Te Aka Tauira Issue - Six 2022

Issue 6

Te Aka Tauira

Inside: Champions of the Under20s Simple, not embarrassing Fundraising for Women’s Refuge

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“I kind of have a fear of needles myself” Ones to Watch > Karina Croitoru

August News This issue: » Champions of the Under20s » Te Whare Tāwharau awareness week

Knowing the importance of vaccines has helped a pharmacy student overcome her fear of needles to become a vaccinator on campus.

» Simple, not embarrassing

Bachelor of Pharmacy student Karina Croitoru says her studies have increased her love for pharmacy and healthcare with each year passing, and she is putting that love into practise administering vaccines at the Dunedin Dental School for staff and students.

» Little notice, maximum results

“At the start of fourth year we learn how to vaccinate and make up vaccines. The vaccination assessment is optional but I chose to do it.”

After completing training and taking up placement at a pharmacy, Karina then took on flu and COVID-19 vaccinations at the University.

“I kind of have a fear of needles myself so I can understand when people feel anxious about having a vaccine. I know how to keep people distracted and can relate. I’ve grown up knowing the importance of vaccines so that aspect of it doesn’t really worry me.”

» Are you a valid voter? » Fundraising for Women’s Refuge » Pics of the month » Study tips for August » Key dates and events Cover image: Kea in the West Coast taken by Physiotherapy student Paul Tang

The path to becoming a certified pharmacist is a busy one, Karina says.

“If you are wanting to do health care but not necessarily be a doctor – there is a very valuable profession in pharmacy. We do more than just the stereotype of filling prescriptions. There’s a lot more checking that medications given are safe for a patient to use with other medications, or that the dosage is suitable for them.”

In other news:

Medical practitioners are in high demand in New Zealand, Karina says. Pharmacists often receive visits from the public who need medical assistance.

“It would surprise you how many people go into the pharmacy for health advice if they can’t see their doctor.

Since the start of the pandemic people have been relying on pharmacists more and more to seek help.”

» Capping show theme to be a hit » Global enterprise experience » Students take the lead in Vaudeville » Life as a Sub-Warden 2

» Cook Islands Language Week

Champions of the Under20s The New Zealand Under20 team recently competed at the Oceania Rugby Under20 Championship.

Among them were students Fabian Holland, Cameron Millar, Noah Hothan and Oliver Haig who most recently have been playing for the Highlanders Under20s.

The team travelled to the Sunshine Coast where they won three games, against Argentina, Fiji and Australia, which Bachelor of Applied Science student Cameron diplomatically calls “pretty cool.”

“It was great to go to Australia and play outside of Dunedin for a bit. Playing rugby against different countries was a new feeling. One highlight is getting to see old friends and make new friends,” says Bachelor of Applied Science student Noah.

“It’s the fun part of rugby - playing against your friends then playing with your friends, for me that is the highlight of the sport.”

BSci Exercise and Sport Science/Sport and Exercise Nutrition student Fabian says while rugby is his number one passion, “it’s important to have something to chip away at so that after your rugby career you have another career-move”.

History and Politics student Oliver says while travelling and making friends were highlights of this experience, there is another event that stands out – the moment they discovered their teammate’s hidden talent.

“It’s a bit of a balance, training hard for rugby and then coming home from long days and watching lectures.”

“After our game against Fiji we were walking down the street and saw a pie-eating contest. Cam decided to enter it,” Oliver laughs. “He ate over 50 pies in two minutes. We don’t know where he put it all and there were some pretty weird flavours too.”

Back your community

A Community Awareness Week run by Te Whare Tāwharau featured key speakers, stalls and training on looking after each other.

Te Whare Tāwharau’s role at the University is providing sexual violence support and prevention.

Students can drop by for support with incidents of sexual violence both recent and historic and talk to peer volunteers and trained social workers.

Pacific Island Studies graduate Ruthie Holmes recently took on a role at the centre and was one of the key organisers for the event which ran in the last week of July. The week kicked off with a disclosure training for staff members.

“We ran two sessions on how to respond when a classmate discloses sensitive information and how to find them the right support.”

For the students, the week was full of useful information and inspiring conversation.

“We launched an art competition where students submitted their work. This year’s theme was ‘Back Your Community’.

Later in the week the event moved to Locals where advocacy groups set up to advise students on where to find support for different sensitive issues. Miss New Zealand International and Brave Ambassador Jess Tyson then gave a talk about her personal journey to encourage other students in theirs.

