University of Otago Hospitality Manager Adrian is inviting students to check out the new food court venue Auahi Ora that opened for business in O-Week of this year. Adrian described it as a “multi-use space” with a new menu, new furniture, social bevvies of all kinds (including booze), and the opportunity to host “student-oriented events” outside of normal 9am-4pm trading hours, for no cost.
Before the revamp, Adrian said that the space was “cold and not that welcoming, a little bit stark”, which would make it hard to tell that you’ve left the flat. Chatting with Critic Te Ārohi over a cup of coffee in the midst of Thursday lunchtime, Adrian gestured to the buzzing environment that surrounded us. “It’s there for what you see here today,” he said. “Just a comfortable space.” The new layout of the food court includes “more social areas like the couches and large tables over there as well. I think it works.”
“It’s here to provide students somewhere to go after 4pm during the week to socialise,” said Adrian. Venue hire is free for students, with the understanding that food and beverages will be catered by Auahi Ora. With a capacity of 320 (perhaps more with potential future renos) Adrian said they wanted to meet student needs. “It’s unique to the University of Otago, and I think they recognise they lacked a venue like that.”
Adrian also explained that Auahi Ora is a “fully licensed venue, from midday until 1am” with brews on offer for as low as $6. The food court has always been licensed, he said, without necessarily having used it until now. “We don’t anticipate students drinking a lot during the day, but we would hope that both students and staff would come in here for a social beverage whether that be alcohol or non-alcohol later on in the afternoon.” One student we spoke to, Finn, was keen: “Could be keen for some brews during a library sesh.”
Though they’re planning on trialling Friday happy hours between 4-6pm towards the end of this month, Adrian didn’t want students to think of it as a student bar. “We’re hoping to have a more socially minded venue where people can come and get together,” he said. Hence the name Auahi Ora that was given by local mana whenua, meaning “a gathering around light.”
But not everyone’s a fan. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) raised some objections at a hearing last Thursday to the Uni’s liquor licence - the same group opposing Eleven Bar’s. One of their objections compared the access to alcohol “in a place of study of persons knowingly vulnerable to alcohol harm” to having a “slot machine to be set up in the workplace of persons knowingly vulnerable to gambling”.
Psych student Amelia had something to say about this: “[Auahi Ora] isn’t being presented to a group of recovering alcoholics. It’s being presented to University of Otago students, and one thing that the University is never going to be able to do is stop students from drinking. That’s never going to happen. What they can do is create safe spaces for students to drink to reduce harm.”
OUSA President Quintin commented that he didn’t imagine many students would agree with the Uni losing their licence. He said that SSDP “do raise some good points and OUSA is always supportive of ways to improve the safety of venues for students. While I hope that the University is able to retain their licence, I hope this is the start of a further conversation with OUSA, SSDP, and the University around harm reduction and safe spaces.”
While Adrian did not have a specific response to SSDP’s objections ahead of the hearing, he said, “What I will say is that we accept the right that other people have to challenge what we do and everyone gains from that. And that helps us look at our own processes to make sure that things are right.”
Brainstorming what students could expect out of the space in terms of an events venue, the possibilities seemed endless. We’re talking student club quiz nights, residential hall dinners, the odd 21st “within reason”, and viewings of the approaching Women’s Football World Cup. “And you’ve obviously got the All Blacks games, as well,” said Adrian. “Where there’s a need and demand, we’ll meet the people.”
Most importantly: pre’s for pint night? “Potentially yes,” said Adrian. “Why not?... Do you think that’s something the student body would be interested in?” Do we ever.