Freethought Student Alliance

Notice of AGM

// February 1st, 2013 // No Comments » // Announcement

The 3rd AGM of the Freethought Student Alliance will be held on:

Tuesday February 12th, 2013
At 8:00pm EDT (7:00pm EST, 7:30pm CDT & 5:00pm WST).

The AGM will be held online via Google+ Hangout, with members and affiliated groups able to view and participate in the meeting via our official YouTube Channel.

The meeting will consist of a report by the President, Secretary and Treasurer as well as the election of the executive committee and state convenors.

Jason Ball, President of the Freethought Student Alliance, has announced he will not be nominating for re-election, and said in a statement to members:

It is with both sadness and excitement that I announce that I will be stepping down as President of the Freethought Student Alliance at the upcoming AGM. It has been a pleasure to lead the organisation since its inception over the past three years and an honour to work alongside some of the brightest young people involved in the freethought movement today.

As you may know, I have been personally involved in a campaign calling on the Australian Football League (AFL) to do more to tackle homophobia. In 2013 I will be focusing my efforts in my new role as a Community Champion for No To Homophobia and also as an ambassador for beyondblue – the national depression initiative.

I also believe the time has come to inject new life and enthusiasm into the Freethought Student Alliance – so what better way to do that than to step aside and allow a new generation of leaders to stand up.

Nominations are open for the following positions, and expressions of interest are encouraged and can be sent to info [at] freethoughtalliance.org.au

- President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Fundraising Coordinator
- Online and Social Media Coordinator
- VIC Convenor
- NSW Convenor
- SA Convenor
- WA Convenor
- QLD Convenor
- ACT Convenor
- TAS Convenor

Student lunch with DJ Grothe & Rebecca Watson

// November 14th, 2012 // No Comments » // Announcement

The Freethought Student Alliance are excited to be hosting an exclusive student-only luncheon with skeptic heavyweights DJ Grothe and Rebecca Watson as part of the 2012 National Skeptics Convention.

DJ Grothe is the currently the president of the James Randi Educational Foundation and formerly the Vice President and Director of Outreach Programs at the Center for Inquiry and host of the popular radio show and podcast Point of Inquiry. Rebecca Watson is the founder of Skepchick and co-hosts the infamous Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast. Both are huge advocates of the work that young people and student groups like yours contribute to the skeptical movement.

The luncheon will be held on Sunday 2nd of December is available free for all student ticket holders of the 2012 National Skeptics Convention.

Tickets for the convention are still available, and single-day tickets have also just been released. To purchase tickets to the convention click here.

To register for this exclusive event, please send your full name as well as the University or high school you attend to rsvp@freethoughtalliance.org.au

James Randi to visit Melbourne for Australian Skeptics Convention

// October 31st, 2012 // No Comments » // Announcement

[ANNOUNCEMENT: The Victorian Skeptics are looking for volunteers for the Australian Skeptics National Convention to be held from 30th Nov - 2nd Dec 2012. Speakers include James Randi, DJ Grothe, Brian Thompson and Rebecca Watson. To express interest please email president [at] freethoughtalliance.org.au]

Click to purchase tickets:

Article by Lawrence Money re-posted from The Age

‘ONE of the weirdest claims,” says international psychic-buster James Randi, ”was the woman who said she had the power to make men urinate when she willed it. One of our employees volunteered for the job and downed a lot of water … he sat there for something like three hours and nothing happened. The woman was so surprised and said: ‘You know it’s never failed before’.”

Randi, the burr under the seers’ saddle, the fly in psychics’ ointment, has long offered $1 million to anyone who can conclusively prove paranormal powers. It has remained unclaimed. Now 84, he is heading for Melbourne, the star speaker at the annual convention of the Australian Skeptics in Carlton next month.

He is no stranger Down Under. In 1980 he teamed with entrepreneur Dick Smith to dangle a $40,000 prize before a group of self-proclaimed water diviners – but their dowsing rods ran dry. The same year, in one of Australian TV’s classic moments (now on YouTube), pro-psychic TV host Don Lane told Randi to ”piss off” during his variety show. In 1988, assisted by some dodgy media releases, Randi teamed with 60 Minutes to fool the Australian media with a hoax about Carlos, a supposed spirit channeller.

