Te Pānui Taura
This issue: A show of courage and skill, a safe haven for tauira; and the University’s new Vice-Chancellor
This month:
Echoes from Hawaiki: Exploring Māori and Moriori instruments
Passion and perseverance have paid off for Associate Professor Jennifer Cattermole - her book on Māori and Moriori instruments (taonga pūoro) has been launched recently, a decade after the project was first conceived.
How old is the universe?
In the beginning there was gas, Professor Craig Rodger says. Hot gas and lots of it.
A safe haven for tauira
For psychology student Oak Airey Madriz, there are a lot of positives about working at Te Whare Tāwharau Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre.
A show of courage and skill Photo, writing comps coming up Calendar
Don’t
forget!
2024 Three Minute Thesis Grand Final
Pop along and support those taking part in this year’s 3MT final. Thursday, 15 August at 5pm, venue to be confirmed, keep an eye on the University’s Facebook page for further details.
Scotland’s Makar takes up Otago Fellowship
One of the most distinguished Scottish writers of the past four decades and current Makar – National Poet for Scotland Kathleen Jamie will be taking up a writing fellowship at the University of Otago later this year.
The Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies (CISS) and the School of Arts at Otago, in conjunction with the Caselberg Trust, are delighted to announce they will host the poet and essayist in the CISS Writers Fellowship in September and October.
Kathleen will finish her threeyear tenure as Makar in August this year, and the nature poet and environmental writer is enthusiastic about visiting Otago soon after.
“I am thrilled to be able to accept this fellowship and travel to Otago; my first visit to the southern hemisphere. Many years have passed since I was last able to spend so long abroad; the promise of a whole new environment and different ways of thinking is truly exciting.”
Humanities Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Jessica Palmer welcomes Kathleen’s appointment.
“It is an honour to be hosting Kathleen Jamie, the current Makar – National Poet for Scotland. Otago holds strong historical connections to Scotland, and much of our own literary culture has been shaped by the very rich poetic traditions of the Scots. It is
wonderful to see this cultural exchange continue with such vitality.”
Kathleen will be based in CISS, which sits within Te Kete Aronui - Division of Humanities, where she will mentor postgraduate students in Scottish Studies and the creative writing programmes, contribute to undergraduate courses and give several public lectures and readings.
Stuart Chair in Scottish Studies and Director of the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies, Professor Liam McIlvanney, says it is a real coup for Otago to host a
Peninsula is a genuinely exciting prospect; I can’t wait to see the work that she produces,” Liam says.
Kathleen is a previous winner of the Forward Prize and the Costa Award for poetry and has recently retired as Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Stirling. She is also a nature and environmental writer and the author of four noted books of essays, including Findings, Surfacing and, most recently, Cairn.
Head of the School of Arts
Professor Simone Marshall says her visit will be of value to the literary community.
writer of Kathleen’s eminence and achievement.
“She is a world-class poet with enormous experience as a teacher. To have her at Otago for two months will be of tremendous benefit to our students, our programmes and our whole institution. Her presence will also deepen the literary connections between Scotland and Aotearoa.
“To bring a nature poet of Kathleen Jamie’s accomplishment into contact with the cultural and environmental taonga of the Otago
“It is a true honour for us to host Kathleen Jamie at the University of Otago. Kathleen will have a significant impact on the Dunedin writing community, and her expertise and influence will be of immense value to our upcoming Creative Writing postgraduate students.”
Read more about the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies Fellowship
Read more about the Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies
Echoes from Hawaiki: Exploring Māori and Moriori instruments
by Laura Hewson
See full story online.
Passion and perseverance have paid off for Associate Professor Jennifer Cattermole - her book on Māori and Moriori instruments (taonga pūoro) has been launched recently, a decade after the project was first conceived.
“The book has been quite some time in the works – starting back in 2015 – and it feels like it’s been a real marathon to complete,” Jennifer says.
“I’m just incredibly grateful to the numerous people who’ve been part of its creation. I really hope it will be of use and interest to people in a variety of ways.”
Echoes from Hawaiki: The origins and development of Māori and Moriori musical instruments (Otago University Press) is a comprehensive account of taonga pūoro ancestral musical traditions and instrument-playing techniques.
It traces the origins and development of the instruments and how they connect present-day iwi with ancestral knowledge and traditions.
“It also explores how traditional Māori and Moriori musical instruments have developed in response to available materials and evolving cultural needs –from their ancestral origins, through the suppression of their use in nineteenth and early twentieth-century Aotearoa New Zealand, to their revival in the present day,” she says.
