Life at Ferg
One of the cool things about living in a Hall is that there is always something to do and people to hang out with. Participating in all the different planned and sometimes impromptu events, helps you make friends and will give you heaps of awesome memories to look back on!
The Social Committee
The social committee is made up of students from within the Hall and is set up each year at the beginning of the first semester. Anyone can be on the social committee; all you have to do is volunteer. In fact first years are encouraged to get involved. You do have to put in a little work to help organise events but the reward is being able to have a personal say in what goes on.
Hall Events
- Orientation Weekend: Your life at Ferg kicks off with an orientation weekend at the start of semester 1 to help you get to know others at Ferg, and what life at Ferg is like. This compulsory weekend will help you make a great start to your year in the Hall. You will start to make new friends in the Hall and have heaps of fun in the process. Lunches and dinners are provided, which is always a plus!
- Crazy Sports: This is the first inter-hall competition that is held down on the Turitea campus at the beginning of semester one and gives Fergies a chance to show the other halls just what we are made of! Heaps of fun activities to do such as a water slide, fish and chip eating competition and a chant off.
- House versus Blocks: For one day only, it’s Fergies against Fergies as each side of the hall aims to be victorious! Of course this is all in good spirit and the events are not intended to be anything more than a laugh! Past activities have included a tug of war, eating competition, running relay, water slide and a game of “bombs” (kinda like dodge ball Ferg style!)
- Girls and Guys Night: A chilled out night where everyone relaxes and has fun with members of the same sex. For the girls this usually includes eating heaps of junk food, watching movies, playing games and painting nails. For the guys it’s more rugby (or whatever sport is on) and eating BBQ food. And while neither group understands why the other would want to spend a night doing those things, a good time is had by all.
- Inter-hall Competitions: Each semester Ferg and a Wellington hall compete in a friendly competitive way, each trying to claim the glory of possessing the Golden Gnome! There’s a chance for everybody to shine, whether it’s in a sporty way by playing netball or soccer or for the brainy there’s a quiz and other cool random activities.
- Angels and Mortals: Ever wondered what it would be like to have a secret admirer? Well, Ferg gives you the chance to know how it feels and also what it’s like to be the giver. For one week, you will do something nice for somebody and somebody else will do something nice for you. The catch? You have to do everything very sneakily because nobody is revealed until the end of the week! An awesome way to make somebody’s day and wear a smile yourself all week long.
- Dessert Competition: Are you a whizz in the kitchen? Then this event would be perfect for you. Let your imagination run wild and make a yummy dessert to win cool prizes and get the honour of being the best baker at Ferg. And the best part is getting to taste everybody’s desserts after they’ve been judged by the RAs and Head of Hall. Though you may be on such a sugar rush that you can’t sleep that night....
- Tramps: If you feel like getting out of Palmy for the day or night then there are some beautiful scenic walks that you can enjoy. The Manawatu Gorge Track is not far away and is relatively easy, only about 3 hours long. Another Ferg favourite is the Tongariro Crossing which is an overnight tramp and an experience to treasure.
- Disorientation Week: This happens at the beginning of Semester 2 and is a great chance to catch up with everybody after the holidays and to meet new Fergies. It’s a week of cool activities such as a movie and games night, bowling, pool and table tennis competition and paintball.
- International Foods Day: Each year Ferg is made up of a wide range of people from different cultures and backgrounds and this day is a chance to get to know them better. People can team up or make something individually from any culture they want to. Always lots of delicious food to go around, in the past we’ve had dishes from Colombia, Sweden, Japan, China, Germany and France.
- Formal Dinner: One of the highlights of the Ferg events calendar! Everyone gets all dressed up and goes out to a flash venue for a high-class meal. The yearly Hall awards are given out after the meal to people who have done especially stupid things that year, usually with a fitting prize. Most people just go in casual/formal clothes but there are always some who go all out…
- Triathlon: Whether you’re into sports or not, this is a fun day for all. You can participate in a team or go all out and complete the race individually. There’s also a group of marshals who patrol the course (as we do it all around Palmerston North) and encourage the competitors along the way.
- End of Year Barbeque: By the time winter is over, everybody’s in need of some sunshine and some good food before exams start. While with Palmerston North’s weather we can’t always guarantee the sunshine, we can offer some good food, good company and a good chance to look back on your crazy, fantastic year at Ferg.
Of course, living with so many people means there are always lots of spontaneous events that take place, such as sports games out on the field, poker and board games, movie nights, games of pool, Singstar and parties in the lounge. But don’t worry, despite all these events there’s still plenty of time to do work while you’re living at Ferg!
