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usu Students’Association at Unitec
Editorial
Pete’s Tirade
Rick’s Message
Stats of Unitec
2011 Executive reviews
Your Ultimate Summer Gig Guide
Find the right summer job for YOU
Summer School Story
The Year in news
Experience NZ Chronicles
You know you go to Unitec when‌
Stand Out Student Reps.
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The Sports wrap up
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EDITOR: Ashley Smith GRAPHIC DESIGN: Mark Lovatt SUB EDITOR: Nathan Calis
Disclaimer Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Submissions and contributors are welcome, but the publisher reserves the right to select and edit the material submitted. Materials submitted will remain property of the publisher unless alternative arrangements are made.
IN FLIPPING THROUGH THE PAGES OF THIS YEARBOOK, I AM REMINDED OF THE AMAZING COMMUNITY THAT IS UNITEC. In flipping through the pages of this yearbook, I am reminded of the amazing community that is Unitec. There are so many daily routines, habits, familiar faces, and destinations that are uniquely Unitec. Outside of this campus, when will you EVER utter the words, “See you after lecture for a free sausage at the HUB” or “Did you see the recent exhibition at Long Black café?” or “Do you get your coffee at Gloria Jeans or the coffee cart?”. It’s nearing that time of the year where all that matters is the wave report, a fridge stocked with brews, and the warm summer beachy breeze in your hair. Say goodbye to exams. Say goodbye to all-nighters filled with study and caffeine. Say goodbye to Carrington Road traffic! For those of you graduating—CONGRATULATIONS and good luck with your future endeavours. For those of you returning in February; enjoy your carefree summer, and we look forward to another exciting year in 2012! Every student is here for one common reason, and that is to receive a quality education to ensure a successful future. Along with a killer education, there is a very distinctive culture surrounding student life at Unitec. One day, you’ll look back with fond memories on the years where your routine included daily trips to the library. Or when you learned how to REALLY stretch a dollar as your student allowance reached single digits at the end of the week. How about testing how far you can actually drive your car with the emergency petrol light beaming brightly. Don’t believe me? Give it a few years. Sure, it’ll feel nice to fill your tank (even halfway), but the nostalgia of student lifestyle will soon sneak up on you.
The Yearbook issue is a way to look back on your 2011 year at Unitec with those fond memories. I hope that somewhere within these pages, you’re reminded of a moment from your year on which you’re able to reminisce with a smile. Take your time flipping through the pages, and try to spot yourself or some of your friends within the many photographs. It’s been an honour to be the editor of your student magazine this year. I’ve enjoyed every minute of learning who you are as a student body. The great thing about Unitec is that it’s such a vast and large group of people. I’ve met amazing individuals pursuing osteopathy practice, experimenting with their art careers, through to those travelling and studying from foreign countries. Unitec is an exciting and buzzing environment. So while your livin’ the life this summer, remember to look back on what you learned, who you met, and how you grew in 2011 at Unitec. This yearbook has been designed in a way that you can fill in your best memories, and personalise the pages to reflect what your unique year meant to you! Take some time to fill it all out, so when that day comes that you can drop $100 on your petrol tank, you remember your humble days from 2011! PS—We’ve got some KILLER Summer Festival Giveaways on page 32. Get in on the festival fun FOR FREE!! We gotcha covered…that’s how we do! PEACE OUUUUT!
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SO HERE WE COME TO IT FOLKS, THE END OF A STELLAR YEAR. IT’S WITH SOME SADNESS THAT I WRITE THIS, MY FINAL “TIRADE” FOR 2011 AND INDEED THE LAST OF MY PRESIDENCY. Elections have run their course and come January 1st I’ll be handing over the keys, cape and control. To the incoming Prez of 2012 (and beyond?) Mr. Shannon Pennefather, congratulations, you faced some pretty solid competition and I can only wish you the best of luck (and hard work) next year. Now, I know I’m never good with good-byes, (who is?) and this is a big one for a lot of people as you round up your studies and get a job out in the “real world”. Hell, even if you’re still studying next year, what a world it is… It’s a world where when you may order a caramel latte, but they’ll bring you a lukewarm chai.. Your buses will be 5 minutes away, 2 minutes away, 1 minute away, 3 minutes away, and then a little orange message will come up on the LED sign saying “bus delayed”… it’s not cool. Kids in fast cars will drive past you at high speed through a puddle, making you wet and annoyed. Your 2 minute noodles, after you have to take them out of the packet, boil the water, fiddle around with the sachet, then get another sachet because you burst the first one all over the floor, will actually take you more like 10 minutes to cook, at which point you will find them too hot to eat – but don’t worry, strain them with a sieve and some cold water to aid the cooling process. Always remember, no matter how tricky life gets, there’s always a way to strain your troubles
through a big metaphorical sieve with some cold water and find some perspective. You may put $1.60 into a vending machine, selecting snickers and you’ll be given a bounty bar.. Fuck that, right? But chill out for a second, bro. Breathe… When life hands you a bounty, don’t fret about what you wanted, go ahead and enjoy the coconut goodness in what you’ve got. There will always be times when you don’t end up where you intended. When I was younger I wanted to be a Pokemon master – and look at me now, I don’t even have a single Pokemon. Not even a Caterpie or something. But I’m still smiling… it’s all part of that delicious coconut mistake. What I’m getting at, and my advice to all of you is simple: Welcome change with open arms and jump at every chance to be involved in something exciting. Always ask yourself the question “what have I got to lose?” Never get caught up on the snickers that got away. As you move on to bigger and better challenges, whether it’s out in that “real world”, or right here at Unitec, keep in mind that the crisis of today becomes the joke of tomorrow. So stay chill, and keep smiling. See you all around and take care of yourselves! -Pete
THE FAIL BOAT IS DOCKING FOR MAINTENANCE AS WE REFLECT ON THE YEAR GONE BY, AND TODAY THERE ARE ONLY MAD PROPS: To the Executive of 2011: thankyou for being an awesome group to work with, it’s been a learning curve for all of us – consider yourselves bent ;-) To the Executive of 2012: Congratulations! Let me be the first to officially wish you all the best for next year! And lastly, to everyone at Unitec, student or staff member (USU included): Thanks for the job over the past couple of years ;-) and thanks for making this place tick. I’ll miss you all.
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KIA ORA TATOU, WHEN I REFLECT ON 2011, I FEEL IT IS A YEAR THAT HAS BROUGHT NEW ZEALAND CLOSER TOGETHER. IN FEBRUARY, THE LIVES OF MANY WERE CHANGED FOREVER WITH THE TRAGIC CANTERBURY EARTHQUAKE. FROM DISASTER, WE WITNESSED THE TRUE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITIES SHINING THROUGH AS FRIENDS, FAMILIES, NEIGHBOURS, COLLEAGUES AND STRANGERS RALLIED Throughout all the highs and lows this year, I’ve witnessed Unitec students coming together to support each other and those in need. From the red and black ‘Sounds in the Sun’ concert, which raised almost $7000 for the people of Christchurch, to canned food drives and volunteer expos in the Hub – you have demonstrated your connection to our communities and I am proud of the contribution you make to New Zealand. To recognise students who have given back to their communities and performed consistently well academically, Unitec presented 155 students with a $2000 study award in June. A number of students and staff were also awarded funding from Unitec’s newly established Environmental Sustainability Fund to help support projects or research that would positively benefit our environment. Sustainability was in fact a key requirement in the development of our new Northern Campus. Those of you studying in Albany will have noticed a campus recycling programme, designated carpooling spaces, a worm farm and public transport on your doorstep. Many of these initiatives will be rolled out to our other campuses during 2012. Our decision to invest in a Northern Campus was driven by the desire to provide students to the north of the bridge with access to high quality vocational education that was close to home. This campus will also help us to expand our trades-based programmes, which
will help us respond to the demand presented by the Canterbury rebuild and the long term needs of Auckland. This year we celebrated a couple of significant milestones in the life of Unitec. In February we recognised 25 years of nursing with an event for past and present students and staff. Another highlight was the 10 year anniversary of our Waitakere campus. Our growth over the past decade has transformed Unitec into a key part of the Henderson landscape. In that time, more than 36,000 students have walked through our doors. Our Mt Albert campus has also been a focus this year, with more than $7million invested in the upgrade and refurbishment of facilities, and more to come over the summer break, especially with lecture theatre refurbishment. We’ve also made real headway this year with improving our internet bandwith. Most importantly we have worked closely with staff to help develop their capabilities across a number of fronts, especially in e-learning and in creating a more dynamic, living curriculum. I’d also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the outgoing USU President, Pete Hodkinson, for making a significant contribution to Unitec and its students. I’m also looking forward to working with Shannon and the entire USU team next year in new and exciting ways! Rick Ede
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IF 2011 WILL BE REMEMBERED BY ONE THING ONLY, IT’LL BE REMEMBERED AS THE YEAR MOTHER NATURE DECIDED TO SHIT ALL OVER MANKIND. As well as being a terrorist, Osama bin Laden was known as the best hide-and-seek player the world had seen since Carmen Sandiego and Where’s Wally. He was so good Lord Voldemort even tweeted about him saying, “Dear Diary, I should have made Bin Laden into a horcrux instead of you. Apparently nobody can find him”. However, on May 2, 2011 he was found and killed by the US Navy SEALs and the world rejoiced.
