debate issue 21 2012 by Debate Magazine

issue 21 2012

FEATURE: HEALTH AND FITNESS SPECIAL + HEALTHY TIPS AND INSPIRATION + COUNSELLING AND WELLBEING AUT ARTIST of the week | SPORTS | POLITICS | REVIEWS

CONTENTS

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

CONTENTS

Editorial

SPORTS The article with no title, just like Armstrong Premier League Football banter

6 7

Artist of the week Joshua Fache AuSM AuSM update

AuSM 2013 Election Candidates

Feature You are what you eat Top five dieting myths: a guide to staying healthy Thumbs up to the kapai kai: a weight loss mission Jono not so “Biggs” anymore Dealing with health, stress and anxiety on campus Getting your butt into shape at AUT

16 18 20 21 22 23

POLITICS 24 Two days, two votes - politics in the spotlight 25

editor Nigel Moffiet nigel.moffiet@aut.ac.nz

Caffeinated Banter

32 Reviews

Health Issue Ceapum Kaushish

sub editor Matthew Cattin

LETTERS

Article 28 An Alpine adventure on Mt. Tongariro 30

on the cover:

Student Profile Joshua Fache

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

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.

Excellence

Expert

Flexible

Students

Scholarship

Changing Field

Internationally

Study

Ideas

Develop

Become Meet Investigate

Postgraduate Extend

Research

Satisfy New Community

Recognised Workplace

Inspiration

Reputation

Experience

Knowledge

Programmes

Calibre

Opportunity

Victoria University of Wellington

If you have a passion for learning, postgraduate study at Victoria University could be just what you need. A postgraduate programme will give you a valuable edge in life and help you become an expert in your fieldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whatever that may be. Visit victoria.ac.nz/postgraduate or call 0800 VICTORIA. SR0204B

amongst

Get the

best.

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

EDITORIAL

reception

Despite the recent cold blast, summer is just around the corner.

It’s time to get the beach bods ready for those incy wincy bikinis and sharp as hell budgie smugglers. Yeah right. Having mountains of assignments, little time and no money means getting your ass into shape is a challenging prospect – it’s hard to motivate oneself to get into a fitness regime at the best of times. So where’s a slothful struck student to start? In this issue of debate we speak to a couple of dudes who have conquered the mental barriers of weight loss and they share some tips, advice and other revelations they have learnt during their personal journeys of shedding the kilos. Like all challenges in life, they remind us everything begins with a small step; making simple, realistic goals for yourself from week to week is not only key advice we have learnt for getting fit and healthy, it’s something that could be applied to any goal you a striving towards.

Editorial image : SashaW’s photos via Getty Images

Of course, the benefits of being fit and healthy go beyond looking good in a par of speedos – You will probably improve your grades, work more efficiently and effectively, and be an all-round happy go lucky – all the evidence shows us that eating healthy and working out regularly is one of the best ways to boost your mood and can even help with depression. Staying fit and healthy will also set you up well in life and is your best defence against diseases that are becoming all too common in our modern lives – heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. All these diseases and ailments are directly related to crappy diets and unhealthy lifestyles.

Sadly, New Zealand now sits as one of the most obese nations in the world, alongside countries like the United States and Germany. In a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report, New Zealand was ranked seventh in the world with 62.7 per cent of our population considered overweight. American Samoa topped the list with an obese population of 93.5 per cent. WHO estimates the number of overweight adults will balloon to 2.3 billion by 2015 — equal to the combined populations of China, U.S and Europe. It’s hard to disagree with the health experts who state the rise in obesity is a direct result of our changing lifestyles brought about by globalisation, modernisation and nonstop consumerism. A regular diet of McDonald’s and packaged and processed foods is common whilst we are more inclined to work in front of a computer. The more physically exerting tasks of yesteryear are gone or they’re carried out in countries that don’t make the obesity list. The term ‘globesity’ is the new catchphrase. A University of Otago study also warned us to watch how much time we spend in front of a TV or computer screen – the study found that 41 per cent of children who were overweight by 26 years of age were those who had watched the most TV. Again, all these studies only point out the obvious, but the obvious is often forgotten. As with all personal journeys, you will need a lot of support and encouragement. If you’re needing some health advice or general support, the AUT Health, Counselling and Wellbeing service is a good place to start. We also uncover what’s on offer at each of the AUT campus gyms – the options are open for students. So good luck to all of you who are hopping on the health train – it won’t be an easy journey but the destination will be like a holiday in the sun.

- NIGEL.

City Campus Level 2, WC Building 921 9805 Mon-Thurs: 8am-5pm Fri8am-4pm North Shore Campus Level 2, AS Building 921 9949 Mon-Fri: 11am-1pm 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

management

Sue Higgins General Manager 921 9999 ext 5111 sue.higgins@aut.ac.nz

advocacy

Nick Buckby Liaison Manager 921 9999 ext 8379 nick.buckby@aut.ac.nz

marketing

Kate Campbell Marketing and Communications Manager 921 9999 ext 6537 kate.campbell@aut.ac.nz

events

Carl Ewen Student Life Manager 921 9999 ext 8931 carl.ewen@aut.ac.nz

LETTERS

media

Dear debate, As a fulltime student that travels to city campus from Manukau I am hugely disappointed with the service we receive from the inter campus shuttle. I am grateful for the service because it is cheaper than using the normal public transport. However it makes me really angry when we pay for the service, yet we have to stand. In one instance the shuttle was so packed that some of us were not allowed on (shuttle service to Manukau at 5.30 from city on August 1st, 2012). We as students have to pay for overpriced fees, buy expensive text books, buy expensive lab coats, uniforms, , buy lab manuals and pay for internet and printing, yet AUT always seem to fail to accommodate to our basic needs. Just today I heard a conversation between some girls that are from UoA that use the shuttle. Why we are not asked to show our student ID card when getting on the shuttle? And why are there not 2 shuttle buses during busy times? Also why do we not have a shuttle that leaves at 6 so those students that finish their labs at 6 can catch the shuttle back to Manukau? Thanks, Disappointed shuttle user. P.S I totally love how we as students are allowed to voice our opinions through debate magazine!!

Nigel Moffiet Publications Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8774 nigel.moffiet@aut.ac.nz

sports

Melita Martorana Sports Team Leader melita.martorana@aut.ac.nz

vesbar

Zane Chase Vesbar Manager 921 9999 ext 8378 zane.chase@aut.ac.nz

volunteers & clubs

▶ Response on page 25

Letter of the week wins two movie tickets for event cinemas debate letters policy: Letters need to make it into debate’s mailbox before Wednesday, 3pm each week for the following issue. You must give us your name when submitting letters to be eligible for letter of the week, but you can use a pseudonym for publication if you wish. Any letters longer than 250 words may be subjected to editing. The editor reserves the right to decline without explanation. Most importantly, the views contained on the letters page do not necessarily represent the views of AuSM. Send your letters to debate@aut.ac.nz or if you want to kick it old school, PO Box 6116, Wellesley St, Auckland.

Deanna Berry Volunteers Coordinator 921 9999 ext 8911 deanna.berry@aut.ac.nz

www.ausm.org.nz

puliarf’s photos via Getty Images

SPORTS

ISSUE 21 2012

by Scott Moyes et’s be fair – not many people would stay home on a Saturday night to watch cycling. Not that it’s ever showing on a Saturday night of course; when you live in New Zealand you have to stay up until ungodly hours to watch anything decent. But cycling isn’t something that gets much of the limelight most of the time. We’ll celebrate like its 1999 if they win an Olympic medal, but for the four years in between they’re about as recognised as the person on the bus you’re hoping doesn’t sit next to you. Maybe I’m being ignorant? Who knows? Maybe it’s just a New Zealand thing. Cycling is one of those sports where one person has dominated it so thoroughly they become bigger than the sport itself. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. When someone enjoys such success they often drag the sport from the dead into everyone’s full attention. It’s like Mohammed Ali with boxing, Michael Shumacher with Formula One and even Tiger Woods with golf. People are drawn to their unbelievable successes. The same can be said for cycling with the way Lance Armstrong made the yellow jersey his own, winning seven straight Tour de France races. If you ask anyone on the street to name a professional cyclist, I can guarantee you Armstrong will be the resounding answer. Lance Armstrong is much more than just a winner though; he is a success story. He is an inspiration to millions worldwide. What makes his story so intriguing is the fact he won those Tour de France titles not

long after beating his battle with testicular cancer. That’s not good; that’s bloody unbelievable. That’s the sort of tale that will go down in the history books for years to come as one of the greatest sporting feats of all time.

doped up, but I can guarantee you half of the competition he was up against was too. Those competitors who were ready to testify against him were probably in the same room injecting the very same thing into their veins.

But you can’t have that sort of success without people wondering if you’re an honest competitor. You can’t blame people for wondering either. Cycling has such a rich history in drug cheats that it wouldn’t be shocking to discover that another one of its champions is doped up. It’s not like the Tour de France is an easy race either. It is considered by many to be the most grueling of any sporting competitions out there. To not only win it seven times in a row, but also on the back of overcoming cancer is something almost beyond the realms of possibility.

Drugs cheats are exposed just about every day in the world of sport. At least Lance Armstrong did something even more extraordinary with his success. His Livestrong charity has raised over 500 million dollars for cancer victims worldwide and I can only hope that it continues to flourish once the dust has settled on this whole saga. It’s one thing to take the titles off Armstrong but it would be a real shame to see an honest charity suffer unnecessarily. Even if he was guilty, the inspiration he has provided to so many people is far more valuable than any Tour de France title. With any luck, Armstrong’s determination will shine through this storm and he will continue to lead from the front for many years to come.

Now Armstrong has decided that enough is enough. He no longer wishes to fight these drug allegations and move on to more important things in his life. I can’t say for certain if he is guilty or not. In his defence, Armstrong has always maintained his innocence, producing hundreds of clean urine samples along the way. On the other hand, I can certainly see how ‘giving up the fight’ would help him save face. Better to go out on your own terms than some committee call the shots. But guilty or not, who cares? It’s all a bit of a joke now. Taking those titles will only cause the world more heartache than it will triumph. Chances are Armstrong was

In the end it doesn’t really matter that the US Anti-Doping agency will officially strip his titles from him. All that it’s going to do is put a little star in the history books saying ‘disqualified’. Ask his competitors, ask the media, ask anyone: Lance Armstrong won those races. You can take away a trophy but you can’t erase memories. We can only hope that it doesn’t erase people’s faith in true sportsmanship, nor does it extinguish the hope of cancer victims all over the world.

...the yummiest Cookies in town • • • •

American style Cookies Baked fresh on our premises Over 16 flavours to choose from Soft chewy centres

Mrs Higgins Cookie Shop

268 Queen St (opposite Smith and Caughey’s) Yum...Cookies just like Grandma used to bake! Also visit Mrs Higgins Cookie Shop, Food Court, Hunters Plaza, Papatoetoe

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

SPORTS

Premier League BANTER Dear debate, Hi Paul,

I have a (light-hearted) complaint to raise (researched and written last night, in a car park, waiting for the missus to hurry up!) In [debate issue 19] there’s a piece on the new Premier League season. Under the ‘Relegation Zone’ section is reads:

Thanks for your letter. I have to inform you that I am not part of the blue army that are currently part of the prestigious League One. I support the red half of North London which may be just as hard to support sometimes.

‘SOUTHAMPTON looks to be the weakest of the three promoted teams back in the Premier League. They have very limited Premier League experience...’

