The Year That Was - 2007

January

Enter two new Presidential staff. Well one new and one not so new. January was a good start to a great year. Richard and Ryan begin planning for the year and outlines events and such things.

February

Enter….students. OPSA was flooded with students’ requiring ID cards and assistance with various things such as enrolments issues and student loan and allowance applications

Orientation
This years Orientation was the highest ticket selling orientation in orientation history

Student Services Area
OPSA opened out student service self service area which includes binding, laminating, black and white and colour photocopying, internet access, OP network access, fax machine.

March

OPSA Annual General Meeting
OPSA’s annual general meeting was held in March. At this meeting the 2007 OPSA Executive was elected and the meeting accepted the 2006 budget, approved the 2007 budget and accepted the 2006 Co-Presidents report.

Graduation Parade
The parade preceding the graduation ceremony was enjoyed by all and was a change for all graduates to enjoy a day dedicated entirely to them.

March Graduation
The first graduation for 206 was held in the Town Hall. OP also held their third Maori Graduation Ceremony

St. Patrick’s Day
OPSA celebrated St. Patrick’s Day (well at least the Friday before) with a fantastic morning breakfast for all students who were brave enough to come out at 8:30 in the morning. Such a great feed.

April

Interest Fee Student Loans
OPSA celebrated the 1st anniversary of Labours Interest Fee Student Loans policy by providing cake in the student centre and combining with OUSA to provide events on both the University and Polytechnic campuses.

May

Soup Kitchens
After the success of the Soup Kitchens in 2006, OPSA restarted these to help you through the winter months.

June

Holidays
A big part of June was taken up with holidays.


July

Gyro Digital
OPSA embraced the digital age and put your magazine, Gyro, online. This can be viewed at http://www.gyro.org.nz

August

2007 University Sport Snow Games
Otago Polytechnic was the only polytechnic in New Zealand invited to enter a team for the 2007 University Sport Snow Games. The games were full of hard fought competition and the Otago Polytechnic got a silver medal. Hadley Boyle (Bachelor of Product Design) has taken Otago Polytechnic’s first ever medal at the University Snow Games.
Boyle’s combined run time of 137.88 in the Snowboard Giant Slalom Men’s placed him second out of 35, between Phil Dominick of Massey Albany (first place with 137.27) and Will Marshall of Canterbury University.

OPSA’s new logo
OPSA created a new logo. It is much more modern and good looking.


September

Fee Setting
Despite the work that was done around a zero fee increase at Otago Polytechnic for 2008, the Otago Polytechnic Council still voted to increase 2008 tuition fees to the maximum allowable under the Fee Course Cost Maxima Scheme.

Tertiary Challenge
OPSA worked with a group of students from the Otago Sports Institute lead by Geoff Simons and Terry Wilson in organising the Southern Tertiary Challenge. Unfortunately, for reasons outside of OPSA’s control, the Southern Tertiary Challenge was cancelled.

Cultural Food Festival
12 groups from various nations cooked food for the day. All groups were well received and nothing but positive comments were made about the day.

October

SJS Regional Chair
Ryan Ward was nominated for the position of 2008 Student Job Search Otago Regional Caucus Chair. There were two candidates nominated and the vote was tied. Ryan, proving that he is a bigger man than the other candidate, withdrew warning the newly elected RC chair, and I quote, “I will ride him for all of 2008”.

November

OPSA Staff Awards
In recognition of the quality of the lecturers at Otago Polytechnic, OPSA awarded eight staff, from student nominations, the 2007 Staff Awards.

OPSA Blues Awards
OPSA was honoured to award the following students with the 2007 OPSA Blues Awards: