Blogs • Josh Pemberton (Blog Scholar 2009)

As Tom Kuperus has mentioned in his most recent blog, it is indeed exams (again!). Accordingly the focus of most Selwynites has shifted away from finishing assignments and spending late nights at the Captain Cook Tavern, towards getting up early and hitting the books at the library.

That isn't to say there hasn't been the odd extra-curricular activity going on. Last Wednesday was the annual High Tea, where the entire College plus a number of distinguished guests were treated to a delicious three course meal and some entertaining speeches in the dining room. Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin was in attendance, speaking (and singing) to us about his experiences at university. In addition there were speeches by the incoming and outgoing student presidents, and a tribute by Dr Clark to the Selwyn Welfare Team. The formal part of the evening was followed by live music in our common room, and a fairly late night for most.

A number of members of the Selwyn community have also been involved in helping organise and promote the Dunedin 350 Spring Food Festival. The Festival is an extravaganza being held alongside the traditional Dunedin Farmer's Market this Saturday, and serves as a show of support by the 350.org movement to call world leaders into action regarding climate change, as well as an opportunity for locals to enjoy live music, participate in free workshops and sample local food. Any Dunedinites are more than welcome to come along - and those reading from other parts of the country can find their local event here.

In a recent blog Dr Clark paid credit to two Selwyn residents, Jessica Jonggowisastro and Rick Parry, for their recent success in their respective sporting fields. I believe a third name should be added to that list - Callum Bailey. Callum recently competed in the men's National Hockey League for Southern, helping his team to a creditable sixth placing and scoring several important goals along the way. Earlier in the year Callum was selected for the Junior Black Sticks and took part in the recent world cup, helping the kiwi team to a fourth placed finish. At the lower end of the hockey spectrum, Callum also captained Selwyn against Knox last Thursday - however even with his experience and skill we went down 4-2, one of the very few sports fixtures we've lost this year. Callum also captained the Selwyn cricket team to a convincing win in first semester. Certainly a name to watch in the future!

The Whitehead building in Selwyn may be old, but the oldest part of the college is actually a pear tree. The tree is located in the quadrangle, adjacent to the tennis court, although of course it was there before either the quad or the court existed. One of the long-standing legends in Selwnyn is that by the time the pear tree blossoms, you must have already started studying for end of year exams... or else you'll fail. As I write this the tree has well and truly blossomed, and indeed most of the blossom replaced by new spring leaves. However myself, and I'd guess most people in Selwyn, most definitely have not started exam prep. Every time I look out my window I'm confronted with the sight of the tree, a continual reminder that I probably need to start doing some work. In addition, my exam timetable arrived a few days ago - and my first one is in 22 days. So I think now might be the time to pay heed to the legend of the pear tree, and get into the books.