I hear comments consistently about how “disengaged” students are. But I disagree. I think students have been made cripplingly poor, but not just in terms of wealth – also in terms of time. It’s led to student culture being drained without people even realising.
Despite all the jokes about staying in Dunedin too long, I have been very privileged to be at the university for the past five and a bit years. I have seen the university before, during, and after Covid. More importantly, I have seen the flow-on cost of living crisis take over everyone’s time. This has led to a decrease of time spent on campus, a decrease of time being spent on hobbies, and a decrease in time being able to create a community. This affects everyone. People don’t have the “luxury” of being able to dedicate themselves to anything other than working and squeezing in anytime to hang out with their flat.
I put luxury in quotation marks because it is in fact not a luxury. It is a basic right everyone in years’ past has had the ability to do. They could occupy the Clocktower because they had time to do so. They could have the best time of their lives because they weren’t trying to figure out how to balance seven papers with a part-time job.
While there is no easy solution to this, I hope to spark something within everyone. We, students, are all bonded by these issues. There is a common student experience that still unites all of us. If we want that student culture we’re told great stories about, we have to foster that community connection. Lastly, I want people to be able to engage with the Executive knowing there are people who are advocating on your behalf on these issues. And if you want to challenge yourself and build a community, 2025 Exec elections are just around the corner.
Keegan Wells
OUSA President