OUSA Executive Give Dying Man Life Membership

Kia kaha Michael Tull and whānau

Last month, the OUSA Executive bestowed the honour of lifetime OUSA membership on Michael Tull.

The Exec gave the life membership after seeing a Facebook post by Tull that said he was “nearing the end of [his] days” and had always been disappointed he’d never been granted OUSA life membership despite his contributions to Otago students in the 1980s.

Hull is a father of four children and said “having this news which I could be proud to relay to them gave me a real lift,” especially since he’s been medically retired for four years.

The 53-year-old was elected three times to the OUSA Exec, and spent two years as Education Officer. He edited Critic Orientation and Capping magazines, hosted Radio One’s top talkback show for four years, and emceed events like the Capping Show.

Tull said he “lived and breathed OUSA for a good five years” of his life.

In a letter to James Heath after receiving the lifetime membership on April 15th, Tull wrote “my years at OUSA were among the very best of my life”.

He wrote, “OUSA’s role in ensuring those students have a voice, and an advocate for their interests, is as vitally important now as it has ever been. Keep on fighting the good fight!”

Thank you, Michael. Kia kaha.

This article first appeared in Issue 13, 2019.
Posted 9:34pm Thursday 23rd May 2019 by James Joblin.