Halls News Issue Four 2012

7/31/2019 Halls News Issue Four 2012

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A big welcome to all our new residents who have joined thecommunity for Semester Two. We hope you enjoy your stay here in the Halls ofResidence.

For those of you returning to the halls, we hope that you all had a wonderfulbreak. Hope you are all refreshed and ready to get back into your studies. Thissemester will go really fast, so be sure to make time for balance by gettinginvolved with community events.

There are p lenty of th ings to look forward to th isSemester. We have a number of events coming up where you can gain moregumboot points or your hall. These include the Halls Ball, and the Quiz Night. Theinfamous Halls Ball is always a sell out, so get your tickets quick. Early birdbuyers will be eligible for the limousine prize draw. Well done to all halls teamsthat participated in the Indoor Soccer Tournament the weekend just been. Youcan read more about this event in our next issue.

There is an upcoming flatting expo that will provide very usefulinformation about going flatting. Pick up your free copy of The First Time FlattersGuide. There wil l be numerous displays with importantservices from the university and community to help inform you on what you needto know and prepare for when flatting.

There are still lots of points up for grabs, it is still anyone's bet who will win!Check inside the newsletter for more detailed info on events and find out whichhall is in the lead with the most gumboot points.

It is that time of year too with colds and flu. Be sure to make sure that you washyour hands and cover your sneezes. If you feel sick, get plenty of rest and isolateyourself from other people to prevent spreading germs. If you have any concernsplease see your RA and get checked out at the medical centre.

One final note, we have recently moved premises. Our office is now located up onlevel 2 of the Student Centre Building. We apologise for any disruptions andappreciate your patience during our shift.

All the best for Semester Two!

WELCOME BACK TO SEMESTER TWO!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Gumboot Shield Ladder Board

Upcoming Events Halls Ball

Chaplaincy

Student CounsellingTaking Care of the

Practical Things Sport and Recreation Centre

Challenge 2012

Medical Centre Exercise and Sleep

Centre for Teaching and Learning

Campus LivingImportant Notices

Residents of the MonthMay

ISSUE FOUR l 25th JULY 2012

Above: Halls Ball, sure to be a big event again

this year. Dont miss out on your ticket!

Below: Halls Indoor Soccer Tourney

Level 2, The Student Centre (above the MUSA shop)


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CREATIVE ARTS MONTH

Poetry Winners1st Savannah McKnight (Colombo Hall) - Awaiting2nd Angeline Low (Tararua/Ruahine Hall) - Devoid3rd Dariah Gillespie (Moginie Hall) - Reminiscing

Short Film Winners1st Atawhai Amigos The Stairway to Babel2nd Ryan Larsen (Walter Dyer Hall) - Climate

Change

3rd Villi Hasiata (Moginie Hall) - Crazy

Expressive Arts Winners1st City CourtFlashmob2nd Grace Powell (McHardy Hall) - Piano Piece3rd Chelsea Collins (Moginie Hall) - Move your

Body

AWAITING

Pushed to the backsitting in a handmade, wooden boxabove half broken corks, beeswax and yellow hemp,Glasgow boy of 22,

lies lamenting.

Yellow chipped teeth compliment centennial ivory,scraggy hair, the thinning tartan tassels.

African Blackwood drones, cracked and wrinkled.Rotted reed with mottled grey growth,like moss on the memorial stone.

Bound to its archaic scaleunchanging in a chequered rag of earth and time.In the wardrobe, best mate sits.

A Piper without his Pipe-it is like one person in two boxes.

Savannah McKnight

Photography Winners1st Angeline Low (Tararua/Ruahine) - Boundaries2nd Patrick Johnson (Atawhai) - Life on the Beach3rd Rebekah Reid (Walter Dyer) - Pork Chop

Artwork Winners1st Kaitlin Bunnik (Walter Dyer Hall)

2nd Yuris Anynda (Tararua/Ruahine Hall)3rd Tessa Brownlee (Colombo Hall)

Congratulations to all our entries for theCreative Arts Month. Outstanding pieces

were entered which made the judging verytough! Well done to the following winners.

