Latest news with #Varsity
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Former Otago Spirit captain tackling agribusiness
Julia Gorinski reckons some of the skills she learned on the rugby field may come in handy in her new role in the banking field. Ms Gorinski, 30, is a household name in Otago rugby, as the former Otago Spirit captain, Matatū Super Rugby Aupiki player and Varsity veteran. Having hung up her representative boots last year after playing her 65th cap for the Otago Spirit in the Farah Palmer Cup championship final, she moved straight into the Varsity coaching role this season. A few weeks ago, she became Westpac's Otago-Southland agribusiness manager, a role which included overseeing other managers and she reckoned that could be where some of her captaining skills were useful. Brought up on the Taieri, Ms Gorinski had her heart set on becoming a vet, but she did not enjoy Palmerston North and returned south after one semester. Attending a careers expo, she saw rural banking being promoted and, with a love of farming and an enjoyment of economics, business and accounting at school, she decided that could be the ideal job. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Otago with a commerce degree, with a double major in accounting and finance, and a diploma in environmental management, something she could see would be important to assist with farming into the future. She also quipped it was an opportunity to stay at university longer to keep playing sport. She could not initially get an agri-banking job, so she had a short stint working as an accountant but discovered it was not for her. She had never previously had an office job — she was a keen outdoors girl who had worked on farms around the area and qualified as an AI technician — and this role was solely "number crunching". Nearly eight years ago, she got a job with Westpac as an agri-analyst and became a manager two years after she started and then a senior manager with her own client portfolio. With her latest promotion, she would probably keep a handful of clients, but the role was mostly about overseeing other managers and the wider customer base. She worked closely with portfolio manager Debbie Hunter, who had been with the bank for 12 years and had a wealth of experience, and her support had made it easier for Ms Gorinski to step into the role. Ms Gorinski felt a sense of loyalty to Westpac; they gave her "a crack" at the beginning of her career and she was only in her mid-20s when she got a manager's role. She also liked the way the bank did business, and the autonomy given to staff to help customers. She intended staying with the bank and also staying in the South. She loved being in a rural team and, while it had been a challenging few years, things were "certainly on the way up" in the rural sector. Saying her degree in hard work came from her father, she had learned plenty growing up in shearing sheds and picking up lambs at tailing time. Working with farmers was a highlight of her job and she found it a good mix of practical farming — even though she was not working on-farm — and crunching numbers. It was also nice to see farmers' businesses expand and grow. As far as her rugby involvement, Ms Gorinski played a couple of games this season which she enjoyed — "til I woke up on Sunday". Coaching had been a good way to ease her way out of playing and her new job had also given her a new focal point, although she expected it would be a bit harder when the Otago season rolled around.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Spirit ex-captain tackling agribusiness
Julia Gorinski reckons some of the skills she learned on the rugby field may come in handy in her new role in the banking field. Ms Gorinski, 30, is a household name in Otago rugby, as the former Otago Spirit captain, Matatū Super Rugby Aupiki player and Varsity veteran. Having hung up her representative boots last year after playing her 65th cap for the Otago Spirit in the Farah Palmer Cup championship final, she moved straight into the Varsity coaching role this season. A few weeks ago, she became Westpac's Otago-Southland agribusiness manager, a role which included overseeing other managers and she reckoned that could be where some of her captaining skills were useful. Brought up on the Taieri, Ms Gorinski had her heart set on becoming a vet, but she did not enjoy Palmerston North and returned south after one semester. Attending a careers expo, she saw rural banking being promoted and, with a love of farming and an enjoyment of economics, business and accounting at school, she decided that could be the ideal job. In 2016, she graduated from the University of Otago with a commerce degree, with a double major in accounting and finance, and a diploma in environmental management, something she could see would be important to assist with farming into the future. She also quipped it was an opportunity to stay at university longer to keep playing sport. She could not initially get an agri-banking