We’re VUWSA – the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association –funded partly by the Student Services Levy you pay every year, and we’re here to make your time at uni a bit easier. Our ten student representatives govern what we do and make sure the student voice is heard across all levels of the uni.
Through the year VUWSA runs events, political campaigns, welfare initiatives and drives to make student life better, more affordable and more fun at uni and around Wellington City.
In 2022 we advocated for social change, running several campaigns around providing universal access to lecture recordings, free public transport fares, and creating a debt-free future; as well as supporting voters in the local elections with a series of on-campus political debates.
During Stress-Free Study Week we gave students breakfast, events and donuts in the lead-up to exams. Despite COVID-19 trying to put a dampener on things, we ran a successful Mental Health Awareness Week, Arts Week, Sustainability Week, and 2.0 Week.
We’re in charge of gigs and other fun events during O-Week, food trucks on Kelburn campus, giving out free menstrual products or community pantry food when you’re a bit low on cash, and supplying free confidential support when you need some extra help.
This Orientation Guide is your one-stop shop for all things uni. From info on services to great student deals, this book will set you up on the right path heading into Trimester One.
For updates on all the cool and important things happening on campus follow us on our socials and check out our website for all the services we provide!
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Wellington is a great place to be a student. The capital city offers so many opportunities to connect with the leaders, creators, and thinkers who live here. We enjoy strong links to government, business, iwi, the judiciary, and environmental and cultural institutions, and our students have easy access to everything the city has to offer. You, our students, help make this city the vibrant, creative, and unique place it is.
We want you to have a great experience during your studies here and are committed to ensuring you learn and live in a safe and inclusive environment. This is a place where you can expand your knowledge and gain the personal attributes and skills you will need to succeed in all areas of life.
I encourage you to get involved in the University community by taking part in the many activities we have available. We have over 140 clubs on campus and close to 10,000 students are involved in them, with many students joining more than one club. We also provide internships, volunteering, and programmes that help with personal development and leadership. These activities are a great way to meet new people and find your community.
Being part of the University community also gives you the opportunity to take action on the issues that matter to you. Our students and staff often partner to achieve societal change in areas such as climate change, social cohesion and equity. This activism from our community reflects our values as a university.
The University works hard to make sure you are well-mentored and supported so you can take advantage of everything that the University and Wellington have to offer. If you need some advice or run into a problem—academic, financial, social, personal—there is always someone who can help.
All the best for your studies in 2023 and welcome to the Wellington student community.
Professor Nic Smith Vice-Chancellor
I’m Tamatha Paul, your City Councillor representing you at the Wellington City Council. I was elected straight out of Vic Uni in 2019 and have been working hard to represent young people, students, women and Māori since then.
If you’re not from Pōneke, you’ll soon find out that this City is highly political and not just in a “make sure you vote in this year’s general election way”. All around the world and throughout history, tertiary students have been at the forefront of change to make communities fairer, more just places to live. Student movements have resisted fascism, fought for workers and unions, stood up for the climate and stood against violence on and off campus.
Even if you just look at Vic, in the last few years students have:
Led a major rally holding up Courtenay Place to stand with survivors of sexual violence calling for real action from those in power. This resulted in the Pōneke Promise, a major collaborative project to transform town, and the people in it, to be safer for everyone.
Fought hard for the half priced public transport fares we currently enjoy and successfully achieved the permanent 25% discount for tertiary students in Wellington.
Led a march to Parliament in 2019 demanding better resourcing of mental health support services resulting in Piki, the mental health programme and support service that is free for every 18-25 year old in the Wellington region.
These wins have saved lives both now and in the future. Our conditions didn’t magically improve by sitting around and accepting the status quo. We organised, we got active, and we understood that as a collective, we can wield power. We can plant the seeds for the next generation to be shaded under.
So this year, I encourage you to get active in the General Election. It’s not just about ticking a colour. It’s about holding the Government to account over what they said they’d do and who they claim to represent. It’s about challenging narratives that arise every three years. You know - gangs gangs gangs, soft on crime, immigration. Fuck that populist bullshit.
