10 YEARS ON

It has been a decade since Christchurch was rocked by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake which claimed the lives of 185 people and caused widespread damage across the city. Fortunately, no lives were lost on campus; however, a lot has changed over the last 10 years. CANTA’s news editor Emily Heyward takes a look back at the Student Volunteer Army’s role in the aftermath of the quake and what has changed for students over that time.

“You’re just self-serving young people.... Tarred with the same brush,” screamed an old guy at Sam Johnson, the founder and now CEO of the Student Volunteer Army Foundation.

When Christchurch residents were told there was a chance students would turn up at their doors ready to help shovel silt from driveways and backyards in the aftermath of the February 22 earthquake, many thought it was some kind of sick joke.

“They said oh no you won’t, you’re a bunch of bad people,” Sam remembers. Students were “deeply unpopular” in the Ilam community pre-quake. Thursday mornings would look the same every week. Council bins would be tipped over and rubbish strewn everywhere – the aftermath of a rowdy Wednesday night. Essentially, they weren’t liked, Sam says.

“The residents just absolutely hated students, and students were in the media every week just for being bad people,” Sam says.

So, when the earthquake spewed up silt (officially referred to as liquefaction) and buried streets under thick sludge creating an end-of-the-world vibe, Sam saw it is an opportunity to do something positive in the community, and at the same time, shake up how students were being perceived. Armed with shovels and gumboots, 11,000 students hit suburbs under siege by liquefaction, helping locals restore some sense of order to their lives at a time of massive uncertainty. They distributed clean water, food and helped lay sandbags across the city; putting in about 80,000 hours collectively over February and March. Former Christchurch City Councillor and UC alumni Sue Wells says students went from being viewed negatively, to being seen as a “bright piece of joy”, essentially overnight.

“In my opinion, some people in the community around the university had a very dim view of student behaviour [pre-quake]. It was about binge drinking and vandalism,” she says. Sue, who was chair of the city council’s planning and regulatory committee at the time, handling all things alcohol-ban related around campus, says the way students rallied together to support

the community in the aftermath of the quake was “everything good about human nature”.

“The leadership that the Student Volunteer Army demonstrated in the community, in my opinion, was one of the most extraordinary things I’ve witnessed in my life,” she says.

“I think people looked at the Student Army as a bright piece of joy in the middle of a very dark time.”

Sue says students showed the community how valuable young people are, being able to see the world through different eyes. But it’s not only the perception of UC students that has changed over the last decade. Campus has undergone huge physical changes too. In 2011, students had to attend lectures in tents that were set up in the Law and Arts car parks while buildings were assessed for damage. Thankfully, it was not all dire. A café was set up under a marquee in ‘Tent City’ so students could partake in a pieeating competition, naturally. The earthquake caused significant structural damage to several buildings on campus which meant more permanent fixtures were needed.

Once students graduated from tents, they moved into “villages” or as one student at the time told Stuff, was also referred to as “the concentration camp” citing the layout as the reason for the “nickname”.

Meanwhile, work was underway to create long-term solutions, including the construction of the Ernest Rutherford and Rehua buildings, as well as the UCSA’s building Haere-Roa, home to the Foundry and the Ngaio Marsh Theatre.

While there has been a lot of changes at UC over the last decade, Sam reckons the biggest change is the way students are viewed within the community.

“The fundamental difference between university then and now is the perception the community had of students,” he says.

Sue echoes Sam’s point, saying what the Student Volunteer Army did after the quake showed the community that students were more than a stereotype; that they were “thoughtful and engaged” people. And there is no sign of returning to how things were pre-quake.

Last year, the SVA developed a grocery delivery service, helping thousands of people in the community with their shopping during the Covid-19 lockdown. Over the decade, it has also launched programmes in primary and secondary schools around the country to get young people involved in their communities, and UC students continue to give their time to different causes, year after year. As we enter another year of global uncertainty, there is one thing the community can be sure of. It is that if the last 10 years are anything to go by, students will continue helping out where they can, just like they did after the quake. Commemorations will be held on February 22 to mark 10 years since the 2011 earthquake. A wreath will be laid at the Roimata sculpture on campus at 12pm, followed by a moment of silence. Students are also being encouraged to place flowers in road cones on University Drive as a sign of remembrance. A national memorial service will also take place at Oi Manawa – The Canterbury National Earthquake Memorial at 12:30pm. The service will be live-streamed.