Queensland was the first affected, with three quarters of the state declared a disaster zone after significant flooding struck the area. 35 people died in the floods, and the damage sustained by the disaster had a huge economic impact. Christchurch was next in line. Just as the city was finding its feet following its 2010 quake, they were rocked again in February 2011, but this time the damage was devastating. Not only did 181 people loose their lives in the quake, the widespread damage left the city looking like a ravaged warzone. Aftershocks continued throughout the year as Christchurch attempted to rebuild its city. An earthquake off the coast of Japan triggered tsunami waves that reached the height of 40.5 meters. The waves travelled up to 10km inland, leaving behind them a trail of destruction. Whole buildings were lifted up and carried by the waves, cars were found on top of high-rise structures, and at least 15,821 people were confirmed dead. The ensuing nuclear accidents only made matters worse. Tornadoes in Albany and snow in Auckland capped off a year in which mother nature reminded us that she’s a bitch.
Will and Kate’s royal wedding attracted media attention from across the globe and made women everywhere go gaga—and not in a meat dress sort of way. Not only was it the day Prince William got married, it was also the day the world discovered Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton. In true maid of honor fashion Pippa stole the show with her figure-hugging dress prompting websites like pippasass.com to appear immediately. Lybia held a regular spot on the news bulletin in 2011 due to the civil war between Muammar Gaddafi’s supporters, and those who wanted to end his regime. The war escalated when a peaceful protest against said regime was met with army violence. The civil war has seen a revolution take place, with rebel forces reclaiming their lost territory. However, Gaddafi remains at large, with his loyal supporters still providing resistance.
Emperor Penguins aren’t your typical beachgoers in New Zealand, but on Peka Peka beach, just north of Wellington, this was the case. Nicknamed ‘Happy Feet’ after the 2006 film, a penguin turned up on the beach and started eating a whole lot of shit it shouldn’t have. After 10 weeks of nurturing, 3 operations, and a trillion nonnews stories, Happy Feet was sent on his way back to Antarctica wearing a tracker. A few days later however, his tracker stopped working. The little penguin that captured the hearts of a nation it seems was captured by something much larger. The London Riots was another news story that captured the world. A protest was being staged in Tottenham over the police shooting death of a local man. What ensued was an eruption of rioting within London. There was widespread rioting, looting, and arson across the city; however, much of it was opportunistic and unrelated to the initial incident.
Shortly after resigning from his position of Apple CEO, Steve Job died, and people immediately started making insensitive jokes, like how he’s now watching us from the iClouds. Amy Winehouse was another talented individual who lost her life in 2011. The singer, whose career was blighted by substance abuse, joined the ‘27 Club’—an uncanny group of influential musicians who died at the age of 27, including Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain.
THE USU EXPERIENCE NZ PROGRAMME IS ABOUT EXPLORATION, ADVENTURE, CULTURE AND FRIENDSHIP, AND 2011 WAS NO EXCEPTION. THIS YEAR UNITEC STUDENTS FROM NEW ZEALAND, THE MIDDLE EAST, ASIA, EUROPE AND NORTH, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA ALL TOOK SOME TIME OUT FROM STUDY TO GET TOGETHER AND DO SOMETHING UNIQUELY KIWI. We started off semester one with a double-decker bus tour of Auckland. Our first weekend away was up to the Bay of Islands for some sailing and sand-boarding. We were lucky to meet a kiwi (the feathered, and unfortunately 1-legged, kind) up close on this trip, and we also swam with dolphins and spent an evening relaxing at Russell beneath a brilliant pink sunset. We made the most of what seemed to be an extended summer in semester one, with lots of water-orientated day trips including a kayak mission down the Puhoi River to Wenderholm Regional Park and snorkelling at Goat Island marine reserve. One of our first adventures for this semester was a hike through the Waitakere Ranges and along the north end of Whatipu Beach up to Karekare. After 2-3 hours of trekking through forest and sand dunes there was a mad dash into the surf for a mid-winter swim. Despite the cold drip drying that was the result of an un-planned swim in August, spirits were not dampened and winter dips have continued – black water rafting at Waitomo Caves, white water rafting in Rotorua,
and some hot water swims too, at natural springs in Rotorua and Taupo. On a horse trek along Pakiri Beach, only the horses took the plunge as they carried us through a waist-deep estuary, and on one of USU’s fairly regular pilgrimages to the snow, the students who hiked to the summit of Ruapehu were wise enough to stay out of the sulphurous crater lake, despite its popularity with swimming skiers in the 1950s. Unitec’s international students from around the world have been making the most of natural NZ. They’ve learned a lot about Maori culture and our country’s history and are enjoying our sweet as kiwi ways (before you know it, they’ll all be walking around barefoot). In exchange, they bring us International Food Day, where we can swap pies for empanadas, and cultural celebrations such as Oktoberfest (steins instead of pints), the National Day of Saudi Arabia, and Diwali. The Experience NZ Programme is not just about kiwi culture, but experiencing and embracing diversity and making friends from around the globe.
AS THE UNIVERSITY YEAR FINALLY WINDS TO AN END, IT IS AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO LOOK BACK ON THE YEAR OF SPORT. NATHAN CALIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH USU SPORTS CO-ORDINATOR RAY MASILA WRAP UP WHY 2011 WAS A SPORTING SUCCESS FOR THE POLYTECHNIC. The year started well with the annual tag tournament attracting some extra participation both on and off the pitch. Ray was particularly pleased with the large turnout of spectators who came to see staff and students alike competing in the one-day tournament. Village Football continued its ongoing success in 2011, with the growing rivalry between building 310 and 1510 making for entertaining viewing. Playing for the coveted $100 Carrington’s voucher, it was B310 who took out the first of the biannual events. As usual everyone dressed up and got into the festivities of the day. B1510 will be out for revenge when the title is back up for grabs in late October. If there was a letdown on the university sports calendar this year it was most certainly the Uni Games. Hosted by the ‘super’ city, the tournament was far from super as the games atmosphere was lost in the big smoke. Furthermore, there was a lot of dissatisfaction coming from the students about the running of the event. Ray Masila said this demonstrated why Uni Games should not be competed in the larger centers, saying the smaller towns are known to fully embrace the event. Despite the competition being poorly organised, the Unitec teams and individuals did experience some success. Jasmine Holland was the polytechnic’s most successful athlete, taking out the women’s gold medal. Among the other successes were the women’s squash team and the men’s beach volleyball team, both of which won silver medals.
It’s hard to imagine Fiji ever winning the Football World Cup, however this was the case in Unitec’s version of the tournament. Featuring a total of zero Fijians in the team, they took the title from Vatican City in the first semester. In the second semester the Netherlands triumphed, with a team comprised of French, German’s, Austrians, Kenyans, and a couple of Kiwis. Ray Masila rated both competitions a huge success with teams getting dressed up and enjoying the day. If Uni Games was the lowlight, the Northern Tertiary Challenge was certainly the highlight. Like the Uni Games, the Tertiary Challenge was also hosted by Auckland, with all the games being played at the Trust Stadium in Henderson. Featuring tertiary institutions from Taupo northward, Unitec won the shield back for the first time since 2008. At the end of the day it was a convincing win, taking the shield with by a fivepoint margin. The sporting year will be wrapped up at the Unitec Annual Sporting Awards evening on November 4th, where the prestigious Blues awards will be presented. The Blues awards are a traditional recognition of sporting excellence and date back to 1922. Among the nominees is former Blues award winner Jessie Blundell for her success in the swimming pool, Northern Mystics and Silver Ferns netball talent Kayla Cullen, and skater Samantha Reason.
