Interaction

Warrane College places a high importance on community living. The College offers a high level of support and, at the same time, invites each resident to make a contribution to collegial life. This, in some way, imitates the model of a family home, although in a different context.

Collegial life is experienced in two ways: being part of the one College of 140 people and belonging to a residential unit of 25, making up a "floor" of the College.

College Life

Formal Dinner
The Wednesday Formal Dinner is the weekly focal point of collegial life. This is the one night of the week that residents of the College dine together at the same time. Residents dress in formal attire and are served a three-course meal with wine, including aperitif, main course and dessert. A person prominent in professional or public life typically joins residents for dinner and gives a presentation afterwards in the main common room. During the evening, announcements are made at dinner about weekly social and sporting events.

Sports
Warrane College fields teams for all sports of the Inter-College sports shield. The competition is staged over both sessions and includes a number of major sports, such as Rugby Union, Soccer, Basketball, Hockey and Tennis. The competition also hosts a number of carnival days for Australian Football, Rugby League, Cross Country, Volleyball and Cricket, to name a few. Warrane is always a contender for the Premiership of the Shield and has won it successively in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

More informally, there are plenty of opportunities for social sports. Regular games of touch football, soccer and cricket are played on the neighbouring Village Green as well as basketball and in-door soccer in the university’s gymnasium. There are also yearly intra-College competitions such as the Warrane Wimbledon tennis tournament and inter-floor touch football competition.

Social Life
Warrane’s residents elect an Activities Committee, which organises a diverse range of social activities throughout the year. Traditional events include trivia nights, movies and televised sporting events. Other events include beach BBQ’s, ski trips, bushwalks and tours of the Hunter Valley wineries.

The premier annual social event is the Warrane College Ball, recently held at locations such as The Queen Victoria Building Tearoom, and the American Club. Other events that punctuate the annual social calendar include harbour cruises, picnics and informals organised with colleges from UNSW and the University of Sydney.

College residents are well located to take advantage of the social life of UNSW. The university’s clubs and societies cater for a diverse range of activities. Residents also form a part of campus life, joining other social events promoted by the UNSW Union including Foundation Day and Oktoberfest.
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Cultural Activities
Residents celebrate the rich cultural diversity represented in the College. National days such as St Patrick’s Day, Chinese New Year, Anzac Day and Autumn Moon Festival are celebrated with special cuisine and entertainment.

The Warrane play or musical has recently become a yearly fixture, following successful performances of "The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew" in 2006 and "HMS Pinafore" in 2007.

Displays of musical talent are a regular feature. Each session, residents perform at Variety Night and at several musical nights. It is not uncommon for residents to form a college band and musical performances are often part of birthday celebrations, held regularly in floor common rooms.

The Activities Committee organises regular outings to cultural events such as concerts at Sydney Opera House, exhibitions at Art Galleries and museums. Intra-College debating nights are always engaging and address topics from the sublime to the ridiculous.

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Floor Life

Each "floor" of the College forms a residential unit of 25 people, two of whom are residential tutors. Residents develop a sense of belonging to their floor and develop a strong network of friendship and support from each other. This communal atmosphere is strengthened by regular gatherings and activities.

Coffee Club
Coffee Club is a Warrane tradition stemming from foundation days of the College. The idea is that residents of one floor get-together each weeknight for coffee and a chat. Sometimes there will be something organised like a birthday celebration or someone may give a special presentation. Mostly, it provides a chance for residents to catch up and relax. It is normally held at a fixed time every night to allow people to plan their evening.

At Home on the Floor
In a short time, residents feel a sense that their floor is their home. Due to the layout of rooms and availability of tutors, the floor is an interactive place. This also enables a secure environment. In fact, residents do not need to lock their bedrooms with a key as their neighbours are fellow students who they know and trust. This is backed up by security at the College’s entrance, only allowing guests to residential areas of the College if accompanied by a resident.
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