Join a club on Campus, volunteer with VUWSA (that’s what sparked my love for community organising), hit up your local city councillor or your local MP and work with them to address a problem you see coming up all the time. Get passionate. Get involved. There will never be a time as easy and as meaningful as now to get involved and to have impact for the people you love and the things you cherish.
See you soon,
Tamatha PaulKia ora, 你好 and a big welcome to this next stage of your life! I’m Jess and I’m the President of VUWSA - Te Aka Tauira, your students’ association.
The main thing we do is advocate for the student community and the issues we care about. We exist to help YOU. Whether it’s campaigning for lecture recording access or free tertiary education, free public transport or sexual harm prevention, VUWSA is always repping the student community.
The Uni, local council and central government are powerful decision makers who can either improve students’ everyday lives or fuck shit up. And too often, these decision makers aren’t predisposed to caring about student needs. We work to ensure students have a seat at the table, our needs and lived experiences are heard, and that decision makers are held accountable to their decisions.
We have your back, but we also need you to have our back. Decisions are a matter of political willpower and we need the collective strength of our 22,000 student community to ensure decision makers make the bold calls. In fact, the tikanga of VUWSA’s Te Reo name ‘Te Aka Tauira’ speaks to this - as the strong vine that binds all students and the different aspects of student life here at Vic, we are united through community and our collective needs. So please, engage with us and show up for your student representative groups!
You can also get in touch with us if you’re dealing with any issues related to the Uni, tenancy, employment or finances. We’ve got a lovely advocacy team who always stock fruit bursts for you to snack on and most importantly, they’re in your corner.
The other key thing we do is host fun events and give you free shit! We bring to you the O-Week night gigs, and great weeks like Sex Week, Sustainability Week and more. For the free stuff, come visit us in the Student Union Building, Kelburn Campus and pick up a COVID-19 medical pack, some kai from our community pantry, menstrual products or inter-campus bus passes for free. You can also get cheap council rubbish bags, campus parking or hire a locker with us too.
I hope you have a spectacular year :) You should definitely reach out to that cool person who sits near you in the library (who knows, maybe they’ve been wanting to get to know you too) or turn up to office hours if something your lecturer said lit a light bulb. Don’t be too shy to join the club that you like the look of! And this one’s really important, make sure to enrol and exercise your vote during the General Election at the end of this year!
Jess Ye President
Are you all set for VUWSA’s week-long party? Here’s a prep-list to make sure you are all set to have the best start to 2023!
Make sure you have your tickets ready on your phone (or printed out) to make getting into the gig a breeze. Keep an eye on our socials and website for more details on where to get your wristbands and when!
Haven't scored yourself a ticket for the O-Week action yet? Head to tickets.vuwsa.org.nz to see whether there are any tickets left!
Even if you are under 18, or not planning to buy any drinks, we are still going to need some photo ID on you – that means a NZ Driver’s License, Kiwi Access 18+ card, or passport. It must also be current (aka not-expired) and original (no photocopies or photos on your phone) – make sure you have it before you trek up the hill!
If you have a student ticket (either a COMBO PASS or TOGA PARTY ticket), or you are under 18 years of age, you will need to prove that you are a VUW student at the door. You can do this with either your Student ID card (these are available to collect from enrolments during the day), or by showing us a copy of your Confirmation of Study.
Charge your phone while you get ready for the night. Having a dead phone while you try to video or order an uber is a stitch up!
No one wants to come home after a night out only to find they’ve locked themselves out! Grab your keys and bring your wallet to make sure you’ve got your ID and money to buy some snacks or a taxi home.
It’s not worth getting kicked out of the venue for smoking or vaping on site, just leave it at home to remove the temptation.
If you're not well, don’t rock up. O-Weeks come and go, but bringing sickness into the mix is a pretty shit way to start your uni life. Look after yourself, look after your mates, and get the vax if you haven’t already!
The exec is elected each year by Te Herenga Waka students to ensure the student voice is part of the important conversations at the university. This team is the face of VUWSA, and you’ll see them around campus, at events, at important meetings and in the media repping student issues.