PICS OF THE MONTH

A number of Otago students are busy rehearsing for Chicago, opening in September

The weather didn’t stop students joining in Re-Ori week last month

Te Whare Pounamu Women’s Refuge Appeals Week Committee members at their popup designer clothing sale

Have an image to show off?

Rosellas spotted flying around Dunedin campus bringing a little colour to winter

Send it to: communications@otago.ac.nz

“It’s not a huge effort, it’s not embarrassing, It’s something so simple we can do to make a big difference.”

As a full-time student and a frontline health worker, Annie Geda has a piece of simple but life-saving advice for other students – wear a mask.

The third-year Otago medical student and paediatric nurse says mask wearing is not only important for keeping yourself safe, but also others.

It is easy for students to become very focused on their studies and feel separate from the wider world, but students should remember they could be in the presence of someone who is vulnerable, she says.

“It’s our responsibility to look after them. How do we do this? We wear our masks and we stay home when we are sick. It’s not rocket science, we just have to do the basics.”

The disease is spread by droplets from sneezing, coughing or even someone breathing towards you. Annie says mask wearing is not only important for keeping yourself safe but also others.

“People who catch COVID-19 but are initially asymptomatic can still spread the virus. But wearing a mask and isolating at the first sign of illness are very simple steps to keep everyone safe. And that is what my friends and colleagues have been doing”.

Annie says the Medical School has done a good job of keeping students safe and supported but she still sees a mindset among students of “but I can’t miss this one lab”.

“As long as you email and let your lecturers know, you will be considered and supported. You need to report when you are sick and you need to stay home. With all our ways of connecting technologically, it’s not impossible to keep up with university work while isolating.

break overwhelming services.

“Our hospitals can’t keep up as it is. I am constantly thinking about my poor healthcare worker colleagues. I’ve just been working in emergency for two weeks myself and it is tough in those environments.”

During her semester break, Annie worked in Christchurch as a nurse. She witnessed the “big buzz” of COVID-19 and the flu, which impacted her patients in some terrifying ways. Working with coughing kids, Annie practised the basics of wearing a mask and washing her hands and hasn’t caught the flu or COVID-19 from work.

“I was in the room with kids who had the flu and the only thing protecting me was my mask. I still remember a patient coughing on my face who I later found out had the flu and I didn’t get it.”

She not only has she stayed well, none of her colleagues have caught COVID-19 from work yet either.

“We wear our masks for eight hours, changing them after eating or when they’re dirty. Anyone at work who has contracted the virus did so from outside of work – like friends or family.”

Annie’s father is a doctor in Italy where the initial outbreak took a devastating toll on the population. While in those early days it wasn’t clear how the virus was transmitted, she says her father religiously wore a mask as a preventative measure.

“My dad has been working in this environment for two years and he says the only thing that has truly protected him is wearing a well-fitting, N95 mask and changing it regularly.”

“It honestly just takes putting a mask on. It’s not a huge effort, it’s not embarrassing. It’s something so simple we can do to make a big difference.”

Annie did catch COVID-19 late last year, but believes she caught not from her many masked visits to tourist attractions while on a visit to Italy, but from a family friend. The friend had been unaware she had COVID-19 and had coughed while they chatted. Neither of them was wearing a mask at the time.

Annie says health care providers are under extreme pressure to look after those who are sick from COVID-19 and those who are delayed in receiving help with other health issues due to the out-

Masks can be sourced across campus at Ask Otago. For more information on staying well and reporting positive tests, visit our COVID-19 student welfare site.

STUDY TIPS FOR NEWBIES August Study Tips

Little notice, maximum results Learning the law doesn’t get more hands-on than negotiating with the cream of the crop on international soil.

For law students Callum McDonald and Laurie Duncan, this is exactly what 2022 has brought their way with little notice and maximum results.

Accompanied by their coach Associate Professor Selene Mize, the pair travelled to Nebraska in June to represent New Zealand at the International Negotiation Competition hosted by Creighton University.

Effective Learning

1. Effective learners recognise their role in the teachinglearning partnership, and know what works for them.

They prepare for and engage in class in ways that allow them to learn (for example, by reading course material and choosing to sit in a place that helps them stay focused).

They also experiment with note-taking approaches to find what ‘works’ and feels comfortable, find and create study environments which allow them to both relax and focus, and actively seek out discussion and interaction as a strategic learning approach.

2. Effective learners focus on learning, rather than marks for their own sake. Effective learners conceptualise university study as a starting point, not an endpoint – as a ‘journey’ of discovery and exploration.

