Page 11 - 1984 Clippings

Ngaruawahia student chosen to represent New Zealand

represent New Zealand on an American from Farmington, and that it’s freezing in my family and New Zealand, and how I
and her destination is Minnesota in winter!” would conduct myself in an overseas home.”
But she is more than eager to learn, and Meanwhile her parents were willing to
western state in the is becoming more and more aware that the let her leave home for a trip they thought
rich time for her to leave home in Ngaruawahia would help widen her horizons and let her
in both agriculture and industry. Its is approaching. “see the world for herself.”
because of “I applied a year ago now,” she says, Hinerangi will stay with a farming
the number of gophers that have been found “but it still never really sinks in until you family of five children - the eldest two
actually wave goodbye.” children attending college.
Minnesota gets its name from an Indian Hinerangi first found out that she had “The father is a car salesman,” she says,
and is been chosen as an American Field Scholar in “and the mother works part time as an X-ray
blue April - a truth she never really expected. technician and takes fitness classes. So far, I
“Quite a few of the seniors at school have received three letters from them.”
The state is a leading producer of milk (Waikato Diocesan School for Girls) apply Hinerangi has never travelled beyond
and eggs, and its farmers also raise large for it each year,” she says, “and as a third New Zealand and the extent of her travelling
former I became quite used to all the talk experience extends only to the South Island.
Most of Minnesota is a rolling praire, about it. Then my older sister Glenda “So, I’m looking forward to travelling
but in the north lie rocky ridges which are applied for a scholarship in her sixth form by jet to Minnesota.” she says.
part of an old mountain range. Temperature year (1982) and I became more aware of it.” Hinerangi will leave for the United
ranges from 10 degrees Fahrenheit in winter So, as a seventh form day pupil at States on July 22, and will return to New
to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. Diocesan, Hinerangi decided to give it a go Zealand in July 1985 - fresh from a year as
s largest city is Minneapolis and - and to her surprise, she made it. an American citizen in an American city.
“It was rather scary though,” she Nearly two weeks ago she was
Hinerangi confesses that she knows recalls, “and during one interview I was officially farewelled by her friends and
little of Minnesota or Farmington at present surrounded by eight all taking notes. They family at a party function in Ngaruawahia.
s drive asked me all sorts of questions about myself,

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without pay and in everyone has said ‘oh great job, just what
the place needs’.
But if that isn’t enough to turn “We were formed to give
Walter Cronkite off journalism, Maurie Ngaruawahia some news coverage
also plans to cover Ngaruawahia without because it seemed only bad things like
the help of community organisations, and court briefs and vandalism were
without people, it seems, who have an reported.”
interesting story to tell. “But some bad news needs to be said
We (the school) are not getting and some people need to be woken up to
spontaneous contributions from people,” it. There has been criticism about
reporting bad things, but we need to
We are having to go out and hunt report it sometimes,” he said.
” But in the mean time, he would like
s surprising because every issue to hear from anyone else who thinks they
draws such a delightful response - may be pretty good at it too.