Exam stresses are set to rise to an even greater level for students currently living in Victoria University’s Halls of Residence, as they need to ensure their departure by the final day of exams.

All residents of Vic’s halls must leave by Saturday 13 November.

The strict move-out date is necessary, Victoria Student Accommodation Manager Nick Merrett says.

“In most cases students attending trimester three courses move in to the halls on the Sunday which is why
residents need to vacate on Saturday 13 November.

“In the case of University Hall, refurbishment work is beginning at 8am Sunday morning so rooms need to be
cleaned and cleared ahead of that work beginning.”

Students spoken to by Salient still feel that the refurbishments are at a bad time, for the academically-focused University Hall.

“I understand that the renovations are important but couldn’t they have started a week later?” says one
University Hall resident.

“It seems stupid that Uni Hall, as an academic hall first and foremost, are making us clean up and move out
during a week when most of us still have exams.”

The inflexible date of University Hall’s renovations is an adequate reasoning for some students.

“It’s annoying but I can see why they are doing it.

“It’s a one-off because of the renovations so we just had to deal with it and start to clean up now, I guess.”

The clean up date for University Hall has been set at November 10, adding even more pressure to stressed
students.

Merrett says that students have had warning and there have been arrangements in some halls to let
students with Saturday exams leave a day later.

“Residents were initially advised they may have to vacate their room before midnight on Saturday 13
November.

“Following an approach from students with Saturday exams, arrangements have been made for these students to vacate their rooms on Sunday morning.”

Many of the halls cannot allow students to stay later which is why the move out date is so strict.

“Most catered halls have strict move-out dates because that is when catering services finish and there
are no cooking facilities for residents to self-cater,” says Merrett.

“Other halls usually have flexibility, and students can stay for a longer period of time.”

Due to Campus Hub construction, there is currently no wheelchair access to parts of the Student Union Building.

Soon the VUWSA office will join Salient’s office in being out of reach for disabled students.

VUWSA President Max Hardy says that it is an inconvenient situation.

“We are working with Disability Support Services currently to ensure our office and services are accessible as
possible.

“We are very concerned that the office will not be accessible for any period of time, although we have limited this time to only a part of the third trimester.”

The time period over which the offices will be unavailable to disabled students was carefully planned, says Director of Campus Services Jenny Bentley.

“There will be no wheelchair access to VUWSA and Salient’s offices, now on Level 2, between mid-October and when construction is completed in mid February 2011.

“The work was planned for this period to minimise impact on students and we worked with the university’s Access Committee to find a solution for access.”

Bentley says that although inconvenient, the blocking off of significant parts of the Student Union Building was unavoidable, due to Wellington City Council requirements.

The university is planning on installing a phone that disabled students can use.

Bentley says that this is planned to enable full access to the services of Salient and VUWSA for disabled students.

“To ensure that all students continue to have access to VUWSA and Salient’s services, the university is putting a phone in the atrium for students to call VUWSA or Salient and arrange to meet in a suitable location,” says Bentley.

The phone will be in place by mid-October when wheelchair access to VUWSA is cut off. Disabled students can then call VUWSA with the phone number detailed on signs at the Student Union Building entrances.

A problem still clearly remains for Victoria students who are both in a wheelchair and are deaf and/or mute.

Bentley says that they have forewarned students and staff about the upcoming access problems.

“Disability Services has emailed registered students and briefed key contacts around the campus about the changes.”

Victoria’s Disability Services Manager Rachel Anderson-Smith says that although the blockages are problematic, the construction will help in the long run.

“When this project is finished, all students, including those with impairments, will have a much more accessible Counselling Service and Student Health Service.”

“While not perfect in the short term, the project is a significant leap forward in creating a fully accessible Victoria campus.”

English and French are two different languages. That’s an obvious point. But the ‘French night’ combined these in such a way that both English- and French-speaking audience members generally got the gist of what was going on. It was engaging and enjoyable evening compiled of singing, dancing and acting.

Big ups to the MC character of Mademoiselle Toilette (Claire O’Loughlin) who moved the showcase pieces through with wit, humour and a big red wig. The precursors to the play C’est une femme du monde included the truly beautiful singing of Rose Duxfield and the contemporary ‘Flashbaque’ of the Weir House Dance Crew.

Another ‘lol’ moment was Philippe Martin-Lau’s reading of the French poem ‘Le Harang Saur.’ The showcase was a combination of humour and sincerity, dance and music, moved through at an energizing pace which kept it lively and entertaining for the audience.

The main event of the night was the play C’est une femme du monde which was entirely spoken in French. Despite the fact I don’t speak one iota of the language, it was still relatively obvious what was going on for the majority of the show. Robert Parker, playing Alfred, deserves particular mention for his ability to convey exactly what his character was thinking in a comical manner for those of us non-Frenchies. He also did a pole dance against a chair at one point, which was enjoyable.

It was obvious that the actors had a good time, which made the audience in turn do the same. And, ultimately, it made people laugh, which is always good for a comedy.

Meeting ends with a convenient quorum count of 99

The advertised sausage sizzle and ‘giant’ sandwich certainly lured people into VUWSA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held last Wednesday in the Memorial Theatre, but once the free food went, so did the students.

Quorum was met with two minutes to spare at 1.28pm with over 100 students in the room.

