Debate issue 20

Issue 20 | SEPTEMBER 2013 www.ausm.org.nz

N

SE

E NT ID T

O

B

LIGI BLE •

ST P R E

TUD

EE

• MU

TS

Issue 20 | SEPTEMBER 2013 Directory p6 reception City Campus Level 2, WC Building 921 9805 Mon-Thurs: 9am-5pm Fri: 9am-4pm North Shore Campus Level 2, AS Building 921 9949 Mon-Fri: 11am-1pm

p22

p24

Cover

by Ramina Rai p8

p11

Matthew Cattin matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz

Manukau Campus MB107 921 9999 ext 6672 Mon-Thurs: 9am-3.30pm governance & leadership Kizito Essuman AuSM Student President 921 9999 ext 8571 kizito.essuman@aut.ac.nz

sub editor Nigel Moffiet

designer/PHOTOGRAPHER Ramina Rai p20

p22

management Kathy Anderson General Manager 921 9999 ext 8570 kanderso@aut.ac.nz advocacy Siobhan Daly AuSM Advocate 921 9999 ext 8311 siobhan.daly@aut.ac.nz

media Matthew Cattin Publications Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8774 matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz vesbar Zane Chase Vesbar Manager 921 9999 ext 8378 zane.chase@aut.ac.nz volunteers & clubs Lauren Howe Volunteers Coordinator 921 9999 ext 8911 lauren.howe@aut.ac.nz

www.ausm.org.nz

contributors

Abigail Johnson | Catherine Barker | Erica Donald | Hazel Buckingham | Jordayna Brewer | Kieran Bennett | Nicole Koch | Kiwa Huata | Rachel Peters | Samuel J Hennessy | Scott Yeoman

Illustration & Photography Nicole Koch | Ramina Rai

advertising contact

p28

Kate Lin kate.lin@aut.ac.nz

p27

printer

marketing Kate Lin Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8909 kate.lin@aut.ac.nz events Carl Ewen Student Life Manager 921 9999 ext 8931 carl.ewen@aut.ac.nz

EDITOR

PMP Print Ltd.

publisher

AuSM all rights reserved

5 | Editorial

19 | Wordfind

6 | Compassion

20 | Pacific Island Sovereignty

8 – 9 | Artist of the Week

22 | Syria

10-12 | Gaming Addictions

23 | It Started In The 90s

14 | AuSM Elections & Updates

24 | Trending, before trending was even a word

15 | Memorandum & Auckland's Got It Going On 16 | Lovenotes & Hatemail & Dealing with Grief part 3 17 | Bikram Yoga & Your Body Is Not A Word 18 | Social Media Highlights

26 | Nifty News & So You've Time Travelled to The 90s, What Now? 27 –28 | 90s Nostalgia 32 – 33 | Reviews

This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUCKLAND STUDENT MOVEMENT AT AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED (“AuSM”). Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly.

Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AuSM.

disclaimer Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AuSM, its advertisers, contributors, PMP Print or its subsidiaries.

debate is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA)

www.ausm.org.nz

3

Get a scholarship for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience work life in the USA at companies such as Saatchi & Saatchi NY, Westpac Americas, Play Rugby USA and The B Team.

To be eligible you must: Have (or be able to get) a NZ passport— Be completing, or have completed, your degree in 2013— Be available to depart between 15 December 2013 and 30 June 2014— Meet all United States visa eligibility criteria and requirements—

FIND OUT MORE APPLY NOW aut.ac.nz/internz Experience the changing world

Applications close 4 October 2013

by Matthew Cattin Hello readers, I worry for the next generation of kids – I weep for their numerous deficiencies. Tell me this – what becomes of a child never raised on Timon and Pumbaa’s jungle wisdom? What sort of psychological damage will develop in those unaccustomed to the sweet song of chatter rings? And how can anybody expect to make meaningful human connections without a technical background in K’nex? I tell ya – it’s an ugly world out there today and I’m glad I was raised in an era that made sense.

I spent the 90s growing up in Clevedon – a small farming village South of Auckland. I have time-ripened memories of hot summer days when the cow pats had turned to rocks on the paddocks and the tar on the road rolled like lava towards the kerb. My brother and I would make little rock men out of road chip and tar and let them cool and harden in the letterbox. When the heat got too much, we’d hop across the road and use our neighbour’s pool. I’d cling to the side and make my way around the pool in a ‘U’ shape, turning around to avoid going around the dreaded deep end. Once home, my brothers and I would stretch out our wet towels on the deck and lay there to dry – I still recall the smell of chlorine and sodden wood that for me signifies summer. Sometimes we’d even be treated to a Paddlepop from the freezer – the best ice cream around (discounting Bubbalo Bills of course). I used to get weak at the knees thinking about the classic lick-a-prize competition but sadly my gluttonous delusions of grandeur were never realised.

I’d wager that kids growing up 90’s style were a lot more innovative than they are today, simply because technology didn’t offer as much childhood-killing devices such as iPhones and broadband. Back then our internet time was limited by the guilt of blocking the telephone line and the best console out was the PS1 – not that we had one. My brothers and I would therefore spend our time outside or in the garage inventing. With a sawn off aluminium pipe and a rubber glove, we would make joey guns to fire pebbles stolen from my neighbour’s driveway. I still remember the time my brother fired a pebble blindly over the house, not knowing that his missile would strike me square on the head and knock me out. Such luck… We would also spend hours making soda bottle rockets, sling shots, handkerchief parachutes, balloon hover crafts and rubber band paddle boats to use when the lawn flooded. We even turned a fridge box into an apartment, complete with working light and electric fan.

It worked wonderfully until it rained…

The new generation is absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment. I mean, hell, just look at the internet. I was blown away enough with Minesweeper and MS-DOS Quake. In fact I still remember the time when Microsoft Encarta 97 was the resource of choice for any homework assignment or research. Oh how irrelevant it has since become… There are so many character building technology blunders that kids are not going to experience – having to rewind a tape, the ear shrieking dial tone, blowing in dusty SEGA cartridges, floppy discs, the list goes on. These were

the burdens of growing up – burdens that would never see the light of day in modern times. In fact I struggle to think of any technological inhibitions that could obstruct an 00’s kid’s relationship with technology – except perhaps slow download speeds or low phone credit… Even skipping albums are becoming hazy memories in an MP3 dominated world.

I guess the point I am getting at (in my half-assed ramble) is that today’s youth has it way too flippin’ easy. Yes I realise this is a notion bitterly expressed by every generation but come on, today’s kids have the world absolutely at their fingertips – but at what cost? Yes technology is wonderful but I feel when it’s introduced at such an early age, it only serves to hinder children from being children, playing outside and being imaginative. I know a few young’uns who have minor freak-outs if they have to go anywhere sans phone or iPod charger and you know what, that makes me blue. Kids shouldn’t be chained to flawless machines with more brainpower than themselves – they should be teary eyed in frustration at SEGA glitches and skipping albums. They need to learn that technology holds the keys to the future but in the same breath it claws away at your life – not necessarily in the physical sense but in the quality. Yes Apple products are sleek, shiny and full of games – but outside on the back lawn, there is so much more to be found.

Enjoy the issue, Matthew

www.ausm.org.nz

5

YOU ARE NOT IMPORTANT.

by Samuel J Hennessy

I’m covered in tattoos. I bloody love them.

I love the process, the risk, I get off on the pain, and the fact my body represents a state of permanent non-religious prayer for the things I value. Sometimes I wonder whether this compulsion to permanent marking comes from a yearning to leave my mark on the world, and my body, is an intermediary representation of that.

I wonder whether you feel you want to make your make on the world also?

It seems a very post-modern ideal - our generation’s hang up - because we no longer need to reproduce to populate the earth, and as far as tilling the soil goes our forebears have made a pretty good job of hoarding up material wealth in houses, income, or debt and we don’t need to follow suit because we are the inheritors. For better or worse.

So what’s left for us to do? With this space where those archaic notions of purpose have been achieved? I think to leave a legacy is not a bad place to go.

I’m not sure if you feel the same way, but for me, it’s a powerful motivator.

But, if you’re like me, then perhaps you’re having trouble figuring out exactly how one goes about such an enormous task, to leave your mark on the world? Not exactly something you can arrange with the bank. If you’ll allow, I’d love to let you in on where I’m up to on how to make this work, but I must warn you, if your desire to impact the world is motivated by a bigger desire to be a success story, a hot-shot, then I suggest skipping this…

The kind of impact I’m getting at is world changing but requires a radical reorientation, paradigm shift, away from the

typical notions of achievement and selfpreservation. It moves into a realm that is concerned with the flourishing and well-being of the other, not self.

Some research got done, and because this isn’t an assessment the fact I can’t give you a source doesn’t worry me too much.

Essentially these sociologists examined ‘rites of passage’ across the world in cultures where they were still a common part of development. What they were looking for specifically was whether or not there existed common values these cultures were conveying in order for their young people to understand so that they could participate as adults. There were three they identified: You will die.

You are not that important.

Your life is not about you, it’s about the other.

Heavy shit, to say the least. Your life is not about you? If you are a parent, I imagine that is quite easy to get your head around, part of the day to day. Or perhaps you have great responsibilities, perhaps to a sick member of family or person in need? For me, in my ego-centric age and stage (which I’m still in) I couldn’t let this stuff sink in. But it challenged me enough – I couldn’t shake it - so I started to take a life directed by compassion very seriously.

Where compassion has taken me? The most extreme places, out of my depth to say the least. I’ve stayed in the slums with a family for a month, fostered a teenager, met murderers, fed, clothed and bandaged people out of homes, cleaned other disabled adults excrement again and again and again, been attacked, and lost a ridiculous amount of money.

tooting my own horn, please hit me up (email at the bottom). But what I think I can say with full confidence, maybe even promise you is that a life that takes compassion seriously is an adventure. The risks in taking this route are huge, but what it definitely achieves is that making of the mark, the small and often unnoticed etching on individual’s lives who have needed that bit of give to make it to point B. And the truth is we all need that give at times, some more than others for a whole host of reasons, some explainable, some not. Taking compassion seriously means you will inevitably impact individuals, each person a small but significant part of “world”.

Compassion permeates the greatest lines of division, and cements action, big or small, that “sticking place” called hope… something I think is a core component of our survival mechanism.

I am not that important. But my efforts to give a shit are. So are yours. Maybe you’re like me and want to make your efforts count somewhere in the blend. Where I’m at on this one, I couldn’t recommend a more costly, beautiful, and useful life than one that really is concerned with compassion and its application.

P.S I’ve made the mistake of being a martyr many times, and I’m not proud of that, it’s no use to anyone. But, if you had a go at this, I’d love to hear how it works for you.

Aroha Nui samuel.j.hennessy@gmail.com

None of these things are intrinsically attractive. And if you have the feeling I’m

by Rachel Peters

6

www.ausm.org.nz

Work & play in the USA

Need help?

AUT Student Advisors are trained staff who can provide assistance with any personal, social, practical or academic issues. They offer free, friendly and confidential advice.

isa get a v n a c i ery kiw ut YOU Not ev in the USA b k to wor can! is who for kiw tudents ly n o s They’re ime tertiary ur t ver yo ll o u f it e r o ar a d u can as a gap ye o y d n a k, r brea te. summe you gradua r or afte oo re it’s t o f e b e ut mor Find o late! a

WB101 Ph (09) 921 9450 AS209 Ph (09) 921 9999 ext 7207 MB ground level studentadvisors@aut.ac.nz

z/us

.org.n ww.iep

w

www.iep.org.nz 0800 443 769

Help shape the future of AUT - have

your say!

