Updates from our community - Leadership Week 2020 No images? Click here Welcome to Whītiki, our Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington student newsletter.Leadership Week 2020 still has some great events to come. As culture creators, young people want to know how our communities, companies, and governing bodies are addressing environmental and social issues. Tomorrow we have the Giving Evolution and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a foundation for creative change. Register for these free webinars to be part of the discussions about these critical societal issues. Science and Health Careers Webinar Series next week Wellington Careers and Employment are excited to be hosting a series of webinars next week. From 5–7 August, webinars from a diverse range of employers will be available for students who are excited to connect with these industry professionals. You can attend as many of the thirty-minute webinars as you choose. Sessions include:
We hope you enjoyed our programme of Reorientation events over the past two weeks and that you are settling back in to student life. There is a whole range of ways you can get involved as a student—join in with our clubs, communities, and leadership programmes and boost your CV, broaden your mind, and make new friends. As well as individual appointments, student services run events and workshops to support your studies throughout the year, and have plenty of online resources to access from home. Read more about the support available. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, the Hardship Fund can help with a range of costs and is available to most currently enrolled students, including international students. If you have any questions or concerns about your degree or courses, contact your Faculty office for advice. Students can enjoy warm meals with the opening of the microwave station outside the level 1 entrance to the Kelburn Library on Friday 7 August. The project builds on feedback from the 2019 Student Experience Survey, which found that students wanted somewhere to purchase and heat meals after hours, as well as the facility to fill water bottles. The new common space, Heat and Run, has five microwaves to heat food. There will also be a vending machine with healthy options such as fresh fruit and pasta, and a spot to fill bottles with instant hot or chilled water. We hope this means there will be fewer rumbling stomachs at late night study sessions in the library! A message from Bubble leader Katie Fletcher Kia ora, I’m Katie, a second-year student studying Politics and Accounting, and a Bubble leader who is passionate about mental health and wellbeing. In 2020, with everything that has been going on, it is more vital than ever to prioritise your wellbeing. Here at The Bubble, we wanted to see what activities students did during their time in lockdown to keep them busy. The Back to The Bubble competition involved sending in any creative work—whether it be art, baking, a video, or poetry—and writing a short piece on how this helped wellbeing during lockdown. We were blown away by the number of entries and the creativity and innovation displayed. It was truly incredible to see the ways that people made use of the resources they had at home to create their entries. To welcome everyone back to campus and to celebrate a fresh start, we are hosting a Back to The Bubble party. Everyone is welcome to come have some free food and hot drinks and check out our gallery of all of the entries. We will also be announcing the winners of the competition and presenting them with their prizes. Come down to The Bubble on level 2 of the Student Union Building on Wednesday 5 August from 12–1 pm! If you aren’t able to make it, remember The Bubble is open for free hot drinks, fruit, games and a chat with a friendly Bubble Leader from 11 am–2 pm, Monday to Friday, every week. Hope to see some new faces around The Bubble soon! I missed you, uni Student Andrew Wech shares his experience of studying at home and what he is enjoying about being back on campus. It’s easy to take everything for granted. When I was in Wellington for those first few, precious weeks of Trimester 1, I found it all too easy to find the negatives of being at university. My courses were too hard, there wasn’t enough time in the day to study, and the hill leading up to the University was too damn steep. All those worries and concerns quickly washed away though, when I found myself on a bus headed up north one day before the country went into lockdown... Share your stories with us! Ready to get your sweat on? Don your brightest, loudest, most colourful athletic wear and join UniQ & Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) at University Recreation Wellington's Dance Room to sweat with pride! This Zumba session is about supporting our Rainbow community here at the University, raising funds for good causes, and of course having a good time with good company. The event is open to people of diverse gender identities, sexualities, as well as allies. All fitness levels are welcome—there will be moves for everyone. Prize packs are up for grabs, so we recommend going hard on your outfits!
We're also extending our Reorientation Special for another week. Sign up before Sunday 2 August to access all of our fitness facilities and group exercise classes at Kelburn and Pipitea for just $99. Last chance to sign up for the student deal of the trimester! Update your details Please ensure your contact details are up to date so that we can get in touch with you to share important updates, including in an emergency situation. You can update your contact details in Student Records via myTools. Whītiki As a student, we want you to feel connected with your Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington community. Whītiki is a Māori word that is often used in a phrase heard at the University: 'Whītiki mai tō waka ki te wharenui nei, ki Te Tumu Herenga Waka'—'tie or bind your canoe to this meeting house, to the hitching post of canoes.' This weekly newsletter provides important information and updates from the University, resources to support your studies, and stories from our student community. |