As per Section 2(1) of Part II of the VUWSA Constitution, general meetings must have quorum of 100 people within 30 minutes of starting in order for the meeting to be held.

Quorum was later lost when the infamous AGM-attendee and Act On Campus President Peter McCaffrey called for a quorum count approximately half an hour later, resulting in the discovery that there were only 99 students left in the room. VUWSA President Max Hardy then immediately ended the meeting.

Many students spoken to by Salient were disappointed with this outcome.

“It’s so annoying, this kind of thing seems to happen every time,” one student said.

Despite its relatively early closure, Hardy was pleased with the meeting.

“The Annual General Meeting was a success.”

VUWSA was able to run through the majority of items on the agenda before the meeting was disbanded, albeit with brief interruptions. At one point, a motion was passed for McCaffrey to not be heard as a result of these interruptions.

The carried motions included the approval of the Half Year Report and Financials, the appointment of VUWSA’s Solicitor and Auditor, and the recognition of the VUW Science Society as a representative group.

The Science Club’s President William Guzzo was excited about the prospect.

“It will help Science students get a life.”

Hardy was also pleased with this outcome.

“The highlight [of the AGM] was certainly the formation of the VUW Science Society as VUWSA’s newest Rep Group. We hope that they will be a major success in the years to come.”
Another motion passed was for VUWSA to investigate the food options on campus, particularly specialty dietary requirements provided for students during the Campus Hub renovations. Hardy said that this was already VUWSA’s agreed role within the Campus Hub contract.

“VUWSA will be on every panel regarding food and beverage decisions, so essentially I agree with this motion.”

More light-hearted motions were passed, namely formal congratulations to the VUW Medieval and Renaissance Society Association for having more members than Vic Labour.

The final motion was for VUWSA to support the Green Party’s Warm Healthy Rentals Bill, which aims to ensure there are mandatory heating requirements in flats.

A quorum count called for by McCaffrey just before this motion was voted on resulted in a total of 99 students, after which Hardy announced that the meeting was over.

When questioned about the convenience of the timing and result of this quorum count, McCaffrey told Salient that he believed it was intentional.

“VUWSA don’t want political statements being made while the VSM bill is going through.

“But I’m not surprised. The quorum count always just happens to be whatever is the most convenient at the time.”

Salient can confirm that McCaffrey was not paid or bribed by VUWSA to call for a quorum count at that time.

“I was really just trying to save the VUWSA lawyer from any extra work having to invalidate the AGM because of a motion being passed supporting a bill at parliament.”

Students Kade Sheely and Tenzin Heatherbell were unimpressed with the meeting.

“There’s a wide belief that VUWSA is a joke, so we came along to see if this was true,” says Sheely, “and apparently it is.”

“It seems to be all the weirdos from every corner of the university in one room,” added Heatherbell.

VUWSA had intended to pass a motion to include the option of ‘No Confidence’ to the positions of University Council Representative and Publications Committee Representatives, effectively changing the constitution so that individuals could not be elected with only one vote.

Due to a failure to propose the motions on the VUWSA noticeboard 14 days before the AGM, this was not allowed.

Hardy had stated this intention at a meeting with Salient recently and it was included in Welfare Vice-President Seamus Brady’s column in last week’s issue.
Hardy says that this issue may be addressed next year.

“I am aware that there are some members that wish to propose amendments at the IGM next year which will provide for no confidence option for the Uni Council Rep and Pub Comms representatives elections.”

‘Wasted trash’ no longer only refers to drunken students stumbling through town, heels in hand, on a Saturday night.

According to recent findings, Victoria University’s recycling minimisation strategy is failing, as the amount of waste continues to rise despite plans to reduce it.

Section 4.2.2 of the Victoria Facilities Management Policy Group’s Environmental Policy describes their aim to “manage the University’s natural and physical resources in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner”.

Aspects of this policy, which was introduced in 2006, include the recycling of 38 per cent of Victoria’s waste, energy saving, double-sided printing and the permanent position of an Environmental Manager.

Jenny Bentley, Director Campus Services, says that these changes have been overseen by the Environmental Committee and continue to be worked on.

“Victoria is currently working on a draft waste minimisation strategy, which will be complete by the end of this year.”

On top of this, Bentley says the Environmental Committee and student environmental group Gecko have attempted to engage with students and staff to ensure there is less waste around campus.

“Staff are encouraged to distribute resources electronically on Blackboard as much as possible to avoid distributing material to students who will not use it and to allow students to print assignments double-sided.”

VUWSA’s Environmental Officer Zachary Dorner says that this ‘strategy’ has not yet been effective.

“There is huge scope for reduction in this area, beyond what has already been done. It’s disappointing to see Vic’s waste rising last year, though the aim was to reduce it.”

The statistics show that there was almost a seven per cent increase from 2009 in Victoria’s waste, despite the plan to decrease it by seven per cent.

Many students spoken to by Salient were unaware of the waste problems around Victoria campuses.

“The only recycling bins I have seen are in the common room at Law School, it would be good to see more of that around all campuses,”one student says.

“I haven’t seen any recycling bins in the University library,” agrees another student, “which seems stupid because that’s where a lot of students clearly have recyclable rubbish”.

Dorner says that recycling is one of the key ways in which students can help minimise Victoria’s waste.