In response to your letter, I am looking at Southampton’s current roster of players’ experience in the Premier League rather than the club overall.

It’s mainly the second part of that statement I’m deeply offended by and I would like share a few stats. Here are the four teams in that section of the article with their ‘experience’ in English topflight football and ‘experience’ in Years in Top Fight

Out of the first team squad of 33 players, I found only 6 have ever played a match in the Premier League. Compared to many other promoted sides in recent years, this is around average.

Years in Premiership

Reading

QPR

Wigan

TOTAL

Sothampton

What Southampton do have going for them is those players who have played in the Premier League have spent substantial years in the top flight, looking at Kelvin Davis and Frazer Richardson in particular. You provide some excellent stats in your letter, really proving that Southampton have been a staple of English football for many years and despite issues in recent seasons, have won double promotion which is very difficult.

the Premiership since it began in 1992. As you can see, Southampton have more top flight experience than the others in the article, combined. Also the same Premiership experience as the other combined. Being founding members of the league probably helped too. West Ham isn’t mentioned in the article, so I’ve left them out too. (Also because they’ve got very similar pedigree to Southampton and my stats wouldn’t look as good…) So although Reading and Wigan have spent their entire time in the top flight under the banner of the new Premier League, they don’t have much experience to rub together.

Perhaps I should be thanking Southampton’s academy for providing my side’s English quota, but you can buy Bale back please! Watching Southampton give Manchester United an almighty scare recently was fantastic; they should have got something out of it for sure. (If it wasn’t for that traitor, wait did I say that!)

To the other point at Southampton looking to be the weakest of the promoted teams… this is of course matter-of-opinion and football thrives on it! But… Southampton have had back-to-back promotions, have a world-class academy (Theo Walcott, Alex OC, Gareth Bale, Wayne Bridge – and the new lads in the team) and a heap of cash. Not forgetting that we were atop the Championship for most of last season, missed out on the title by only one point, scored the most goals and had the third tightest defence.

I actually know a couple of Portsmouth fans who take every opportunity to rubbish Southampton in light of their current situation. Harry changing sides back in 2004 still annoys these lads to this day and seeing Southampton on TV this season kills a little piece of them each week! Again thanks for the response. Southampton, despite some people’s thoughts, play a brand of football actually worth being in the top flight and will probably knock over a top side along the way this season; hopefully Chelsea or Tottenham!

Unless Ben is a Pompey fan there’s no excusing this kind of mudslinging! Cheers ‘Saint’ Paul (Great article though, nobody’s happier than me that the football season has started again. Man City got lucky.)

- Ben Parsons.

ISSUE 21 2012

ARTIST OF THE WEEK

Joshua Fache My name is Joshua Fache and I’m in my final year of the Bachelor of Design in Fashion Program at AUT. Ive always been interested in fashion and am hoping to complete my Masters of Design in Paris in 2013. To me fashion is always about telling a story, it about expressing creativity and an idea on a wearable canvas. The Garments featured (The Red Velvet trouser outfit and the Lazer cut leather outfit) were from my second year collection entitled ‘Bloody Mary’ and was inspired by the protestant persecution under Queen Mary I. The lazer cut leather features a hand drawn design by me, lazer cut through the leather and depicts the tortured souls of her victims. I love the juxtaposition of the leather resembling a delicate lace from a distance but when you get up close you can see what it actual depicts. Inspiration for me comes from a variety of places and completely depends on my interests at the time, what I am reading, a holiday, a movie, a piece of fabric or something that’s happening in the world at the time. Which I reinterpret through my designs. I have a flair for the dramatic and more flamboyant design’s and a love for the Haute Couture, which is where I ultimately want to work in the future. See more of my work on:

www.facebook.com/ JFacheDesigner Interview on page 34

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

ARTIST OF THE WEEK

ENDGAME ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH DMG ENTERTAINMENT AND FILMNATION ENTERTAINMENT A RAM BERGMAN PRODUCTION A FILM BY RIAN JOHNSON BRUCE WILLIS JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT EMILY BLUNT “LOOPER” PAUL DANO NOAH SEGAN PIPER PERABO AND JEFF DANIELS CASTING BY MARY VERNIEU C.S.A. MUSIC BY NATHAN JOHNSON COSTUME DESIGNER SHAREN DAVIS FILM EDITOR BOB DUCSAY PRODUCTION DESIGNER ED VERREAUX DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE YEDLIN CO-PRODUCERS DAVE POMIER ELEANOR NETT LUCAS SMITH CHRISTOPHER C. CHEN EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DOUGLAS E. HANSEN JULIE GOLDSTEIN PETER SCHLESSEL JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT DAN MINTZ PRODUCED BY RAM BERGMAN AND JAMES D. STERN WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY RIAN JOHNSON WWW.LOOPER.COM.AU WWW.LOOPER.CO.NZ

Facebook.com/Roadshow.nz

NSE M APSTSEO I N C IINNE C MIA SE MO BN ER 27

‘Looper’

is coming to cinemas

September 27

and Roadshow Films and Debate are giving you the chance to WIN a 1 of 15 double inseason passes to the film. Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt Synopsis In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented – but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone they will send their target 30 years into the past, where a “looper” – a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good … until the day the mob decides to “close the loop” sending back Joe’s future self for assassination.

To enter the draw email your Name, Student ID# with ‘Looper’ in the subject line to: debate@aut.ac.nz

w w w . l o o p e r . c o . n z Rated: r16 – contains graphic violence and offensive language

Keep an eye out for the Windows U Crew around campus Do a trial, get a USB It’s that easy Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/windowsucrewnz Follow us on Twitter: @WindowsUCrewNZ

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

AN AuSM WEEK

SPCA Cupcake Day

AuSM 2013 Student Executive Council Voting Open

It’s time to vote for your student executive! Make sure your voice is heard. Check your AUT email now for the link to voting website. Vote now!

Pool Competition

AuSM will be running a pool competition in Vesbar every Wednesday from 12 – 1pm until 17th Oct 2012. Email kyle.richmond@aut.ac.nz to enter or turn up on the day! There are heaps of prizes to be given away!!

Jump Rope for Heart

Hello everyone! Did you practice your mad skipping skills and warm up your spandex around the house during your break? Make sure you register at the AuSM office or with dberry@aut.ac.nz for this wonderful event which helps raise money for the Heart Foundation

AuSM’s Oktober Festival

Featuring Bitchin’ Bingo, Karaoke, Stein Band and Hypnotist Guy Carter. What more to say?! Join us for the Oktober Fest! 1st Oct – 4th Oct. Check out our Facebook event page for more details. www. facebook.com/ausm1/events

Design Interns

Design lovers, listen up. Do you want some experience and something that will look great on your CV at the same time? AuSM is looking for design students or students with a strong interest in design to intern with us. Contact kate.lin@aut.ac.nz to discuss further.

Active Monday

Active Monday at Manukau Campus 1st October. Free healthy food, games and prizes.

ISSUE 21 2012

VOTE NOW! 2013 Au

VOTE Name: Ali Aljurani Position running for: President Course of study: Podiatry My name is Ali Aljurani, I am currently in my last year of study finishing Podiatry. I am running for the President position at AuSM. As a future president there are a few changes I’d like to make around AUT and hopefully you'll get to see them. I’m a relaxed outward type of person, I like to have fun and I’m easy going. I’m currently a volunteer firefighter ( "don't drink and fry" )and like to be active and keep myself busy. I also work at the AUT gym, so come down and see =D

Name: Hayley Watford Position running for: President Course of study: Bachelor of Maori Development

Name: Allie Blancahrd Position running for: President Course of study: Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Māori Development)

Name: Nathan Bromberg Position running for: President, Vice President Course of study: Masters (MBus) Hey all!

Hi, I am Allie Blanchard, and I am currently studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Māori Development) through Te Ara Poutama. I grew up in Christchurch, and completed my BA (Event Management) and Bachelor of Māori Development at AUT over the past 4 years. I have been an active member in AuSM throughout my time at AUT, and am passionate about having the student voice heard by those who make decisions on our behalf. I have previously held the Applied Humanities and Te Ara Poutama Student Representatove seats on the Executive Council, as well as volunteered as a Student Mentor, and held other student support roles throughout uni. I hope you will give me the opportunity to represent us as President in 2013 and ensure our student voice is heard.

I am a research Masters’ (MBus) student in my final semester, and intend to continue study with a PhD! Some of you may recognise me from around campus at events, and as the 2012 AuSM Vice President and student rep on the AUT Council. (Yeah, that guy with the stupid pink hat and cheesy grin!) This year, as many of you will know, has been a period of change and growth (such as the volunteers and charity work) for AuSM, which I am honoured and proud to have been part of. Before coming to AUT, I studied my Information Systems degree at NorthTec, where I kickstarted their Student Council, and chaired for 2 years. In my personal life, I love spending time with friends and family and am always delighted to meet new people, so please come and say hi!

Kia Ora Koutou katoa. My name is Hayley Watford, your Maori Affairs Officer 2012, and third year Bachelor of Maori Development, Major of Maori Media student. As AuSM President 2013, I aim have an open door policy allowing students to come in and have the opportunity to chat, express concerns and voice opinions. Being a person of self-driven initiatives, I plan to drive a campaign promoting suicide awareness in New Zealand. My aim is to run an awareness concert in September next year open to the general public. If what I am about sounds like something you can relate to, or that you are interested in supporting VOTE HAYLEY WATFORD for AuSM President 2013! If you have further interest, please do not hesitate to email me on hwatford@aut.ac.nz

Good luck to all of the candidates!

Name: John Kingi Position running for: Vice President Programme studying: Bachelor of Communications

Te Ara Poutama Representative: Michael WikiriwhiHeta

Fellow students, I’m Kizito, your candidate for 2013 AuSM Presidency. I’m an AUT graduate engineer and currently pursuing my MBA. As your first ‘VSM’ president, I took over the mantle with a huge challenge, but I can now confidently say that we are on the road to recovery. The deficit budget we inherited has been significantly reduced and will bounce back to surplus next year. Volunteering and internship opportunities for AUT students have been beefed up, a community engagement programme has been initiated, and the Student Senate to be reinstated. My commitment and dedication to our association is unequivocal and I’ll work assiduously as your president to continue driving value and performance by focusing on best practice. I have acted in the best interests of the student body on many board meetings including the AUT Council. Let’s finish the race we started this year by voting for me as your president. Kind regards, Kizito

Name: Joseph Ng Position running for: Vice President Course of study: Bachelor of International Hospitality Management

Kia Ora and greetings!! My name is John Kingi and I am running to be your Vice President in 2013. I am a Communications student majoring in journalism and I am hugely passionate about student issues and making our AUT experience the best it can be! Key areas for me as your Vice President include maintaining support for the things we enjoy, like our weekly free feeds, amazing orientation events or funding for our awesome student clubs. As our voice within the university, AuSM advocates on our behalf on all the big issues from fees, to internet use, and ensuring we have a strong student focus where our voices are HEARD will be a focus for me. As a former student rep from 20102011, I have a passion to make a difference on your behalf and I would be honoured to serve as your Vice President in 2013. Cheers.

