Uni Games Provide Reprieve for Lincoln Students

In the weeks after the Christchurch earthquake, Lincoln University student Kent Lloyd was kept busy helping co-ordinate 200 of his peers from Lincoln each day to help support the Student Volunteer Army clean up the city.

Next week the 20-year-old will get a small reprieve when he trades in the silt laden streets of Christchurch for Auckland’s manicured bowling greens when he competes in lawn bowls at the 2011 Super City Uni Games, beginning on Tuesday.

Lloyd, Vice President of the Lincoln University Students Association (LUSA), will team up with his LUSA executive member and team manager Ashley Cassin in the doubles competition while fellow student Anna Soboleva will compete in fencing. Despite their small numbers this year, Lloyd says the trio will wear their Lincoln University colours with pride.

“It’s been tough for many students as the earthquake has disrupted our study and had a negative impact on our student life,” says Lloyd, who is in his third and final year of a BCom (Hotel Management/Accounting). “The semester has been shortened and many people – including myself – have lost our jobs and as a consequence there are huge financial constraints.”

“Hugely supported by LUSA, many students have also been involved in the post earthquake clean up - either on the end of the spade or wheel barrow or helping coordinate our fellow students in the clean up and helping out residents worse off than ourselves. We’re all doing our best to keep spirits high and keep our University spirit alive, but it can be trying at times, even though we know we’re making a positive contribution to the community.”

The Lincoln trio will join around 1000 other student athletes to compete in New Zealand’s primary inter-university sporting event taking place this year from Tuesday, April 26th – Friday, April 29th at AUT University. The Games, which will be officially opened on Tuesday afternoon by Sir John Walker, will see athletes representing 15 Universities and tertiary institutions across 20 sports.

Lloyd, a former Westlake Boys’ High School student, says he is looking forward to returning home to the North Shore and catching up with old friends and family. He is also looking forward to challenging his opponents at the Brown’s Bay Bowling Club even though his playing experience is limited to a few games played in the Mates in Bowls summer league.

“On a personal level I’m looking forward to returning home and being away from Christchurch…being away from all the bumps and aftershocks for a few days,” he said. “But I am equally excited about catching up with all my student association friends from other Universities around the country.”

The Super City Uni Games was secured for Auckland by a dedicated local consortium comprising of Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and AuSM (Auckland Student Movement at AUT) and with the support of University Sport New Zealand, ALAC and the New Zealand Community Trust.

ENDS

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