Debate | Issue 2 | Taboo-ish by Debate Magazine

debate Issue 2 | March 2019 | Taboo-ish

Contents

After the Affair :: Page 16

Nobody Gives a F*** on TV Page 10

Dining Alone Page 14

Dear Catcallers Page 22

Cannabis Referendum Page 26

C OV E R I L L U S T R AT I O N BY R A M I N A R A I

EDITOR Ben Webber ben.webber@aut.ac.nz DESIGNER Ramina Rai rrai@aut.ac.nz ADVERTISING Jesse Jones jesse.jones@aut.ac.nz

CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Ruth, Jake Kampkes, James Tapp Britt Little, Abigail Johnson, Jess Rayner Emily Wilton, Hayley White, Melissa Koh, Leo Walton

PRINTER Nicholson Print Solutions DISCLAIMER

Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AUTSA, its advertisers, contributors, Nicholson Print Solutions or its subsidiaries.

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 AUT STUDENT ASSOCIATION (“AUTSA”). 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 AUTSA.

PUBLISHED BY

Editor's Letter Hi!

or death), we explored a few things people may, or may not, consider taboo.

I hope you all had an amazing O Week and everyone survived the craziness. Everything is feeling very zen in the AUTSA office now that the festivities have come to an end. I just took a quick look out the window at the Hikuwai Plaza and can report that it has returned to its usual form: a grey abyss threatening to envelop you. I really hope you’re settling in and not feeling too overwhelmed by the year to come. What’s not looking grey and depressing like the plaza is this issue of Debate! This one is called ‘Taboo-ish’, and whilst we didn’t look at all the taboos of the world (you don’t have to read about cannibalism

Cannabis continues to be a hot topic of discussion and James Tapp takes a look at the referendum and the various points of view up for discussion. Also in the mag, Jake Kampkes examines the Broadcasting Standards Authority, which assesses how taboo certain words are for TV. Jake took on the almost impossible task of making the BSA sound interesting and for that he deserves a medal. I promise it’s a great read. Debate reporter Lauren Ruth also explores catcalling and how it affects us. As someone who gets randomly yelled at by cars from time to time, I know how it

can really demoralize you and make you feel like crap. Lauren spoke to a ton of AUT students about the issue and the responses were super insightful. Finally, Melissa Koh continues to wow us with her stunning recipes. This week she’s made a whole fish that you might think twice about flipping. Don’t forget to take the Debate survey in the giveaway section to be in to win. And get in touch if you want to write for the mag, I’d love to have you. Talk soon! Ben

Can't get enough of Debate? Check out our website, like or follow us on social media, or email the editor to get involved. www.debatemag.com

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@debate_mag

debate@aut.ac.nz

news

Hugh would have thought? By Jess Rayner | Photograph by Emily Wilton

AUT’s Oceanian Voices choir was caught by surprise after Hollywood star Hugh Jackman arrived at South Campus out of the blue. An uproar of excitement could be heard outside the building when Jackman made the appearance in late February. Jackman went on to recreate the rendition of ‘This Is Me’ that the group had produced in a viral video, inspired by the Oscar-award winning film The Greatest Showman. Over 100 students sang alongside Jackman and Keala Settle, another star of the film who was also in attendance.

A rousing haka followed the performance, to thank the stars for their visit and taonga were graciously received. At a Q&A following the performance, Jackman told Debate that students wanting to pursue the arts need to find their tribe. He said no one can make it alone and the ability to “follow your own path” is very important. Jackman was in New Zealand to promote his upcoming world tour which includes two shows in Auckland in September.

news

Creative Industries Major Dropped for 2020 By Ben Webber

Year 2 Communications students have expressed their shock at AUT’s cancellation of the Creative Industries major for 2020 just six days before the start of semester.

a year that was wasted, and we’re either going to have to change to somewhere else to do a similar sort of thing, or just put up with another major that we weren’t intending to do.”

Ben Fitchett, who had planned to take the major, said he felt “stuck like a lost puppy not sure what to do” after the announcement.

Aimee Tibbotts, another student, spoke to Debate just after the announcement and said AUT did not seem particularly concerned about the situation.

Debate understands the affected students were informed about the major’s cancellation through an email.

“They just don’t seem bothered. They’ve been getting back to us quite late. It just seems all very rushed and not properly organised.”

A petition, started by Fitchett, gained over 1000 signatures, and was intended to encourage AUT to bring back the major for 2020. Debate contacted Fitchett in the days after the announcement and he described the situation as not good enough. “We feel like we’ve been left here with

Tibbotts said it had been hard to meet in person with AUT staff on the week of the announcement as well. “So many people went to AUT to do that major. People could have gone and done completely different things if they’d known this was going to happen.”

