Donation to Cave Creek Fund Opposed by AMANDA WEATHERLEY ''We Are Financially Supporting Near Greymouth, in April
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. VOLUME 2. NO 4 MONDAY JUNE 19, 199, WEWNGTONPOLYl'BCHNIC SI'UDENTNEWSPAPER 1ff2ll;:t Ill~ 1111 Briefs Donation to Cave Creek fund opposed BY AMANDA WEATHERLEY ''We are financially supporting near Greymouth, in April. other students to go to another in Association executive director WP being sued Wellington Polytechnic's deci stitution and do another institu Jim Doyle says New Zealand's 25 Wellington Polytechnic has sion to donate $3500 to a trust fund tion's course. It .is money our stu polytechnics were asked to contril> set aside U00,000 to defen.d a set up in memory of the Cave Creek dents are not receiving," says Mr ute about $125,000 in total, which defamation action brought tragedy victims, is opposed by stu Begg. ' ' will be used for scholarships to at against it. dent leaders. Mr Manuel agrees. "It is money tend Tai Poutini. The figure received Principal Bob Bubehdorfer Wellington Polytechnic Student going to other students when it will be matched by the Govern says he is unable to comment Services Trust executive director could be spent on our own stu ment. further for legal reasons. He says Charles Begg and Wellington Poly dents." Wellington Polytechnic was · litigation is pending on the mat technic Students' Association presi The trust fund was suggested by asked to donate $7353.10 because ter, and it would be inappropri dent Matua Manuel both feel for the the Association of Polytechnics the of its number of EFTS(equivalent ate for him to discuss it publicly. families of the 13 Tai Poutini Poly day after 13 students and a Depart full-time students). A check at the Wellington technic students killed, but believe ment of Conservation officer were He says most polytechnics have High Court has revealed no defa the money should be spent on killed when a viewing platform col paid the suggested figure. "One mation cases involving the poly Wellington Polytechnic students. lapsed in Paparoa National Park, • CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 Jim Doyle technic have been set down for hearings over the next few months. Hasna's long wait will soon be over Higher fees Warts and all BY CLARE SZIRANYI lead to more Staff at the Health Centre are now removing students' un Hasna Ali is 21, and hasn't seen compJaints wanted warts twice a month. her family for four years. The wart-blasting sessions Like many Somali families, they BY REBECCA DAVIDSON have been doubled because of were split apart by civil war, and as significant demand, according to a teenager, Hasna found herself Increases in tertiary fees are Dr Diane Whiting. "We used to alone in a refugee camp in Kenya. encouraging students to bring set aside one day a month, but Last May, she was accepted for complaints against teaching and we had over 30 patients in one immigration to New Zealand, and facilities at Wellington Polytech day so we have decided to dou began studying English at Welling nic, says Student Llaison Officer ble the sessions," she says. ton Polytechnic six months ago. Dave Adams. Dr Whiting says the warts, Being on the other side of the "I think, although generalising which are especially common on world, not knowing where the rest a little, students are becoming hands, are froi.en with liquid ni of her family is, and trying to learn less apathetic about services and trogen. She says the application a new language has been stressful are coming forward. It is impor: can be "uncomfortable", particu forHasna. tant students get value- for larly if the warts are in sensitive "Alone is difficult. It's a very hard money." areas, such as near fingernails. life. Sometimes yeu don't have any This year the Students' Asso Sessions will usually happen one to talk to," she says. ciation has dealt with between 55 on Wednesdays in the middle of However, this will soon be over. and 60 complaints. the month, and will be advertised After many months she has re "If students do have problems inMagnet ceived word that her mother and with courses and tutors they her dead sister's four children are should first discuss these with the in one of the Kenyan refugee respective tutor. Then move up camps. They are due to arrive in wards to the course supervisor, W'clllngton Polytcdmic 801-5799 New Zealand next month. head of department and head of W'ePSA 384-2856 Hasna thinks her father is still in LUCY WIUCINS school," says Dave. WPSST 384-2731 Somalia, and her other brothers 'Hasna Ali : "I'm not learning English very well because Students are complaining Health Resource Centre 384-2731 and sisters are scattered over Kenya I'm thinking of my