Whether you're a politics nerd like me, or someone who can't stand it, I think that we can all agree that this election has been one of the most dry, bland, and uninspiring contests of recent years. We’ve got a choice between Chris and Chris for PM; one with hair, and one with considerably less hair; a seasoned politician and a seasoned businessman. The same lines are recited and the same pandering becomes easy to see through. ‘Does it really matter which Chris gets my vote?’
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again: hordes of freshers perform the annual ritual of scurrying to find a flat before the next academic year begins. The difficulty to even be offered a flat as a first-time renter has forced our news intern to accept a flat in the ditch of Devon Street in Aro Valley (pray for him).
Read MoreDuring his three years at Victoria University, Ibrahim Omer had a strict ritual every Friday afternoon: getting a coffee from Vic Books and a packet of sushi from MakiMono. Omer looks back at this time with fondness, and expressed immediate concern at the lack of students on campus before we even stepped foot into the Salient studio - “it's so quiet!”
Read MoreLaw students are doing what they do best: arguing. VUWLSS have announced the prices to the annual Law Ball event, and the steep ticket prices are causing havoc in the Law faculty. A series of anonymous complaints posted by VuW: Meaningful Confessions have called out the society for steep ball ticket prices.
Read MoreMassey University has joined the slew of tertiary institutions facing major redundancies after further cuts were announced across the university’s three campuses. The initial number of 125 job cuts jumped to 245 on 18 July, when the Vice Chancellor Jan Thomas issued a statement calling for “voluntary enhanced cessation”, or voluntary redundancy, from members of staff.
Read MoreThe Green Party dropped a major policy announcement last week, Hoki Whenua Mai, aimed at fixing the approach to redress for stolen Māori land. “The impact of the loss of Māori land, the theft of Māori land, has had intergenerational mamae,” Co-leader Marama Davidson told RNZ. “Hoki Whenua Mai is about restoring wellbeing, restoring equity for whānau Māori, but it's also about justice.”
Read More…except it’s not the type of housing that Wellingtonians were hoping for. Wellington City Council (WCC) have completed the latest installment of Te Kāinga affordable rental programme, a development consisting of three different apartment buildings on Willis Street. Combined, the buildings house a total of 178 two or three bedroom apartments, but the price tag has raised eyebrows.
Read MoreAfter the University of Otago announced they had a $60 million debt in early May, suspicions of a similar blow at Te Herenga Waka arose. On 24 May, Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith presented a forum entitled ‘Achieving Financial Sustainability’. The presentation detailed immense debt for the university—a predicted forecast of $33m for 2023 alone—and major job cuts. Areas under review at this period included ‘central service units’, such as roles in Human Resources and Engagement, as well as staffing within Business and Government, Education, Health, and Law faculties.
Students have been left confused after the Kelburn campus space previously occupied by Vic Books has remained empty.
Read MoreA new club has been erected at the university: Victoria University Virginity Club (@VUWVirgin on Instagram).
Read MoreTe Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has announced a new “cost of living scholarship” to help support students as the cost of living soars.
Read MoreRecent disruptive climate protests have riled Wellington motorists, as activists from Restore Passenger Rail (RPR) have blocked roads and glued themselves to highways.
Read MoreThe 19 Fired Up Stilettos (19FUS) brought sex worker rights into the light last Sunday during a protest outside of Parliament. They called legislative reform to protect sex workers from abuse, unfair pay cuts, and exploitation from employers. This includes changes to prevent a club or agency taking over 20% of pay from a sex worker, as well as banning ‘coercive’ fines and bonds.
Read MoreStudents are reporting increasingly “unempathetic” and “uncompassionate” experiences with reception staff and general practitioners (GPs) at Mauri Ora – Student Health. Students are feeling increasingly disregarded by the lack of communication and longer wait times from the healthcare provider.
Read MoreOn Sunday, 26 March, thousands of protesters flooded Pōneke’s Civic Square fighting for trans rights in response to transphobic activist Kellie-Jay KeenMinshull, commonly known as Posie Parker, arriving in Aotearoa.
Read MoreThe university is taking a “crisis approach” in an attempt to increase domestic enrollment numbers after extremely low enrollments in the past few years.
Read MoreThe university has announced that the space left in the wake of the Vic Books closure will be temporarily replaced by a partnership between The Lab and textbook supplier Campus Books for the remainder of the year.
Read MoreSuspicious posters erected throughout Kelburn campus advertising part-time roles at an unnamed “nightclub” were actually recruiting for full-service sex work roles at an escorting agency in Wellington Central.
Read MoreIt’s clear that Smith is incredibly out of touch with what it’s like to be a student at VUW in 2023.
Read MoreStaff at the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences are feeling “burnt out” and “undervalued” after VUW denied staffing requests, following the retirement and resignation of key lecturers and administrative staff late last year.
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