From Los Angeles yesterday, Randi said he had calls from all over the world after Lane died in 2009. In the past six years he has undergone a coronary bypass and surgery for cancer. ”I told them: no acupuncture, no witchdoctors, no chanting. They used that thing you might have heard about over there – medical science.”

Randi heads the James Randi Educational Foundation in LA and is the subject of a documentary, An Honest Liar, being filmed in California. The movie, and a smaller TV version, will detail the fate of Jose Alvarez, the man who played ”Carlos” in the Australian hoax.
Venezuelan-born Alvarez was arrested late last year. ”He has an immigration problem,” said Randi. ”He is a gay person and had taken the identity of an American citizen to escape bad treatment by police and family back home.” Randi said Alvarez was jailed for a short time and is awaiting a decision on his fate from homeland security.

Randi said people were still gullible, just as they were in 1980 when he and Smith tested the water diviners. ”They all failed miserably, not one had a significant result, but afterwards all said they still believed they had dowsing powers.”

Victorian Skeptics president Terry Kelly said the Australian convention would run over three days. He said people’s claims to the paranormal were not only unproven, but often pointless. ”Even if you could bend spoons,” Kelly says, ”what’s the use of it?”

Sponsor a student!

// April 11th, 2012 // No Comments » // Announcement

The 2012 Global Atheist Convention is going to be a truly amazing event. That’s why we’re going. But the cost of travelling and accommodation, if you’re not living in Melbourne already, is (to understate it) expensive.  For students and young people, particularly those studying full-time without full-time income, they simply can’t afford it.

For many at University, The God Delusion and God is Not Great were released during their teenage years, and were a crucial catalyst in their development as skeptical, enlightened people.  Many have broken free from their superstitious upbringings and communities into a community of critical and academic inquiry.  The chance for these students to hear the world’s most prominent thinkers in person, and the chance for what may be the first time in their lives to be part of a huge gathering of inspiring and inspired minds from across continents, all energised by the spirit of rational and free thought, is a chance that comes once in a lifetime.  After all, the sense of optimism we feel from what the GAC will accomplish will be the world the next generations will inherit.  We want to make sure they can be there in the first place.

Any event benefits from the enthusiasm and verve that young, inchoate minds bring.  Half of the deepest rewards that come from any of such events are the people that you meet, and for youth the relationships they will forge at the GAC will last for many decades and across generations.  Students are outnumbered on campuses all over Australia by religious groups that make their collective presence felt as much as possible.  The chance to encounter a huge, global community of other enlightened students from around the country and the world is a phenomenal one that no student wants to miss.

So to cover the one remaining obstacle, the Freethought Student Alliance has set up a fund for donations, 100% of which will be used to help students from interstate cover the great costs of transport, as well as for tickets.  Without assistance, these students simply won’t be able to make it.

To donate, simply direct transfer into the Freethought Student Alliance bank account, and email scottsharrad [at] freethoughtalliance.org.au for a receipt. (PayPal coming soon)

Name: Australian Freethought Student Alliance
BSB 063170
Acc 10248507

The next Dawkins or Hitchens is out there, and we want you to bump into them at the GAC.

I had an amazing time at both the 2010 GAC and FSA event.  It wasn’t just an opportunity to hear some amazing and inspiring atheists, but also lots of fun hanging out with like-minded (and some unlike-minded) people, making new friends and having a great time.
- Jeremy O’Wheel, former President at University of Tasmania Atheist Society

My experience of speaking in front of the FSA at the last GAC was both educational and heartening.  I learned a lot about running a democratic group, but more than that, to go from being a lone voice in an apathetic wilderness to feeling part of a legitimate tribe gave me a much needed energy boost to continue with my efforts to raise awareness on campus about issues surrounding secularism.  The more students who are able to attend future such events, the more the secularist message will get out there.
- Emily Vicendese, former President at La Trobe University Secular Society

