Pop-up makerspace coming to the Library on the 31st October

Ara Library will be hosting FabLab Christchurch on Wednesday the 31st October for a pop-up makerspace event. We would like to invite all interested staff and students of Ara to come along and take part.

Staff from FabLab Christchurch will transport us into the fascinating world of Virtual Reality. We will also investigate the transformative power of 3D Printing and will have a number of printers in the Library for you to use. If you have any .stl files for a project you would like to try on the 3D printer please bring them with you.

The Makerbot Replicator 2 as used by FabLab Christchurch

 

The event will be running from 10 am to 1.30 pm on the ground floor of the Library, at the City Campus, Ara Institute of Canterbury. Please contact us in the Library for further information.

We look forward to seeing you there.

2018 APSTE Conference

This guest blog is by Georgie Archibald, Kaitoko Ako Pasifika (Learning Advisor Pasifika) in the Learning Services team.

Fakaalofa lahi atu this Niuean Language Week!

Last week from the 10-12 October, Ara was proud to host the 2018 Association of Pasifika Staff in Tertiary Education (APSTE) Conference. The purpose of the fono was to bring together Pasifika staff from all parts of the tertiary education sector to share our experiences, ideas, skills and knowledge through the inclusive and transparent process of rich talanoa. It was fantastic to host 60 guests at the conference, which was centred on the theme “Ready for Change” – inspired by the recent changes in the tertiary sector at national and institutional levels, which have ripple effects for Pasifika learners, staff, and communities.

Some of the conference highlights included powerful keynote addresses from Riki Welsh (PYLAT) about Pasifika youth and mental health, Daniel Faitaua (TVNZ) who spoke on being Pasifika in a traditionally non-Pasifika work industry, and Sela Faletolu (No Limits) who presented on adapting to change culturally, personally and professionally. We also thoroughly enjoyed a variety of presentations and workshops facilitated by local talent from our Canterbury region. At the conference’s end, guests shared their appreciation for the meaningful connections, valuable knowledge and excellent food shared throughout the fono. We all have new ideas, initiatives and connections to take back to our tertiary institutions for our students and colleagues.

Thanks goes to Ako Aotearoa and Ara Institute of Canterbury for sponsoring this fantastic event.

E patu i te ‘are vānanga ki runga i te tūranga ngāueue kore – Build your future on solid foundations.

– Cooks Islands Māori proverb

A fia vave o’o lou va’a, alo na o ‘oe, ae e fia tuli mamao le taunu’uga, tātou ‘alo’alo fa’atasi – If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.

– Samoan proverb

Si’i pe kae hā – We are a small island, we are still great.

– Tongan proverb

The invisible illness

Image: CC0 – Pixabay

This post by Rose Edgar, Advisor, Disability Services

With the recent death of news presenter Greg Boyed, it again highlights the need for mental illness to be out in the open. We have come a long way from years gone by, but it is still something that needs to be on our radar.

In 2017, the New Zealand Health Survey found that 1 in 6 adults will be diagnosed with some form of mental illness in their lifetime. However, we are still hesitant to talk to our friends about it.

Coming out of winter, we have seen a lot of colds and flu going around. We feel compassion for those who are sick. We reeadily empathise with someone who has a cold and  don’t question why they might stay at home to recover. Winter is also the time where mental illness is at its highest. Are we checking up on our friends who seem to be missing class, stopped hanging as much, are more distant?

You might think that someone is just stressed with course work or their job, but it might be something else. Start up a conversation, let them know you are there to listen. Even just knowing that you care can make a huge difference to someone. Have a read of these 15 things you should never say to someone with depression and what to say instead.

If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, please reach out. At Ara, you can talk to any one of the staff who will point you in the right direction. Disability Services can help if you need to chat or need someone to advocate on your behalf. The Health Centre has nurses available and can refer you for free counselling.  Student Central has advisors who can support you and help with your needs. Duncan Dunbar, the Student advocate is a registered counsellor and is happy to support in a range of situations from everyday life problems through to addiction and legal matters.

Other services:

1747
free phone/text to connect with mental health professionals

298 Youth Health
03 943 9298/ 021 081 2991
www.298.org.nz

Depression.org.nz
0800 111 757 – 24 hour helpline
text: 4202

Lifeline
0800 543 354

Mental Health Foundation
www.mentalhealth.org.nz