Palmerston North’s inaugural inter-tertiary student competition to be held in The Square will be launched next month.
Tertiary Knock Out (TKO) is a shared initiative which brings together four tertiary institutions including UCOL, Massey University, Institute of the Pacific United (IPU) and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to create a totally unique student experience in the heart of Student City. It will take place from midday on Saturday 15 October at the library quadrant of The Square.
Planning began in April 2016 with efforts securing a $5,000 Palmerston North City Council grant, from its Celebrating Communities funding, to kick-start this unique event.
UCOL’s General Manager of Business Development Gillian Lawn says the event is an exciting venture to be a part of.
“With all four of our city’s leading tertiary education providers working closely together, we are creating a sense of community for our students, along with a bit of friendly rivalry in the mix.”
“Palmerston North is a true student city. TKO is a fun way to engage and strengthen the student culture we have here.”
There will be a series of highly entertaining challenges that students will need to complete in order to win the 2016 TKO title that will showcase our city’s student talent – their smarts, agility, critical thinking and sportsmanship.
Teams of up to 20 students from each institute will compete in four events: Physical, Mental, Talent, and Combination. Further details of each event will be revealed on the day.
The first of its kind in New Zealand, this collaborative event aims to bring town and gown together to foster goodwill and understanding amongst students, institutions and local citizens alike.
TKO festivities will kick off at 12 noon, with great food and entertainment for all to enjoy. Members of the public are invited to cheer on their favourite student team, enjoy food, entertainment from each institute, and spot prizes.
Students who would like to join a team to represent their institution can contact their student association or student support to sign up to a team:
Melissa Evans at AS@U - student.president@ucol.ac.nz
Gunhild Litwin at MUSA - clubs@musa.org.nz
Lainey Te Whatu at Te Wānanga O Aotearoa - Lainey.TeWhatu@twoa.ac.nz
Clinton Parsons at IPU - cparsons@ipu.ac.nz