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November 2011
Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
providing support for students. The Division works collaboratively with the Pacific Islands Centre, Students Learning Centre and other internal and external groups to ensure students are able to achieve their goals at University. The Exec for 2012 have been elected (see page 3 for details).
Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of travelling. Margaret Lee Runbeck
Dare to be wise…Dare to Dream….Dare to Care!!
Office Drop‐ins and Appointments Students are welcome to drop‐by the office without an appointment. If you wish to see the Associate Dean Pacific or a particular staff member, we encourage students to make an appointment (contact details on pg 3).
Acknowledgements We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Pro Vice‐Chancellor, Deans and leaders in the Division for support provided for Pacific Students and Staff in the Division. We acknowlegde also the Pacific Islands Centre, other University internal and external support groups, including the important role of families and communities.
Warm Pacific greetings to you all, Welcome to the bi‐annual newsletter from the Pacific Unit in the Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago. This is contains events for, and information about Pacific students, PIHPSA Alumni, staff and developments within the Division of Health Sciences. Pacific students include those studying Medicine, Physiotherapy, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Radiation Therapy, the Medical Sciences and Medical Laboratory Science. 2011 has been a year of growth for PIRSSU and the Division of Health Sciences in terms of support and programmes for Pacific students. This year has seen the start of the POPO Programme providing targeted support to Health Sciences First Year students. Another first was the Pacific Health Research Development Day run in collaboration with the Health Research Council. PIRSSU assists in the recruitment, retention and support of Pacific students in the Division of Health Sciences. Our research focuses on how to increase the academic achievement and recruitment of students and assess the effectiveness of current support programmes. The Unit has a small team which assists also in the co‐ordination of support programmes for students. PIHPSA is an excellent student organisation in the Division. It works collaboratively with PIRSSU in
PIRSSU Welcome
Divsion of Health Sciences
Warm Pacific Greetings
Ni sa bula vinaka
Malo e lelei Kia Orana
Talofa lava
Fakalofa lahi atu
Kam na mauri
Halo olaketa Ia orana
Taloha ni
Namaste
Kaise ‘Alii
Wantok
Halo
Aloha mai e
University of Otago
In this Newsletter:
Message from the P2
Message from the 2012 PIHPSA President
P2
PIHPSA Executive Body 2012
P3
Upcoming Events P4
PIHPSA vs. PILSA Debate
P6
Graduate Profile: Oka Sanerivi
P7
Scholarship Information
P8
Health Sciences Fono Reports
P10‐11
Pacific Strategic Framework Goals
P12
PIRSSU Contact Details
P12
with you, and wish you the very best in your career pathways. Remember : “Commit your ways to God and He will keep your paths straight”.
PIHPSA Alumni we invite you to remain in contact and where you can, support our Pacific students (PIHPSA) in the Division of Health Sciences, to ensure we can increase the num‐bers successfully completing health sciences courses through the University of Otago.
For those returning, have a fantastic break and we look forward to seeing you back here in the new year. To the outgoing president Victoria
Warm Pacific Greetings to you all.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Crampton (PVC), Andrea Howard and leaders in the Division for enabling the dreams of our Pacific parents to resonate within the walls of the University of Otago. Fa’afetai. Fa’amalo le faia o le faiva. Thank you. Your work is acknowledged with gratefulness.
To our Pacific community, we thank you for your prayers, love and support.
Congratulations to those who have completed their studies and are awaiting graduation. We celebrate
Message from the Associate Dean Pacific
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Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
Dr. Fa’afetai Sopoaga Address: 1/325 Great King Street Ground Floor, Physio Building Email: pirssu@otago.ac.nz Phone: (03) 479 8483
assignment due the next day or how cold it was that Monday morning. Having that support really made the year fun and all the work bearable; I hope to continue that support for everyone.
2012’S exec looks amazing and is filled with bright and keen students who all wish to make PIHPSA an organisation that supports our Pacific students, and encourages everyone to excel in their studies.
We hope, with the help of PIRSSU, to provide support for everyone through mentoring, cultural leadership training, weekly Friday lunches and heaps of other random stuff to make 2012 as memorable as 2011!
So I hope everyone has an awesome break, eat healthily, look both ways before crossing the road, learn to
cook something new over the summer and enjoy the holidays! Here’s something to think about over Christmas…
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch‐feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more” ‐ Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!