Being only one nomination for the following roles the successful candidates are: Business & Law Faculty Representative: Thomas Lertlat

Name: Kizito Essumna Position running for: President Programme studying: MBA

Hello my name is Joseph Ng. I was born here in Auckland and I have been a student here at AUT since 2011. My course of study is a Bachelor of International Hospitality Management and I am majoring in food and beverage and this is my second year. Personal introductions aside, I am looking for your vote! I will promise to try by best if voted to the seat of Vice President to raise YOUR concerns to the AUSM President and to the other members of the board and as a student as well I can also relate to some of the problems and or issues you may have. In closing, I would like to thank you for taking time to read my statement and if elected I look forward to representing the AUT student body as Vice- President. Thank you.

The following positions are vacant: Design & Creative Technologies Faculty Representative Maori Affairs Officer Postgraduate Students Officer Elections will be held at AuSM’s Special General Meeting

Name: Rodney Slingsby Position standing for: Vice President Course of study: Bachelor of Business STOP! Make your vote count! As your Vice President I will ensure that your voice as an AUT student gets represented with the highest degree of professionalism and dedication it deserves. I have strong business acumen with almost eight years’ experience in the real estate industry including land acquisitions and developments in excess of $120M. I am a strong advocate for equality irrespective of age, gender, nationality, race, religion or sexuality. EVERYONE deserves to be treated equally and be presented with the same opportunities. I believe in fighting for what’s right and working hard to achieve the things you want out of life. I plan on ensuring that AuSM and its elected representatives move in the right direction by putting student welfare first. I welcome challenges and those who know me know that I get things done. Make your vote count! Vote for me as your Vice President.

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

uSM Election Candidates Name: Ravi Chandrappa Position running for: Vice President, International Affairs Officer Info not available at time of print. Please refer to candidate info at the online voting site

Name: Niroop Venkatarama Reddy Position running for: Vice president, International Affairs Officer Course of study: Masters in Construction Management Hi, I am Niroop Venkatarama Reddy. I’m an AUT student pursuing my Masters in Construction Management and I take this opportunity in nominating myself for the post of Vice-President being a part of AUSM. I am passionate about sport and enjoy playing table tennis, cricket and basketball whenever I am free. Being an energetic person, I find interest in participating in a lot of social activities and try to provide the best of the qualities in me.Using the best of my ability to support AUSM, I would: - Make the best Student association. - Work towards making the best use of social activities - Making sure opinions are heard and represented within AUSM. - Contribute my best in strategy formulation for the year. - Try to work more on the students activities and give opportunity to each and every student to give his/ her best in AUSM. Thank you, Cheers

Name - Straan Wadsworth Position running for: Culture & Society Faculty Representative. Programme of Study - Bachelor of Tourism Studies I see great potential in helping others, and my role as the Culture & Society Faculty Representative this year has been one of my greatest accomplishments. I love to contribute and give something back by supporting students. Being a student mentor has given me many opportunities to provide ongoing assistance to new students. I strongly believe that students should have the right to voice their opinions and that I am serving the best interest of students at AUT. By monitoring the operations of AuSM that will ensure that the association is providing the best for students.

Name: Radhika Lal Position running for: Disability Affairs Officer Course of study: Bachelor of International Hospitality Management

Name: Jason Walls Position running for: Disabilities Affairs Officer Programme studying: Communications and Business

I am running for Disability Affairs Officer as I live with a long-term illness and I believe I can help students with disabilities in the tertiary environment as I know firsthand it is difficult to manage an illness with the pressures of academic study. My goal is to increase awareness of disabilities and be an ambassador around the AUT campus. I have experience in working with local government, volunteer in the community and have a strong involvement in motorsport which has refined my experience in relating to people from all walks of life. I believe that my experience in healthcare will assist in better understanding and communicating any other issues to the board.

My name is Jason Walls, I study Communications and Business and I am reapplying for the role of AuSM’s disabilities affairs officer. When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with dyslexia (a learning disability that greatly affected my spelling and reading abilities). I was told what I “could not do” time and time again. I had given up all hope before an older student sat me down and talked to me about my potential, and gave me the encouragement I needed. Three years later I am a dyslexic doing a professional communications course! The reason I am running for re-election is because I want to help students like I was helped. To offer that extra bit of motivation and support for students with disabilities, and anyone else for that matter. So please vote for me, Jason Walls, and help me, to help you.

Thanks Rad Lal

Thanks! Jason

Name: Tait Beekmans Position running for: Culture and Society Faculty Representative Course of study: Bachelor of International Hospitality Management and Bachelor of Business

Name: Rayya Ali Position running for: Health & Environmental Sciences Faculty Representative Course of study: Bachelor of Science

Hi my name is Tait and I would like to be your representative on the student exec council for 2013. I am a second year student at AUT and would like to be the voice for students in the applied humanities faculty. I feel I have good communication skills and a drive to accomplish and would bring a fresh perspective to the team. I have been a member of AuSM since starting AUT and would like to play a role in continuing to provide a variety of services for AUT students. I am applying for the culture and society faculty representative. I am studying a conjoint degree of Bachelor of International Hospitality Management and Bachelor of Business and feel that I am able to represent a good cross section of students studying under this faculty. I would appreciate your vote. Thanks.

My name is Rayya Ali. I’m running to represent the Faculty of Health and Environmental Science during this election. I am currently studying Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science at AUT. My career goal is to become an environmental researcher specialising in climate change. My interests include swimming, reading nonfiction books and biographies of inspirational people, travelling and meeting new people, outdoor activities such as biking, rock climbing and hiking. Being the President for the AUT Muslim Students Association at the University, I have fostered liaison skills, helping me to understand and listen to individual and group concerns of domestic and international students from many cultures. My goal as a student representative is to make sure that the students are aware of the student movement and that they have a student voice and it can make a difference for them.

As a member of executive I would attend all meetings and do my best to uphold AuSM’s values. I would love to be part of the student voice again.

Thanks, Rayya Ali

Name: Loretta Asalele Position standing for: Pasifika Affairs Officer Course of Study: Bachelor of Business Talofa Lava. There are many reasons why I want to be your Pasifika Affairs Officer for 2013. Firstly I am currently your Pasifika Affairs Officer for this year and I believe my work is not finished and that there is more to come. My experience on the Executive Council has helped me in many ways such as interacting with students on campus and fighting for your rights. I know life on campus is not easy and that I want all students to know that there are people such as myself that really care about your voice and that your voice should be heard. So please vote for me. Soifua ma ia manuia.

Name: Diana Stowers Position running for: Pasifika Affairs Officer Course of study: Bachelor of Business Talofa, my name is Diana Stowers and I am born and bred in Auckland. I am of Maori/Samoan/English/ Scottish decent and have spent all of my life schooling and working in Auckland City. The questions I asked myself before applying for this position were: How have attitudes changed and how can we express these feelings? An unspoken culture with a diverse background is amongst our Pasifika students and I want to be the spoken part for all these cultures. Electing me as your Pasifika Affairs Officer will ensure our AUT community is living, breathing, and uniting with our Island humour, not only enjoying our presence whilst we study but also when we are gathering to enjoy the essence of student life. Pasifika Week is a must! I know there is more that can be done and I know I can do this job for you all. Fa’afetai tele lava, God Bless.

Name: Ali Butler Position running for: Health & Environmental Sciences Faculty Representative Info not available at time of print. Please refer to candidate info at the online voting site.

ISSUE 21 2012

Correctly identify the five differences in the two photos then circle them and drop your entry into your nearest AuSM office, or the box on the side of the red debate stands, or post to debate PO Box 6116 Wellesley St before 12pm Thursday. What’s up for grabs? Two “squawk burgers” vouchers for Velvet Burger on Fort St, Auckland CBD.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

to our issue 20 winner

Sora Baek City Campus

1. What is the national currency of Egypt?

image by ejay8085 / flicker.com

2. How many points is the letter J worth in a game of Scrabble? 3. Algophobia is a fear of what? 4. ‘Cuisses de grenouille’ are what in English? 5. Which singer’s real name is Vincent Damon Furnier? 6. What is the name of the pigment that makes leaves green? 7. How many wings does a bee have? 8. Which actor appeared in ‘True Grit’, ‘The Bourne Identity’ and ‘Dogma’? 9. Frederick Bulsara is the real name of which singer? 10. Which cocktail consists of white rum, brown sugar, lime and mint leaves.

WORD JUMBLE WEAEOMS

Name Phone # Email Campus

How many words of three letters or more can you make during your lecture from the letters above? (6-8 average, 9-11 good, 12 or more - excellent) *Answers on page 31

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

Updates Proposals for Digital Art Live: Emerging Pixels #2

Dear Agony Aunt My boyfriend dumped me a few days before my birthday. I was devastated and got very very drunk that night. I woke up the next morning in some guy's bed. The worst thing is I have no memory of meeting him or anything and I had to pretend that I knew who he was. I got dressed as soon as possible and ran home. When I asked my friends they said I was very drunk and left the party but they don't know who with. I am so ashamed, I must be a really bad person, no wonder my boyfriend doesn't want me anymore. What should I do? From Ashamed

Dear Ashamed What’s done is done and you can’t undo it. You must learn from this very unpleasant experience and make sure it never happens again. You are not a bad person and what happened that night was out of character probably because you were upset, drunk and out of control. Your friends should be ashamed of themselves for leaving you alone in such a state; the reality is anything could have happened and you could be dead. Forget about your boyfriend, it’s over and you have to get on with your life. In order to do that you need to get a few things sorted so you can forget about this experience and move on. I strongly suggest you book an appointment with a nurse or doctor. You will need to have a sexual health check at some point and possibly a pregnancy test if your period does not come. Once all this is sorted and you have the all clear you may find it helpful to talk to a counsellor. Counselling is free for students at AUT. To book a nurse appointment call 9219992 for city campus and 9219998 for North Shore campus. Appointments are free for enrolled patients.

Call for applications AUT’s creative technologies research centre (CoLab) and THE EDGE, Auckland’s centre for national and international performing arts and entertainment, are working collaboratively to present Digital Art Live (DAL), an exciting initiative to showcase interactive art in an interactive space. The DAL Committee is calling for applications from creative students interested in presenting interactive works during the exhibition Emerging Pixels #2. We invite students to take this opportunity to create work that supports engagement with a public audience through technological experience and explore new forms of digital expression, particularly in the field of behavioural works. Expressions of interest by 1 October 2012: http://dal.colab.org.nz/get-involved

New Digital Art Live exhibition

Digital Art Live, Level 2, Aotea Centre, 4 September to 4 November 2012 Crowd Control by AUT’s Gregory Bennett, in association with Johann Nortje, gives the audience the opportunity to interact with real-time 3D animated figures that are walking, running and gesticulating. A floor sensor detects the audience’s movement and triggers the variations of movements of the figures on the screen. From seemingly random movements to highly choreographed formations, the work reflects on issues such as the individual versus group dynamics, crowd behaviours and figures as automaton. To find out more about Crowd Control visit: http://dal.colab.org.nz/

Marker CoLab Workshops

There are three workshops coming up at the end of the year in AUT’s Textile and Design Lab, where you can use new technology such as the Shima Seiki electronic knitting machine or a digital textile printer to make yourself some very stylish fashion accessories. The workshops are: 1. Two Day T-shirt Challenge: 22 and 23 November 2012 2. Design Your Own Digitally Printed Scarf: 22 and 23 November 2012 3. Knitted Accessory Designer: 13 and 14 December 2012 To find out more and register for these two-day courses, visit: http://markercreativeworkshops.co.nz/workshops.

