debate Issue 7 | June 2019 | Nostalgia
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CONTIKI
EUROPE 2020
AT 2019 PRICES
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Contents
The Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book :: Page 18
The Battle Over Abortion Rights Page 10
Millennial or Gen Z? Page 14
Debate Nostalgia Page 27
Ginger Crunch Recipe Page 32
C OV E R I L L U S T R AT I O N BY L E O WA LTO N
EDITOR Ben Webber ben.webber@aut.ac.nz DESIGNER Ramina Rai rrai@aut.ac.nz ADVERTISING Jesse Jones jesse.jones@aut.ac.nz
CONTRIBUTORS Leo Walton, Dan Brunskill, Vanessa Shaw, Delia Jordaan, Sam Deakin, Raul Del Castillo, Sophia Romanos, Beth Lord, Zoe Holland, James Page and Melissa Koh.
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
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Editor's Letter Nostalgia isn’t something I experience very often. I’m just not very fixated on the past anymore. I was, however, watching the film Boyhood on a plane some time ago and, embarrassingly did find myself shedding a tear (a small one). It made me think about my family and how we were never going to experience certain things together ever again. It caused a pang of something - I’m not sure I’d call it nostalgia. Maybe it was a pang of realisation that I’m getting older. It was actually Debate’s editorial assistant, Sophia, who had the idea for this theme. The cupboard in our back office is filled with 20 odd years’ worth of past Debate magazines and it got us talking about the
old days that we weren’t here for. This meticulous record keeping from previous Debate editors made us wonder what hidden gems there were within. Inside the bound copies we found some great stuff and also some super questionable stuff. Student media can be brutal sometimes! In this issue we look at the past, the present and what’s new. One of my favourite pieces in this issue is Beth Lord’s piece on The Australian Women’s Weekly Cake Book. This is a pretty pervasive little publication and I’d be interested to know how many of you had one of these growing up. Debate’s Sam Deakin also looks at nostalgia, this time from the perspective of how much dating has changed over the years. It’s changed a lot and, call her cynical, but there’s a lot of truth to her words.
Also, in this issue, Dan Brunskill takes a look at what’s happening with the newly established ProLife AUT club, and the various opposing forces to this. This is an interesting read, especially due to some of the recent comments that have come from the club in response to the Alabama laws in the US. Finally, I would like to wish you all the best with your exams - it strikes fear in my soul to even think about sitting another exam in my life. Don’t be too hard on yourself! We’ll be back on stands with our Re O Week issue on July 15. Talk then, 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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What's on
Carrie the Musical
A FINE BALANCE
Where: AMT Westpoint Performing Arts
Where: Q Theatre, Queen Street When: Fri 14 June - Sat 6 July What: Based on Rohinton Mistry’s
Centre
When: Fri 31 May - Sat 22 June What: The girl, the blood, the power. From its infamous roots in the pantheon of horror, you've never seen a musical thriller quite like this! Carrie the Musical is a deliciously dark and visceral production about a prank gone horribly wrong. Based on the bestselling, legendary novel by Stephen King, this harrowing tale of terror and fullthrottle musical experience exposes the darkness within us all. How much: $35
Torn: The Locus Group Where: Depot Artspace, 28 Clarence Street, Devonport When: Sat 1 June - Tue 18 June What: Di Halstead, Alice Ng, Lieve Van den Bosch, Karen Williamson and Barbara Cope are five photographers connected through gender, voice and shared exhibition history since 2013. They have been instrumental in producing and curating several group shows for the Auckland Festival of Photography, notably with their previous group, Matakana Images. How much: Free
celebrated, Booker-shortlisted novel, A Fine Balance is a sweeping panorama of India’s tumultuous state of emergency, punctuated with breathtaking moments of human compassion, spirit and heroism. How much: $35 - $67
Queens Street, Drag Queens and Friends AK '70s Where: Black Asterisk, 10 Ponsonby Road When: Fri 31 May - Sat 15 June What: A series of photographs by Murray Cammick of Drag Queens in Queen St, circa 1975 to 1980. Cammick’s photographs are part of the Te Papa Collection and his work appeared in their 2009 publication, “Art at Te Papa.” How much: Free
Pacific Dance Festival - Moana
Kitchen Table Sessions
Where: Mangere Arts Centre, Corner Orly
Where: The Basement, Lower Greys Avenue, CBD When: Tue 11 June - Sat 15 June What: Kitchen Table Sessions is a new live talk show hosted by Kate Barnes featuring the cooking talents of Will Mordido. Each night, Kate will be joined by three special guests as they head into the kitchen and share a dish and a story with you. How much: $30
Avenue & Bader Drive, Mangere When: Tue 11 June - Wed 12 June What: A collection of short works by upcoming performers, featuring Ankaramy Fepuleai with ‘Lalo’, ’Stolen Stories’ by Fafswag artist Manoa Teaiwa, Tofifailauga Misa’s ‘Ave Ese’, Lyncia Muller and New Zealand School of Dance graduates. How much: Students $19.45
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What’s up with Fees Free? By Dan Brunskill There’s been a lot of discussion around the Government’s free tertiary education policy recently after it was announced that $197 million of unspent money will be redirected due to lower than expected enrolment. This caused many to declare the policy a failure and even called into question whether it will still be implemented.
So, why does the program have unspent money? When the policy was budgeted, it was assumed that it would be funding around 80,000 students, however numbers have been much lower, with only around 50,000 students collecting fees free in 2018. This has left a lot of allocated money unspent.
Does this mean the policy is a failure? Not really. The policy had three main goals, each of which has had different levels of success:
1. To encourage people into tertiary education: Enrolment in university has been almost flat since the rollout of the policy, which may sound like a failure - until you realise that university enrolments had been steadily dropping each year since 2010. In that sense, consistent enrolments can been seen as a small win for the policy.
