On 1st May Year 12 and Year 13 students attended the University of Auckland, City Campus.

Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Ko Na Mauri and Warm Pacific Greetings.

On Thursday 1st May Dora Ata (13CS), AJ Falaniko-Smith (13HA), Maatai Galiga (12GZ), Mafa Levi (12NN), Shantel Stratton (12GZ) and Aloima Taumataga (13TR) attended The MALOSI Project day at the University of Auckland, City Campus, Fale Pasifika and Law School.

The MALOSI Project is named after Judge Ida Malosi - the first female Pacific Judge in Aotearoa. In Samoan, MALOSI means ‘strength’, and this embodies strength in leadership, strength in education, and strength in advocacy. The aim is to uplift and empower Māori and Pacific students, ensuring they have the support, resources, and opportunities to excel in their academic and professional journeys.

Below are reflections of the Day:

‘Going to the Malosi Program was a very eye opening experience which helped me to have a better understanding of what Lawyers do. I was put into a team without anyone from my school which forced me to use my socialising skills and create bonds with new people. There were activities like chant competitions and mini games. My team (Kavament) received papers explaining the topics we will be debating about and were given time to create a plan. My team was put into a small courtroom and was explained the processes of what to do before and during the debate. The experience overall was excellent and very beneficial because I was able to say my argument with confidence then learned different ways on how to improve for the future. Thank you’. - Mafa Levi 12NN

‘I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the Malosi Program that was held at the University of Auckland in the law Faculty. Malosi is a project that caters towards pacific students to get a feeling of the spaces that are available for them at the University, they also offer an insight of what it would be like to be a part of the Law Industry. Being a part of this project really tested my skills of public speaking as well as my confidence level. Being a part of a group of other students from different schools also tested my social skills as having to talk and share ideas with them was quite challenging. It was a fun experience.

Speaking publicly during our debates was also something frightening as we had to work in groups for our debates. Overall the experience and the skills I had learnt from this program will be well used in the future’. Fa’afetai Lava  - Dorah ATA 13CS

‘Walking into the University of Auckland for the MALOSI project, I was filled with nerves. I was stepping into an unfamiliar space, surrounded by faces I didn’t know, unsure of what the day would hold. But the unease didn’t last long. The volunteers from the MALOSI team, AUPISA team and other Pasefika based groups within  the University of Auckland (UoA), full of energy, warmth and mana immediately broke down the walls of silence and awkwardness with fast paced, laughter-filled ice breakers. We were split into random teams, forcing us out of our comfort zones, but that's where the magic began.

From the get-go, chants filled the air. Raw, Loud and Powerful. For many that was the highlight of the programme. But for me, it was the moment we stepped into the heat of the battle: The Parliamentary Debates. Three intense rounds. No mercy. First, team versus team. Then winner versus winner. And through it all, my team didn't just survive, we dominated. Round after round, we stood our ground, argued our points with clarity and passion, and left no doubt in the judges minds. We took finals. We won.

I was the whip speaker for all three rounds. The last voice, the closer, the finisher. I had one job. To dismantle everything the opposing side had said, strengthen our stance and leave the debate stage echoing with our truth. And I did. Not once but three times. I tore down weak points, I reinforced our logic and I delivered with conviction. And it paid off: I was honoured to receive the ‘Best speaker award’ and ‘Most confident speaker award’. Not because I knew everything, but because my team and I owned the space we stood in.

What I learnt was this: facts are powerful, but DELIVERY IS EVERYTHING. You can have all the evidence in the world, but if you don't speak it with your heart, confidence, mana and conviction, it won't land. It won't stick. And it won't matter.

I’m deeply grateful to Mr. Talamaivao for taking us to the MALOSI project and believing that we could become. And the entire MALOSI team- Thank you for creating a space that challenges us, empowers us and reminds us that our voices are not just valid, they're undeniable’.  - AJ FALANIKO-SMITH 13AH

‘Being a part of this program definitely gave me a greater insight in the work Lawyers do behind the scenes. Doing this experience alongside other students from other schools made me feel uncomfortable at first because of the amount of socialising required. But then as we split up into our teams based on the color of our given wristbands, I started to feel more comfortable with who I was with. I was in Team 8 (pink) . We named our team - PinkyPonky.

Walking into this experience I had zero knowledge regarding the law let alone being a lawyer itself, but as we went through different bills as a team I began to understand and learn more than I knew before. I was overly proud of my team as we made the finale, I left during my team's final debate but heard that PinkyPonky ended up taking it out in the end. The last debate was really a challenge for us, as the bill outlined ‘If the government should aid (support) those families who are sending money overseas’. The reason it was a challenge was because we were on the opposing side, we had to disagree with that bill and man did we struggle to find points. But to hear that we took it out in the end made me feel even more proud to have part-took in this program’.  -Maatai GALIGA 12GZ