Mind, spirit and sustainability film series

The Centre for Learning and Teaching invites you to an 11-part film series on mind, spirit and sustainability – examining local and global perspectives on the complex connections between ways of thinking and being, and the challenges of sustainable development. The series looks at various themes concerning the relationship between humans and the environment, from both local and international perspectives. Films will be screened on 11 consecutive Wednesdays from 5.00-6.30pm in WS222 and are free for AUT students. For enquiries please contact Dr Stanley Frielick, Director of Learning and Teaching: 09 921 9402.

EndNote library workshops

Courses running between 6 August and 27 September 2012 Need help with references? EndNote is reference management software you can use to store, manage and organise your references. Each workshop is limited to 20 people and lasts for one hour. To register for these workshops please go to www.aut.ac.nz/library/study/workshops.

New classes at AUT Sport + Fitness Centre on the North Shore

Golf Classes Great value at only $90! New golf classes beginning on 17 and 18 September for both Introduction and stage-two classes. Learn a new skill or perfect your technique with NZPGA professional Robin Smalley. Call or pop in to find out more and book your spot: 09 921 7254.

ISSUE 21 2012

FEATURE

Deanna Berry

YOU ARE WHAT YOU

EAT

know it’s a cliché, and I’m sure you have heard it from me before. But if there is one thing that is key to remember as you try and survive as a student is this simple fact: you are what you eat! It wasn’t so long ago that I ventured off on my first year at uni. I remember the shock of having to fend for myself on zero dollars of income with freedom from my parents and all the temptations right at my fingertips. Somehow we think that our child-like metabolisms are going to last a lifetime or that we can burn off all the crap we’ve eaten with an hour in the gym. I’m not going to preach about what’s not good to eat – if you put garbage in, you are going to experience garbage performance mentally, physically and emotionally. Put these eating healthy tips in your notebook as you go through uni, adopting good habits for a sustainable future.

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

FEATURE

Power Snacks for Students

(www.studenthealth.emory.edu)

+ Carrots & Celery with Hummus or Salsa Hummus is a good source of low fat, high fibre protein and salsa is a great way to add your intake of daily veg, but try and buy fresh salsa (jars are often full of sugar).

Natural Peanut Butter on Apples Natural peanut butter or any natural nut butter is a good source of protein and contains healthy fats that support adrenal functions. Unsalted Nuts and Seeds or Dried Fruit- Unsalted nuts contain many phytochemicals and are an excellent source of essential fats which are necessary for healthy brain function. Dried apricots are rich in magnesium and act as a natural way to calm down and cope with day-to-day pressures. Canned Salmon and Avocado Lettuce Wraps- Wrap canned salmon in lettuce leaves with a slice of avocado for a nice snack that will give you the best source of omega-3 fatty acids to enhance cognitive functioning.

SIMPLE SMOOTHIE Try making your own smoothie using half veg (spinach works best) and half fruit with linseed, chia seeds and almond milk for a healthy pick-me-up.

Raw Energy Balls This is one of my favourites and frankly, I thought I invented these ‘power balls’. Add your favourite ingredients and make them your own!

Raw Energy Balls (www.nourishingmeals.com)

INGREDIENTS: ►1 cup raw almonds or walnuts (ground) ►1 cup medjool dates, pitted (soak for ½ hour to soften) ►2 tbsp chia seed ►2 tbsp linseed ►¼ teaspoon cinnamon ►¼ teaspoon cocoa powder ►¼ cup raw almond butter or natural peanut butter ►¼ cup (approx.) shredded coconut (to coat balls)

METHOD: If you have a food processor, mix the almonds or walnuts with the dates until a blended ground meal consistency. Otherwise use ground almond meal (buy like this) and mash the dates by hand, then blend. Add in the remaining ingredients until you get a consistency similar to dough. Shape into bit-sized balls and roll in the shredded coconut to coat. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Yummmmm, Balls… Enjoy!

FEATURE

ISSUE 21 2012

Top five dieting myths: a guide to staying healthy Myth 1: Carbs are evil

It is hard to find a diet that does not advise a cut down on carbs such as bread, pasta, rice and other similar foods. But by blindly following this principle and cutting carbohydrates out of our daily menus, we often forget that they are one of the primary sources of energy for our bodies and therefore are essential for us. If you were on a low-carb diet long enough, you probably felt exhausted and unmotivated. A serious lack of energy can even lead to depression and that’s definitely not what we strive for. Also, when a body does not get enough carbohydrates, its metabolism slows down. That means that when you are off a low-carb diet, with an increase of consumed foods, you are likely to gain kilos very quickly. In other words, the whole diet becomes a one step forward, two steps back path which is not very effective. But what shall we do then? Carbs can be different. By moderately consuming wholemeal bread, pasta and brown rice instead of ‘white’ alternatives, you can already make a difference. In this case, weight loss can be slower, but the effects will be long-lasting and positive.

Myth 2: Less calories means thinner

by Ksenia Khor

This seems like an obvious one, doesn’t it? A few diets are based on calorie intake. The main principle is to consume as little calories as possible because it might seem that the less you consume the faster you get thin. That is why some diets offer an extremely low daily intake of 500 or 350 calories. However, for a young person, a healthy intake should be around 1900 calories and if you regularly exercise you can add 200 calories on top of that. But what happens if you go much below that level? Calories reflect the amount of energy that our bodies receive with food. If a body does not get enough of it, it slows down its processes including metabolism. Also, a low calorie intake can make fitness and sports almost impossible as there’s not enough energy to move. If you don’t get a decent amount of food for a long time, you might give up dieting and go on a massive food spree by consuming twice as much as you would do before going on a diet. The solution is to never decrease your calorie intake below 1500 a day. Again, the effects will be slow but long-lasting.

A few of us probably tried to lose weight by going on a diet. Fortunately, there is an abundance of different eating regimes offered by magazines, TV and the internet. However, instead of a rapidly slimming frame we only get minor results that only scales can notice. It’s also not unusual for the precious kilos we lost to return soon after we’re off the diet. We might blame ourselves for being weak and even attempt another diet that is stricter than the one before. And this cycle can go on forever. Do some diets actually harm us more than they make us feel and look better? What if some of the dieting principles that are heavily promoted by media and celebrities do not really work? Here are five of the most popular dieting myths that are not exactly what they seem.

Myth 3: No sugar is the best

This idea is probably integral to most of the diets out there. To some extent, cutting down on sugar is essential to be healthy and lose weight. But again, taking a principle to an extreme won’t do you any good. Sugar provides us with instant energy and when you feel tired you can crave sweets. That’s why during the stressful exam period we often consume more sweets than usual. By eliminating sugary foods completely,

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

FEATURE

A Winning Scheme for a Student Budget we can deprive ourselves from something that is not just tasty but can make us feel better – sweets, especially chocolate, can be an antidepressant. Also, when you don’t get any of your favourite sweets for a long time, you are very likely to catch up on them whenever your cravings become impossible to ignore. The best way is to consume sugar in moderation. For instance, if sugar free coffee doesn’t feel right for you, just add one spoonful. It won’t make you fat and coffee will taste better.

By Rebecca Savory Ever wanted a scheme that saves you money, doubles your earnings, and saves lives while it’s at it? It’s not always easy living on a student budget, and I speak from personal two minute noodle experience! But Urvashi Singh seems happy enough to be chowing into a bowl of plain rice in the name of charity. She is one of hundreds of New Zealand Students to take on the P3 Foundation Live Below the Line Challenge, this September. The challenge dares the people of New Zealand to literally “Live down under” by living on $2.25 of food and drink, per day, for five days.

Myth 4: Eliminate fat

Cutting out fatty foods is partially a good idea. However, there’s a different side to it. When we hear the expression “fatty foods”, we often think about fast food, canola oil and sweets. The latter is an example of foods with saturated fats that, when consumed in excess, are not only bad for your figure but can also cause cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, there are fats that can be good for you. They are unsaturated fats that can be found in olive oil, avocado, salmon and almonds which are extremely good for you because they contain certain elements that improve metabolism, strengthen bones and hair and help vitamin digestion. So by knowing the difference between types of fats, we can choose foods that can help us become slimmer and healthy. It doesn’t mean that you can consume kilos of almonds daily, but adding a few of these nuts to your diet will certainly improve your well-being.

This is the daily reality for over 1.4billion people living under the Extreme Poverty Line around the world. Urvashi, the P3 Foundation Project Lead for Live Below the Line, extended her challenge out to a full month, already fundraising $891 alone. All funds raised through the P3 Foundation are dollar-matched by the Glen Family Foundation, and go towards creating a sustainable home and life for the people of Kalimpong Village, India. “Whenever I want to cheat or sneak food, I just imagine the little kids’ faces in Kalimpong and remembered that they never have a choice” said Urvashi. “It’s made me realise how much we take food for granted, and how much I appreciate living in New Zealand.” It takes $120 on average to provide primary education, sanitation, safe water and medicine to someone in Kalimpong. So for every $120 raised, not only will one person be provided for, but two with Glenn Family Foundation’s help.

Myth 5: Do not eat after 6 pm

Certainly, it’s not bad to have your last meal as early as possible because at night-time, metabolism slows down and does not metabolise food fast. And that can lead to weight gain. This idea is a basis for a popular notion that eating after 6 pm isn’t healthy. Metabolism does slow down after 6 pm, but it doesn’t mean that we have to stop eating. Certainly, if you go to bed early, having dinner before 6pm should not be a problem. However, if you prefer staying up late, an early meal might not be an option as you can end up starving yourself. Also, long periods without foods can lead to gastritis and other health problems. It is recommended to have your last meal three hours before you go to bed. However, if that doesn’t always work, eating an hour before sleep won’t harm your figure.

Live Below the Line is one of many projects run by P3 Foundation, a completely voluntary youth-run foundation, aiming to educate young people on what extreme poverty is, and empower them to take a stand in ending poverty in the Asia-Pacific region within this generation. The challenge runs from September 24-28, organised by the Global Poverty Project and involving eight partner charity organisations across New Zealand. Urvashi said, “Choose the charity that is closest to your heart,” and added that her trip to Kalimpong, as a part of a P3 Foundation delegation this November, also keeps her motivated. This September, P3 Foundation dare YOU to Live Below the line. Let’s beat that lazy student stereotype and make our limited budget work for us, instead of against. Jump on our website and sign yourself, your friends, families, and flat mates up today!! www.p3foundation.org/lbl

So, if you’re keen to lose weight by dieting, the main advice is not to fall into the extremes and go with moderate consumption.

“Live Below the Line, so that others can rise above it” – Will Watterson, Global Poverty Project.

ISSUE 21 2012

FEATURE

Thumbs up to the kapai kai: a weight loss mission By Nigel Moffiet

ou’ve probably bumped into Kay Richmond a few times around AUT’s three campuses. He’s probably even cooked you up a free feed from behind the barbie – sizzling the saussies and cranking the beats for all you starving students as AuSM’s Activities CoOrdinator. But after his 40 kilogram weight loss mission, you might be forgiven if you don’t recognise him anymore. Richmond, 25, says he clocked his heaviest weight at around 115kgs. He reduced that earlier this year to 96kgs but even that wasn’t enough – his goal was to run onto the field and play a full game of league for the Point Chevalier Pirates, but to do this he needed to at least meet the restricted 85kg limit. “I wanted to play league, but I knew I wasn’t very fit and I was just sick of it,” says Richmond. Despite not been in the best shape of his life, he went along to the preseason training anyway, just to get some motivation. “I was in a team environment and there were a few others that needed to make the 85kg limit as well. I thought ‘yeah I can do this if these guys can do it,” he says. Luckily for Richmond he had a nutritionist on hand – his flatmate and AUT Health Sciences graduate Huia Arahanga –Doyle. He was soon on a fast track to fitness after making a number of changes to his diet. “My first step was sitting down with my flatmate and she explained to me the golden rules to rapidly lose weight. I had to drink two to three litres of water a day. Eating before 9:30 in the morning and eating no later than 9:30 at night and things like that,” he says. Richmond was reminded to drink lots of water each day after a simple slogan that Arahanga –Doyle drilled into him: “The more you pee, the skinnier you’ll be.” Arahanga –Doyle stresses that this is one of the most important steps to weight loss.