At a red zone tour at Christchurch at end of year 2011, I cameupon the fences separating the public from the damages causedby the earthquake. The word Boundaries had been stringed

through the fence using long strips of red plastic. The originalintention and the message trying to be conveyed are unknown, butthe choice of word was rather ironic. Compared to the wrath ofnatural disasters, how could one ever expect a mere fence to actas a boundary to shield us from harm? There is no stoppingmother nature when it strikes. Angeline Low


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Short Story Winners1st Raven Davis (Tararua/Ruahine Hall) - Glenwood Recreational Pool2nd Dariah Gillespie (Moginie Hall) - And Ill Like and Youll believe Me3rd Jennifer Parkinson (Colombo Hall) - The Stripy T Shirt

I spun fast. Fast as I could, anyway, floating half a foot underthe clear blue blanket of pool water, and thought of Little Sammydrowning last month in this same exact spot. Well, maybe a little to theright or left, give or take a few feet, but Im sure Im close. I can tell byhow everyone else is crowded to either side of the pool, far away fromme, far away from this spot, because theyre afraid of the death LittleSammy left behind. Im not, though. I wanna see how he died. How does

a person drown? Do they just run out of air and faint under the water? Isit ugly? Do their lungs explode? Do they know theyre dying? I dont thinkId wanna know, but maybe I would. Id wanna be able to pray and allthat, ask God to forgive me for whatever I hadnt been forgiven for yet.Like maybe if I lied that day to Mama or tripped Baby on purpose and noone had spanked me for it because she couldnt talk and tell anybodyhow evil I was. I dont know, though. If I knew I was dying, Id be sad. Idthink about stuff, stuff I wouldnt want to think about before dying. Likeme and Jenny and Mama and Daddy watching a funny movie andlaughing so hard our cheeks and guts hurt, but loving it anyway. AndMama singing to me about sunshine and cradles while she rubbed mystomach until I fell asleep. Id think about all that, and I wouldnt want todie. Guess most people dont, though. Death is supposed to be rest, so

dying should feel like youre about to fall asleep. I think it sounds nice. Ihope it felt like that for Sammy.Winnie! mamas voice cut through the heavy layers of my

water barrier and reached me, surrounding my entire body and makingmy heart shake a little. She sounded muffled, a little less scary downhere under the shadows of pool blue. Winnie! she yelled again, andthen a heavy hand was yanking me up by my swimsuits shoulder strap,through the ceiling of water and halfway onto the cement around thepool.

Girl, did you hear your mama? my daddys big brown eyespopped out at me like they do when hes angry, and I shivered from thecool air hitting the water drops that covered my skin, and maybe a littlefrom the way he was looking at me. His jaw was sharp and his mouth

mean, but I knew he didnt care much about me being in the pool. He justdidnt wanna upset Mama today.Sorry mama, I told her, turning to look at her. My brown

ponytail slapped against the side of my face and got drops of water in myeye. We arent leaving already, are we? I asked as I tried to blink themout. They rolled down my face and I felt like I was crying.

What you mean, already? We been out here for half an hour.Were gonna be leaving in a minute, your sister has homework, and wecant be out here all day with all these folks, mamas eyes got all sharpand narrow, and I started inching back into the pool, feeling calmer as mybody dropped lower and lower into the warm water.