Annual Programme Survey Student Services Survey Look out for your invitation to participate!

Great prizes up for grabs!

surveys@aut For more information see our website at: www.aut.ac.nz/being-a-student/student-surveys

www.ausm.org.nz

7

Artist Of The Week

Claudia Easton I’m Claudia Easton, a third year graphic design student minoring in pictorial studies at AUT. I have always liked art and design but have only recently really come to love photography. I never studied photography at school but when I came time to do it at uni I felt like it really just clicked with me.

I am currently the photographer for the store Wildpair & Lippy, doing their fortnightly shoots and mini campaigns. I used to make clothes and enter them in competitions, as fashion is something I’ve always loved, and I think this is why my interests are mostly in beauty and fashion photography. I also really like photographing people because they are unpredictable and I find it more interesting when I can interact with the subject I’m shooting.

Lighting is an artistic element of photographs I find very intriguing. I love shooting in a studio because of the control over lighting it gives, and have spent so many hours up in the studio just playing around with the lights to get them perfect. A couple of months ago it hit me that at the end of the year I would no longer be able to use the uni studio anymore. Because commercial studios are so expensive I have recently been working on creating my own photographic studio, Blackboard Studio. It is created for people like me that are passionate about photography and need a studio space, but don’t have a lot of money to spend – so it’s perfect for recent graduates.

Check out Blackboard’s new website for more of my photography and design work: www.blackboardstudio.co.nz, and you can also find us on Facebook!

8

www.ausm.org.nz

www.ausm.org.nz

9

PLUGGING INTO THE ADDICTION

by Nigel Moffiet

10

www.ausm.org.nz

His addiction began in 2004. He was 14-years-old.

His life was sucked into a downward spiral in which there was no sense of time; without any sense of life taking place around him. For five years it was all just a “blur”.

“The months in the real world felt like seconds,” he says looking back on the haze.

He was blind to his addiction.

He remembers one particular night while getting ready for his next fix – World of Warcraft.

It was 2008, around midnight. He was queued outside his local game shop. He had waited hours in the cold, with hundreds of others, to buy Wrath of the Lich King – a new title in the WOW series.

“Some of the people I was talking to were addicted just like me. It never hit me though that I was addicted.

excessive gaming to be considered in the same light; there are close parallels with problem gambling. There have also been a number of reports that the American Psychiatric Association is considering excessive internet use (along with online gaming) to be considered as a mental health disorder.

The definition, however, is of little importance for James Driver. Tackling the problem is what concerns him most.

Driver is completing a graduate diploma in psychotherapy at AUT. His master’s research is looking into problem gaming and he’s talking to people who’ve received therapy for excessive video game use.

What is clear is that there are a growing number of people in New Zealand whose lives have become “unmanageable” because of video games he says speaking to debate. His research has revealed there is little help for these people and even professional therapists and counselors are struggling with a lack of understanding.

In light of his experience, Driver was motivated to start the website Net Addiction NZ to fill in the lack of information around video game addiction within a New Zealand context.

“It was really due to the fact that a lot of the information you could find online about gaming addiction seemed to me either alarmist and sort of sensationalised or dismissive of the problem. So I wanted to provide something with hopefully a bit more of a balanced picture,” he says.

In a Radio NZ interview the research director of the Problem Gambling Foundation Dr Philip Townshend said he has received an increasing number of calls from parents who are concerned about their children’s gaming habits. He cites a number of reports where children have even broken into their neighbor’s home to play games after their devices have been confiscated.

“As I looked around there I noticed a lot of very shy, pale looking people. As if they were scared of something. Then I looked at myself… ‘I hope I don't become that’.

In the same interview, Wellington College principal Roger Moses says he is aware that excessive gaming is affecting a number of students at his school – a problem which has led to truancy, poor academic performance and depression due to some students staying up all night to game.

“Little did I know, I already was that. I just couldn't see it.”

And yet the problem isn’t just linked to young people.

He met one guy in his 30s who brought his laptop with him and was gaming in the queue.

A ‘gamer widow’ is a term used to describe a woman who has lost her partner to computer game addiction.

“I talked with him and found out that he lived in his truck and didn't have a job…His laptop battery was dying and he couldn't charge it nearby without getting out of line… he ran to his truck and took out his car battery…”

On the GamerWidow online forum, stories of broken marriages have been shared.

This is the experience of a young gaming addict from Hawaii. He, along with many others, shares painful memories of his life as a problem gamer on the online support forum GamerWidow.

“Now, I’m not stupid, but I just refused to get it for years. I indulged my habit…eighty hours a week of compulsive online gaming, for ages. I watched my wife get up for work, earn money so that I could sit at home and play games, and for some unknown reason, let this go on for far too long,” he recalls.

“For too long have I been scared to go outside. Scared to socialize and scared to just be a human being in society,” he says.

Although first thought of as a joke, problem gaming is increasingly real. Counsellors and therapists worldwide are becoming more aware of the misery caused by excessive gaming.

Yet, should it be considered an addiction?

It’s a debate that continues amongst psychologists and other health professionals.

Until recently, it was believed people could only be addicted to substances. However in June this year, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (the “psychologist’s handbook” used by legal systems and psychiatrists around the world, including New Zealand) recognised gambling as an addiction. It was previously referred to as an “impulse-control disorder” and thus for the first time a person can be addicted to a non-substance.

Certainly this makes a strong case for

One gamer describes the desperate nature of his relationship.

Alicia Russell-Jones still feeds her addiction at uni.

“Because it’s very much an emerging problem, there’s a lack of research information around treatment and diagnosis…they [counselors and therapists] are largely operating in the dark when it comes to treating a person.”

Driver also has personal experience, considering himself a recovered problem gamer.

“For a couple of years I was playing every waking moment really. Sixteen to 17 hours a day at one point and the cost for me was pretty heavy. I fell out of uni a second time round because of it and I was very physically unhealthy. I was only eating a meal a day and I wasn’t having any social contact outside the game. I was very, very unhappy in that period of my life.”

Olivia Metcalf, a PhD researcher in psychology at Australian National University, wrote in Australian Science magazine in May this year about her work which didn’t just reach the conclusion that problem gaming is a real problem for a number of people but that there is “evidence that excessive gamers are displaying signs consistent with an addiction”.

Her research points to regular loss of sleep, changes to diet, relationship difficulties, damage to social life, loss of income and employment, poor academic performance and irritability and anxiety as key symptoms of a problem gamer.

So beyond the fact that video games are enjoyable, why are people becoming addicted to them?

Metcalf makes two distinctions: First person shooter games (FPS) such as Call of Duty or www.ausm.org.nz

11

Halo typically use firearms in a fast-paced, violent setting and massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG) like World of Warcraft require more actionstrategy as gamers create their own avatars and “gameplay involves the development and progression of the avatar through exploration, combat, socialisation, skill and wealth acquisition”.

my level of getting out is getting online and socialising.

Through physiological research Metcalf found that FPS gaming is associated with “higher impulsivity and more risk taking behaviour” while MMORPG gaming is associated with “lower impulsivity and higher anxiety”.

Meanwhile Bennett recalls a time when he tried to hide his gaming habit. In year 12 he received the game Skyrim for Christmas and it all started from there.

“Thus there may be two types of excessive gamers: those who are seeking stimulation through higher intensity gaming …and those who are seeking avoidance or escapism and play the games to reduce their high emotional state,” she says.

“Because going to uni, going to work and going home is boring as fuck. You need to have some form of entertainment and going out and drinking constantly is bullshit. I mean people offline aren’t actually that interesting,” she says.

“I played that game for seven months. I would literally get to my dad’s, take off my bag after school, put [the game] in the PlayStation, play it for three hours and then when my dad came home I’d be like ‘oh, just started playing haha…just finished this one quest’…six quests later ‘oh, I should probably have a shower…

AUT communications student and regular debate contributor Kieran Bennett agrees that certain games have an addictive quality.

“And I’d just be like that for days at a time,” says Bennett.

“You get games where the thrill of the reward is just so out of reach that you just want to keep playing and each time you get closer and closer and it’s just so tantalising and when you get it, it feels soooo good. Like you’ve finally beaten it.

Gaming in a NZ context

“Then you get into that kind of thrill of the grind…so if you play it for 20 minutes you get a reward and you play for another 20 minutes and you’re like ‘oh, another reward’ and it’s like ‘yeah rewards’ and you just keep playing because you keep on getting shit.”

AUT psychology student Alicia Russell-Jones even admits to gaming in her lectures.

“I am addicted to gaming,” she says.

When asked how many hours she spends gaming she replies: “As many as I possibly can.”

“I do keep up with my studies and stuff so I study in the bus and then I’ll procrastinate and game at uni…which is quite terrible.”

Russell-Jones remembers playing Crash Bandicoot with her cousins as a young girl on PlayStation. Now 21, she has progressed to online role playing games such as Star Wars: The Old Republic.

“I always put gaming before everything,” she says. “If I’m hungry I’ll be like ‘alright let me just finish this level’ and three levels later I’ll go and eat maybe.

“I will get very stressed and frustrated if I haven’t gamed over a certain period of time. I can go a week max without gaming and then [I’m] trying to kill someone.”

Russell-Jones also considers gaming online to be a fulfilling social activity as she gets the chance to interact with gamers from all over the world.

“Friends are like ‘you need to get out’ but

12

www.ausm.org.nz

- 98% of homes with children under the age of 18 have a device for playing games - The average age of New Zealand gamers is 33 compared to the average NZ age of 36 - 95% of those aged 6-15 play games to some extent - 35% of gamers play 30 minutes to one hour every other day x - 8% of men and 5% of women play games daily for 4 or more hours, with around 2% playing for 6 hours or more per day Source: netaddiction.co.nz and Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) reports produced by Bond university in 2010 and 2012

And it’s not by chance that games are becoming more addictive for some people. In an online article for game developer magazine Gamastura titled ‘Behavioral Game Design’ John Hopson (who was a lead researcher for games such as Halo and Age of Empires and holds a PhD in Behavioral and Brain Sciences from Duke University) lets loose a few secrets regarding the manipulative design of some games.

Hopson refers to the famous B. F. Skinner experiment in which different patterns of response were drawn from rats based on various elements of rewards each time a lever was pressed for a pellet of food. Hopson says the reward systems (or what he refers to as the “contingency”) in computer games are “more complex, but the analogy is clear enough”.

In computer games “each contingency is an arrangement of time, activity, and reward, and there are an infinite number of ways

these elements can be combined to produce the pattern of activity you want from your players,” he says.

Driver agrees games are becoming more addictive due to the way they are being developed.

“With mobile games…they’re becoming quite sophisticated in how they hook players in …I do think the latest generation of mobile games are deliberately exploitative of player psychology in order to keep people playing and I think they get a lot of their revenue because of the addicted players rather than the healthier players,” he says, referring to games like Candy Crush as an example.

Combined with the growing number of online role playing games which require paid monthly subscriptions, software developers are increasingly being slammed for unethical practices.

Just before the release of WOW’s Wrath of the Lich King in 2008, the game’s developer, Blizzard Entertainment, introduced a content patch for users to download featuring new achievements within the existing game.

Rather than providing any new material the patch merely enabled users to get hooked on pointless and repetitive tasks which was condemned by many (and aptly put by one gaming blogger) as nothing but a “carrot-ona-stick incentive program”.

In a 2007 Sydney Morning Herald article, independent game developer Jonathan Blow labeled such tactics as a “Skinnerian scheme”.

"It's considered best practice: schedule rewards for your player so that they don't get bored and give up on your game. That's actually exploitation."