Jennifer first became interested in
ethnomusicology (the study of music in its social and cultural contexts) as an undergraduate at Otago. She went on to write theses on Aotearoa roots reggae and Fijian stringband music before focussing on Māori and Moriori musical instruments.
“I’ve been learning about, teaching, playing and making taonga pūoro since 2012 – almost for as long as I’ve taught at Otago University – and this research informs my teaching on several papers in the music programme and beyond, such as at local marae and schools.”
Jennifer initially planned to research only Moriori instruments but hit a roadblock when applying for funding.
“Feedback indicated there was just not enough information remaining about Moriori music for a research project to be viable.
“I was keen to reapply and sought advice from archaeologist Ian Barber. Ian has a long-standing relationship with the Hokotehi Moriori Trust (HMT) and also has a history of Marsden-funding success. He suggested that I could broaden the topic to include both Māori and Moriori musical instruments, and that these instruments could be an interesting way to learn more about the immediate geographical origins of the peoples who became Māori and Moriori, and also about cultural adaptation.”
She reached out to then-HMT Chairperson Maui Solomon and they formed a team that also included Ian and taonga pūoro experts James Webster and Alistair Fraser. They were successful and the book largely presents findings from their Marsden-funded project, she says.
Echoes from Hawaiki highlights strong connections between Māori and Moriori musical instruments and those
Kōrero
Hawaiki: instruments
of central East Polynesia – the area sometimes referred to as the ‘Hawaiki zone,’ believed to be where the immediate ancestors of Māori and Moriori came from.
“What has been surprising is how similar some Māori and Moriori instruments are to those of West Polynesia and Hawaii. While we might never know for sure whether or not these similarities are proof of cultural contact and, if so, when that contact occurred, it’s intriguing to speculate as to what they mean for the story of Māori and Moriori origins,” Jennifer says.
“It’s also been exciting uncovering and bringing together information about Moriori music in particular, and such an incredible privilege sharing that with the Moriori community through workshops and concerts. The remaining documented knowledge is so fragmentary, and very few living culture bearers remain. I remember really geeking out when finding a name for a type of Moriori flute
(pauawau) recorded in a museum catalogue. That name simply isn’t mentioned anywhere else and so is very precious.”
Echoes from Hawaiki will be launched at the University Book Shop this Thursday evening by Professor Michelle Thompson-Fawcett, who is the Poutoko Taiea, Distinguished Chair of Te Ihowhenua, School of Geography, and Manupiki Māori, Associate Dean Māori of Te Kete Aronui, Division of Humanities.
“Jen is a treasured colleague and long-time leading innovator in the tangata Tiriti sphere,” Michelle says.
“She has developed creative and culturally appropriate ways to decolonise the teaching of music performance, particularly in regard to taonga pūoro. Her care and passion for te ara pūoro and the potential to help reconnect Māori with instrument traditions is inspirational.”
Echoes from Hawaiki is an encouraging and motivating book, Michelle says.
“In a field where the published resources are limited, Jen delivers detailed insights into instruments, their whakapapa, locational specificities, and historical narratives. And she does that in a way that is deeply moving and uplifting. I’m sure it will foster our taonga pūoro players of the future.”
Jennifer is also part of the research team – led by Science Communication lecturer Gianna Savoie – responsible for putting together an exhibition that opens at the Tūhura Otago Museum on 14 September called Hou rongo: Moriori, Music, Manawa.
*More about the book here .
Karanga weka made from mataī wood. Descendant of Tāne; wind instrument. Measures 10cms long. Made by Brian Flintoff.
A show of courage and skill
Kōrero by Laura Hewson
Something that started as a way of “decompressing from life” has turned into so much more for Otago tauira Holly Aitchison.
Holly, who is in the second year of a Bachelor of Arts majoring in sociology, has just celebrated the launch of her first solo art exhibition – Telos – at local gallery OLGA.
“Telos is an Ancient Greek word that means end goal, or completion – the final goal of art,” Holly says.
The name is appropriate considering the complicated journey Holly has been on to get to this point.
“When I was young, I studied design and visual arts at what is now SIT (Southern Institute of Technology) but I was a bit of a mess as a human and I just ended up floating around without much direction.
“I ended up teaching art to adults with intellectual disabilities and really loved it. But after 14 years I was pretty burnt out, so I began talks with a tutor at the Dunedin School of Art to fast-track a fine arts degree based on the work that I’d already done. This was at the beginning of 2020 so yeah, Covid-19 destroyed that plan.”
