UCOL BLOG

Nine of the 13 awards presented at the recent Whanganui Arts Review were snapped up by current students, graduates and teaching staff of the Quay School of the Arts.

UCOL Fashion and Drawing tutor Katherine Claypole took out the top prize in the annual arts competition. Katherine’s entry The Thief (graphite on paper) won the 2011 Carey Smith & Co Ltd Open Award with prize money of $1000.

Third year Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) student Bonnie Wroe was awarded the 2011 Carey Smith & Co Ltd Student Award worth $500, for her coloured pencil work to lose one’s soul. Read More: “UCOL artists dominate Whanganui Arts Review”…

Certificate in Exercise & Sports Performance students and staff got together recently for a Semester One Celebration.

Programme Coordinator Tim Seaholme says the event was to acknowledge the success of students who are completing papers and to give three students special recognition. Read More: “UCOL celebrates good sports”…

Property Brokers’ rooms on Broadway were packed for the auction of the UCOL Hospice Home last night.

The house, built by UCOL students, sold for $116,000, with the profits going to the Arohanui Hospice in Palmerston North, in a partnership first for the Manawatu.

UCOL’s Executive Dean of Trades and Technology, Kelly Gay and Arohanui Hospice Chief Executive Clare Randall say they are pleased with the outcome and grateful to the many sponsors who contributed to the construction, decoration and auction of the home. “It has also provided many of our students with a superb, hands-on learning tool,” says Kelly.

The house, designed by E3 Architects, was built by UCOL Carpentry students, under the supervision of their tutors, on a site adjacent to the UCOL Trades facility on Amesbury Street and has been a project for more than 30 students since last July.

The 112 square metre, three bedroom UCOL Hospice Home also attracted attention from the community in the run up to the auction, with good attendance at open days on the site.

More than 20 Manawatu people and organisations came forward with free or discounted resources and services for the house, and Guy Mordaunt from Property Brokers gave his services free for the auction.

Arohanui Hospice provides specialist palliative care, free of charge, for people in the Manawatu, Tararua, Horowhenua and Rangitikei regions with a life-limiting illness. Proceeds from the project will go towards providing provide care for up to 650 patients referred this year, and their families.

www.ucolhospicehome.co.nz

Palmerston North UCOL’s Nestlé Toque d’Or team is confident they’ll stand the heat in the kitchen later this month when they compete in the prestigious competition at the New Zealand Culinary Fare in Auckland.

Professional Cookery students Georgia Packer and Denise Irving, and Hospitality student Barry Marshall, have come through a tough selection process to represent UCOL at the high pressure event.

Each Toque d’Or team consists of two student chefs and one front-of-house server. Both components are judged separately and both areas have to attain top honours to win a team gold.

Read More: “UCOL chefs ready for hot competition”…

Photo by Brendan Lodge. UCOL Youth Innovation Award winner Ryan Adams with UCOL Deputy Chief Executive Strategy, Clare Crawley.

Manawatu 12 year old, Ryan Adams is now working on taking his award winning dairy invention to market.

Ryan’s invention – a milking cups cleaning system – recently won the UCOL Youth Innovation Award at the inaugural Innovate Manawatu awards.

His milking cups cleaning system was inspired by his dairy farmer uncle who regularly complained about the task. Ryan’s system is based on a pair of gloves fitted to a hose, controlling the flow of water through them by wrist movement. “It would save time and make the job easier for farmer,” Ryan says.

The prototype made for a school science fair impressed his Whakarongo School teachers, including Principal Jaco Broodryk who encouraged him to enter the awards.

Since coming up with the concept, Ryan has expanded his original plans, made prototypes and written a business plan. “It’s a lot harder than just coming up with an idea.”  He is now working with a business mentor on ways to make the invention become a reality.

UCOL Deputy Chief Executive Clare Crawley says she was impressed with Ryan’s approach to a problem, finding an effective solution. “He was methodical in his testing and evaluation of his concept. He understood the process of taking a concept beyond the initial bright idea and was very passionate about it,” she says. “He also showed confidence belying his young age, during his presentation to the judges.“

Ryan’s teacher Suzanne Smith says Ryan’s award has inspired his fellow schoolmates. “It has shown them that what they learn at school can be applied in the real world. The technology we now have access to means they can move beyond the school walls to learn.”

In its inaugural year, the Innovate Manawatu competition, organised by the Bio Commerce Centre and Palmerston North City Council, attracted more than 250 entries. Massey University students Rhys Knauf, Michelle Power and Julian Maggin took the first-place $20,000 prize in the competition for their calf feeder.

Combine 40 talented music students with four different music genres performed on stage for two hours, and the house is guaranteed to rock.

UCOL’s Certificate in Contemporary Music students will fill the Globe Theatre with their sound as they showcase their musical talent on Wednesday 6 July at 7.30 p.m.

The budding musos will present a two-hour concert of work they’ve successfully completed so far this year, with music from four genres: Home-grown, Reggae, Blues and Rock.

Student bands will perform their own original compositions and covers from well-known artists.

Programme Coordinator Kane Parsons says it’s a chance for the public to hear new talent and check out what the Contemporary Music programme can offer future students. “Most important, it’s an opportunity for the music students to organise, run and perform a concert in a real life setting,” he says.

In its second year, the UCOL programme boasts a full class capacity and the students have become regular performers at UCOL events across all three campuses.

During the first semester, the students have also been performing regularly at the Royal Tavern but the Globe gig is more family friendly allowing all ages to see and hear the rock stars of tomorrow.

Where: Globe Theatre

When: Wednesday 6 July at 7.30 p.m

Entry: $5