Rosser Johnson, a Senior Member of staff from the School of Communications, told Debate the constraints were “truly unforeseen.” “I’ve been working in the school since 1997 and we’ve never had this combination of things before.” Johnson said AUT has since reached out to affected students and they have received the necessary help. “We’ve got people working with other faculties so that they’re [the students] going to be able to get what they were looking for from a combination of papers across the university.”

Johnson said the school would like to apologise for the disturbance to students and it is doing everything it can to ensure students are able to move forward and graduate with a BCS.

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opinion

AUT’s Russian Emergency Phones offended having been dubbed “obsolete” By Ben Webber

The future of AUT’s emergency phones is looking unclear, with only a handful of the points still in service and the rest decommissioned.

raises concerns for Debate around students who may attempt to use a decommissioned phone in an emergency to no avail.

Critical information obtained by Debate includes the fact that many of the phones are of Russian origin.

Debate approached the Russian emergency phones for comment and they explained the language barrier had made it hard for them to warn students that they no longer work.

AUT Security Manager, Rehan du Toit, told Debate the university is prioritising it’s 0800 AUT SAFE, number and the old phones are effectively “obsolete” at this point. Debate understands AUT still monitors four of these call points on the City Campus. There are still, however, at least nine call points on the campus, some of which don’t have signage stating they are not in service. AUT Security told Debate they were under the impression all decommissioned phones were appropriately marked. Unmarked and decommissioned emergency phones on City Campus

“The call points were installed before the day of the cell phone and before the existence of toll-free numbers.” When asked why the decommissioned phones haven’t been removed, Du Toit said “We can’t just take them out because we’ll be left with a big hole.” “I’m trying to work through what the best way to decommission them is.”

The emergency phones told Debate furthermore that they can’t speak because they’re phones.

Use the AUT SAFE number!

So, why can’t we have both?

Save 0800 AUT SAFE (0800 288 7233) to your phone now! Like actually, do it now!

When questioned by Debate as to why AUT can’t retain both the emergency phones and the 0800 AUT SAFE number, Du Toit responded: “To be honest with you, people don’t actually use those phones.” Du Toit told Debate that the decommissioning of the phones is not a funding issue and that the phones have been gradually taken out of use over the past few years.

The number goes through to AUT Security and is manned 24/7. AUT Security is here to help. Because of the partially decommissioned nature of AUT’s emergency phones, the above number or 111 should always be prioritised before attempting to use the phones (which may be entirely decommissioned soon depending on proposed changes to telecommunications at AUT).

Debate’s top recommendations for what to fill the holes in the walls if the phones are taken out:

A hipster hole-in-the-wall coffee establishment

A window

Tropical aquarium 9

NOBODY GIVES A F*** ON TELEVISION By Jake Kampkes

The other day I said fuck in front of my mum. She didn’t say anything, but looking in her eyes, I saw a small part of her die. Shit, I thought. I should have tailored my content to the audience at hand. In your own life, it’s your job to regulate potentially stupid and harmful things you say. In broadcast media, this is the job of the Broadcasting Standards Authority. The BSA regulates what type of content can be fired out through the airwaves, into our eyeballs, and into the eyeballs of impressionable kiddies. As such, I decided to call up this Dastardly Organ of State Censorship (or possibly Defenders of Decency and Civility), and find out exactly what they do. I’m averse to authority by nature and I will admit that I was nervous picking up the phone and calling this faceless bureaucracy. My Kafkaesque fears were washed away surprisingly quickly when I heard the bright, professional, voice of Catie Murray, a BSA legal advisor, on the other end of the phone. Taking my stumbling interview technique in her stride, Murray then took me through the basics of what the BSA is here for, and what it does on a daily basis.

The BSA holds the unenviable position of balancing the freedom of expression, and the public’s right to know what’s going on, with the harm that expression may cause. This is never a contentious or difficult balance to maintain (sarcasm intended). The BSA, in practice, has several difficult jobs to do.

for privacy), they perform research and they take what they call ‘litmus tests’. Litmus tests check whether samples of the average Joes and Janes agree with their example BSA decisions. Their answers act as a guide as to whether the decisions made at the BSA are, well, authoritative.

Primarily, the BSA must gauge what we (the public) consider harmful. To do this they draw from other parts of the government and legal system (e.g.

The piece of their research that I absolutely LOVE is the aptly named “LANGUAGE THAT MAY OFFEND IN BROADCASTING” questionnaire. Every

year they ask about 1500 people, how offensive do they find the word ‘cunt’. And it turns out that ‘cunt’ is very offensive. It tops the list with 63 percent of people finding it offensive in all contexts. Interestingly enough, this is 9 percent less than in 2013. Both eclipsed ‘fuck’ at only 39 percent (13th place). Gender related slurs had a “small but notable increase”, while blasphemies are down with ‘Jesus Christ’ losing a whopping 12 percent, and ‘God’ almost dropping off the bottom of the table.