You got ten more minutes, okay? daddy said. I nodded andswam over to the edge across from them. My big sister Jenny was on

this side, leaning against the dirty, metal fence, a beautiful, skinnierversion of mama with the same brown skin and the same eyes, big andbrown, but always narrowed. She stood at that fence with all the othereighth grader girls, reading grown-up magazines and talking aboutmature high school boys. She didnt talk to me because I was only inthe 6th grade and she wore bras from the clearance bin at Pennys nowand shaved her legs. I pinched the skin on my pale, yellow legs under thewater as I watched her laugh hard at something, felt my thighssmoothness, and wished that they would hurry up and get hairy so shedlook at me like she used to when we were friends. Now that we werentshe was always out with older guys, who usually looked at me like I wasa cockroach, except for that one who looked at me like something else,something worse than the roach look, because it was longer and felt

heavier.

I swished around in the water, and looked back at Mamma andDaddy standing next to each other without touching or talking andwondered if they knew how loud they were being just then. I wanted topush them into each other and make them laugh and hold hands, buttheyd just jump apart probably. And Id get in trouble. I sunk lower in thewater and watched as they disappeared.I swam over to where Little Sammy drowned, looked for the vent where his

foot got stuck, bent down real low in the water to see if there was anyblood or something. It was all so clean and white, you would never knowthat a dead body lay on this pool floor a month ago. I could imagine hisbony, brown body laying here, that chain he always wore floating abovehis face, with the part where Jesus hung on the cross right between hiseyes. His brown eyes would still be open, like the dead folks I saw on theT.V.

Jenny cried when he died. All her friends and her stood on hisfamilys porch down the street and fixed up a poster board with pictures ofhim taped on it and magic marker, and all that. I knew, though, that shehadnt ever really liked him, that he teased her for being so skinny lastyear, and that in fourth grade he stole her favourite Betty Boop pencil andsharpened it till it was all lead. Hed seemed nice enough, though. One

time last summer hed waved at me when he was walking down thesidewalk with some of the other boys. I couldnt see his face from where Iwas sitting on my porch, it just looked like a brown face, with the eyes andnose blurred. He looked like all the boys I ever knew, so Id waved back. Ithought about that when he died. How he looked like every boy, and how itwasnt sad, just scary, cause that meant that anybody could die.

I suddenly wanted to touch the place where he died, look upfrom where he took his last looks, see what he saw before everythingended. I crouched down by the vent and looked up through the water. Mysister was looking over the edge of the pool at me, real still, but I couldntsee her face. She didnt move for a minute, looking over the edge, and Ididnt move either, just looked back at her blurry face. Then I crept lowerand balled up against the cement wall.

Mama! Mama! she started yelling across the pool water. Hervoice sounded like it did in the mornings when she yelled downstairs fromthe inside her room, whiny and needy, except now it kind of vibrated weirdin my ear. I saw Mama appear by her side and they both crawled to theedge of the pool and looked down at me, both with the same blurry faces. Ikept staring back at them. Then Mommas mouth opened wide.

Winnie! Get up from there! she yelled. I kept staring at her, howher coffee brown fingers curled around the pool edge, how her bodyleaned almost too far over, like she was about to fall in herself. I imaginedher just rolling over the edge and sinking like a rock at the bottom. I dontthink she could swim. I wouldnt be able to save her, either. She was tooheavy.

I sat with my arms wrapped against my legs and watched them

and I felt like I wasnt me at all but someone watching me, and it startedfeeling harder to breathe. I wondered if I could feel what Sammy felt justbefore he died. Was there a white light like they say in the movies? I kindof hoped there was nothing. Life was always so bright and loud, deathshould be dark, silent. Some kind of warm, fuzzy in between, the sameway you feel right before you fall asleep. Just a quiet, nothing. And thenblack. I hoped death was just like that. I prayed it was just like that.

And then I asked God to forgive me for knocking Babys food onthe floor today and then putting it back into the plastic tray and letting hereat it, even when I saw that piece of lint in the smashed bananas. All thatugliness around us, it was never her fault anyway.And then I closed my eyes, and I heard a small, long scream.

Raven Davis

Glenwood Recreational Pool


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MASSEY MEDICAL CENTRE

Exercise

There are 1,440 minutes in everyday, we should bescheduling 30 of these minutes for physical activity.Most adults need 30 minutes of activity 5 times per

week.Are you achieving this? If not, why not?