And as the countless stories of hardship continue to pop up on gaming forums the picture is clear: there’s a real human cost at stake.

On the website Kotaku, Mike Fahey wrote of his world collapsing because of excessive gaming: relationship break-ups, loss of job and loss of income. He had it all and lost it all, he writes in the article ‘I Kept Playing – The Costs of My Gaming Addiction’.

One reader replied that he could relate to Fahey’s addiction but nothing more: “Granted, I am addicted to [role playing games] and video games in general. However, I have always been a social outcast. I have never had a girlfriend. I am not confident or outgoing.”

And he sums up, what might be for some, the very definition of video game addiction with a lack of sleep, late nights, energy drinks and poor diets.

Reduced to nothing but a “ghost, drifting through the waking world unnoticed".

Hypnotist_2013.pdf

1

4/09/13

11:18 AM

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

free entry

MONDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 2013 + PRIZES TO BE WON

6:30 PM

bitchinbingo_working.indd 1

25/01/12 10:05 AM

www.ausm.org.nz

13

ELECTIONS for 2014 AuSM EXECUTIVE COUNCIL DECLARATION OF CANDIDATES

I declare the following to be eligible candidates for the 2014 AuSM Executive Council election: PRESIDENT Thomas Goldsbury John Kingi Suavi Tuilaepa Rajkumar Velu

TE ARA POUTAMA FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE Eru Paranihi Michael Wikiriwhi-Heta

VICE PRESIDENT Srujan Swamy Krishna Bhimasetty Thomas Goldsbury Charanya Mohanakrishnan April Pokino Ali Tahir Jason Walls DISABILITIES AFFAIRS OFFICER Jordon Milroy Simon Noonan PASIFIKA AFFAIRS OFFICER Theresa Keil Suavi Tuilaepa INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS OFFICER Praveen Manoharan Rajkumar Velu

Updates AuSM 2013 Student Executive Council Voting Open Time to vote for your student executive 2014!

Make sure your voice is heard. Check your AUT email now for the link to voting website!

AuSM Awesome Award 2012 It is time to start voting for those hardworking AUT staff and lecturers who you think have gone the extra mile! Vote them now! http://www.surveymonkey.com/ s/2013ausmawards AuSM Survey Give us five minutes of your time and AuSM@ AUT will get you in the draw for great prizes! We need your input to help us improve the services we provide! Complete this short survey and you might be the lucky ones who will win prizes such as Logitech Z506 surround sound speakers, Apple TV, Sony portable power bank supply and more!

Survey link: http://www.surveymonkey. com/s/2013ausmsurvey Entry closes on 11th Oct 2013. Make sure you keep an eye on our facebook.com/ausm1 for latest update!

AuSM Clothes Swap Time to clean your closet! Clothes Swap is happening real soon! Drop off your pre-loved

14

BUSINESS & LAW FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE Jacky Issaeva Kahutia Maxwell

www.ausm.org.nz

NORTH SHORE CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE Chaz Brown Chris Dixon There being only one nomination for each of the following offices, I declare the following individuals to be the successful candidates. Appointment to the position will be subject to a General Meeting of the Association.

MAORI AFFAIRS OFFICER Urshula Ansell POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS OFFICER Anbuselvan Pungiah MANUKAU CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE Gina-Maree Makiha clothes, shoes and accessories between 1st – 8th Oct 2013 to AuSM office City Campus and get your clothes swap on the 10th October! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates. https:// www.facebook.com/ausm1 Bitchin’ Bingo Bitchin' Bingo is coming back to Vesbar on Monday 30th September at 6.30pm! Free to play, awesome prizes to be won! Meat packs, bar tabs and more! See you next week!

For more info: http://tiny.cc/ausmbb2013 Guy Carter Hypnotist Back by popular demand! AuSM presents to you Guy Cater - The Hypnotist on 3rd October 2013.

Join us at the Vesbar at 7pm! Free entry for all.

Check out for more info: http://tiny.cc/GCTH War Against Breast Cancer Bake Off Join the war against breast cancer! 100% of the funds raised will contribute towards helping those in need with NZB. -2nd Oct at North Shore Campus from 10 am at Lower Lime Cafe -3rd Oct at City Campus from 10 am at Hikuwai Plaza Please email Lauren Howe lhowe@aut.ac.nz to enter the cake battle or check out AuSM Event page for more details. http://tiny.cc/ ausmeventsnzbf

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE Rayya Ali DESIGN & CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES REPRESENTATIVE Ashleigh Dunston CITY CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE Charanya Mohanakrishnan* *This position may fall vacant depending upon the outcome of the Vice- President election result.

There being no candidates for each of the following offices, I declare the position(s) to be vacant: CULTURE & SOCIETY FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE - On-line voting will commence 30 September 2013 and will close 10 October 2013.

-All eligible students will receive an email with a link to their on-line voting account.

Richard Stewart Chief Returning Officer Contact at: ausmelections@aut.ac.nz

COMPETITIONS

Find all the words in page 19's 90s Wordfind, send it our way & you'll go in the draw to win two "Squawk Burger" vouchers from Velvet Burger. Delicious!

So fetch your magnifying glass and get wordfinding!

Drop your entry into your nearest AuSM office, or the box on the side of the red debate stands, or email debate before 12pm Thursday. What’s up for grabs? Two “squawk burgers” vouchers for Velvet Burger on Fort St, Auckland CBD.

Issue 19 Congratulations to...

Emma Mclaren

City Campus who scored two Squawk Burger vouchers!

By Scott Yeoman

@scott_yeoman

A memorandum

Memorandum [mem-uh-ran-duh m] -noun, pl. –dums, -da 1. A short note designating something to be remembered, especially something to be done or acted upon in the future; reminder.

America’s gun issue does affect us Last week we saw yet another US gun massacre take place, this time in Washington. But it doesn’t matter where in the gun-lovin’ USA these tragedies occur, they all point to one problem - a stalemate of culture, tradition, heritage and habit.

Virginia, Connecticut, Texas, California, Oklahoma, Colorado, New York, New Jersey –all home to at least one of America’s 12 deadliest shootings (Colorado and Texas each feature three times). Although these shocking events represent quite an even spread across the country in terms of location, the same cannot be said for time period, with five of the 12 happening in the last four years while US President Barack Obama has been in office. It is no wonder then that he is trying to pass stricter gun legislation - the time has come for it.

But until a majority of the US Senate grasp the concept of change, nothing is going to happen. They, along with a large percentage of the American population, are stuck in the past. Stuck in hundreds of years of history and heritage, stuck stubbornly believing in an amendment passed in 1791, stuck in a culture that loves owning and shooting guns and stuck in the habit of putting up with it all.

You just have to look at some of the shows on the Discovery Channel, like Sons of Guns, to see how gun-mad America actually is. I

seriously advise you watch an episode of that high-rating show to gain some perspective on the issue.

There are a lot of New Zealanders who question the ‘importance’ of shootings that kill 12, 26 or even 32 innocent people.

They will be quick to tell you that although it’s extremely sad, three times that were killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq or a car bomb in Afghanistan. And they are right, I couldn’t agree more - the Western world needs to be made more aware of these frequent and deadly attacks in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

But you can’t ignore the fact that America, as the ‘world’s police’ (whether we like it or not), are extremely influential and powerful and anything like the attack last Monday, no matter how contextually insignificant, is important to the likes of New Zealand.

Why? Because these kinds of attacks shape US policy and US policy often has a big effect on New Zealand because of our close alliance to them, and our acute reliance on them.

Unless of course it’s sailing policy, then it is definitely the other way around.

90s WALL OF SHAME

www.ausm.org.nz

15

lovenotes & hatemail Your wordfind ruined my life I spent 20 minutes trying to find "Voldemort" in the Harry Potter crossword, going over it with a fine tooth comb literally scouring the crossword which lead to a series of unlikely and unfortunate events: As I was searching for "Voldemort" in the library after finishing my assignment I lost track of time and 20 minutes turned into 2 hours which lead me to miss my deadline for handing in my assignment. The assignment was worth 60% of my paper so I failed the course and I now have to repeat this semester, which is annoying but only the start of my problems.

Disgruntled I did not dwell on the problem as I had to get to work directly afterwards, in order to pass time I decided to finish my wordfind, giving up on "Voldemort" I thought to look for another seemingly obvious word "Crookshanks" but in my focus I missed the stop and continued on until the end of the line where I was kicked off. by the time I was able to make it back on the return train I was out of fare and had missed my shift, so I was promptly fired.

So, with no change for the bus fare I was walking to my apartment I pulled out the crossword in a last ditch effort to find a word,

any word in the blasted wordfind only to fall into an open manhole breaking both my legs.

After a stint in hospital I returned to find that the automatic payments that go towards my rent had not been paid due to my lack of funding from my work or Course related costs so my roommates had piled up my possessions on the lawn, obviously this had been done a few days ago as everything valuable had been taken.

So as I was sitting on Queen Street with no money, or home or even means to walk when I was fishing through the one possession I had (my bag) when I found my notorious copy of debate, having nothing better to do I decided to check out the wordfind, but this time I checked last week’s answer to help get some idea of where to look...

Imagine my surprise when I found that last week’s wordfind was exactly the same as this week’s so none of the harry potter words are in this week’s issue.

So now I am alone, homeless, jobless, and moneyless all for the sake of a wordfind.

By far the worst thing about my predicament though is my starvation, if only some kind Samaritan would give me some kind of coupon for free food so I can feed myself and not starve to death ...

Dealing with Grief Part 3

by Sheikh Rafat Grief results from loss, and loss is a part of life. Some people can handle grief better than others, according to a number of key variables, like faith.

God tries us through adversities as well as blessings, and the successful in either type of trial are those who maintain patience and thankfulness to God. The Quran declares: “We shall try you through fear, hunger and loss of life, property and crops, but (O, Muhammad) give glad tidings to those who maintain patience" (Quran 2:155) Perhaps in something you dislike will be your salvation The first thing that a believer should realise is that the calamity is from God. The Quran declares: “All things (good and bad) are from God.” (Quran 4:78) We should then bring to mind that God is The Most Loving (AlWadud) and The Most Kind (Al-Barr). Therefore, what we perceive as a calamity may actually be a gift in disguise from Him, even if we cannot immediately recognise it.

God Almighty says: “You may hate something while it is good for you;

16

www.ausm.org.nz

My Dearest Reader, Firstly, I am very sorry to hear of your series of unfortunate events. I wish you a quick recovery.

Secondly, I must issue an apology to the entire debate readership for the wordfind error in the last issue. If it makes you feel better, we received a barrage of complaints that hurt our pride like a crucio curse to the face.

However, I am disappointed that you did not find any of the Harry Potter words hidden in the page when a simple aparacium curse would have done the trick. What are you? A mudblood? You’re going to have to work a lot harder if you expect to pass your O.W.L.s.

I hope you will accept some burger vouchers as compensation.

Pop along to the AuSM office this week to pick up your prize.

Yours forever, The Half-Blood Prince.

and you may love something while it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.” (Quran 2:216) Through affliction are sins expiated and souls purified Therefore, whenever calamity strikes, we should show our gratitude to God by saying “All praise is due to God” (Al-Hamdu Lillah).

Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, commented: “How curious is the affair of the believer, for to him all his affairs are good, and this applies to no one but the believer; if something good befell him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him, and if something bad befell him, he maintains patience and that is good for him.”