job, so she had a short stint working as an accountant but discovered it was not for her. She had never previously had an office job — she was a keen outdoors girl who had worked on farms around the area and qualified as an AI technician — and this role was solely "number crunching". Nearly eight years ago, she got a job with Westpac as an agri-analyst and became a manager two years after she started and then a senior manager with her own client portfolio. With her latest promotion, she would probably keep a handful of clients, but the role was mostly about overseeing other managers and the wider customer base. She worked closely with portfolio manager Debbie Hunter, who had been with the bank for 12 years and had a wealth of experience, and her support had made it easier for Ms Gorinski to step into the role. Ms Gorinski felt a sense of loyalty to Westpac; they gave her "a crack" at the beginning of her career and she was only in her mid-20s when she got a manager's role. She also liked the way the bank did business, and the autonomy given to staff to help customers. She intended staying with the bank and also staying in the South. She loved being in a rural team and, while it had been a challenging few years, things were "certainly on the way up" in the rural sector. Saying her degree in hard work came from her father, she had learned plenty growing up in shearing sheds and picking up lambs at tailing time. Working with farmers was a highlight of her job and she found it a good mix of practical farming — even though she was not working on-farm — and crunching numbers. It was also nice to see farmers' businesses expand and grow. As far as her rugby involvement, Ms Gorinski played a couple of games this season which she enjoyed — "til I woke up on Sunday". Coaching had been a good way to ease her way out of playing and her new job had also given her a new focal point, although she expected it would be a bit harder when the Otago season rolled around.
The Wire
22-05-2025
- Science
- The Wire
Historic First: CUNY In USA Establishes ‘Achyuta Samanta India Initiative' Research Institute
Dr Samanta also bestowed with the Presidential Medal by the Varsity in New York BHUBANESHWAR, India, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a ground-breaking development that marks a proud moment for India, especially for Odisha, a premier research institute at the City University of New York (CUNY) has been named after renowned educationist and social … Continue reading "Historic First: CUNY In USA Establishes 'Achyuta Samanta India Initiative' Research Institute"
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The WW2 aircrews who dropped secret agents into Europe
In the last months of World War Two, aircrews from an Essex airfield were responsible for dropping secret agents and supplies into enemy occupied territory. The men of 295 and 570 Squadrons, based at RAF Rivenhall near Chelmsford, were supporting Special Operations Executive (SOE), as well as supplying SAS units. "Low flying skills were absolutely essential and they needed to find drop zones in the dark of night with minimal help on the ground and that took extreme confidence - and bravery, as they were on their own," said historian Chris Bullock. Many of crews had also flown at D-Day and operations Market Garden and Varsity, surviving injuries and losing friends, he added. Rivenhall's connection to SOE came as a surprise to Mr Bullock when he began the former airfield near his home 10 years ago. "From October 1944, 295 and 570 Squadrons dropped SOE and SAS supplies into France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and even one mission into Germany, while from February 1945, they also dropped agents into the Netherlands," he said. "One well-publicised agent who dropped from Rivenhall was Jos Gemmeke; she escaped to the UK, carrying microfilm of V1 rocket sites after the failure at Arnhem, where she was trained by SOE, then parachuted back in March 1945." Ms Gemmeke survived, was awarded one of the highest Dutch gallantry awards and given a military funeral when she died in 2010. Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered SOE to "set Europe ablaze" in June 1940, by supporting local resistance movements and conducting espionage and sabotage. The bravery - and sacrifice - of "Churchill's secret army" has been remembered with films, books and TV series since the end of the war. Mr Bullock, 56, who served in the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment for 25 years, said the skills and courage of the air crews, making the drops behind enemy lines, have been underappreciated. "They're flying extremely low, typically at 500 to 600 feet (152 to 182m) above ground level and there's an even greater skill to holding steady at such a low height," he said, and each plane was on a solo mission, without support. They could only fly when there was a full moon and, to ensure they carried as many supplies as possible, the Stirlings were stripped of their front