Have a think about the barriers that are preventingyou from exercising regularly. What can you do toremove these barriers?There are many activities that constitute doingexercise. Moderate activities

Walking briskly Mowing the lawn Dancing/Zumba Swimming Cycling

The Massey Rec Centre has a great body balanceclass that combines yoga, pilates and Tai chi. Youcan progress at your own pace in this class and its

great for stress relief!!

Getting startedPlan your activity for the week with an exerciseplanner be specific. Find an activity that youactually enjoy, then you are more likely to stick withit. Get your friends/family involved much more funand highly motivating. Walking is a great way to getstarted and its free!!

If you are unsure about exercise and dont knowwhere to start, then speak to the folks at the RecCentre (they dont bite), they are there for you, sotake yourself along and they will assist you instaying motivated and picking the right exercise foryou.

ZumbaThis fitness class is the biggest exercise craze in

the world right now. You might as well to be a partof it. You can purchase the DVDs from TheWarehouse, or attend a zumba class. Its cheap anda great, fun way to get fit the great thing is youdont have to be co-ordinated or all that fit to enjoythis type of class.

Sleep

Are you getting enough sleep?

If you are finding yourself having lack of sleep, you

must realise that it can impact on your body and mind.Your reflexes can be slowed, you will find a lack ofenergy and lowered concentrationnot a good combofor you as a student.

Routine is important for good sleep. Try to always getup at the same time each day, this will help yourinternal clock.If you feel groggy in the mornings get outside and

grab some sun (does not matter if it is overcast), weonly need 10 minutes of rays during the day for ourVitamin D intake.It helps to wake you up as it is a signal to the bodythat the day has begun. IT REALLY WORKS!!

Have a sleep time routine prior to going to bed nostudy, do something that helps you unwind and relax TV, reading, bath, or resting. Have a glass of warm

milk and prepare for bed. Some types of tea such aschamomile can also aid in better sleep.

If you are unable to sleep, do not stay in bed get upuntil you feel tired. Some people take their thoughtsand worries to bed with them. Ensure when you getinto bed that you have quietened your mind.


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MASSEY SPORT AND RECREATION CENTRE

A new semester!

A new semester and new challenges! How does it feel to be backat uni and back in the Halls after being at home for a while?Exciting or a bit of a let down, or both? While the new semestercan be exciting re-connecting with friends in the Halls andstarting new papers - it can be a difficult time for many studentsafter having re-experienced the warmth and home cooking andtime with close family and old friends. The wrench of returning foranother long semester can be hard, especially if you miss home,did not do especially well in exams, or you are not entirely surethat this is the degree you really want to be doing.

There are a few things you can do to make it easier. The first is toensure that all the practical things are taken care of.

Are you happy with your cur rent papers?

If not go and talk to the team in the Careers & EmploymentService on Level 2 of Registry and / or College advisers.

How were your exam results? Did you achieve as you hadhoped?If not do you know why? What went wrong? Was it that you justdid not do enough work? Was it you did not understand the work?Was it exam nerves? Poor preparation? Low internal marks?Emotional / relationship difficulties? Go and discuss it with therelevant people, and if you dont know what the cause was, startwith that and talk to someone to work out what went wrong.

STUDENT COUNSELLING SERVICE

Make time to see a learning consultant in the Centre for Teachingand Learning (now upstairs in the MUSA building), a counsellor atStudent Counselling or a paper co-ordinator. It is really importantto know why you did not achieve the top results you had wishedfor.

Have you sorted your finances and fees?Make time to go to the Financial Advisers on Level 2 of Registry toexplore financial awards and scholarships, your StudyLinkallowances and budgeting issues.

