MUEnSA: More than Bongs and Pizza

By Sean Ayres

In many Murdoch students’ minds, the mention of the Murdoch Environmental Science Association (MUEnSA) conjures up images of environmental hippies gathered around a fire smoking joints. Contrary to popular belief, however, there's no communal glass bong at the centre of every MUEnSA meeting. To find out for myself I went along to MUEnSA’s End of Semester Pizza Party, armed only with a six pack of my beverage of choice and a willingness to turn a blind eye to any funny cigarettes.

The party was held in the Murdoch Community Garden at the Environmental Technology Centre and featured a bonfire, a chalkboard for communal artistic expression, and a tiny dance floor next to garden beds of eggplants, capsicum and kale (although when I say dancefloor, I mean MUEnSA found a small area of dirt, got a speaker and made the most of it).

My disappointment at Murdoch Guild’s decision not to hold an end of semester party at the Tav was quickly overcome by the warm welcome and chill vibes of the night. Don’t let MUEnSA’s name fool you, they aren’t exclusive for environmental science students and welcome all comers. Law students, engineering students and even some UWA interlopers were in attendance. The snags and the wood fired pizzas were fantastic and available for just a gold coin donation- perfect for any university student struggling to make ends meet.

MUEnSA is still maintaining the balance though, not just giving cut price pizza but also staying true as a faculty society in helping students into careers. MUEnSA President Darren O’Brien informed me that the society is working hard to forge connections with industry and help its members through the precarious gap between university and a job. Students have gained useful experience for working life in maintaining the Quenda Wetlands near the University or volunteering for Native Arc, a native animal rehabilitation centre.

Like all good nights, we kicked on late into the freezing cold night, dancing and belting out Mr Brightside and that one song from Shrek. If you’re keen to make some new friends on campus and aren’t itching to debate climate change or Roe 8 at every single party, you should get yourself down to the next MUEnSA Pizza Night.