(Sahih Muslim) The grief of Prophet Muhammad Prophets of God, like Abraham, Moses, Job and even Prophet Muhammad have been tried with hardships. Let's find out how Prophet Muhammad grieved when his son died. “…At that time, Ibrahim (the son of Prophet Muhammad) was in his last breaths, and the eyes of God's Messenger started shedding tears. `Abdur Rahman bin `Auf said, "O Allah's Apostle, even you are weeping!" He said, "O Ibn `Auf, this is mercy." Then he wept more and said, "The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord, O Ibrahim! Indeed we are grieved by your separation."

(Sahih Bukhari) Some people may resort to alcohol and drugs to numb their pain, but faith rescues people from falling into despair, as the faithful find refuge when they seek God in worship.

God reassures His creation: “By the Glorious Morning Light, and by the Night when it is still! The Guardian-Lord has not forsaken you nor does He hate you. And verily the Hereafter will be better for you than the present. And soon will your Guardian-Lord give you that wherewith you shall be well-pleased.” (Quran 93:1-5).

Bikram Yoga

YOUR BODY IS NOT A WORD

by Nicole Koch Your body is not a word, it does not lie or speak truth either.

by Jordayna Brewer If you don’t like the smell of your own sweat, or a concoction of twenty strangers, the consuming wave of stench that hits you on arrival is sure to send you packing.

I had tried traditional yoga before, a bit of Pilates, body balance here and there… but nothing would prepare me for Bikram Yoga.

The 90 minute class time headed the initial warning of what lay in-store, and to close any escape route I may have conjured during this time, the website states ‘you are expected to remain for the duration of the class’.

Defining Bikram Yoga: A seemingly cosy room that as the class progresses heats up to 37 – 40 degrees, making each pose that little bit harder. It is seems like going for a run in Algeria, you simply just would not do it. Working through a series of 26 poses the heat is used to warm the muscles providing for a deeper stretch.

Trumpet‘s famous ‘togs, togs, undies’ adverts are testimony to the dress that many choose to wear. So how far away from the beach do togs, become undies? The ad tells me that anywhere where you can’t see the water, you are in underpants. But I’ll let you decide.

However in the meantime, the mirrors surrounding the room provide me with limited spaces to rest my eyes, leaving me with that same uncomfortable feeling you get when you stray into that strange part of YouTube.

I have always wondered what the purpose of the yoga mat is for.

Whether to provide a flat base, a grip for the feet during a tittering pose or maybe a clean hygienic surface for when you must bend your mouth to the ground. Well the answer is none of these.

From what I observed from a very close proximity, the mat is the pooling device under the dripping ‘human swan’ to collect not only the droplets, but the constant stream of sweat. Reminding me of that horror story we used to tell other kids at primary about bloody Mary and the ‘drip, drip…’ Sorry I won’t go on.

I have been to four classes now, and at each of them I reach the point in the class in which I angrily dawn on the thought that I paid to be here. It kills me - I then make it through the rest of the class deciding where else I could have spent my hard earned student cash. I conclude anything else would suffice… a creamy butter chicken down the road, the latest blockbuster movie… oh just to be home with my parents for a home cooked meal – and that’s free in return for doing dishes!

The one class I have ever done where it would simply be a crime not to shower immediately afterwards – coming close to the best shower I have had! Despite the metal torment I have endured in the previous hour and a half, I leave every time feeling completely rejuvenated and simply the best I have felt all week.

For those of you that are up for a challenge, Eastwest yoga holds a $10 ‘tight ass’ class on Friday evening – half the casual rate. It also took me awhile to work out the pun here. Look forward to seeing you there, if I don’t flake out and decide on a movie next Friday instead.

It is only here or not here.

If you are not informed of the great novelist Margaret Atwood, shame on you. I have been eagerly waiting her third novel in the Oryx and Crake trilogy, and in the mean time I have accidently read all of her novels. I say accidently because I wanted to savour them (she’s not going to live forever). I just wanted to read one every year, or maybe just read one every five years. But no, I just can’t resist her.

A couple of years back Margaret was asked to produce a list of personal writing advice for the Guardian. I only recently came across the list but I find it quite witty/helpful/funny so I thought I’d share!

1.Take a pencil to write with on aeroplanes. Pens leak. But if the pencil breaks, you can't sharpen it on the plane, because you can't take knives with you. Therefore: take two pencils.

2. If both pencils break, you can do a rough sharpening job with a nail file of the metal or glass type 3. Take something to write on. Paper is good. In a pinch, pieces of wood or your arm will do.

4. If you're using a computer, always safeguard new text with a memory stick 5. Do back exercises. Pain is distracting.

6. Hold the reader's attention. (This is likely to work better if you can hold your own.) But you don't know who the reader is, so it's like shooting fish with a slingshot in the dark. What fascinates A will bore the pants off B. 7. You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality. This latter means: there's no free lunch.

Writing is work. It's also gambling. You don't get a pension plan.

Other people can help you a bit, but essentially you're on your own. Nobody is making you do this: you chose it, so don't whine.

8. You can never read your own book with the innocent anticipation that comes with that first delicious page of a new book, because you wrote the thing. You've been backstage. You've seen how the rabbits were smuggled into the hat. Therefore ask a reading friend or two to look at it before you give it to anyone in the publishing business. This friend should not be someone with whom you have a romantic relationship, unless you want to break up.

9. Don't sit down in the middle of the woods. If you're lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where you went wrong. Then take the other road. And/or change the person. Change the tense.

Change the opening page.

10. Prayer might work. Or reading something else. Or a constant visualization of the Holy Grail that is the finished, published version of your resplendent book. www.ausm.org.nz

17

But perhaps some of them have a point…

#social #media #highlights

by Nigel Moffiet Welcome back studious scholars! Because you were so busy studying over the break and…er…doing other things, here’s some social media lowdown to get you back up with the play.

Let’s start with the Labour party’s new leader which drew mixed reaction. David Cunliffe was an obvious choice really – Shane Jones wasn’t an option; he spends too much tax payer money watching porn. And Grant Robertson is out of luck as the country isn’t ready for having its potential first gay prime minister.

And yet why Cunliffe…

Ali Ikram @AliIkram Nobody seems worried David Cunliffe is also

deeply in love with a man too. Does the fact it's

himself get him off the hook?

Chris Keall @ChrisKeall I've got no prob w the govt giving 10s of millions

to Team NZ - but couldn't we get a little more

NZ signage for our money?

Moving onto Lorde now. You know – the uber successful 16-year-old pop singer from the North Shore who’s climbing her way to #1 on the US billboard charts. New Zealand has a new musical hero, right? Well that’s until our tall poppy syndrome kicks in and then whack, whack, whack!

Music critic and provocateur Simon Sweetman had social media blazing after a mean and scathing review of Lorde’s The Love Club EP – nine months after its release.

“I don’t see or hear anything special in it at all,” says Sweetman.

“Actually all Tennis Court is – really – is another here-today/gonetomorrow song. And this 16 year old is still being sexualised in the selling of her music – it’s just to dudes that wank over Farmers lingerie catalogues rather than being honest and hiring porn,” he said reaching the nadir of his review.

Well…some readers weren’t going to take it. Here were some responses (out of hundreds) in response to his review. To be fair, he had supporters, but they aren’t represented here. I’m team Lorde!

But then again, who really cares right? Zzz..Zzz

Guy Williams @guywilliamsguy Congratulations to David Cunliffe new leader of the Labour oh god I'm already bored.

So by the time you read this the America’s Cup is again NZ’s …….wait, unless something disastrous happens like this:

Kerre McIvor Wow. That's pretty harsh, Simon…Yes, she's 16 - and there's not much you can write about a young woman who's 16 and lives at home with her parents and makes music that sells - other than that…Take your gloves off and go for the jugular with coke raddled artists who have abused and squandered their talent - not young women who have achieved success beyond what they ever imagined and may still have a long way to go. Wanking over a Farmers catalogue - really? In a review of a teenager's music? Says more about you than her EP.

Matthew D McCallum Oh jesus christ it's solid pop music for 15-25 year olds. she got positive reviews when there was no hype and now you come in 9 months late saying it's objectively average? maybe pop stuff isn't your thing but i can't think of an artist with such widespread appeal currently. Sometimes music is just meant to be fun

And who cares about the critics…let’s jump on this bandwagon and get stuck into a sport we don’t really give a shit about until we see we’re going to win something right?

Dominic Harvey @DomHarvey Didn't think I'd be into the #AmericasCup

sailing but I'm loving it. Go Emirates Toyota

Camper Omega Nespresso Sky vodka team NZ! And yet the predictable criticism stirs away…

Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber I don't give a damn about a rich boys elite

yacht wank - calling it 'Team NZ' is the biggest

misnomer in sport, the boat should be called 1%

18

www.ausm.org.nz

90s WORDFIND

ANIMANIACS ANGRYBEAVERS BACKSTREET CAPTAINPLANET DENIM

DRAGONBALL DUNKAROOS GOOSEBUMPS HANSON HOMEIMPROVEMENT

FRESHPRINCE JUMANJI MIGHTYDUCKS NIRVANA PEARLJAM

POKEMON SEINFELD SPACEJAM SWEETVALLEYHIGH WONDERWALL

Circle all the words in the 90s Wordfind, tear this page out & pop it into the box on the side of the red debate stands, and you could win two "Squawk Burgers' vouchers for Velvet Burger, Auckland CBD! Tooooo easy!

Name:

Email: www.ausm.org.nz

19

20

www.ausm.org.nz

Pacific Island Sovereignty on the Rise Kiwa Huata shares her opinions on Pacific genealogy and identity.

By Kiwa Huata Has it ever occurred to anyone that maybe, just maybe, they got it wrong? Every day, students are provided theories to give evidence to logic and one’s state of mind, giving it meaning and justification. Well we all know not all theories prove to be evident in the end. When we decide to challenge an idea there will always be a theory to contradict that challenge and that’ll be the end of it. Like for example, where Pacific Island people come from.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a written theory to back my argument up - nor can I challenge existing theories written

by American/German/Scottish/English/ Canadian theorists (who I might add have never stepped foot on Pacific Island soil).

What I can do is perhaps share with you my thoughts on where we come from and who we are. We all know Pacific Island languages have no official written language. History, whakapapa and matauranga (or evidence I guess) have been brought down from generation to generation orally and therefore the odds of us ‘proving’ something in a western society is difficult to comprehend for an outsider. Nevertheless, we must not dismiss this form of teaching; rather we must incorporate Pacific Island sovereignty into the New Zealand constitution.

On his arrival to Aotearoa, Captain James Cook thought Maori showed physical similarities to that of the Taiwanese people.

Other early settlers believed Maori were of Greek and Egyptian descent, missionaries believed Maori were of Jewish descent, and my personal favourite - the Aryan Theory believes Maori derive from Indian descent.

Fijian people are told they are descended from East Africa, Samoans from Southeast Asia, Hawaiians from the Marquesas Islands, Tahitians from South America, Tonga from Nukuleka, and Papua New Guinean’s from the Ethiopian Highlands. The list of where we’ve been ‘told’ we come from I believe is becoming a danger to the development of Pacific Island history, culture and sovereignty. Western theories on the origin of the Pacific Island people should be called western assumptions. Being told I ‘may’ be part Egyptian/African/Jewish/Greek is in my view- obscenely invalid. Western assumptions do not take oral teachings of the Indigenous evidence into consideration nor is it acknowledged fairly and justly.

The lesson has been that any culturally creative efforts we do make will only meet with failure. For every problem there is a solution, but western culture has led us to believe otherwise. They have formulated illusory barriers to Pacific Island sovereignty stemming from the hidden agenda of their culture; that things are more important than people and that oneself is more important than the whole.