WHETHER YOU RATED YOUR COURSE TO “PIMP YOUR WARDROBE” OR MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY HAVING A SAY IN YOUR PROGRAMME, WE’VE GOT THE RESULTS FOR YOU HERE! THERE'S BEEN A GRAND TOTAL OF 1074 STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE RATE MY COURSE SURVEY SO FAR IN 2011. IF YOU HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED YET, THE ONLINE COURSE QUESTIONNAIRE WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER. USU AND YOUR PROGRAMME LEADERS ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN RECEIVING YOUR FEEDBACK TO TRY TO IMPROVE YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE HERE AT UNITEC. IF YOUR DEPARTMENT GETS OVER 90% OF ITS STUDENTS TO RATE THEIR COURSE, USU WILL THROW YOU AN END OF YEAR PARTY!! SO GET ONLINE!
UNITEC’S FAVOURITE COURSE 2011: ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY
Science is fun. Expose this to a gr up of enthusiastic motivated students, each of whom will bring their amazing and complex bodies to class and you have a recipe for inspired and interesting learning. The students are discovering what's really inside them both literally and physiologically. -Sue Gasquoine (Head of Department Nursing)
UNITEC’S MOST IMPROVED COURSE 2011: CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS 2/3 SEM A UNITEC’S DEPARTMENT WITH THE MOST SATISFIED STUDENTS: DESIGN AND VISUAL ARTS UNITEC’S LEAST SATISFIED COURSE 2011: CONSTRUCTION PRACTICE 3 UNITEC’S LEAST SATISFIED DEPARTMENT 2011: CONSTRUCTION
HIGHEST PERCENTAGE RATING FOR A PAPER
HITS IN 2011 ON THE RMC WEBSITE
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ANIMATION: Practice In Context 5 This paper received frequent complaints through Rate My Course that were consistent and concerning. The common issues included assessments and assignments scheduled too closely or at the same time as studio practice, making the workload nearly impossible to keep up with. 42% of the students from this course participated in Rate My Course feedback, so the negative feedback was highly concerning. “There is a large problem with this course. The content and assessments do not fit with our studio practice and therefore it just feels like a huge waste of time, making it very difficult to go to class and do the assignments.” “There was some confusion around this course not being applicable to our Studio as it should have been. Makes it hard to know how to approach the projects - limits our outputs/what we can get out of the course.” Another common complaint was that the content of the course was not applicable to the overall programme. The initial briefing of the paper also left a lot of unanswered questions, and confusion. “the explanation of it should be able to be understood without confusion and continued need for clarification. If so, then the brief has not been written well.” The overall satisfaction for this course sits at 62%, and is undergoing a review next year in order to fix the kinks around timetable and content presentation.
PAPERS W ERE RATE D
STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN RMC IN 2011
LOWEST PERCENTAGE RATING FOR A PAPER
IN 2011
OF STUDENTS RATED THEIR COURSE IN 2011
PERFORMING AND SCREEN ARTS: Professional Development 1 The major concern regarding this paper was the relevance of the content. Many students felt that the material was “dragged out” and did not apply to the big picture of what their programme was trying to teach. The paper is intended to teach students how to behave and handle professional situations within the performance industry. Apparently, a lot of this course material was considered, “common sense” “The things that we are taught in this class are very obvious if we come to think about it. We all know what being 'professional' is about, but I guess we need to be reminded that THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT to our industry.” “I find each session could be compressed in to 30 minutes not an hour and a half. The work is easy, understandable and more common sense than anything. I don't find it overly beneficial. ” There was also a bit of stir about certain lecturers involved in teaching this paper. There were student complaints that surrounded the teaching “The first term of this course was incredibly disappointing and one particular lecture I found very offensive and demeaning as it all seemed just obvious pre-primary school level learning, not the higher level learning I expected from a tertiary level course.” In response to the strong feedback regarding this course, the staff is reviewing the course material for reconsideration for the 2012 year. They are also considering the teachers for reassignment to this paper.
If you have a strong opinion about any of the feedback reported in this article, log onto Rate My Course on the USU website and contribute your own voice. Rate My Course will be open until the end of the semester, so log on to help future students have the best experience possible within that course! **Please note: This article is only based on results from Rate My Course as of the 30th September. Results may vary. USU does not assert that this is the opinion of the general student cohort but rather those that have used Rate My Course.
WITH 2012 STUDENT EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS UNDER RECENT WRAPS, MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING WHEN AND HOW EACH OF THE CANDIDATES WILL FULFIL EACH OF THEIR STUDENT BODY PROMISES. FREE PARKING? BETTER FOOD OPTIONS? CAN’T WAIT! BUT IN THE MEAN TIME, LET’S REFLECT BACK ON WHAT OUR 2011 EXECUTIVE TEAM PROMISED OH SO GRACIOUSLY LAST YEAR THROUGH MAGAZINE BLURBS AND CAMPAIGN POSTERS. WERE THEIR PROMISES EXECUTED? READ ON TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR EXECUTIVE GOT UP TO IN 2011!
PRESIDENT: PETE HODKINSON In 2010, Pete made quite a few promises to the student body in his campaign. He planned to improve communication about sports and clubs and with the trades’ students, introduce some more events in Waitakere, and also to more flawlessly integrate international students into the Unitec community. Pete had plans to develop common rooms on the North end of the Mt. Albert campus and in Waitakere, increase the awareness of first year students, and improve IT support for students. Lastly, he touched upon doing something about better footpath lighting between Building One and the Village. WHOA! That’s a whole lot to live up to! Let’s see how got on! Regarding communications with Sports and Clubs: I have to say, it's been a year of juggling in terms of priorities and this particular "ball" was put to one side. The nature of the sporting activities is something the USU needs to build on over the next couple of years. The bottom line should always be getting as many people involved in the sports they love. That being said, the fact that we won (rather, totally fuckin' dominated) Tertiary challenge this year for the first time in about 5 years is definitely a good sign but that's as much the work of our students as it is the USU. I think the future of sport at Unitec is in upping inter-tertiary leagues for a wider range of sports rather than spending $12,000 so that 30 people can go to Dunedin for snow games, ya know?
It's this sort of thinking that I have tried to encourage. As for the second half, we're moving away from the idea of clubs and more towards sponsorship. After giving our General Manager authority to apply a sponsorship budget at his discretion we've assisted several students and groups of students with running their own club-style events without needing to go through all the bollocks of setting up a club - I'm sure that this will have a more significant effect on student life than the old way of doing things. However, that's not to say you can't have a club if you don't want one. If you're keen, get in there son!
into a couple of other student generated events out west. This was in addition to the Comedy Evening and Kids Day Out events which we put on every year. Unfortunately, due to a couple of things occurring outside of our control, the comedy evening was postponed to the 9th of November. Which isn't cool at all, we need to be actively pushing for things to happen out there, and I don't doubt that this will be addressed come 2012. The wheels are in motion! Mad props to our Events Manager Adam though -- as an Executive we give some direction but he and his team make it all happen. Buy them a beer at our next Waitakere party!
Regarding events at Waitakere: The USU has gone for Zumba classes and put funding
Regarding International student integration: Well, I fell in love with one
of them and am moving to Germany to be with her next February. How much more integrated can you get? Come on citizenship! Regarding communication with trades students: I think it's a gradual process and not one that has not necessarily been difficult because of: lecturers not engaging, or students not caring; rather with the nature of the majority of courses that are being taught. Traditional means of course evaluation and communication aren't as effective as we would like them to be. Essentially we need to communicate with the students we have, not the students we wish we had. The new Student feedback model we developed this year is also going to be better suited to addressing the needs of our night students, weekend and distance learners, part timers and the rolling short courses of 6 weeks (less in some cases) that make up a significant portion of not just trades students but all Unitec students. Regarding common rooms: We played a significant role in putting together common rooms in building 172 in Mt Albert, and the new Albany campus. We also pushed for some social space in building 510 in Waitakere. The year isn't through yet and we have some plans in development to set one up for our trades students in the building 112/113/114 area - stay tuned. Were on the right track and the year isn't through yet. The budget is there, we just need the space. In an environment where even teaching space has it's limits, common rooms are tricky to suss.