If you feel passionate about something on campus, or about students in the Wellington area, hit up the exec and see how you can get involved!
Meet Jess your VUWSA president for 2023! Her job is to support the VUWSA team to do their best, work with Ngāi Tauira and student representative groups, and form positive relationships with university and political leaders to ensure student needs are met. Jess is also VUWSA’s main media spokesperson, repping students.
As President, Jess will make sure that you see VUWSA out and about, engaging with you and advocating for the issues that students care about most. She knows that collective student action, getting students voting, and strong communities are the way forward for students to see the transformation they need in accessible education, housing affordability, student debt, climate change, pastoral care and more. Lastly, Jess is always keen to hear your suggestions on what VUWSA can do to make being a student easier!
Kia ora lovelies! Willa Aitken is your Academic Vice President for 2023. She is a 5th year Law and Commerce student majoring in Finance, originally from Hawkes Bay. If you see her around University or ever need help don’t be afraid to say hi or flick her an email!
In her role as Academic VP, she advocates for students alongside the VUWSA Academic Team, faculty delegates, class reps, Student Academic Committee, and other student rep groups. Our central focus is to support students and ensure your voice is heard and acted upon.
Marcail, your Welfare Vice-President for 2023! She is a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Art History and International Relations. As Welfare Vice-President Marcail will help to organise exciting, accessible and inclusive events while also holding the university accountable and advocating for student welfare and wellbeing.
This year Marcail will push to ensure student health and wellbeing is at the forefront of university decisions, she will advocate for readily available services/resources for addiction, mental health, gender, sexuality and other student healthcare, plus creating a more climate-friendly, sustainable campus.
Katherine is your Engagement Vice-President for 2023. They will be working with VUWSA’s engagement team, local and central government, community organisations and grassroots campaigners for tauira across Aotearoa, ensuring that students’ voices and issues are at the centre of decisions that affect them.
This year, Katherine will be pushing for ensuring the elected government understand and work to fix systemic issues students have been facing for decades. Housing, public transport and accessibility to education are key issues facing students that are determined by political will. The general election is a big year and the engagement team and the VUWSA executive will be working hard to ensure that students’ voices are heard, uplifted and empowered.
KAYLA ALLEN
Kayla is a fourth year Commerce and Law student majoring in Economics and Public policy. Previous to this position, Kayla spent two years advocating for Commerce students as a Vice-President of VicCom. As Education Officer, her position involves supporting the academic team in advocating for better educational outcomes for all students at Te Herenga Waka.
Accessibility to learning is important, students are no longer just students, they have jobs and cultural commitments. That is why her focus is advocating for accessible education for all students, pushing for universal access of lecture recordings and no online invigilation.
LIBAN ALI
Liban is a third year Bachelor of Arts student from the Hutt Valley and is your VUWSA Clubs and Activities Officer for this year.
His focus in this role will be facilitating for students in the clubs and activities space. His main focuses in this role are on engagement, accessibility, and support. In engagement, he will focus on facilitating events such as Clubs Expo, Clubs Executive Forum, and Gold Awards Night. His second focus will be on giving support and guidance to the clubs and societies who need it the most as well as running the Clubs Council so positive changes and im -
provements happen in the club space. His third focus will be making sure club spaces are accessible for all students at Te Herenga Waka and give them the best experiences while at Uni.
Liban’s overall 2023 goal is boosting club presence on campus and promoting a club space without any barriers!
HANA PILKINTON-CHING
Hana is your Campaigns Officer, working towards structural change that serves students. Hana is a Pākehā woman who proudly hails from Tītahi Bay, Porirua. She's studying Environmental Studies and Māori Studies and is passionate about a bunch of shit.
As Campaigns Officer last year, Hana focused on public transport equity through the Free Fares campaign. She's looking forward to continuing this mahi, campaigning for equity and climate justice this election year. Working across organisations and alongside students, Hana wants to push decision makers to act on the issues which students care about, working towards a better Aotearoa for all.