2. To make university more accessible for people with lower incomes: This is the policy’s least successful area. There is little evidence that the Fees Free policy has changed the demographic makeup of tertiary students. Although, it's possible we will see more of an effect once all three years are free.
3. To lessen the burden of student debt on graduates – hopefully making it easier to save and buy houses later in life: Now to the goal that the Government has talked about most, which is easing student debt. Although student loans are interest
free in New Zealand, the loan repayments reduce our take home pay for years, making saving that much harder. Labour’s 2017 election policy pointed to student debt as a contributing factor in record low levels of home ownership among young people. In this area, the policy has been a clear winner.
Will the rest of the policy still be implemented? While the media has been speculating that it won’t be, it’s still early days. Grant Robertson, the Finance Minister responsible for deciding what gets funded, has said there is some flexibility in when the policy is implemented – but has not expressed any suggestion that the policy will be canned. However, things can change quickly in politics and there will be an election between now and the policy’s next phase. Rest assured, the future of the Fees Free policy will remain a hotly debated topic.
news
South Campus Parking Too Expensive say AUT Students By Ben Webber
its capacity.
Students who drive their cars to South Campus have shed light on a significant parking issue in a new survey.
Difficulties for students noted in the survey include managing the cost of the parking on top of childcare and petrol related expenses.
Manukau Institute of Technology and found it fines its students the same $45 for not displaying a valid ticket. The University of Auckland were also approached but seemed confused by the question and rather ominously told Debate to “follow the signs” on the campus.
The survey, conducted by AUTSA South Campus Representative, Daniel Scott, found approximately 90 percent of the 383* AUT students who took part had some problem with the cost of parking on the campus.
Students also reported the machines as being outdated, frequently breaking down and leading to long lines as tickets can only be issued in physical form.
In the wake of these findings, Scott told Debate his concerns lay around students who reported to him that the parking
Debate would like to make particular mention of the people who seemed more concerned about the state of the
is so prohibitively expensive that it’s stopped them from attending their classes.
ground than anything else, describing it as “coarse”, “unkempt” and having “crusty ass gravel.”
“For example, for students who live out West it’s inefficient for some of them to be taking public transport all the way,” he said.
Issues with Wilson Parking and the $45 fines was another point raised by a number of students.
Simpson also said “Our issue with discounting parking is that non-students will take advantage – currently we cannot differentiate.”
AUT Associate Director of Facilities Support, Sonia Simpson, told Debate the parking fines go straight to Wilson Parking and are less significant than other parking spaces.
AUT Head of Communications, Alison Sykora, told Debate that there is “quite a bit of work going on in this space, but nothing we are able to talk about at the moment.”
Simpson said furthermore that “Fines at other parking facilities are $65+.”
The cost of all-day parking at South Campus is $7.50 with cash and $8 by card and the fines are generally $45 for breach of certain conditions. Since being appointed as South Campus Representative, Scott says he has fielded numerous complaints about the space, ‘Carpark 1’, which can fit 368 vehicles at
To compare the fines with other campus parking in the area, Debate looked at the
When questioned on the potential to get parking fines abolished altogether, Simpson responded that it was “unlikely in the current situation.” “We are exploring ways to make it less likely for people to be in breach for example, using a parking app.”
*This figure was valid at the time of printing.
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news
International Student Reputation Dragged Through the Mud, says NZISA By Vanessa Shaw, additional reporting by Ben Webber
The New Zealand International Students' Association is disappointed by recent allegations that claim widespread cheating among international students. The allegations stem from a TVNZ story that suggested the use of ghost-writers was prevalent among international students from the University of Auckland. NZISA Education Officer, Umi Asaka said in a statement that she was disappointed in this portrayal of international students. "It is so outrageous that they can call half of us cheaters not knowing all the hard work we put in and barriers that we have to jump through." Neyra Rong Nie, President of the New Zealand Chinese Student Association, said
NZCSA condemns all cheating behaviour. "How can the voice of three students be counted as evidence for an alleged systemic problem? “There is no evidence that it is widespread in the Chinese Students Association,� she said. Lisa Finucane, Media and Communications Manager at the University of Auckland said that recent claims in the media about international students having ghostwritten essays were based on alleged numbers.
"Neither the Chinese Students Association nor the university has evidence or even a belief that the numbers of students using ghost-writers is of the scale alleged by an undetermined number of students quoted in recent media reports." The University of Auckland is, however, concerned about any cheating that might occur and there are strategies in place to prevent it from happening, she said. "We work with benchmark institutions to share practice and educate our staff around the behavioural patterns of students who may be engaged in this activity."
one of the English language tests that Immigration New Zealand uses, is not a good measure of language skills and that something similar to the SAT exams used for US college admission would be a better measure of capability. “It’s a very intensive examination where you have to prepare a lot. “People who come here would be better prepared, or at least would know when to start preparing or what kind of education is required.” AUT Head of Communications, Alison Sykora, said the university had measures in place to ensure students did not cheat.
"It is so outrageous that they can call half of us cheaters not knowing all the hard work we put in and barriers that we have to jump through."
Divya Kataria said no AUT international students had spoken with her about using ghost-writers, but she had suspicions that some could be using these services.
– Umi Asaka, NZISA Education Officer
“I had the honour of going to an English-speaking school and I was brought up in Delhi…but a lot of people come to New Zealand from different cities or villages and they might not have a good grasp of English.” Kataria said the IELTS English exam,
Both the University of Auckland and AUT use plagiarism detection software ‘Turnitin’. This technology cannot, however, detect ghost-writing. AUTSA International Affairs Officer,
Kataria said she would be compassionate if anyone struggling academically was to come forward.
