Humanities students’ issues discussed at meeting
A SMALL group of University of Otago humanities students showed it does not take a lot of people to brainstorm for solutions — just passionate ones.
About a dozen students studying various humanities papers spent two hours in a hui at OUSA’s Evison Lounge yesterday, coming up with solutions to issues they were facing.
University of Otago thirdyear English student and hui organiser James Eunson said there had been a gradual decline in the number of humanities students and membership to humanities clubs in recent years.
Mr Eunson, who is also president of the Literary Society, said the club’s membership had declined over the past three years.
‘‘I’ve organised this hui because the club probably won’t reform next year.’’
The group suggested organising an overarching student organisation to promote better relations between the univer sity’s humanities students.
Another issue identified by many was the stigma associated with humanities students on campus and in the wider community.
They were seen as ‘‘nohopers’’, ‘‘unemployable’’ and ‘‘not very successful people’’.
Mr Eunson said he planned to take the findings of the hui to humanities pro vicechancellor Prof Tony Ballantyne, to see if any of the initiatives could be turned into reality.