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Students helping students achieve success Bethany Reitsma manawatureporter@mawsa.org.nz
A new mentoring system which encourages senior Bachelor of Arts students to mentor younger students has been launched. The Manawatu Bachelor of Arts Student Engagement (BASE) common room has been popular with BA students on campus since it opened. The programme is a new project from the BASE team, starting this semester on
Pictured: BASE student mentors Shavaughan Steffert, Mark Richardson, Bradford Meurk, Courtney Ngata-Turley, Cameron Boyd, Joseph Pamata. the Manawatu and Albany campuses. The programme aims to equip senior students to help others gain the confidence to get the most out of their classes and get the help they need when they need it. The team focused the program around the BA graduate profile of strengths and skills, which include leadership, employability, and community. There are six leaders in Albany and eight in the Manawatu, offering one-on-
one support and time management help for students, or even just a listening ear. Manawatu BASE staff member Heather Aguilar says the program is a spinoff of things that have occurred naturally in the BASE space anyway. “There’s a lot of informal mentoring, senior students mentoring first years. “We researched it and realised that putting too many formal structures around it could inhibit the effect. “So we’re training students
in skills like networking, interpersonal communication, and cultural awareness so they can become leaders who can offer tailored help to students at an earlier level of study.” “It’s about improving connections between BA students,” says Aguilar. BA student mentor Cameron Boyd says, it’s for students who just need to vent about their problems. “We’re basically a group of friends all supporting each other.”
Students trot out their lecturing skills Bethany Reitsma manawatureporter@mawsa.org.nz
Third-year BA student Bradford Meurk has always been interested in lecturing, but never had the platform or opportunity to practice. So, he’s set up The Collective, a time and space for students who want to try public speaking or share their ideas with others. “I wanted an informal platform for people to just have a go, in an environment that
wasn’t just like a class presentation where you get graded,” says Meurk. “It’ll be an awesome way for people to get better at public speaking and lecturing without the pressure of being judged.” Earlier this month, both Meurk and philosophy major Benjamin Davis presented mini-lectures to around ten students. “This allows you to practice expressing yourself in front of
an audience,” said Davis. “It’s great to get a sense of what your public persona is.” Davis presented on how reclaiming ancient mythologies can give us a sense of self-realization, while Meurk gave a rundown of the effect of terrorism and political violence in the Philippines. “These topics were relevant to our majors, but people can come and lecture about anything they want,” said Meurk. “People can speak about
their hobbies and interests, what they’re studying, new ideas they have…and we always need speakers! “There shouldn’t be any pressure of conforming, this platform is open to all ideas. “If the talks encourage questions and debate, that’s even better and will sharpen our skills.” The Collective will run weekly instalments of lectures. Find out more at https://www.facebook. com/TheCollectiveInitiative/ 7