P-cubed Newsletters

Contents HeadsUp There was a quintessentially kiwi song that was popular in the 1970s by John Clake under his performing name of Fred Dagg.  In a shamelessly local accent, he sang ‘we don’t know how lucky we are’. As we savour the last weeks of the best Auckland...

Contents HeadsUp As we start to emerge from a time of annual leave, writing and fieldwork and begin to engage in earnest with the business of the year, I trust you’ve all had a refreshing break. As opportunities to do so increasingly arise, I look forward to hearing...

Contents HeadsUp Kia ora tātou – I struggle with languages. Two years of Latin at high school was a drag and my yield from three years of high school French not much better. I got 51% in School Certificate. Still, a pass is a pass and it did prove enough to get...

Contents HeadsUp After busy weeks of having heads-down, I hope everyone is beginning to see a period of ‘heads-up’ on the horizon.  It’s the season of last-of-the-year meetings and end of year gatherings, and I especially look forward to seeing many if not most of you...

Contents HeadsUp Last week at the Pacific Postgraduate Students Colloquium we were treated to the rich tapestries of three of our postgrad students’ lives.  Crystal Fa’asolo, Tyler Flanagan and Talia Mather offered fascinating and inspiring narratives of how...

Contents HeadsUp It was both insightful and enjoyable to participate in the Siapo-making workshop led by Doron Semu which ran over the last two Wednesdays. Who thought we’d be applying glue with our fingers and using an iron in the Ontology Lab?  I found satisfaction...

Contents HeadsUp I spent the weekend participating in the Small Island, Big Ideas writers festival on Aotea/Great Barrier. Across three days, there was rich dialogue on the character of island life, the meaning of being surrounded by sea and what being part of an...

Contents HeadsUp Last week was graduation and, given the sparkling spring day, what a celebratory colourful occasion it was. How heartening that so many staff were on stage and so many of our students graduated. So many of our people were in the thick of it: Michael...

Contents HeadsUp My career in high school Latin was brief, but long enough to remember the origins of the word education. It is ‘educare’: to bring out what is within.  Few colleagues I know are as skilled at achieving that goal as Melanie Wall. Hence it was my...

Contents HeadsUp Going the ‘extra mile’ First-up, big thanks to those who go the ‘extra mile’ for our School. Recently I thanked those who joined me in interviewing lectureship candidates until 10 pm on three evenings in a week. This time its thanks to those who...