God bless, Rowena
Warm Pacific Greetings to everyone!
I’d like to introduce myself as the new President for PIHPSA 2012, my name is Rowena Peters and I come from the beautiful islands of Samoa.
I sat on the PIHPSA exec last year and had such an amazing time! I loved working with Vic and the other members organising events. As 2011 comes to an end, I remember back to when I returned to Otago as a 2nd year medical student after a tough HSFY; as the year progressively got more hectic with the many case group activities and 4‐6 tutorial classes, it was great to have PIHPSA as that haven where I could meet other Pacific students like myself and complain about an Rowena Peters
PIHPSA President 2012
Press on! A better fate awaits thee. Victor Hugo
Join us on Facebook under
PIRSSU or Pacific Health
Sciences
Message from the PIHPSA President
Dol, THANK YOU, you have been a great role model. To the incoming president Rowena Peters, we have great faith in you. To the outgoing and new Exec ,you are our leaders in training, and we are very proud of you.
Keep well, aim high, always remember that you can make a difference! God bless and keep you all Tai
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to
reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal
excellence. Confucius
Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
PIHPSA Student Executive Body 2012
Rowena Peters President 3rd Year Medicine
To contact PIHPSA: Email: pihpsa@gmail.com or Contact via PIRSSU Office (details below)
Matt Gray Secretary
Rasela‐Joy (RJ) Faleatua Physiotherapy Rep
Mosiah Marumatakimanu OSMS Rep
Brittany Stanley‐Wishart Treasurer
Josh Sua Medicine Rep
Asa Vete Vice‐President 3rd Year Dentistry
Prasheila Shandil Dentistry Rep
Jessal Patel Pharmacy Rep
PIHPSA stands for the Pacific Islands Health Professional Students’ Association. Our membership is made up of pa‐cific island students studying health professions at the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic. We also have members who are working health professionals and university staff who are involved in actively mentoring us. Our membership is open to anyone who is passionate about pacific health issues. Our vision is to support our students & encourage networking between and within the health professions. PIHPSA has been working to achieve that vi‐sion via mentoring, advocacy, organising social events, sending students to conferences, cultural dances, Friday lunches, encouraging research and the list goes on! Here is a list of our purposes and aims: To provide mentoring and support for Pacific Island students studying health professional courses. To help facilitate networking for our students with our future and existing health professionals. To encourage Pacific culture and community To provide a forum where students can be informed of pacific health issues To help advise academic institutions on pacific curriculum and Pacific island recruitment and retention To promote health professions as careers in pacific communities
PIHPSA
In honour of the final Harry Potter Movie, a group of keen PIHPSA members braved the cold and got cosy at Hoyts. Overall we found the final movie to be a wonderful wrap up for Harry Potter and avid fans like Rowena Peters your very own PIHPSA Facilitator loved it so much it was her second viewing! The fight between Mrs Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange had some PIHPSA members throwing fists at the screen and shouting “OH YEAH!!!” and in contrast there were a couple of moments when a few tears were shed (ok for the first time you watch it, but to cry for your second viewing?). Towards the end of the movie as all eyes were on Voldemort, one PIHPSA Exec member “she who shall not be named” started to nudge and quietly asked “...Um
Row, is that the Dark Lord?” Awesome stuff, Taru you might want to check out Harry Potters 1 – 7.1 All in all it was a great outing for everyone and we greatly look forward to our next movie night. We would like to dedicate this to our members who were not able to make it and especially to Malia Lameta who had to baby sit but ended up waiting in her car until the movie ended.
PIHPSA Movie Night—Harry Potter 7.2
Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
Summer School Starts: Jan 9th 2011 PHSI 191—for students who passed their lab component in the Semester One PHSI 191 course but failed the paper overall. CHEM 191—for students who passed the internal assess‐ments of the Semester One CHEM 191 course but failed the paper with a total mark of at least 30%. HUBS 192—for students who have passed the on‐line (GLMs) and lab check‐outs in Semester Two HUBS 192 paper but failed the paper with a D grade or FAIL and gained at least 30% in the final exam. Course Approval Semester One: Feb 17th—21st. PIRSSU Staff will be available to talk over course load and pathways for all Pacific students.
Leadership Retreat: Feb 24th‐25th—Leadership and Orientation retreat for PIHPSA Exec members and POPO Peer Educators.