Regarding first year awareness: A couple of the key things - This year I delivered O-talks to around 3252 first year students which is a big part of the induction process, making sure that everyone knows what the USU and Unitec can do to make their time a little easier and more exciting. We are in the process of making the methods more flexible for lecturers to book so the level of access to students should increase next year as well. We conducted a targeted research project at the end of last year on the first year experience of students and specifically orientation. Out of which quite a range of small-scale initiatives flowed this year. We also implemented a mentoring programme as a trial within the Bachelor of Social Practice where 2nd and 2rd year students supported 1st years in getting acquainted with Unitec - this was really successful and will be expanded in future.
of the blokes on the facilities team about this and did see people out working on the newly installed lights down by the village, but having asked if it was working, I was told by a couple of students that it wasn’t. Probably just an electrical fault though, and they should be sweet as. Will take a look tonight on my way home and follow up again if I need to. I also promised to advocate for a better quality of service delivery from SJS: At the end of last year I ran for and successfully was elected onto the board of directors for Student Job Search New Zealand. We are in the middle of significant changes to the service delivery platform and interactions with industry. Over the next year or so you'll see the website redeveloped with better job placement systems, a refined enquiry process that speeds up your access to jobs and more vocational employment opportunities along with work experience and volunteering. With only one year of involvement I've done my best to be a particularly vocal contributor to the direction of SJS, keeping student ownership and focus of the service at the core of its delivery. I was also appointed to the Auckland Social Policy Forum by our Minister of Social Development, Paula Bennet. This forum is a first for NZ and I was extremely honored to be invited as a member - A key item of focus was Youth unemployment and I advocated for SJS funding and development as-well as utilisation from employers rather than continuing to extend funding into "youth employment incentives".
Regarding better IT support:I have not been able to follow through on this goal particularly well in the sense that I myself have not improved IT support at all. However, I played a substantial role in developing and implementing the new Student feedback/Rep framework which will provide a greater level of input and influence to all students over areas like this (IT, Food on Campus etc) long past my time here at Unitec. I hope that this framework will be more effective in the long term than me going out and getting more computers and bandwidth. Regarding lighting between building 1 and the Village: I had a chat with a couple
VICE PRESIDENT: SHANNON
PENNEFATHER
Shannon’s big promise in his 2010 campaign was to “Bring Student Back”, whether this was a bad reference to a JT song or a trendy campaign slogan—we may never know. In association with this campaign, he ensured more and better USU functions, improvement in interdepartmental cooperation, more available clubs, and a system for making students more aware of what each other were learning/studying. The last year as VP has been both challenging and rewarding. Many of the ideas on how things work at Unitec have changed and I now realize many of my original intentions were quite naive (improve interdepartmental co-operation at Unitec? How was I going to do that?!). My biggest concern coming into the job was the lack of community feel to Unitec. Then as now I wanted to bring a feeling of belonging and involvement to campus. My main ideas for doing this (more functions and more clubs) have not been hugely successful. The reasons for this are beyond my control and include the high turn over of students at
Unitec and finding events that will meet the needs of such a diverse student population. I have supported new initiatives such as the creative issue of Inunison which highlights student achievements and makes others aware of what is being accomplished here at Unitec. I believe my biggest contributions towards the ideal of a friendly and supportive campus have been achieved through my interactions with staff and students in both formal and informal situations. These times are where I have expressed these ideas and had subtle but important influence on campus life.
JENINE KENDALE
FINANCE OFFICER: JENINE KENDALE Jenine’s only promise for her 2011 Executive role was to make the students proud. Jenine did not submit a comment regarding her 2011 campaign guarantees.
MAORI REPRESENTATIVE: JOHNNY Johnny made some inspirational guarantees in his 2010 campaign. His campaign assured that he would utilize the position of Maori Representative to its greatest advantage (open ended, but assuring none-the-less). He also campaigned to inspire and encourage Maori students to reach their full potential.
For the future of Maori students, I’ve established a clearer vision based upon outlining principles of the Maori Success Strategy and a support structure reaching out to Maori students across all campuses. I’ve encapsulated the importance of the Maori voice and how it can be represented more effectively. Through example and small and simple means, I’ve been able to give support and assistance to my fellow Maori students at Unitec. The Whai Ake Maori mentoring programme that I’ve been involved with as a mentor has been my main platform for helping others and I encourage all Maori
WAITAKERE REPRESENTATIVE: MARCELLE RAYNER Marcelle has been a member of the Executive since late June. Here is what she has contributed since that time:
In my short term as the Waitakere rep. I have managed to establish a Wednesday drop in service at Waitakere as well as support many of our students with everyday requests. I have been support person in
JOHNNY
KARAN JATAKIA
many meetings with staff over grades etc. and started asking the serious questions about the lack of events at Waitakere campus. I have also sat on the Waitakere committee which is working to make our campus a safer and more family friendly place. I really hope to continue this work in some way next year
POSTGRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE: UMAR AYUB Umar was concerned with one major thing in his executive campaign. That was to get to the bottom of why postgraduate courses at Unitec weren’t eligible for “University Status”. He promised to bring these issues to light and fight for University course standards.
Postgraduate studies are challenging and coping with them is a demanding task not only for students but for lecturers as well, as this mode of studies requires a bond between students and their respective supervising lecturers. Often times students find difficulties in communicating to their lecturers what they actually want from their postgraduate work and the better way out of such confusions is to sort things out over a cup of coffee or casual lunches with your lecturers/supervisors to strengthen that bond of cooperation. Scheduling casual catch-ups, for example in this instance, between HoD Computing and postgraduate students from the same department provided a platform for students to really discuss, criticize, and suggest what they were looking for individual courses taught at the postgraduate level within the department. Students for example came across to know the degree of flexibility actually present around assignment submission dates, as sometimes postgraduate students are supposed to submit multiple assignments (upto 4) on the same date.
MARCELLE RAYNER
I found it difficult to bring Postgraduate reps under a single forum to highlight the common issues arising in the Postgraduate courses within Unitec, due to their tight schedules and work commitments. I believe that the mentors programme and the upcoming improvements to the executive/ student reps structure, by USU, would lay a solid foundation to build this bridge, between postgraduates from different departments, in a better way. I wasn't able to live up to my commitments towards the end of my tenure with USU due to the fact that my student life changed lanes to a professional one, but still I'm giving my level best to fulfil what I signed up for and would advise the upcoming execs to do the same. Until the new execs take over I'm always here to help you as a mate, as a brother and as the USU's Postgraduate Rep.
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE: KARAN JATAKIA Karan’s campaign promised to “raise the student voice at Unitec” and talk to students about their problems. Karan resigned from the USU in August.
GENERAL EXECUTIVE: ALI DERHAMY Ali had some very focused goals that he verbalised in his campaigning. These included a promise to defend student rights within the USU and against lecturers. His campaigning included a bit about resolving car parking issues, and creating better social areas around campus for group study.
I have challenged staff by engaging in debate and pushing the student’s agenda when making decisions within the general executive. I discussed concerns with staff
ALI DERHAMY
CHANTELLE FRANCIS
around issues and made some suggestions around campus with staff and students alike. I have discussed the issue and made it a point of conversation several times with fellow executives. My fellow executives did not share my concerns in this area and so as a single executive I was persuaded to drop this issue. I also made this a topic of discussion around the USU general executive table and often encouraged and supported initiatives that led to more social areas, such as voting for the development of the 172 area and the Albany social area. I feel that there is a lot more the USU could do in terms of providing students with facilities, and that they need to continue expanding their role in the area of social activities (not parties but rather facilities allowing student to be actively engaged on campus) and general student services such as car parks, food/cafe and other general services. I would also like to thank the students for the opportunity provided to me with their votes
GENERAL EXECUTIVE: SHAUN OVERTON In 2010, Shaun had high hopes for onions with your free weekly sausage. His campaign was notorious for the tasteful promise. Alongside a more enjoyable BBQ experience, Shaun campaigned to bring a fresh voice to the USU, and adequately voice the concerns of students. He also assured to improve current student services.
