Issuu

Issue 1

Te Aka Tauira Welcome to the first issue of Te Aka Tauira Otago’s new undergraduate student newsletter to keep you posted on what’s happening around the University, celebrate your achievements and share handy tips for student life at Otago. The name, Te Aka Tauira, translates to mean the vine for students and originates from the story of when Tāwhaki climbed the vine to reach the heavens. In the story, Tāwhaki and his brother, Karihi, meet with their grandmother, Whaitiri, who guards the vines that form the pathway into the sky. Karihi unsuccessfully attempts to climb the vines and makes the error of climbing up the aka tāepa (hanging vine). He tragically falls to his death. Following advice from Whaitiri, Tāwhaki then climbs the aka matua (parent vine) and reaches the heavens and receives the three baskets of knowledge. In your journey here, we look forward to seeing you choose the vine that will best set up your future and enjoy sharing in your adventures here. If you have anything you would like to share in future issues, get in touch using communications@otago.ac.nz

Meet your OUSA 2021 President Ko Tararua, Ruahine ōku maunga Ko Ōtaki, Waikawa, Ohau, Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Ōroua ōku awa Ko Tainui te waka. Ko Ngātokowaru te marae Ko Ngāti Pareraukawa te hapū Ko Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga te iwi. Nō Kāpiti me Waiharakeke ahau. Ki te taha o tōku whaea, nō Ōtaki ahau; Ki te taha o tōku matua, nō Suva, nō Fiji ahau. Ni sa bula vinaka. The Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) 2021 President is Wellington-born student Michaela Waite-Harvey. Michaela is currently completing her Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Classics). We took a moment to ask Michaela a few questions about why this role is important and what she would like to achieve as President in 2021.

Why did you want to become OUSA President?

There hasn’t been an OUSA Māori Student President since 1998, nor has there been a Pasifika one - until I took on the role. I think this is important representation when working with our partner agents and also for ensuring that those in minority groups are represented. I am the first person in my family to go to university and I want to remind people the tertiary landscape is evolving. I want to use this opportunity to empower others like myself. In high school I realised that advocacy was one of my strengths. My friends and I created the first queer students support group and lobbied for the schools’ first transgender bathroom. I plan to continue using my advocacy skills to support minorities at Otago too. Last year I was an OUSA Equity Representative and began working on important projects. I’m not the kind of person to leave things unfinished and taking on the role of President will allow me to see those through.

What do you feel are the main issues currently faced by students?

I think that external stress on students is particularly high in the modern world. Workloads are constantly increasing and alongside the pressure caused by COVID-19, it can be hard for students to gauge work-life balance. Dealing with study, living costs increasing, fees increases and relationship pressures is a lot for students to contend with. I wouldn’t say that this is new but I would say it compounds year on year. I think we are already starting to make changes for students especially with blended learning. Now that we have experienced online learning, we’ve learnt it makes education accessible for students who also work, have kids, when students are unwell and so on.

What are your aims for this year?

One of the goals that myself and OUSA have this year is drug harm reduction. OUSA is one of the first organisations to openly test drugs as part of this. During O-Week, we partnered with Know Your Stuff for drug testing which saw 70 per cent of tested drugs discarded. I would also like to work with the University on creating a more peer-driven approach to student offenders. I like a restorative process with a focus on helping students reintegrate back into the student community safely.

SUSTAINABILITY AT OTAGO February tips for sustainable Living > Sustainability at Otago

Law student makes international debut on the American field Harrison recently embarked on a new adventure in Boston representing Major League Rugby team, Free Jacks, and taking a short break from his law studies at the University of Otago.

Hey I’m Hannah, one of the student leads at the Sustainability Office on campus. All of us are super excited for this upcoming year, with heaps of projects planned around campus - the highlight being the upcoming Sustainability Week from the 22nd-26th March. As it is still the start of the year, this is the perfect time to put new habits in place. This month, I challenge us students to change the way we think about sustainability: following a few different accounts on Instagram to discover some waste-free ideas, or how to make some simple swaps to start this semester off right. Feel free to pop into the office in the Scott Shand building for any ideas, suggestions and discussions.

Born in Boston and raised in Wellington, Harrison says Otago has always been on the cards as a probability for the future, following in the footsteps of both of his parents and his sisters. “I had always found law fascinating and thought that if I was going to set myself up for a career outside of Rugby, it might be a good option for me. I’m three years in with ten papers left to go and really enjoying it. Studying law not only allows me to pursue my professional rugby goals but also set up for a solid future after rugby.” Alongside his studies, Harrison has spent the past three years training at the Otago Rugby Academy, a programme dedicated to upskilling promising athletes and preparing them for the industry.

Medical student overcomes challenges on path to dream “Tālofa lava, o lo’u igoa o Brenetta Pogi.” “I am a proud tāma’ita’i Samoa from the villages of Lepā, Saoluafata and Saipipi. I was born in Moto’otua Hospital and grew up in Pālisi, a small village in Apia. I am the youngest of eight children; four brothers and three sisters.” Brenetta began her journey at the University four years ago. She chose to follow in the footsteps of her brothers who also studied here. She is now about to begin her fifth year of study, “When I was 12, my father was offered a role in Auckland and at the same time, I found out that my mum had been diagnosed with lung cancer. We moved to New Zealand in 2009, knowing that my mum could also have treatment here, but not long after, she lost her battle with cancer.” “I didn’t quite process what had happened until I finished

“Surrounding yourself with people that mirror your own values and goals, will not only help you reach your destination but take you a step further”

high school and started at University. In hindsight, I think my mum influenced my dream to be a doctor.”

