It was fantastic to see students come together this week to celebrate inclusiveness and diversity at Deakin. The purpose of U Belong Week is to make sure all students feel included in our community – everyone is welcome and everyone belongs!

Our Beats & Eats sessions were held at Waurn Ponds and Warrnambool campuses. Students were treated to acoustic tunes while enjoying free food including fish & chips, cupcakes, U Belong cookies, drinks, and rice paper rolls. At Burwood and Waterfront, our Feastival events celebrated the amazing multicultural community we have at Deakin with yummy food, activities, demonstrations and entertainment hosted by some of our amazing DUSA clubs.

For those unable to get to campus, our online Cultural Trivia & GeoGuesser session was a chance to connect and get involved from any location. Whether you were there for the competition, the connections or simply to learn something new, the event celebrated the beauty of our global community in a fun and interactive way.

A big part of T1 U Belong Week was using sport to open new opportunities and create connection. Our Lacrosse Together event at Burwood gave students of all levels and abilities the opportunity to try lacrosse in a fun and relaxed social setting. Our Sitting Volleyball (Burwood) and Wheelchair Basketball (Waurn Ponds) sessions were run as part of DUSA’s adaptive sports program. This initiative aims to increase visibility on adaptive sport at Deakin, allow students with a disability to try something new, and to help able-bodied students gain a greater appreciation of Para sports.

Hot drinks, sweet treats, games and activities were on offer across the week at our morning tea mixers. Our Celebrating PRIDE Morning Tea (Burwood) and Sip ‘n’ Mix Queer Mixer (Geelong) were a chance for students to learn more about DUSA and the Deakin services available to LGBTIQA+ students and allies. A big thanks to the Deakin Pride; Queer Society and Deakin Geelong Queer Collective for hosting these two events. Finally, the week finished off with DiversiTea at Burwood – a chance to take a break, get to know new people, and reflect on the amazing community we have at Deakin.

DUSA’s U Belong Week is about fostering connection while celebrating shared experience and the things that make us unique. A huge thank you to our student volunteers, clubs and everyone who worked so hard to make T1 U Belong Week a success. We look forward to doing it again in T2!