MIKA HERVEL
Mika is a third-year law and arts student here at Vic. He is passionate about engaging students with political issues, especially concerning climate change and environmental justice. As Sustainability Officer, Mika hopes to uplift student voices calling for climate action, encourage sustainability initiatives within the university, and support campaigns focused on climate change solutions.
Mika is involved with campaigning for students at a local and national level, with a particular focus on climate and transport issues. This year, Mika hopes to foster engagement with politics at the general election and highlight what students want to be done about climate change.
LEIA
Leia is a third-year BCOM student majoring in International Business and Japanese. Her major focus as VUW SA's Equity and Wellbeing Officer for 2023 is collaboration and advocacy.
Working alongside the VUWSA Wel fare team and the other rep-groups on campus is a major part of the Equi ty Officer’s role. Leia is passionate about strengthening the relationships between rep- groups, students and VUWSA to ensure students' voices are heard. As changes to the learning environment at the Uni continue to be made, Leia is determined to ensure that student wellbeing is at the fore front of these decisions.
ALYSSA
Alyssa is your Treasurer-Secretary for 2023!! As Treasurer-Secretary, she has 5 ultimate goals. She will be working on equity in funding, access to funding, and support in funding.
This is inclusive of representation, as well as transparency specifically sur rounding the Student Services Levy. She aims to fix the position itself, and push for funding for other student reps to acknowledge the work they do. She will continue to work with rep groups and clubs, as well as work on the Stu dent Services Levy. She is willing to assist if help is needed.
Mauri Ora is Te Herenga Waka’s health service, providing free or inexpensive medical care for those within the university. Make sure you sign up with Mauri Ora while at uni - it will save you lots of money on your healthcare!
Mauri Ora is open to all students and will always do their best to meet the needs of the patients.
However, in an emergency, directly call emergency services by dialling 111, or 8888 if you’re on campus.
Call 04 463 5308
to make an appointment or visit their reception:
Ground Floor, Student Union Building, Kelburn
Can provide personal medical advice, consultations, treatments, prescribe medication and referrals to other health services.
Can help with a range of health concerns including vaccinations, sexual health appointments, contraception and prescribe some medications.
Help for students struggling with sexuality, addiction, relationships, big life challenges, mental health and more.
Can help students to manage the core aspects of their health such as improving sleep, diet, finding good study, work, life balances.
If you are in a hall, you will also have the option of meeting with a Student Support Coordinator. They can provide confidential and professional help within the hall, chat to your RA for more details.
Come and see us in person at our office on Kelburn Campus:
VUWSA Kelburn
Level 4, Student Union Building (across the quad from Milk & Honey) Open 9-5, Mon-Fri.
or access all of our services online: vuwsa.org.nz
If you have two classes on the same day at different cam puses, you are eligible for free bus passes. Bring your timetable and Student ID into our Kelburn Office and we will load bus passes onto your Snapper card.
VUWSA runs a Community Pantry which gives food parcels to students who are struggling to make ends meet. This is a no-judgement system - any student can access a community pantry parcel. Apply for one online on our website, then pick it up from our Kelburn office.
VUWSA has microwaves and a student kitchen available during reception hours at our Kelburn office. There are also a number of microwaves available across our campuses, in the Law Students’ Common Room, and many other locations across Kelburn, Pip and Aro.
Lost property on campus tends to turn up at our office. If you’ve lost items on campus you can swing by our office or log your missing items online and our reception staff will contact you if it turns up.
50% off Pay and Display parking on Wai-te-Ata Road (behind Vic Rec at Kelburn Campus). You can apply for these online.
Need somewhere to store your stuff at uni? VUWSA has lockers for hire year round, with trimester and full-year options available. Apply online now!
Want a wallet-friendly and sustainable option for your period? We’ve got tons of options, from subsidised menstrual cups, to a variety of discount codes for period underwear and reusable pads. Check out our website for more! vuwsa.org.nz/menstrual-products
If you’ve been caught out this time, we’ve got your back. Kelburn, Pipitea and Te Aro campuses all have collection boards where you can pick up a pack of free tampons or pads. These boards can be found in the unisex bathrooms in the Hub at Kelburn (under the stairs), by the Info Ihonui desk at Pip and in the library at Te Aro.