"Like universities around the world, we are concerned about any form of cheating and make it clear to our students that there are consequences. "Academic discipline figures over the last few years show a decline in the number of students who have cheated by plagiarising, which includes ghost-written essays.” She said the university is currently working on a trial that would provide those using an identified ghost-writing website on an AUT computer with a warning. The warning would mention that cheating can lead to expulsion and would direct students to online library resources on how to get assistance if they are struggling to complete their assignment.
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feature
Alabama to AUT; the battle over abortion rights rages on. A petition is launched requesting the disaffiliation of Prolife AUT, some student representatives speak out against Prolife AUT, while the club’s president describes complete abortion ban in Alabama as a ‘victory’. By Dan Brunskill, photos by Delia Jordaan
Face to face: Pro-life and pro-choice activists clash at the Aotea Square rally sparked by the Alabama laws / Delia Jordaan It’s noon on the 25th of May and a crowd has gathered to take a stand against something they see as a ‘blatant disregard for human rights’: the extreme restrictions on abortion laws passed in Alabama. According to NZ Herald reporter, Alice Peacock, dozens of pro-life activists turned out at the rally to oppose the roughly 200 strong pro-choice advocates. Signs scrawled with, “Way to go Alabama” were held against signs saying, “My body, my choice; my womb, my voice,” as the
protestors pressed against each other - taking turns to engage in exasperated debate.
upset when she read that Prolife AUT had been affiliated, but was reluctant to lead the opposition.
Just 300 metres up the hill from the rally, a similar clash of views is unfolding at AUT.
“I didn’t really want to be the face of it, but after a couple of weeks no one had really done anything and I thought someone needed to do something.
In response to a Debate news story reporting on AUTSA’s decision to affiliate a pro-life club, a student has launched a petition requesting their disaffiliation. Isla Evans is a second-year communications student and says she was
“When all this stuff in Alabama happened, there was a lot more on social media about how people felt - and it was encouraging that people didn’t support this club.”
“It did come a little out of the blue - just because it wasn’t based on anything we did directly, it was based on laws passed in the US. “It is not really that surprising for a club that believes that life starts at conception and that humans have rights from conception - to see a law that says killing a child after conception should be illegal.” For this reason, Prolife AUT chose to skip the pro-life counter-protest at Aotea Square – despite supporting its kaupapa. The petition opposing the club has already garnered 247 votes , dwarfing the 16 members of ProLife AUT. Evans says having the name ‘pro-life’ affiliated with AUT brings the negative connotations from the wider pro-life movement into the university. “It is not so much about what they are doing [the pro-life club], it’s what they represent. “I know their stated goals are education and support, but that’s not what the prolife movement stands for,” she says. ProLife AUT has previously told both Debate and the AUTSA Student Representative Council that they would not advocate for stricter abortion laws. However, in a new interview with Debate, the president of ProLife AUT, Emma Rankin, described the absolute ban of abortion in Alabama as a “victory”. “As a club, because we believe that life begins at conception, we do feel that it is a victory that life is being acknowledged in the womb,” she says.
The Alabama law attempts to ban all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy (before many women even notice a pregnancy) - it’s only exemption is when the mother’s life is at serious risk.
“I know their stated goals are education and support, but that’s not what the pro-life movement stands for” - Isla Evans, creator of the 'Shut down pro-life club at AUT' petition Rankin says ProLife AUT debates specific ‘legalities’ such as whether there should be exceptions for victims of rape and incest, but doesn’t think the Alabama laws go too far. Rankin does, however, say that a petition opposing the club because of the Alabama law was an over-reaction.
AUTSA Vice-President, Kurt Schmidt, told the SRC in a meeting held in response to the petition that he’d rather have ProLife AUT affiliated than “have them running around freely.” “There’s an inherent safety mechanism that comes with that” he told the council. AUTSA President, Dharyin Colbert, said at the meeting they must not let their “own personal opinions inform the students' opinions,” and appealed to the SRC to “represent students and their views,” and not to make decisions based on their own values. But to some student representatives, leaving their values at home is not an option on an issue like reproductive rights. AUTSA International Affairs Officer, Divya Kataria, says she voted against the decision to affiliate the club because she is strongly prochoice and felt the wider student body shared her opposition to a pro-life club.
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Dispute: Pro-life and pro-choice activists clash at the Aotea Square rally sparked by the Alabama laws / Delia Jordaan “That is why I voted against it, because prochoice is enough; it’s a choice,” she says. “With pro-choice you have a choice; you can conceive or you can go the other way and get the abortion. But what choice do you have with pro-life?” Kataria says that even with birth control, mistakes can easily happen and having a pro-life club on campus makes things more difficult for those who may face an unexpected pregnancy. “A lot of women go through this alone and [the club] might make it harder for them,” she says. Kataria isn’t the only member of the student council unhappy that the club was affiliated. AUTSA Disability Affairs Officer, Aimee Read, thought the decision should have been brought to a student referendum and that the issue was significant enough that it shouldn’t have been decided by only ten student representatives present at the April 3rd meeting. “In my opinion it shouldn’t have been voted on in that meeting - until we had at least 90 per cent of the Student Council there…there were six or seven people missing that day.”
Six members of the SRC, including Aimee, did not attend the meeting where the club was affiliated. Of the ten members present that day, two were appointed to the SRC for the first time at an earlier point in the meeting.
“In my opinion they can still be a club on campus, but I don’t think they should be affiliated with our student association.” - Aimee Read, AUTSA Disability Affairs Officer The minutes from that meeting note Divya Kataria as the only opposing vote, however Business, Economics & Law Faculty Representative, Olinda Tour says she too voted against the affiliation of the club. This information is not noted in the minutes. The SRC accepted the minutes from this meeting as a true and accurate record at its next meeting on May 1st. Aimee Read thinks affiliating ProLife AUT gives the impression that AUTSA shares their position on the issue.