“The BSA holds the unenviable position of balancing the freedom of expression, and the public’s right to know what’s going on, with the harm that expression may cause. This is never a contentious or difficult balance to maintain (sarcasm intended).”

This is fascinating stuff, as it reflects not just the role of the BSA, but what we care about as a society. If we take this as gospel, we care less about religious offense and more about people’s pride in their identity. Hopefully this means that we’re growing to be more accepting of identities that we might not see as traditional. All interesting things to ponder. The BSA has also introduced several new words and phrases in Samoan and Te Reo. These placed quite highly in terms of offensiveness. ‘Puaaelo’ (Samoan for ‘stinking pig’), the highest of the new contenders came in at 15th, one percentage point below both ‘slut and ‘fuck’. In my opinion, it’s good to see the BSA taking into account bad language from other parts of our multicultural society. Truly a step forward. All this research is eventually published and made available to both the public and the broadcasting industry and developed into a set of guidelines to advise broadcasters when and how they

should display their content. It also includes information around whether they need trigger warnings and whether or not they should display unblurred pictures from social media of underage sexual assault victims (definite no but we’ll get to that in a minute). Their final duty is to deal with complaints. The broadcasters themselves deal with most run-of-themill complaints. The BSA only rules on political and privacy complaints directly, and when members of the public believe their complaints to the broadcaster have been dealt with unfairly (appeals). They balance the harm done to the injured party with the broadcaster’s freedom of expression. Now to get back to that earlier example. The last complaint upheld by the BSA was released in September 2018. A man had allegedly sexually assaulted four young women between the ages of 16 and 18. A Newshub headline story showed the unobscured faces of those young women, identifying them and causing the potential for public shame and ridicule. As you may have

gathered, this was not cool or legal. The BSA ended up hitting Newshub with a $2,000 fine and ordered compensation to be paid to the complainant of $3,000. Five thousand dollars. Hardly big money for a media company. The maximum monetary penalty is $10,000 split between Crown costs and compensation. So, (and this is pure speculation, mind you) in the eyes of the BSA this event is about halfway to the worst thing Newshub could possibly do. It makes you wonder how badly they’d have to fuck up to get that $10,000 fine. “Fairness and Freedom in Broadcasting”. That is what the BSA strives for. But are all its decisions fair? Probably not. Does the public agree with most of them? The research seems to suggest yes. Is it censorship? Well if so, it seems to be a muzzle we put on ourselves in order not to scare the kids or hurt the people we care about. If nothing else, the Broadcasting Standards Authority is the reason that, before 8:30pm, I can’t give a fuck on television.

Dining Alone in the Social Media Age By Abigail Johnson I’m sitting at my local café and I’m busting a gut. It’s rather embarrassing actually, but the laughter is spilling out of my lips like vomit after a round of Kahlua shots – which is to say, I can’t hold it in. Hastily I check my peripherals for onlookers, but as per usual, no one’s paying me any attention. It’s the podcast I’m listening to (Boners of the Heart) that’s causing such bewildering, though unnoticed, giggles. It’s plugged to my ears while I wait for my lunch to arrive. Any introvert will be aware of a headphone’s true purpose: signalling to the world that one wishes to be left alone. They also provide an easy out for those feeling conspicuous in their solitude. Don’t pity me, it says, I’m enjoying the company of my iPhone. For the sophisticates, there’s the alternative option of a book. Though harder to navigate with a knife and fork (how the hell do you keep the pages from flapping around?). A solitary consumer with a novel says to the world: I’m a super-deep thinker who enjoys the finer things (unless you’re reading 50 Shades, which is a borderline thing to do in public anyway). Or, there’s always the option of a magazine, easier to manage, and far more casual. And then there’s the full monty: dining in public without the social lube of accoutrements. The best way to eat without the assistance of a friend, podcast, magazine, or book is to just immerse yourself in your meal. Yes, it sounds wanky. But it’s rare that we truly enjoy things by ourselves these days, and it might surprise you how lovely it is to focus on the flavour of your food. Trust me; no one’s going to think you’re strange.

I don’t find it lonely to wine, dine, or even see a film by myself. In fact, in the face of Instagram, Snapchat, and vlogging every moment of one’s life, reading a book in a café feels like a tiny rebellious act. Or an active form of meditation. Social media is called such for a reason – it exists under the guise of helping us socialise. But I suspect our obsession with the form stems from a deep well of social anxiety. It’s important to present yourself correctly on your channels: carefree, fun-loving, happy, popular... To not do so is to place yourself squarely on the outside.

