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Hello and welcome to Dunedin for the 2010 academic year. For those of you returning, it is good to have you back! Dunedin has been pretty quiet without you. For those here for the first time, I really hope you are enjoying yourselves and getting amongst everything Dunedin has to offer.

So far, OUSA Orientation 2010 has been a great success. With a trouble-free Toga Party and a whole host of great events on, O-Week has been a great way to cut loose and have fun before settling in to University life.
 
As the voice of Otago students to the University and the public, what has been a bit of a challenge is media coverage of Dunedin students. It is a continual frustration of mine that we are constantly under the microscope. Every time there is one little incident, 2007 Undie footage is shown once again. Where are the cameras at graduation parades? Where were the cameras at the Master’s Games, where a huge amount of senior cits were getting rowdy to rival those on Hyde St on our Union Lawn?
 
Being the link between students and the wider community, in the short time I have been in office I have found myself in an interesting position on numerous occasions. It is proving quite difficult to find the balance between representing students who like to drink, and being urged to be a leader in social change by the wider community. None of us are proud of the attention we have received around Undie 500 over the years, and we are all aware that drinking can lead to anti-social and harmful behavior. But just ask any of my friends – I’m hardly one to advocate for abstaining from alcohol.
 
Just as I have to juggle trying to minimise the harm caused by drinking to excess without being just like your parents, students (particularly in their first year) quickly learn that finding a balance between having a good time drinking and spending a night with your head in the toilet bowl can be a challenge.
 
Finding that balance is a big part of Otago University life, and I love the ‘work hard play hard’ attitude many of us successfully embody. For those having trouble, the OUSA Student Support Centre is a great place to start if you want some advice. As for me, I am YOUR representative and I would love to hear what you think on how I can best represent your views. Feel free to email me at president@ousa.org.nz or come and chat to me any time.