University of Canterbury

If anyone from NZ is interested, I'm running a competition for International Women's day. Anyone who places an order at Environmenstruals webstore between 1 March and 8 March (orders must be paid by 9 March to qualify) will go into the draw to win 1 box of reusable Instead Softcups (2 cups) and 1 box of 6 disposable Instead Softcups.

Instead softcups are an alternative to tampons but with the added bonus of being safe to wear all day. They can also be worn during sex, for mess free period sex.

Kia ora gang,

Does anyone know if and where I could find the "Mummy, What Were The Arts?" graphic that was printed on t-shirts last year, along with a way to contact the designer and/or copyright holder? I lost both my shirts somewhere in the move between CHCH and WGTN and I really miss them and was thinking about screenprinting a new one (personal non-commercial use only!)

I'm looking for people to participate in my MA research project. I'm looking for anyone who reads superhero comics (boys, girls, and other) who would be willing to take part in a focus group discussion in the next couple of weeks, in Christchurch. I hope to have the first group next week.

Focus group participation is pretty straight forward and fun...we arrange a time that 5 or 6 people can make, we all sit around together, snacking on yummy food (which I will even make to suit special dietary needs), and chat casually about superheroes and comic books. It should take about an hour. Initially I'm planning the groups for evenings or weekends, but if people would prefer a daytime meeting I can do that too.

I'm also hoping to run a focus group in Auckland and one in Wellington, so if you'd be interested, or know someone who'd be interested who live in those centres let me know.

Information on the project is available at the project website www.superhero.geek.nz, including registration for the forum (there is the option of anonymous online discussion, and maybe online focus group discussions), and my contact details, or send me a message on LJ.

I want to let people know that there is a second semester course on science fiction

AMST 233 American Science Fictions and Intelligent Technologies

From Frankenstein movies, to Agent Smith in the Matrix, to 7 of 9 in Star Trek, to the viruses in Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash, to the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica, science fiction questions the place of human uniqueness and values. Using literary, television, and cinematic evidence, this course examines the utopian hopes and dystopian fears surrounding technology in American sci fi.

It is taught by Jessica Johnston (who is amazing!)

I sat in on it last year and it was totally awesome. I strongly recommend checking it out.

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Please sign this petition to show that students in Canterbury should get discounted bus fares.

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For members of UFOSF, the science fiction and fantasy club, we now have a Livejournal community: ufosf.

I'm a first year student studying law and commerce, and last week I changed my timetable because I realised I should probably be taking AFIS102 (necessary for finance) instead of LAWS102 (optional).

LAWS102 has been dropped from my timetable, online, but AFIS102 isn't on there. There isn't a clash (I have clashes in semester 2 that are showing up, and I checked the times online). I went in to the course advice people the other day and they said I was definitely enrolled for AFIS102, but they couldn't tell me why it wasn't showing up, and said just to wait a few days and see what happened.

I figure that maybe all the lectures are full or something. Is there anything I can do or should do? My plan right now is just to turn up to the appropriate lecture anyway...

Sorted, and apologies for my stupidity.

Hi guys!

So, I'm definitely still keen on doing the SF&F fans club this year! A couple of you expressed an interest last time and some of you foolishly volunteered to sit around at Clubs Day, which is excellent, because I've just found out that I have a doctors' appointment at 10 on the Tuesday. I can be there at 9 to help set up, though (with my stack of SFXs and a shiny shiny Cylon poster!) So in that vein: if you can be around between 10am and 2pm on Tuesday (or Wednesday to keep me company), drop me an email at labellementeuse(at)gmail(dot)com. Also, I'd love to hear suggestions for good names, decorations, and a good time to have the AGM!

Here's a heads-up: The University has released a new proposal for the College of Arts. Found here.

Main points of interest:
* Theatre and Film Studies is being cut completely
* Gender Studies is being cut, with one staff member transferring to Soci/Anth to teach some gender courses
* American Studies is being cut completely
* Philosophy is joining Pols/Comms in a super-department

And so on - there is a raft of changes, some of which are quite logical, others of which seem a bit too focused on financial issues. It's 46 pages, but you can get the gist in the middle section and it's not hard to read. Contact the UCSA if you want to ask any real questions, and I'm sure they will be keen to hear your reaction and suggestions for their submission.

Hi gang! I'm thinking about starting up a SF&F Fans Club this year, a bit like the sci fi club they have at VUW; probably there'd be meetings once a week, organised stuff like a book club, watching episodes of genre tv (to be agreed on by whoever, whenever - planning this might be done at the agm and half agm, or something, but it might include stuff like classic Buffy/Stargate/Doctor Who/Trek/BSG episodes, keeping up with new episodes of current shows, classic and brand-new movies, whatever.) Maybe "pimping" nights, to get people into stuff (like, a pimping night for BSG would involve watching, hmm, the first mini and one or two of S1's best episodes). Plus some unorganised (disorganised?) stuff like coffee and chatting or whatever - I can think of one or two other things that could be fun but I'd rather work it out with actual participation.

Anyway, my question is: Who would be interested in this? And, if you would be interested, would you be interested in a) sitting on a desk with me at Clubs Days and/or b) helping out with the AGM and initial getting started and set-up (things like navigating the UCSA to get projection equipment, etc) and/or c) being on the committee?

I think something like this would be really cool and I've been wishing for something like it for years, and it's finally got to the point where I realise that if I want it, I have to do something about it myself. Help? Maybe? Anyone?