The resulting lockdowns ended up being a blessing as well though, she says.
“They made me realise that I didn’t want to approach art from an intellectual perspective. Making work in my own time without any agenda behind it was the most free that I’ve ever felt and my practice has really grown from that freedom.”
Telos is a collection of large-scale drawings of animals in soft willow charcoal that Holly created as a way to help express her emotions and process past trauma.
“I find that I can relate much better to animals so I’d be experiencing a huge feeling and an animal would pop into my head. I never intended the pictures to be shown but after a while I realised there was a real direction.
“The telos of this work was emotional expression, bringing what was inside out into the light, no matter how big and scary it is.”
Another big achievement for Holly – and one that’s proven to not be at all scary – was enrolling at university for the first time at the age of 44.
“Honestly, I’m telling everyone to consider being a mature student. I love it. After working full time for over 20 years, actually physically going to lectures and being on campus is really enjoyable. It may seem weird, but I like working in the library surrounded by everyone else on their own buzz.
“My big advantages are that I’m not there to make friends or do activities, so the social aspects don’t interrupt study. I don’t have kids either so it’s been a really lovely surprise to spend time with people who are 25 years younger than me. Though I do get frustrated with silent tutorials and could happily not do another group assignment.”
Holly knew from the beginning of the enrolment process that sociology was the right course for her.
“I’d spent many years listening to a podcast called Faculty of Horror, which is two Canadian sociologists talking about horror films. It’s amazing and I love it. I’ve also taken a couple of politics papers and really enjoyed them so now, all going well, I’ll major in both sociology and politics.”
This combination of art and studies is the closest Holly’s come to finding the right thing for her, she says.
“Art is, essentially, my best friend. It’s always with me and often informs what I do. I’ve already managed to write some essays for assignments that incorporate it so it’s not a hobby, but at the same time it doesn’t satisfy all areas of my curiosity.
“I’ve found a weird crossover between creativity and study and think I’ll always make art concurrently with whatever I do academically.”
While Holly isn’t sure what she’d like to do after studying, she’s keen to continue working in the disability sector.
“I have the desire to make things better for staff and families as it’s a gruelling life to lead and I’m very interested in making voting more accessible for people with intellectual disabilities.
“I’d also like to have a show at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery one day, but that’s a pretty high bar to reach.”
Above: Holly Aitchison in front of several of her artworks which were on display at OLGA recently.
Left: One of the artworks from Holly’s exhibition ‘Telcos’.
How old is the universe?
How old is the universe? What are stars made of? Does intelligent life exist out there? If you’ve ever pondered such things, then ASTR101: Introduction to Astronomy could be the paper for you. Laura Hewson talks with Professor Craig Rodger about space and stars, meteors and maths and why exactly he keeps a battleaxe in his office.
In the beginning there was gas, Professor Craig Rodger says. Hot gas and lots of it.
Also in the beginning, though not nearly so long ago, there was a summer school paper called PHSI170, which will be offered for the first time in semester two as ASTR101: Introduction to Astronomy.
The new-ish paper – taught by Craig and Associate Professor Jonathan Squire – will follow the same format as the summer school paper, delivering “tried, true and successful” content while allowing more time
and space for contemplation.
There are a few reasons for changing the name of the paper, Craig says.
“The fact that Otago actually had an astronomy paper was sometimes missed so this raises the paper’s visibility. Also, ASTR101 is quite different from most physics courses where we’re trying to teach things that are deeply fundamental and totally ingrained and accepted.
“Astronomy, in contrast, is an active research area where basic stuff keeps changing. We’re constantly tweaking the lecture material to be up-to date with what we currently understand about the universe. It’s exciting.”
Another big difference is that the maths requirements are much lower for ASTR101 than most physics
Kōrero by Laura Hewson
papers, making it more appealing to a wider range of students, Craig says.
“Physics has a bad rap with a lot of students, and part of that is because of its association with maths, but this isn’t actually a course designed for physics students. I designed this paper to be accessible to people of different backgrounds.
So what should students expect when doing ASTR101?
According to Craig, it starts off a bit like The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
“Lecture one is basically, space is big. Let me tell you about how big space is. Lecture two is, the uni-
The course also covers meteors in one of the tutorials, going from extreme events like the dinosaur killers to smaller but still “unfun” events like a few years ago in Cheylabinsk, Russia, where a rock came out of space and exploded over the city, Craig says.
“Physics has a bad rap with a lot of students, and part of that is because of its association with maths, but this isn’t actually a course designed for physics students.”
