Arise Church has been asked to leave Tent City. As far as we can tell, they’re gone.
Tent City is run by OUSA, and stalls are given contracts to be there. Critic Te Ārohi, also a part of OUSA, has reported extensively on Arise’s allegations of intern abuse and their connection to the Otago student body. Their affiliated student club was suspended last year.
Nonetheless, the group was at Tent City on Monday. Quintin Jane, OUSA student Exec President, said that he wasn’t even aware that they were there until Monday afternoon, at which point “we moved quickly to ask that they [leave].” Critic walked through Tent City on Tuesday afternoon, the next day, and saw no sign of their tent.
Otago Uni student Jordan told us that she wasn’t stoked when she noticed the tent. She said it was “super concerning following the investigations and news last year” about how Arise treated its unpaid interns, some of whom were students. Having them appear to be affiliated with OUSA or the Uni was “dangerous” according to Jordan.
Debbie Downs, CEO of OUSA, said that Arise’s contract was issued by Planet Media Sales, who were “unaware of the temporary suspension of the affiliated club, and therefore the inappropriateness of the church being at Tent City.”
Debbie told us that “Arise being in attendance on the first day of Tent City was an oversight on my behalf,” because the decision to cancel their tent should have been made after the Exec voted to continue the suspension of Arise’s student club on Friday 17 February.