Division of Health Sciences Welcome and POPO Launch: Friday March 2nd to welcome all health sciences students to
Dunedin and to Launch the 2012 POPO Programme.
Postgraduate BBQ: March 24th to welcome new and returning postgraduate students to the Division. Health Sciences Fono: April 27th‐29th Waihola Christian Camp Ground.
Community Health Sessions: Held on the last Sunday of every month. Specialists will go out to the local Pacific community and talk about health issues that are relevant to Pacific peoples. Pacific Immersion Programme: 4th year Medical students go out and spend the weekend with local Pacific families. March 17‐18th 2012—Samoan attachment April 21‐22nd 2012—Cook Islands attachment June 30th‐July 1st 2012—Tongan attachment September 8‐9th 2012—Minority Communities
Semester One: Feb 27th—June 1st Mid‐semester Break: April 6th—15th Mid‐year Exams: June 6th—20th
Upcoming Events 2012
PIHPSA Friday Lunch Sessions
These sessions provide a mixture of academic, mentoring and general support. They are held every Friday from 1‐2pm (during term time) at the Hunter Centre, Division of Health Sciences. The sessions provide good opportunities for support staff and PIHPSA students to meet. External guests are also invited to present on important topics. Friday sessions are open to PIHPSA students, PIHPSA Alumni, staff in the Division of Health Sciences and anyone passionate about Pacific Health issues. Topics for presentation provided are shared between
Dentistry, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, PIHPSA, Medicine and OSMS. PIHPSA Alumni and Post graduates students also have an opportunity to present during these meetings. Presentations include academic topics, cultural sessions, social activities and research‐related topics. Sessions are chaired by either PIHPSA or Otago staff members. We are exploring the possibility of joining PIHPSA students
and support staff from Wellington and Christchurch to these
sessions. Please contact us if you need more information.
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Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
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Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
In September FLEP (Family Life
Education Pasefika) came to
Dunedin to teach in the various
schools in the Division of
Health Sciences. While here,
FLEP also participated in an HR
training session focused on
communicating issues of
identity and cultural awareness
to general and academic staff
across the University of Otago,
Foundation Studies Ltd and
Otago Polytechnic.
Through drama, dance and
dialogue, issues of communica‐
tion, understanding, family life
and health of Pacific peoples
were expressed.
At the end of the session, the
Manager of Human Resources,
Jill Turner, was presented with
artwork painted during the
training session depicting the
two worlds that the Pacific
person must traverse and
understand.
The session was very well
received.
PIHPSA vs. PILSA Debate
This year PIHPSA was challenged to a
debate by PILSA (Pacific Islands Law
Students’ Association) as part of their
Pacific Legal Week celebrations.
The topic was “Should the New Zealand
government be responsible for Pacific
Health”.
Josh Sua, Brittany Stanley‐Wishart and
Ethan Rubin argued that yes, the New
Zealand government should be
responsible to Pacific health, not only in
New Zealand but also across the wider
Pacific. The debate was judged by Dr
Fanaafi Le Tagaloa Aiono and our very
own Dr Latika Samalia.
One of the objectives of the week is to
share knowledge and develop awareness
and understanding of the range of issues
facing the Pacific Community. It is hoped
that the week will provide a forum for in
depth analysis and collaboration that will
enable proposals for reforms and
contribute to national and international
progress.
After a heated debate, our team of first
year health sciences students were
announced the winners.
A big thank you goes to everyone that
went to support our first year students
and to all those who put time in to give
them tips and debating strategies.
Well done PIHPSA!!
Dare to Care
We are all faced with a series of great opportunities
brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.
Charles R. Swindoll
Wednesday 14 September, 12 noon in the Moot Court, Otago University.
