Get your mitts on the SoS09 Handbook!

You'll receive this spiffiest of stapled booklets on arrival, but click
now to check out the SoS09 Handbook, with conference info, program,
map, contact list, a veritable array of owls, and some rather
attractive typefaces. 

------------------

Yay! You're coming to SoS! With less than a week til you arrive, there's lots you need to know about.

WHAT TO BRING

- layerable warm and water-proof-able clothes
- tent if camping
- bedding whether billeted or camping
- torch and spare batteries
- mug, bowl (a bowl people, not a deep plate), plate, utensils, and a container for food (for Packed Lunch Wednesday)

- toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, any other personal care stuff you might needs like meds, pads/ tampons/ menstrual cup, condoms/ dams/ lube
(we will have a first aid kit in the safety tent but with limited supplies, there is also a pharmacy on campus)
- towel to stay dry and froody
- pen, notepad, and bag for day use
(we will not be supplying conference satchels; most people don't need another bag!)
- mobile phone and charger
- proof of age if you want to drink

-closed shoes! so that bad things don't happen to your feet in the kitchen
or the cold.

other things people might enjoy having:
- money for chai, merch etc
- snacks
- camera

-snazzy clothes and dancing shoes for the gendeblender splendour

-hot water bottles are amazing too..

THINGS YOU CAN'T BRING:
- non-humans other than seeing-eye dogs
- alcohol and illegal drugs
- the hate

HOW TO GET HERE

Once you're in Melbourne ..

BY CAR: (Melways map ref. 70 G10)
The trip will take about 30 minutes from the city centre along Citylink (tolls apply) and the Monash freeway. If using Eastlink (tolls) from the North or south, use the Monash Freeway interchange and travel west. If travelling from Melbourne airport add 15 minutes via Citylink (tolls).

BY TRAIN: to get to Clayton campus by public transport, take any of the Dandenong, Pakenham or Cranbourne line trains to Huntingdale station then catch a bus to Monash Clayton campus. Buses leave the station towards Monash every 15-20 minutes, with the 900 running until midnight every day except Sunday when the last bus leaves at 9.30pm. If travelling from the city to the campus via Huntingdale station, you can buy a Zone One Metcard for the entire journey. The 900 (Rowville) and 630 (Monash Uni) buses both accept Zone One OR Zone Two tickets

You can take bikes on Melbourne trains for free, and the ride to Monash from Huntingdale station is a cruisy fifteen minutes, either almost directly up North Road or via the scenic backstreets of the
Huntingdale/Clayton area.

BY BUS:

Buses stopping at the Clayton bus loop (Most of these buses require commuters to have metcard valid for Zone Two to travel):

* 630, between Elwood and Monash University (zone one or two)
* 631, between Waverley Gardens SC and Southland shopping centre
* 691, between Bayswater and Waverley Gardens
* 703, between Blackburn and Middle Brighton
* 733, between Box Hill and Oakleigh
* 737, between Croydon and Monash University
* 802/804/862, different routes between Dandenong and Chadstone shopping centre, via Oakleigh train station
* 900, between Caulfield and Rowville. Often 'low floored' and wheelchair friendly, this is the most frequent and most used Monash busline, running to late. The 900 bus to Caulfield stops at Huntingdale, Oakleigh and Caulfield train stations. (zone one or two)

Other buses include:

* 742, between Eastland and Chadstone which stops at the back of the University on the ring road
* 800, between Dandenong and Chadstone which stops approximately 0.5km from the University on Dandenong Road

WHEN TO COME

Folk will be arriving from all over the place at different times. For most participants, we recommend coming to Monash on the afternoon of Sunday the 5th or the morning of Monday 6th. We'll serve dinner on Sunday night for anyone who's arrived.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE

When you arrive at Monash, the first thing you'll probably want to do is set up camp. Make your way to the rego desk, where you can register, pay any leftover fees and pick up a participant's pack. The folk at the rego desk can direct you to the campground. When you get there, follow the directions of the safety monitors to find a campsite suitable for you and your crew. The rego desk is on the second level of the campus centre (building 10), next to the Monash Student Association's front desk.

PARKING

Parking in all blue zones at Monash uni is free. Blue zones are well signed, so make sure you park in the right place. Ask a safety monitor if you're not sure. You can crash out in your car too if you need, too.

WHAT TO EXPECT

It's kinda hard to tell what to expect at SoS. As you can see from the draft program, it's going to be a pretty packed week, full of workshops, plenaries, lectures and skillshares. It's likely that a lot of us will find the week confronting, exciting, inspiring, exhausting and intense. Be prepared for this: make time for yourself, stay well-fed and warm, and find someone to talk to. Acquaint yourself with the safety monitors and with the grievance crew, so you know where to go anytime you need help, more blankets or someone to debrief with. Monash University is cold. eally, really cold. We can't tell you enough how important it is to bring ots of warm clothes, waterproofs, and blankets.

WE STILL NEED:

Safety monitors

People to make up an independent grievance team

Techy folk who can help us run all the whiz-bang

Elder carers

Extra bedding and spare tents - if you're a Melbournian, and can easily ring some extra stuff you're happy to lend, please do so we can help everyone stay warm.

TO KNOW IF YOU'RE UNDER EIGHTEEN: If you're under eighteen, please send us a quick email to let us know so that we're on top of who is coming.....

Hope you're getting excited!
Peace,
2009 Sos Collective

SoS 2009 - Doing It For Ourselves 

SoS '09 will be held in Melbourne from the 6th -10th July, with camping close by the conference site. Students, community and Indigenous activists, academics, public intellectuals, environmental educators, social change agents of all stripes and from all over Australia are invited to participate in a range of educational, practical and participatory forums and workshops. The theme for SoS 09 is about doing things for ourselves, as individuals and communities, and we're looking for anyone with skills, knowledge and experience to share.

Registration is now open! Click here to find out more.

Registration closes on the 3rd of July.

Now if, for whatever reason, you can't pay the full rego price, please send us an email. It'd be really silly if people who wanted to come couldn't because they can't pay. We're heaps flexible, and we'd love to see you come! If you need to talk to us about a reduced fee, just send an email to rego@studentsofsustainability.org

Proposals for official program content have now pretty much closed (Mon 22nd June), but don't let this stop you! There will be stacks of unscheduled stuff happening, run by anyone, including YOU! On anything and everything, unsched stuff can be some of the most inspiring. When you get to the conference, just ask for more details or look out for the special blackboard devoted purely to unscheduled stuff!

Conference program to be posted online very soon!