Kay Richmond

then

96kgs “Water, water, water. Water is the key to rapid weight loss, and always having three meals a day and getting a good night’s sleep,” she says. On top of this, Richmond says the most dramatic change to his diet was cutting back on fizzy drinks, pies and bread.

“The more you pee, the skinnier you’ll be.” He also says setting realistic and achievable goals were key aspects to his weight loss journey, and the biggest motivation was getting on the paddock. “I first set a 10 week plan and by week six I was able to play league after making 85kgs. That was my first goal.” Arahanga –Doyle made sure she kept encouraging Richmond to stay on track. “I told him to take one day at a time, keep focused on your end goal but always make sure you have short-term

now

75kgs goals to end with your long term goal,” she says. However no weight loss journey is smooth sailing, and there were some moments when he wondered if it was worth it. “There was one week I was 87kgs and I was really trying to get to 85. I was working really hard exercising and eating properly but I plateaued and nothing was happening. That was a real hard part for me. I was really frustrated with myself. It wasn’t until the next week that three kilos just shed of and I thought ‘okay, it’s still working’.” After 23 weeks, Richmond’s now achieved his goal – 75kgs. “I can play 80 minutes of league now. I’m not as sleepy and even my work ethic has been better. I’m more focused at work,” he says. Unfortunately, people aren’t noticing because they don’t recognise him anymore. “People have to look twice before they recognise me now,” he says.

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

FEATURE

Jono not so “Biggs” anymore By Nigel Moffiet

1) Drink heaps of water (between 2-3 litres every day). 2) Wait at least five hours between each meal. 3) Eat you last meal before 9:30pm 4) If you eat snacks during the day, make it fruit or crisp breads and keep snacks 2.5 hours apart. 5) Restrict all carb meals (potatoes, pasta, bread etc.) during the week. Eat carbs only on the days you are training. 6) After training eat a piece of fruit and a small handful of lollies if you wish.

Jono Srhoj

www.lifestyleclinic.co

Do you want to follow Kay’s footsteps? Here are some of the golden rules that helped him along the way:

then

156kgs Last year Jono Srhoj decided it was time to turn his life around and make health a priority –drawing inspiration from his Paralympic gold medal winning cousin. Srhoj, 24, and currently finishing his business degree at AUT, has always been a large lad and is simply known as “Biggs” by friends – some don’t even know his real name! He started his weight loss mission at 156kgs. Now they might not even recognise him – in 20 weeks Srhoj has lost more than 50 kilograms and is inching closer towards his target weight of 93kgs. He says his weight was influenced by a number of setbacks in life. “In 2006 I lost my old lady to breast cancer, so that hit home with health. But being in a student environment with partying and all that kind of stuff filled the void and killed the pain for a while,” he says. Srhoj acknowledges the help he received from AUT’s Health, Counselling and Wellbeing service during this low point in his life. But not one to make excuses,

now

106.6kgs

he realised he had to lose weight before it started affecting his health. “The wakeup call was the doctors saying most of your health is related to your weight and once you deal with that everything should come right,” he says. He says he drew inspiration from friends and family, including his cousin – gold medal Paralympic swimmer and world record holder Cameron Leslie. “I look at him and go ‘if that dude can rip up a gold medal and world record, in swimming of all things, with no legs, look at that man, that is inspiration’,” he says. He also acknowledges his best mate and fellow weight loss champ Kay Richmond or “brother Kay”, as he is more affectionately referred to. Being on similar journeys, Richmond motivated Srhoj to get into sport. “Kay definitely helped me out. He encouraged me to get into sports heaps and he invited me out to play a bit of rugby out in Helensville. We just got back into it,” he says.

Richmond says his motivational advice was pretty straight forward. “I told him to get of his ass,” he laughs. Richmond also says it is becoming harder and harder to recognise Srhoj these days. “I have to look at him twice now, to double check that it’s actually him.” Srhoj says one of the biggest changes to his diet has been cutting out alcohol and his weight loss programme is focused on setting weekly goals and “baby steps”. He lives by the motto “where focus goes, energy flows” – a saying he learnt during his business degree. Despite being a few kilograms short of the finish line, Srhoj says it’s not the time to revel in his achievement. “I’m not taking it in yet because I don’t want to get complacent,” he says. To follow Jono’s personal weight loss journey and photos check out his blog at: http://www.cohensdiet. com/Jono-s-Journey.html

FEATURE

ISSUE 21 2012

Dealing with health, stress and anxiety on campus By Nigel Moffiet

or many, university life can bex a stressful and tumultuous period – it is the time when you’re entering the world on your own; the safety nets of high school and parental support aren’t there like they used to be and– although liberating – it’s scary. Often, the heavy workload of assignments and exams toppled with problems in your personal life can be a breaking point. During times like these, it’s important to know how to seek help. Talking to your peers or someone you trust is a good start. It’s also important to know the services on offer at university that are set up to help you. Here at AUT, the Health, Counselling and Wellbeing service is available for City, North Shore and Manukau students. Speaking to debate, most students said that time management and the stress of assignments were the most common worries. First year communications student Ashton McDonald says the stress of being broke is another concern as a student. When asked how he deals with his stress he says he “likes do get drunk and do some exercise the next day”. Second year business student Priya Singh says she has often felt the tension of uni life. “Exams are definitely the most stressful part, especially when they all on

right person. We’ve also got a mental health advisor so sometimes it’s more appropriate that they go to them. The other thing is to have a look at our website and have a look at the services and decide who it is that they want to see,” says McFarlane.

the same week.” When asked how she copes with the stress of being a student her answer is simple. “I eat,” she says.

Seeking Help

First year podiatry student Megan McPherson says organising her workload is the most difficult part of student life and finds running a good way to relieve the stress.

AUT Health, Counselling and Wellbeing manager Stella McFarlane says the service is set up as a full general practice providing for accident care and general health care – the same services you might expect from a local GP or nurse.

Balancing uni life with work, friends and family “is not too hard but takes a lot of planning”, she says.

“Whatever you would go to a doctor in the community for, we provide. Our doctors are fully qualified and experienced GPs,” says McFarlane.

McFarlane says the more common aspects affecting students are those problems that go hand in hand with beginning a new phase in life.

However, the service is also well prepared to help students through times of anxiety, depression and crisis. In such cases there are councillors and a mental health advisor on hand – simply heading into the centre on each AUT campus or making a phone call to speak to one of the trained receptionists is a step in the right direction.

“There are issues like home sickness and adjusting to university life and all those things like being able to manage time and relationships. But certainly things like depression and anxiety are high on the list. Another one would be performance. Many people get concerned about having to present in public or working in teams,” she says.

There is also an emphasis on sexual health services and this includes free emergency contraceptive, free condoms, and free chlamydia tests for students under 25. Counselling is also free.

Second year science student Sumit Narayan says he likes to listen to music when the stress levels get high. Narayan also had to give up some activities in order to cope with his workload.

“It’s simply a matter of phoning or dropping in to give them an idea of what you’re needing and our receptionists can assist [students] in going to the

“I used to play soccer but I had to quit because of uni. “My first year at uni was chilled but the second year

was a shit storm,” he says. Taking part in group assignments and team focused course work are situations that can also give rise to cases of bullying – although not a common occurrence it happens from time to time and is something to be aware of says McFarlane. “There are instances of this and that’s why we have our counselling team and our harassment prevention trained student advisors who can assist students on how they can address it themselves. It’s very much an idea of selfempowerment.” There can also be times when students feel overwhelmed and the thought of seeking help might seem frightening, but McFarlane encourages students not to be shy. One popular first step is making use of the online counselling service which students have found useful for breaking the ice.

Counselling Service

“Online counselling is not synchronised chat, it’s an email counselling service and it’s not suitable for people who are in crisis. It was set up particularly to think about people not on campus, but actually we do find that students use it as a doorway into counselling,” she says. The AUT Health, Counselling and Wellbeing service also provides for a number of wider needs that students might not be familiar with including

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

spiritual support. If students need information or education around these particular needs, there are a number of visiting chaplains on call as well as multi faith rooms at the North Shore and City campuses for meditation and prayer – including Muslim prayer spaces. “We also have multi faith forums. We have a very multi faith approach where all of the chaplains will come together in a forum and discuss ideas,” says McFarlane. Overall, McFarlane says the service runs on the understanding that students often find themselves in a variety of complicated situations and they work through these problems with a “non-judgmental”

FEATURE

Getting your butt into shape at AUT

approach. “We really understand that people’s lives can be complex at times and we’re there to help support them make good decisions for themselves. The other thing is that it’s confidential. Our information is not shared across the university or shared with others unless by request of the student,” she says.

By Brooke Pita Going to the gym might be the last thing on your mind as a student – you’re overwhelmed with numerous assignment deadlines and live off a budget that barely gets you by. I’m sure many of you worry about not being able to have enough time to fit in a proper fitness programme. Well, dust of your gym clothes and get your running shoes ready – there might be a solution for you.

Feeling stressed? Stress is part of everyday life. Stress can be motivating and help us achieve our goals. However too much stress can be debilitating and can become stress overload (distress). It is important to notice if you’re becoming too stressed and do something about it, before you get overwhelmed.

The services provided by the uni gym have made exercising more suitable for the student lifestyle. Senior supervisor at the AUT city campus gym, Moon Lee, says the staff can help create a fitness programme to suit each student’s timetable and needs.

Signs of stress can include:

“Whether you have only 30 or 40 minutes of spare time, that’s enough time to exercise every day.”

• Insomnia and sleeping problems, anxiety and depression, worrying a lot • Racing heart and digestive problems, headaches • Mood swings, feeling angry, snapping at people • Impaired memory and loss of concentration • Finding it hard to relax.

He says they can also create a programme to suit each person’s fitness level, whether they are a beginner or more advanced. Reihana Reiri, who studies a Bachelor of Business, is a regular gym goer at the city campus and says he enjoys making time to work out between classes.

It can help to remember:

Often it’s just a matter of getting yourself through a difficult time. You may need some help to see it through.

Reiri says he never finds it difficult to balance his course work with the gym despite working out five times a week, from Monday to Friday, with each workout session being two hours long.

Some ideas to help keep stress under control: 1. Talk to someone (friend, whànau, family, counsellor) and ask for help 2. Get plenty of physical exercise 3. Having a healthy balanced diet 4. Being well prepared and organised 5. Some good rest and relaxation/do something creative 6. Plan study and breaks in your schedule for some fun

Amanda Walker, who studies a Bachelor of Design, works out four times a week, from Monday to Thursday, for an hour. Although she finds it difficult to make time for the gym, she does it anyway she says. “I just do it because I know I’ll feel better afterwards.