There are plenty of opportunities to get to know wildlife Budding young author and bird enthusiast, Oscar Thomas, is already undertaking big tasks with his passion for New Zealand wildlife. The second year Bachelor of Science student is majoring in Zoology and Ecology and has just recently returned from a life changing adventure to the Subantarctic. Oscar’s book can be found online and in most Kiwi bookstores, and he plans to continue his undergraduate studies, moving onto postgraduate studies in future. His advice to anyone who wants to study Zoology and Ecology is to be proactive.

PICS OF THE MONTH

Hands On at Otago. Photo: Samuel White

Clocktower. Photo: Samuel White

Sports Day at Orientation Week. Photo: Jasmine Grey

Have an image to show off? Send it to: communications@otago.ac.nz Hoiho. Photo: Oscar Thomas 4

Take every opportunity In high school, Emily Watson knew that she wanted to do something that empowers people to be their best in business– she just didn’t know which industry would best fit her goal. “I grew up in Southland in a small, rural town where outside of high school, I spent my time working for farms and farming businesses.” While visiting the University website Emily came across a course that stood out to her. “I thought ‘this can’t be right? I’ve never heard of it!’ – it was Human Resource Management. It seemed to meet my desire to drive people in a business sense, but also my want to help them to be their best-selves.” Now, as graduation quickly approaches, Emily has been nominated for HRNZ Student of the Year Award, after her lecturers encouraged her to apply. “I want to encourage other students at Otago to go for these opportunities. If I can do it, coming from a small rural town, then anyone can do it. Take up as many opportunities as you can. University is over really fast, you don’t want to look back and wish you had done more, so grab every chance and get involved.”

Summer internship success This year AbacusBio, an agribusiness consultant company, have taken on 11 local students who are studying science, technology, commerce and engineering. Among the interns is third year Bachelor of Science student, William Hadden. “At university your work can be quite independent so internships like this give us the opportunity to transfer skills into a team environment and develop a business mind-set approach to science.” William has been working on the modelling of bee colony dynamics with the end goal of developing software that predicts the future state of a hive. Another of the interns at AbacusBio is double degree student Josie Cook, who is in her final year of her Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science. 5

STUDY TIPS FOR NEWBIES

March Study Tip | Time Management Striking the right balance between home and university life is important for your health and well-being, and to give yourself the best chance of staying on track leading up to the exam period. How do you manage your time so that you strike the right balance between home and university life? This may sound obvious, but many students tend to leave important tasks until the last minute, which can affect the quality of their work

I think that sometimes girls are intimidated by the ratio of males to females who work in technology and the dated belief that girls aren’t smart enough for this. We want to help change those ideas. Third year students, Maaha Ahmad and Kate Truman are co-leading ‘CompGirls’ which started in 2016 and meets fortnightly. Their first event for 2021 took place in January. Traditionally the group has attracted computer science students but this year, the group would like to welcome people with other majors too. Throughout 2021, the group plan to meet fortnightly, taking visits to businesses in their industry and meeting with professionals who work in their chosen field.

and their overall grade. Take a look at our five time management tips so you can achieve your goals:

• • • • •

Assess what you have to do Create a schedule Assess if your plan has been effective Avoid procrastination and distraction Exercise to clear your head between study sessions

HELPFUL LINKS • COVID-19 Website • Student site • OUSA • Finding your way around • Otago Library • Events • Student Development

Upcycling food is part of successful waste management

• Student Academic Services • Sustainability Office

Second year Bachelor of Applied Science student Andreas Wijngaarden spent the summer months working with Foodstuffs and food upcycle collective, Citizen. “I used to work at New World, and I noticed their food waste challenges. Before I started my studies, I reached out to Francesca, the Waste Minimisation Manager for Foodstuffs, to share my ideas. When I started my studies at Otago, she asked me if I’d be interested in applying for a summer internship.” From there Andreas and Francesca began working with Citizen to investigate how Kiwis think about upcycling food and how to better reach them. They started with craft beer made using surplus bread. The fermentable starches of the bread are used in the brewing process to create beer and at the end of each brew, the leftover starch is used to create a spent-grain flour, which is made into bread. “In my research, I’ve been trying to understand more about how or what consumers would like to see in terms of communicating that a product is upcycled.”

Hundreds of tauira (students) Māori turned out for the two Pōwhiri at Ōtākou Marae to kick-start the University’s Orientation Week.

This year’s Convocation Ceremony was a different one to previous years as speakers reflected on how a global pandemic had changed many students’ lives but could prepare them for a bright future.

When Dr Kim O’Sullivan returned to her high school to speak with students as part of her post-doctoral research; it was the beginning of a new chapter for (then) high school student Isobel Harris Clark.

Seeing others around her who were experiencing financial hardship got Rebecca interested in knowing more about the sadly common struggles New Zealanders face and what can be done to change those.

Bridging the gap for both charities and emerging professionals is the aim of the game for the team at Ignite.

Safer Nights is a Police-led initiative which seeks to engage students in useful discussions on how to look after themselves and their friends.

Got something to add or a story to tell? Contact us: communications@otago.ac.nz

Four University of Otago students experienced the opportunity of a lifetime working on COVID-19 research projects at the Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora as part of the summer studentship programme.

KEY DATES & EVENTS March | Maehe 19

Last day to delete semester 1 papers with refund of fees

Get Ready for Business in 2021

Last day to delete full-year papers with refund of fees

April | Āperira

Good Friday - Mid-semester break begins

Easter Monday

Otago Anniversary Day observed (Dunedin)

First semester resumes

Careers in Food Science

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day observed