Te Aka Tauira - Issue Three 2022

Issue 3

Te Aka Tauira

Inside: North Dunedin street clean up What others don’t see 70 year old secret arrives in Dunedin

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Finding Support at Otago

Life in a Pandemic > Where to find assistance

May News This issue: » North Dunedin street clean up » Students take on The Mousetrap » Sexual Misconduct Action Response Team » Melissa sees what others don’t » Ones to Watch: Dakoda Conroy » Otago Business School Internship Programme » Taking a leap for a cause

Moving out of home, starting off in a new city, finding your way around an unfamiliar campus, adulting – it can be overwhelming. Here at Otago we have some amazing resources, teams and staff who are here to help. To get you started on finding your way around life at Otago, here are some useful links: » COVID-19 student information » Te Aka Tauira

» Ones to Watch: Max Balloch » Upcoming Events Cover image: North Dunedin street clean up

In other news:

» Otago University Students Association » OUSA Hub » Finding your way around » Otago Libraries » Events » Student Development » Student Academic Services » Sustainability Office

» Te Kāhui Rangatahi o Taranaki ki Ōtepoti

» Career Development Centre

» A different kind of memorable

» Te Whare Tawharau

» Climbing her way to the top

» Campus Watch » Student Health 2

» Global Exchange: similar but different

North Dunedin street clean up Almost Three years on from the tragic death of second-year student Sophia Crestani, students once again took to the streets of North Dunedin to clean up in her honour.

Organised with the support of the Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA), Property Services, Waste Management, the Sustainability Office, the Proctor’s Office and Campus Watch, the event took place on Friday 8, April.

Since Sophia’s death her parents, Bede Crestani and Elspeth McMillan, have collaborated with the University to create the Sophia Charter – a community commitment to making North Dunedin a fun, safe and secure space which supports student success and wellbeing.

For Sophia’s best friend Megan Prentice it was special to see people gather for a third year in a way that looks after present students, the environment and treasure the memory of Sophia.

“It’s really special to be here. As the years go by there are less and less of us who knew Sophia at Otago. It’s amazing to see people I don’t know here, connecting with and supporting Sophia’s charter. It’s awesome to see the students doing something so positive here. Hopefully one day there won’t need to be a clean up on Castle Street at all, but this is such a good first step.

“I can hear Sophia’s voice in my mind now, she would be so humbled seeing

“She would be so humbled seeing so many people gathering together in her honour.”

so many people gathering together in her honour. I’m sure she is looking down with a warm heart seeing how people are gathering to do something good in her name.”

The Mousetrap Local Dunedin performers are preparing to take centre stage in Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. This year marks the play’s 70th birthday and will be staged at The Playhouse Theatre. Cast member and School of Performing Art student Zac Henry is waiting in anticipation to be on stage after so many local shows were cancelled earlier this year.

“We are never really certain whether or not there’s going to be another outbreak or we are going to be put back into a lockdown type situation. So while getting back onstage is fantastic, sadly not enough performances have got this far, so we can consider ourselves extremely lucky.”

Agatha Christie herself famously requested reviewers avoid revealing the show’s secrets. The audience were always politely asked to keep the name of the guilty quiet once they left the theatre. Over the years thousands of audiences have agreed to do so. Honours student Chris Cook feels great honour in being able to continue the legacy.

“It’s a massive undertaking; not only to be trusted with age-old roles, but also the secret of The Mousetrap. What an honour it’s been and it’s only something someone who has been involved with or seen the play would understand. After having had many productions be affected

by COVID-19 in the last two years it’s been hugely refreshing to be involved with another show that’s on track to being enjoyed by the public.”

There’s only one way to find out who committed the crime. You can catch the classic whodunnit on stage for a limited season, opening Thursday 19th May.

“The change in approach means both parties are kept safe and properly supported.”

New coordinators have been appointed to lead the University of Otago’s Sexual Misconduct Action Response Team (SMART).