“Use the recycling bins, bring your own lunch in re-usable containers and avoid buying things with too much packaging.

“Get a keep cup for coffee, ask your lecturers not to print things you don’t need printed, and send an email to Pat Walsh asking him to implement a proper Waste Minimisation Strategy.”

Local student hangout Offbeat Originals has abruptly ‘closed until further notice’ according to a sign put up in the window late last month.

Situated just off Cuba Mall, Offbeat has been open for the past three years, so the sudden closure is concerning for students spoken to by Salient.

“I remember going there on Tuesday, then walking past on Thursday and it was closed,” one student says.

“I love Offbeat, they’re awesome! It really sucks.”

The telephone number and Offbeat email address remained unanswered when Salient went to print on Thursday.

One student who lives above the popular student café says that Offbeat is seemingly always open.

“I’ve never seen Offbeat shut before—there is always someone downstairs from like ten in the morning ‘til ten at night.”

She says that the closure may have been caused by building leakages. Water has apparently been seeping through the deck above the café, resulting in a health and safety issue.

“The landlord came to see us the other day to tell us it was leaking into Offbeat and needed fixing so only one person was allowed on there at a time.

“We haven’t heard from them since so we are unsure what is happening.”

Only time will tell how long students will be cut off from Offbeat.

If Hogwarts had a ‘magical’ StudyLink, the postal owls would be overworked, according to recent student complaints.

Victoria University students spoken to by Salient say that the amount of mail received from StudyLink is overwhelming and often unnecessary.

“I realise that we need to know about our loans,” says one student, “but I always get sent the same letters repeatedly and it gets quite annoying.”

In a media release StudyLink also acknowledged the overwhelming amount of mail sent out to students across New Zealand, however they state that it is necessary.

“Yes, we know, we do send a lot of letters! It’s important that we keep you informed about what’s happening with your student finances.”

VUWSA’s Environmental Officer Zachary Dorner agrees that it is essential for students to be kept updated in regards to their loans, but he criticises the excess paper wastage by StudyLink.

“It’s important to keep students up to date with important information regarding their loans, but government departments often seem a bit slow with keeping up with modern technology.” Dorner says.

“Saving on paper not only helps the environment, but reduces costs to StudyLink, and ultimately on students.”

Students have noticed that they receive StudyLink mail much more frequently than mail from other companies, such as banks.

“It seems like they send out mail at least twice for each dealing I have had with them.”

StudyLink does offer an alternative option for students, who can opt to receive letters online. This was introduced at the beginning of November 2009 in an initiative to help students reduce their carbon footprint.

As of 21 September this year, StudyLink records that there are over 127,000 students who have registered to receive their mail online. StudyLink hopes to see an increase when the remaining forms of correspondence, such as the loan contract, become available online from late October.

StudyLink’s Acting General Manager Rachel Bruce describes the reasoning behind the change as largely environmental.

“One of the key reasons for introducing the online mail service is to reduce the amount of paper we use.

“We are conscious of the environmental impact of paper-based communication.”

Dorner says this is the best way to go environmentally.

“The online letters option is definitely the best—that’s how I get mine. All students should opt for this option from StudyLink, their banks and so on where possible.”

Despite being introduced in November 2009, students are often unaware of the online letter option.

“StudyLink may do better by advertising this option more prominently,” says Dorner.

Bruce says that StudyLink has advertised this option widely.

“This new service…has been actively promoted on our website and in material sent to students since.”

Bruce says that ultimately it is up to the students to be proactive.

“We want students themselves to play their part too. If a student has access to the internet and wants to assist us with this initiative, we encourage them to register for Mail Online.”

Victoria University Netball wins Club of the Year

The quote “Victoria University Netball Club is ‘CLUB OF THE YEAR’…Can I get a WOOT WOOT!!!!!!!!!” from TeamVic’s Facebook page sums up the euphoria felt by the club’s members after winning ‘Club of the Year’ at Wellington Netball Prizegiving.

TeamVic came up against all other clubs from within the Wellington draw, but placed first largely as a result of the effort put in by TeamVic’s Committee during the 2010 season.

President Fiona Johnson-Bell says that this win is just the beginning of the committee’s plans for the club.

She aims to bring in dress uniforms, tracksuits and an upgrade of the facilities at the Salamanca courts.

“I not only want this club to be a force on the netball court but also one that the members care about the club as it looks after them.”

Students belonging to the club say that they are proud to be a part of TeamVic.

“The club has really improved over the last year,” one member says. “I was stoked with Vic’s winning team of the year because it means we will now be taken more seriously by other clubs in Wellington.”

Increasing the number of teams from seven to 15 at the beginning of the season also had an impact on the club’s success.

Johnson-Bell puts this down to a “massive recruiting campaign” commencing at the end of 2009.

TeamVic’s Overall Sportsperson of the Year, second-year student Stacey Sharp, says that the massive increase of teams certainly began the season on a new note.

“Going from seven to 15 teams was an awesome way to kick off a new year.”

Despite the hard work put in over the year, the Committee and the members of TeamVic were surprised by their win of ‘Club of the Year’.

“We were completely caught off-guard at the Wellington prize-giving,” says Johnson-Bell, “It was such an incredible feeling that all our hard work, long hours and effort put into managing and organising everyone had paid off.”