and rear guns, leaving just one machine gun in the tail. Norway was the Rivenhall aircrews' initial destination in late 1944, flying in "horrific" conditions, said Mr Bullock. "It was so cold inside the aircraft, and that made it difficult to fly, because once ice starts to form on an aircraft, it adds weight, and that makes it more difficult to control," he said. A lot of the aircraft found themselves stalling and nearly crashing and on one early mission, Rivenhall lost its station commander, Wilfred Surplice. Mr Bullock said: "The rest of the crew parachuted out, the plane crashed and he was killed - so imagine that for Rivenhall, your big boss goes out and doesn't come back." He has calculated about 40% of the squadrons' drops over Norway and the Netherlands were successful, with the right weather conditions and a reception committee ready and waiting for the drops on the ground. Mr Bullock believes the missions required "a different kind of courage" to that shown by other World War Two RAF aircrew, "dropping these supplies behind German lines, right into the enemy's heart, without aircraft support and carrying out these missions on their own". Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Final WW2 airborne op 'testament to RAF skills' The untold story of the battle that helped end WW2 in Europe Man's project to get veterans to sign his gun How a ring tells the story of a forgotten secret agent Imperial War Museum
BBC News
05-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
The WW2 aircrews who dropped secret agents into Europe
In the last months of World War Two, aircrews from an Essex airfield were responsible for dropping secret agents and supplies into enemy occupied men of 295 and 570 Squadrons, based at RAF Rivenhall near Chelmsford, were supporting Special Operations Executive (SOE), as well as supplying SAS units. "Low flying skills were absolutely essential and they needed to find drop zones in the dark of night with minimal help on the ground and that took extreme confidence - and bravery, as they were on their own," said historian Chris Bullock. Many of crews had also flown at D-Day and operations Market Garden and Varsity, surviving injuries and losing friends, he added. Rivenhall's connection to SOE came as a surprise to Mr Bullock when he began the former airfield near his home 10 years ago."From October 1944, 295 and 570 Squadrons dropped SOE and SAS supplies into France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and even one mission into Germany, while from February 1945, they also dropped agents into the Netherlands," he said. "One well-publicised agent who dropped from Rivenhall was Jos Gemmeke; she escaped to the UK, carrying microfilm of V1 rocket sites after the failure at Arnhem, where she was trained by SOE, then parachuted back in March 1945."Ms Gemmeke survived, was awarded one of the highest Dutch gallantry awards and given a military funeral when she died in Minister Winston Churchill ordered SOE to "set Europe ablaze" in June 1940, by supporting local resistance movements and conducting espionage and bravery - and sacrifice - of "Churchill's secret army" has been remembered with films, books and TV series since the end of the war. Mr Bullock, 56, who served in the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment for 25 years, said the skills and courage of the air crews, making the drops behind enemy lines, have been underappreciated. "They're flying extremely low, typically at 500 to 600 feet (152 to 182m) above ground level and there's an even greater skill to holding steady at such a low height," he said, and each plane was on a solo mission, without support. They could only fly when there was a full moon and, to ensure they carried as many supplies as possible, the Stirlings were stripped of their front and rear guns, leaving just one machine gun in the tail. Norway was the Rivenhall aircrews' initial destination in late 1944, flying in "horrific" conditions, said Mr Bullock. "It was so cold inside the aircraft, and that made it difficult to fly, because once ice starts to form on an aircraft, it adds weight, and that makes it more difficult to control," he said.A lot of the aircraft found themselves stalling and nearly crashing and on one early mission, Rivenhall lost its station commander, Wilfred Bullock said: "The rest of the crew parachuted out, the plane crashed and he was killed - so imagine that for Rivenhall, your big boss goes out and doesn't come back." He has calculated about 40% of the squadrons' drops over Norway and the Netherlands were successful, with the right weather conditions and a reception committee ready and waiting for the drops on the ground. Mr Bullock believes the missions required "a different kind of courage" to that shown by other World War Two RAF aircrew, "dropping these supplies behind German lines, right into the enemy's heart, without aircraft support and carrying out these missions on their own". Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