Yes it’s scientifically proven that we have similar features to that of the Taiwanese people, but we also have similar features to Tahitian, Samoan and Hawaiian people.

Does that mean we come from there as well?

But that contradicts other theories of where Hawaiians come from. If Hawaiians come from the Marquesas Islands and Maori from Taiwan, then why for thousands of years have we preached the same gods?

Over the years I have spoken to many native academics from across the Pacific Ocean, each with a similar reply as to where ‘we’ came from. Most say that without the socalled ‘theories’ implemented by western theorists, at some point in time all Pacific Island people were of the same origin. Every single Pacific Island nation has extreme similarities between each other ranging from cultural practices to features, from language to values, from traditional food to formal celebrations. Why can this not be considered a theory you say? This comes down to ignorance and power. Taking the word of a Fijian man from Viseisei with no written evidence over a white-educated American is unlikely to occur. The power is taken from the indigenous people and snatched by the western theorists. The strength of the white opposition will be allayed by the fact that Pacific Island sovereignty will not be taken seriously. Absolute conviction in the superiority of white culture will not allow most white people to even consider the possibility.

Every island nation I have visited I find myself taking off my shoes when I enter a house. I may not speak Hawaiian, Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Niuean or Cook Island but I can sure well understand what they’re saying. Each nation has a similar welcoming and funeral ceremony - heck I can’t count the number of times I’ve been mistaken for a Cook Islander, Tahitian, Hawaiian or Fijian.

So maybe, just maybe, they got it wrong that after years of human development with the white uprising, we too developed and spread across the Pacific Ocean branching off the same reo, same value and belief. It’s still there; it just takes time and close analysis to see it. It is harder too given the creative potential of our people has been stunted beyond belief. However, egalitarianism still exists within the human condition.

It is completely insane for one to identify another individual whom they have never met. Does my identity lie in the hands of a theory which was written by an American?

A missionary? An early settler? The answer lies in whakapapa, matauranga and Te Ao Tawhito. It doesn’t lie in a book, on a piece of paper or in the hands of a westerner. It belongs to the people of that nation. I’ve always known myself to be Maori - and a proud one at that. So when I’m told that I come from China, Taiwan or Africa, this is a reinforcement of the level of ignorance,

arrogance, disconnectedness and plain ‘stupidness’ within many societies today. It saddens me that we as Pacific Island people now consider each other neighbours rather than brothers and sisters. It is my belief that we are truly one in the same with an increasing level of development over the many thousands of years. It is vital that we do not dismiss this fact. It is time for the people of the Pacific Islands to begin creating our own identity through the knowledge of our ancestors.

Since the beginning of colonisation, Pacific Island people have engaged in a holding operation to reinforce those remnants of our cultural existence which we still retain to ensure their survival. Many of these efforts have been fragmented by the hand of the white intelligence. No longer are our cultural teachings validated in a society which is driven by globalisation, evidence and technology. The new objective is simply that we Pacific Island people must take up all space and all time. We must reconnect those parts of our heritage that have been disconnected from us. Intermediary objectives have to take into account where we are now. With no illusions. The new sets of goals have to do with whakapapa, tribal and whanau roots that transcend space so that time becomes the dimension of reality.

Too long have we been told who we are, what we should be, how we need to look, even going as far as making the oppressed seem like the oppressor (reverse-racism anyone?).

Too long have they told us there is equal rights between the colonised and coloniser.

Too long have we been told to move on and forget the past when the past still affects us today. Too long have we been told that we come from Africa! The last time I checked, no Pacific Islander ever created the identity and origin of white sovereignty. This isn’t a matter of who’s to blame but rather we as the people of these nations rise above the occasion. The only decent advice I’ve ever held strongly to my beliefs is this, “education is the key to success.” Simple. Effective. We, the Pacific Island people must teach each other education in one form or another; from working on the marae, to returning to our homeland to nourish the lands growth, to educating rangatahi within our community to attend high school and university, and to teach the lessons that have been passed down by our tipuna. This is the way forward for our people. We can either sit back and watch our sovereignty be taken off us or we can take the initiative and make radical decisions for the benefit and survival of our nation. It is the right of all peoples to dream dreams for themselves, believe in them and make them a reality. This is the right we reclaim in reinforcing the separate reality of our ancestors and making it our own. To do this is to take the first step toward Pacific Island sovereignty. www.ausm.org.nz

21

image source: wikimedia

SYRIA

By Rachel Peters I feel awkward writing an article about Syria, given its vast scope and the fact I am no expert on the topic. I have not been there, nor do I know anyone from there. I have not followed it since the day it broke out, and I am not studying conflict resolution or politics. But like any news reading member of the public, I have been reading about it for the last month or two with watchful eyes, researching it when I can, and fluctuating between states of sadness and stress about the whole thing.

I am writing about this article not because I have any answers or particular insight into it, but because I want to talk about it, and feel like not discussing it just because it is a serious and complex topic, I am ignoring the elephant in the room. I feel a need to at least try and understand something about the tragic situation.

I, like most New Zealanders, have been cynical about America’s war efforts in Iraq, and I was pleased to see Obama acknowledge that the whole thing has been a botch up. I have historically been all for love and peace and in general, side with non intervention. Who is America to get involved in other conflicts? Too much heroism and not enough follow through, and how can war ever be ended with missiles. But on the other hand, where would we all be if America had not entered into war against the allies, which, constantly screened on black and white film, seems like antique era but was only 69 years ago. Had it not been for more recent disasters - Iraq, Vietnam, Cambodia etc - I may think that the call of arms, and the duty to protect the little guy, is an honourable task. Sadly though, power more often than not, comes with its abuses and repression.

The photos of misplaced civilians, of massacred children, of the destruction of chemical weapons, can all seem too much to bear, even situated on this side of the world. I cannot bare all the hold up, the talk and negotiations, all the rants and trolls over the internet and the indecision while civilians are killed.

As I write this, Syria and Russia are in negations over the chemical weapons. The admission by Assad to destroy chemical weapons may provide temporary relief to the situation, and be a good time for America to take a step back from the planned missile attack, but I think it’s incredibly tragic that this maybe the only alternative, a war with guns, and grenades and bombs, just not those chemical weapons.

There are still thousands of people being killed.

Why is America always trying to ‘resolve’ conflict in the Middle East and not everywhere else, and can something as paradoxical as the name ‘war on terror’ ever be successful. In my pacifist opinion I wish all the money spent on the war by America was spent on aiding www.ausm.org.nz 22

and sheltering victims, however I realise that this is idealistic and impractical.

I have been reminded that there are many people living in countries where war is inevitable and have been suffering for years, victims of ideologies, fundamental religions, and greed. I saw a comment underneath a Guardian article that said ‘thank god I live in the western world’. Quite naturally it was berated for being ignorant and employing the very colonial attitude we ‘first world’ countries are susceptible too, but I think it is important not to take our security and comfort for granted.

There are all sorts of conspiracy theories over the internet and I cannot be sure if the information I am reading is correct. Some people in Syria are not convinced the government even used the weapons, and suggest it was the rebels. In war correspondence it is unlikely that journalists can get the full story first hand due to safety issues. While I am sure many of them are dedicated to integrity, objectivity is almost never completely achieved.

I sometimes feel that these horrifying images can be used for a political agenda. To win the emotional support of the public, and while it is not fabricated, there are many emotional scenes from around the world that so require intervention. I wish I saw this sort of coverage on world poverty and illness as they could also do with intervention, but perhaps do not have the ‘breaking news’ angle and the big political talks.

I have been reminded of a powerful Alan Watts quote “Even in the spectacles one sees around in films or television, it´s perfectly proper to exhibit people slugging and slaying each other, but oh dear, no, not people loving each other, except in a rather restrained way. One can only draw the conclusion that the assumption underlying this, is that expressions of physical love are far more dangerous than expressions of physical hatred. And it seems to me that a culture that has that sort of assumption is basically crazy and devoted – unintentionally indeed, but nevertheless in fact devoted – not to survival, but to the actual destruction of life.”

I wonder about our generation, and whether all the internet commentary and anonymous online activism has left us without a passion for peace that was seen protesting on the streets on our parent’s generations. I wish I could work out why humanity is so hell bent on destruction, but I guess that is an aspect of our nature, as much as beauty and love. It certainly predominates in the history books. I hope that the world can learn from its mistakes and come up with more peaceful solutions than a missile attack, but, the realist in me will not be counting on it.

image source: quaddles.deviantart

IT STARTED IN THE 90s

by Catherine Barker

When I began thinking about the popularity of reality television, I figured there wasn’t much of it on these days. But, upon second thought, boy was I wrong. Reality television is everywhere, whether we watch it or not. Here I was thinking about shows like Big Brother, Survivor, and The Amazing Race and how in New Zealand, I feel as though their popularity has been diminishing over the years. But think about it, when there’s a show that is based around DIY, baking, cooking, partying, or celebrities (to name just a few categories), there’s a fair chance that that is a reality based television show. This is the stuff that blows up my Facebook newsfeed on weeknights? I don’t care what colour the black team painted their bathroom and this is definitely not the sort of reality television I am talking about.

I’m talking about the real stuff where you watch the daily routines of everyday people and how they attempt to continue living their lives in an alternate environment.

My first recollection of reality TV is watching a few episodes of The Real World (which premiered in 1992) when I was quite a lot younger. I remember being completely intrigued watching complete strangers living in a house together and seeing what would happen.

There’s no doubt the unscripted shows were all about shock value, as the show would cover an array of topics relating to young-adulthood.

The Real World is now onto its 29th season, so there’s got to be something about this show that has kept it around this long.

Seeing how well this sort of show was resonating with an audience it is only natural that a similar storyline be re-imagined and reproduced with dollar signs in mind – for contestants and studio executives. Taking the basic set up of The Real World, it was only natural that the next step involved cash prizes and competing participants in a game/reality show fusion, which began the The Amazing Race, Big Brother and Survivor aspect of my childhood.

These shows took a number of everyday people and put them in a variety of situations in which they would compete until there was only one person or pair left in the series.

Survivor had contestants compete for one million dollars by surviv-

ing a month or so in a location where they would be deprived of basic necessities with the hope of becoming the ‘sole survivor’. This was reality TV at its finest, and some of the key unscripted moments made it pure viewing pleasure. It always takes someone to break the rules, for new rules to be made, which I think could be part to the show losing some its authenticity (in my own opinion). The latest season (season 26 – yes it has been going for that long, with a 27th season on its way) was aired on Sunday night, and apart from my brother, I have never spoken to a person who even knew this show was still going. I would be interested to watch it again and see how much has been changed since I finished watching it after season six or so.

I’ve always held a special place in my heart for The Amazing Race.

With a keen intent to travel, it has always seemed the most appealing of all reality shows. Pairs head off on a round-the-world journey, following clues and doing tasks in order to make it through to the next leg of the race. It is actually still being screened in New Zealand which I didn’t know, as this is another one of those shows that I have long since forgotten about, but I am glad it has stood the test of time.

The first series of Big Brother started in the 90s (1999) and plays on the public’s voyeuristic tendencies by placing average people inside a house with microphones and cameras capturing their every word and movement, and beaming them across the internet and to live audiences. This show was awesome. I’m not sure if any version except the Australian one was ever aired in NZ, but even that was just great.

Chances are (if you watched it) you still remember Sara-Marie and the bum dance, but again, Big Brother falls into the category of TV shows that everyone seemed to get over. I was definitely over it, but due to some untimely boredom, I have found myself following Big Brother 15 from the USA, re-igniting my love for this social experiment television series.

Reality TV has an amazing knack for keeping you intrigued as there is always the lure of expecting the unexpected. I hope that reality TV shows can continue to stay as unscripted as possible and keep as many of those 90’s influences as possible, rather than the scripted reality shows that seem to dominate NZ television. www.ausm.org.nz

23

Trending, before trending was even a word

by Rachel Peters Remember that distinctly technological sound of a distorted phone ringing? The shrill screams from mum’s office, “get off the internet I’m expecting a call”? Remember fighting over who can use the computer tonight? Oh broadband, it’s hard to imagine how we would cope if you had not come along and fixed the many problems and slow speed of dial-up. But when all we knew was dial-up, it didn’t seem so bad right?

I mean, I remember sitting at primary school and someone coming in and telling us of this new invention that will affect our lives, called e-mail, and boy that sounded a lot more exciting than a fax machine, although much harder to send awesome pictures. Self expression was never easy on Microsoft paint.

If you ever want to see how far society has come in the last decade, take a stroll down the cooking section of a second hand bookstore and look for a large pile of microwave cookbooks. Hundreds of recipes for everything you can cook in microwaves, from entrees, meats, breakfasts, desserts and family roasts. Yup in the 90s there was a notion out there that the microwave would be the answer to everything, and having been recently convinced to make a microwave brownie, I can tell you that that notion is plain wrong, and that a three course microwave dinner party is not a good idea, despite what early adopters jumping on the bandwagon may have thought.

Kids born in the thousands may be surprised to learn that the superpower deity that is Apple wasn’t always leading edge in its branding and at the forefront of ‘cool’. When I was at primary school I was always disappointed when I had to use an Apple computer. I thought it was a sign that my school was low decile that we even had them. We’re not talking the Helvetica, monochrome, chic, slim, leading edge of marketing Apple, were talking dusty, lacking in any decent feature, multicolour rainbow design Apple... When is rainbow coloured anything a good idea? I would way rather have played minesweeper on a PC any day.

Of course before there was Apple, there was no iPod, and mp3 players were very obscure, but I’ll tell you what were not - enter CD walkmans.

Who didn’t own one? In fact I still used mine in the early thousands despite having problems with it skipping. It was kind of cool because if you bought a CD, you would really know that CD inside and out and not skip from single to single, hence the popularity of compilation CDs, it was like the playlist of the 90s. Mix CDs and tapes were the ideal way to express your love. What could be better than burning All My Life by K-ci and Jojo onto a CD to show you are a hopeless romantic at heart? I remember raiding my older brother’s bedroom to see CDs with ‘Love Claudia’ written in vivid on them and had a field day. But before

24

www.ausm.org.nz

the popularity of the CD, we had to wait around by the radio and then record them on tape, making sure to take out the ads. That dedication is unfathomable in the 00s.

While boys stayed busy with Duke Nukem and Commander Keen, we girls had some games of our own. Tamagotchi anyone? I had to drag my mum to K-mart to get me one, because, god damn, I was not going to be the only one at school without a virtual pet. It is a marvel that I managed to find something of about eight indiscriminate pixels so cute and so worthy of my time. All it really required was feeding, sleep, and a bit of play. It can’t have been hard work, but it felt like it was, hence the devastation when my brother ripped mine from my hands and chucked it out the window when we were driving through Paihia. RIP Gotchihope that you found a new home and didn’t just clog the throat of an unsuspecting and innocent fish.

When people think technology of the modern day, an iPhone is never far from the mind. Having never had one I can’t quite testify that they are good, but I can say, I am at times feeling a little left out of the loop on Instagram. I guess I am a little stuck in past, holding on to my beloved Nokia, the phone that once upon a time, everybody had. I wonder where they all are now; I hope someone has collated them and finally used those bricks to build a sturdy shelter. I was once playing around with a basketball and shot for the hoop, only to see my Nokia go up through the hoop too, and then crash on to concrete. Now the iPhone would be unrecognisable after this, I have seen some of my friend’s screens break from a knee level drop, but not my Nokia, it was as good as the day I bought it. But the best part about it was that snake still worked. Everyone who lived in the 90s knows that snake was the best way to kill time. Things got pretty competitive; it was not rare to be asked what your top score was. Quite the small talk starter, but also an effective way to avoid small talk all together, for that must have been when the, ‘I am avoiding talking to you but pretending to be utterly immersed in my phone’ thing started, standing there, stretching further and further across the screen and inching towards the ever elusive impressive high score.

Looking back now, the 90s seem a bit technologically primitive, which makes me think that we may be the subjects of humour and ridicule of future generations. But until then I am still getting pretty excited about technological advances, despite never being able to afford them.

I am still looking forward to the day when flying snowboards become a popular mode of transport, clueless electronic wardrobes and don’t get me started on that Jetson’s briefcase. I hear a lot of negativity about the times we live in, but I think we can still say we have come pretty far and there are still endless possibilities of where technology will go. As Buzz Light-year would say- “To infinity and beyond”.

Your opportunity to vote for lecturers and other AUT University staff that you think provide outstanding service to students.

Nominations close on 11th OCTOBER Vote now @ http://tinyurl.com/AuSMAwards2013 www.ausm.org.nz

25

hosted by Kieran Bennett

From The Archive's Nifty News Special To celebrate this week’s 90s special, a piece of hard-hitting journalism all the way from 1992 has been unearthed; proving that our standards have never and will never rise.

90s Predicted to Be Unmemorable in Every Way Decade analysts have just released a 400 page report declaring that the 90s are set to be the most unmemorable and altogether dull decade yet. Head analysts David Burrows and Robin Stroud declared in a press conference to The International Society for Determining Fun that the 90s should simply be ignored as “nothing exciting will happen and nothing that is created will be remembered fondly in any way”. Despite only being two years in, 76% of New Zealanders are declaring the whole decade to be “a bit of a write off really”.

After the electric, neon soaked extravaganza that was the 80s, the New Zealand public eagerly awaited what would come next.

As 1989 drew to a close speculation was rife through mainstream media and even managed to penetrate the internet’s one message board, gardening.com, much to the confusion of its members.

Several poorly rendered flash animations; gaudy posters and a television commercial with an unnecessarily grungy guitar riff later however, the 90s were born.

set to be above and beyond all expectations. However despite the high of its initial two years (still referred to as “kind of the 80s anyway), the 90s quickly fell into a pit of web 2.0 and polarfleece. Dr Burrows was quoted as saying to the assembled press “the fact is the first two years were okay. But now that everyone’s put the leg warmers away, I think things are gonna be way more average”.

Parents across the country are already preparing to shield their children from what is being dubbed “reverse nostalgia”, a condition where one looks back at the past and remembers it with no fondness whatsoever. Already several children are scarred forever by looking back on 91 and 92 and releasing a collective “eh”, a feeling that is said to only increase as the condition worsens. The ‘Society for The Fabrication of How Cool the 90s Was’ has been set up in response, a group of concerned parents who have taken it upon themselves to create “totally rad and hellah dope” pop culture items to fool children into thinking the 90s were a very exciting time. Some difficulty has been encountered however as the 80s is thought to have taken most of the good stuff for itself.

Many analysts are calling for the country to simply enter cryogenic freeze for the next ten years until 2002 occurs when “things will be way better, nothing bad will happen and we will all be millionaires”.

Initially greeted with a flurry of denim, rubber bangles and television shows clearly created under the influence, the 90s was

So You've Time Travelled To The 90s, What Now? Once again, you’ve ignored sensible advice and exceeded 88 miles per hour with the flux capacitor on. Suddenly, grunge is alive and Disney actually makes cartoons, looks like you’ve hit the 90s!

Well, what now?

1) Find some denim - preferably a large amount.

-In order to blend in, you’ll need to dress like a native. If you’re already wearing jeans, then a denim jacket is a good move. Time travel police have impeccable fashion and denim on denim is a sure fire way to ward them off. Just don’t be tempted to add a denim shirt to your combo; you’re hiding out, not trying to offend people.

2) If denim is unavailable, find some fluro colours -In much the same way that zebras all look the same, fluros will enable you to blend in seamlessly while announcing to the world, “I am hip and cool”. If combined with a sparkly pair of zip up shoes, don’t be surprised if you find yourself being invited to a rave.

3) Develop a taste for slightly grungy American rock bands that will have one song and disappear forever.

-Hopefully you don’t like your music to have longevity as the 90s is no place for that! Gone are the days of 11 album catalogues; one hit wonders is the new thing. For full assimilation, it's a good idea to love a song as though it were literally the fruit of your loins but have no idea who is actually performing it.

26

www.ausm.org.nz

4) Buy a tracksuit and wear it all the time -When you’re not wearing denim, a tracksuit is the appropriate apparel for all other social occasions. The tracksuit is essential for giving the air of both calm professionalism and laid-back flyness.

Birthday? Tracksuit. Grocery Shopping? Tracksuit. Your first date? Denim tracksuit. For the ultimate in flyness it’s recommended that one’s top, pants and shoes all be of the same colour.

5) Watch out for polar-fleece -While the 90s are a friendly place to be when it comes to timetravel, it does hold its fair share of perils. One of the largest, and one that claims the comfort and fashion sense of even its natives, is the vicious substance known as polar-fleece. Many cruel and warmth-obsessed people will attempt to tell you that polar-fleece is a wonderful, comfortable material made from synthetic fibres.

It is in fact made from barbed wire and fish hooks and is only useful for destroying what little self-respect you may have left.

6) When you get back, tell everyone how much cooler the 90s were -In order to complete the experience it is vital that you constantly ram down everyone’s throat the fact that the 90s are basically the sliced bread of decades. Complain at least once a day about how much better things would be if this was the 90s, regardless of the reality. If you really want respect, find other people who have lived through the 90s and tell them. They’ll appreciate it.

Vote

Voting has commenced in the 2014 AuSM Student Representative Council Elections.

C

By now, you should have recieved an email to your AUT student email address with a link to an online ballot that allows you to vote.

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Online voting takes a few seconds but it can make a huge difference.

The Student Representative Council determines the future direction of AuSM, lobbies on your behalf and represents you at all levels. It also ensures AuSM continues to deliver services such as Orientation, debate, Vesbar, the AuSM Lodge, discounted transport, Student Job Search, Liaison services and much more.

This is your chance to have a say in the people leading your students’ association.

If you did not recieve an email, contact the Student Information Centre to check the status of your account. Only students who have paid their fees will be eligible to vote.

Voting runs from 30th September to 10th October.

COME & SEE THE TEAM AT STA TRAVEL TODAY! LONDON FROM $989 ONE WAY

STUDENT/UNDER 26

BANGKOK FROM $1069 RETURN

Kate Edger Building, Auckland University 267 Queen Street Terms and conditions apply, ask in-store for details

LOS ANGELES RETURN

FROM

ALL AGES

P: 09 307 0555 P: 09 356 1550

E: akluni@statravel.co.nz E: queen@statravel.co.nz

$1399

STUDENT/UNDER 26

START THE ADVENTURE

www.ausm.org.nz

27

NINETIES NOSTALGIA Abigail Johnson, 20, Creative Writing Favourite band of the 90s?

I wish I could say something cooler, and my musical tastes grew as I got older, but at the time definitely the Spice Girls.

What do you miss most about the decade?

Being excited to get up on a Saturday and watch cartoons. Oh and the anticipation that the dial tone noise added to the computer start up process.

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

For some reason that I don't remember I wanted to be a movie director for the longest time. Perhaps it was because it meant telling stories. I soon realized I would rather be a writer.

What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the day?

Milk bottles and Hubba Bubba chewing gum.

