Highlights for our May edition of Snippets includes two social activities – Ten Pin Bowling and Christmas in July; interesting reports from our Geology class and Draw and Write Your Own Story class; a snapshot of some overseas visitors; two research studies seeking participants; a heads-up for National Volunteers Week and a call-out for member contributions.
Ten pin bowling – expression of interest
Image by Paul Brennan from Pixabay
One of our members has suggested that some of you might like to join Ten Pin Bowling at Forest Hill Zone Bowling, Forest Hill Chase. The sessions would be late Monday mornings and the cost is $12 – $15 for two games per week, this cost covers shoes and bowls. If you are interested, please email:
Christmas in July
This year’s U3A Nunawading Christmas in July lunch will be held at the Mulgrave Country Club, 469 Wellington Road, Wheelers Hill, at 12 noon on Tuesday 4 July.
Cost is $35 per person and members may invite one guest each if they choose. All drinks will be available for purchase at bar prices. No BYO. Tickets will go on sale at reception on Monday 15 May.
The Social Committee took the decision to take Christmas in July offsite so we could accommodate more members this year than we were able to last year at the Hub.
Geology class visits Synchrotron
By Liz Haylock
In March, several members of the Geology class visited the Australian Synchrotron, one of Australia’s largest science facilities, located in Clayton. It is also one of only two synchrotrons in the southern hemisphere. Operating 24hrs a day, it provides an invaluable facility for scientists across many disciplines, and hosts researchers from around Australia and internationally.
Operating since 2007, the Synchrotron accelerates bunches of electrons to move in a circle at an extraordinary speed; sometimes approaching the speed of light. Strong magnetic fields keep the electrons circulating in a prescribed path. Generating a wide variety of light wavelengths, the Synchrotron enables scientists to examine the molecular and atomic structure of complex molecules such as proteins, drugs, and materials.
Its capabilities offer many advantages over conventional research techniques providing greater accuracy, quality, robustness, and enhanced level of detail, as well as being much faster than traditional methods.
Its advanced techniques are being applied to research in health and medicine, food technology, environment, biotechnology, nanotechnology, energy, mining, agriculture, advanced materials, and cultural heritage.
Overseas guests visit U3A
U3A Nunawading hosted a tour of the Hub for a group of overseas visitors organised by Yoga Leader, Yvonne Woon. Yvonne is pictured top right in the back row with her friends.
The group were childhood friends of Yvonne’s from kindergarten through to secondary school, and their siblings and partners. They regularly keep in touch via a WhatsApp group and have an annual reunion around Easter in their hometown near Lake Toba in North Sumatra, and have enjoyed overseas trips every year since 2013. This year they visited Sydney and Melbourne in 10 days and as part of their Melbourne visit, Yvonne and her husband, Ben, took them on a tour of the city and surrounding areas for a week.
When visiting the Hub, they were impressed that seniors here can still continue to learn and participate in activities during their retirement years using the Hub facility provided by the local government, which is not available in Indonesia or Asian countries at the moment.
Draw and write your own story
By Sophia Liu, class leader
Last term, some of us have drawn a ‘Season wheel’, started writing short stories for each month, and then edited these 12-month stories. Everyone has the draft for their own picture book, and we are so excited that we can make our own books in Term 2. I have some air-dry clay model experience and have taught air-dry clay craft in primary school for three years in Taiwan. I have always wanted to contribute to the community and am happy to know I can help students to develop their drawing skills.
Calling all egg eaters
Researchers from Monash University are recruiting participants to study the effect of eating eggs on the gut microbiome and brain cognition. All participants will be given a $100 gift card.
What you would need to do:
- Either eat two eggs a day or avoid eggs for six weeks
- Provide blood and stool samples and complete some brain tests
Click here to see if you are eligible
For more information contact PhD student, Ness by email or Ph: 0466 847 135.
Mind your nose study
The ‘Mind Your Nose’ study is seeking participants, particularly seniors who are concerned about changes to their memory, to join a research project. Led by Alex Bahar-Fuchs from Deakin University’s School of Psychology, the study will determine if training memory for smells can boost overall memory and reduce the risk of dementia. It will add to evidence from Sweden that shows training memory for smells can improve the function of the part of the brain where other memories are held.
Participants in the randomised trial would be asked to do ‘smell memory training’ for 10 to 15 minutes every day for a month. For more details on the study or to register interest, please contact study manager Courtney Chesser on: .
National volunteer week
There is plenty to celebrate for National Volunteers Week from 15 to 21 May, given that it is the generosity and commitment of volunteers that keep U3A humming along. The theme for this year is ‘the change makers’ and we can certainly relate that sentiment to our team of dedicated volunteers. For more information go to https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/get-involved/nvw/
Stories wanted!
Members are invited to submit an update and photos about their U3A activities and/or classes. Short and sharp copy is best and please add captions to the photos. Don’t forget to ensure all members photographed are happy to have the photo published in this newsletter. Thanks in advance! Please send contributions to