Fresher

By Lily Mirfin

I never got my leavers’ hoodie, which was a fantastic decision from 18-year-old me. My time as a fresher is now a distant memory. I started uni as a slightly older student after taking a gap year, so it already didn’t quite fit for me to wear the usual fresher clothes. My dream of no longer wearing a school uniform had come true. I could finally wear my hair down and get more than one piercing in each ear. There were no ties in sight and not a single pair of Clarks T-bar shoes. Somehow, the novelty never quite wore off about getting to wear my own clothes. But, for some of you young freshers, the choices must clearly be too great simply because you all seem to dress exactly the same. Your first day of uni has arrived, and you realise that you are dressed like every other first-year for miles. Shorts or leggings, a leavers hoodie and sneakers. You original thing, you. The pages of Vogue will just have to wait until you have officially found yourself.

If you want to avoid dressing like the obvious clueless fresher please for the love of God refrain from wearing your leavers’ hoodie. Believe it or not, no one is going to care where you went to school. It will be clear from the look of slightly jaded optimism on your face that you graduated high school in 2020. You needn’t wear a hoodie to advertise it. Donning one of these giant signs of freshmanhood makes you an obvious target for the groups that walk around campus, getting you to sign up for their club. Just a note, those free jandals aren’t quite free. Leave the leavers’ hoodie in the past, or simply on private grounds.

Boys, you are now allowed to have your hair longer than your collar. This can only mean one thing. It’s time for a mullet. The last time a boy surprised me, he had cut his hair into a mullet. Was I surprised? Yes. Was I pleased? Absolutely not. But that was my opinion and if you are drawn to the majestic Billy Ray Cyrus party in the back then go for it. Who am I to stand in your way? The mullet is a true speciality preserved by South Island universities. Wear it with pride. Few people will care what you wear or what you look like. If they do, they clearly don’t have enough going on in their lives.

Your very first week means that you have the honour of creating your first toga. So precious, what a wholesome memory. Until you realise that your sheets need to last you the entire year in halls and that Cruiser stain doesn’t come out after one rinse in the communal hall sink, let me slip in another life lesson really quick. Wonder Soap is a Godsend. If Student Life handed out bars of Wonder Soap, I would have given them my phone number. Get a bar of this, and then you can spill as much Nitro on your sheets and clothes as you want. But if it fails, you turn to the most trustworthy source of information, your parents. Or Google. Maybe try Google first, saving yourself the embarrassment of admitting you got messy at a toga party. If you take one thing away from this article, let it be that branching out is important. You’re not supposed to be the same person as you left high school. You’ll grow and mature and just generally come into yourself. Wear whatever you want. Cut and dye your hair. Pierce something regrettable. It’s all part of the journey and part of the experience.

From,

The not-so-wise third-year who never bothered to get a leavers’ hoodie.

What Librarians wish you knew

By Ella Somers

Regardless of if you’ve just started your studies or have been at university for what feels like ten thousand years, the services available for students through the UC libraries are here to make your study less stressful. To save you learning the hard way about which library services will help both your stress levels and your grades, Ella Somers talked to Rā Steer, Kaiwhakahaere Taonga Tuku Iho, Manager at the Macmillan Brown Library about what UC Librarians want students to know.

First things first, Rā said it was important that “students know there are three libraries on campus for different things.” These libraries are the Central Library in the Puaka - James Hight building, the Macmillan Brown Library and the Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) Library. All three help students navigate “the different collections for your colleges and what you’re after,” Rā said.

The main library service that Rā thinks students at UC should know about is just knowing “there’s a subject specialist for each area and college,” Rā said. “A subject librarian can save you so much time, especially with your referencing.” Use the online booking system available on the ‘subject librarian’ page on the UC website to book an appointment. Subject guides, (which can be accessed easily from the front page of the UC Library website), will also save you lots of time, Rā said, because they’ve got “everything that you need specifically for all your different assignments or areas.”