Ben Nevell (Coordinator) and Rebecca Connaughton (Deputy Coordinator) take up their positions as the University revises its Sexual Misconduct Policy.

The policy has been in place since 2019 and the revisions are the result of an extensive consultation process.

The revised policy, which was approved in late April 2022, has a stronger emphasis on the University supporting both affected parties and respondents.

It focuses on a range of protective measures that can be put in place after a disclosure of sexual misconduct to support all parties involved.

For example, this could mean separating affected parties and respondents by changing lecture streams, scheduling set times for library or gym use, or arranging different mealtimes in a residential college.

Another key change is that grievous sexual misconduct, (defined to include the Crimes Act definition of sexual violation), will no longer be investigated by the University.

The shift reflected “overwhelming feedback provided during the consultation period”.

Ben says students will still be able to report serious sexual misconduct to the Proctor: “The Proctor will not turn anyone away and although they won’t investigate grievous sexual misconduct, they will still put in

Ben is a Professional Practice Fellow in the Faculty of Law at Otago, and prior to that he was a full-time lawyer for 18 years, practising in the areas of civil litigation, family, employment and mental health law.

Rebecca’s current role is a Specialist with Academic Committees and Services, including membership of the Policy Management Group.

She has been with the University of Otago since 2007, serving in various student advisory roles.

With Ben’s legal skills and Rebecca’s knowledge of University processes, they work together well to oversee and coordinate the University’s response to allegations of sexual misconduct.

“It’s an incredibly difficult and complex area but Rebecca, and I think we can really help all parties involved. Because there are so many moving parts, a little bit of oversight and coordination can really help things run more smoothly,” Ben says.

“And then if we can talk about trends that flow into the education side of things undertaken by Te Whare Tāwharau, that will hopefully in the long run help reduce sexual harm at the University. While it’s difficult and complex work , it’s actually really rewarding and we have

place protective measures and activate support services”.

great hopes that things will continue to improve.”

“The change in approach means both parties are kept safe and

Rebecca has a background in student support and says it is

properly supported while at the University, but any investigation of grievous sexual misconduct is carried out by the Police.”

“The Proctor just doesn’t have the legal authority or the resources to properly investigate allegations of serious sexual offending, so it makes sense that their focus is on ensuring everyone is safe and well

something she remains passionate about.

“The University has such fantastic, holistic support services. In order to work together in the most effective and efficient manner, it is critical that everyone understands what the policy says and how it can be implemented in practice. We are in the privileged position of

looked after, leaving the police to carry out the actual investigation.”

being able to assist with this.”

SMART’s primary roles are overseeing investigations undertaken by

Ben points out that the coordinators are reliant on a group of 9

the University (of less serious sexual offending) and maintaining an overview of sexual misconduct allegations in the University to highlight changing trends so that education programmes can be well focused.

The SMART coordinators work closely with Te Whare Tāwharau, the University’s Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre, Student Health, OUSA and the Proctor.

volunteers from throughout the University who make up the SMART team.

“They come together monthly to review investigations and to contribute to policy decisions. They help us with everything that we do. We are highly dependent on and appreciative of the volunteer members of the SMART team.”

Melissa Lethaby sees what others don’t While high profile cases attract much public interest, there are

This is what students can do for themselves and for others.”

The team offers a non-judgemental service for anyone.

hundreds of life-changing incidents the Disability Information and

“We can link people in with tangible supports we offer and guide

Support Service Manager and her team deal with every year – and

them through the various University processes. We offer a broad

most are preventable.

range of supports like note taking, test/exam arrangements, access

“As a service we support 1,800 to 2,000 students a year. We support students with short-term, temporary and permanent impairments, some of which are a result of an injury.

“There are the things you don’t see in the media – like students who sit down on a park bench, put their hand down and then there’s a shard of glass laying there. One student who experienced this lacerated all of the tendons in her dominant hand. It took an entire year and

to ergonomic equipment, liaison with departments. We also act as a referring agent and make sure students are linked in with the support services they need , for example, the Wellbeing team at Student Health, the team at OUSA, the Māori centre, Pacific Islands Centre, Te Whare Tāwharau– the list goes on.