Get in touch with AUT Health, Counselling and Wellbeing now by phoning: 09 921 9992 Or check out the website for all their services: http://www.aut.ac.nz/being-a-student/currentpostgraduates/your-health-and-wellbeing/health,counselling-and-wellbeing-centres

AUT has made getting fit and healthy a more economical option for students and there are free group fitness classes provided with all gym memberships.

The city campus provides yoga, pilates, stretching and abs and core stability classes. North Shore campus provides a wide range of classes which include yoga, spin, kangoo jumps, boxing, weight classes, and dancing classes such as Zumba. There are currently no group fitness classes at the Manukau campus, but Patel says they will be organising this. Personal trainers are only available at the North Shore campus. Gym membership can be a costly luxury for many students, ranging anywhere from $14 to $20 a week – so what can AUT students expect? ▶ The gyms on each campus

have a number of options which include no joining fee. Students can either give weekly payments, or pay a lump sum.

▶ With a six month

membership, you can pay $260, or $10 a week.

▶ For a 12 month

membership, you can pay $365, or $7 a week. So it will basically cost you $1 a day to use the gym on this contract.

AUT Sport and Fitness Centre manager, Himan Patel, says students at the Manukau campus have another cheaper option available to them. He says this is because students at the Manukau campus may not be able to go to the other two gyms easily. So this offer lets students use only the AUT Manukau gym. Students at the Manukau campus can pay $6 a week on a 12 month contract, or $8 a week on a 6 month contract.

ISSUE 21 2012

POLITICS

Two days, two votes – politics in the spotlight Jarred Williamson

While we all took a little breather from our academic pursuits, two conscience votes went down in parliament over two consecutive days – one was a first reading of the bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry and the other was on the legal alcohol purchase age. It might not have been the most historic couple of days in our political history, but heck it was up there for recent times. It was probably the most New Zealand politics I have ever seen on my Facebook and Twitter feeds.

majority group domination that the religious idea of marriage being between a man and woman has stuck.

New Zealand First MPs took a stance where the issue should have gone to referendum instead of a conscience vote.

The issue of ‘gay marriage’, ‘same-sex marriage’ or ‘marriage equality’ has had a growing amount of discussion worldwide in the last few years, with some countries finally allowing same-sex couples to marry.

“There is still an assumption in this house that members know better than the public when it comes to issues of morality,” Winston Peters said in his speech in parliament. In that five-minute speech, as Peters does best, he did not discuss the issue at hand. Instead Peters went on to describe the conscience vote as “anti-democratic” and that it should be scrapped to “the dustbin of history”. Needless to say, all New Zealand First MPs voted against the bill.

Earlier in the year the President of the United States, Barrack Obama, came out in support of LGBT couples being able to get married. Republican Candidate, Mitt Romney, does not support it – no surprises there. The fact that homosexuality was deemed illegal not that long ago is quite shocking, but to think that it is still punishable by death in some countries is horrifying.

It is simply assumed through

For information on making a submission, visit: http:// www.parliament.nz and click on “Get Involved”.

“I find myself questioning why, as a heterosexual New Zealander, I have a legislative right to marry, that same-sex couples do not,” said Botany MP Jami-Lee Ross. Later at the end of his address he added: “I hope this parliament can extend the right to get married to all New Zealanders.”

The politics of same-sex marriage:

As it stands, the Marriage Act 1955 does not define what ‘marriage’ means.

Around 10 MPs spoke during the bill’s first reading, with the final vote having 80 in favour and 38 against. The bill now moves onto the select committee stage, where it will be debated further and where you, the public, can make submissions on the bill.

There were some powerful speeches delivered by various MPs on both sides of the issue.

Back in New Zealand, cue Manurewa and Labour MP Louisa Wall and her private member’s bill to define marriage in the Act. By luck, a few months ago it was drawn at random from the ballot.

Wednesday – Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill:

Twitter was my Parliament TV as I was getting updates of what was being said. The hashtag #marriageequality and Facebook postings went through the roof, especially as the vote was announced.

The bill’s sponsor, Louisa Wall, was thankful for the support she had received and addressed her local and Pacific communities by saying she meant no disrespect to them.

The issue of allowing same-sex couples to marry is a heated and divided one – there were politicians in favour before the vote, ones that couldn’t decide and ones that were firmly against.

She maintained that the bill gave churches the right to choose whether a same-sex couple could marry there and stressed the state had no right to discriminate.

As I had mentioned in earlier articles, Labour MPs such as Damien O’Connor and Su’a William Sio were against the bill citing personal beliefs as well as representations of their electorates, as well as some National MPs.

“In New Zealand there is clear and transparent separation of church and state,” she said.

THURSDAY – (Purchase Age): The journey that is the Alcohol Reform Bill has been a long one, with work on the bill beginning during the last term of government. With the other parts of the bill being finalised toward the end of the year, it was the legal purchase age that was put to a conscience vote. MPs had three choices: keep it at 18, raise it to 20 or introduce a split-age (18 for bars and restaurants and 20

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

POLITICS

for the alcohol shop). We’ve all seen the endless clips over the news – young people vomiting on the street, drinking down the bottle of tequila, fighting and others passed out on the footpath. Yes, the extremes of drinking aren’t pretty. Rising the age is no silver bullet to that – just think those getting absolutely trashed are not all 18 or 19-year-olds, our drinking runs much deeper (and older) than that. One of the most vocal supporters to return the age back to 20 was Winston Peters. In his great wisdom, the previous evening he called on National and Labour to scrap the conscience vote, as MPs assumed wrong that they had better judgment on moral issues.

RESPONSE

Peters described lowering the age as one of our biggest mistakes and he and his party happily voted for the age to move back to 20. No referendum called for.

After what seemed like an age and after endless complaints over the Parliament TV music, the Speaker announced the result: at 18 had 68 votes and 20 had 53.

Voting was a lot closer this time round with the split option dropping out after the first round. This meant it was either staying at the status quo or moving back to 20.

The aftermath was mixed – some supportive and others disagreeing with parliaments decision to keep the age at 18. Honestly I think a lot of people are over the issue of alcohol and the purchase age.

Twitter went off again, a few controversies arose – one where Simon Bridges offended many in the National Party youth wing by describing them as “pimply faced Young Nats”. The campaign across all parties’ youth wings to ‘Keep it 18’ had meant countless hours were spent lobbying. Other twitter users called for MPs to deal with the real issue, our culture, instead of the purchase age.

Expect more debate as politicians try to deal with the root cause of it all – our drinking culture. The remainder of the bill will be finalised and passed into law by the end of the year, with changes possibly including: greater community input on liquor store locations and restrictions on advertising and opening hours.

“We’ve all seen the endless clips over the news – young people vomiting on the street, drinking down the bottle of tequila, fighting and others passed out on the footpath.”

for letter on Page 5

Thank you for raising this issue with us. Dear Debate,

We acknowledge that the shuttle bus service can be very busy at certain times of the day. To help alleviate this congestion, the shuttle bus service between Manukau, City and North Shore Campuses has been extended from five per day to 12 per day from the start of semester two 2012 on a trial basis.

In regards to the article written by Tariq Al-Diery, I would like to point out numerous distortions and outright lies in the piece. First off, Tariq makes the claim that Israel voted against the UN resolution condemning Syria for human rights abuses. This is simply false. Israel voted in favor of the resolution as testified by the official UN record. Another immense distortion is the assertion that since 1973, Syria has been protecting Israel’s borders. This is also an outright lie. In 1974, Syrian soldiers fired bullets into Israel spawning a major border clash. Also, Multiple times in the last two years, Syria has allowed Palestinian agents to cross into the DMZ. Furthermore, Syria directly supports and supplies Hezbollah, a terrorist organization. Hezbollah in turn has fired rockets, mortars and machine guns into Israel. Hezbollah has also conducted kidnappings within Israel. This is clearly not protecting Israel’s borders.

Soon after semester two started we noticed that the earliest and latest shuttle services were proving to be the busiest, so there are now two buses departing from Manukau Campus at 7.05am. More recently it was found that a small number of students attending classes that finished at 6.00pm were leaving class early to catch the last shuttle bus service to Manukau which departed at 5.10pm. We added a special charter bus leaving North Shore departing at 6.15pm specifically for those students who finish class at 6.00pm. We have asked Lecturers of classes finishing at 6.00pm to announce the availability of this extra bus service.

However, the more disturbing element of this article is the view of the author that Syria is wrong for offering to disown terrorist groups in peace negotiations with Israel. The author thus implies that terrorism against civilians is an acceptable form of political opposition that should be encouraged. This view should be abhorrent to any member of a liberal democracy such as New Zealand.

We have reiterated to the bus contractors that student or staff ID checks must be carried out as people get on the bus.

Retractions of the inaccuracies above and condemnation of the support of terrorists should be made if Debate is to retain the notion of fairness and honesty. As it is, the article is an attempt to smear Israel with the guilt of Syria’s brutal crackdown. It is an altogether absurd proposition.

We will continue to monitor the shuttle bus usage and adapt our timetabling as necessary to meet our student and staff needs.

Kind regards, Samuel Gurtman Australasian Union of Jewish Students

Kevin Hodges Commercial Services Officer Estates- Facilities Management, AUT University

ISSUE 21 2012

ARTICLE

CMY

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

COMICS

ISSUE 21 2012

ARTICLE

Matthew Cattin

Nothing lifts one's spirits and raises motivational levels more than getting out into the rugged wilderness and breathing in the crisp air and morning dew. Over the break, Matthew Cattin went on a weekend adventure to Mt Tongariro and he reports on a day of slippery surfaces and wide plateaus the magic of the New Zealand outdoors.

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

ARTICLE

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” - Jack Kerouac

espite waiting outside a Taupo backpackers for a 5:45am pick-up, eyes swollen shut and regretfully yearning for the warm beds we left behind, we were happy for the fact that less than two hours away awaited an alpine adventure on Mt Tongariro. My brother, his girlfriend and my best mate tripped down the night before, skipping my last class of the day to be on the road before dark. It would be my third time on the track, having walked the crossing nearly 10 years ago and the circuit in year 12. However, these journeys had been in in the summer months where the winter’s snow only survived in the sparse shadows the sun couldn’t reach. This time, with the trek planned for the first day of spring, we were all eager to get amongst some snow. The atmosphere on the shuttle bus was one of bright anticipation. There were 20 of us and I have to say I felt like a foreigner. Germans, French, Brits and Japanese made up the bulk of the team. The guides were stoked, and somewhat surprised to have such a big turnout of Kiwis - a grand total of six. They joked about taking a photo of this historic moment. When the three mountains, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu suddenly loomed up in front, back-dropped by a deep blue sky, the eager group let out a cheer. Even the mountain guides were ecstatic – the weather had brought it’s A game. We were all kitted out with crampons and ice picks before reaching the start of the track. Not gonna lie. Felt like a rock star mountaineer. I think I can speak for the group when I say we were all eager to see some evidence of the recent eruption, the only one since 1897. I was expecting to have the guides point out some new boulders spurted onto the ground or perhaps some ash deposits.