Students should also make use of AskLIVE, which is UC Library’s instant messaging service. “Students can reference straight away onto that,” Rā said, with students just needing to write what they need help with and copy and pasting in any necessary information or reference that they’re looking for guidance on. “If someone’s had a last-minute thing due and couldn’t book in with a subject librarian, chuck the query onto AskLIVE,” Rā said.

The cost of course textbooks can add up quickly and painfully, but “if you can’t buy all your books, your books will be in the high demand area,” Rā said. UC’s two high demand areas can be located at the Central Library and the EPS Library and are a great resource to help bring textbook costs down. Just keep an eye on the loan times as high demand loans can be only a few days or hours long!

For better or worse, it’s very likely you’ll run into a group project or two during your time at university. To make it a smoother work process, Rā said students should know that all three libraries have discussion rooms available to students. Book through the library’s online system which can be found on the ‘room bookings’ page on UC’s website.

To get away from the study pressures, students can check out Makerspace over in the Central Library in Puaka - James Hight building on Level 2. “You can learn 3D printing, sewing or a whole bunch of fun stuff if you want a break from study,” Rā said.

So, you’re new to the University of Canterbury, and you don’t really have an idea about what goes on? It’s okay – no one does when they first start. If you’re not new to the university and are just back for another year, stick around anyway. You might learn something. In your time here at university, whether it’s been 10 minutes or 10 semesters, chances are you may have already observed this logo:

A set of curvaceous lines that assemble together to form the letters U, C, S, and A. Well over the next 3, 4, 5 – however many years you spend here – you’re going to hear that acronym quite a lot. ‘UCSA’ stands for University of Canterbury Student’s Association, and other than your lectures and lecturers, it accounts for most aspects of your student life.

The UCSA provides the following:

- O-week, Re-Ori, Mono, Tea Party, and many other events.

- Nine food and drink outlets on campus.

- Assistance for academic appeals.

- Assistance with Special Consideration applications.

- Support during dispute resolutions.

- Assistance with any disciplinary issues.

- Advocacy over any grievances or complaints.

- A subsidised dental scheme.

- Bike Rentals.

- Calculator Rentals.

- A charger library (in case you forget a phone/laptop charger). - Provides a Menstruation Emergency service (in case Aunty Flow comes to visit unexpectedly).

- Runs advisory groups for Equity and Wellbeing matters, International students, and Postgraduate students. A Foodbank (for if money is a bit tight). A Food Support Service (a more long-term food service).

A Hardship Grant. A Medical Prescription Grant (for unexpected medical expenses).

Club grants available to 160+ UC Clubs. Plus, probably some other services I’ve forgotten to mention. All of this encompasses over 120 staff that the UCSA hires. So yes, the UCSA is a fairly sizable organisation. This sizable organisation is run by a governance board, made up of 13 students, collectively known as the ‘UCSA Executive’. These students are elected to their positions. And that is basically the entire point of this article, to get across the fact that the UCSA is governed by an elected board of students. Every year these elections are held, to determine who will be on the governance board the following year.

Students can run in elections for each of the following positions:

- President

- Vice President

- Finance & Engagement Officer

- Postgraduate Representative

- International Representative

- Equity & Wellbeing Representative

- 6x General Executive Positions

A separately elected Te Akatoki (Māori Students’ Association) representative is added to make it a total of 13 members.

With the exception of those who chose to opt-out of being a member of the UCSA when they originally enrolled, all students are eligible to vote, and all students are eligible to run in an election.

So that’s why the UCSA should be of some importance to you: Because a collection of your fellow students – that you get to elect – will wield a surprisingly large amount of influence over a surprisingly large amount of people and resources and will most likely make decisions that, in some way, will affect you.

With that in mind, let’s meet your President and the rest of the UCSA Executive.

Get to Know Your President: Kim Fowler

Interview by Ella Gibson

Introduce Yourself:

Q: What is your name?

A:Kia ora koutou, my name is Kim Fowler.

Q: How old are you?

A:I am 21 and in the middle of planning my 21st. The curse of having a January birthday means that you can’t celebrate until you get into the year. You know, you can’t put it on O Week or Electric Avenue, and before you know it is March!

Q: How are you doing?

