This is Uni

Linguistics PhD candidate Pema Wangdi talks about growing up in a country with some of the tallest mountains in the world, how people used to find love and why prayer flags matter.

• Mountains of Bhutan

JCU graduates Lucy Graham and Mathilde Gordon have gone more than the extra mile for Plastic Free July – they’re kayaking 2,100 kilometres to promote awareness of marine debris and inspire people to live without single-use plastic.

• Paddling for a cleaner ocean

Cyclones are a constant threat in Northern Australia’s summer months. Dr Chrystopher Spicer writes about cyclones in literature in his new book Cyclone Country, and he tells us why the red flag above the Cairns post office was so important during cyclone season.

• Terror in paradise: Cyclones in Australian literature

For several years, JCU Education Student, Hayley Steele, danced her way through life — and into the physiotherapist’s office many, many times. When it came time to choose what to study at uni, Hayley’s familiarity with the work of a physio drew her to explore the career further. However, a moment of clarity has her moving to her own beat as she studies education.

• From second preference to first choice

Dr Michael Clements, a Townsville based GP who regularly runs outreach clinics around the Cape and gulf country, was preparing to fly into the community to help as they recovered from the storm. Knowing they would be under staffed and under resourced, he put the call out to final year JCU Medicine students to see if they could lend a hand.

• A call to aid in Karumba