Rachel Peters, 22, Creative Writing Favourite band of the 90s?

Backstreet boys. I had a massive crush on Brian and interpreted the line "I don't care who you are, where you're from" to also include "what your age is" and thought that things may really happen between us if only we could meet!

What do you miss most about the decade?

Mostly the freedom from responsibility that I had as a child.

Along with my dogs Beau and Toby :'( (RIP). Paying $5 to go to the movies, Disney movies, Recess (tv show), Pokémon and Sailor Moon, No Doubt, hair

mascara, Harry Potter, grunge clothes, Home Improvement, Xena, being able to find mussels and cockles at the beach before they were all fished out, Eagle Boy's pizza, Pizza Hut's works, Paradiso ice cream, actually getting excited about Mr Whippy, Alanis Morisette and Beth Hart, awesome teen movies like Can't Hardly Wait and Dazed and Confused and playing a hell of a lot of spotlight!

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I desperately wanted to be famous - the thought of not

making it into the encyclopaedia would bring me to tears at night.

I was also obsessed with Ancient Greece so harboured dreams of discovering that I was a demi-god like Hercules. I also wanted to be a philosopher like Socrates but seeing as most people scoffed at this I moved my aspirations down to being an astronaut/ actress/director /inventor/ Brianfrombackstreetboyswifey and Ricky Martin's part time mistress.

What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the day?

Marshmallows in a banana split.

Erica Donald, 20, Journalism Favourite band of the 90s?

I was never a die-hard Spice Girls fan, but every morning before school I would sit in front of the stereo and blast either Atomic Kitten or S Club 7. Particularly the heart break songs... My buck teeth tended to scare the boys away back then.

What do you miss most about the decade?

Being a kid. Plain and simple... I miss playing on playgrounds and actually being able to do the monkey bars, playing pretend games for hours, pocket money, the television shows, and sleeping in my parents' bed (nowadays I have less of a tolerance for snoring so it's more comforting being on my own).

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a teacher since I was four-years-old.

Then I turned 15 and realised that there are more things in life than being a teacher and that, actually, I don't have the best patience for a room full of little kids.

What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the day?

Sour feijoa lollies, raspberry liquorice, fizzy lollies and fried eggs. Anything gummy and I was game.

Hazel Buckingham, 21, PR Favourite band of the 90s?

The Spice Girls - obviously. Is there even any other?

My personal favourite memory is jumping up and down on my bed listening to my Spice Girls CD on repeat (the only CD I owned) and screaming out "The Lady is a Tramp" over and over (yes, I know it's "vamp", but eight-year-old me did not, and the look on my parents' faces was priceless...)

What do you miss most about the decade?

Being a little kid and not having anything to worry about! Also "playing" actually meant running around outside like a crazy ninja and not being trapped 28 inwww.ausm.org.nz inside front of technology.

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Nancy Drew. I dreamed big....It eventually evolved into James Bond however when I saw his cars... (what a shame I don't have the...err.."anatomy") What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the day?

Sherbert. With straws. And wayyy too much sour powder. I used to call it fairy dust.

Nigel Moffiet, 30, debate sub-editor Favourite band of the 90s?

With a youthful lack of self-consciousness I was pretty keen on the beats of Wacko Jacko and trying to master the moonwalk in my school socks back in the day...and now. Perhaps I should be a bit more respectful, ‘cause he really was a great musician. I particularly dug his Bad album and 91’s Dangerous.

What do you miss most about the decade?

I miss going down to the local Card Crazy store and buying a packet of basketball cards. On the odd occasion you’d get lucky with a rare gem which gave you the option of selling back to the shop or a local trader loitering about which then gave you the option

of heading to Georgie Pie and feasting on one dollar pies with your loot. I tell ya, it was like fuckin' Wall Street!

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I liked animals. I remember thinking a vet would be pretty cool. But I didn’t really want to fix them, I just liked them. So it didn’t happen.

What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the day?

Coke bottle then and coke bottles now. Coke bottles foreva.

Ramina Rai, 22, Graphic Designer Favourite band of the 90s?

I thought Vengaboys were the jam! Oh how I longed to have a party with them in the mediterranean seas of Ibiza. I also thought Limp Bizkit were good, so yeah it’s safe to say that my 90’s self had horrendous taste in music.

What do you miss most about the decade?

I miss the days of eating a large amount of junk food and genuinely thinking my diet was excellent.

I also miss my neopets, they must be starving.

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A proud owner of a pikachu.

What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the day?

Sour T’n’T lollies were always first on the list, then V-pops, then anything else that would lead up to a root canal at age 20.

Kieran Bennett, 20, Communications Favourite band of the 90s?

None. I had yet to discover the joy of hunting down a band’s entire catalogue and listening to the same albums and songs on repeat until I was sick of them.

Musically, the 90's were a very boring time for me.

What do you miss most about the decade?

I miss the clothes. Sure they were a little tacky and gaudy, but they were so much more casual. A man could wear all denim and not be judged!

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be marine biologist and then I wanted to

be chef. My dreams were shattered however when I realised that one job would involve possibly swimming with sharks and the other would involve large amounts of cooking. Alas.

What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the day?

The red twisty liquorice from my schools tuckshop.

Daily competitions were held amongst my friends to see who could twist theirs the most, turning it into a strechted, gooey mess. Which it made it taste better I'm sure.

Matthew Cattin, 22, debate editor Favourite band of the 90s?

Hands down Michael Jackson. I remember so clearly the day my parents bought Michael Jackson’s HIStory double album. With greatest hits on one disc and new tracks on the other, I would lie in front of our stereo for hours pondering why there was a man living in the mirror and being enthralled

by Thriller’s terrifying lyrics. I also remember watching his live to air Auckland concert on telly – what a moment!

What do you miss most about the decade?

I miss home phones! I mean, sure, they still exist but they’re becoming more and more redundant.

That and kids are getting cells way too young now and it’s taking away from their childhoods.

As a young’un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

My biggest ambition was to be a palaeontologist – a word I consistently spell wrong today but had no trouble with aged about five. In hindsight, it’s probably a bit of a dead-end job so I’m glad I grew out of it. Badoomchhhhh.

What lollies did you most enjoy munching on back in the ay?

I can’t look past coke bottles eh… The absolute indisputable classic. I also have fond memories of straw sherbet, Nerds and although not technically a lolly, Kinder Surprises.

www.ausm.org.nz

29

inter-faculty netball

STUDENT LEARNING STUDENT LEARNING SUPPORT SUPPORT men’s + women’s...

STUDENT LEARNING CENTRE

If you are struggling with an assignment,

Beg

essay or paper we offer a range of

wor

resources on essay writing, referencing,

they

We provide free academic support to help you excel and achieve better grades.

how to study effectively, time management and exam preparation� We also hold free workshops throughout

STUDENT LEARNING CENTRE

(see page 41)�

essay or paper we offer a range of

cITy caMpUS

resources on essay writing, referencing,

WB239

We provide free academic NoRTh ShoRE caMpUS AS215 support to help you excel and MaNUkaU caMpUS achieve better grades.

Grab a registration form from WB102 and return it by 1 October, or go to facebook.com/autsport

W

If you are struggling with an assignment,

the year on a range of topics to help you achieve your best possible grades

Faculty teams 7-12 members...

S W (S

W

W

how to study effectively, time management and exam preparation� We

W

also hold free workshops throughout

W

MB 104

the year on a range of topics to help you

Phone: (09) 921 9840

achieve your best possible grades.

email: slc@aut.ac.nz

W

(see page 41)�

W

FOR

WWW

WWW.AUT.AC.nZ/STUDenT-LeARnInG

cITy caMpUS

Monday 14 October 10am – 4pm North Shore Campus Stadium

WB239

40

NoRTh ShoRE caMpUS AS215

Contact sport@aut.ac.nz if you have any questions

MaNUkaU caMpUS MB 104 Phone: (09) 921 9840 email: slc@aut.ac.nz

facebook.com/autsport Clothes Swap Poster.pdf

1

2/09/13

WWW.AUT.AC.nZ/STUDenT-LeARnInG

1:25 PM

40 Swap High Quality KEN PLATINUM TO A U YO S GET ap lity Sw Medium Qua OLD TOKEN G GETS YOU A y Swap lit ua Q ar ul N Reg REEN TOKE G A U YO GETS

BER

1st -8th OCTO

to AuSM office

City Campus

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

have If you don’t ap sw to s he clot clothes you can buy and up. at $1, $2 or $5 .

LY N O SH A C

30

www.ausm.org.nz

ER 10th OCTOBM 3P P 11AM tilt firlfirstst3op n tion optio ge t rs ge pers appe S wap Sw M 0AM .30A 11.3 11 11 -- 11

Untitled-1 1

10/09/13 1:31 PM

STUDY SMART WORKSHOPS (SEMESTER 1)

STUDY SMART WORKSHOPS SEMESTER 1)

ginning with time management and ending with exam preparation, Study Smart

rkshops cover a range of essential study skills required throughout the semester -

y are free and run Tuesday – Thursday at City, north Shore and Manukau campuses.

Week beginning 4 March

Time management

Week beginning 11 march

Listening skills and note taking, APA referencing and plagiarism

Week beginning 18 March

essay writing, APA referencing and plagiarism, critical thinking

Week beginning 25 March

Group work, APA referencing and plagiarism, report writing

Week beginning 1 April

Oral presentation

Week beginning 8 April

Memory skills

Week beginning 6 May

Exam skills

Beginning with time management and ending with exam preparation, Study Smart workshops cover a range of essential study skills required throughout the semester they are free and run Tuesday – Thursday at City, north Shore and Manukau campuses.

Week beginning 4 March

Time management

Week beginning 11 march

Listening skills and note taking, APA referencing and plagiarism

Week beginning 18 March

essay writing, APA referencing and plagiarism, critical thinking

Week beginning 25 March

Group work, APA referencing and plagiarism, report writing

Week beginning 1 April

Oral presentation

Week beginning 8 April

Memory skills

Week beginning 6 May

Exam skills

MORE INFORMATION ON THESE WORkSHOPS CHECk OUT THE STUDENT LEARNING CENTRE WEB PAGE

W.AUT.AC.nZ/STUDenT-LeARnInG

41

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE WORkSHOPS CHECk OUT THE STUDENT LEARNING CENTRE WEB PAGE WWW.AUT.AC.nZ/STUDenT-LeARnInG

41

www.ausm.org.nz

31

The Lord of the Flies Maidment Theatre Rating: Reviewed by Matthew Cattin

Perhaps I am slightly ignorant in my expectations for theatre but The Lion Foundation’s adaption of The Lord of the Flies at Maidment Theatre left me rather underwhelmed.

For those unfamiliar with the classic novel, Lord of the Flies follows the young survivors of a planewreck, marooned together on an island.

If you’re thinking of the traditional survival story of team work, bonding and overcoming obstacles, you are well off the mark. With no adults to look up to for order, the lads become conflicted between loyalty to their civilised upbringings and the impulsive, feral urges awaking within.

Personally, I think William Golding’s classic novel an odd choice to adapt to the stage. The book conveys the island environment as a dark and foreboding entity – a mysterious tangle of night horrors and bad omens. The boys’ interaction with this environment is so vital to the story, I was pondering pre-show how the island would be portrayed on stage. Sadly, I was disappointed.

The show opens in an all-boys’ English class – the prescribed text?