A:Pretty good! I am really excited for the year ahead. Currently, I am riding this wave of anticipating what is going to happen.

Q: Where are you from?

A:Originally, I am from Papakura in South Auckland. I came to the UC about three and a bit years ago now.

University:

Q: What have you been up to at uni for the last wee while?

A:Last year, I was completing my honours in chemistry. My project was focusing on how we can help treat the disease Kauri dieback. Some people in Canterbury don’t really know what that is because there are not any Kauri trees in the South Island. Basically, these trees get really sick from this soil-borne pathogen, and at the moment it is spreading uncontrollably. It is a really important issue because the trees are really important in the forest’s ecosystem.

Q: Your fav spot at uni?

A:The fish tanks on campus. In Pūtaiao Koiroa there’s a fish tank on the ground floor, and it is really nice to go there and relax a little bit and chill with the fishies. There are also the eels! In Te Ao Marama - which is the centre for Māori and Pasifika studies - they have eels in their building.

Q: Top tip for a fresher?

A:Definitely set yourself up so that you know all of the support services on campus. There are so many that it is easy to not know what is going on. Also, if something were to happen, it is really important for people who are new to UC to know where to go for help. Just spend some time familiarising yourself, and if you’re stuck and don’t know where to go, you can always talk to the Advocacy & Welfare Service at the UCSA. Also, throw yourself into everything! Take some opportunities, it is your first year, and it is important to remember that it is not the end of the world if you don’t get the most perfect grade in a paper. In 10 years’ time, that is not what you are going to be worried about. It is going to be the friends that you made or what you learnt outside of that as well.

Q: Top tip for a uni returnee?

A:I think that studying last year sucked for most people. And we know that covid had a big impact on people’s mental health as well. So, my top tip would have to be to look after yourself. Take some time to be mindful of how you are feeling. Are you vibing, or are you already feeling overwhelmed? If you need to offload some of your work or go check yourself out at the UC Health Centre and see what they have to say. Just make sure that you are in a good space for this year.

UCSA & Presidency:

Q: What does it mean to you to be this year’s UCSA president?

A:It is pretty cool. I never knew throughout the elections how things were progressing. I said what I believed in, and so it is pretty cool to be elected and feel like there is some faith in you. Therefore, it is really important to me to continue to deliver on those things and live up to my promises. Q: What are you excited for with the UCSA? A:There are a lot of things coming up. One of the first things for me is that we still continue to settle into this new building, and we can still continue to improve the events that students attend here. It was really exciting to see the O-Week being sold out because I hope that everyone gets to have a good boogie before uni starts. Our events team does a really good job of always refining and improving what they do. A big thing that is happening at the moment for the UCSA is that our CEO has resigned. At the moment, we are in the middle of recruiting for a CEO, and that is exciting. I am really sad to see Dave go because he has contributed so much to the organisation over the seven years that he has been here. But it will be really cool to see who fills that position and what they will bring to the organisation as well.

Q: What things are you advocating for through your presidency?

A:I think that it is not about me. There are the things that I ran on, and I will continue to advocate for those, and the guts of that were better communication to students, more transparency, and more advocacy on a local and government level. But I think that it is more about us, as the UCSA, listening to students. It has to be dynamic communication. I don’t think that I can be like “I think students want X, Y and Z” and I think that that kind of approach does not reflect the needs of the student body. We know that their needs will evolve during this year, we don’t know what students are going to need from the university and what is going to be thrown at them. I would love to see some better communication and more advocacy, but I also really want to listen to students and advocate for what they say is most important.

Q: Is there anything that you would like to add?

A:I would really like to encourage students to speak up about what they would like to see on campus or see the UCSA do. Not all of it we can necessarily deliver on or something that we have the mandate to do. It really helps us to do our jobs effectively if we really know what students want.

A Word From Te Akatoki

Takere (noun) hull (of a canoe).