Need some advice? Been treated unfairly? Don’t know who to talk to? Come and see one of our friendly advocates at VUWSA!
It’s not always smooth sailing when you’re at university. You may run into issues that prevent you from getting to class, getting fair grades, or submitting work on time.
Pretty much any problem, whether un-related or everyday related VUWSA’s got your back!
Let us introduce you to Erica and Brie. Our advocates are 100% independent from the university and 100% confidential. They can help with questions or issues about harassment, employment, flatting, classes, grades, mental health and much more.
They will either refer you to the services you need or step in and help advocate on your behalf for fairer treatment from your lecturers, landlords and/or bosses.
Joseph is our Student Representation Coordinator. He is the person who keeps the class rep system all in order and helps out with any course or faculty issues you might experience. He makes sure your academic experience here at the university is fair and just.
Whether you are a class rep who needs a hand, or you find your course is not following the academic handbook, course outline or is being unfair - Let your class rep or our awesome SRC, Joseph, know about it.
Email: studentvoice@vuwsa.org.nz
At the start of each trimester your lecturer will stand at the front of the room and ask, “does anyone want to be the class rep?”
You’ll sit there and toss up whether you do or don’t, just chuck your hand up and say yes! You can look out for your classmates and contribute to keeping lecturers accountable. VUWSA runs the Class Rep system, which aims to have at least one student in every course, at every level, as the bridge between students and lecturers.
The class rep is the person you can talk with about getting the lecturer to speak louder so you can hear at the back of the class, making sure power points are accessible, your online courses are running smoothly, or any issues with course content.
This is a really important job. VUWSA has online training and runs workshops and group sessions for class reps throughout the trimester to make sure you’re well supported. For more info head to our website.
Being a class representative counts towards the Wellington Plus Programme and VUWSA hosts the Student Rep Awards each year to celebrate hard-working class reps and faculty delegates.
Join our committee to discuss all things Hall of Residence!
A place where an elected representative from your Hall can raise issues or give opinion on behalf of fellow residents. It’s about empowering students in halls to have a voice and ensure student welfare and engagement is prioritised.
Interested in becoming a rep?
Stay tuned for info from your Hall of Residence or contact your Head of Hall to find out more info!
Clubs Council is a representative body for Clubs here at Te Herenga Waka. It advises the University on club matters, governs VUWSA’s clubs policy and gives one of their members the opportunity to sit on the Sponsorship Panel.
The Clubs Council is made up of ten club representatives, VUWSA’s Clubs and Activities Officer and representatives from Uni Recreation.
To find out more email: activities@vuwsa.org.nz
Throughout the year VUWSA hosts events such as Stress Free Study Week, where we provide free breakfast and lunch for students to help them grind through their studies!
We need volunteers for various activities around the campus from serving food to promoting student campaigns. Keep an eye out on our socials or check out vuwsa.org.nz/volunteer
Our campus has many different coloured bins, so we can sort our rubbish and ensure we reduce the amount put into landfills.
AURAKI Reusable Cups
Green-coloured bins are where you can chuck any organic material so they can make their way to composting or worm farms.
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Forgot to bring your KeepCup? Use an AURAKI instead! Pick up a reusable mug from one of the on-campus cafes and return at no charge. They’re a convenient way to reduce waste and help protect Papatūānuku. Using AURAKI is simple, all you need to do is:
Recycling bins are usually marked in yellow, and they’re for plastic or cansbut only if they’re clean!
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Dark blue bins are for paper, and light blue ones are often for glass. For everything else, look out for red bins around campus. If you’re not sure what goes where, check out the signs.
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Choose your cup.
Use it for your drink.
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Return it to the cafe or in a drop off box around campus.
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BYO Discounts
All food options on campus are happy for you to bring your own cups, containers, and plates for your lunch. Some offer a discount if you do so! Save your money and save single-use products from landfill.
Eat a meal, hydrate and be well rested before a big night.
