Building a sense of community and belonging are fundamental to life at Knox; and with 2022 beginning with an inevitable pandemic wave, and then navigating all the disruptions that went with this, it has been heartening to know that Knoxies have left ‘the castle’ saying that they will miss the people who have made this place their home.
This is a testament to the dedication of our various staff teams to the well-being of our ākonga, and to our Knoxies themselves, who have made the most of a challenging start and have built strong connections with others.
Community building has focussed on providing opportunities that are diverse, and of different intensities, to cater for a cross-section of residents. Open Mic and Karaoke proved extremely popular with some amazing talent on display, as did our College Ball at Larnach Castle, our Welfare Day complete with bouncy castle and candy floss, Buttery Teatime, and themed dinners such as Harry Potter and Mid-Winter Christmas.
Our growing presence in the intercollege realm has seen Knoxies taking on other colleges in a variety of competitions. We were also able to hold nearly every event in our long-established rivalry with Selwyn College, and we proudly boast that not only are we retaining the Nevill Cup for cultural events, but we have also brought home the Cameron Shield for sport! This is especially pleasing as the Shield is celebrating its 90th anniversary, having been established in 1932, and the Nevill Cup is 25!
We continue to develop our commitment to improving sustainable practices with a particular emphasis on landfill waste minimisation; with several waste streams, recycling, donation and repurposing in place, where practicable. Our Food Services team have engaged with a project to further reduce ‘waste from plates’ that we look forward to the development of in 2023, as well as other initiatives that will lighten our footprint. Mindful that we must look towards our future, and what impact our actions today will have on those who come after us.
We look forward to what 2023 will bring to our Knox community - who will be part of our evolving tradition and what they will leave of themselves in this place- that is so much more than its physical presence.
Ko te toa i a tini, i a mano o te takata - It is the bravery of a multitude, of thousands of people.