‘Aukahatia tō waka’: strengthen/prepare your waka

Takere is a scholarship programme that welcomes 37 young Māori and Pasifika youth from across the nation to Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha. The aim of this kaupapa is to secure the lashings of our incoming first years’ waka, ready for their first official voyage into UC. Over four weeks these students formed friendships, completed their first university paper, juggled the study and life balance, and for a lot of them, they have broken barriers by being first in their whānau to attend uni. When reflecting on these weeks, it is easy to laugh at the fun times and to sympathise with those times that were hard on us all. The most important lesson we learnt together was to be unapologetically ourselves, and to be proud indigenous young leaders. In reflection of this programme, we had a student anonymously submit the following poem. ‘We stood bound together by each piece of wood that forms a waka we all sit on

Navigating through a world where we don’t always see ourselves reflected in

Calling to Tipuna for strength to fight for our identities so they are not lost in the Moana we travelled across

Continuing to voice our Reo and Mātauranga even when it may be left misunderstood like the years of history gone before us

Not forgotten today or tomorrow

We do this so one day for our mokopuna, this space will feel inviting, will thrive with our culture and will have our faces reflected in every wall’.

Get to Know the Rest of Your UCSA Exec:

GEORGIE - Kia

ora, everyone! My name is Georgie, and I’ll be representing you on the academic front this year as Vice President. I’m absolutely fizzing to start my Masters of Finance and Economics this year as well as making the most of a few cheeky social events. Looking forward to meeting some more of you soon x. HENRY - Kia Ora, 你 好, hello! My name is Henry WynnWilliams, and I’m the Finance and Engagement officer for the UCSA for 2021. I am about to start my fifth year of study, undertaking a double degree for an LLB and BA (Political Science). When I am not studying, I enjoy hanging out with friends, travelling around NZ, and playing tennis.

BEATRICE - Kia

Ora everyone! I’m Bea, your postgrad rep this year. I’m doing my Masters in International Economic Law. I like long romantic walks on the beach and Mono MATT - Hi, I’m Matt, I’m this year’s International Rep. I’m a Chinese New Zealander with my roots hailing from the Guangzhou region. I’m a recent Mechanical Engineering graduate and this year, I’m finishing a Finance degree. Catch me around campus and say hello!

EMMA - Heya! I’m Emma and your Equity and Wellbeing representative this year! I’m in my last year of my Chemical Formulation Design degree. I love anything to do with design and making things. In my spare time, I like heading to the farmers market, making some delicious food, or spending time with my beautiful friends.

RYAN - Kia ora, everyone! My name is Ryan Thomson and I’m just entering my third and final year in Finance and International Relations. I am one of your six general reps on the UCSA Exec. When I’m not deep in a textbook, you can be with my mates, discovering new music or travelling around!!

ASHLEY - Hey, I’m Ashley, and this year I’ll be the rep for the College of Science. I’m going into my third year in Chemical and Process Engineering, and in my time off I like to do a bit of skiing and kayaking.

ROSA - E aku nui, e aku raki. Tēnā koutou katoa. E rere ana tōku manu ki tōku maunga, Ko Tarawera. E titiro ana ia tōku marae, ko hinemihi. I haere ōku tīpuna ki Aotearoa I roto I te waka o Te Arawa.

Ko Ngati Whakaaue tōku hapū. Ko Rosa Hibbert-Schooner tōku ingoa. Ko au te Tumuaki o Te Akatoki I tēnei tau. Kei te ako au Te Reo Māori me Psychology. I am your Te Akatoki rep on the UCSA this year. ASHER - Kia ora! I’m Asher, and I’m the College of Arts representative for 2021! I’m about to head into my fourth year of an LLB/ BA (history and politics), and I’m so excited for the year to come! In my free time, I love to read, feed the ducks, and watch drag queens on YouTube.

JESSICA -Hey, team! I’m Jess Macdonald, the Law rep on this year’s UCSA exec. I’m in my fifth and final year of an LLB and BSci, majoring in Psychology in the latter. Can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for us all!

FELIX - Hey, guys! My name is Felix Mendonca, and I’m one of your General Exec this year as the college of engineering representative. I currently study Civil Engineering and have loved it so far. Outside of uni, I love to play music, travel, and procrastinate assignments.

LEO -Hiya, my name is Leo He, and I am the Exec representative for the College of Education, Health and Human Development. I am a third-year BA student studying a double major in Philosophy and Sociology. I am interested in the sociology of philosophy, ideas, and education.