Stacey Sharp agrees that the win was unexpected but well deserved.

“TeamVic is best netball club I have ever belonged to,” says Sharp, “it is like the definition of Uni, I think, a mixture of a lot of hard work on-court and a hell of a lot of good times off the court!”

For those of us lucky enough to have any money, banks are an essential part of life. However, problems have arisen between banks and students regarding the transition between student and graduate account packages.

Every year, many New Zealand banks change students automatically onto a graduate account, regardless of whether they have received information from the student.

BNZ Customer Solutions Advisor Robert Judd says that this is merely procedure.

“The way it is works is on an annual basis,” says Judd.

“Until we are notified that you are still studying it will be transferred to a graduate account.

“This is basically because the majority of students study for three years, during which many often have a break and go into the workforce and we just need to be informed.”

The automatic transfer to a graduate account was an inconvenience for a BNZ student customer.

“It’s really annoying because I had no notification, so I only found out when I needed to go the bank itself and they brought it up.

“Now I have to go in at the start of every year to check.”

A former student spoken to by Salient had the opposite problem with Westpac, being unable to change over to a graduate account, despite having finished at Victoria.

The former student said difficulties arose in the transition period between the end of the university year and graduation in May.

“Because I was at the end of a tertiary account, and had not yet acquired a grad account, I had been hoping to get an overdraft but they said this was unable to be done under the tertiary account because it was so close to expiring. I was in bank account limbo.”

A National Bank student customer says that while he was not automatically transferred, certain aspects of the student account package were revoked after the first year.

“I found out to my own expense that they remove my $2000 overdraft limit after a year, which was lame.”

Student accounts are beneficial for students on the whole. Most New Zealand banks, including Westpac, ASB, ANZ, BNZ and National Bank, have similar student account deals. These include no monthly base or transaction fees, an interest-free overdraft and a free to low-fee credit, Visa or debit plus card.

“It is true that although there are hassles,” one student concludes, “we are much better off having student packs than none at all.”

Students pitching-in want university to do the same

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Christchurch last Saturday has left students in shock as a result of both the destruction and Canterbury University’s cancellation of their study week.

The Facebook group “Bring back study week!”, which already has over 2000 members, calls for students to email their respective lecturers in order to gain a class-free final week of term.

“It’s really unfair for us, especially with full year papers,” says a third-year Law student. “I don’t understand how they expect us to perform to the best of our ability without study week.”

Some lecturers, such as Commercial Law lecturer Sacha Mueller, have already cancelled their lectures during the last week for students.

The power of Facebook was also proven by a group of Christchurch students who have put together a “Student Volunteer base for Earthquake clean up” public event. The site lists where the clean-ups are occurring around Christchurch, provides details and maps, and transportation possibilities.

It also provides an opportunity for members of the community to pitch in, demonstrated through the offers of baking, snacks, equipment, and overwhelming numbers of volunteers evident on the page.

The response to cries for help in Christchurch has been phenomenal, particularly in the aftermath of such a shocking event, says one Canterbury student.

“It was bizarre, the reaction was jubilation that none of us were hurt, shortly followed by guilt because people lost so much. But I feel that, because of the help, there is at least some positive effect.”

This is particularly important with the new estimate of the cost of the earthquake damage coming to $4 billion.

There is still a possibility that more damage will result from the aftershocks, despite the fact they are slowing down.

Victoria University’s Dr John Townend says that these aftershocks are to be expected given the severity of the earthquake.

“This is what big earthquakes do. They cause aftershocks and they do rattle on for some time so nerves will be frayed.”

He says that the smaller shocks will probably go on for weeks, although they will become less forceful over time.

Wellington City Council sheds light on the issue

The idea of a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ has become a reality for students residing at the Botanical Garden end of Salamanca Road as a result of streetlight problems.

Residents say that the lights along the top end of Salamanca Road have been turning off and on through the night for quite a while.

“It’s been happening since we moved in at the start of the year, but has increased recently,” says Cherri Hartigan, a student resident of Salamanca Road.

“Almost every time I have left the house at night for the last couple of weeks it has been pitch black, which is quite dangerous.”

The safety issue around the seemingly broken streetlights is also a concern to the Wellington City Council.

The council is in control of the Wellington streetlight network, which includes approximately 16,000 streetlights.

Each year the council completes a number of street lighting improvements prioritised based on aspects such as night-time crashes, night-time pedestrian demand, vehicle volumes and the number of ‘high risk’ individuals such as children or cyclists in the area.

Council Communications Officer Richard MacLean says that a lack of lighting is particularly concerning around the university.

“The area around the university is a high priority for obvious reasons—it’s very busy and there are lots of students around.”

MacLean says that the street lighting staff were not aware of the problem on Salamanca Road but would immediately check out the situation and rectify it if necessary.

“Sometimes faults do occur, and lights go out when they reach the end of their working life,” MacLean explained. “Although the main arterial routes through the city are patrolled and inspected monthly, we also rely on the public calling us to let us know.”

VUWSA’s Campus Angels were introduced eight years ago in response to the dangers around Victoria University at night, following a “spate” of incidents and police warnings, says Welfare Vice-President Seamus Brady.

“We continue to provide the service to give those studying late on campus the option of being accompanied to an area safely.”

Brady says that although the Campus Angels report back to VUWSA, there have not been that many complaints about street lighting.

“We haven’t had any complaints about the lighting on Salamanca. However, the lights on Mount Street did turn off when I was leaving the office other night.”

Other problem areas include the Te Aro campus, which the Campus Angels now patrol, and the lack of lighting around the Boyd Wilson Field.

“VUWSA will be conducting a Campus Safety Audit later this month to make sure these issues are identified and we have the support of the university in getting them addressed.”

Brady says that many students do not take advantage of the Angels service.

“Overall usage of the Campus Angels service has not been as good as I would hope. But I think the peace of mind and point of contact they provide students is just as important.”

The council’s street lighting team says it is also important for people to let them know about any problems they notice with streetlights.

“If anyone spots a streetlight that’s off at night—or is ‘flashing’ and looking like it’s on the ‘blink’, then they should call the council on 499 4444 or message our info@wcc.govt.nz email address.”

Complaints about the hardships of student life have come to focus on the price of textbooks at Victoria University’s vicbooks.

A common problem for students is that Victoria University Book Centre Ltd (vicbooks) does not provide a ten per cent student discount on textbooks as many other university bookstores do.

“It’s so unfair that we don’t get textbooks subsidised just so vicbooks can make a profit,” says third-year Frances.“We’re the ones that are already borrowing to live.”

Vicbooks General Manager Juliet Blyth says that the student discount was stopped about 15 years ago, ultimately for customers’ benefit.

“It was decided it was unfair to reward only those students who used the bookshop when all students should be able to benefit from the proceeds of their student-owned bookshop,” Blyth says.

“The majority of the bookshop revenue comes from textbook sales, therefore so does the profit, and by discontinuing student discount, the donation the bookshop makes to students through the VUWSA Trust for the benefit of all students has increased through the years.”

Labelled as ‘100% student owned’, vicbooks is a charitable company owned by the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association Trust (VUWSA Trust). Vicbooks’ donations contribute to the funding of developments such as the Campus Hub, administering the Student Trust Scholarship and supporting Student Job Search.

Student bookstores at other New Zealand universities follow quite different procedures.

The Auckland University UBS (University Bookshop Ltd) and Otago’s University Book Shop are both 100 per cent student owned and also offer a ten per cent student discount on top of their funding contributions to the university itself.

The University Bookshop Canterbury Ltd also provides a ten per cent student discount.

Blyth says that vicbooks often considers introducing a student discount.

“It is discussed annually at Bookshop Board and VUWSA Trust level, however, to date, the status quo has been the preferred option for the company’s long-term viability.”

Some students argue that the lack of discount at vicbooks in comparison to other universities reflects poorly on Victoria University as a whole.

“It is just another example of the Victoria establishment failing students in general,” says third-year student Lachlan.

Blyth says that vicbooks is making prices as low as they can.

“Vicbooks does not mark up to mark down as some of our competitors do, which confuses the market. Vicbooks aims to provide their texts at the best price possible whilst operating within pricing guidelines which will allow them to make their budgeted annual donation to the VUWSA Trust.”

Although vicbooks does not provide a student discount, they do have a ‘low price guarantee’ that many students are unaware of. If a student finds a cheaper price on a new, non-sale, identical textbook item at any Wellington retailer within 30 days of purchase, vicbooks will match the price.

“We appreciate the financial outlay students have to make on their texts,” says Blyth, “and are always open to suggestions from student customers as to how we could better recognise that investment.”

Students still see a problem with prescribed textbooks that can only be found at vicbooks.

“Quite a few lecturers prescribe their own books and then half of the content isn’t even relevant, which seems pointless,” a third-year BSc student says.

“They play on our anxiety about not having the most up-to-date edition so we can’t even buy second-hand.”

Blyth argues that vicbooks has no power over lecturers’ use of the texts, they simply work to find the lowest price for ‘essential’ texts prescribed by the lecturers.

“Provided the lecturer consults the prescribed text extensively then that student has made a valuable purchase as it has helped them to pass their course.”

Students question the Victoria ID system

Problems with Victoria’s Student ID cards have come to light after recent cases of students being asked to leave university property by campus security.

VUWSA reported on their website recently that students had been asked to leave computer labs when they could not produce a valid ID. Students were advised to always carry their student ID card.

Campus Services have increased surveillance this year after an increase in incidents on campus.

As per the Victoria ID system, students must revalidate their identification cards every year that they continue studying.

The revalidation involves getting an expiration sticker from the faculty under which you study, lasting up until March of the following year. This has resulted in problems for various students who are unaware that they need to renew their card, or where to do it.

“I’ve had the same card since first year,” says third-year Monique Davies.

“And I still haven’t got around to renewing it because I’m not sure where to go and don’t really need it done.”

However, this may not be the case. Many students are unaware that under section 4.3.2 of Victoria University’s Security Management Guidelines, anyone who cannot produce a valid ID card can be asked to leave the premises.

Enrolment Manager Juliette Toma told Salient that the university would attempt to increase awareness of the issue.

“We do try and ensure all students are informed they must update their cards each academic year with an update sticker, but we can ensure we have signage up in future to reinforce this message.”

The fee for a replacement card at Victoria is $20, which proves another issue for some students.