“It does take a village to support students, so we try to make sure we link everyone in.”

multiple surgeries to get her hand’s range of motion back – that’s a

But the service comes at a price. In 2002, the team was supporting

lot of preventable disruption caused to an innocent student due to

about 505 students per year. That figure has now almost quadrupled,

another person’s decision.

costing about $1.2 million a year.

While there are naturally other injuries that occur in the student

“While part of the growth is because Otago has been recognised as

population – winter sport season sees an influx – intoxication and

a leader in disability support, it’s peak events like St Patrick’s Day and

avoidable trauma is the common theme.

Hyde Street which put us under additional pressure. There’s added

“There are the people who think they’re 10 feet tall and bullet-proof.

We supported one student who left his key at home during a night out

costs to come with the territory, which some might not think about, like if students need note-taking for six weeks.”

and he decided to punch the window of his flat to get in. He ended up

Melissa says she knows students are hanging out to do something

with serious, critical injuries which he has no recollection of.

social. But she urges caution.

“We also see the students who get on the scooters while drunk, lose

“Students have had a rough couple of years and of course they want

teeth and gain facial injuries. I’ve also seen students covered in burns

to have fun, but we are here preparing ourselves because just like

from chucking aerosols onto couches and with head injuries from

that, there will be 40 new students with injuries to support.

other students throwing bottles at parties. It’s so tragic,” she says.

“BYO nights have seen concussions, brawls, and lots of support from various University staff needed. The head injuries are a concern, concussion stats are on the rise.

“Everyone wants to have fun and that’s okay, but not to the point of damaging properties and each other.

“Have fun, but just be mindful that things can go wrong and with the flick of a switch. Don’t take risks of jumping on that scooter when you

“There’s a mentality of ‘it’s not going to affect me’. Like with COVID-19,

could spend an extra few dollars on an Uber, plan your ride home.

we’ve seen people take that attitude and in fact they’ve gotten very

Look out for your mates, plan to make sure your mates are safe and

sick. It’s about making a plan to stay safe and well where possible.

don’t leave anyone behind.”

“We should be taking as many opportunities for selfimprovement as possible.”

Having spent most of her life in Dunedin, England-born Thirza Smith took the time to share how she ended up at the Otago Business School, why she took part in its Internship Programme and what her experience was like.

Ones to Watch: Dakoda Bachelor of Commerce student Dakoda Conroy received this year’s PwC Summer Student Scholarship after working with Waihōpai Rūnaka over the summer.

The fourth-year student plans to major in Accounting and Finance and receives this scholarship after completing a design framework for the redevelopment of the Murihiku Marae.

Waihōpai Rūnaka is based in Southland with the Murihiku Marae situated in Invercargill; the Murihiku Marae connects ancestrally to nga waka Uruao me Takitimu, maunga Takitimu and the Te Moana Ara a Kiwa.

Waihōpai Rūnaka have been working on the redevelopment of the Murihiku Marae, so Dakoda and her team’s project focused on establishing a proof of concept and analytics toolset for measuring and comparing the operational performance of the previous and redeveloped marae.

“I’ve always been really creative and loved doing art and design at high school, but I also really enjoyed subjects that focused on analytical thinking and problem solving,” Thirza says.

“I also want to get into management someday and had heard such great things about the Otago Business School from my friends, who had already completed their degrees, and so I decided to join the University and work towards a BCom majoring in Information Science and Management.”

“I strongly believe we should be taking as many opportunities for self-improvement as possible and, not only does a year’s worth of work experience looks fantastic on a CV, but the self-development that comes from the experience itself is what’s so valuable,” Thirza says.

“During the Internship Programme, you learn heaps about workplaces in general, and the organization you’re placed with, but you’ll also learn a lot about yourself, your interests, and your workplace preferences; all things which are great to know before applying for grad jobs.”