Lord of the Flies. After a brief discussion of the text, the teacher starts reading, the lights dim and a strobe flares. A dark score blares and when the lights return, the classroom has been transformed to resemble… Well… I don’t really know. The walls of the classroom have gone from vertical to angled, providing a hill/shelter for the cast to work with. Perhaps it was naïve of me to expect a forest to sprout through the stage and it was an artistic representation but for a filmbuff like me, I needed a bit more scenery for my imagination to work with.

Being 90 minutes, I feel too much content was written out of the play resulting in nothing but arguments and stress for what felt like the entire duration. After a while, the high tension started to grind on me a little and I was hanging out for some less confrontational moments to balance out the emotions. The cast were pretty good overall though – particularly the leads of Leon Wadham (Ralph), Jordan Mooney (Jack) and Zane Fleming (Piggy). Fleming was a particular standout, really owning Piggy’s pessimistic whinge. There was a pretty solid mix of younger actors too who definitely held their own against the elder cast members.

Like I mentioned earlier, the set didn’t really do it for me. I understand an island environment is hard to replicate for theatre but I just wasn’t a huge fan of the fairly abstract interpretation. Some moments worked well – the parachutist (beast) in particular was fairly chilling. But in other moments, such as the killing of the pig, I was confused as to why there wasn’t more effort put in. From my seat up the back, the pig was clearly just a large, stuffed plastic bag. Perhaps it was an artistic representation I didn’t understand… But to the uninitiated, it was just a bag and it really took me out of the story.

All in all, I feel Lord of the Flies is at its best in book or The Simpsons form. Sorry theatre.

32

www.ausm.org.nz

Goldfrapp

Tales Of Us Rating: Reviewed by Nigel Moffiet

With a display of class, sophisticated sexiness, and velvety arrangements lofting listeners up into a musical dream world of discovery and vision – perhaps Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke should be made to listen to Goldfrapp’s latest album Tales of Us for a lesson on musicality, subtly and brilliance.

This is the latest release from the English duo Alison Goldfrapp (providing her striking vocals) and Will Gregory (lending to the atmospheric synth) who have taken leaps, twists and turns since their 2000 debut Felt Mountain. Goldfrapp’s last few albums have seen the duo delving into earthy folk textures on 2008’s Seventh Tree and then borrowing heavily (without hints irony) from the 80s on 2010’s Head First. Goldfrapp has come full circle on Tales of Us –reminiscent of their debut in terms of its floating mood, but this time even more cinematic and classical sounding as opposed to electronic.

And in light of the title and the tracks which are named after real life characters, it’s as intimate as it comes– in a measured and alluring way.

Jo, the opening track, is like a softly sung lullaby although the poetic lyrics go beyond basic rhymes. The piano is straight forward and pretty and the synth moves like a breeze in a fairy tale setting. The following track Annabel is sung in much the same way, delivered against a classical guitar arrangement with antique-like quality: “Down beneath an emerald sky sing Annabel. Nothing that they did will stop you Annabel.” I read the track is inspired by a true story of a young hermaphrodite forced into taking a leap of sexual identity. While the closing track, Clay, is based on the real life story of a WWII soldier – the soldier’s written eulogy to his male lover, killed in battle, was first published by ONE Magazine in 1961 and the song is built off this.

If you listen to this album and start picturing classic movie scenes or even a James Bond-like score, it’s no coincidence. Right from the start Alison Goldfrapp has pointed to James Bond composer John Barry as inspiration, as well as films like Roman Polanski’s 1966 psychological thriller Cul-de-sac – large screen influences are abundant and it’s celebrated with broad textures and a wide scope– a panoramic soundscape.

On the track Drew a scene is set: “Pull up the blinds. Open the door wide. Feel the cold arrive in my bones. Put on my face.” The song then slowly ascends into a suspenseful journey of strings and brass horns leaving you with the feeling 007 will be pulling up in his Aston Martin, gun in hand, at any moment.

So make some popcorn, plug in your headphones, close your eyes, and get ready to escape…escape the wretched vision of Miley’s twerking booty.

Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra Live at The Kings Arms Rating: Reviewed by Abigail Johnson

So I arrived at The King’s Arms at 7:10, fretting that I would miss Amanda’s grand entrance. However, once inside, I saw the crowd was only beginning to mill, and her three opening acts were yet to perform. So I bought a drink, exchanged pleasantries with some crazy looking misfits, and set in for a long wait.

But then a roar erupted in the half-filled room, and there she was.

Flower-crowned and dressed in all black, with signature badly drawn eye-brows, she was a vision. She had crept on silently, but once seen, she was impossible to ignore. Wine in hand she gave the growing crowd a pep talk, and introduced the first act, Murder Chords, a local band. She came out again to introduce her bass player Jherek Bischoff who did a quick solo set, and gave NZ musician Peter Jefferies a touching intro, telling him and the crowd how much he meant to her.

It was as if she were a friend emceeing a party, rather than a headline superstar introducing her supporters.

All three of the opening acts gave otherworldly performances, and all the while the small room was slowly filling. By the time she was due to start her set the place was full , and anytime another patron moved to the bar I slowly inched my way forward, hoping to get as close to the front as possible.

But then a soft whisper ran through the crowd, a ukulele sounded from the bar, and all heads turned. There she was, strumming the opening chords to Map of Tasmania, her ode to pubic hair, leering over all of us, standing atop the bar. All my quiet efforts to get to the front of the crowd vanished as we all surged towards her.

“Oh. My. God.” She began, microphone free. The crowd knew their cue: “Fuck it!”

She strummed, she danced, and then she extended her arm forward, looking down it with steely determination. In an instant the crowd parted, as if compelled by some Moses-figure, and she ran to the stage, as her band began to play Do It With a Rockstar. I realised that after all my efforts to sneak my way forward I had ended up way back in the crowd, but it didn’t really matter. We danced and jumped, united in one big transcendental moment.

While it was hard to peel my eyes from her, her guitarist Chad Raines was also hard to ignore, possessing a unique brand of swagger and sex appeal. When Palmer stuck the microphone into her pants, and he leant towards her crotch to scream into it, a collective shiver ran through the audience.

Missed me was a highlight, and The Bed Song broke me, but the best moment came when she donned a jacket with white chiffon hanging off the back of it. She then collapsed into the crowd, and as we carried her over our heads, the material followed, covering us all. It was as if we weren’t strangers at all, but in that moment connected by something magical.

Oh and she sang Smells Like Teen Spirit. It went off. Highly recommended.

Jobs

Directed by Joshua Michael Stern Starring Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad Rating: Reviewed by Nigel Moffiet

By focusing so heavily on its biographical content, and eager to give viewers a step by step run down of events which led to the release of the iPod, Jobs sinks under its own weight.

Despite Ashton Kutcher’s awkward portrayal of Steve Jobs’ goofball barefooted strut, he’s a good resemblance to the famous innovator. I also believe Kutcher’s a good enough actor to have carried this role to greater heights; ultimately however, he was hampered by the dragging script of Matt Whiteley which needed more greasing and fine tuning to eliminate the rusty squeaks. For example, when Jobs is portrayed on university campus during the early 70s against the backdrop of music by Cat Stevens, he simply leans over the shoulder of a pretty lady (having never met of course) and praises her art. In a flash it leads to that victorious naked bedroom scene. You know the one: the protagonist rests one hand behind their head, smokes a post-fuck cigarette (or in this case takes a tab of acid), and the viewer gets to gleam into the eyes of a flawed genius.

And Jobs is certainly shown to have an uncompromising personality.

While praising the obvious technical achievements of Jobs’ pre iPod career (Macintosh etc.) it also portrays a man with a hot temper and little empathy. He kicks people off his team without blinking and, worst of all, he abandons his partner and unborn child, refusing to believe he is the father as the responsibility would get in the way of his vision – having 1000 songs in your pocket is clearly more important than family.

Josh Gad also gives a pretty decent performance as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, lightening up the pompous mood with moments of light hearted relief. Interestingly, Wozniak himself has come out and slammed the film for being flat and crap. While I enjoyed Gad’s performance, I couldn’t help but think Jonah Hill would have been much better – Hill’s portrayal of the mastermind Yale graduate who takes a slumping baseball team to American League glory in the 2011 film Moneyball was exceptional and fits the same kind of genius mold that was strived for in Jobs.

Another inevitable thought: had director Joshua Michael Stern followed the path David Fincher took while examining the life of Facebook genius Mark Zuckerburg in 2010’s The Social Network we might have had another cinematic masterpiece for the film canon.

Indeed, the life and career of Steve Jobs is possibly more dramatic and theatrically worthy than Zuckerburg at this point in time. While Stern is fixated on the macro events which join the dots in Jobs’ career, Fincher’s lens zoomed in on Zuckerburg from a more personal level: we saw Zuckerburg as a possessed young man and we were privy to his secret anxieties; a lost romantic connection was the dark shadow driving him to succeed. But what was the driving force behind Jobs? Why did he act like such an asshole at times? Why did he get offside with so many people, including those close to him? Other than the fact he was uber determined to see his vision through, these questions are left unexplored.

I’ve seen this movie. I’ve seen it a hundred times before. This time it’s just another character, following another dream. He was successful, revolutionary even. That’s all.

www.ausm.org.nz

33

EXCLUSIVE

DEALS

A FREE PRESENT THIS AD AND GET $20!

8GB MICRO SD CARD WORTH

Vodafone Samsung Galaxy S3 Blue & White

$ 33%!

OFF

545 SAVE $ 250 !

$ HP Notebook

• Smart Stay maintains a bright display when you need it • Buddy Photo Share - recognises friends faces in photos • S voice - you can tell it to wake up, answer, even take a photo

499

• Intel Celeron 1000M 1.8GHz • 15.6” HD BV 1366x768 Screen • 4GB RAM • 320GB HDD • DVD RW • SM DL 802.11bgn • Windows 8 Std 2000-2D39TU

AUT Student discounts available in store, just show your ID Card!

LIMITED STOCK!

$

your

Samsung Vodafone Galaxy Samsung S3 Mini Galaxy Blue S3 & White Mini • White only

299

specialists!

Sony 15.5” Touchscreen Notebook • Intel i5 1.8GHz with Turbo Boost to 2.7Ghz • 4GB RAM • 750GB HDD • DVD Supermulti Drive • 15.5” WXGA Touch LED Screen • 1GB Graphics • Wireless/Bluetooth • Webcam • HDMI Output • Windows 8 64 Bit

BIG 500GB STORAGE Adata USB Powered External HDD • 500GB • Black • USB 3.0 CH11

33% OFF!

79

$

BONUS ACCESSORY PACK WORTH $199!...

SVF1521JCG

1298

$

...Includes Bag, Norton Internet Security Suite, Microsoft Wireless Mouse & 16GB USB Drive!

SHOW THIS ADVERT OR YOUR STUDENT ID CARD FOR THESE EXCLUSIVE DEBATE DEALS! BARRELL’S

ALBANY

shop online www.albanyextreme.co.nz

7 CORBAN AVE, ALBANY WINNER – BEST IN SERVICE* AS REPORTED ON FAIR GO

*Fair Go – Colmar Brunton 2011 Best in Service Poll Home Appliance Stores Offers valid until 5pm Sunday 30th September 2013

ST LES O LE RE Y O STR N LY EET

W

EL

STOCKTAKE CLEARANCE 55% OFF

Stabilo Exam Grade Pens

55% OFF

Zebra Sarasa Clip Pens Orange & Green

30% OFF

Leather Pencil Cases More stocktake clearance specials available in-store!!!

For a limited time on selected stock only UNIVERSITY BOOKSHOP AUT City Campus, 55 Wellesley Street East, Auckland Central 1010, New Zealand Phone 09 366 4550 Fax 09 366 4570 www.ubsbooks.co.nz