“The humanities students can totally function with the level of maths that’s required and the physics students are also pushed a bit by having to write essays, which as a rule they don’t tend to do.”
Fourth-year student CJ Barnes, who is doing a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in physics, took PHYS170 in 2022 when it was a summer school paper.
As a physics student, CJ has written three essays in his entire time at Otago and two were for this paper.
“For myself, I did essays on the different models of the solar system used throughout time (the geocentric model, the heliocentric model, and the Tychonic model) and the fate of the universe. I found the different models of the solar system and the life cycle of stars to be the most interesting parts of the course, however it’s all very interesting.”
verse is old. Really old. Let’s talk a little bit about how old it is.
“And then we start talking about the astronomical knowledge of ancient peoples. There’s a lot of history and information about the development of scientific ideas. About a third of the course is on how we used to think the world or universe worked and that we were wrong, and this is how we know we were wrong, and this is how our thinking evolved. The course then turns to how we think things work now.”
There’s the life cycle of stars. Their creation, growth, middle age and ultimate demise.
“Most stars die in a reasonably boring way but some stars – the biggest ones – die as the Russians say ‘with music’. Dramatic. Generally explosions.
“I quite like to lecture with a battle axe for when you kill stars.”
“Because Russian drivers are required to have video cameras in their cars for insurance purposes there’s all this footage of this rock and the shining light and the shock wave.
“We can talk about these as risks and what might we do if we found out that we had X years before a meteor hit.”
One of the final topics covered in the course is the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).
“We have to leave it open to interpretation because we have absolutely no evidence that there’s life outside planet Earth. Though there may be some evidence for Mars – it’s arguable. What we can talk about is how we can use our scientific understanding right now to quantify the probabilities and possibilities of how life might talk to us and how we might search for life on other planets.
“So we sort of start with deep history and ancient peoples and we end with the fate of the universe and aliens. It’s a lot of fun.”
Above left: Fourth -year student CJ Barnes. Right: Professor Craig Rodger.
A safe haven for tauira
Kōrero by Laura Hewson
What’s involved in being a workshop facilitator at Te Whare Tāwharau Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre? Laura Hewson talks with Oak Airey Madriz about the mahi and rewards of being part of the team.
For psychology student Oak Airey Madriz there are a lot of positives about working at Te Whare Tāwharau Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre.
Te Whare Tāwharau is a space that provides sexual-violence-related support within the campus community for students and staff who are dealing with recent or historic incidents of sexual harm, or who are supporting others who have. They also provide educa-
tion to students and staff around consent and how to support people who have disclosed an incident of sexual harm.
Oak has been a workshop facilitator at the centre for two years and a volunteer peer supporter for three.
“The mahi undertaken there aligns well with my interests and line of work in terms of prevention and support, and those who run the centre are strong in their ethics,” they say.
“Workplaces where boundaries and self-care are discussed and required is a great sign it’ll be a positive work experience.”
The workshop facilitator role is
a casual paid position that primarily involves running consent workshops at colleges during O-Week. They are then invited to become volunteers in the centre’s student engagement programme.
“As a facilitator we have the privilege of attending colleges and groups around the University and engaging with students – mainly first years – and discussing how we can have strength in community and prevent sexual violence where possible, as well as supporting those who have experienced it.”
Oak, who is in their final year of a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, will next embark on a Masters of Counselling. Being a facilitator has been hugely rewarding, they say.
“We get to share important, yet sensitive, information and do so with great empathy. It’s immediately rewarding when groups are vulnerable with us and we’re able to challenge common myths surrounding sexual violence.
“It’s also rewarding in the long run knowing the work we do has played a part in making campus a safer place.”
Facilitators receive thorough training on a range of subjects, including sexual violence, suicide prevention and LGBTTQIA+ and cultural sensitivity. Trainees can expect to be well supported and learn how to set sturdy boundaries, Oak says.
“This type of training is an asset to you in so many different aspects of your life regardless of what you study, but people in a field related to social work, psychology and law seem to fit especially well with these positions. These students benefit from what they’ve learnt, and the experience speaks to their character when applying for future roles.
A
Q&A with Te Whare Tāwharau manager Hahna Briggs
How does the centre support students?
Students can come to us to talk, have a cry or a cup of tea, whatever they need. Some students might come and see us once and we never see them again and other students will touch base with us throughout the year or multiple years.
We’re not there to judge or ask intrusive questions. Knowing that there’s somewhere that you can come and you’re not going to meet resistance is really important –belief and validation of someone’s experience is vital.
