Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) campuses welcomed new and returning students last week to begin their 2026 studies with plenty of festivities to keep the study body entertained, informed and fed
Defying a poor weather forecast, Invercargill put on a bright, sunny day last Monday for the beginning of SIT’s Orientation Week, which had a full schedule of events designed to inform, engage and feed new and returning students to the main campus.
The week started with formalities and tradition; students, invited guests and SIT Management and staff gathered in the administration block to witness the pōwhiri which welcomes everyone to campus for the new academic year.
Valued SIT Kaumatua, Michael Skerrett, was present to perform the opening welcome and closing karakia, and led the whaikōrero (formal speech), with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (TWOA) kaiako, Waiheke Hauiti and Te Ukaipo Rangihau, and Te Aroha Heke and Rosina Tonihi as Kaikaranga (opening callers of the Pōwhiri). Also contributing were Joe and Janette Clarke who supported their kapa haka group - Mana Tuakiri in haka tautoko – to uplift the mana on SIT returning to stand-alone status.
Recently appointed CEO, Bharat Guha, set a cheerful, upbeat tone for the occasion, as did guest speaker, Hon Penny Simmonds, Minister for Vocational Education and MP for Invercargill. Minister Simmonds told the students they had not only come to an institution that would welcome and support them but a whole city who wanted them to succeed and become part of the community.
As soon as the ceremony concluded, the crowd dispersed to other parts of the campus; guests and staff upstairs for a morning tea, and students to a stall-filled Hansen Hall for the market day and free food from the local food trucks outside. Pretzels, donuts and coffee were consumed in large quantities, which was a theme of the week. PIACT Pasifika Drummers were also on campus to put on a special performance, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
Tuesday offered more good vibes for students to mix and relax, with a DJ, free pizza and donuts, a photobooth and a visit from Southern Steel netball team. Wednesday’s wellbeing festival, which is a more recent addition to the O-week lineup, is turning into a very popular feature, with more than 20 stalls; around 500 students were fed from the SIT barbecue for lunch.
Invercargill Mayor, Tom Campbell, made an appearance and was spotted sporting an apron and brandishing tongs, as he helped the Student Support Services team dish up hamburgers.
Thursday featured astro ball, an on-campus scavenger hunt and legendary Southland staple, mouth-wateringly good cheese rolls. For those who like the movies, SIT put on a free screening of Avatar: Fire and Ash at Reading Cinemas. The on-campus activities wrapped up on Friday with lots of laughter, music, participation and more food – XO Church ran games such as giant chess and providing students lunch; it was the perfect end to festivities. Off campus, local Irish pub, Waxy’s, got into the spirit of the week, with a mid-week ‘Believe it or Not’ quiz night, then on Saturday they held the final event on the O-week calendar – a toga party.
Mr Guha summed up the week by saying “It’s great to be back. This year we’ll be putting our energies into ensuring that our programmes for our students remain relevant to the careers or industries they are training for.”
“We are also working hard at re-establishing our community network in Southland. The tremendous support from the Southland community has been fantastic!”
Whilst there were always challenges to navigate in the tertiary space, he was confident of SIT’s position and was looking forward to leading SIT into a year of reestablishing its independence, through local decision-making, and tailoring SIT’s offerings to meet the needs of the region and further afield. He expected to see increases in domestic and international enrolments through targeted marketing and was keen to involve the community as the institute celebrated 25 years of the game-changing Zero Fees Scheme.