Do your research and get your drugs checked to find out what's really in them. Drug checking is free, legal and anonymous.
Start with a low dose and wait at least an hour to feel the effects before deciding to take more. The more of a drug you take, the more likely you are to experience unpleasant effects or overdose.
How drugs affect you will be different depending on your body, your mood and your environment.
Some drugs can make you horny. It’s important to get an enthusiastic yes and to protect yourself and others from STIs.
Mixing drugs (including alcohol and medications) changes the effects and the risks. Use a drug interaction chart to find out what to expect.
Think about how you want your night to go and what you'll do if things go wrong. Know how you’re getting home and look after your mates.
The next day, check in on the people you were with and talk about your experiences.
Look, Wellington has a reputation. YOU CAN'T BEAT WELLY ON A GOOD DAY but damn you can definitely beat it on a bad day. Umbrellas will not work. We know that sounds like a Wellington meme, but they’ll break. Get a cool raincoat –you'll thank us in the long run.
To reverse that, the sun will burn you. Yes, it’s windy and cloudy, but in the summer months, you’ll burn. Seriously, keep sunscreen and a warm jersey with you at all times for safety’s sake.
Sometimes you’ve got to escape uni life and get outside for a bit. Fortunately, Wellington is chocka with green space. Within walking distance from all of the campuses there’s trees and parks where you can have your lunch, hang with mates, or pretend you’re going to study in the sun. Try Katherine Mansfield Park in Thorndon, Polhill Reserve in Brooklyn, the Botanical Gardens (the Botans) in Kelburn, or even Mt Vic. If you want to stretch a little further than Oriental Parade then jump on a bus to Island Bay or Lyall Bay. Whether it's surfing, swimming, cafes, takeaways or a cold pint, you'll find a new go-to spot.
It’s real weird to end up in a new place and not know what to do or where to go. Here are some top tips if you’re new to Wellington – or even if you’re just new to Te Herenga Waka!
Get yourself a Snapper card as soon as you can. You might promise yourself that you’ll walk every day, but soon enough it’ll be raining, and you’ll be facing a slow and damp trek up the hill, which no-one enjoys. The Snapper card works on Wellington buses and trains, and its sweet student price will save you a bunch of money in the long run. If you’ve got classes at more than one campus, you can even get a bus pass from VUWSA that gives you FREE TRAVEL between campuses!
Look, we’ve got options here. Perhaps they don’t always run all the time, but there’s a bunch of ways to get about the city. Use your Snapper on the trains, buses and cable car. The city itself is also quite walkable if that’s your vibe, otherwise we love e-scooters. All current e-scooter companies in the city have student deals, and they’re a fast and environmentally friendly way to get about the city. Just make sure you wear your helmet and park them responsibly!
Get away from that hall food and try out some of the diverse food options scattered about the city. We’ve got more eateries per capita than New York, and these ones won’t break the bank. Now’s your time to branch out and try something new.
TGIF - Splash out on a $12 bottle of wine and get your BYO on at Oriental Kingdom or Red Hill.
DIETARY NEEDS -Sweet Release, Lord of the Fries and Nolita have some of the best food out there for those eating vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free!
BURGS - Burger Liquor is a Wellington staple along with the new kid on the block with their gravy fries, Lucky Chicken (vegetarian options too).
SUSHI TIME - If you haven't tried a rice ball then next time you're feeling hungry order a salmon, chicken or veggie rice-ball at any of the local sushi places around town.
P.S Maki Mono (and almost all other sushi stores in Welly) has half-priced sushi after 4pm.
Partying this O-Week? Find out what you’re really taking. It’s free, legal and discreet.
Wednesday 22 February 5pm–9pm
VUWSA Office
Level 4, Student Union Building
Bring a small sample of your substance, about the size of a match head (10mg).
As a new university student, it’s really important to know not just the what’s what, but the who’s who at Vic. We thought we’d give you a brief look at the kinds of people that make up the university.
