Blogs • The President 2008
A Selwynite for life
Posted by Tom Kuperus on Sunday, October 26, 2008
/ 0 Comments
With the final exams well underway the first groups of residents have left for the year. While some are destined to return and become the custodians of our customs and traditions for 2009, the majority of us are set to begin life outside the walls as exies lining Castle, Dundas and Leith Street, just a stone throw from the College. But just what will being a Selwyn exie in 2009 entail?
The bonds developed and the experiences shared at Selwyn means everyone who sung the Waiata and chanted the Haka this year will be very eager to remain involved in the Selwyn community as much as possible in future years, despite the fact they don't live at the College. At the same time the current residents will be looking to use the large pool of exies and their variety of skills and resources to ensure their events run smoothly.
An increasing number of exies are travelling to Auckland in January and joining the barbeque roadshow where Selwynites of all backgrounds meet up and welcome the next years group in their home town. If you've accepted a place in Selwyn next year I strongly advise you attend your local barbecue, they're lots of fun and not to be missed! Details will be sent out over the next couple of months.
The first official interaction will be the inaugural Haka/Waiata performance at the opening service prior to Orientation Week where the exies will invite the freshers into the College.
After that throughout O Week there will be a number of occasions where exies are involved in the Selwyn programme through flat parties and other events leading up to the Orientation Ball at the weekend where both current and former residents from the year before socialise together in a formal setting.
Straight after the initial festivities end it'll be time for the exies to begin coaching the first teams for Cameron Shield and Nevill Cup, with cricket (one of the events we have won most consistently in recent years) generally held in the fourth or fifth week. Throughout the year the most skillful and knowledgeable ex residents will take great pride in offering their time to coach, support and manage Selwynites in the various teams to ensure they are as prepared as possible to take on the foe from Opoho. In some cases this coaching commitment will exceed 50 hours work, but that won't seem like much to the exies, they'll love every moment getting to know the freshers of 2009 and helping to ensure Cam stays down here and Nev is retrieved from his temporary home.
A number of exies attend every event, with the rugby against Knox generally attracting ex resident supporters from at least 5 generations in significant numbers!
At some stage during the first term there will be an exies barbeque held in Selwyn creating another opportunity for different generations of Selwynites to share stories and celebrate the ongoing spirit of New Zealand's finest hall. Additionally the Students' Association will arrange a function or two for exies in Dunedin during the year as a chance to catch up as a group.
As ReO Week roles around the local flats will again be in demand for various social activities, and the exies and freshers will be ready to party together as best mates from all the time they've spent together through the year.
At various times through the year the Students' Association Committee will keep all the local exies up to date through a newsletter prepared by the Vice-President Sofara Aiono. This includes details on recent Cam and Nev results, the times and dates of upcoming events, and reports on the progress and success of other traditions and events.
Finally when Selwynites finally graduate the College invites them back for a morning tea and an opportunity to show family around their old Dunedin home, completing the cycle of going from being a nervous 18 year old fresher, to an over-confident exie, and then finally a grounded, skillful, and knowledgeable alumnus of New Zealand's oldest University and second oldest residential College ready to become one of the brightest minds running our world.
Although we all leave Selwyn it never leaves us.
Once a Selwynite, always a Selwynite.
The bonds developed and the experiences shared at Selwyn means everyone who sung the Waiata and chanted the Haka this year will be very eager to remain involved in the Selwyn community as much as possible in future years, despite the fact they don't live at the College. At the same time the current residents will be looking to use the large pool of exies and their variety of skills and resources to ensure their events run smoothly.
An increasing number of exies are travelling to Auckland in January and joining the barbeque roadshow where Selwynites of all backgrounds meet up and welcome the next years group in their home town. If you've accepted a place in Selwyn next year I strongly advise you attend your local barbecue, they're lots of fun and not to be missed! Details will be sent out over the next couple of months.
The first official interaction will be the inaugural Haka/Waiata performance at the opening service prior to Orientation Week where the exies will invite the freshers into the College.
After that throughout O Week there will be a number of occasions where exies are involved in the Selwyn programme through flat parties and other events leading up to the Orientation Ball at the weekend where both current and former residents from the year before socialise together in a formal setting.
Straight after the initial festivities end it'll be time for the exies to begin coaching the first teams for Cameron Shield and Nevill Cup, with cricket (one of the events we have won most consistently in recent years) generally held in the fourth or fifth week. Throughout the year the most skillful and knowledgeable ex residents will take great pride in offering their time to coach, support and manage Selwynites in the various teams to ensure they are as prepared as possible to take on the foe from Opoho. In some cases this coaching commitment will exceed 50 hours work, but that won't seem like much to the exies, they'll love every moment getting to know the freshers of 2009 and helping to ensure Cam stays down here and Nev is retrieved from his temporary home.
A number of exies attend every event, with the rugby against Knox generally attracting ex resident supporters from at least 5 generations in significant numbers!
At some stage during the first term there will be an exies barbeque held in Selwyn creating another opportunity for different generations of Selwynites to share stories and celebrate the ongoing spirit of New Zealand's finest hall. Additionally the Students' Association will arrange a function or two for exies in Dunedin during the year as a chance to catch up as a group.
As ReO Week roles around the local flats will again be in demand for various social activities, and the exies and freshers will be ready to party together as best mates from all the time they've spent together through the year.
At various times through the year the Students' Association Committee will keep all the local exies up to date through a newsletter prepared by the Vice-President Sofara Aiono. This includes details on recent Cam and Nev results, the times and dates of upcoming events, and reports on the progress and success of other traditions and events.
Finally when Selwynites finally graduate the College invites them back for a morning tea and an opportunity to show family around their old Dunedin home, completing the cycle of going from being a nervous 18 year old fresher, to an over-confident exie, and then finally a grounded, skillful, and knowledgeable alumnus of New Zealand's oldest University and second oldest residential College ready to become one of the brightest minds running our world.
Although we all leave Selwyn it never leaves us.
Once a Selwynite, always a Selwynite.
Labels: Alumni, College Life