By Alana Riley
A Tasty Reason to Go to Your 8am Classes
Semester One saw the launch of the QUT Guild’s new ‘Free Breakfast’ initiative (7:30am every Wed at GP and Thurs KG) where students were able to grab a bite to eat before their early morning classes.
The menus were supplied by on-campus vendors and consisted of free muffins, chia pudding croissants and smashed avo, but it set to rotate each week.
QUT Student and ‘Free Breakfast’ volunteer Sam Ong said that “it’s a great way to start the day and get you motivated … especially for those students who already need to be at university quite early.”
“The food I saw at the free breakfast well exceeded my expectations. There were plenty of options available for everyone and most, if not all, dietary requirements were catered to.”
Free Tampons on Campus
Trials to provide students with free pads and tampons have started popping up in select female bathrooms across both campuses this semester.
The QUT Guild run initiative allows women to take the sanitary products in case of emergency.
Gender and Sexuality VP Jazzy Gee said being caught off-guard by your period is a “very common yet unspoken issue” that a lot of women have experienced.
“The free pads and tampons are important to me because I – and a LOT of other people too – have been in that awkward situation … and didn’t have money to buy a whole pack,” she said.
“Many students live below the poverty line, so it makes sense for the QUT Guild to do something to help those students.”
Trials will run throughout the semester to hopefully transition into a permanent fixture.
Keep Calm and Get Tested
HIV and STI testing organisation RAPID were at QUT providing free STI testing to students as part of the QUT Guild’s Sexual Health Awareness Week.
Short-term facilities were set up on each campus testing for HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea.
The pop-up facility was free for domestic and international student alike and provided a walk-in consult with fast results.
QUT Guild Gender and Sexuality VP Max Fox said that “many people can feel embarrassed talking to a doctor about their sexual health, so they appreciate the less clinical environment.”
“We ran almost at capacity the entire week, with those not able to wait referred to the campus medical centres.”
Max added that the QUT medical centres are also a great avenue for students as they offer free sexual health check-ups year-round in level 4 of X Block at Gardens Point and level 2 of 44 Musk Avenue at Kelvin Grove.
QUT Medical Centre manager Leonie O’Keefe confirmed that both practices have LGBTQIA+ friendly doctors that specialise in Queer and women’s health, including the prescription of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that can prevent HIV infection.
She said that the practices are committed to having safe and trusted relationships with students regarding sensitive health topics such as contraception, unplanned pregnancies and sexual health.
RAPID will be run again in week nine of this semester and in weeks one and eleven of semester two (Mon/Wed/Fri at GP and Tues/Thurs KG).