“In my opinion they can still be a club on campus, but I don’t think they should be affiliated with our student association.” Read believes the club’s views are harmful. “I think it hurts people who have had abortions, because I know quite a few people. It hurts people who might have had to have an abortion who might have been raped or sexually abused.” One suggestion made is that the club should change their name to something less provocative and less associated with the wider pro-life movement, however this is receiving little support from either side. Divya Kataria and Aimee Read both say it would not be enough for them to support the club. And while Emma Rankin says the club would consider a name change to ease tensions, she says it does identify with the pro-life movement and doesn’t want to be pushed around. “If our name offends you that is your problem, not ours,” she says.
My Cell Phone Killed My Boyfriend We spend less time planning dates and more time contemplating how many days to wait before replying or how many y’s are acceptable at the end of ‘hey,’ (it’s two for friends and three for, well, you know).
"The dream of having someone show up at your door with flowers has been replaced with a dismal 'here' text, which is still better than nothing."
Sam Deakin explores how technology slaughtered romance in the modern day. Technology has changed so much in the past decade and brought incredible things to the world like airpods, memes, Sophia the Robot and Lime scooters. But as Jaqen H’ghar so eloquently put it: “only death can pay for life,” and I believe the birth of technology led to the sudden death of romance. In our youth we were submerged in saccharine stories of true love, soulmates and “the one,” only for this to be swiftly replaced with The Paradox of Choice and the ability to swipe right should our soul-mate-of-the-day serve up an especially pathetic or offensive pick-up line. Or, even worse, be shorter than six feet (males only).
The people in the most stable relationships around are sugar babies, with their reliable source of income. The dream of having someone show up at your door with flowers has been replaced with a dismal 'here' text, which is still better than nothing. Inevitably, this has turned us into incompetent fools and modern romance has become an unfulfilling, toxic affair which has left us fumbling blindly through a series of three-night-stands, 'up?' texts and accidentally liking a picture of someone you were stalking; all of which we are victim and perpetrator. I guess one consolation of this is that we are all in it together and if we don’t figure it out, well, at least some experts predict human-robot marriage will be legal by 2050. Hot damn, I’ve seen too many episodes of Black Mirror to know that doesn’t end well - season two, episode one anybody? Maybe we should try figuring out this dating/love/ romance thing after all, or at the bare minimum, just stop ghosting people.
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MILLENNIAL OR GEN Z? By Raul Del Castillo | Illustration by Leo Walton
Are you into Blockbuster, PS2 and VHS tapes or is Netflix, Snapchat and VR more your thing? It all brings to mind a very common debate: should babies born in the late 90s and early 2000s be considered Millennials, or Generation Z? It’s important to establish what a Millennial (aka Gen Y) and Gen Z person actually is as there is often some confusion around the terms. Generally, most people say Millennials are born between the 1980s through to the early 2000s and Gen Z is those born around mid-1990s to mid-2000s. I’d like to focus on those born between 1997 through to 2001 for the purpose of this piece as they’re really on the cusp. People born in this grey area can often relate to the characteristics of both Millennial and Gen Z people. Using my childhood as an example: I can remember the first iPods, YouTube with the star rating system and using LimeWire to fill said iPod. I also remember game nights on the PS3, playing the beta versions of Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and Black Ops 2 was the latest and greatest game around.
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"Don’t get me started on the advancement of the internet which obviously revolutionised everything." If those gave you a few flashbacks, then you may err more toward Millennial than Gen Z. 2000s culture really is such a fun topic to discuss because it made such an impact on both generations. This generation experienced some major transitions out of the 90s and beginning of the 2000s. We saw companies switch from CRT to LCD TVs, Blue Ray and DVDs replace VHS and Nokia bricks killed car phones. Don’t get me started on the advancement of the internet which obviously revolutionised everything. The early 2000s bring me right back to Soulja Boy blowing up my boom-box. What I’m really trying to get at is that even though some of us are on the younger side, we still know the struggle of accidently pulling the film out of a cassette tape and using a pencil to save it. Not to mention mucking around with Beyblades and Yu-Gi-Oh! Even though it wasn’t a super fancy time, it was a real period of transition.
Now, if YouTube with the like/dislike system hits closer to home, then you might be closer to Gen Y. If you think about it - just because you didn’t build the base doesn’t mean you didn’t contribute to the foundations. This generation is excellent at making sequels and refining things that were sub-par. Don’t get me wrong, there are some things that bombed badly. The Last Airbender movie comes to mind, but I’ll save that rant for later. Still not having hit 20 yet, I could argue that I grew up in the Gen Y era. Most people from Gen Z owned the iPod Touch not the iPod Nano or played the PS3, not the PS2. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. My generation gets a bad rap sometimes. I like to think it’s because we’re a little different. British-American author Simon Sinek basically sums up the stereotypes, “Apparently, millennials as a group of people, which are those born from approximately 1984 and after, are tough to manage. They are accused of being entitled and narcissistic, self-interested, unfocused and lazy - but entitled is the big one.” Millennials get a bad rap because of mentalities that you build an empire in moments, through things like passive income and using social media to be affiliate marketers. In the nicest possible way, I think Slytherin house from Harry Potter sums this generation up rather well: cunning, resilient and resourceful. All in all, remember to not get too hung up on these labels, but that’s easier said than done.
When I Grow Up… I want to be famous, I want to be a star, I want to have...boobies? The Pussycat Dolls were half-right for some of us when we were growing up. We asked around the City Campus to see if anyone’s career dreams are the same now as they were way back when.
Kasia
Gianni
Molly
Then: Well I wanted to be a vet until I
Then: Forensic scientist. I liked
Then: I always wanted to be a movie
realised I had to hurt animals by giving them shots and stuff so I changed my mind. Now: I have no idea but I’d love to be a part of the TV or Film Industry.
watching shows like CSI and Bones because I was really interested in how they would figure out how people died and stuff. Now: Television director or producer.
star. I was always the centre of attention when I was a kid. Now: Acting scares the shit out of me since I left school. I don’t really know, something in Comms.
Eddie
Lucy
Hunter
Then: I’ll just say that I wanted to be a
Then: Probably an airline hostess when
Then: Different to what it is now but a
I was 5. I loooooved handing out those sweets. Now: Fuck knows. Employed...hopefully.
cricket player. Now: Restaurant manager or event manager.
firefighter. Now: Rich. Nah, don’t put that in.
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The Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book Nostalgic or Problematic Nightmare? By Beth Lord | Illustration by Leo Walton The Australian Women’s Weekly cake book is the most iconic children’s cake book ever. It’s from a time where your biggest decision in life was the choice between
How my creatively-challenged and busy parents ever managed to make these cakes successfully, I have no idea. But it represents a level of organisation and skill
the sick train cake or the jelly pool cake. And when your biggest problem was your sister choosing the clock cake with liquorice even though you hated it. I decided to revisit this absolute classic and opened up the wrinkled old pages for the first time in 15 years.
that I’ll never have (sorry potential future children).
Two things initially struck me as I flicked through the colourful cakes. The first was how bloody complicated the decorations are. There’s a lot of cutting cakes up and reshaping them so they look like animals, castles and there’s even a duck with potato chips for a beak. I don’t know why this surprised me. I think I always thought the cake would magically turn into an elephant or giraffe in the oven? But, this was the first time I’d looked at it as an adult with concerns further than just wanting a cool cake to shove my face into.
The second thing that struck me was the gendered sections. The fact people can be so obsessed with making their small children fit into weird arbitrary gender roles snapped me out of my nostalgia for a hot minute. Why are we gendering cakes?! The cakes under each section were as stereotypical as expected, with the boy’s cakes being all race car and other ‘manly’ machines. On the other hand, the girl’s cakes included a sewing machine, stove and Barbie with a cake skirt! This really challenges the warm feelings of nostalgia. A word of warning: this book isn’t all fun, sugary goodness! It’s a real representation of issues surrounding gender identity and gender norms.
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“With some concern that my animals were going to end up sitting on top of sloppy grass icing I bravely persevered.” Despite all of this, I surged ahead and decided to make one of the cakes. The iconic zoo animal one spoke to me as it had chocolate fingers and fell under the ‘three easy cakes’ section, which was the perfect match for my skill level. Also, the $2 shop only sold zoo animals and I decided against the racially problematic ‘Cowboys and Indians’ one. The recipe lets you pick the type of cake you make and leave it as a normal circle cake. Yay, no reshaping! It’s decorated with ‘Viennese Cream’, coconut grass, chocolate fingers and animals. When making
the viennese cream I fell victim of my own impatience. Being too lazy to wait for the butter to soften and with a broken microwave I made the decision to beat it cold. The butter immediately got stuck in the beaters and when trying to soften it over boiling water it all melted, taking on a weird texture. With some concern that my animals were going to end up sitting on top of sloppy grass icing I bravely persevered. The coconut grass to cover the horrible icing was a lifesaver in the end. Next it was time for the chocolate finger fence. Many of the fence palings had already been eaten by me before construction even began. The final task was to add my horribly painted and presumably toxic animals to complete the zoo. The figurines I bought were far too big and awkwardly squished in, towering menacingly over their chocolate prison. The fact they were from a $2 shop really showed. Especially the tiger…that tiger had really been through it. But, overall the cake wasn’t a bad final product and was really fun to make. It brought me right back to being five years old, having the classic Lollipops party and, most importantly, shoving as much cake into my face as possible.
Creative Debate spoke to a couple of guys doing cool stuff around Auckland. the original. I didn’t know anything about printing before then so I just did a new one. And I thought ‘how would I replicate it without doing it again?’ Oh yeah, prints. And that’s kinda how it started.
What was that first art piece?
JAM
Schoolboy Q. Back in 2015 when he was popping.
From Mac Miller to Post Malone, Late Night Studio creator Jam designs unique prints and merchandise whilst also completing his degree.
So, it’s your last year of study - is Late Night something you’re interested in pursuing next year?
@latenight_studio
How was Late Night Studio born? It started when I was in Year 13. I was doing art. I was just scribbling; I was too lazy. Then I chucked it up on my Instagram page and someone was like ‘Yoo, How much?’ I was like, um what do you mean? Then another person saw it and she asked if she could buy one too. I had just sold
It’s been a debate. There’s two things going on after uni, do I want to focus on Late Night or do I want to work for a studio while doing Late Night part time? There’s two or three pathways that I can take which is pretty hard. I want to do Late Night but I do want to be learning from other people too.
Can you talk us through your process with Analog?
@analogincorporations Sourcing film cameras from Japan and Hong Kong, Dexter has created Analog inc. as a platform to sell to and inspire discussion among New Zealand creatives.
How was Analog born? Analog came about as a passion project that I wanted to do in my downtime. I wished that there was a spot or place I could go to get advice and buy a camera knowing that it wouldn’t give out on me within a couple of days. I decided that I’d
Mostly music artists. But some people want one-offs of them and their boyfriends, a couple photo or dogs or cars or whatever. I choose which artists to do if they are releasing a new album or they’re coming over to NZ.
What are your clients like? 57% are women and 43% are male. It’s mostly an 18-25 age demographic so I know how to talk to them through the business.
Where to next? Next, I want to bring photography into Late Night and videography. I’m trying to figure it out, but that’s just the next step at the moment. You can follow Jam and purchase prints on Instagram @latenight_studio
use the knowledge I’d gained over the years to provide a platform to spread my passion for film photography with others.
DEXTER
Talk us through what you create - how do you decide what you create next?
I wanted to cater for people that were starting their journey with film, so I specifically source cameras that are suited for that group of people and usually the cameras I bring in are ones that people can progress up to as well. The next step is usually unpacking and testing the cameras with film and making sure they are mechanically sound. After that, I take photos of them and post them up on our Instagram page!
What part of the job gives you satisfaction? Selling cameras is what the business is there for but last year we did a pop-up shop in conjunction with Black and White
Box who have been supporting us from day dot, and I actually enjoyed the process of meeting the people behind these Instagram accounts! These are people that share the same passion as myself and are keen to see this community in New Zealand.
Where are you looking to improve/ take things next? I’ve been working on a content production project called ‘Oddball Studios’, a shameless plug there, but yes, I’ve been trying to integrate both projects together and reworking the buying process for customers. I guess going back to the original heart for Analog is to see more people shooting film, creating a safe space for people to ask questions and meet like minded individuals. You can follow Dexter on Instagram and check out his film and cameras for sale on @analogincorporations
21
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? Head to our Facebook page (/ autsadebate) and fill out the survey pinned to the top of our timeline titled ‘Giveaways - Issue 7’
Tatty's
Pizza!
For all the designer recycled clothes of your dreams, Tatty’s is the place. With a super wide range of colourful and fun clothing it’ll take you right back to the past. It’s all a little.. nostalgic! Debate has one $50 voucher to give away. Read the instructions at the left-hand side of the page to find out how to enter.
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 left-hand side of the page to find out how to enter.
Mandela: My Life This official exhibition opened in April and will run until early August at the iconic Eden Park, where in 1981 flour bombs were dropped in protest of the Apartheid regime and the ongoing imprisonment of the future South African president. Debate has three double passes to give away. Read the instructions at the left-hand side of the page to find out how to enter.
Brew-tiful Coffee Karajoz organic coffee is the pick-meup 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 on the left hand side of the page to find out how to enter.
Smack and Cheese Introducing BurgerFuel’s new Smack & Cheese Bites. These indulgent macaroni cheese bites are made from lines of breadcrumbs, expert level macaroni and cheese, a sprinkle of chives and tasty bacon bits, all served up with smoky BBQ sauce. Debate has five Smack and Cheese vouchers for Burgerfuel Queen St to give away. Read the instructions at the left-hand side of the page to find out how to enter.
23
Fuck Fast Fashion Sophia Romanos talks with thrift fashion label, Laid Project about ethics, retro finds and low-waisted jeans.
Hitting up Glassons, Hallensteins or Cotton On is a common go-to, especially when the student discount emails come through and you just got paid from your shitty minimum wage job. Third year students Tuscany Main and Caitlin Shea are the directors of thrift label, Laid Project, and are all about tossing fast fashion in favour of advocating for reused clothes to support sustainability. “We’ve sworn off the house of G now… we’ve agreed to ban Glassons.” Tuscany laughs. “I don’t think I’ve bought any clothes for a long time. Everything I own is thrifted.” Caitlin says she hates even the thought of funding fast fashion. The pair source clothes from various op shops and resell them under the Laid Project name on both their Instagram account and website. In conversation with the girls, we got onto celebrity trends and how vintage clothing isn’t only an ethical choice, but a stylistic one as well. Caitlin says that people’s association with the word ‘vintage’ is something that’s constantly changing as trends evolve. “It’s street style at the moment - that’s a big thing with celebrities and higher end brands like Gucci,” Tuscany says.
from about $8 for a t-shirt to $30 for a jacket. Brands like Levi’s and Huffer are not uncommon to come across as the pair are constantly hunting for new items to sell - if they don’t decide to keep them for themselves. The affordability, in addition to the popularity of the style, entices many students towards the thrifted market. Whilst fast fashion can be cheap quality is often very questionable.
“Vintage is thrifted clothing and has a very street style look about it. So, I think higher end is enticing and filters all the way down to Glassons who are trying to recreate a thrifted look in a fast fashion take.”
“Fuck fast fashion. That’s actually our goal. I think a lot of people agree with it,” says Tuscany.
Thrifted clothes from Laid Project range
The girls suggest that hitting up any old op shop won’t necessarily solve the problem at hand. Purchasing items from local charity stores to support the
Hospice or the Red Cross is something the pair hold in high regard. “Savemart are for-profit, so they aren’t donating that money to anyone, they’re just like any other store.” Caitlin says, “But, op shops like Mercy Hospice, they’re giving money to the hospice, or Red Cross are giving money to the Red Cross.” It pays off. Whether it’s in the name of sustainability, ethics or on-trend fashion, starting to question the labels you buy from is absolutely worth doing. The 90’s and 00’s are still thriving through fashion and the girls both agree that it’s a fun thing to look into. Tuscany Main and Caitlin Shea: @laidproject
25
Every Kiwi childhood involves a run to the dairy. Zoe Holland took a trip down memory lane to her childhood to see if 10 cent lollies are still up to scratch.
TNTs
Sour Feijoas
You get heaps of these in one bag. The flavour was pretty much the same but they were much more intensely sour than back in the day. I forgot these make your tongue blue, so I went to work with a blue tongue which was great.
These are still the bomb. I love feijoas and they taste the exact same as they always did with the exact feijoa taste. I don’t remember them being quite so chewy but besides that they are still, and will always be, my favourite $2 lolly bag.
K Bar
Zombie Chew
The fact that I didn’t break my teeth on these as a child amazes me. They’re just as sugar filled as I remember. To shake things up, I was left with a bright red tongue this time.
So many flavours to choose from but the sour blueberry has to be the best. Nothing new had changed with them, they are still super cheap and still super bad for your teeth.
Verdict: Intense desire to brush my teeth around 1000 times. Not much else to report.
Debate through the ages Debate has successfully survived for ages! We had a dig through the archives in honour of our nostalgia issue and the most important thing we discovered is that there used to be a McDonalds on the City Campus.
1998: We were going to be called wHAt?
Vesbar wanted to get you really drunk.
ST PAUL St Gallery, The business building, arts building and Wellesley Student Apartments were all being built. Did the City Campus even exist?
In 1998, AUT, then known as ‘AIT’, came dangerously close to being renamed ‘UTA’ which sounds dangerously close to ‘UTI’. It was a narrow escape.
You were cordially invited to learn about a career at Maccas for 4 hours.
Flatting was dirt cheap. In the ‘Survivor's Guide to Flatting’ the average weekly expenses were listed as being between $80-$120. The WSA students spending a fortune on hall accommodation are probably spewing right now. Someone spent 12 hours in a bathroom. An icon by the name of Laurna Hall spend 12 hours “investigating the mysterious world of the women’s toilets.” It was a different time. 2003: Michael Jackson was accused of child abuse around this time but in Debate he remained the go-to agony aunt??
2008: Some relatable points “No one likes genital warts.” Vile misogyny was given a platform? “Dear Q&A I’ve been seeing this girl for a while now and things have been going excellently, except for one thing that is really bothering me. She is a little on the chubby side. How exactly do I tell my girlfriend to lose some weight? From Tom”
27
90’s Nostalgia
James Page looks at three films from the ICONIC film era of the 90s that came out some time ago but still pack a punch.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Dir. Jonathan Demme. Yes. Of course. Obviously. If you’re into any sort of thriller and you haven’t seen this film then I suggest you get onto it. I’ve started out in the early 90s here with a psychological thriller that sets the precedent for a triumphant decade in the film industry. Jodie Foster, yes, Jodie Foster, plays young FBI cadet Clarice Starling who must bravely reach out to cannibalistic killer Hannibal Lecter (played by Anthony Hopkins) and get his help in order to catch another serial killer. There’s a lot of serial killing. And I know that’s not necessarily going to sell it but I can promise you it’s not like any other thriller. It’s a film whereby narrative is seemingly
thrown out the window and into the abyss. At every point where you believe there may be some sort of resolution or conflict - it’ll give you the opposite. Whenever you think things are fine, they’re not. It’s so eerie. It’s so creepy. It’s a film that focuses so much on emotional and psychological manipulation and it’s so, so cleverly written. It’s not easy to maintain a tone like that in a thriller, but Lambs does it so effortlessly. The politics of a female hero is worth mentioning. It drives the film forward. For the 90s, that’s rare. But it works so well. She’s a woman in a man’s world but handles the situation with elegance and ease simultaneously dealing with two serial killers at the same time. It makes for such a gripping viewing. Go Jodie! For awards fanatics, The Silence of the Lambs notched up seven nominations at the Academy Awards in 1992, winning the ‘big
five’ - Best Picture, Director, Actress, Actor and Adapted Screenplay. Not a bad feat.
Good Will Hunting (1997). Dir. Gus Van Sant. This is more of a feel-good film, depending on what you’re into. It’s kind of sad. On the surface, Good Will Hunting seems to be a very slow-moving narrative about a young boy who comes of age and goes on a big character arc. Sounds cliche? It kind of is. But this film is unique in so many ways and it’s all in the Oscar-winning original screenplay. Matt Damon (who also stars in this film as Will Hunting) and Ben Affleck (who plays Will’s brother) co-wrote the film in their mid-twenties. It’s what set up their careers. Damon plays a janitor at MIT in Boston. He’s got a wicked mind for mathematics but is insanely troubled due to a difficult
upbringing. In order for him to find direction in his life, he receives help from a renowned psychologist played by Robin Williams. The cleverest thing about this film is the theme of brute intelligence and the control one has with it. It’s so soft, caring and loving. It turns out combining love and intellect can create something really quite extraordinary. This theme of love also shines through really bright. Will must learn to love. With the combination of his intelligence and a bit of education (in the form of said love) he can go a long way with his life and develop into someone worth loving. It’s one of my favourite films of all time and I highly recommend you check it out. Also, a mention to the late Robin Williams in one of his most iconic roles, for which he won an Academy Award for
Best Supporting Actor. A truly beautiful performance.
may or may not include a young Heath Ledger.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999). Dir. Gil Junger.
It’s just so sweet. It’s funny, moving and poignant. It’s very on the nose and at times extremely predictable but that’s okay because it’s a teen romance movie. No one makes teen romance movies too complicated. It packs a lot of punch into an hour and a half and it’s just one of those films that you never forget. It gives you that really fuzzy feeling. Every scene is delightfully written and cleverly executed. The main idea being the power of love is enough to make you swoon.
Again, yeah! Obviously. Duh! The underrated film of the decade. The Mean Girls of the 90s. The acclaimed high school movie we never knew we needed. Heath. Ledger. I could go on, but this film is quite simply the best way to end a decade that rocked. It just works. Probably because it’s based off The Taming of the Shrew by some playwright named William Shakespeare… but back to the movie! Basically, a popular teenager (who isn’t even the main character for once) can’t go on a date until her totally-too-good-for-boys older sister (the main character) goes on one. Cue a cunning plan from said little sister which
Again, a mention to the late Heath Ledger as well for playing a role that perhaps not everyone is aware that he played. A small one, but one that won’t be forgotten in a while.
29
Myspace, are you there?
For all your irrelevant Madonna gossip needs, by Zoe Holland. The early 2000s was an incredible time: we’re talking Juicy tracksuits, frosted tips and Britney’s meltdown (which uni makes me consider doing on a daily basis). What is devastating, however, is that I am one of the deprived individuals who missed out on Myspace. When Myspace was in its prime, I was obliviously living it up on ‘Moshi Monsters’ and ‘Poptropica’. So, I decided to see what the hell is happening with Myspace these days in a world dominated by Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. First of all, let me tell you how shocked I was to find that Myspace is actually still live. Looking back, it reminds me of a time with emo Jeffree Star and Kylie Jenner pre lip filler. Was she even alive back then? I don’t know, but, believe it or not, some people still use Myspace. Good on them... I guess? When I set about signing up to Myspace for the purpose of this piece it rather ironically gave me the option to sign up through my Facebook or Twitter this set off some early alarm bells for me.