The GAC 2010 provided me with an experience like no other. As a young adult my opinions on the world were (and hopefully are) still changing and forming. The GAC provided a proverbial smorgasboard of tasty intellectual tidbits and morsels, combined with a veritable feast of ideas provided by today’s top intellectuals across the fields of politics, science, and the humanities. The GAC is, in my opinion a misnomer. While ostensibly a convention for Atheists on Atheism the GAC would be better reffered to as a celebration of secular ideas – no two speakers where the same (indeed, I would go so far as to say no two attendees had similar opinions) when I saw them, and several (Phillip Adams in particular) have left indelible impressions upon my philosophies. So, the GAC – come for the Atheism and comraderie, but stay for ability to expand your mind and philosphies in bold new directions and temper and mould your own ideas in the fire of intellectual rigour and debate with your fellow attendees – a proverbial Aristotelian school of thought.
- Alex Holmes, former President ANU League of Extraordinary Atheists

Couch Surfing at the 2012 Global Atheist Convention

// January 24th, 2012 // 3 Comments » // Announcement, Couch Surfing, Global Atheist Convention

The 2012 Global Atheist Convention is rapidly approaching and many students from around Australia are looking for a place to stay in Melbourne. The Freethought University Alliance is coordinating a couch surfing arrangement to provide students from around the country with a free place to sleep each night of the convention. With the price of registration and travel combined, the cost to attend the convention is already a challenge for many students. However, your kind offer of free accommodation for the weekend could make all the difference. If you as a fellow student, or a member of the atheist community have the ability to open up your home for a University student from elsewhere in Australia, we’d love to hear from you. Just fill out the form on our “Got a Couch?” page and we’ll be in contact with you when we have someone who may wish to stay with you.

If you are a University student from regional Victoria or interstate you can fill out the form on our “Need a Couch?” page. We will do our best to find you someone to stay with in Melbourne who is attending the convention.

“Got a Couch?”
“Need a Couch?”

Please know that we cannot guarantee accommodation for anyone. Even the matching of individuals does not guarantee accommodation. We are just facilitating the swapping of contact details, the final decision concerning whether or not to stay with an individual in Melbourne or to have an interstate student stay with you is your decision. As such we suggest you should ensure you are comfortable with the situation by corresponding via numerous means such as email, telephone, or Skype.

2012 Student Leadership Conference

// November 11th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Announcement

Tickets on sale now!

Freethought University Alliance at the 2012 Global Atheist Convention

// August 28th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Announcement

- Free 3-day passes for student leaders
- Travel and accommodation grants
- Student Leaders Conference

We’re excited to share with you that the Atheist Foundation of Australia has launched a student grant initiative which will offer an initial 10 free tickets to the 2012 Global Atheist Convention to the Freethought University Alliance.

The Global Atheist Convention, to be held in Melbourne in April 2012, boasts an impressive line-up of world renowned speakers including Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and many, many more.

The Freethought University Alliance will be allocating the free tickets to the 10 most active affiliated groups located outside of Victoria.

This list includes the following groups:

- Australian National University League of Extraordinary Atheists
- University of Newcastle Atheist Society
- Macquarie University Atheists League
- University of Wollongong Secular Freethinkers
- University of Sydney Atheist Society
- James Cook University Society of Atheist Philosophy
- University of Tasmania Atheists
- Bond University Rationalists, Skeptics and Thinkers
- Griffith University Skeptics and Freethinkers
- University of Western Australia Atheist and Skeptic Society

Allocation of the tickets will be at the discretion of the group, and decided upon by their own student committee. This could include competitions, fundraisers or splitting the costs of one ticket between a group of students to offer each student a small discount.

It is possible that a second round of grants may be announced at a later date, and it is our hope that we will be able to offer a free pass to every affiliated group with the Freethought University Alliance who are located outside of Victoria.

Travel and Accommodation Grants

Additionally, thanks to generous donations from organisations and individuals, the Freethought University Alliance will be offering a limited number of travel and accommodation grants for additional assistance to any student traveling from interstate. The allocation of such grants will be subject to availability and expressions of interest can be sent to scottsharrad@freethoughtalliance.org.au.