“My card hasn’t been swiping properly since first year, but I’m not going to pay $20 to get a new one,” says Kate Everitt.

“It seems unreasonable that other universities provide an updated ID card for free each year whereas we have to make ours last through our whole time at university.”

The University of Auckland provides students with an ID card valid for six years after enrolment, as well as free replacement cards if it begins to malfunction or is stolen.

There is a $10 fee for lost or wilfully damaged ID cards.

Otago University students receive a new ID every year of their study, free of charge.

Malfunctioning cards are also replaced at no cost, which many students appreciate.

“It’s great that we get them for free,” says Abby Calder, a third-year Pharmacy student at Otago.

“It’s just one less cost for us students and a hassle-free way to make sure that everyone on campus is meant to be there.”

Toma said that unlike other universities, the first ID card provided by Victoria University was not paid for by students at all, either directly or through fees to the university. Only the cost for replacement cards was charged to students.

“The cards are expensive to replace given their functionality, and the $20 charge only covers the cost of producing it.”

Having an up-to-date student ID card is a necessity in order to receive student discounts at many Wellington companies, such as Reading Cinemas, Fusion clothing and the Cable Car.

“It is our policy that to get a student fare here, you need to have an unexpired student ID,” says Cable Car Manager Matthew Hardy.

“A lot of people are good about it now but we do still get quite a few students trying to get the fare without ID.”

Hardy explains that the ID is necessary as they changed the discount to only New Zealand students, so that prices would not have to go up.

“We started doing it because we reduced it down to New Zealand students only instead of having to increase the price. It’s important that students realise we need to see their ID.”

Environmental SRC meeting fails to meet quorum

The Environmental Student Representative Council (SRC) meeting last Thursday was abandoned after only six students attended, instead of the required 50 to meet quorum.

Five of these students were from the VUWSA exec. They “joked” about pretending quorum had been met and the meeting held until they realised Salient was actually present.

The meeting was planned as part of Environmental Week organised by VUWSA, which also included stalls in the quad, herb potting and an open mic night at Ramsey House.

Advertising for the meeting was minimal, with the only notice of the event included in the Salient Environment Week schedule and on a poster on the VUWSA noticeboard in the Student Union Building.

Topics for the meeting included preventing a BP disaster and the proposed motion from Environmental Officer Zachary Dorner for VUWSA to oppose all new offshore oil drilling in New Zealand.

After the meeting was cancelled, Dorner discussed student involvement in Environmental issues.

“There’s a good number of core people who do a lot of stuff, but in saying that, they do a lot. Others have good ideas but don’t do as much.”

Dorner did manage to see a positive side to the failed meeting.

“A good thing about these meetings, even if they don’t meet quorum, is that they’re a good opportunity just to talk about other issues.”

While waiting for the meeting to reach quorum, Bridie Hood (Acting Vice-President Education) also stated that despite the fact there is more contact with student representatives now, there is still minimal student interest in VUWSA meetings as a whole.

A new scholarship has been introduced to Victoria University, with the aim of helping students to better understand China.

The James Bertram scholarships have been funded by businessman Rodney Jones and his wife Sanjini Jesudason, who hope to improve the relationship between New Zealand and Chinese students.

“We want young New Zealanders to engage with China, to understand the culture and connect with the Chinese leaders of tomorrow.”

Jones, an investment banker who was previously a partner in the Soros Fund (Asia), understands first-hand the importance of having a knowledge of the country.

“A greater awareness of China is essential for New Zealand in the 21st century.”

There will be two James Bertram scholarships offered every year, with each worth up to $50,00.

These will provide two students with funding for a year’s study at Victoria, followed by six months’ language tuition in Beijing and then a year studying at Beijing’s Peking University.

After completing their studies, students will graduate with a double Masters in International Relations (Victoria University) and Public Policy (Peking University).

The scholarships are named after James Bertram, the late academic from Victoria University, who was fascinated with China after visiting the country.

As a journalist for The Times, Bertram also had the chance to interview Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong.

Victoria’s Vic-Chancellor Pat Walsh described the scholarships to Peking University as an exciting opportunity for students.

“I’m delighted students will be able to experience firsthand one of the most significant nations that New Zealand will interact with now and in the years ahead.”

International Relations students at Victoria are interested in the chance to apply for the scholarships.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for all Pols and International Relations students… I look forward to finding out more about it,” said one student.

Campus Hub makeover makes progress

The Campus Hub project is heating up, with plans for the first stage to be completed in February 2013.

Operations will begin in November with the closing off of the quad to begin construction on the so-called Campus Hub.

The closing of the quad will see food kiosks moved to the area between Old Kirk and Hunter Building in August and September. The quad canopy will also be removed during these renovations. The development of alternative pathways and parking areas for scooters and motorbikes is already underway.

The University and VUWSA Trust will both fund the development, contributing $67 million and $12 million respectively.

The key aims of the project are to “improve the flow” and to “create a central heart to the campus”. The quad will be excavated down to the same level as the Student Union Building (SUB), simultaneously increasing connections between the SUB, Library and Kelburn Parade, and operating as a centre for students to study and socialise.

Gap-year students performing better at university: myth or reality?

Students trying to convince their parents they really need an overseas holiday just got some ammunition in their war, with a new study claiming a break will help them achieve better grades.