FLEP HR Training and Pacific Teaching
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Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
Oka Sanerivi
Originally from Auckland, Oka chose to move to the wintry south because “it is the best university in the country, and they undoubtedly have the best School of Physiotherapy”. Oka completed his first degree, a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Structural Biology in 2007 and then spent a further three years completing a Bachelor of Physiotherapy. When asked what influenced him to study Physiotherapy, Oka said that he did not chose the degree, the degree chose him through his passion for sports and desire to help people. Today, Oka is a Rotational Physiotherapist at North Shore Hospital in Auckland. He currently provides Physiotherapy services to a Medical and Surgical Ward. Of Samoan and Tongan descent, Oka believes that being Pacific is a great advantage in this field. “It colours everything we do. From how we relate to patients to how we work together with our colleagues even to how we share lunch. Our Pacific people are renowned for being a joyful and caring people, and these are qualities that are highly sought after in my area”. With a passion for people and his field of expertise, Oka finds that he is continuously challenged and rewarded by seeing that people get better with his help, and being a recent graduate, getting paid is an extra bonus. However, Oka also admits that the most valuable lesson he has learnt since entering
the workforce is to make sure you get a good night’s sleep. As a young Health Professional, Oka has much advice for those thinking of Physiotherapy as a career. To succeed, Oka says to “not hold back. I'd encourage you that if you have a love for people and want to see people of all ages have a better quality of life, get into Physiotherapy and throw everything you have into it. If you're like me and don't get admitted to the School first time (or second time) take heart and keep trying. It's worth it beyond dollars and cents”.
Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Structural Biology
Bachelor of Physiotherapy Otago University
Graduate Profile
...take heart and
keep trying...
Now is the time to start thinking about applying for scholarships and funding both as undergraduate students and post‐graduates.
If you feel that you do not have the grades or that there are no scholarships out there that fit your circumstances, please do not dismiss this section. When applying for scholarships, the worst that can happen is that your application is not successful. If this happens, you are no
worse off than before.
Make sure you shop around for scholarships. There are many organizations that offer both funding and scholarships, the following are a few that offer scholarships however, please contact Malia Lameta if you need more information or assistance in filling out the application forms.
Scholarship Information/Useful Websites
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Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager and had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and said, “I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life
is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do; he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point . While trying to open the safe, his hand slipped. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma centre. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied.
"Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." " What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'" Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own
actions. Dalai Lama
Thought of the day… (A lesson in positive thinking)
The following websites are a few of the many sites that offer scholarships and funding: University of Otago Scholarships Database: http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/scholarships/index.html Health Research Council Funding and Scholarships: http://hrc.govt.nz/search.html?search=scholarship Break Out Scholarships: http://www.fis.org.nz/
index.php?page=BreakOut Ministry of Pacific Island Af‐fairs: http://www.mpia.govt.nz/scholarships/ Ministry of Health: http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/careers.aspx?id=276 Le Va http://www.leva.co.nz/page/5‐Welcome Divisional Website (admission information): http://healthsci.otago.ac.nz/
Pacific Student Support Staff Group
Rosemary Kardos—Senior Lecturer Dentistry Email: rosemary.kardos@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) 479 7476
Dr Latika Samalia—Pro. Practice Fellow Anatomy & Structural Biology Email: latika.samalia@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) 479 5145
Dr Susan Heydon—Lecturer Pharmacy Email: susan.heydon@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) 479 5875
Prof. Pauline Norris—Chair in Social Pharmacy Pharmacy Email: pauline.norris@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) 479 7359
Katrina Bryant—Pro. Practice Fellow Physiotherapy Email: katrina.bryant@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) 479 4034
Dr Sarah Young Pathology Email: sarah.young@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) 479 3457
Dr Fa’afetai Sopoaga, Associate Dean Pacific Medicine Email: pirssu@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) 479 8493
Nadia Smith, Clinical Tutor Radiation Therapy Email: nadia.smith@southerndhb.govt.nz Phone: (03) 4709310
Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
Pacific Strategic Group
Simon Chu, Academic Dean Foundation Studies Email: simon.chu@otago.ac.nz Phone Number: (03) (479) 5717
Division Prof. Crampton, PVC
Andrea Howard, Director Policy and Planning
Dr Fa’afetai Sopoaga, Associate Dean Pacific
Richard White, Administrative Support
DSM Prof. Philip Hill
Dr Rose Richards
Dentistry Dr Jonathan Leichter
Physiotherapy Chris Higgs
Pharmacy Prof. Pauline Norris
OSMS Assoc. Prof. Tony Merriman
Planning & Funding Naomi Weaver