One of the challenges of being an Executive member is that very seldom students know who we are and what we do. That is something we wanted to change this year. Students should be able to approach the Student Executive. If we aren’t engaged with the students at Unitec, how can we say that we represent them? I currently sit on several Unitec committees, which is where I bring
NATASHA DONALDSON
to the table the student perspective as I see it. For the most part, I believe I have actively contributed to changes around Unitec, even though they may not be seen at a ground level. I think that my “onions with your free sausage” plan was quite successful. It was a based on the very simple idea that we should be addressing student issues regardless of how minor they might be. I believe it was well received, and was a small step in building public confidence in the Student Executive. This year, the USU started looking at the current student representation model, and how it can be improved to better serve the students. I was a part of that discussion, and that is where I was able to bring my ideas for change. Student representation is at the core of what we do, and it’s something I believe that we want to do well. The feedback we collect from students through the various mechanisms we employ is extremely valuable. We need to know what the issues are and where, so we can make positive changes that improve the student experience and academic progressions of learners at Unitec. One of the more notable changes to student services that’s coming, are the changes to the myUnitec Portal. This portal is a gateway to several key service area’s within Unitec like re-enrolment and final grades for courses. I was able to contribute to the discussion that formed the change to this service, and is something that I enjoyed doing. The improved myUnitec Portal is just around the corner, so keep an eye out for it.
GENERAL EXECUTIVE: CHANTELLE FRANCIS Chantelle’s campaign promises were short and sweet. She did not overly extend herself with elaborate plans for drastic change; instead, she guaranteed to get more involved with the student
SHAUN OVERTON
body, learn more about the USU, and apply her newfound knowledge of the institutional rules to relevant student issues.
I personally think that the process took me a little longer to learn, and how to apply them to the student issues. It was new for me, and it takes a reasonably long time to get to know all the rules, but once you get to know them the process is easier and the response is better and shorter. The new things that I have learnt are that the USU tries to make a difference in a short time, but due to some constraints and policies it all take time, time and time. This year I think I was more effective than previous years, because I was able to ask the correct questions to follow up on issues that students had, and also get the correct information from the students. The feedback to deal with the issues was more effective and it took less time.
GENERAL EXECUTIVE: NATASHA DONALDSON Natasha’s campaign pr omised one thing strongly—to be the voice of students in 2011. Unfortunately, Natasha moved off to Australia in July.
IN UNISON TEAMED UP WITH THE FRESHLY LAUNCHED ENTERTAINMENT HUB, ENTERTAINME TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE GIG GUIDE FOR YOUR SUMMER EXPERIENCE! ENTERTAINME HAS GOT THE LOW DOWN ON ALL OF THE ANTICIPATED EVENTS AROUND THE AUCKLAND AREA, AND THEY’VE NARROWED DOWN THE BEST FESTIVALS/PARTIES/CONCERTS TO SPEND YOUR TIME AND MONEY ON THIS SUMMER. THIS GIG GUIDE HAS GOT SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A NEW YEARS EVE EXTRAVAGANZA OR KEEN FOR A LOW KEY LOCAL EVENT, IN UNISON AND ENTERTAINME HAVE GOT YOU COVERED! FOR INFORMATION ON ADDITIONAL HAPPENINGS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, CHECK OUT ENTERTAINME ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER FOR ALL YOUR SOCIAL EVENT NEEDS. OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE EVERYONE’S LIFE MORE FUN SO WE’RE DEALING OUT ENTERTAINMENT! Register for free at www.entertainme.co.nz and stalk us on facebook @EntertainMeNZ & twitter @EntertainMe_NZ. We’ll let you know what’s on, offer great giveaways and even share interviews with some of our leading entertainers & artists.
OUR FIESTA DEL HOUSE SOL 25 NOVEMBER 2011
19 NOVEMBER 2011 KELLIHER ESTATE, PUKETUTU ISLAND $30 TICKETS: R20 WWW.HIGHLIFEENTERTAINMENT. CO.NZ Start your summer off by partying like a rockstar!! Fiesta Del Sol or “Festival of the Sun” has an incredible DJ line-up arranged for its returning event this year! Internationally acclaimed DJ Ron Carroll will be joining other headliners like Maya and Vanya, Karn Hall, and Bevan Keys amongst others for a truly memorable party on Puketutu Island. The fiesta is set at the flash venue, Kelliher Estate. There will be gourmet food available, private party areas, secluded lounges and top of the line hospitality treatment. There are also return bus transfers from Auckland City for a large group of friends to hop on!
ELLERSLIE RACECOURSE EVENTS CENTRE $59.95 TICKETS: R18 WWW.OURHOUSE.CO.NZ If clubbing is just what you need to relieve some post exam stress, then the final Our:House party of 2011 is your type of party! This year, Our:House has an amazing international lineup including Pretty Lights from the States, Avich from Sweden and Crookers from Italy. Many other top local names will also appear at Ellerslie to rock the dance floor. Our:House is the ultimate electronic House party in Auckland!
The venue includes multiple party rooms to accommodate for the large audience. Each room has a unique sensory experience with different light shows, themes and visuals. This party is not for the faint of heart! In the past, up to 6,000 people have participated in this excitingly manic event. Some of the headlining artists have their songs available for free download off of the Our:House website. Check them out today to start getting pumped up for the highly anticipated party!
DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY! IN UNISON AND ENTERTAINME ARE GIVING AWAY A DOUBLE PASS TO THIS ELECTRONIC EXTRAVANGANZA! IF YOU THINK YOU DESERVE THIS DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY, POST YOUR BEST RAVE OUTFIT ON THE USU FACEBOOK PAGE PLEADING YOUR CASE!! THE WINNER OF THE DOUBLE PASS WILL BE CHOSEN BY 4 NOVEMBER!
HIGHLIFE NEW YEARS EVE AND HIGHLIFE THE ROOTS SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 31 DECEMBER 2011
GEORGE FM PRESENTS:
3 DECEMBER 2011 AUCKLAND TOWN HALL $45 TICKETS FROM THE EDGE ONLINE: R18 WWW.DUBJBMUSIC.CO.NZ The Roots Festival in downtown Auckland is an excellent way to welcome in that summertime weather and summertime vibe. This Festival features some of the best Reggae music around for a day of kicking back and gettin’ your skank on. This laid back festival is perfect right before the excitement of the holidays kick in. You can expect to catch the following performers at the first ever Roots Festival: House of Shem, Darky Roots, 1814, Cornerstone Roots, The Midnights, Sweet Mix Kids, Dead Fools Fiesta, Tui Sound System, Amin Payne, Thane Kirby, Grassmouth, and more!
DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY! IN UNISON AND ENTERTAINME ARE GIVING AWAY A DOUBLE PASS TO THIS WICKED REGGAE EVENT! IF YOU THINK YOU DESERVE THIS DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY, POST A 30 SECOND VIDEO ON THE USU FACEBOOK PLEADING YOUR CASE!! THE WINNER OF THE DOUBLE PASS WILL BE CHOSEN BY 4 NOVEMBER!
OMAHA BEACH, MATAKANA $115 CAMPING COMBO TICKET WWW.HIGHLIFEENTERTAINMENT.CO.NZ/NYE Highlife Entertainment REALLY knows how to put on a party! Event coordinator Adam Bennett has put together another stellar New Years Eve experience. The High Life New Years Eve experience is the full package. This festival includes 5 music stages, themed dance/party areas, and chill out spots all along Matakana’s stunning Country Park. The music ranges from funk and indie to jazz and hip hop. High Life has also organised a wicked camping hub for this year’s festival called “Summer Camp”. Conducive to the High Life way, there are heaps of perks in staying at this campsite that include: DJ's & Music every day, shower facilities (only available for people that have booked a 3 night stay) Port A Loo toilets cleaned daily, affordable food, beverage and summer supplies at very low prices, fresh running water, quality
music and entertainment, phone charging and power stations, 24/7 security, FREE carparking, FREE bus transfers to and from the Highlife NYE event, jet ski’s, kayaks, paddle boards for hire, beach tennis & volley ball, exclusive waters-edge access!! This ticket purchase will get you access to all musical performances, camping at Omaha Beach on 31 December, High life summer camp pre-party, a secure car park, and return bus rides to and from the festival from your campsite! Line up includes: CRAZY P, DJ PETE ROCK, VANDALISM, A.SKILLZ, DJ SPEN, P MONEY BULLETPROOF BEVAN KEYS THE ARC DICK JOHNSON KOLAB & MIKEY ROCKWELL (LIVE) JOLYON PETCH & SAM HILL NICK D KARN HALL MAYA & VANYA any many more…
THE MOST EXCITING BIT IS….IN UNISON AND ENTERTAINME ARE GIVING AWAY A DOUBLE PASS PACKAGE DEAL TO THIS EXCLUSIVE NEW YEARS EVE EVENT!! IF YOU THINK YOU DESERVE THIS DOUBLE PASS GIVEAWAY TO HIGH LIFE NYE, POST A 30 SECOND VIDEO ON THE USU FACEBOOK PLEADING YOUR CASE!! THE WINNER OF THE DOUBLE PASS WILL BE CHOSEN BY 4 NOVEMBER! (THE PACKAGE INCLUDES A SINGLE PASS TO HIGH LIFE SUMMER CAMP)
NORTHERN AUCKLAND LANEWAY BUSKERS FESTIVAL LIGHTS FESTIVAL 2012 FESTIVAL 30 DECEMBER 2011 – 2 JANUARY 2012 PAKIRI BEACH, WELLSFORD $100 TICKETS $125 TICKET+BUS COMBO: R18 WWW.NORTHERNLIGHTSFESTIVAL. CO.NZ/ If you’re up in the area for a Northern destination holiday, Northern Lights is anticipated to be one of the biggest NYE parties to kick off 2012! Northern Lights is New Zealand’s newest New Years festival and features some of the best of dub step, drum and base and electro party music. There will be buses that travel to and from High Life on the night of New Years Eve. The Pakiri beach area is certainly the place to be seen on New Years Eve this year. Line up includes: Tiki (for an acoustic set), Concord Dawn, P-Money, Bulletproof, Incognito and Bugsby, Clarke Gayford, Maya Vanya, Nick D, Automatic and many more.