Emotions all over the place? Missing home? Not sure if youshould be here?Try the Student Counselling Service. There is a useful brochure onour website (http://crow.massey.ac.nz) and available on the standsin SSLB, the Rec Centre and BSC on Leaving Home which givea range of really helpful tips.

Did not get into Vet and not sure what to do now?Try Careers & Employment Service.

If you are unsure where to go but just that things are not as goodas you had hoped talk to an RA or one of the Halls staff who willbe able to point you in the best direction.But all is not negative make the most of the rest of the year.Become involved in all that is happening on campus, engage withyour academic programme and embrace the opportunities.

With all good wishes

CENTRE OF TEACHINGAND LEARNING

Lookingforsomeonetohelpyouwithyour

academicskillssuchaswritingandstudying

effectivelyinordertobethebeststudentYOU

canbe?

Then

you

need

to

visit

us

at

the

Centre

for

TeachingandLearning(CTL)

Where: StudentCentre(upstairsaboveTheMUSAdairyacrossthelibrary)

When:: 94.30pm

Callus: Extn81950

Visit: owl.massey.ac.nz

Forjust30minutesonaTuesdayandWednesday,youcouldbe

enhancingsomeseriousacademicskills:

http://owll.massey.ac.nz/studyup.phpBUTWAIT,THERESMORE

VisitStreamandclickonthecourse:

AcademicWritingandLearningSupportandcheckouttheotherservices

wecanofferyou.


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ACCOMMODATION PAYMENTS

SEM 2 StudentsPlease ensure that your payment for accommodation is up to dateaccording to your chosen payment planAll upfront payments,

semester two and full year payments are now overdue, please come tosort this urgently.

Please note: If you have chosen to pay using option 3: Upfront paymentand weekly direct debit of $150.00 per weekyour first direct debit isdue to come out of your nominated bank account on Wednesday 1stAugust and will continue for 13 consecutive weeks, this means thatthese direct debits will continue over the 2 week holiday break, so youneed to make sure that there is money in that account for the directdebit to be taken out.

If you are unsure of anything to do with payment options or paymentplan please come and speak with one of our friendly front office staffwho will be able to assist you.

Full Year StudentsAll Semester Payments are now overdue. Please come to our officeurgently to make paymentplease note the discount for the fullsemester payment no longer applies.

MAINTENANCE REPORTING AND INVENTORY CHECK FOR YOUR ROOM

A Reminder that your room inventory check needs to be done as soonas possible. An inventory check list has been left on your desk in yourroom for you to complete and hand in to our office. It is extremelyimportant that you check and sign off for the inventory items in yourroom. If you do not sign off on them and any damage is found duringroom inspections, you will be liable to pay for all damages found.

Maintenance reporting can also be done through the following website:https://portal.clv.co.nz/StarRezPortal

Please note there is a PC in the RSO set up specifically for loggingmaintenance requests during our office hours, information sheets inregards to how to log in are available at our office for you to use.

CHAPLAINCY

Welcome back to Semester 2 at Massey. Presumably, the factthat you are still here means several things. You have discoveredexams can be survived. You have decided likewise with regard toPalmerston North. You may even be enjoying your course!

We hope you have a really good semester. Life at uni should befun and can go fast. It is also a time where, consciously orsubconsciously, your values get shaped, tested and refined. Aschaplains we are here to help as sounding boards or resources inthis important process, or in times of difficulty or decision. So feelfree to drop by the Centre any time.

As always, we will be running Pancake Nites every Wednesday7pm at the Centreby the big bus stop.

Additionally, starting Tuesday 24th July we will also be offeringGrowing into Life, a weekly informal gathering at the Centre,

7-8pm, for Christians looking to grow in following Christ andanyone interested in exploring the potential of a Jesus centredspirituality for everyday living.

Finally, in four Friday dialogue and lunch sessions at theCentre 12-1pm, starting Friday 27th July, we will be exploringdifferent aspects of the fascinating question Will the real Jesusplease stand up? Everybody welcome full details available atthe Centre.