What I didn’t expect to see was light yellow steam spewing out of the vents created in the blast a few weeks ago. It was still erupting. Gas coming out thick and fast. “You see that haze over there?” said a guide pointing towards some low cloud spreading over the mountains, “that’s not cloud, that’s sulphur dioxide. You gotta wonder what it’s doing to our lungs.” The view from the top of the infamous Devil’s Staircase was incredible. Below us stretched rugged volcanic country and flat lands all the way to Taranaki, which thanks to the crystal skies we could see glimmering in the West. Ahead of us stretched the plateau, an unnaturally flat area leading up to the summit, and to our right, the symmetrical cone of Mt Doom, Ngauruhoe. Everything was covered in a thick dump of snow, completely smooth like marble. There is nothing quite like walking into a sea of white and not seeing any footprints or indents up ahead – a blank canvas. We ditched our packs and crampons at the base of a small hill and climbed up with our ice picks, it was time for slide training 101. Before attempting the intimidating mountains up ahead, it was important to learn how to stop ourselves should we slip off the side and get into an uncontrolled slide. The idea was to hold the point of your ice pick up by your shoulder and once sliding, roll onto your stomach and grind the pick into the ice with all your body weight on top of it. Works a treat on the little hill but come the big suckers I wasn’t feeling a bundle of confidence. We trekked to the base of the ascent after the plateau and very carefully snaked our way up. With our ice picks in hand, we had to keep at least two points of contact with

the ice at all times. The snow surface wasn’t soft and giving, it was hard and slippery, cracking beneath our boots. It was a killer workout on the legs, tendons and bones all twisted up trying to stay upright on a 45 degree slope. It was slow and painful and I couldn’t imagine doing it in low oxygen environments like legit climbers. Summiting the Red Crater was awesome as always. There is a small patch of scree rock on the very top which gets warm enough from the geothermal activity below to melt the ice, and also warm tired bums for that matter. This was to be the end of the road for us however; the rest of the crossing was sealed off due to the eruption. We could see the half-frozen over emerald lakes down below but unfortunately could not get to them – a real shame. After lunch, it was time for a slow decent of the slope, using a safety rope to avoid trouble. Once we were about half way down though, it was time to put our slide training to the test. I went first, pack on my front, feet pointing down the mountain. I zoomed down in three spurts, grinding my ice pick in when I got too fast for my liking. Absolute magic. The walk back to the bus was where I started to feel the fatigue. My excited frolicking in the snow and running up hills to slide back down hadn’t done my energy reserves any favours. The last 2km was a bit of a shambles, my feet heavy and my legs loose. Reaching the shelter and the awaiting bus was like a dream – I was freaken exhausted. The bus dropped us off in Taupo at just before six and the thought of driving back to Whangaparaoa, over three hours away made we want to cry. But I got my emotions together, ate some party mix, listened to some beats, stopped at BK, and I was tucked in in bed, exhausted and sore, before I could say Tongariro.

ISSUE 21 2012

Caffeinated Banter by Elesha Edmonds

Do you own any of the following? a) Oversized gold chains b) Your own tanning salon c) A Mercedes-Benz d) A small dog whose bark could be compared to a cat sneezing.

“The problem with today’s bronzed-waxed -tightenedbleached celebs is that they think a 72 day marriage or three days in prison will give them attention.”

If you answered YES to any of the above, then I have some tragic news for you. Those items that you possess are dying fads in Hollywood. In fact it would seem that they are now only accepted by those pathetic ‘aunties’ on the GC. *Overdramatic pause for effect*

Now, before you dab your mascara-laden lashes and cry about how you are “like so out of date,” there is good news. In fact there is always good news when coffee is involved. My trashy

FROM PAGE 14

WWW.AUSM.ORG.NZ

woman’s magazine research has detected a consistent appearance of coffee in the delicate hands of celebrities. Coffee, it would seem, is that latest hip, chic and slick Hollywood trend.

cup in the world. Mary-Kate Oslen is another miniscule celeb that has taken up the trend. However please note that in her large cup is a venti sugar-free vanilla skim latte.

The problem with today’s bronzed-waxed -tightenedbleached celebs is that they think a 72 day marriage or three days in prison will give them attention. However, any aspiring paparazzi mongrel will know that all they have to do is get snapped by a camera set up outside of Starbucks. Don’t believe me? Then pick up a celebrity magazine. You will find pages of trees wasted on photos of Miley chugging down an iced coffee, and Katie Holmes looking solemn over her half-strength grande soy latte.

Never order a simple coffee. Any Starbucks celebrity will know that you never simply order a flat white or trim latte. This is because the more creative your coffee order, the more attention you will receive. So upgrade your standard coffee with different shots, syrups and sizes. Make sure that your coffee order is a reflection of your individuality. For example, Nicole Kidman orders a triple grande skim wet cappuccino and Renee Zellweger gets a grande extra hot vanilla latte with cinnamon. Keep your order as unique as possible. It would be a celebrity’s biggest nightmare if they realised their fame-hungry rival had already ordered the same caffeinated beverage. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

So what does this mean for us New Zealand folk who could only ever make it as B-grade celebrities? Well it means that the way to make it into Tinseltown is not necessarily to be invited to the right parties; but to make sure you are holding the right coffee. The following is a collaboration of key Hollywood coffee trends that will hopefully help you fame-seeking-coffeelovers.

Size matters. The common theme in celebrity coffee drinking culture is size. Oversized coffee cups are key to achieving this trend. Even the minuscule characters of Hollywood society have taken up the trend, even though their massive cups seem disproportionate to their own tiny bodies. Nicole Richie would be an obvious example of this. Her tiny figure is usually complimented with king-sized sunglasses and the largest coffee

Image is everything. If your mother is reading this, then I do apologise. Our parents don’t want us to think image is important. However image is everything with this coffee trend. Make sure that when ordering a coffee you create the best possible image of yourself. Your order is ultimately a reflection of who you are on the inside. This is the best advice I could ever give you because – notably- there are a few celebrities that have missed the boat on this one. E Poor Ms Lindsay Lohan does nothing but reflect her icy personality by ordering an iced coffee. E Arnold Swarzenegger’s macho appeal is definitely not reflected in his choice of a grande non-fat Latte. E Sadly, Britney Spears’

Strawberry Frappuccino hardly does her “I’ve-grown-up-sincemy-breakdown” image any wonders. E Katie Holmes’ half-strength grande soy latte doesn’t make her look as if she is about to make a full-strength comeback (at least she doesn’t have Tom Cruise to keep her down). 5. And finally, Kim Kardashian doesn’t even make the cut. She likes an iced passion tea from Starbucks. Hopefully she catches onto the fashion trend before she gets engaged to another innocent man. Other trashy celebrity coffee facts: E Hugh Jackman and Leonardo DiCaprio both own their own charitable coffee brand. Jackman’s Laughing Man Coffee donates 50% of its profits to charity, and DiCaprio’s Lyon coffee roasting gives 100% of its profits to his family foundation work. How sweeeeet! E Rohan Marley, the son of the late, great Bob Marley, owns his own brand of Marley Coffee. Marley’s lyrics have also been used for other coffee brands such as Lively Up 5 Bean Espresso and Buffalo Solider Dark Roast. E The band KISS also has a line of coffee called Kiss Coffeehouse. It seems they have taken coffee to another level and sell artificially flavoured ground coffee. Does rocky road or a blueberry coffee sound tasty to anyone? Hopefully these pointers will help you and your fame-hungrycoffee-loving lifestyle. Just make sure the next time you buy your trendy large coffee you upgrade to double shot, forget the trim milk, mix in two sugars and smile at the paparazzi.

REVIEWS

Hot Cakes

Hit and Run

The Darkness

Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell and Tom Arnold Directors: David Palmer and Dax Shepard | Run Time: 100 mins

If you can listen to a high pitched male without cringing and (if you’re a guy) are comfortable feeling your manhood slip away slightly, then Hot Cakes should be on your musical menu – the third recent studio album from The Darkness. If you’ve forgotten, The Darkness came out in 2003 with that song I Believe in a Thing Called Loved and then, following a few less than hit songs, faded away. Nearly 10 years after that notoriously high pitched song, album three is out following a five year hiatus in the late 2000s to overcome personal problems in the band. Hot Cakes is a ‘reunion album’ (do two albums and a break constitute a reunion?) and it brings you smack back into the early 2000s with tight pants wearing lead singer Justin Hawkins, and the rest of the original line up. To me, The Darkness is a delicious guilty pleasure. And I love some good Hot Cakes. The Darkness kick off the album with Every Inch of You. This is the comeback song for them and the one which makes me want to rush out and buy the album (or rush to open up iTunes to download it). Guitar riffs from the start and that high-pitched voice coming in before a minute is up yelling “suck my cock” is exactly what The Darkness should be doing music-wise. Thank goodness this is the first song listed on the album, because it makes you want to keep on listening to Hot Cakes, and the song which reminds you they ARE The Darkness and this craziness is what they do best. Hot Cakes doesn’t disappoint in continuing to deliver the sweet sounds of The Darkness. From Everybody Have a Good Time to Keep Me Hangin’ On and the superb first single released

Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us, the album is amusing and fun and, with summer just around the corner, it’s a must listen to in the sun with a beer in hand. She is just a girl, Eddie is another must listen to track, especially if you keep in mind the lead singer wrote it about his brother’s ex girlfriend without him agreeing to it. The tone is taken down a notch with a cover of Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out) – this is the only song inclusion I questioned. The cover itself is fine, but I don’t think a cover on your reunion album is quite right; this is a chance to show what you’ve got and what it takes to comeback, not rejoicing in someone else’s work. Overall, Hot Cakes is a great comeback / reunion / third album from The Darkness. It may not be out of this world amazing, but there’s nothing else quite like this fun and funky band and I recommend getting amongst their music. Just be warned: it’s accompanied by a lot of highpitched vocals from one small but outrageous male lead singer. - Renee Simpson

Unlikely love is on the line in this (it’s cringing to say) romantic action comedy, a genre that appeals to both sexes. In this case we have a very sexy ‘67 Lincoln Continental with “700 ponies” to keep the boys happy while a healthy mix of romantic musings and emotional tears will satisfy the ladies. Hit and Run involves the romance between the characters Charles Bronson (played by Dax Shepard who also wrote and directed the movie) and Annie Bean (Kristen Bell). Charles Bronson you say?! Yes, it’s a faux name, but unlike these frustrating movie trailers that not only give all the funny parts away but are stupid enough to spoil plot twists, I’m not going to reveal the exact details – so don’t watch the trailer. But let’s just say Charles has a shady past which Annie isn’t aware of until they get caught up in a humourous and sometimes frightening game of cat and mouse with a bunch of mean and unlikeable dimwits. Charles’ dodgy background also means he is under constant witness protection which is dutifully and clumsily undertaken by U.S Marshall Randy Anderson (Tom Arnold). Randy is a character who has bad luck as a middle name, and despite his best efforts, things never go well for him. There is a wince of apprehension every time he draws his gun – he tries to calm everyone by displaying his badge and asserting that he’s not only well qualified but well trained. The fact that it doesn’t quite work out that way is the recipe for some of the funniest scenes in the movie. One interesting aspect to the story is Annie’s professional role as a conflict resolution professor. Having received a job promotion and an offer to head her own department at an LA university, she hits the road with Charles and they leave behind their small country side life for the big city. The fact that Annie’s role is at odds with Charles’ past gives rise to tensions between the couple even before Annie is fully aware – but soon the baddies are onto Charles, we find out his real name, and Annie is broken hearted and left feeling betrayed. The weirdest thing about this movie is its mixed genre. Often the humour falls short, I found the romance uninspiring, and the action actually led to a couple of nasty scenes of violence which took me by surprise. The movie never gelled and felt random at times. However, it was entertaining and I personally loved the high octane car chase scenes which were accompanied by some pretty awesome tracks from Aerosmith and Jimi Hendrix. The highlight for me was hearing the purr of the ‘67 Lincoln Continental resonating through the cinema surrounds before the wah wah pedal of Vodoo Child slowly took over. Pretty epic stuff to balance out the romantic cheese balls really. So guys, you could probably get away with taking your lady along to this one, and vice versa. This movie is just an entertaining compromise really. - Nigel Moffiet