Student Leaders Conference

Finally, we would like to announce that the Freethought University Alliance has commenced planning for a “student leaders’ conference” to be held as part of a fringe event to the Global Atheist Convention. This will include lunch, workshops, student panels and guest speakers and take place on Friday 13th April 2012. We encourage students traveling from interstate to consider planning their itinerary to arrive on Friday morning or Thursday evening if they wish to take part in this event.

We will endeavour to keep registration for this event at a low cost to ensure it is accessible to all students attending the Global Atheist Convention.

New freethought clubs formed on Australian campuses

// October 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // Announcement

The Freethought University Alliance is pleased to welcome and affiliate a number of new clubs that have formed on campuses around Australia over the past few months.

Since the Alliance’s Inaugural General Meeting earlier this year, elected conveners from each state have been busy working behind the scenes to recruit students and affiliate clubs on new campuses, to give a voice to young Australian atheists, skeptics and humanists who want to promote science, reason and secular values.

The Rationalist Association of Monash (RAM) in Victoria will be headed by President Aaron Henriques and Vice President Alastair Tait. “We grew to nearly 100 members within a week of our official launch. Though we are still a small club, we expect to grow a lot more next year, and stand up at Monash University as banner for atheists, humanists and skeptics to unite under” said Henriques.

In Western Australia, Matt Jacob was elected President of the newly formed University of WA Humanist Association. “We only have a number of members for the moment but we’re growing” said Matt. “We recently hosted Guy Curtis, lead WA Senate Candidate from the Secular Party of Australia, who spoke about the current state of secularism in Australian politics. It was a great event.”

In Queensland, a new sub-group that will break off from an existing Philosophy Club called BURST (Bond University Rationalists, Skeptics and Thinkers) will be led by Olivia Lesslar and Ingrid Skiaker. Also in Queensland, the hard work of Jayson Cooke has seen the Griffith University Skeptics and Freethinkers expand to two more campuses, Nathan and Mt Gravvatt in Brisbane as well as the Gold Coast campus.

To get in touch with any of these clubs, please visit the Groups & Societies listing on the Freethought University Alliance website.

Jason Ball
President – Freethought University Alliance
jasonball@freethoughtalliance.org.au | 0407781406

TAM Australia

// June 19th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Announcement

The Amazing Meeting, or “TAM” is the biggest get-together in the skeptical universe, and in November 2010, TAM comes to Sydney, Australia!

The Freethought University Alliance is rounding up as many skeptical student leaders as possible to attend this fantastic event, with international speakers including James Randi, Simon Singh, Eugenie Scott, George Hrab, Brain Dunning and the entire cast of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast!

Early bird registration is now open, and will be available until July 4th – but hurry as these tickets are limited and are selling fast!

A number of great initiatives have been announced by TAM organisers, to help students attend the event, such as:

-$280 discount early bird price. Half can be paid at registration and the remainder must be paid by September 1st. To be eligible for an early bird ticket you must be a subscriber to the Australian Skeptic magazine ($44 hard copy or $22 digital) or be a member of the JREF (US$25).

- $150 reimbursement. Students who register for an early bird ticket can submit an application for $150 reimbursement. Submissions will be accepted soon via the TAM website, and will be judged on merit and special cases. Only x10 available.

- Accommodation Billeting. Come July, students will be able to register to be billeted up with a local TAM attendee, to help save on accommodation costs. All students based in Sydney, please consider registering as a host! Places are subject to availability.

So what are you waiting for? REGISTER NOW!

Host an atheist student!

// February 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Announcement

Do you have a spare bed/couch/mattress?

Do you live near-ish to the Melbourne CBD?

The Freethought University Alliance are looking for people to host interstate student leaders attending the upcoming Global Atheist Convention (12-14th March). The convention, which will feature the likes of Richard Dawkins and PZ Myers, will be an opportunity for atheist student leaders from across the country to meet for the first time to discuss ways to unify and expand our growing student movement.

With the price of registration and travel combined, the cost to attend the convention is already a challenge for many students. However, your kind offer of free accommodation for the weekend could make all the difference. Please help the Freethought University Alliance in our quest to get as many students from all over Australia as possible to attend this spectacular event.

Please email anna@umss.org for more information.