FMD, University of Waikato
Issue No: 116 – May/June 2014
Invited comment: Crisie Armstrong, Special Events and Stewardship Manager, Communications and External Relations What I do: I was initially employed in the Foundation Office in August 2008, to run events specifically designed for Alumni and Key Stakeholders of the University of Waikato (approx. 12‐15 events annually). When the restructure happened in 2010 I was integrated into the Communications and External Relations team and now I help create and manage events that have a pan‐university focus. Last year the events team managed over 180 events. I fell into Event Management quite literally. I worked as an administrator for two local engineering/automotive firms (BC ‐ before children) and progressed into selling automotive parts. After my kids arrived I took on what part time work I could and was the office assistant for Hannah and Associates a Hamilton based Event Company. I ended up working for 12 years as the Exhibition Event Manager for the Waikato Home and Garden Show, plus many other large scale events like the Agfa New Zealand Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, now known as Balloons over Waikato. Event Management is an interesting occupation. I talk to a lot of people who think it is quite a glamorous job, rubbing shoulders with the jet‐set. However you are more than likely the only one at the end of the night picking up rubbish after your guests have left, not having par‐taken in the nice food or entertainment as you are too busy making sure everything runs smoothly! You are the first person on site and the last one to leave and that's just the actual event, not counting the endless hours organising, cross‐checking and people managing. Event Management is a lot of smoke and mirrors, the chaos behind the walls is never be seen by the guests attending an event, and so far (touch wood) I haven't had an emergency at the University. Highlights of my job is that I get to work with some amazing people, and usually they are not the 'headlining acts'. It is the people behind the scenes that make my job worthwhile. Grounds people who come up with some incredibly beautiful garden features that enhance the atmosphere of the event, parking and security who always come to my rescue, porters and builders and all of the others who contribute and who are never mentioned in the VC's remarks. So this is my thank you to you all for making my job a great one! What do I do when I’m not working? I’m fortunate to be able to reside in the beautiful town of Cambridge. I have a huge garden and two very energetic puppies. I enjoy fishing and spending time out in our boat mainly in the Coromandel or Auckland waters with my husband, puppies and two teenage kids, (when their social calendar allows). Our son Joel is at AUT studying Physiotherapy and daughter Courteney is a second year Hairdressing apprentice currently working in Hamilton. New Law‐Management building makes steady progress
Construction of the new building, which began nearly three months ago, is a little behind programme due to hold‐ups with structural approvals and wet weather. Most of the 7,600 cubic metres of excavation has now been completed, with the bulk of this material being disposed of on site near MS6 prefab. This has had the double benefit of infilling a wet area of the campus, as well as reducing transportation I volunteer for Insight Endometriosis as the Cambridge Coffee costs. The first of the concrete foundations (Law tower east) were poured last week (see photo). The project is due Group coordinator and as part of the fundraising team. for completion about September next year. ‐‐‐‐ John Badham
Say hi when you see me around! South Island Cycle Trip: Earlier this year my husband and I and two other couples rode the Otago Rail Trail and what a fantastic trip it was. Each day was filled with loads of laughs, sore bums, beautiful scenery, lovely cafes, comfy beds and great dinners. The landscape was big and bold with beautiful schist outcrops and valleys lined with yellow willows and crystal clear rivers lined with majestic poplars. We all enjoyed meeting the locals and particularly enjoyed curling at the indoor rink at Naseby. The historic buildings at St Bathans are well worth a visit. We were lucky enough to spot several Karearea (the small falcon on the $20).
If you are thinking of doing this trail then go for it, it is a great adventure. Robyn Hirst
First Law concrete pour, 18 June 2014 “... the answer lies in the soil” (with apologies to Kenneth Horne)
The large basement excavation required for the construction of the new Law‐Management building provided a rare opportunity to undertake a soils investigation on the low hills forming the south‐east portion of the University campus. The origin of these soils are a series of airfall tephra (volcanic ash), principally from large rhyolitic caldera volcanoes of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Over geological time the tephra has then weathered to form the present structurally sound, clay silt soils. In contrast, the alluvial plains which form the remainder of the campus comprise loose sands and silts which, combined with a high water table, are prone to liquefaction in an earthquake. A description of the youngest to oldest soils formations is as follows. The building site is typical of the regional geology Hamilton Ash Formation (orange brown to yellowish brown stiff silty clay) is found to cover this site to an average depth of 2.5 metres. The age range in this formation is 350,000 years for the Rangitawa (H1) bed, to 130,000 years for the Tikotiko (H7) bed. Overlying the Hamilton Ash Formation are many recent airfall cover beds, 0.5 to 1.5 metres total thickness and aged from 50,000 years to very recent. The Hamilton Ash Formation overlies the much older Kauroa Ash Formation (pale brown to yellowish brown firm sensitive clay silt) consisting of several old ash deposits, classified K1 (oldest) to K15 (youngest). These Kauroa beds range in age from 2,250,000 years at K1 approximately 13.5 metres below Hillcrest Road, to 780,000 years at K15 approximately 2.5 metres below Hillcrest Road. This upper surface is marked by a very distinct Paleosol horizon (fossil topsoil). In the photograph below the base of exposure shown (ie the start of the soils investigation) is near the top of the Kauroa Ash Formation at approximately 9 metres below Hillcrest Road. At this depth the age of the soils is approximately 1,200,000 years. Underlying the Kauroa Ash Formation sequence is the Karapiro Formation consisting of interbedded, highly weathered alluvial silts and gravelly sands, dated older than 2,250,000 years. This formation in turn overlies the Puketoka Formation comprising soft, unweilded, hightly weathered, distal ignimbrites (dense rock‐like sand) occurring approximately 18 metres below this site. Experimental techniques used to date the tephra beds include a combination of older radiometric, paleomagnetic and tephrochronology methods, combined with the recently‐developed zircon fission‐track method. John Badham
Photo: UoW Earth Sciences staff Prof David Lowe (photographer), Dr Vicky Moon and Dr Adrian Pittari, with John Badham, FMD, at the Law‐Management building site, June 2014. References Lowe D. J. et al, 2001. Ages on weathered Plio‐Pleistocene tephra sequences, western North Island, New Zealand. In: Juvigne, E. T., Raynal, J‐P. (Eds), “Tephras: Chronology, Archeology”, CDERAD editeur, Goudet. Les Dossiers de l’Archeo‐
Logis 1: 45‐60 Opus International Consultants Ltd, 2012. University of Waikato Law and Management Building Geotechnical Assessment Report No. G3058. 1‐5 Haylee (NZ pedigree name: CH Zaminka Magic Moments)
I introduced you to Haylee when I got her at 8 weeks, and have been asked to put this article in. Haylee has been a very successful show dog at Conformation shows. To become a NZ Champion a dog needs to compete against its own breed at a championship show, and beat all the other dogs of the same sex to get what is called a ‘Challenge’ certificate – you need 8 of these to become a champion. Haylee has 110 Challenges – this is the NZ record for a Samoyed Bitch. The next best has 105. Haylee has now been spayed so can now only show her at Samoyed Specialty breed shows. She is now 8 and is still winning. She won Best Veteran in Show in Taupo last November (pictured) and again in Wellington during Queen’s Birthday weekend. Haylee isn’t just a show dog, she is a very spoilt pet. I am sure many of you have seen us walking in this area. Her favourite walk is around campus in the weekends. Judy Swetman Facilitation will be produced bi-monthly. This publication is available online (where the pictures are a lot clearer) at http://www.waikato.ac.nz/fmd/
For communications relating to the FMD newsletter please contact Judy Swetman, ext 4980, email [email protected].