family." about poor communication skills, Magneto Classlfteds 382-0283 and Somalia. little access to tutors out of class Magneto Newsroom 38H703 "I feel happy. I'm very lucky," stress of being separated from their the Immigration Service asked her· time and lectures not covering 38H704 says Hasna. families, and the struggle to prove to go to Auckland for three weeks the syllabus, rather than any 38H705 Arranging for her ramily to join to the Immigration Service the va to prove her case. problems with personalities. her in New Zealand has been diffi lidity of their relationships with Hasna agrees it's difficult to con Problems with the Students' cult for Hasna. those left in Kenya, has made it dif centrate on her studies. Services Trust and non-academic Othe( Somali students at the ficult to focus on things here. "I'm not learning English very services such as vending· ma News 1-3, 8-9, 18,21 polytech, who make up six percent "The Somali social structure is so well because I'm thinking of my chines or common room facili YePSN'WPSST 4-5 of all students studying English as different. Immigration didn't really family." ties, can be dealt with through Opinion 6-7 a second language, have also had understand their system. A family However, she says she is.happy the Students' Association. 10.11, 16-17 Peatures difficulties. doesn't mean a nuclear family as we with the New Zealand govern Students are welcome to take Polytech Papam.zl 12-13 Judi McCallum, of the languages know it. It's a huge Pandora's box," ment's treatment of her. their problems there, but Dave Bnleltlinment 14 department, says many of the So says Ms McCallum. "I think it's great. They're help says it is easier to go through the RCYiews 15 mali students are having trouble She says one woman has had to ihg me. Before I felt alone and wor particular department. Sport 22-24 concentrating on their studies. The withdraw from her course because ried - now I am lucky," she says. NEWS Lobbying costs 'Silllple mistakes' cause delay to · students' loans and allowances could triple BY u.ARE SZIRANYI financial obstacles they didn't an ticipate. BY STEPHEN PARKES tional union failed to elect a pres!- Slow p~ing of student loans Other times, he sees older stu dent. Because of a 16 month stand- and allowances is one reason why dents who are returning to study The cost of lobbying could tri- down period the withdrawal will some students get Into financial dif- after having a job. They are used to pie for Wellington Polytechnic stu- not take effect until March 10, 1996. ficulty, says student budget advisor a larger disposable Income, and find dents if they decide to leave the At a national conference held at Jeff Drane. it hard to exist on a student allow Aotearoa Polytechnic Students As- the polytech last month, APSU He says some foreign students ance. sociati9n. again failed to elect a leader when have particular difficulty with the Whatever the cause of a person's StudentServicesTrustexecutive Hutt Valley Polytechnic Student application process, and simple money troubles, Mr Drane says director Charles Begg says it could President Bobby Hem!, the only mistakes on fonns can result In al- there are always solutions~ cost students up to $60,000 a year candidate, received five votes for lowances or loans being delayed for "Sometimes students have ex if WePSA does its own ·lobbying. and 13 of no-confidence. WePSA months. penditure In excess of their Income, "Lobbying is not an easy task ... and voted for Hemi. He says one foreign student this and once they're conscious of the good lobbyists can afford to charge WePSA President Matua Manuel year wrote down two different birth situation, they see they can cut back like wounded bulls." says he was disappointed with the dates on the form - not because on some things," he says. This year WePSA paid $18,970, result. they were being dishonest - but Other solutions could be to find LUCY WII.ICINS about $5 per student, to join APSU. Mr Manuel says students wantto because the calendar year In New Jeff Drane ways of Increasing someone's In Begg believes this is substantially leave APSU because they see it as Zealand is totally different from come, or expediating loans etc. less than what it will cost WePSA to being "lost'' without a leader. "They their home country. This simple stresses of student life, says Mr Mr Drane also makes recom look after itself. think if it [APSU] can't even get error held up their allowance for Drane. mendations to the Devon Sutcliffe Students will make the final de- themselves a leader, why stay?" two months and led to serious fl- One reason could be that a job Hardship Fund which provides cision on whether to leave the na- He says students also want to nancial difficulty.