6 minute read
NEWS
from CANTA #1 2021
by UCSA
DRUG TESTING WILL BE BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR IN TIME FOR O-WEEK. By Emily Heyward
The University of Canterbury Student’s Association (UCSA) confirmed students would be able to get their gear checked during one of the biggest weeks on the uni (social) calendar.
UCSA President Kim Fowler said students seemed pretty stoked to have the service available at Re O-Week last year, so it is coming back.
“So many people turned up last year the service had to stay open late,” Kim said.
Drug testing service Know Your Stuff (KYS) hopes even more students take advantage of the service this year. Managing Director Wendy Allison said it is important for students to know that they are taking what they think they are taking and not something more dangerous.
It comes after a big summer, where bath salts, aka cathinones, aka a bad time, were found in more than half of samples tested at New Year’s Eve festivals, in place of MDMA. Or for those of you who failed STAT101; they were “bloody everywhere”. Wendy said it is likely, KYS will discover more bath salts in substances when students get their stuff tested during O-Week.
“We anticipate similar results to those found at festivals … It is likely that eutylone [a cathinone] will be found among the samples tested at O-Week,” Wendy said.
Pill testing was urgently legalised at the end of last year. The Government pushed through legislation to give drug checking services like Know Your Stuff, the ability to set up at festivals and events, without fear of prosecution. Previously, organisations testing illicit substances have operated in a legal grey area. Minister of Health Andrew Little said the bill was about reducing harm, rather than condoning drug use. However, it will expire at the end of 2021; with a replacement bill being worked on in the meantime.
Meanwhile, KYS is calling on universities to consider implementing drug checking as “part of their student wellbeing services”.
“Universities have not only resources and access to spectrometers, but a willing body of students from which volunteers could be sourced. This would reduce the reliance on Know Your Stuff for this service to students and allow a more regular service which would, in turn, prevent more harm,” Wendy said.
However, a University of Canterbury spokesperson said UC doesn’t have the resources to provide drug testing and believes it is best for trained specialists to provide the service. While UC does not condone the use of illegal drugs, the spokesperson said the University understands the UCSA’s decision to make the drug testing service available to students during O-Week.
“We understand the UCSA aims to minimise harm and educate fellow students about drug use, and we support this student wellbeing and education,” the spokesperson said.
Know Your Stuff will also be present at two other university orientation weeks this year. UC students will be able to get their drugs checked at Exchange Christchurch on February 22 and 23 from 3pm – 8pm.
NEWS
UCSA FEEDING THOUSANDS OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS ACROSS
CHRISTCHURCH By Emily Heyward
Thousands of primary and secondary school students around Christchurch have begun receiving free lunches during the school week, with the help of the UCSA. The UCSA has started making and delivering about 3,000 lunches a day to 10 schools around the city, as part of the Government’s expansion of its school lunches programme. The principal of Hillmorton High School, one of the schools chosen to be part of the programme, said the free lunches would have a significant impact, as some students come to school without breakfast or lunch.
“For many families, it means that they know their children will receive healthy food at school … For others, it means a saving of money previously spent on lunches, and a saving of time,” Ann Brokenshire said.
She said lunches were being given out at 10:50am “so that those who haven’t had breakfast, get food early”.
“We hope that this will lead to better concentration, better academic and social outcomes. Our students are learning to try new foods, to be grateful and to help serve and clean up.”
And the feedback from students had been positive so far, Ann said.
“A few are still not willing to try new food, but some are having seconds or even thirds. We have heard from a few families that their ‘fussy eaters’ are enjoying the meals.”
Students were given chicken rolls, pizza, a rice bowl with tuna, pasta, salad, and fruit during the first week of the school term. Ann said the programme meant the whole school (about 1,000 students, from years 7 – 13) was getting lunch each day. The UCSA was selected at the end of 2020 to provide the service to local schools. Last year’s president Tori McNoe said at the time that the UCSA was “proud” to be part of the initiative. The Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches programme began rolling out in some primary and intermediate schools across Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay at the start of last year’s school year, followed by some schools in Otago and Southland. But the decision was made to feed more students across the country, in the wake of Covid-19. The Government announced the expansion in its Budget 2020; with around 200,000 school students expected to receive free lunches by terms two or three this year. According to the Ministry of Education, it is targeted at schools where students are facing the 25 per cent highest level of disadvantage and socio-economic barriers that could affect access to education, achievement, and well-being.
The UCSA was one of eight suppliers around the country, contracted to provide school lunches.
The UCSA said it would be putting the funds it receives from the contract, back into supporting UC students, including into advocacy and welfare, early learning centres and club support.
NEWS
By Liam Donnelly
STUDENTS SPEND SUMMER TAKING HIGHQUALITY DRUGS
Students across the country spent their summer holidays indulging in exceptional, high-grade drugs.
The summer break tends to be when drug use is at its highest, with people gearing up (literally) for the music festival season.
Fortunately, all the drugs circulating this year were of a really high quality and not cut with anything bad whatsoever.
MPs from across the aisles have celebrated the results, with the Government announcing they’re going to take some real comprehensive steps towards drug law reform.
“Parliament is in unanimous decision to take comprehensive action on drug law reform because we’ve come to our senses and realised the war on drugs doesn’t work,” said a government spokesperson.
UCSA Employees responsible for O-Week have elected to turn the event into O-Month. A source for CANTA’s Broken News, who works closely with the organisation team, confirmed the decision was made hurriedly late last week.
It was reportedly a last-minute decision, after the NZ musician, Mitch James, offered to perform every day for a month because he had nothing better to do.
“With drinks starting at a cheap $22, and Mitch James playing 30 nights in a row, the UCSA has organised their best O-Month ever!”
Tickets start at the low, student-friendly price of $1,200. University of Canterbury researchers have found a way to completely power the university after discovering millions of Instagram posts relating to “fuck you 2020”.
“It was the sheer volume of these posts and the anger with which they were written that made us think there must be some energy here we can harvest,” said one of the researchers.
According to some of the head researchers, a massive source of this new energy comes from white trust fund children turned influencers, who’ve been expressing their frustration about not being able to leave their luxury homes to go to their luxury holiday homes.
“While this new energy source is a great discovery, let us not forget the pain these people suffered in order for us to get this energy.”