REVIEWS

Candy Coated Fury

The Expendable 2

Reel Big Fish

Sylvester Stallone, Liam Hemsworth, Arnold Schwarzenegger, et al Director: Simon West | Run Time: 100 mins

You don’t listen to Reel Big Fish, one of the most fun and energetic bands in the world, expecting a sense of maturity or artistic evolution, because when something works so well, why change it? Emerging from Huntington Beach, California in 1992, The Fish began their lives as an alternative rock band, but following the departure of their original lead singer, then backup vocalist Aaron Barrett took over the lead and quickly changed their genre to ska. It wasn’t until the ‘Third Wave of Ska’ in the mid to late ‘90s that RBF managed to achieve mainstream success with songs like Sell Out and the cover of Aha’s Take on Me. Candy Coated Fury, the seventh studio album from Reel Big Fish is just what you would expect from the band – 14 tracks of upbeat, sarcastic and ultimately danceable ska punk. This formula of having angry, cynical lyrics and placing them over happy upbeat melodies, is a winning formula. Band leader, guitarist and lead vocalist, Aaron Barrett said when writing the album, he was “very conscious this time about how danceable the songs were and how they make you move when you listen to them”. This definitely is an album that just makes you want to dance! While Candy Coated Fury is not the best offering from these 20 plus year veterans of ska punk, it still offers some true gems. Album opener Everyone Else Is An Asshole kicks off the album in true RBF style. Coming out with trumpets blaring and the grooves cranking this is a perfect Reel Big Fish track. With lyrics like “I tried to be nice, I tried to live my life, but everyone else is an asshole”, you know you are not getting deep and meaningful lyrics, but your

feet start moving from the get go. I Know You Too Well To Like You Anymore, almost feels like a second part to 1996’s She Has A Girlfriend Now, and the familiarity feels good. While, Don’t Stop Skankin is a more ‘traditional’ ska track, mostly instrumental and full of trumpets, trombones and ska sensibility. One of the best things I find about the latest offering from Reel Big Fish is the wide range of topics covered throughout the album. A lot of people in all kinds of different situations can relate to some of the issues covered. There are tracks for people breaking up, getting dumped, starting relationships, blaming your problems on everyone else, right through to dealing with a stalker and one that I’m sure many guys can relate to – having a friend whose girlfriend just plain sucks. As with many other fans across the globe, Reel Big Fish always had and always will have a very special place in my heart. They have the uncanny ability to make the most negative of lyrics and song content into the happiest sounding tunes ever! They make you want to strap on your dancing shoes and continue moving ‘till you can’t stand anymore. While Candy Coated Fury isn’t the best album from the group, in no way does it disappoint. It is always difficult for a true live band to capture their intense energy on tape. Reel Big Fish are a driving force in the underground of Ska Punk, and I know from the bottom of my heart that people will continue to be ‘Doin’ The Fish’ for years to come. - Carl Ewen

What is there to say about a movie like this? It provides enjoyable, stupid action that is self-conscious and funny. Like a friend of mine said, the characters in The Expendables live in a world where everything just blows up all the time. Within the first five minutes there were a countless number of bodies that were either blown to smithereens or crushed by a rampaging machine that takes a real powerhouse of a bloke to operate. The plots in movies like this are often simple to the point that they’re hard to follow. You might have missed something amongst all the explosions or you couldn’t quite understand Stallone during moments of cease fire because the grumbling sound of his testicles scraping along the ground render parts of his speech inaudible. Not only does Stallone have a difficult time with speaking clearly, one wonders how he ever became an actor when he doesn’t even have the skills to evoke joy – his smile consists of a wee muscle spasm in the corner of his upper lip. But shit man, you just have to jump on the band wagon with this one and take it for what it is. Celebrate it like an event and use it as an excuse to get your mates together and go along for a few enjoyable laughs and a rollicking good time. How much enjoyment you get out of a movie like this will also depend on the atmosphere in the cinema and those who you choose to see it with. You will encounter the might of Barney Ross (Stallone) who’s on a mission to make amends with CIA agent Church (Bruce Willis) and take on an assigned mission to pretty much save the world from a bunch of dickheads who have a stash of plutonium and are ready to use it under the leadership of the villainous guy in shades (Jean-

Claude Van Damme) whose name is…wait for it…Vilaine! Personal vendettas are what this movie’s all about and shit hits the fan when Vilaine kills one of Ross’ boys in typical cowardly fashion. Of course, the movie is all about the stars and adding to the cast of onscreen heroes we also have Chuck Norris playing Booker “the lone wolf”. One enjoyable scene that’s sure to work movie goers into cries of triumph is when Chuck busts out his very own ‘Norris-ism’. Yeah boi! On top of this we have some memorable quotes that movie geeks will no doubt add to their repertoire and bust out to impress during social gatherings. -Trench (Schwarzenegger): “I am out of ammo. I’ll be back!” - Church (Willis): “You’ve been back enough! It’s my turn to be back.” -Trench: Well yippe-kai-yay. Oh boy! Honestly, this movie wasn’t that great. I wish it had some more development or a little more complexity to the story line – something to make it worth watching more than once. This isn’t a must see film, but it’s a good one to celebrate with friends.

- Nigel Moffiet

ISSUE 21 2012

STUDENT PROFILE

Interview by Nigel Moffiet

“You have to be part of the system first in order to fight against it.” Mark Wu 22, Product Design, AUT

What is it about fashion that inspires you? “I love everything about the fashion industry. I love the idea of creating something that can make someone feel more confident when they wear it, or sexy, or daring or sophisticated or crazy! Fashion is how we express ourselves to others. It is what we use to identify ourselves, whether subconsciously or not. And of course, I love the glamour.” What separates clothing from fashion? Would you consider a Swanndri Kiwi fashion? “For me, fashion is more about an expression of creativity. It’s about an idea communicated using the human body as a canvas and a garment as the method. Clothing is more of a functional item needed due to necessity. As far as a Swanndri as kiwi fashion, I would consider it more of an item of Kiwiana, something that is stereotypically associated with New Zealand.”

Joshua Fache

Bachelor of Design Fashion, AUT AUT Bachelor of Design student Joshua Fache admittedly spends most of his time holed up in the AUT studios working on designs. As someone who lives and breathes fashion, he is setting his sights upon what is, in his opinion, the pinnacle of the industry – the Haute Couture. For many outside the world of fashion, this might not mean a heck of a lot so debate spoke to Fache to gain some inside knowledge on fashion in New Zealand and his efforts to gain an AMP scholarship to fulfil his dream – and while we’re at it, he tells us exactly what Haute Couture is.

Some people might say New Zealand is not a very fashionable country compared to places like France, Italy or New York City. What do you think? “I think New Zealand for its population size, and the size of the fashion industry here is a fashionable country. We have a few great directional designer brands and a great bread of young designers coming through institutions like AUT. Places like France have a much larger industry, and have been leading the fashions of Europe and the world far before New Zealand was even known about. I think the more nonconformist and experimental designers struggle for the recognition they deserve in New Zealand, as we just don’t have the market, and we seem to be a little more reserved and afraid to stand out.” What about the average Kiwi walking down Queen Street, or students getting around AUT? Are we fashionable? “I think Kiwis are known for a certain look, especially in the fashion set, black, draped, 1980s Japanese influence, which I guess is around the same time that NZ started to find its feet in fashion and it’s kind of stuck. When I lived in Sydney everyone commented on the amount of Black we wear. But things are starting to change, there are more diverse looks around and people are starting to have more confidence in fashion. I think we are a long way off matching Paris chic, New York’s sophistication or London’s avant-garde, but for our size I think we do alright. I love some of the outfits I see AUT students wear, there are some really fashionable dresses out there, and it’s not the head to toe label wearers, it’s the ones that have put a little of their personality into their outfit.”

What’s the hottest city for fashion these days? “For me, without question it’s Paris. It’s the creative heart of the world. Any fashion hot spots in New Zealand or Auckland? “Dunedin always tends to produce a lot of talented fashion designers and is such a beautiful city for inspiration. In Auckland, Britomart is becoming a bit of a fashion destination, and there are a few funky boutiques scattered around the surrounding suburbs. But to be honest, I have spent the last three years in the studios at AUT or at work. I’m sure there are heaps of great places I don’t even know about still.” You have worked for the NZ brand WORLD and you’ve been involved in a number of fashion events – what have been some of your more memorable projects to date? “I’ve worked for WORLD since I started my degree and have been involved with the past three fashion week presentations, and have just completed my 80hours required from my degree in their workroom which has been a great experience. Being a finalist in last year’s Westfield Style Pasifika was also an unexpected honour.” Your ultimate goal is to become the first New Zealand designer to work for Haute Couture – the pinnacle of fashion in your opinion. Can you explain this industry to those of us who don’t know much about fashion? “Haute Couture, which translates to high fashion and sewing, is the height of international fashion. It is an over a century old French fashion institution based in Paris which involves the creation of custom made garments, primarily made by hand to the client’s specific measurements. Its relevance to the industry is immense and inspires everything from cosmetics to accessories. Without the Couture there would be no fashion.” You also have your sights set on gaining a scholarship to study your Master’s at Institut Francais de la Mode in Paris – why do you want to study here? “Yes I’ve applied for an AMP scholarship for $10000 to help towards my education in Paris which is a public voted scholarship through Facebook. The Institut Francais de la Mode is one of the most reputable postgraduate programmes in Europe and was founded by Pierre Berge, Yves Saint Laurent’s business partner. It’s a very internationally focused programme that involves a lot of prototyping and communication with some of the world’s most prestigious, luxury brands.” If you would like to vote for Joshua go online at: http://ampvoting.orcas. co.nz/Applicants/Details/10646

debate is looking for some super interesting AUT students to profile. Do you know someone at AUT who we should profile? Is it you? Email debate@aut.ac.nz with your suggestions.

CMY

Chips

$3.50

Hot dog and chips

$5.00

Wedges

$4.50

Onion rings and chips

$4.50

Kumara chips

$4.50

Mini Samosas and Spring rolls $6.00 Hot dogs

$2.00

fish and chips

$5.80

chicken and chips

$7.50

www.vesbar.co.nz

HURRY IN FOR OUR

gReat statIONeRY sale 25% % 0 5

! f f o

! f f o %

15% o

33 ff!

off

40% off!

aUt stores only Selected stock only. Stock will vary between stores. Valid until 30/9/12 or while stocks last. NETT Price - no further discounts.

AUT City Campus AUT Akoranga Campus 55 Wellesley Street East, Auckland City 90 Akoranga Drive, Northcote Tel: 366 4550 Fax: 366 4570 Tel: 489 6105 Fax: 489 7453 Email: aut.city@ubsbooks.co.nz Email: aut.akoranga@ubsbooks.co.nz Web: www.ubsbooks.co.nz Open Monday to Friday or shop securely online 24/7