Tim Calder

This is the final week for the Otago University Rugby Football Club’s 125th Jubilee preparations. Queens Birthday weekend was chosen for the clubs big day over the 12th of June All Blacks v France test as the club didn’t want to compete with this major Dunedin event. The 125th Jubilee sub-committee was late to get off the ground with festivity organising but has put in a huge effort to date leaving only the finishing touches to be completed this week.

Media liaison David Tapp has done an excellent job with ensuring that the entire country was canvased to avoid any chance of people missing out on registering for this Jubilee. This weekends Otago Daily Times back page feature titled: “Who’s who of NZ rugby in varsity dream teams” is a good example of David’s work combined with fellow sub-committee member Rex Thomson, Hugh Tohill, and Iain Gallaway’s selection skills.

Luke Herlihy and I (and a few other Otago MBA classmates) were going to give it our best shot at presenting the gains to students if OUSA was in support of the construction of the new Stadium at Awatea Street when quorum count was called and the meeting was closed as there were only 136 at the meeting when 196 (1% of student population) was required.

THAT OUSA rescind motion 26/07. “THAT OUSA does not support the construction of the new stadium in Awatea Street”

THAT OUSA rescind motion 27/07. “THAT OUSA does NOT support the construction of the new stadium in Awatea Street if it (or related development) either:

• Contributes to fee increases, or
• Negatively affects OUSA’s ownership or control of UNIPOL”

THAT OUSA actively establish a positive working relationship with the Carisbrook Stadium Trust for the betterment of students and the wider community.

THAT OUSA supports the construction of the new stadium in Awatea Street.

SGM’s are a way in which students can have their say in what they want from their University experience and how things can be improved for their betterment. The problem is though that as the University’s role has grown and technology improved the system in which OUSA is run has not. This system may have worked when the student role was 4000, 1% of this would have meant 40 people. Now that the role is up to close to 20,0o0 people, 200 people are required! This makes the logistics of coordinating the meeting considerably more difficult.

What I believe Edwin Darlow, OUSA President, is looking to instigate is an online voting system whereby all students have the ability to listen to motions via video feed and then after deliberation cast their vote. This would be a far better system as ‘all’ students would have the opportunity to have their say.

Our new Dunedin based web based Start-up group The Distiller made this years nominees for the Outstanding Industry Initiative category at the PwC New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards. This has been a monumentious achievement for a group that has only been in existence for no more than six months!

The Distiller is approximately 5 weeks into its 12 weeks sprint whereby the start-ups within our walls make huge steps toward producing a prototype of their web application. A big ‘thank you’ needs to go to the team at the University of Otago’s Centre for Innovation, in particular Steve Bodmer. If it were not for this support we have received from Steve The Distiller would not be where it is today, nor would we have been able to enjoy the National Awards evening in Chrischurch live in person, along with many other industry greats!

Reading through the Otago Daily Times this weekend I was presently supprised to see pictures of two of my student rental properties on the front page! My first thought was, “Shit, what has happened now!”, but as I read on I found that a former student and staff of the Otago University, Sarah Gallagher, was attempting to put together a book of great Dunedin named student flats. After reading these articles I decided to join her Facebook group ‘Dunedin (NZ) student flats’ where I found several of my old varsity friends and loads of other great Dunedin named student flats.  

Dunedin’s population is about 115,000 and around 20,000 of those people are students at Otago University,

Most of them come from other places which creates a campus, unique in New Zealand, based round residential halls and flats centred on the University.

Otago’s student culture usually hits the headlines because of alcohol fuelled stupidity. But between those, relatively few, episodes of anti-social behaviour most of the students attend to their studies, sport and social activities without annoying other people or damaging property.

While doing so they forge friendships which last a lifetime.

Sarah Gallagher