Research undertaken by the Ministry of Education found that students who took a year off before going to university managed a greater improvement in their marks compared to high school.

This improvement in grades was accounted for by the researchers. “The improvement in university performance for students who took a gap year probably derives from the fact that only motivated or confident students enrol in tertiary studies after taking a break.”

Students who took a gap year in the form of the popular ‘Overseas Experience’ (OE) agree with the results of the study.

“It’s simple. If you’re cut out for academic learning then you come back, but if you’re not keen then you don’t,” says third-year Psychology major Blaine Abraham.

“I found that by the end of my gap year I was really hungry to continue my education.”

21-year-old Alexander Handley says after his OE in South England, he was ready to go back to study.

“In terms of motivating me more, to a certain extent it did in providing a dream at the end of the tunnel,” Handley says.

“It was good to have a break and while it took me a while to get back into academic work, it definitely gave me a greater desire to learn.”

The question of whether it had improved his marks was also positive for Handley.

“I do think it has given me better marks than I would have got straight from school, because in my gap year I learned to balance all aspects of my life better,” he says.

“The chance for personal development in this is very high, so you don’t waste time sorting that stuff out in first year.”

However, students who did not do an OE do not agree.

Third-year student Robert Fernando feels that if he had taken a year off from subjects such as mathematics, he would have lost valuable knowledge.

“It’s different for each individual,” says Fernando.

“You can’t just say go on a gap year and get better marks.”

Receiving A plusses and As in his Psychology papers, Fernando doesn’t think a gap year is a necessity.

World Blood Donor Day 2010

The vampire-crazed fans of Twilight and True Blood who really want someone to take their blood can have their chance as part of World Blood Donor Day.

While you won’t be surrendering your veins to a sparkly dead guy, you will be helping the News Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) top up their stocks.

World Blood Donor Day ‘New Blood for Life’ is being held on Monday 14 June. The campaign is designed to attract new donors, particularly between the ages of 18 and 30.

Due to New Zealand’s aging population, the NZBS donor database declines by about 1000 people per year. The NZBS says “We need the next generation to come to the party.”

NZBS Donor Recruiter Sandra Tolve says they are always trying to “boost” new donor numbers as a result of high demand.

“Approximately 3000 whole blood donations are needed each week in order to save lives.

“This week particularly we are looking for more O+ blood donors due to a surge in usage.”

Tolve says that student participation remains variable, a fact which they are eager to change.

“In the past we have had Vic Uni Psych students running a survey on campus regarding blood donation prior to our visits, which was great, but unfortunately that hasn’t happened for a while,” says Tolve.

VUWSA Vice-President Seamus Brady says as the World Donor Day is in the middle of Vic exams, VUWSA is currently organising an on-campus blood drive for trimester two.

The self-sufficient blood service run by NZBS throughout New Zealand ensures that “Kiwi lives are saved every day with the help of voluntary blood donations made by their fellow Kiwis.”

The Wellington Donor Centre is also open Monday to Friday every week, with various times for donating either whole blood, platelets or plasma.

For more information about becoming a blood donor, call 0800 GIVE BLOOD or check out nzblood.co.nz.

New Zealanders continue to struggle as the recession rages

City Stop running out of fried chicken on a Saturday night may be a depressing blow for some Wellington students, but many New Zealand families are lacking more than just fried goods as a result of the continuing recession.

Hundreds of families and individuals throughout New Zealand are surviving on the bare minimum, as record numbers continue to strip Foodbanks bare.

The Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) is currently struggling to provide adequate food and shelter to those in need, despite donations.

DCM Director Stephanie McIntyre says that although there has been “generous support for the Foodbank this year, our shelves are once again empty with demand totally exceeding supply”.

Victoria University is also attempting to provide for struggling students with food and assistance through the Hardship Fund and VUWSA’s Foodbank.

VUWSA Welfare Vice-President Seamus Brady says there has been as “very noticeable increase” in the numbers of students needing assistance in getting food, as a result of the recession.

“We’ve increased this year’s budget to make sure we keep up with demand.

“Just the other Friday in the two hours the food bank was open we saw 20 students. It was madness.”

VUWSA has noted that the majority of Victoria students using the free bread and food parcel services are Architecture, Design and Science students hit with “unexpectedly high bills”.

The lack of jobs available for students is clearly having an impact, Brady says, as “over 60 per cent [of students] do not have regular hours of employment and survive off their student allowances or living costs”.

The free bread VUWSA provides on Wednesdays and Friday mornings definitely doesn’t go amiss, if you get up early enough.

“The service has got to the point where people are waiting for our office to open at 9am in order to get some,” says Brady.

The Salvation Army also currently faces the challenge of meeting food, shelter and budgeting assistance requirements for struggling families as they continue to run at capacity.

“Some may say the recession is over, but for many of these people their recession has just started. The people who come to us do so as a last resort; they have hit the bottom and many are often deeply depressed,” says The Salvation Army’s head of community services in the lower North Island Major Wendy Barney.

Since the beginning of the recession in 2008, the number of people seeking assistance throughout New Zealand has been steadily rising. Records show there has been an increase of 107 per cent in the number of food parcels distributed through the lower North Island region.

