UCOL Blog

Firstly I would like to say welcome to UCOL! Like always, O-Week is AS@U’s way of kicking off the semester with games, food, music and giveaways.

This semester I am a student with my massive one paper! Unfortunately my classes just happened to fall on the O-Week schedule Monday and Tuesday so I couldn’t be there to take photos, however I managed to score a few from AS@U for Day 1 and will try and find some of the powhiri soon as well. I will be around taking photos today though, it’s the Market Day so make sure you come and see all the businesses who are here to offer you special deals and discounts, there will be music, games and more giveaways as in true AS@U style.

Click HERE for the rest of the photos.

Hi again,

Well there isn’t much going on around campus these days.. I guess most of you are deep into your assignments and such.

Last night I was at the Youth Guarantee Scholarship Award Ceremony here in Palmerston North, this is the first of hopefully many. I don’t really have much to report, it went well and there was some pretty good catering (I guess you know why I was there aye!?!) but congratulations to all the students who received the scholarships and all the best with your studies here at UCOL!

There are some photos up on our facebook page, be sure to check them out http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=135253&id=46623618038

Well let me start off first of all by saying CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!

The past couple of days have been epic and not only did I get to graduate with everyone getting my  BAVI degree but I was lucky enough to be on the other side of it all and today (Wendnesday) I was staff and felt pretty honored to support the graduates doing a range of jobs from blowing up balloons (not manually though!) to handing out programs at the door then the nice windy walk holding the flags down the road.

So I know the feeling of being all excited and nervous but its all over now, feels pretty good to have finally finished studying (for now). The food was supplied by the students of our hospitality school and they did such a great job! it all tasted awesome so thank you so much! I didn’t get to eat so much on Tuesday when I graduated but I made up for it today I probably looked like some sort or sloth pounding my face with nibbles (I am exaggerating)

Also, a big THANK YOU to all the people who worked on the graduation! it wouldn’t happen without people like you and your hard work paid off. I really want some photos but because I was so busy I didn’t get a chance to take any so if anyone has photos please send them to j.nockels@ucol.ac.nz or just add them to our facebook page www.facebook.com/ucolnz but hopefully I can track some down.

Anyhoo.. I am rambling a little now. Once again, good luck to all your future studies and/or careers! make sure you make the most of your celebration tonight because tomorrow is literally the first day of the rest of your life!

Hey everyone!

So O-Week has come once again, AS@U are out with their free food & Giveaways each day this week! so far it has been pretty interesting. Monday was ‘SLOTH’ so the “Seven Deadly Sins Challenge” was to move down a slip and slide sort of thing and eat gross (and some not so gross) food and whoever got to the end first won, The prize was 2 tickets to the big sounds small town thing. All the free food was demolished in 10 mins but I think it went pretty well overall, if you want to check out the rest of whats going on see http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=297260893532&ref=mf our facebook event info or pick up the latest Crew Magazine.

Click image for more O-Week Day 1 Photos

Day 2 (today) was ‘GLUTTONY’ so the first challenge was to eat a plate of cold spaghetti the fastest without hands and the second challenge was who could get a whole pizza first. The same guy won both challenges (and I bet he got into the free breakfast before hand as well!) what a legend! He won some tickets to small town big sounds, a couple of goody bags, a voucher for powerhouse tattoos and I think a t-shirt as well? probably even more stuff, I don’t know but AS@U seem to be giving away heaps of cool things.

Click image for mroe O-Week Day 2 Photos

I also put up some photos from the Powhiri in our photo gallery but they are terrible shots, I am not a good photographer at the best of times and to make things worse my camera was on some kind of weird setting and I didn’t know.

All of these photos are up on our facebook page as well http://www.facebook.com/ucolnz so if you are on Facebook make sure you are a Fan and if any of your friends are in these photos make sure you tag them also we are giving away a Nintendo Wii on Facebook so make sure you sign up for a chance to win!

I just went and checked out the rehearsals for the show the performing arts students are putting on in just a few weeks. The camera I used isn’t the best so the photos are all pretty poor quality (there are some good shots though). The students will be performing scenes from Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard on December 2nd, 3rd and 4th at 7.30pm in block 5 (the Buckman building) in Palmerston North and the tickets are only $5 at the door.

I have to say what I saw looked pretty good, I will be there to watch the rest on their opening night thats for sure. If you want to see some more snapshots click HERE and ignore some of the spots on the camera, I think there was dust on the lens or something.. either that or some ghosts hanging out in block 5? who knows, I got sick of photoshoping them all out so there are a few in some of the shots. Anyway, make sure you check out the show because it does look like its going to be pretty good!

Last night was the BICT students poster showcase for their final projects.  I went along to check out what was happening and there was quite a good turn out. Some of the projects looked pretty good, most of it was a bit over my head though (had to get some things explained once ot twice).

After 3 years of study I am sure the students are relieved that it’s all finished, judging by what I could see – I am sure they will all do pretty well in the industry. I took a couple of random photos; if you want to check them out HERE.

I thought it was worth a blog post on its own to show.. this!

Steve Leurink – Trend Setter

Thanks to Rene MacDonald for supplying some snapshots of the Fire and Ice Fashion show! there are some great pictures so check them out here

Hello again last night I rocked up to the exhibition at block 2 in Palmerston North for all the first and second year BAVI, Diploma in photography and interior design students and it was pretty amazing! Last year when I was a second year BAVI student I can’t say we put that much effort in.. they put us to shame! the work displayed was pretty good and they even had a whole bunch of food (which they made themselves) so I was stoaked! (mainly because I hadn’t had dinner, free food is always good).

The room was packed as they gave out the awards, I would rattle off all the names and prizes but I can’t remember any of them and didn’t write it down.. I was serving drinks to thirsty guests instead

The exhibition is only running up until Monday the 16th of November so make sure you check it out, it is worth a look! trust me. Just go to block 2 at the Palmerston North campus before 5pm (or 4pm on monday)

Oh and CLICK HERE for more pictures

I was JUST at the opening for the Whanau Room at the Palmerston North campus, was quite a few people there and I tell you now.. the room looks awesome!

The room is designed for students to chill out basically and it looks to be a nice place to do it! there has been alot of work put into it so be sure to check it out.

Again, my photography is rubbish! but you get the idea check out some more photos in the gallery HERE

Well last night I went to the fashion show at the Palmerston North campus, this was for the certificate in fashion students to show their work. The atrium was packed full of people to watch the show and it was set up pretty well with the big runway and the random guy on a motorbike.. not sure what that was for but it was cool anyway.

Now my skills in photography were a massive fail! if you have any better shots I would love to put them in the gallery. I was told by a photographer that fashion shows are pretty hard to shoot anyway.. I am pretty sure he said that just to make me feel better though.

The girls all looked pretty amazing with their outfits on and in my opinion done a good job with the whole runway walk. I especially liked the part where they pulled out a few guys to wear nicely decorated bra’s (not because i’m into that sort of thing, it was just funny)

Well anyway, I am impressed with what I saw and can’t wait to see the fashion show ‘Frillseekers’ in Whanganui this Friday, although this time I think it would be better to take a photographer with me!