Te Aka
Tauira
undergraduate student
Photo comp winners announced, a deep dive into Student Development, celebrating student success at the Blues and Golds, & more!
This month:
From adversity to triumph: Finding motivation in the midst of hardship
Blues and Golds Awards: Celebrating student success at Otago
Student Development: A deep dive into what they can do for you
Plus:
- What’s the Bachelor of Radiation Therapy all about?
- A roundup of Otago news
- A look at what’s coming up in October
Sea life for the win
Kōrero by Sandra French
A sunbathing blue cod caught the judges’ attention and won Senior Lecturer Judy Ormandy the 2024 Bulletin Photo Competition.
Judy, who is based at the Wellington campus, is an “avid, possibly obsessed scuba diver”.
“I was diving the shallow Yung Pen shipwreck and encountered this cod conveniently posing on a sundrenched rock.
“A dome fisheye lens, patience, and slow, gentle movement allowed me to get close to this handsome fish and snap this photo.”
Third-year Marine Science and Ecology student Owen Dabkowski won second and third place with his entries featuring a yellow-eyed penguin and a hermit crab.
“I try to capture animals as they go
about their daily lives. The penguin was snapped during a return journey from the ocean.”
The penguin is a local from the Dunedin Peninsula, but the hermit crab lives on the shores of Tonga.
“This photo was taken on ‘Eua, Tonga in July this year during golden hour as the crabs were starting their evening rush.”
Check out the notable entries
This winning image was captured by UOW Senior Lecturer Judy Ormandy while diving.
Marine Science student Owen captures wildlife in their natural settings.
From adversity to triumph
Kōrero by Sandra French
What might seem like a bump in the road to many, Cove Lambert sees as a launching pad.
“Growing up I moved around a fair bit, living in England, Australia, Tauranga and then finally moving to Hawke’s Bay when I was eight,” says Cove, who is doing Health Sciences First Year.
The changes continued, with moving between two primary schools and being taken into foster care at a young age due to abuse and neglect.
“Although this was a weight I had to carry, it was also motivation.”
Cove always knew that going to university was the path he was going to take.
“I’ve always been interested in pursuing study that combined my passion for sports, helping
people, and science.
“I am thoroughly enjoying my first year, and my motivation to make a positive difference in the sporting community through physiotherapy is driving me to succeed through the challenges this course presents.”
Receiving the Otago 150th Scholarship was a big help.
“The scholarship has really made a huge impact on my lifestyle at University. It allowed me to focus on the work at hand and not so much on the monetary side.”
Cove also credits Central Hawke’s Bay College with providing him a platform to excel.
“I was on the student council for three years, the Board of Trustees Student Rep twice, and then the Deputy Head Prefect in 2023.”
Cove also went to the nationals
for long jump and triple jump, played in his college’s football first XI, competed in the top senior boys’ volleyball team and captained the Ki-O-Rahi team.
“Being active was almost like therapy to me, helping me zone out of everything buzzing through my brain and allowing me to focus on enjoying the moment,” he says.
His hard work resulted in him receiving the Prime Minister’s Oranga Tamariki Award for general excellence in 2021.
He’s now working towards being accepted into the physiotherapy programme and enjoying everything Otago life has to offer.
“While everything may seem impossible at times, anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and I am living proof of that.”
Full story
Health Sciences First Year tauira Cove Lambert has persevered through many struggles, seeing each obstacle as a source of motivation.
An extrovert in disguise
Kōrero by Claire Finlayson
Arung Mayapada is an extrovert by stealth.
She used this secret weapon to great effect while presenting her PhD research topic –‘Do UK charities perform better with women trustees?’ – at Otago’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Grand Final last month. It won her the People’s Choice Award.
Asked if she thinks people are surprised when she unleashes her hidden extrovert, Arung grins.
“I think I might have a bit of a secret superpower there. People do tend to be surprised, especially if they’ve only met me in a more low-key setting. But when I am passionate about something, that energy just comes out naturally. I guess you could say I am an extrovert in disguise.”
Arung honed her audience-wooing skills while lecturing at Tadulako University in her home country of Indonesia.
“Teaching in Indonesia was like boot camp for public speaking. Engaging students in a class when they would rather be anywhere else really forces you to find creative ways to capture their attention.
stark, especially in a sector that prides itself on fairness and equality. The more I dug into the data, the more it became clear that this was not just a minor issue – it’s a significant problem that impacts the effectiveness of charities and their ability to serve their communities.
“ When I am passionate about something, that energy just comes out naturally.
“They are more likely to adopt a transformational leadership style, they bring strengths of listening to others, co-ordinating, and co-operating.”
“It taught me the power of storytelling, humour, and most importantly, passion.”
It wasn’t hard for her to feel ardent about her PhD topic. Once she noted the lack of gender diversity on UK charity boards, she was suitably galvanised.
Though women account for more than two thirds of the UK’s charity workforce, men outnumber women in the most influential decision-making positions, and only two in five charities have at least one female trustee.
“It was shocking, honestly. I knew there was an imbalance, but I didn’t expect it to be so
Condensing 30 pages of research to fit compellingly within the unforgiving confines of a three-minute presentation was something Arung relished.
“I wanted to leave the audience with something memorable, something that would make them smile but also think.”
“I want to encourage charities to rethink their board composition. Ultimately, I hope it contributes to a more equitable and effective charitable sector.”
Full story
Three Minute Thesis People’s Choice winner Arung Mayapada, centre, with her supervisors Associate Professor Helen Roberts and Dr Pallab Biswas.
Where technology meets caring
Otago is the only New Zealand university offering a Bachelor of Radiation Therapy (BRT), but what do radiation therapists do and what does it take to become one? Laura Hewson finds out.
When people think of radiation therapy, laughter maybe isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
But it definitely plays a part, Radiation Therapy Head of Department and Lecturer Kate Chadwick says.
“Many people think that working with cancer patients would be very sad and, although it can be at times, many patients also really enjoy getting to know their radiation therapy team and appreciate being able to be honest and open with them.
“This includes laughing together or being more light-hearted when they want to – which is probably more often than you’d think.”
For Otago tauira Ellen Emerson, who is in her second year of a BRT, building rapport with patients has been one of the most rewarding parts of her study.
“We’re with our patients through a very stressful but important period in their treatment and sometimes, even as a student, I’ve been the most consistent member of the treatment team and have been able to build
strong connections with them.
“To be able to make that experience as positive as possible can make a huge difference to our patients and their families.”
The BRT is taught from Otago’s Wellington campus, with students going on clinical placements at cancer centres around New Zealand during their study.
Ellen’s first-year placement was for two weeks in the radiation therapy department in Palmerston North, which was a great opportunity to immerse herself in the environment and be sure that radiation therapy was for her.
“Then for the first semester of this year, I was on a placement
at Waikato. We were involved in CT scanning and treating the patients.
“I absolutely loved working in the clinical environment and developed a good idea of what it will be like when I graduate.
“It’s also been interesting to hear about some of the slightly different methods that my classmates learnt while on their placements, in the other radiation therapy departments across the country.”
Ellen chose to study RT after completing Health Sciences First Year in Dunedin, which she describes as a great foundation to build on. Though it has been a refreshing change to go from packed lecture theatres to small classrooms, she says.
Ellen Emerson, who is in the second year of a Bachelor of Radiation Therapy (BRT), says the chance to build rapport with patients has been a highlight of her studies so far.
“It’s super easy to ask questions and be involved in class discussions. All of our lecturers are easily accessible, happy to help us, and very supportive.”
Small class sizes have also meant students form closeknit friendships and can help each other with studying and support.
“Because the majority of the patients we’re training to help are dealing with a disease with variable outcomes and treatment regimens that can become all-consuming, it’s nice to be with a group of like-minded people so we can learn and deal with these experiences at the same time.”
Ellen will finish her qualification at the end of 2025 and hopes to then work as a radiation therapist in New Zealand for some time before potentially gaining experience overseas.
Finding a job in the industry was a straight-forward process for Otago alumna Cornelia Chan, who completed her BRT last year
and is now working as a radiation therapist at Bowen Icon Cancer Centre in Wellington.