Vic can definitely feel like a faceless bureaucracy at the best of times. It is equally true that Vic is made up of people with a wide range of relationships to and stakes in the institution. Your most engaging and responsive lecturer, your most enthusiastic and compassionate tutor, and the sympathetic administrator who helped you change courses at the last minute all have one thing in common: they are all employees of the university.
These employees don’t have the same relationship to the university as those who employ them though: the management who make decisions on behalf of the university. These decisions all too often reflect financial goals rather than educational ones.
These interests don’t always align, and as a result the university’s decision-making doesn’t always represent its staff and students. That’s where student associations like VUWSA and unions like the TEU come in. The TEU, or Tertiary Education Union, is a workers’ organisation dedicated to the interests of all staff employed by universities across Aotearoa New Zealand. In short: if you become employed by Vic or any other domestic university, the TEU is your union.
Unions are democratic, collective organisations that protect and advocate for employee interests. In New Zealand, you have the legal right to join a union and you cannot be discriminated against for being a member of one. Unions bargain for and negotiate collective agreements with employers which lay out terms for wages, hours, and working conditions.
Unions also give staff a democratic say in how their workplace is run: they allow us to channel our collective voice so we have a say in decisions that would otherwise be made for us by our employers. Historically, this dynamic has resulted in huge gains for workers that today we take for granted: weekends, overtime, an end to child labour, good stuff like that!
Union activism isn’t even restricted to labour politics, either. Unions have been on the front lines of feminist struggles for equal pay; they’ve flexed their muscles in support of Māori land struggles like the occupation of Bastion Point; and they’re also playing an important role through ‘just transition’ campaigning to ensure that industries are making the changes they need to stop contributing to climate change while not throwing everyday working people under the [electric] bus in the process. Unions have the power to quite literally change the world.
So if you end up working at Vic, join the TEU. If you don’t, support the TEU anyway because ultimately, the teaching conditions of staff are your learning conditions. And look into unions at your own place of work - join one or start one!
Tū kotahi! Tū kaha!~Victoria
Tutors’ NetworkAre you working for the uni?
Join the TEU here: http://teu.ac.nz/join
Salient is our student magazine, created by a fab team of student writers, sub-editors, photographers, illustrators, podcast hosts and volunteers, all letting you know what’s going on at university and in the student world.
Take a look at their weekly magazine (free, available at stands across all the campuses, as well as on the Internet) or listen to their podcasts online.
Want to be involved?
Get in touch and chuck the Salient Editor an email!
Email: editor@salient.org.nz
Welcome to O-Week! It’s a week of new experiences and new people, heralding in your first year of university - a time of reinvention for many. And here to guide you through it all is Salient: your student magazine.
Salient has been a stalwart of student culture here at Te Herenga Waka since 1938. Salient is your student magazine, tasked with holding VUWSA and the University to account on the issues students care about. We are student run and produced, pro
viding you weekly entertainment to break up those monotonous course readings.
And who are we? We’re Maia and Francesca, fresh grads from THW-VUW, and your Salient editors for 2023. We’ve got a passion for creativity and a fire for tackling the big issues facing students today - be it hall food that looks like it came from a dumpster, landlords feeding off student paychecks, a changing climate, or failing mental health services. Each week, we and the rest of the Salient team bring you the lowdown on the latest happenings at here and in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
You’ll find a new issue of Salient at any one of our three campuses every Monday. Check out Headline Junkie for a bite-sized look at the news of the past week, or flick straight to the Procrastination Station to kill time with the crosswords and Sudoku. Check out something new with music, theatre and film reviews in the arts and culture section. Before ripping out the centrefold to adorn the walls of your hall bedroom, have a read of our features, a weekly mix of writing both investigative and entertaining catered to catch the eye of Te Herenga Waka students.
Salient isn’t just a print magazine, so if you aren’t on campus to pick up a copy, no sweat. Flick through the issue online and follow us on Instagram at @SalientMag to catch a round up of the best of each week’s issue. When it’s time for your hot girl walk, cue up one of Salient’s Podcasts: A whole suite of podcasts created and produced by Te Herenga Waka students, commenting on everything from life in your 20’s, psychology, feminism, and eco-critical science communication. You’ll find Fran and Maia spinning yarns in our weekly Unedited Session, where we digest that week's issue and make sure you don’t miss the highlights. Find episodes on Spotify and our website.