Foodbanks and organisations throughout New Zealand not only provide emergency food supplies, but also work to identify and address the underlying reasons for someone needing to access the foodbank. These services, such as budgeting and counselling, are therefore also under strain to meet the rising numbers needing assistance.

Students who need the VUWSA foodbank should have a look at www.vuwsa.org.nz for more information.

Many acronyms, no meeting

The Initial General Meeting (IGM) held by VUWSA on Wednesday 28 April did not go ahead due to not meeting quorum.

According to the August 2009 Constitution, the quorum necessary for all General Meetings needs to be at least 100 people. With 27 people in the Union Hall by the start time of 1pm, this did not seem likely. The Constitution states that “if such quorum be not present within 30 minutes of the time appointed for the meeting, no business may be discussed or dealt with, and the meeting shall lapse or be void for all purposes.” Indeed it did lapse, despite VUWSA administration efforts to round up people, the 92 that were present by 1.30pm was still insufficient.

Despite the no-go nature of the meeting, students that were present seemed undeterred.

Student Felicity Bunny says she will go to the next IGM.

“This was the first time I’ve come to a General Meeting, so I don’t know what they are usually like.

“I will come to the next one as I’m interested in what the university is up to and what VUWSA’s goals are.”

VUWSA President Max Hardy says he was disappointed the meeting did not reach quorum.

“It was great however to have 90-plus students there wanting to be involved in the IGM.

“IGMs are an important accountability measure and are a chance for students to ask questions of make directions to the executive.”

The reason for lacking student numbers seems to be down to minimal advertising of the IGM.

Many students were unaware of when the general meeting would be held or even what it was.

“Is that the big fuck-off building in town?” was a third-year student’s response when asked if she had heard of the IGM.

In accordance with the Constitution, notice of the follow-up Initial General Meeting needs to be “posted on the noticeboard at least fourteen (14) days before such meeting, stating time, date and place thereof”.

A man and woman were jailed in Dubai for engaging in a kiss that would be considered chaste on Courtney Place.

The British resident of Dubai and his British female friend face up to a month imprisonment after an Emirati mother complained that her child had witnessed their public indecency.

Ayman Najafi and his female companion were also fined 1000 dirhams (NZ$387) for illegal consumption of alcohol and are to be deported after their sentencing.

This is one in a series of offences to Dubai laws in recent times, as the foreign population continues to rapidly increase.

It is the difference between Dubai’s highly conservative religion and the Western world’s acceptance of such matters that troubles students. “It’s slightly worrying because it seems as though you could be jailed for the smallest thing, i.e. a peck on the cheek,” states Victoria student Casey Brockwood. “I wouldn’t have known that it wasn’t acceptable if I was over there.”

The ‘Decency Law’ in Dubai, introduced in 2001, aimed at “protecting public values and decency and providing a peaceful atmosphere for residents and tourists in accordance with the UAE Federal Constitution,” stated a senior Dubai police officer in the press release. “Offenders who fail to respond positively will be penalised.”

Another such case of indecency involved a British couple earlier this year who were convicted of having sex out of wedlock in Dubai. The charges were dropped after the pair produced a marriage certificate.

Other weird offences from ‘The World’s Strangest Laws’ website:
• In Iowa, it is illegal to kiss for more than five minutes
• In Kansas, shooting rabbits from a motorboat is prohibited
• In England, it is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British Monarch upside down
• In England again, a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself wherever she wants, even (if she requests) in a policeman’s helmet. Dates back to the 1900s.
• In Texas, the complete Encyclopedia Britannica is banned because it contains a formula for making beer at home.

Auckland University has become a smoke-free campus, for both staff and students. The smoking ban was introduced on 1 January 2010, after being voted on by Auckland University Council at the end of 2008.

The smoking ban covers all buildings and land owned by Auckland University, including areas previously designated as smoking areas. The ban does not include any public areas such as the roads and footpaths surrounding the university.

The change was made to improve the conditions on campus resulting in a “healthier and cleaner environment for our staff and students to thrive, and take pride in”. On the university website it states that of the 5000 people who die per year, 400 of these were from passive smoking.

The policy is not directly aimed at telling staff and students to quit smoking, although it is considered a step in this direction by many.

Victoria University Director of Campus Services Jenny Bentley says the university does not permit smoking in any internal areas, and has no plans to review the current policy.
VUWSA President Max Hardy says Victoria’s current policies seem to be working.

“We have not had any complaints about smoking causing any concerns or impeding students’ enjoyment.

“If the majority of students supported the idea of a smoke-free campus then it would be something VUWSA would get behind, but there is no point in being unnecessarily draconian about it.”

The reception of this ban by Auckland University students is mixed. One student stated that the majority of his peers support the ban, although fear that it will result in blocked footpaths and public areas around campus, as these are not smoke-free. He says the environmental benefits including less litter and fresher air throughout campus are a big drawcard for students.

This introduction of a smoke-free university campus follows in a strain of anti-smoking campaigns in recent times. The proposal to ban smoking in many outdoor areas including beaches was one such push from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, aiming at making New Zealand smoke-free within 10 years. John Key, however, reportedly does not support this proposal as he thinks it is too “nanny state”.

Other organisations pushing for the end of smoking in New Zealand is the prominent Quit Group, with the free Quitline service, who state their mission to be a smoke-free Aotearoa by 2020.