“
To be able to make that experience as positive as possible
can make a huge difference to our patients and their families.”
– Ellen Emerson
“There’s a workforce shortage of radiation therapists in the country at the moment, so there were more jobs than there were graduates,” Cornelia says.
The course prepared students well for entering the workforce, with the two six-month clinical placements in the second and third years of the course allowing them to establish working relationships and learn protocols in a supportive, supervised environment, she says.
“The second placement in the last six months of the degree was especially beneficial as it provided a seamless transition into working life.
“The papers we did during the degree were also quite specific to the job – we learned anatomy relevant to the areas we treat, and physics relevant to radiation.”
Cornelia chose to do the course straight from school because it combined her interests in biology, technology, and patient interaction within three years.
“The job was also really appealing to me – a health care profession with regular hours (no shift work), which involved helping and getting to know people throughout their treatment journey.”
“RT is an awesome career to get into, and the course sets you up very well to do so.”
Full story
Find out more about the BRT
Otago alumna Cornelia Chan graduated with a BRT last year and now works as a radiation therapist in Wellington. Finding a job was an easy process as radiation therapists are in demand, she says.
Blues and Golds
A talented hockey player who has represented New Zealand at the highest level has been named Sportsperson of the Year at the University of Otago’s annual Blues and Golds Awards.
The awards, co-ordinated by the Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) in collaboration with the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, recognise and celebrate the highest degree of sporting, cultural, community and arts achievements among students.
Bachelor of Science student Benji Culhane (21) has played 15 matches for the Black Sticks, the national men’s hockey team, after making his debut last year.
He’s also captained the NZ under-21 side and plays for the Otago University Hockey Club.
A highlight of his sporting career so far is competing in the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, playing in 30-degree heat. While the weather was a battle, he says the experience helped him develop as a hockey player and a person.
Highly commended in the Sportsperson of the Year category was Jake Corney (underwater hockey), and Jacob Waikari-Jones (rugby) was Māori Sportsperson of the Year.
Jacob was the vice-captain of
the New Zealand Universities Rugby Team, which played two games against a Japan under-20 side in Christchurch this year.
Tara Shepherd was named Outstanding Member of the University of Otago Community and Kai Hiroti was Outstanding Member of the Dunedin Community.
The OUSA Cultural Society of the Year went to the Indian Students’ Association and sexual harm prevention club Thursdays in Black Otago won OUSA Society of the Year.
In total, nine awards, five Silver Service, 39 Blues and three Golds were presented at this evening’s ceremony, held at the Otago Business School.
OUSA President Keegan Wells says the awards are a wonderful way to celebrate tauira success.
“Many students never really slow down to celebrate their wins, and the Blues and Golds hopes to give them a space to do so.
“It really illustrates not only how talented our students are but how diverse the cohort is at Otago. Many come here to excel in both sport and academics which shows how incredible Otago really is.”
Full story
Enjoying the photobooth on the night are, from left, President of Te Rōpū Māori Tumuaki Gemella Reynolds-Hatem, VC Grant Robertson and OUSA President Keegan Wells.
University Debating Club reps with their highly commended Society of the Year award.