SOUNDS IN THE SUN 3 MARCH 2012 UNITEC, 139 CARRINGTON RD, MT ALBERT TICKET PRICES VARY, AVAILABLE FROM DASHTICKETS.CO.NZ WWW.USU.CO.NZ
28-31 JANUARY 2012
30 JANUARY 2012
DOWNTOWN AUCKLAND
SILO PARK, BEAUMONT ST. AUCKLAND
FREE! WWW.AUCKLANDBUSKERSFESTIVAL. CO.NZ
$127 ALL INCLUSIVE TICKET
This downtown street performer culture festival features buskers from all over the world. All along locations right off of Queen St. you’ll be able to watch Break Dancers from the USA, The Space Cowboy from Australia (who currently holds six Guiness World Records for his crazy skills), magicians, and many circus stunts! This is a family friendly festival to enjoy over 4 days, enhancing your downtown experience! ** Day shows start every day at 12 noon. Night Shows run on Friday from 7.30pm to 10.00pm, on Saturday from 8.00pm to 10.30pm and on Sunday from 7.00pm to 9.30pm.
WWW.AUCKLAND.LANEWAYFESTIVAL. COM.AU/
Sounds in the Sun is back for 2012 featuring an exciting line up including: Katchafire. Kids in Space, 1814, Bulletproof & Exciting HEADLINE announcement coming 1st February 2012 of one of NZ biggest bands!! Get in quick to get your Unitec student complementary ticket. Some will be available on 7th November and more will be released from 1st February. Simply visit dashtickets.co.nz and use your student ID & e-mail as your username & password. Invite your friends to buy $10 limited Early bird tickets www.dashtickets.co.nz. Get in quick!! Sounds in the Sun sees thousands of people partying on the fields at Unitec from mid day enjoying an afternoon of good music, great company and a cold beer or three. Inbetween acts you can check out the market stalls, games, and other activities on offer. Plus there are food stalls to keep you well fed and a R18 bar to keep you hydrated. This year, Sounds in the Sun is on a Saturday. This means no one is stuck in the office missing out on one of the most epic line ups of the
summer! Be sure to enter our USU Sounds in the Sun Artist Search. Upload a youtube video of your dance crew, DJ skills, solo, band and paste onto the USU Students' Association page. (Competition opens 7th November!) Tell your friends to "like" your video and be in to win some phat prizes such as one day in NZ's premium recording facility, York Street Recording Studios with a top engineer to record your song! The winner will also be the opening act of Sounds in the Sun for 2012!! Visit www.usu.co.nz for terms & conditions. The top five videos that have the most "likes" will go through to our finals with our panel of industry professional judges to select a winner! You can help determine the fate of this year's Sounds in the Sun line up! Can't wait to see you there!
Laneway Festival is returning to Auckland for its third year running! Laneway is an exciting music day festival that celebrates unique, fresh music in urban settings. This year, the Festival is held in the Silo Park in waterfront Auckland. The venue allows for a truly refreshing Auckland experience amongst some killer acts such as: Feist, M83, Laura Marling, Pajama Club, The Horrors, Girls, Cults, and HEAPS MORE! The philosophy of Laneway is to encourage a community within an urban setting. It’s a great way to connect with fellow music enthusiasts, amongst a great summertime celebration!
Thank you to our sponsors; The Edge, Mai FM, George FM, Juice TV, Rip it Up Magazine, snapstar.co.nz & VnC.
**USU MAINTAINS THE RIGHT TO REPLACE OR CHANGE ANY OF THE PRIZES MADE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SUMMER GIG GUIDE
USU STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION PRESENTS
MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNING
SATURDAY 3RD MARCH 2012
UNITEC / 139 CARRINGTON ROAD / MT ALBERT
BIGGEST ORIENTATION EVENT IN NZ!! FIRST RELEASE UNITEC STUDENT COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS & $10 EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE 7TH NOVEMBER VISIT WWW.DASHTICKETS.CO.NZ FOR MORE INFO VISIT
WWW.USU.CO.NZ usu Students’Association at Unitec
CLASS IS OUT, AND THE TIME FOR LATE SLEEP-INS AND LAZY SUMMER DAYS IS IN!! THAT IS…UNTIL YOU QUICKLY REALIZE THAT WITHOUT A STUDENT ALLOWANCE, THERE AREN’T MANY OPTIONS BESIDES LATE SLEEPINS. YOU KNOW IT’S COMING…IT’S TIME TO FIND A KILLER SUMMER JOB. INSTEAD OF LETTING THIS INORDINATELY BURDENSOME MISSION HAUNT YOU, GET AHEAD OF THE GAME BY PLANNING AND SEEKING OUT YOUR PERFECT SUMMER OPTION NOW!
MICHELLE DALY AT JOBS AND CAREERS AT UNITEC SUGGESTS THE FOLLOWING POINTERS TO HEIGHTEN YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING THAT SUMMER JOB OF YOUR DREAMS:
N CREATE YOUR OW JOB THIS SUMMER
1. FIRST THINGS FIRST, assess your skill base. Make list of your valuable skills. This is the time to flush out the nonsense and accept that your impeccable juggling talent isn’t the most employable skill. Narrow down your skill base to a solid top 5 and begin to seek out jobs that fit that list. 2. CONSIDER PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE. Old employers are usually keen to hire back staff that have the experience and knowledge necessary for a role. If you’re looking for a change, approach an old boss and suggest a promotion within the organisation. Having previous work experience within a role is an invaluable asset to any company, and many employers look to hire from within. 3. GET THE WORD OUT. This is by far the most important pointer. Tell your family, your family friends, tell your neighbours, your NEIGHBOURS' friends…seriously. Most jobs are actually obtained by word of mouth or by whom you know. This is not the time to be bashful. Get yourself out there with a strong message of what you have to provide this summer! Once you’ve taken the initial big step to get the employment ball rolling, you must follow up with your initiative. Depending on you respective industry, make office visits to appropriate companies you’d be interested in working for. Take some time to put together an impressive CV, and physically walk into studios, PR agencies, construction management offices, etc. Face to face interaction is key when trying to score a job. Often employers will receive mass amounts of resumes in the mail, or by their
assistants. By distinguishing yourself and putting a smiling face to a name on your CV, you are only enhancing your chances. Approach potential employers with positive energy and confidence. Ensure him/her that you will make a great summer intern. This is your chance to demonstrate a little bit of industry knowledge and passion! This type of initiative will surely not go overlooked. If you are still looking for some guidance, Unitec Career Centre is offering a great opportunity this summer. Unitec Career Centre is launching a summer Job Club on Monday 5th December for students and graduates who are dedicated to securing summer or graduate employment. International research based on Nathan Azrin’s original concept has shown that Job Club members benefit from group learning, networking opportunities, increased accountability, emotional support, helping other members and an enhanced understanding of their experience. Through a series of workshops, presentations and practical activities members will develop their employability skills and enhance their job search by focusing their efforts, incorporating a proactive approach and dedicating more time to job search activities. The Job Club will be held at Student Wellbeing –Pou Aroha, Building 28, Mt Albert Campus. Students will need to commit to either the morning or afternoon programme for an initial 4 day period with weekly small group follow ups. For more information visit www. career.unitec.ac.nz, email career@unitec.ac.nz or phone 815 2948.
