Auckland Fale blessed and Pasifika students welcomed

Events to welcome Pasifika students on to campus for semester two were held on all three campuses this week, and the new Fale on the Auckland campus was officially opened.

Each campus has a Fale – a designated community space for Pacific students to study, meet, relax in, and connect with Massey’s Pacific staff.

The Auckland Fale, on the ground floor of the Student Central Building, was blessed by Cook Islands Minister Reverend Dr Tokerau Joseph, and was attended by staff and students, followed by a shared lunch.

Pacific Student Success Team Leader Melvin Apulu says the Fale represents a place of belonging for Pasifika students.

“At Massey, we often talk about wanting to belong. We want you to belong somewhere – and I believe this Fale is one of those places where you can truly harness that sense of belonging.

“I want you to make this space your own. That means loud music, a lot of laughter and lots of food, but that’s ok, because that’s who we are. Massey recognises that. We all have our own uniqueness and diversity, and we need to bring it to the forefront.”

Treasurer of the Massey Albany Pacific Students Association (MAPSA) Arizona Haddon says it’s great to have a space on campus where Pasifika students can truly belong.

“In our cultures, it’s really integral to us to have a space where we can gather as a community and share our vibrancy and identities on campus. The association runs a lot of our events in here, MAPSA stock the Fale weekly with food for example, staff put on a lot of cultural events, and it’s also a great place to study as well.”