* Read more about Jacob WaikariJones, Ariana Noelle Gepte, Oshadha Perera and Thursdays in Black
2024 winners
University of Otago Sportsperson of the Year: Benji Culhane – Hockey
Highly commended: Jake Corney – Underwater Hockey
University of Otago Māori Sportsperson of the Year: Jacob Waikari-Jones – Rugby
OUSA Cultural Society of Year: Indian Students’ Association
Highly commended: Otago Malaysian Students’ Association
OUSA Society of the Year: Thursdays in Black Otago
Highly commended: Otago University Debating Society
Special mention: Otago Student Volunteer Army
OUSA Sports Club of the Year: Otago University Canoe Club
Highly commended: American Football Otago
OUSA Coach of the Year: Janine Southby – University Albion Netball Club
Outstanding Member of the University of Otago Community: Tara Shepherd
Outstanding Member of the Dunedin Community: Kai Hiroti
OUSA Silver Service: Annie Racklyeft - University Albion Netball Club (club captain), Emily Paterson - Otago
Postgraduate Association of Wellington (co-president),
Aimee Didierjean - Otago Student Volunteer Army (health and safety manager), Julia Gorinski - Otago University Rugby Club (team player), Tony Huang - Otago University Debating Society (coach)
University of Otago Gold Awards: Oshadha Perera –Poetry, Oshadha Perera – Painting, Ariana Noelle Gepte - Performing Arts
University of Otago Blue Awards: Ale Aho – Rugby, Jacob Waikari-Jones – Rugby, Caitlin-Judith Heale – Ice Hockey, Gracie Bell – Handball, Zac Cumming – Cricket, Alice Cocker – Netball, Ella Southby – Netball, Grace Thomson – Fencing, Sera Cox – Fencing, Hailey Griffiths – Underwater Hockey, Jake Corney – Underwater Hockey, Alex Brown – Athletics, Catherine Lund – Athletics, Josh Chisholm – Athletics, Katelyn Sceats – Athletics, Luke Moffitt – Athletics, Isabella Aldrich – Surf Lifesaving, Madelene Ozanne – Surf Lifesaving, Madeline Loudon – Surf Lifesaving, Emily Peacock – Surf Lifesaving, Madison Lobb – Surf Lifesaving, Sophie Matehaere – Surf Lifesaving, Edwin George – Rowing, Ella Hansen – Rowing, Fynn Allison – Rowing, Sam Barnett – Rowing, Sam Rankin – Rowing, Madison Neale – Rowing, Ted Mayne –Rowing, Messina Su’a – Rowing, Scarlett Kirby – Korfball, Annabelle Schneideman – Hockey, Hayley Cox – Hockey, Patrick Ward – Hockey, Benji Culhane – Hockey, Hugh Nixon – Hockey, Liam Williams – Hockey, Jakob Bell-Kake – Hockey, Keita Elliott - Hockey
University of Otago Sportsperson of the Year Benji Culhane.
Outstanding Member of the University of Otago Community Tara Shepherd.
Outstanding Member of the Dunedin Community Kai Hiroti.
Māori Sportsperson of the Year and Blues winner Jacob Waikiri-Jones, OUSA Silver Service winner Julia Gorinski and Blues winner Ale Aho.
Otago University Rowing Club members with their Blues awards.
Student Development
You don’t need to be completely lost to benefit from a bit of direction. Laura Hewson talks with Student Development Group Leader Hannah Steiner-Mitchell about what the service offers and how their advisers can help tauira choose the best path possible.
Empowering tauira to achieve their goals at university and beyond – that’s the main mission for the team at Student Development.
“University systems can sometimes seem complicated to students and even to staff,” Group Leader Hannah Steiner-Mitchell says.
“Our advisers are committed to providing tauira with expert programme information and advice that can help them plan their time here at Otago and to achieve their future goals and aspirations.”
Student Development – which is made up of 20 Student advisers from a range of backgrounds – takes a holistic approach to helping students, which means that as well as offering advice on planning courses, the team is also able to connect students with any support they may be needing.
“This is really key for us. There are so many great people, services and support teams across campus, and everyone wants to see students succeed,” Hannah says.
“So, although a student may come to us to talk about papers or their degree, our conversations may go down another path. If we recognise someone may not be doing so well (it could be any part of their wellbeing – social, emotional, physical etc) we will make sure the student knows about the support they could be accessing.”
There are various ways to access help from Student Development, but one of the most popular is to attend a 30- minute appointment or drop in for a one-on-one meeting with an adviser, during which time students can discuss their study direction, life goals or any struggles they may be having.
“We can’t tell students what to do, but we can present all their options and help them make an informed decision.”
Hannah recommends tauira talk with an adviser
The team of advisers at Student Development are always happy to provide Otago tauira with advice on course planning and support, says Group Leader Hannah Steiner-Mitchell, who is pictured front row fourth from left.
in their first year to ensure they know what the service offers, what supports are available and also to learn about any opportunities they may want to get involved in later in their degree.