We look forward to meeting you at any or all of the above.Meanwhile....have a great term.

Colin DayChaplain

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTSA reminder that Visas are due for renewal July 31st.

Please ensure that you get on to doing this to ensure you can continue to stay here and study.

Amounts: The amount that you need for living costs has changedfrom April 1st 2012NZ$ 1,250.00 per month ORNZ$ 7,500.00 per semester ORNZ$ 15,000.00 per year

Medical checks and Police Clearance:Medical checks and Police clearances are valid for 3 years for allInternational students except PhDs and Graduate Work Visaapplicants.

If INZ requests that you provide these, you now have ONLY 2 weeksto provide them. Once the 2 weeks have elapsed, if INZ has notreceived an e-mail from your explaining any possible delay, THEYWILL DECLINE YOUR STUDENT VISA APPLICATION, and you willbecome illegal in NZ.

If are not able to provide the Medical Check and/or the PoliceClearance within 2 weeks, you must reply to the e-mail sent by Immigrationyourself and explain the reasons for the delay. You must attach proof ofwhat you are declaring in the message.

Police clearances: Immigration understands they can take up to 6 months toget these from NZ. If this is your case, then reply to the e-mail Immigrationsent you and attach proof that you have requested the new PC BEFORETHE 2 WEEKS HAVE ELAPSED.

Medical checks: the same rule of the 2 weeks applies to Medical checks. Thesame procedure will apply if you cannot get these done before the 2 weekshave elapsed. Please contact immigration by replying to their e-mail andexplain that you have an appointment that is after the 2 weeks have elapsed.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT OFFICE

If you have any queries, please contact Natalia Benquet on ext 4824 [email protected] or visi t her in registry building level 2.


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As of 30th July 2012PLACINGS

1st Walter Dyer 336

2nd City 330

3rd Tararua/Ruahine 328

4th Colombo 303

5th Moginie 285

6th Totara 268

7th Matai 259

8th Atawhai 250

9th Kiwitea 210

10th Tawa 207

11th Egmont 175

12th Miro 155

13th Rotary 153

14th Kairanga 143

15th McHardy 13616th CraigLockhart/Bindaloe 104


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Congratulations to the following residents who have beenselected as residents of the month for May 2012 for theirespective halls.

The purpose of this award is to acknowledge the significantcontribution that a resident has made within the hall during the lastmonth.

Each will receive a movie voucher for their contributions to thecommunity.

This award is given based on the following cri teria:

General behaviour is exemplary

Respectful of others

Actively participating in hall events

Actively encourages a clean and tidy environment Encourages and motivates others in the all

Active involvement in resident committees

Above all, is a positive role model

Vincent MillerCITY COURT

RESIDENTS OF THE MONTHMAY

ASHLEIGH FLETTTotara Hall

Pathma GurusamyKIWITEA HALL

Stephen NeilATAWHAI FLATS

Monique MathisCOLOMBO HALL

Anynda YurisMOGINIE FLATS

Barry GillEGMONT COURT

Danielle HaengaMATAI HALL

Qiuchen WangROTARY COURT

Zhexuan ZhengMCHARDY HALL

Ayden PitmanWALTER DYER HALL

Alice van der Velden

CRAIGLOCKHART/BINDALOE HALL

Anna Lindsay

MOGINIE HALL

Georgina MooreMIRO HALL

Nam PhamKAIRANGA COURT

Troy CameronTAWA HALL

Ashleigh is from Cambridge and is working towards aBAgSci degree majoring in Equine studies. She is a keensports player, is very passionate about horse riding(competing many times) and enjoys netball.

Ashleigh has been a delight to have in Totara Hall sinceday one. She is always bubbly, friendly and helpful withinthe hall. She was a vital team member in the socialleague netball team, and with all other hall activities.

Well done Ashleigh!!!

PROFILE THIS MONTH

Halls News Issue Four 2012

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