A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO SEEKING OUT ORGANISED EMPLOYMENT IS BY CREATING IT YOURSELF! THIS WAY, YOU CAN WORK AROUND YOUR OWN SCHEDULE DOING (HOPEFULLY) SOMETHING THAT YOU ENJOY! EVERYONE LOVES TO BE THEIR OWN BOSS! HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO GET YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL WHEELS TURNING: 1. START AN ETSY SHOP: If you’re the arts and crafty type, focus in on a particular crafty creation to mass produce for mass consumption. Once you’ve decided, log onto Etsy.com and post your product for people to purchase! If a local scene is more your style, do some research about suburb craft fairs this summer. Sign up for your own booth space to sell your product in a market atmosphere!
2. CHILD/BABYSITTING SERVICES: Good with kids? GREAT! There are heaps of mothers all over Auckland looking for that bit of time off for themselves over the summer holidays. Put up posters with your smiling mug and contact details at community centres and public notice boards.
3. HOUSE CALL IT EXPERT: Got mad computer skills? Don’t keep them all to yourself! People everywhere are suffering from technological ignorance EVERYDAY! Market yourself as a house call IT expert. Have customers ring you up to describe their IT problem, if it seems like something your skill set can handle, make a house visit as a personal Mr./Ms. Fix it! This is a great service to charge a hefty hourly wage!
4. FREELANCE FREELANCE FREELANCE: If you’ve got a creative bone in your body, hone in on that specialty as a freelance illustrator/writer/designer. Enter competitions with cash prizes and submit your work for one off jobs that are listed online. A great resource is www. thebigidea.co.nz, search through the freelance database for a project that speaks to you!
AS THE FAMILY BREADWINNER, BACHELOR OF BUSINESS STUDENT JERRY IELEMIA HAS ALL THE MOTIVATION HE NEEDS TO GET THROUGH HIS STUDY AS QUICK AS HE CAN.
After fluffing his first stint as a student some years ago, and after several years in the workforce, the older and wiser Massey man returned to Unitec last year determined to make the most of his second chance. Through a combination of summer school and picking up extra papers, and laser-like focus, it seems the fast track is working for him. "After school, I won a Tuvalu Government Scholarship to study at Unitec, but I didn't finish. Maybe I was distracted by too many things," says the 29 year-old. "It was always in the back of my mind to complete, but because of family responsibilities and bills, once I started working I couldn't leave." When redundancy struck in 2009, with immediate and extended family reliant on him for support, Jerry knew it was time to make
drastic changes to invest in the future. He enrolled at Unitec in 2010, having done his homework on how to finish sooner. In 2010 he completed a full course of study, and as his fellow students took a few months off, Jerry followed up with seven weeks in summer school. "I had already finished seven papers the first time round, and then last year and this year I really loaded myself up," he says. "At the end of year one, I also enrolled in a summer school paper, management accounting, which was a prerequisite for an advanced paper I took in Semester 1 this year. Maybe it was the relaxed atmosphere, but I finished with good grades, and it definitely helped me get ahead." This year he has already finished five programmes in Semester 1, with a further five to complete in November and December, followed
IT'S VERY HARD, WHEN YOU'VE GOT FAMILY AND EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES, SO I'M PREPARED TO DO IT. NOW THAT I'M BACK HERE, I NEED TO MAKE IT WORK FOR ME.
by three-months of work experience, starting in December. His chosen double major in accounting and finance requires 360 credits, and he expects to be sitting comfortably on 420 credits by the end of Semester 1 in 2012. Amazingly, Jerry is so far ahead of the posse, he has been able to set his sights higher still, and he aims to complete all the tertiary requirements for NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants - a total of 480 credits - in time for spring graduation. Jerry's dream is to be better equipped to support his family by forging a career in financial accounting. One day, he hopes to be a chartered accountant in an accounting firm. Financially, being a student again has been challenging. He has picked up part time work where time has allowed, but never at the expense of his study programme. Assistance has come in the form of a Unitec Study Award in 2011, and he has been eligible for a study loan, living costs and Family Tax Credits. Jerry says he has also made the most of support services. Te Puna Ako and the Pacific Centre both offered crucial academic support, while Student Wellbeing helped him to brush up on his interview skills, get his CV together and to apply to organisations for work experience. "It's very hard, when you've got family and everything else. But this is what it takes, so I'm prepared to do it. Now that I'm back here, I need to make it work for me." Jerry completed Principles of Managerial Finance, from the Bachelor of Business programme, which is being offered again this year. For more info go to: www.summer.unitec.ac.nz
JERRY'S SUMMER SCHOOL TIPS Summer school timetables can vary, but for Jerry, the commitment involved one class per week for seven weeks. His classes were five hours each. His top five tips: 1. Make the most of the parking - you'll never have it this good again 2. If you have a busy life - Jerry juggles family, rugby, church, and is even a Rugby World Cup volunteer - put aside days when you know you are less committed and give that time fully to study 3. Plan your semesters well in advance so you can take advantage of all the opportunities summer school, short courses and intensive courses can offer 4. Lecturers and students alike are more relaxed at the end of the year. You may only need to be on campus one or two days per week, so there is no reason you can't still make it to the beach for some R and R 5. R and R is great, but keep your wits about you. Summer school shuts over Xmas week, and if your course is anything like Jerry's, you may find there is a 50 % assessment test scheduled for your first week back!
HAMISH WALKER ALSO WENT TO SUMMER SCHOOL AT UNITEC. HE WAS ABLE TO FAST TRACK HIS CAREER IN BUSINESS. IN STUDYING OVER THE SUMMER, HAMISH WAS ABLE TO GRADUATE A SEMESTER EARLY AND HE WAS ONE STEP AHEAD IN MOVING INTO THE WORK FORCE. What do you study at Unitec? Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting Which courses were available for you to take over the summer? A couple accounting papers. What made you decide to take summer classes? Enabled me to finish my 4 years of study a semester early, plus I was able to keep the student allowance going over summer, instead of working some boring summer job paying minimum wage. How are summer courses different from courses during the regular year? They're actually easier as the course is completed in less than half the time it usually takes, therefore the content covered in the courses is fresher in the head. Also, because of the short amount of time and amount of content covered, the lecturers tend to go easy on the assignments and exams! Would you recommend summer courses to someone who also has a part time job? If their schedule allows them the time to take the summer school papers, it can be intense as a paper usually runs two full days a week. What’s the greatest benefit from you summer course experience? Being able to finish my degree quicker! How do students find information on summer classes for their programme? Talk to the lecturers running the classes.