“This could be something such as going on a Global Exchange where we help students understand how to plan an exchange and what semester might work best within their unique degree.
“Checking in with us each year after that is also a good idea to ensure students feel confident they’re on track with their degree and that they’re making informed decisions.”
Tauira can seek advice any time through their studies at Otago and can come back as many times as they like, Hannah says.
“There are times of the year where we see higher demand, and this is typically between when results are released and a semester starting. For example, in the first week of Semester Two this year, our
team of advisers spoke with over 600 tauira in person – that’s over 100 a day. During this time our focus tends to be getting students set up for that coming semester, including ensuring they are feeling connected with the right supports.
“Also, once paper selection for 2025 opened, we started to see an increase in demand.”
Advisers also support students whose studies may have not gone as well as they’d hoped.
“The great thing with these conversations is that there are so many options for these students and that this isn’t the end of the road.
“So, although these can be really challenging conversations it can also lead to some excellent outcomes and options for students.”
Full story
More about Student Development
Student Development can help when a tauira...
… wants to check if their programme of study matches their academic goals and aspirations
… would like to understand how the structure of their degree works, including what majors or minors to study
… needs help understanding regulations and terminology
… wants to talk about applying for a professional programme (such as LLB, Health science undergraduate professional programmes, etc)
… is interested in fitting in a Global Exchange
… would like to know more about opportunities available such as extracurricular activities and exchange opportunities
… needs advice to transfer to Otago
… is interested in a subject but they aren’t sure if it’s an option for them
… has decided their current degree isn’t for them
but is unsure what to do next
… has decided they want to change their papers but don’t know what their options are
… is trying to decide whether to study a double degree, single degree or combined degree and is confused about options
… is trying to plan their papers for next semester/year
… is struggling and doesn’t know about other key student support services at Otago
… has failed a paper and are concerned about how this will impact their degree
… is struggling and doesn’t know whether they can reduce their workload
… has received their results and it didn’t go so well for them. Now they don’t know what to do
… needs reassurance they are on the right track for their course
There’s more where that came from:
Closing time never sounded so sweet
Night owls may have noticed something a bit different in the Robertson Library at closing time recently.
The library is now playing a new and improved closing announcement at the end of the night – a bilingual recording featuring the voices of Otago tauira Jimmy Robinson and alumna Tāwini White, who has whakapapa to the hapū of Puketeraki and Ōtākou.
The closing announcement also features new music, currently from local artist Sylvie Harper. Each month, starting from October, “chilled” music from a different local musician will be showcased.
More about featured artist
Full story
Otago a champion of rural health – video
The University of Otago is a long-established champion of rural health education, training and research, and has pioneered successful initiatives over many years to increase the number of doctors who go on to choose rural medicine as a career.
“We know that if students learn in rural communities, they are six times more likely to come back and practice there,” University of Otago Medical School Acting Dean Professor Tim Wilkinson says.
“They feel supported, they feel committed to that region, the region support them and feels supported by them in turn, so for me it’s a win-win.”
Full story (plus video)
Medical students take to the stage for charity
Dunedin medical students swapped stethoscopes for dancing shoes when they took to the stage in this year’s Med Revue.
Held in August, the main theme of the show was ‘Medagascar’ – a play on the Madagascar children’s films. This enabled plenty of variety, with independent skits, live music, a cappella and dance sequences.
Running over three nights at the College of Education Auditorium, the popular show raised just over $11,000 for Camp Quality South, this year’s chosen charity, which provides camps for children and young people living with cancer.
Full story
WHAT’S UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Ake ake ake – Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024
Kaimahi Matiu Workman spoke with tauira and kaimahi at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka in Hepetema as part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024.
The theme of the week was Ake ake ake – A forever language, which represents the resilience, adaptibility and endurance of the language.
“When you speak your native language it enhances your connection to your whakapapa and your wairua and when you feel connected to that, it really improves your overall hauora, your health. That’s why it’s important to me,” kaimahi Tahnee Te Kanawa says.
Watch the reel