One thing to point out is that we’re not counsellors. We’re more
What is a peer supporter?
Supporters are the first point of contact when a survivor enters the office, so they provide that welcoming, comfortable space for someone to be able to share what is going on for them. They offer a safe and confidential conversation and can talk through some of the options for support that are available.
There are good boundaries in the role around what support they can and can’t offer. For example, if someone is interested in reporting an experience through a university complaints process or with the police, then that would be a time when they would get one of the centre support staff members to step in.
How many supporters and facilitators do you have?
“It’s also rewarding in the long run knowing the work we do has played a part in making campus a safer place”
“It’s certainly a great way to gain confidence in teaching or presenting, in that you are gently taught these skills, have space to practice with peers and receive feedback, and then gain lots of experience in this area. I don’t know of any other paid role which would provide this type of learning and experience.”
Oak is also a peer supporter, which is a volunteer role focussed on supporting students when they visit the centre.
“Anyone considering these roles should feel free to contact the centre and express their interest in either or both roles. The team is lovely and welcoming and keen to recruit people who are the right fit!”
like connectors in a lot of ways and a safe space as a starting point. A big part of what we do is connecting students in with other services like Student Health or Disability Information and Support. We can also walk alongside them throughout a complaints process if that’s what they’re looking at. So really being there and offering that ongoing support.
How can students be involved in the centre?
We take a community approach to reducing harm and we think everyone has a part to play, even if they’ve never had an experience of sexual harm. Students can get involved through our volunteer peer supporter or workshop facilitator programme. These roles are filled by current students or those who have just finished their studies.
We currently have around five or six supporters and ideally would like a pool of about 10. We have a group of 25 facilitators. We need a large pool of facilitators for our work in colleges during O-Week when we roll out our prevention programmes.
Who would suit these roles?
Students who apply are passionate about reducing sexual harm in our communities. Peer supporters are often looking to gain experience to assist with their career goals and need to be empathetic individuals with the ability to actively listen and hold strong boundaries. Workshop facilitators need to be confident, enjoy public speaking, and have the skills to engage participants in discussion.
See the rest of this interview and find out more about Te Whare Tāwharau Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre here .
Don’t miss all your postgrad news online:
Botany students win DNA device
Two postgraduate students have won the Department of Botany “a very fancy incubator” after entering an Australia and New-Zealand-wide competition.
Jessica Paull and Sajini Dissanayake’s entry into the Thermo Fisher Scientific competition has secured the Department a $13,000 thermal cycler – a small but mighty machine that helps researchers unlock and amplify DNA and RNA.
Fellow postgraduate student Finn Dobbie was first to spot the competition and describes the machine as “a very fancy incubator”.
Jessica and Sajini took up the challenge after hearing about the competition from Finn, and their winning entry detailed Sajini’s research and how beneficial a new thermal cycler would be.
And they say, the benefits are plentiful.
See full story
Uni’s photo, writing comps coming up
The annual Bulletin Photo Competition is coming up and open for entries from Monday, 15 July.
The competition is open to staff and students of the University of Otago.
See here for full details
And, the University’s Writer competition, also open to all staff and students, will be accepting entries from Wednesday, 17 July.
Keep an eye on the Otago Bulletin Board for further details and see here for last year’s winning words .
Opening digital doors University’s New Vice-Chancellor
A new accessibility tool is opening digital doors for all users.
Visitors to the Otago website can now access UserWay, an AI tool designed to make the website more user-friendly for people with disabilities.
Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka is currently the only university in Aotearoa to roll out UserWay.
Otago’s Disability Information and Support manager Melissa Lethaby is thrilled with the development.
“By integrating this tool, we are committing to providing an equitable online experience that adheres to global accessibility standards, making our content and services available to a broader audience,” she says.
Full story
Grant Robertson - the former Finance Minister, Otago alumni, OUSA president, and proud Dunedinite - takes over the job from Professor Helen Nicholson, who has been in an acting role since last year.
While he will be spending a few weeks “getting my feet under the desk”, he is keen to get out and about meeting tauira when they return from semester break.
He has already met with OUSA and the Māori and Pacific student associations.
“I’m looking forward to spending as much time as I can with students, to me that’s an important part of the job … the university only exists because of, and for the students.”
Click for Uni footage of Pōwhiri
Have your say on recording of lectures
The policy that outlines the rules around recording lectures is under review. Your input is being sought on the potential pros and cons of introducing a mandate that all lectures be recorded. Submissions close on Monday, 9 July. More information
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