Once logged in, things didn’t really improve. The site was like being on a strange version of YouTube - with almost everything being music or video based. Since you can listen to music, I had a look around to see what I could find and was actually pretty impressed because it was all reasonably up to date. In celebration of reliving the early 2000s I treated myself to some of my favourite songs from back then, heading straight for Taylor Swift’s ‘You Belong with Me’ because it was a banger and also because it had Lucas from The Hannah Montana Movie in it. On top of a large amount of music, there was also endless entertainment gossip. After losing myself jamming out to the old Taylor music, I snapped back to reality. I had a snoop around to see which celebs were still on Myspace, but I don’t think anyone who cares about their career would dare re-enter Myspace. When you go to browse for people it gives you options to look through actors, musicians and so on. But I couldn’t find anyone famous, not even kind of famous. Just a
whole lot of people with various selfies claiming to be artists. What a scam, aye? I really thought I’d have more to report about Myspace. I mean, I wasn’t really sure what I’d see but my god I thought I would find more than I did. Because I missed out on the Myspace and Bebo era I was expecting some of the hype to have remained, but it’s totally gone. To sum it up, Myspace in 2019 is shit and a bit of a waste of time. You would never bother with it in our current climate of social media platforms. Not only will I not be jumping over to Myspace anytime soon, I wish it would have just stayed in the early 2000s. It’s like if YouTube, E! News and old Myspace had a baby. I don’t really see the point of Myspace today. I mean, I get it’s nostalgic and all but it’s also pretty pointless (unless you like a frighteningly large amount of Madonna gossip news in which case it’s the place for you).
AUT OffGrid - Outdoors Club
clubs
OffGrid is a social outdoors club that is all about getting people outdoors, active, seeing the world and making new friends. This group was born out of a bunch of adventurous students at AUT who got together and made a plan. We saw that people seemed to have stopped getting out into nature and seeing how magical and beautiful Aotearoa really is! That’s why we host regular adventures and post information to help inspire everyone to reconnect with the outdoors. Our epic little missions can range from a chilled day trip out and around Auckland to a full-on adventure packed weekend outside of the big smoke; leaving behind all the hustles and bustles of city life. The world doesn’t begin and end in Auckland. From Cape Reinga to The Bluff and everywhere in between it’s all the land of the long white cloud. So, join us and start pursuing the adventures you’ve always dreamed of.
AUTIA - AUT Internationals Abroad AUTIA has been established this year in order to bring the diverse AUT international community together through fun events and social activities. AUTIA focuses on helping exchange/ international students to be part of the AUT global community and support their transition into campus life and adjustment to Kiwi culture. My name is Sia and I’m a third-year English Major at AUT and also the president of the club. I went on exchange in 2018 to Korea and loved the atmosphere of the exchange student crowd but after returning to New Zealand I was dumbfounded to find out that there was no club available for exchange students. Within the few weeks before the new semester began, I got on to creating AUTIA. This semester has been great, with 90 exchange and abroad attendees and an AUT committee of 30 students. In our club we aim to promote the bilateral relations between cultures and to
enrich the New Zealand university experience through cultural and social events. We are always accepting students to come and join our committee. This club is one-of-a-kind and a great way to make new friends from all over the world. Being involved also counts towards hours for the AUT Edge awards so I urge you to come along and have a great semester alongside us! If you’re interested, you can find us on Facebook at ‘AUTIA ~ Internationals Abroad’ or you can email me at autia.aut@gmail.com.
For more info, email clubs@aut.ac.nz with your name, AUT ID number, phone number, email address and the club(s) you would like to join. They’ll forward your details to the appropriate club leaders.
31
recipe
Ginger Crunch Recipe When it comes to food, the word ‘Nostalgia’ can mean vastly different things to different people. However, in a New Zealand context, Edmonds baking powder — with its distinctive packaging, ‘sure to rise’ motto, and sun rays in the background is bound to spark a little nostalgia in everyone who grew up with parents who liked to bake. This cookbook is available in AUT’s library resource (Call No.: 641.815 TIM). Enjoy!
Method
Ingredients •
125g butter, softened
•
½ cup white caster sugar
•
1½ cups standard flour
•
1 teaspoon Edmonds baking powder
•
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1) Preheat oven to 190°C. 2) Grease a 20x30cm rectangular baking tin. 3) Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 4) Sift flour, baking powder, and ginger together and mix into creamed mixture.
Ginger icing
5) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead well.
•
150g butter
6) Press dough into prepared tin and bake for 25 minutes.
•
1½ cups icing sugar
•
¼ cup golden syrup
•
6 teaspoons ground ginger
7) To make the ginger icing, combine butter, icing sugar, golden syrup, and ground ginger in a small saucepan. Heat until butter is completely melted, stirring constantly. 8) Pour hot ginger icing over base while still warm. 9) Cut into squares.
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.
33
WORDFIND
puzzles
Past Obsolescence Yesterday History Beyond
Future Prior Foregoing Moving Find
Spent Completed Forgotten Precedent Extinct
Ended Previous Former Ago Exempt
Circle all the words in the wordfind, tear this page out and pop it into the box on the side of the red Debate stands. Do it and you could win a motherflippin’ sweet prize!
Name:
Email:
Want to see your work in Debate? We're forever on the lookout for writers, illustrators and creatives to contribute to the mag. Want to see your work in print? Email us at debate@aut.ac.nz. Too easy! 35
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