“Any introvert will be aware of a headphone’s true purpose: signalling to the world that one wishes to be left alone.” I’m not particularly lonely in my life. I have a loving partner and wonderful friends and family. But I do feel lonely when I lie in bed, crumbs on my collar, thumbing through highly edited photos of my prettiest acquaintances. Social media has irreversibly altered the way we live our lives. ‘Why waste a sunset on your own eyes,’ it tells us, ‘when you can film it and show it to everyone on your contact list?’ Everything we encounter these days makes for potential content, whether it’s a weekend trip to the beach or your daily walk to work. In the face of this culture, it’s refreshing to do something on your lonesome. It’s even nicer not to post it on the internet. It’s most refreshing, however, not to care what people think of you. And as I look around this café, in which I was just painting the walls with my solitary laughter, I remember that people don’t care very much about the lives of those around them. That’s the deep irony of social media: the only content people really care about is their own. So focus on your meal. Truly, no one cares.

Potentially illustration by Leo - otherwise will put photo here

After the Affair By Anonymous | Illustration by Leo Walton

Last year I fell in love with someone. It should have been a happy, loved up, sexfilled time, except that person wasn’t my boyfriend. It is a truth (almost) universally acknowledged that having an affair is wrong. Wrong with a capital W. Maybe you have a preconceived idea of the type of person who might have an affair, or an inkling as to the reasons that might prompt one. Perhaps people who have affairs are sad, unhappy in their current relationship. Perhaps they are people who long for excitement or maybe you think they’re horrid, selfish people with no regard for those they hurt. Whatever your opinion may be, I don’t believe I fitted any of those stereotypes. I never thought I would cheat and always believed (still do) that cheating is wrong. The person I met felt the same and yet there we were sneaking around and ultimately hurting people. To say I surprised myself is an understatement. I had always joked that I was too disorganised and too bad a liar to ever have an affair. Yet lying became like second nature and that scared me. Some people say affairs are all about the thrill, but I found it unbelievably stressful. I think unless you truly don’t

care about those you cheat on, then affairs are not entered into lightly. The guilt is constant, as well as the fear of being caught of course. Cue sleepless nights, weight loss and permanent feelings of nausea. Loneliness also plays a part – talking to friends and family suddenly felt impossible as I knew they’d react with horror, disgust or disappointment.

“Believe it or not, I am still firmly against cheating and have no intention of ever doing so again, nor would I congratulate someone else for cheating.” Now I want to make it clear here that this is not a cry for sympathy, just a personal account of what engaging in something seriously taboo is really like. When the truth came out, I lost a fair few friends and those that stood by me certainly didn’t condone my actions. Surprise was a common reaction. “I never thought you’d be the type” came up a few times.

One of my friends asked me if my morals had changed after having an affair. Believe it or not, I am still firmly against cheating and have no intention of ever doing so again, nor would I congratulate someone else for cheating. I think what has changed is my perception. There is no one type of person that cheats, and just because someone has cheated does not mean they themselves are necessarily bad or can’t be trusted. A bad action alone does not make you a bad person if you accept responsibility, learn from it, and try to make it right. Similarly, if you know a friend is having an affair, don’t immediately cut them off because you don’t agree with what they are doing. Talk to them instead – they may need your support. There are many, many reasons why someone might cheat. It doesn’t make it right, but perhaps it’s a conversation we need to open up. Like so many things commonly regarded as taboo, the way forward is to break down stereotypes, be kind to others even if they behave differently to us and start talking. Communication is key. Be a good friend. There will always be someone who will listen without judgement.

Ditch Your Highschool Friends By Britt Little

We all know the awkward first day tutorial sitch - where will I sit, who will join my table, do I go in now or wait to see who else comes? Maybe you lucked in and found someone you vibe with regardless of when you entered the room. Score. Now the next challenge - how do you cross the uni friend barrier? When is too early to ask to grab a coffee after class? And the biggie: are we friends or are we just uni friends? As a born and bred Aucklander, I never needed uni friends. But there’s something nice about romanticizing the American college experience. I mean, I don’t think I’m game to see my classmates in a toga just yet, but I would be down for a study group or two and more time to complain about the ridiculous load of readings and assignments I haven’t done yet.

So, the question remains - Is there a way to break through our sometimes stale class only connections? Or more importantly, should we even care about friendships at uni? My answer would be yes. Because we won’t remember the times we went home and watched Netflix. But we might remember spinning a yarn in Albert Park, laughs shared over coffee at Counter, being told to shhh in the Treehouse or hitting a uni event at Vesbar over O Week. But how do we break that barrier through awkward transactional connections and towards a Stepbrothers friendship level. Or even dare I say it – the American dream. Well, the American college dream at least. After four years of uni and experimenting with awkward connections beyond tutorial walls here’s what I’ve learnt.

Follow someone after class (lol). Ask someone what they’re doing after class. They will likely give you a sweet vibe or a gtfo vibe. Only follow though if you get a sweet vibe. This can get awkward, so you have been warned. Bonus points if they are going somewhere to study, they may shout you a soy chai latte or hot choccy #winning

Plan a study date. This is great. You most likely won’t study much, but the bonds will grow like the line before an 8am lecture at the café for coffee. Pro tip: use phrases like “I am so unprepared;” “when will I use this;” or “I’m screwed.” Nothing builds comradery like an academic existential crisis.

Show your weird. There’s no such thing as over sharing when building friendships. Take it from a past retail chick who spent hours in forced conversation with co-workers. We live in a world where we keep our cards close. Adult friending is built on being weird or at least open. Tell me about your hidden love for Disney musicals, your pet rock collection, or your Harry Potter patronus animal. I’m down.

Meme away. So its exam or assignment time and you are spending more time procrastinating on social media than doing anything productive. The upside? You see a lot of hella great memes that

encapsulate your angst and tagging your almost uni friends will work wonders.

People share exam/assignment tips. What more could you want?

Vesbar that shiz. Did you know our uni

Just try. Uni is what you make it. What

bar is hella cheap, recently refurbed, has great vibes and an app that lets you line up your choice of songs? Oh and not to mention the best wedges and fries on campus? Well now you know. I once asked my uni friends five times to join me and on the sixth we made it to Vesbar. I’d call that a success.

you put in you get out. My friends over the road at Auckland Uni are the most connected, bonded, bunch I know and they still manage to balance work, study, social uni groups, old friends, and new uni friends.

Did someone say clubs? If you’re are a hardcore American College dream chaser – or just want to meet new people - than look no further than AUTSA clubs. It took me four years to click that clubs were actually filled with rad humans. They’re the people you will be dying to meet. So grab that almost uni friend and ask them to join you at a clubs event. There’s usually free food and always a welcoming face and you can even get leadership training for your CV if you so choose. Check out AUTSA’s website for a full club list.

Start a class Facebook group. Sometimes you just want to know what Carol gets up to on the weekend, if the hottie on the back table has a significant other, or if anyone else shares your love of musicals. Putting your hand up to start the group is a great way of getting to know the crew a little more. Bonus?

Ditch your highschool friends. Ok, so you don’t have to be that dramatic. But at least be open to the fact that humans who didn’t grow up in your postcode might be worth getting to know. So instead of expending your social energy with old friends who repeat the same pre-drink town combo, or other such highschool rituals – ask your uni friends out to an event in the CBD after class next week. I dare you. So there you have it. Your uni friend beyond tutorials challenge. Let’s add something to our cup of chill and connection that will actually help when uni stress hits. The friendship support network. Give it a whirl. I promise you won’t regret it. And lastly, remember when making new friends it just takes one moment of braveness to invite them to friendship town or in my case sometimes five. See you there.

Giveaways

giveaways

Student life can be tough, which is why we search the city for the snazziest stuff to give away. Like the look of something below? Head to our Facebook page (/autsadebate) and fill out the survey pinned to the top of our timeline titled ‘Giveaways - Issue 2’

Movie Night

Shout a Mate

Take some time out from procrastinating and enjoy a night at the movies on us with two Event Cinemas Vouchers. Read the instructions at the top of the page to find out how to enter.

BurgerFuel fuels the human engine and when you’re a student that engine’s often running pretty hot. Take a break and shout your mate a free burger at BurgerFuel Queen Street. Debate has 8 vouchers to give away! Read the instructions at the top of the page to find out how to enter.

Intergalactic Ever wondered what bathing in deep space would be like? Invite the cosmos into your bathroom with these sexy, interstellar bombs and become the guardian of your own galaxy. Debate has one box of these little guys to give away. Read the instructions at the top of the page to find out how to enter.

Pizza!

Feeling Naughty?

Brew-tiful Coffee

New York is just a trip to Sal's away! With 100% authentic ingredients and original recipes, Sal’s (@salspizzanz) is proud to serve you New Zealand's ONLY authentic NY Pizza! Sal’s has five pizzas to give away to our lucky Debate readers. Read the instructions at the top of the page to find out how to enter.

Are you looking for one of those fake butts that you can stick to a table? Debate has a $50 Peaches and Cream voucher to give away in honour of our ‘Taboo-ish’ issue. Read the instructions at the top of the page to find out how to enter.

Karajoz organic coffee is the pick me up you need to drag yourself to that 8am lecture. It’s also Fairtrade and non-polluting. Debate has a few bags of Karajoz plunger to give away. Read the instructions at the top of the page to find out how to enter.

Dear Catcallers By Lauren Ruth | Illustration by Leo Walton

I was catcalled for the first time when I was 12. I was wearing a yellow ‘Adventure Time’ t-shirt and blue knee length shorts. My friend and I were walking down a small, suburban street, and a car slowed down next to us. A group of teenage boys inside leered and sang a tired chorus of “show us your tits!”, “nice pussy!”, and “are you legal?”. Laughing, they drove away. I turned to my friend, shocked. She gave an uneasy laugh and said “ah, boys”, in a way that was far too mature, too experienced, too normalised to be coming out of a child’s mouth. I brushed it off and decided that this was normal. This wasn’t the first time I had been objectified or even sexualised by boys. It would prove to not be the last. More recently, I was waiting with my best friend for an uber, our skin covered in goosebumps from the cold. It was late at night and we had just finished a movie. We huddled together, keeping warm, when a car slowed down just in front of us. The streets were empty and it was just us on the footpath. The oh so familiar song of catcalling boys rang out at us, followed by a laugh. Different from when we were 12, the plastic novelty had worn off. As they drove away, we let out the breath that had been trapped in our lungs and linked arms. Pretending we weren't scared shitless we

recipients, however, it makes us feel unsafe and uneasy. Others experience it too. I decided to reach out to others about their experience with catcalling / harassment and the responses (kept anonymous) were immediate. It’s not just Women having a hard time. Of the small sample of people I reached out to, 72 percent identified as Female, 20 percent as Male, 4 percent as Non-Binary, and 4 percent preferred not to say.

“You’re really pretty.” Here’s a tip - when someone doesn't seem reciprocal in your attraction, leave it. Once you give someone a compliment and they aren't into it, leave them alone. Also - key point - commenting on a stranger’s body, under any circumstance, is unhealthy and toxic. It feeds into the useless rhetoric of objectifying others, further continuing our oh so toxic culture of making others feel fundamentally unsafe over things they can't change.

On average, the earliest age respondents remember being catcalled or harassed was 13. The youngest was 9. None of these situations were acceptable. When asked why it was acceptable to catcall, most responses were along the lines of: “If you think that’s acceptable, you need to re-evaluate your moral compass” However, countering this, I received the following comment: “Because anything can be identified as catcalling these days. It's a lot harder to talk to other genders without this word

Moving on, catcalling is very rarely seen as a compliment.When asked what people thought catcalling / harassment was indicative of in our society, the response was overwhelming. “Toxic masculinity. The fact that men feel justified to make women uncomfortable for their own satisfaction proves that men have been taking advantage of their own male privilege for too long. They need to be held accountable for all the shit they’ve put women through forever.” And most simply put: “No respect.”

being openly used.”

laughed and said “wouldn't it be nice to actually go out at night?”

There actually is a difference between compliments and catcalling. “Show us your tits!” is different from, say “You’re so kind.”

People who catcall don’t see the effects of their shouts. To them it’s fun, to the

“Screw me, sexy!” is not “Would you want to have sex?” “Nice ass” does not mean

Dear catcallers, next time you decide to harass someone I hope you think back to this article, these accounts. This behaviour will always be obnoxious, intolerable, and above all else, creepy as hell. Don’t be that guy.

Victims of Unwanted Attention “I have had my ass, boobs and waist grabbed countless times while being out drinking. I also once had someone grab my waist at a nightclub and tell me “maybe if you lost some weight you could come home with me”. I also run 3-4 times a week and I would say I have never been for a run without being catcalled (been running for about 4 years).”

“Through high school (all boys), many guys would catcall me and whistle at me because I was gay, it happened multiple times mostly by a select group of them. Looking back on it I realised I had become so comfortable with it as I chalked it up to just “boys being boys” but after starting Uni and making a bunch of friends I realised after talking with them that this wasn’t actually okay.”

“At a party in the halls of AUT, a girl came onto me and repeatedly I told her I had a girlfriend, however she continued to touch my inner thighs and flirt on me in a very strong harassing way until I had to leave the party.”

“I was walking to work one day and a car drove past. He then proceeded to pull out in front of two cars until I had walked past. He yelled at me out his window as he slowly drove past before speeding off. He risked his life, and the lives of others, to get the satisfaction of calling out his window at me.”

Cannabis: The Referendum Going Sky High By James Tapp Think back to last Saturday. You’re at a party, just you and some mates, a few drinks, some music and a bit of dancing. All of this is legal, yet the people smoking weed in the room at the back of the house is not, even though it seems to provide no more threat than a crate of beers. Rewind back to the 1960’s and you wouldn’t have people openly admitting it was them smoking, yet now most people wouldn’t bat an eye. So, what’s changed? Is legalising cannabis to be used by the everyday Joe going to be the right move? Well, the NZ Drug Foundation’s most recent poll suggests New Zealanders think it’s the right idea, yet does everyone know what needs to be put in place to make this a success? This time last year, cannabis wasn’t legal to use in any case. As of December last year, if you are terminally ill you are able to get cannabis without a ‘high’, which can help to relieve pain. For a lot of people, this is the change they wanted and also where they wanted advancements to stop. When it comes to the 2020 referendum, however, it’s all about recreational use. This is a binding referendum, meaning if the people of Aotearoa want it, it’ll happen. But do people know what they’ll be voting for? A passing referendum only means that it will be legalised. Phil Saxby, the secretary and former president of NORML NZ, says when it comes to whether sales will be legalised, a decision is yet to be made. Nothing has been decided or even discussed formally yet surrounding sales, taxes, advertising or availability. These factors will ultimately help people to make a decision they’re happy with.

“In the modern day and age, there’s a lot pointing towards a move to legalise cannabis, with countries including the Netherlands, US and Canada catching on.”

In this modern day and age, there’s a lot pointing towards a move to legalise cannabis, with countries including the Netherlands, US and Canada catching on. NZ Drug Foundation Director Ross Bell sees legalising cannabis as the right move, even if the laws around it were to be an absolute mess. Even if it becomes available at your “local corner dairy” it would be an improvement, he says. With addiction starting to be recognised as more of a health issue than a criminal one, help is wanted and needed. Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick says the enforcement of a “‘just ban the damn thing” philosophy has only ended up putting the drug more into the hands of young people. With the right laws tying taxes to rehab

services, some real changes could start to be made. This is also the perfect chance to show that the government has learnt from its mistakes with alcohol and tobacco, which are fully immersed in Kiwi culture and causing serious problems. It’s also a good chance to place stricter policies in place from the start surrounding age restrictions, strengths and advertising. This is a multi-million dollar market at our fingertips, with the ability to rapidly grow, so why not take it? Not only will it benefit Aotearoa as a whole, but it will also be “A chance to stifle income for the criminal underground,” according to Swarbrick. It seems the opportunity to benefit from legalisation is huge, even if we don’t get it all right from the

beginning. Ross Bell says the issue most New Zealanders are worried about is having it landing in the hands of their children. The brief legalisation of synthetics and the damage that this caused is the perfect example of how the government may not be ready to go ahead with this at all. While cannabis hasn’t caused any deaths in NZ, the smoking of it also doesn’t have the same negative effects as tobacco. Only one percent of users are addicted, according to NORML NZ. It does, however, have a negative effect on the mental development of those who shouldn’t be consuming it in the first place, the youth of Aotearoa. If the right policies aren’t put in place, cannabis has the potential to be

marketed towards young people. Products like the vaping device Juul in the US, have been criticised for such marketing, using bright colours to attract a younger demographic. With the right education and the right, tight policies, the problem that cannabis presents is near zero, which is why people like Bell want to see it move forward. It feels like the support behind legalising cannabis nationally and internationally has burst through the doors, going from a taboo and a controversial topic to a hot one. With more and more concrete research done on medicinal cannabis, the grip around it as a taboo has been loosened, with the country coming to terms with it being more beneficial than

harmful. Generations including the baby boomers, have historically been taught that cannabis is a gateway drug as part of ‘the war on drugs’. For younger generations, more reliable sources surrounding the effects of cannabis are readily available, with the myths surrounding it being quashed. According to Saxby, “There is a lot of historic information based on scare stories.” Having talked to some of the people who are most educated in the area, the overall vibe is pretty pro cannabis. Protecting young people does, however, need to be a priority. Ultimately, time will tell, however things are looking positive, with the government overall quite supportive of the issue. We need the right policies in

place, especially ones to protect vulnerable demographics, like young Māori men. Even if youth usage spikes, “It’s better for all drug use to be legalised in some form, because it can somewhat be controlled and people know what they’re taking” says Saxby. In the end it’s your decision. Chlöe Swarbrick says she’s pushing “To have a piece of legislation outlining the regulatory scheme that New Zealanders will be voting on, passed prior to the referendum itself”, which when put in place will allow the government's vision to come to fruition. In the end, reading articles such as this one and others, listening to politicians, advocates and those who oppose the issue will help you to make a decision you feel is right on a topic that was once upon a time taboo.