Pacific Islands Centre Tofilau Nina Kirifi‐Alai
Wellington Campus Dr Karlo Mila
Christchurch Campus Allamanda Fa’atoese
PIHPSA President/Vice‐president
Pacific Trust Otago Wale Tobata
Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
Health Sciences Fono Feedback
Kitchen Staff Report By Melbourne Mauiliu The kitchen team ruled the camp, hands down!!! Lead by Camp Mum Mrs Aniva Slater and Chief Chef Ms Tala’i Mapusua along with their kitchen hand Malia they managed to feed over 60 hungry staff and students during the duration of the camp!! For the first night of the camp we had delicious chop suey and rice followed by Dr Tai’s famous scones!!! To greet us in the morning was island style cocoa rice made from pure Samoan roasted and ground cocoa, for most it was their first time sampling this dish. The kitchen staff as merry as they were surprised everyone again during lunch time with sandwich roles filled with chicken, eggs and vegetables, lots and lots of vegetables for healthy health
science students. After an afternoon of mud sliding and running around the hungry students descended upon a much needed dinner of roast chicken. The kitchen staff never ceased to amaze the students with what they brought over the counter, everything readily consumed and the satisfied looks on the well fed students’ faces said it all. Sunday morning for any Pacific kitchen staff is the most hectic!! Running on Island time, the students woke up 3 hours later than they were supposed to and started on the umu. The boys worked outside getting the fire started while the girls all gathered around in the kitchen for “My Kitchen Rules” with Malia; menu – corned beef stew inside whole roasted pumpkins. This involved intricately carving up the pumpkin and disposing of the inner seeds so the corned beef stew mix can be poured in. One important thing to note when
Preparation for PIHPSA Camp 2011! By Asa Vete Countless hours were involved to ensure the PIHPSA 2011 Camp would be a success! (My impression from the last meeting was that the camp was EPIC! so guts for those who couldn’t make it...maybe next year aye) Fortunately the camp was well revised and planned by none other than PIHPSA president Victoria Dol and her 2011 executive. However it is also important to note the contribution of the staff here at PIRSSU. Don’t want to mention any names but Malia was awesome! Thank you. During the weekly executive meetings the president and the exec would gather and after a prayer, big feeds! An exec dinner at ‘Great taste’ allowed us to format a schedule for the camp. The exec decided to keep the agenda similar to the camp last year, with some modifications here and there. Ideas such as the amazing race, camp fire, mud slides and zumba in the mornings were among a few that were thrown around the table. Initiatives for PIHPSA t-shirts were also brought up. It
wasn’t long before the team had put together a recipe for an awesome camp. Back to the Wednesday meetings, Jordan gave us the low down on the hundreds of dollars PIHPSA casually had lying around in the bank. Yeah Right. He decided on looking for sponsors for this years’ camp. What a great idea! With the help from once again the staff at PIRSSU aka Malia, letters were made and enveloped to various outlets and supermarkets. These included Cadbury factory, new world, farmers and stationary warehouse. Members of the exec were then divided into groups, i.e. amazing group, star group etc. These groups were responsible for ensuring the variety of events at the camp ran accordingly. As the camp neared, stress mounted among the exec i.e. Matt’s long hair started to grey. Now all that was left was some fine tuning of transportation and making sure guest speakers were still available for the camp. At the end of the day crucial team work and communication between PIHPSA and Malia laid the platform for one hell of a time at Waihola!
Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
‘Experience makes perfect’ Tarucilla Tatui The opportunity to lead and facilitate the Research Workshop at the PIHPSA camp was a great learning experience. Not only in terms of improving my personal skills in public speaking but boosting self-confidence as well. On inception, the idea of facilitating the workshop seemed quite a challenge, nerve-wrecking to say the least. However, I found it to be stimulating and resourceful. I also had the privilege to be assisted by Dr Tai Sopoaga where she provided useful tips and advice that were fundamental to my role as a facilitator. During our brief conversation over breakfast, I learnt that it was important to always ‘engage with the audience’ and the best place to start was the introduction. Subsequently, I progressively came to grips with the formality of things. The audience was great and they made my job a whole lot easier. One of the major tasks required was to summarise what each speaker had said. This required a lot of active listening, attention, and trying to put it in a context that
everyone could relate to. On the day, we had four guest speakers- Dr Rose Richards, the Deputy Director of a Research Unit in the Otago Medical School, Neil Kerr, a fourth year medical student who conducted a research for his BMedSci (Hons) degree he completed last year, Josh Chamberlain, a third year medical student currently undertaking a research for his BMedSci (Hons) Degree, and, Rhys Fa’avae, a fourth year medical student who completed his research under the Summer Studentship programme. Each speaker, in their own level of expertise, contributed immensely to our knowledge of research. In general, it was indeed a humbling and great opportunity to participate in the Research Workshop particularly as facilitator. This was a great learning experience and something that could be allocated amongst our members as I believe we all have the potential and the capability of carrying out such tasks. Facilitating a workshop is a skill that comes with experience and I believe that with a lot of experience, things can be perfected.