“Our project was a proof of concept in providing Waihōpai Rūnaka with the necessary tools so they can see their vision come to life and find rich insights in data management practice,” Dakoda says.

“Our project is almost complete, and the final presentation has been well received by Waihōpai Rūnaka,” Dakoda says.

A final report was presented to the Waihōpai Rūnaka on 28 February, with plans for further improvements to be made based on feedback.

“In terms of the outcomes of our project, we were able to successfully follow a structured thinking approach to design a performance framework for the redevelopment of the Murihiku Marae,” Dakoda says.

Dakoda received support from third-year Accounting and Data Science student, Alex Nguyen, who helped develop a “PowerBI” visualisation of the key performance metrics the team developed.

She believes her team’s key performance framework 6 exceeded Waihōpai Rūnaka’s expectations and they were

pleased at how the project turned out.

Need Support?

The University COVID-19 website can answer your questions on life at University, staying safe in Red and ways to keep busy in self-isolation.

Visit us online to find out more.

Ones to Watch: Max Max Balloch is a second-year Marine Science and Science Communication student and has recently set up his own podcast sharing the positive stories of science.

“Dear Nature is essentially my love letters to the universe.

There are so many interesting things that exist alongside us, and I want to share them with people. On the show we ask questions you would never really think to ask, like ‘What has Halley’s comet seen?’, but I’m excited to get more creative with it- there are a lot of fun ideas in the works.”

“My traumatic brain injury, now a proud part of who I am.”

Politics and Environmental Management student Sean Prenter’s life was changed not long ago when an accident left him with a disability.

“Three years ago I fell 15 metres from a balcony. On that fateful day, I sustained my traumatic brain injury, now a proud part of who I am.”

While a brain injury can cause various life-long challenges, this didn’t hold Sean back as he prepared to sky dive in Auckland last month to raise money for Brain Injury Association Otago (BIAO).

“A significant part of my journey with brain injuries has been the support of the BIAO. This service does an extraordinary job, straddling both community support and advocacy. For individuals with brain injuries, this mahi has a profound impact on our lives, helping us to navigate the new world we find ourselves in.

“I was in my first year of law when I had my accident. I had to cut down my workload to one paper per semester which meant I had to choose something else to study. Brain injuries present different challenges to other disabilities and taking it slow is important in those early days. Studying politics means I can study still learn about legal things I was interested in such as policy and research.”

“We are all very quick to recognise there are problems in the world which we need to solve and I agree that’s an area of importance. The thing I love about science comms is that there are some really amazing things happening in the science world that people would want to know about.

We aren’t necessarily taught those things in school, but science communication makes intriguing parts of the world around us more accessible to a wider audience.

“We’ve seen it with people like Ashley Bloomfield and others on TV during the COVID-19 outbreak – it’s important in a world of misinformation to have people who can break it down. We are also having scientists learn about communications too which is great because they can then take their discoveries and directly share it with others, ensuring it doesn’t get lost in translation. It’s important work.”

Max has no shortage of excitement ahead of him with plans for further study and learning.

“I want to do some postgrad study for the same reason I like doing the podcasts, I love learning. I don’t want to stop learning in a years’ time. I look at what people like my favourite lecturer Rob Smith does, and what other researchers around the world are doing and I feel inspired.”

Brain Injury Awareness Month finished at the end of March and Sean had spent time organising events to raise awareness with a friend who works for SkyDive, Auckland.

“He mentioned a deal they had going at the time and I thought it could create a cool opportunity to give back.”

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KEY DATES & EVENTS May | Haratua 07

Graduation Ceremonies

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Susty Bike Grab

14

Graduation Ceremonies

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Susty Bike Grab

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Graduation Ceremonies

June | Pipiri 03

Lectures end

06

Queen’s Birthday

08

Exams begin

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Matariki

Recurring Events Diversion Day Lunchtime Concerts

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