Effective learners recognise the importance of time in the learning process. They understand that learning involves ‘sitting on’ information and ideas, and taking time to rest and to do things other than studying.

3. Effective learners remember where they have come from and where they are going. They keep their short and long-term goals in mind, and stay connected to people who can encourage them in the learning journey, including family, friends, classmates and teachers.

Read more about the study on effective learners from the Ako Aotearoa project online.

The event ran over three days and the team finished in fifth place out of 14 countries – a solid result for only six weeks preparation for the competition.

“It was an intense few days,” Callum says. “You could tell the other students were hugely capable and it was fantastic to get along with them all outside of the competition on a more personal level. Law degrees tend to be quite theoretical so it was great to have this practical experience.”

Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts and Science student Laurie says while her and Callum hadn’t negotiated as a team before, their trip was nothing short of a success.

“The overall theme this year was around music recording contracts. We were given confidential ‘client’ information to work with. We had to go into these negotiations thinking of how to get the best deal for our client, while considering what kind of relationship our client would want with the opposition’s client in the future.

“It was amazing to be representing New Zealand. Other

6 countries had over 20 teams compete to represent them

at an international level.”

Need Support?

The University COVID-19 website can answer your questions on life at University, staying safe in Orange and ways to keep busy in self-isolation. Visit us online to find out more.

Supporting the Refuge Even a failed EFTPOS machine did not stop the clothes flying off the shelves at the recent designer clothing popup sale, with the team raising an epic $21,000.

Students Caccia Armstrong, Carrie Wooller, Rebecca Bridgman and Jess Iggo say they have once again been blown away by huge support from the wider community for their fundraising efforts.

Are you a Valid Voter?

It’s important to all of us to have our voices heard.

The most powerful way you can make your voice heard is by choosing who you want to advocate on your behalf.

One important factor to consider is people governing in a democracy will usually pay the most attention to the groups and people who elect them.

OUSA President Melissa Lama says voting in the local body elections is one of the things she really encourages students to do outside of their studies.

To help, the Valid Voter initiative is ready to go again for this year’s elections.

They are members of the Te Whare Pounamu Women’s Refuge Appeals Week Committee, which has been running month-long events in support of the charity for the past eight years, raising thousands of dollars in the process.

This year is set to be no different.

Last year the team raised over $44,000 and the success of the events so far this year suggest it will well and truly beat that record this year.

Over the course of July and August, the team have five more events planned, including an auction, a quiz night, a gig at UBar and bake sales.

Caccia says while the events run through July and August, the fundraising initiative itself is a year-long commitment.

She is reminding students to enrol to vote and to make that vote count.

“We start working on it from March. Once the event is done there are still logistics to sort out. It’s not a simple task.”

“Valid Voter was brought in with previous president James Heath, who had a goal to ensure students are valid voters. You aren’t a valid voter until you’re registered to vote.

“We had some of the Refuge workers come and chat with our volunteers last week and they shared with us their plans to use funds raised this year to get new beds for their safe houses.

“The Valid Voter campaign is focussed on educating students on how to be a valid voter and ensuring those running the local elections are engaging with our students.

“At the start of the year the Refuge shared with us how they have a rising number of students they support,” says Carrie.

Melissa says this year’s Dunedin election is particularly important as infrastructure plans will affect the North Dunedin area.

It’s a discussion she says students can be a part of by using their vote.

“If there’s anything I want to encourage students to do outside of university life, it’s this.

“Statistically, where 1 in 3 women will experience family harm in New Zealand, it’s not hard to understand that someone in your social circles will be impacted and need the help of the Refuge at some point.

“Not only this, but Women’s Refuge look after children, those who identify as female and non-binary people affected.”

“We are keenly awaiting the policies from those running in the local elections, we want to know how those policies affect students. Students are on to it and they want to know what they’re voting for.”

Melissa says students who have questions about why voting matters or how to go about voting can contact the OUSA student exec or visit the electoral commission website.

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KEY DATES & EVENTS August | Here-turi-kōkā 03

The Life and Careers of Forensic Experts Winter Symposium Series event 3

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Pharmacy open evening

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Graduation ceremonies

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Marine encounters

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Mid-semester break begins

September | Mahuru 05

Semester 2 resumes

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Last day to withdraw from semester 2 and full-year papers

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Suffrage Lecture presented by Melissa Lama

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Blues and Golds Awards

Recurring Events Diversion Day Lunchtime Theatre Lunchtime Concerts

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