making this dish is that the lid is very important and must be retained, not butchered. Everyone pitched in and helped where they could while the kitchen staff directed them, it was like a scene out of a Sunday morning back in the islands – the only thing missing were the church bells and of course my mum yelling (Malia was very nice). To make it more of a Pacific feast we had dry curry, mutton flaps, taro and bananas. To top it off was a beautiful vegetable salad, like always a healthy meal for the healthy health sciences students. The Pro-Vice
Chancellor Professor Peter Crampton, Staff and Community joined us later on to share our to’onai with us and the company enjoyed the food. The kitchen staff, always smiling did a wonderful job taking care of the students. The sounds of laughter from the kitchen and the beautiful and mouth watering aroma never failed to lift our spirits. After all, when you’re well fed you are one happy person!!!
The Amazing Race By Matthew & Rowena It’s all in the name, the amazing race was AMAZING! Preparing for it and coming up with ideas on how to make that afternoon fun and awesome was such an enjoyable task. We met a few times and came up with a number of challenges for the race; and in the end, we had 5 challenges which were represented by different countries in the Pacific. The countries were Niue, Samoa, Cook Islands, Kiribati and New Zealand. The teams that were created on the first night of camp all participated; Bananas in Pyjamas, Wolfpack, Banananami, Dr Who and Osama Banana. In Samoa, teams had to navigate with water balloons, this went well until Team Bananas in Pyjamas decided to attack Osama Banana with their water balloons… good stuff! In Niue, teams had to eat their way through a tub of Jelly, sympathies go out to Team Dr Who, who had to eat through the saltiest Jelly on earth (Blame none other than
Melbourne Mauiliu from Osama banana). In Kiribati, teams had to complete a puzzle of Sudoku, top prize going to Marcus!! In New Zealand, teams had to munch their way through dry weetbix without the assistance of any liquid refreshments, all complied except Matthew, who was caught throwing half a weetbix away without Mara noticing. In the Cook Islands, Teams had to complete an assault course, and finally, each team had to complete the race by going down a large mudslide. Everyone loved the race, and even a month after camp finished, we can’t seem to stop talking about it. The highlight of some peoples’ weekend, which was mentioned during camp reflection on Sunday, was the mudslide. The amazing race was a good experience because everyone participated and even though it was competitive, it was nice to see team members help each other out at the different stations. Overall, the race was an awesome experience!!
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PIRSSU Corner
Tangi Joseph Secretary 1/325 Great King Street Rm G01, Ground Floor Physio Building University of Otago Office: (03) 479 8493 Fax: (03) 479 3935
pirssu@otago.ac.nz
www.pirssu.otago.ac.nz
PIRSSU Contact Details
Malia Lameta Pacific Project Coordinator PIRSSU
Tangi Joseph Secretary PIRSSU
Dr Fa’afetai Sopoaga Associate Dean Pacific Division of Health Sciences
To contact any or all PIRSSU staff, please use
the PIRSSU email address under Contact
details.
Pacific Islands Research & Student Support Unit Newsletter
www.pirssu.otago.ac.nz
PACIFIC STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK GOALS
1. To encourage Pacific research excellence. The Pacific Research Development Day 2011 was run in conjunction with NZ Health Research Council.
2. To demonstrate and value leadership in Pacific matters.
3. To strengthen community engagement. The Division will continue to build strong relationships with Pacific families, and provide pathways for Pacific students at schools to ensure they are informed, inspired and able to capture the opportunities available in the University.
4. To enhance capability. The Division of Health Sciences is focused on enhancing the capability of Pacific staff and students.
5. To develop the Pacific curriculum. Ensuring that curricula in the Division’s Professional Programmes incorporate a Pacific component.
6. To contribute to the Pacific region and international pro-gress. The Division has a strong commitment to continue to support and build mutually beneficial relationships with the wider Pacific region.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
from the PIRSSU Team