Metoyer

Debate’s Hayley White sits down with emerging local artist Metoyer Manuel

When the call came from her producer that she would be writing a song with Aussie/Irish duo OTOSAN, Metoyer Manuel had a feeling it was going to be her big break. Manuel went on to write and produce the group’s hit song ‘Lights’, which peaked in the New Zealand top 10 charts. Not a bad start. She’s been singing almost as long as she’s been talking, and her earliest memories are of belting along to ‘Coyote Ugly’ when she was two or three. “I grew up on that shit,” she says. “And then I got into J-Lo when I was five.” There’s a specific note in J-Lo’s ‘All I Have’ that Manuel says she would always try valiantly to hit. “That was when I decided I was a singer. I was maybe five-ish, yeah, I sung pretty young.” Once very outgoing, this started to change as she got older. Manuel was growing up between Auckland and Melbourne when stage fright and depression began to take hold. It was one of her music teachers in Melbourne, Dino, who helped to pull her through. “I had really bad depression, so for two months when I was like 14 I went mute. Do you know how weird that is for me? I talk a

lot!”. Manuel says music class was the only thing she could bear to attend and Dino has visited New Zealand a couple of times since to see how she’s doing.

“Going from a house/electrodance vibe to a relaxed or chill sound is a big jump.” Manuel was back in New Zealand for Year 13 when she did ‘Annie: The Musical’, which helped to quash the stage fright that had haunted her. She says watching younger kids performing so confidently helped her to regain her own confidence. “I literally had to knuckle down”, she says. Her teachers in New Zealand threw her into the spotlight, giving her a solo in the show. Manuel says she thinks they knew this was what she needed to overcome her fears. “I pay my respects to them all the time.”

Manuel’s parents’ music taste was diverse growing up and she feels it gave her a balanced perspective. Her Dad was a big reggae, pop and rock fan. “He’s more that darker kind of side.” Her Mum gravitated more toward pop, ballads, house and RnB. Manuel says she’s not out to dominate any one genre, but Motown is something she wants to bring back in a “Bruno Mars-esque sense.” Manuel is determined, however, that none of her songs should sound the same. She says it can feel hard to find a new sound when you get intertwined in a specific style. She’s felt this before with the house/pop sound that OTOSAN is known for. "Going from a house/electro-dance vibe to a relaxed or chill sound is a big jump", she says. “The next one that I have coming out soon is more something that would be on the Edge, borderline George FM.” She says it may even be something someone’s grandparents could listen to. For someone who doesn’t even have Spotify, Manuel still has a successful single out and three new singles on the way this year. It looks like she’s not slowing down anytime soon, in fact, she’s just getting started.

recipe

Food Taboos

Gastronomes, anthropologists and sociologists are likely to agree that food is a culturally determined concept. There’s a whole lot more to food than just enjoying flavours, emotional eating while netflix-ing and obtaining nutrients for survival. Mannerism, rituals and taboos can impact how and what we eat. These are all learned behaviours

that correspond to the culture we are immersed in (learnt these in-depth in AUT’s GAST601 Gastronomy and SOSC701 Sociology of Food papers). Speaking of food taboos, one in particular really stood out to me. Some cultures actually deem flipping a whole fish over at the dinner table a taboo. Apparently, it is analogous to a capsized

boat and denotes bad luck. I have been flipping fish for the bulk of my life —good thing I survived those cruise holidays and boat trips ay? This delicious recipe embraces local sustainablycaught fish and takes inspiration from Thai cuisine. You may find yourself in a dilemma —to flip, or not to flip.

Trevally with Basil, Garlic, and Chilli Dressing Ingredients

Method

•

1) Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

1 whole Trevally or any white fish, about 900g (when purchasing, ask for it to be descaled)

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2-3 tablespoon olive oil

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Pinch of sea-salt

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5 garlic cloves (about half a garlic bulb), chopped finely

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3) In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat, and stir-fry garlic and chilli for a minute or two. Be cautious —garlic burns easily.

1 large chilli, sliced (if you like it spicy, add 1 more small chilli)

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1 tablespoon soy sauce

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1 tablespoon fish sauce

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1 lemon, halved (juice one half, and thinly slice the other half)

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2) Season fish with a little sea-salt and olive oil on each side. Bake for 20 minutes.

1 handful basil leaves

4) Add soy sauce, fish sauce, and lemon juice from half the lemon. Let it bubble for just under a minute before adding basil leaves. Turn off heat immediately after adding basil leaves. 5) After baking the fish for 20 minutes, reduce oven heat to 150°C. Remove baking tray from oven, place lemon slices on fish, drizzle with dressing, and place it back in the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Melissa Koh is a third year BA student double majoring in Culinary Arts and English & New Media. Follow her dining and cooking adventures on Instagram: @melicacy.

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