MORE COMMENTS: When you bum around campus until 5 PM / When there are wicked girls / It is smoke free nek minute! / You bring out the skateboards / You pay $5 for a bottle of V / You know the $2 trick for free parking at the main car park / You go to the hypnotist show at other’s expense / You always find yourself in the lab or the game room / You get a $2 lunch at Waitakere- $1 pie and $1 chips—AWESOME! / You look in your diary for the day and it says, “ASSIGNMENT DUE!!” / When you have mid-semester break at 10 weeks / You’re wearing a Unitec T-shirt
You’re friends with Unitec and USU on facebook / You spend your weekends at 1510 / The newly painted lines on the campus roads are halfgone within a week of being re-painted / You’re late to class and see all your friends on the way to lecture / You go to Carrington’s for tutorials and critiques / George Bush is a student presidential candidate / You go to Carrington’s on a day you don’t even have class
MEGAN SMITH For which course were you a student representative in 2011? I’m a student rep. for the bachelor of construction. I’m the second year representative and I cover all of our classes instead of giving away tasks to other people. We tried that last year, and it just didn’t work. Now if students or lecturers have a problem, they know who I am and who to direct their concerns to. What was your most challenging experience as a student rep? We had a class last semester in which assignment were just marked incorrectly, or weren’t given enough time for completion. It seemed that things were going to total disarray and chaos. I was with the programme leader for about three weeks trying to sort things out. There ended up being so much pressure on the lecturer, that our assignments and exams were too easy, and marked to easily, which threw off the legitimacy of the course. So that was certainly a challenge and really stressful. Which was your most rewarding? It’s neat when I sat on our programme committee and they were talking about what exactly had gone wrong with that programme. They noted that I had done a really good job, the lecturers recognised that I had put a lot of hard work into the course and it was a nice pat on the back. So getting some recognition for your hard work is really rewarding. What skills have you picked up from being a student rep. that you can apply to career knowledge in the future? One thing I’ve definitely learnt is how to deal with adults and superiors constructively in a professional environment. Also, I’ve learned how to phrase issues in a non-confrontational way, as not to offend people. If you approach people without being accusational, they end up being a lot more responsive. Even when you’re angry, it’s important to stay calm. Why did you initially volunteer as a student rep? The rep. prior to me left because she had a baby and didn’t come back at the beginning of this year. She asked if I could take over from there. A lot of our courses have changes since the last group has gone through the programme, so there are lots of hiccups, and we’re trying to improve the course. We come off looking like a really demanding cohort, which isn’t exactly the case, it’s just a “bad time”. What advice do you have for new student reps in 2012? To know your lecturers! You’re not going to be an effective student rep. if you’re not willing to go the extra mile. You have to attend class to understand the problems and relate to everyone. You also have to know the rules, and some of the academic statute in order to recognise when something doesn’t sound right. You have to be proactive with the issues that are brought to you. Also remember that the USU is always here for back up. How has being a student rep. connected you to the Unitec community? I definitely know the lecturers within my faculty a lot more than the average student. So if I have a problem myself, I know exactly where to go. I mean, the other day I had a coffee with the programme administrator for a bit of a catch up and a chat, and not many people can do that! What personal lessons have you learned from student representation? Particularly for me, our degree is really male based, I learned not to let anyone tell me that I can’t do something. The guys tend to push a bit, so it’s taught me that I’m just as capable of doing anything they can. It’s taught me some self confidence as a female in a male dominated industry.
LEEANN JEFFERIES Which course were you a student representative for?Osteopathy What was your most challenging experience as a student rep?I was a student rep. when the Osteopathy course moved from Mt. Albert to Waitakere, so that was a very challenging time to portray the student opinions. The students felt like they weren’t been listened to, what we were told from higher sources before the move was not delivered and the staff that we had to direct our complaints to were struggling as they were having similar issues or were the “meat in the sandwich” between students and higher management. It was difficult to navigate the complaints in a way to maximise the benefit for the students around bureaucratic changes. A frustrating experience to say the least. What was your most rewarding experience? When you feel like you’ve helped to make a change and actually improve the course for those following on behind you. How has being a student rep. made you more involved in the Unitec community? I feel that I have a stronger involvement with the lecturers, and their roles within the programme. I’m more proactive and direct if I meet people, especially from the USU, about student issues and how things are affecting our cohort of students. Sometimes you can feel very detached as a student, and in being a student rep. I’ve learned who is who within the institution. What made you volunteer to be a student rep in your first year? The girl who was our student rep. had some personal issues that came up and asked if I could help her out, so that’s how I became involved. I took a lot of the work load off of her shoulders. What lessons have you learned from being a student rep. that you can apply to your career in the future? I’ve learnt a lot about how large institutions work; invaluable considering there’s so many around. It’s beneficial to understand how the wheels of change work, which battles you can fight, and which are best left for another day. What’s your favourite thing about being a student rep?I think it’s important to give back. This is a great way to keep involved with the course and give back to the students and institution. What advice do you have for new student reps in 2012?To talk to the USU (Joe, Aimee and Gemma). They are really great contacts and it’s nice to know what they can help you with, because sometimes things aren’t always clear cut. Also, to be proactive. Some things need to be followed up, others need to be let go, so figuring out what’s a relevant issue and what’s not. What personal lessons have you learned? That you can’t fix everything! Sometimes people just need to get things off their chest and then they’re okay. In the beginning you feel obliged to bring up everything that you’re told, and you don’t always need to.
Do You HAVE wHAT IT TAKES To BE A
STUDENT REP ElEctions End 4th novEmbEr for 2012
TALK To YouR PRoGRAmmE LEADER oR conTAcT uSuEDucATIon@unITEc.Ac.nz LEADERSHIP STARTS RIGHT HERE,
RIGHT NOW www.uSu.co.nz
SEARcH uSu STuDEnTS’ ASSocIATIon on
FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, USU HAS HAD A ARRANGEMENT WITH JACKSON RUSSELL, A LAW FIRM BASED IN AUCKLAND'S CBD. THEY OFFER FRIENDLY AND PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND SERVICE IN AREAS OF BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT, FAMILY, IP, PROPERTY, AND TRUST LAW. UNITEC STAFF AND STUDENTS CAN RECEIVE AN INITIAL FREE CONSULTATION WITH THEM, IF THEY COME THROUGH US. JOSEPH NUNWEEK, LEGAL ADVOCATE FOR THE USU, DISCUSSES YOUR RIGHTS AS A STUDENT AT UNITEC WHEN YOU NEED A BIT OF LEGAL ADVICE. When you make an appointment with the advocacy service, we take everything you say and any documentation or info you can give us and (with your permission) provide it to a partner at Jackson Russell, together with a summary of what you'd like to achieve. That means that when you get your first free session with them, you're not repeating yourself - they have an initial picture of what they could do to help, and what it will involve. They'll also be able to give you an estimate of what it will cost if you then choose to enlist their services. They're happy to do an initial consultation in person, on the phone, or even via email. We can also provide general advice and some places to go for assistance on areas Jackson Russell do not specialise in, such as criminal or immigration law. Feel free to contact us if you ever have an enquiry!
sporting AWARDS USU AND UNITEC ANNUAL
2011
sporTs aWard dinner 4Th noVemBer 2011 The TrusTs sTadium WaiTakere The genesis energy room a celebraTion encompassing all sporTing achievemenT of sTudenTs aT uniTec in 2011
A formAl BuffeT dinner is proVided cash bar available. TickeT cosT $45.00 per person
TickeTs cAn Be purchAsed from usu recepTion Building 180, mT AlBerT cAmpus.
doors To open aT 6.30pm AwArds from 7pm
www.usu.co.nz
usu Students’Association at Unitec
Proudly Supported by: Unitec’s Department of Sport
with a fun afternoon at s es str am ex epr ve Relie
Tree AdvenTures in Woodhill Forest. h, 12.30pm-5pm Saturday November 5t
Tree Adventures is an aerial adventure course set in the trees 3-14 metres above the ground in Auckland’s Woodhill Forest. We’ll work our way through a series of fun and challenging activities including zip lines, suspended bridges, scramble nets and swinging logs. As we progress from course to course, the obstacles become gradually more challenging and higher off the ground. As well as being fun and challenging, Tree Adventures is eco-friendly. Built with the long-term health of the forest in mind, all the structures are designed to avoid damaging the trees and to allow them to continue growing naturally.
Cost:
$38 for USU members (all Unitec students); $45 for everyone else. Includes transport and courses 1-8.You can choose to do course #9 on the day for an extra $10.if you dare. Have some lunch before we go, or bring something to eat with you - there’s nowhere to buy food on-site.
Register usu Students’Association at Unitec
at USU reception or email usuinternational@unitec.ac.nz by 4pm Monday 31st November.
WWW.uSu.Co.Nz
SquaSh there is jUst no gAMe like it
NatioNal SquaSh CeNtre New maNagemeNt SpeCial Come down to the SquaSh Centre, bring soMe friends And get free hire of sqUAsh rAcqUets And bAlls And only pAy $4.50 per person for A 45 MinUtes gAMe. the Complex iS open: 9:00 AM to 9:00 pM MondAy to fridAy sAtUrdAy And sUndAy 9:00 AM to 5:00 pM Come along and meet trevor Colyer (forMer World MAsters chAMpion) Ask hiM nicely And he Will give yoU A free sqUAsh lesson for yoU And 3 friends
NatioNal SquaSh CeNtre: Building 201 Unitec Mt. Albert cAMpUs- phone: (09) 815 8602 email:plAy@nAtsqUAsh.co.nz
Tre the Wo of f sus we gra
As is e fore dam gro
Reg uni