Features

Last semester, each morning I threw on a business suit and rushed to the subway to squeeze onto a train packed with young professionals - their eyes either buried in the Financial Times or their fingers tapping away furiously on blackberries - as they make the half-hour connection from DC to Arlington. An affiliate of ABC network – ABC 7 News, Arlington – where I undertook my internship, held a daily 8am staff conference to discuss the news to be covered by the station each day. World-class reporters, producers and directors huddle around a large oval table spilling hot coffee as they argue loudly and urgently about the stories for the coming day.

Allegations made by Rotorua motel owners that Victoria University students attending this year’s University Games trashed motel rooms and left rooms full of vomit and alcohol have been described as an overreaction by students and Games organisers, who say the claims have been “exaggerated to an amazing extent.” The Games were held in Rotorua between April 14 and 18, and about 130 students from Victoria were booked in to Cleveland Motel and Havana Motor Lodge during their four-night stay. Havana was the first of the two motels to evict students, with a room of four asked to leave on Wednesday afternoon. Owner Jan Stevenson told the New Zealand Herald that the eviction came after a window in a unit was broken and red wine was spilled in the room.

The 2008 University Games were held in Rotorua this year.  This year was especially unique as Rotorua was the first ever non-university city to host the games. It was also the first year polytechnics were invited to participate, with the likes of Unitec and Rotorua's ‘Waiariki' institute signing up. AUT has only ever won the games once before, in 2005 at North Shore and this year AUT was ready to claim the title once more.  AUT were the reigning champions in 4 out of 25 Sports last year. AUT stayed true to tradition and had a magnificent turn out of students with competitors in nearly every sport.  I was lucky enough to head down for the week as AUT's media manager. 

Every year on April 25 we remember those that never returned from WWI, and in particular, Gallipoli. While it is important to remember the men, it is also important to remember the story behind the battle. By late 1914, the Western Front in France and Belgium was in deadlock so the Allies were keen to increase efforts on the Eastern Front with Russia. However, getting supplies to Russia was almost impossible.