to thrive.
Looking to the future, BRA is currently developing a strategic plan that will cover everything in BRA, from sponsorships, merch, events, and much more. We will be using this to develop a clear direction as to what the association should aim to do and how it should aim to deliver for its residents. Resident-led leadership, particularly the autonomy of residential associations, is a crucial aspect of collegiate education, and ensuring the success of BRA is paramount.
That's enough said; this semester has been absolutely incredible, and I have no doubt that Semester 2 will deliver more of the same. My immense gratitude to the entire College community and to everyone who helps make this community the great place it is!
Warmest regards,
Charley Ellwood
2025 BRA President