Reckon you’ve got something to add to the magazine? Send your pitches for articles and podcasts to editor@salient.org.nz. We’re always on the lookout for new contributors, so if you're interested in student media, get in touch or swing by the Salient office in the Student Union Building. We’ll be out and about in the Hub asking students questions every week, and you’ll see us at Clubs Expo - so come say hi and tell us what you’ve got.
Enjoy the O-Week antics, test your drugs and hold onto your mates - if you make it through to Monday, we’ll see you in the fresh pages of Salient’s first issue.
Ngā manaakitanga, Maia Ingoe (she/her) & Francesca Pietkiewicz (she/they)
216TH20TH OCT
Weed Week
Sex Week
16TH9TH JUN TRI
TRI
The end of the tri is a pretty stressy time, but VUWSA is here to help. VUWSA provides free food on campus every day of study week on our campuses. We also provide some fun study break activities throughout the week. We want you to feel as calm as possible during a really hectic time of the academic year!
1ST5TH MAY A week for to get more informed around drugs and alcoholcome along to get expert advice and tips on how to stay safe and look after your mates. Keep an eye out for the full schedule, panel topics, and more on our socials!
20TH24TH MAR
Safe, sane and consensual sex should be at the centre of everyone’s experiences. As a part of our commitment to ending sexual harm in Wellington, Sex Week presents the opportunity for open and honest conversations with people who really know their stuff! No matter if you’re having sex, happy on your own, found the one/s or somewhere in between, everyone has the right to learn about themselves, their bodies, and healthy relationships.
O-WEEK
20TH FEB3RD MAR
Join us for two weeks of O-Week goodness! For our first week of music events, grab your tickets from tickets.vuwsa.org.nz . With a lineup that includes Yung Gravy, Cub Sport, Genesis Owusu, LF System and many more, it’ll be a week you don’t want to miss. For our second week, check out our Market Expos, alongside a bunch of other events to help you find your way around campus.
ACROSS
1 Like letters you'd receive from info@wgtn .ac.nz (6)
4 Where one might study commerce or law, in short (3)
6 VUWSA OWeek venue, The ____ (3)
8 The 'A' in VUWSA (11)
10 A Law student's goal (3)
11 Word shouted playing cards (3)
13 Legal protection for shoppers, initially (3)
14 Lunch item from Louis' (3)
15 The worst place to sit in a classroom (4, 3)
19 Comes to (7)
20 Weekly student magazine (7)
22 You'll find 13 on Cuba Street (7)
25 Studied before an exam (7)
30 Visual media (7)
31 Compulsory levy paid on top of tuition fees, initially (3)
32 Abbr. at the end of a list (3)
33 Like Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act (3)
35 Te Pātaka Toi Adam ___ Gallery (3)
36 VUWSA, in te reo (2, 3, 6)
37 New title for Ashley Bloomfield (3)
38 Some staff at Mauri Ora, in short (3)
39 Overbridge destination from Kirk (6)
DOWN
2 Must-wear accessory of the last 3 years (4)
3 Class (7)
4 William and Harry, as examples (7)
5 Arcade game (7)
6 Request from StudyLink's phoneline, maybe (4, 6)
7 Possible course material for Religious Studies? (5)
9 Swears (5)
12 Prefix for "binary" (3)
15 Stinger (4)
16 Vocal response to a litter of puppies, say (2)
17 STAT 193 must-have (10)
18 New Kirk Building, initially (2)
21 Like a well-kept study space (4)
23 How Jessica Ye became VUWSA President (7)
24 Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, etc. in slang (7)
25 Hands, in te reo (5)
26 Like a Moa, but Australian (3)
27 One of our Pasifika neighbours (7)
28 Photosharing app, initially (2)
29 Erbium, on a chemist's table (2)
31 Some Red Rocks locals (5)
34 Te Aro Campus degree, abbr. (4)
