Lecturer stops traffic at graduation

A university lecturer stopped traffic when he set up his desk in the middle of a roundabout during the graduation parade last Thursday in Takapuna.

Associate Professor Peter Lineham, from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, greeted graduates and waved at passing pedestrians pointing to his “quiet, examinations in progress” sign.

“Graduation is a suitable time for appropriate lightheartedness and frivolity," he says. "It adds to the joy and celebration. After all exams are over, and it was always a tradition to have a bit of fun at graduation.”

The parade, down Hurstmere Road in Takapuna, preceded the ceremony where a total of 12 PhD students, including nine from the School of Psychology, were among the 192 graduating.

Guest speaker was Auckland City Councillor and former mayor of Rodney District Council Penny Webster.

In the morning, more than 170 students of accountancy, aviation, communication and management had graduated from the College of Business.

They packed the Bruce Mason Centre with their family and friends for the capping ceremony, which was presided by Chancellor Russell Ballard.

Guest speaker and managing director of Toyota Finance, Bruce Knight, told graduates that their journey might not always be a logical progression.

After leaving school, he wanted a career in aviation but was turned down by Air New Zealand. Instead he trained as a mechanical engineer, joined the Avis car rental group and then moved to the ANZ Bank where he studied an MBA at Massey.

“Some 34 years, three countries and a multitude of different job assignments later, being an executive with Toyota is clearly a massive distance away from my initial ambition of working in aviation.

“It is often only on reflection that a pattern becomes clear,” he said. “So sometimes you have to be guided by something other than rational thought and logic alone.

“I encourage you to learn to listen to your intuition, to trust your heart and to be brave – accept new challenges and give things a go.”

Mr Knight also spoke about rapid advancements in technology, including the two plug-in hybrid Prius cars that Massey has as part of a global field trial.