debate issue 6, 2011 by Debate Magazine

issue 6 2011

www.ausm.org.nz

LEVEL 2

AUT LLERY

RY LIBRA

EY SL LE EL W

ART GA

T AS RI TO VIC

T EN S QUE

ST IOTT ELL

IUM ATR LIOTT EL ON

ST ERT B L A

RY ENT

DR ORAL MAY

FREE PARKING* AT

IMA

ATRIUM CARPARK *Spend a minimum of $5 at any outlet at Atrium on Elliott and receive your first hour of parking FREE, valid Monday - Friday until 6pm, or receive your first 2 hours FREE on Saturday, Sunday & public holidays until 6pm

21-25 Elliott Street, Auckland • Ph: 09 375 4960 • www.atriumonelliott.co.nz

ENTRANCE OFF ALBERT STREET

issue 06 2011

ISSUE 06 2011 5 Editorial 6 Letters 7 Camp-A-Thon Photos 8 Easter Recipes 9 News 11 Sport James Wheeler looks at another World Cup that wasn’t

12 How To/Recipe 13 Prez Sez/AuSM Update 14 Earth Hour 15 Prison Luxuries 16 The Not So Honourable 16 90 120 Days of Summer 17 Eye of the Beholder

on the cover Untitled by Soo Park

editor

Samantha McQueen samantha.mcqueen@aut.ac.nz

designers

Deanne Antao Nonavee Dale

sub-editor

Alisha Lewis

contributors

advertising contact

Kate Campbell kate.campbell@aut.ac.nz

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

disclaimer

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

debate is a member of

printer

PMP Print Ltd.

debate magazine is brought to you by

Ashleigh Muir tries to figure out “what is art?”

18 Kids Today Are Robots 19 32 Inches of Pain

Salient gets kicked in the nutsack by TV of yesteryear

20 Food Crushes

Salient tells us why cheeseburgers should be your new lover

21 Puzzle Page 22 Kiwi Music Taking Centre Stage 23 2011: Worst Year in Films Ever? Samantha McQueen looks at the bitter disappointment of the box office

24 Columns 26 Suggestions/Horoscopes 27 Agony Aunt/Word of the Week 28 Fashion 29 What Are You Wearing 29 Retail Review 30 Reviews

• 10% permanent student discount* • We buy and sell second-hand textbooks* - instant cash if you sell • Over 100,000 books in stock* - no waiting weeks for books to arrive • Four stores Auckland wide • Open Monday to Friday or buy securely from our website 24/7

www.ubsbooks.co.nz

www.ausm.org.nz

City Campus Phone 366 4550 Fax 366 4570 Email aut.city@ubsbooks.co.nz

Akoranga Campus Phone 489 6105 Fax 489 7453 Email aut.akoranga@ubsbooks.co.nz

WANT THOUSANDS TO SEE YOUR ART?

Submit your eye catching covers ideas to debate! For more information on specs and themes contact Samantha at debate@aut.ac.nz 4.

issue 06 2011

h, week six of the academic year. It’s a weird time of year, because even though we’ve still got 20 weeks of classes before that glorious season-long summer vacation, assignments have started piling in at overwhelming speeds and people are starting to feel the effects of not having a week where they haven’t had to think about APA referencing. Plus, the fact that it’s still dark when we wake up in the morning and we’ve started to see our breath doesn’t help matters. Lecturers seem to realise this is when students are at their most apathetic and make 30 per cent assignments due at this time as some form of cruel torture. You see, we’re a last-minute generation. Most of us get our assignments, give it a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders and throw it haphazardly in the corner, never to be thought of again until the week it’s due. We’re then brutally slapped from our revelry and realise we have to churn out 1500 word on communicating with people or other bullshit. If you haven’t related to anything that I’ve just said above, I bow at your feet – please teach me the ways of time management. But chances are, most of you have been experiencing a blur of all-nighters, where you’ve typed furiously at your computer, hitting save every five minutes because you’ve heard the horror stories. Seriously, Ctrl + S needs to be your best friend during this awful time. Your veins will be pumping Red Bulls and long blacks. Your dreams will be plagued with nightmares of sleeping through deadlines, having your computer or USB stolen or just plain forgetting everything you’ve learnt over the past few days (that’s if you even sleep at all). You’ll be like a zombie around campus and will tune out of conversations so often non-students will think you’re on some sort of drug. Even the rest of Auckland seems to know when students descend into study exile. I walked down Queen St last week and the blaring red “SALE” signs were nowhere to be seen, not even at the reliable House of G. There was nothing good on at the movies and the park I walk home through was deserted, even though it’s normally filled with students running off those beers from the weekend before. Speaking of guts, don’t be alarmed if you’ve noticed that the taunting jagged waistband of your track pants is digging into you more than usual. That’s just study gut (see pg 26 for more explanation), and supermarkets seem to be cashing in. Meat and vege had scarce discounts, while the confectionary, chips and caffeinated drinks aisles were slathered with yellow special tickets and weekend wind backs. Countdown must have known students consider food their best friends during this time (see pg 19 for a hilarious piece about why food would make a good boyfriend). Here at debate, we felt the effects of this end of term rush. The inbox was unusually empty on Monday morning and people who have been contributing like clockwork suddenly dropped off the radar. On Wednesday morning half of the magazine was still blank and when I sent out a pleading email to contributors, I spelled my own name wrong. On Tuesday night I dreamt that the magazine didn’t get finished on time and I was sent to Voldemort as punishment (I didn’t say it was a logical dream). But after many hours of sweat and tears, we finally got this puppy to the printers. We’ve even added a page of puzzles (pg 21) and recipes (pg 8) for you to do this week, because students always need more forms of procrastination. Happy studying!

debate would like to apologise for an error in the last issue. An article about North Shore parking prices was incorrectly attributed. The journalist of the story was Jen Houltham, not Vaughan Alderson.

www.ausm.org.nz

directory reception

City Campus Level 2, WC Building 921 9805 8am-5pm Mon-Thurs 8am-4pm Fri North Shore Campus Level 2, AS Building 921 9949 8.30am-3pm Mon-Fri Manukau Campus MB107 921 9999 ext 6672 9am-3.30pm Mon-Thurs

management

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

representation

Veronica Ng Lam AuSM Student President 921 9999 ext 8571 vnglam@aut.ac.nz

advocacy

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

marketing/events

Rebecca Williams Marketing Manager 921 9999 ext 8909 rebecca.williams@aut.ac.nz

advertising

Kate Campbell Marketing & Sales Coordinator 921 9999 ext 6537 kate.campbell@aut.ac.nz

media

Samantha McQueen Publications Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8774 samantha.mcqueen@aut.ac.nz

sports

Melita Martorana Sports Team Leader 921 9999 ext 7259 melita.martorana@aut.ac.nz

vesbar

Zane Chase Vesbar Manager 921 9999 ext 8378 zane.chase@aut.ac.nz For a full list of contact details plus profiles of AuSM staff & student executive and information on clubs visit:

www.ausm.org.nz

Letter of the week wins two movie tickets for Event Cinemas!

Letter of the week: Dear Debate Not only should the question be asked what is up with the lack of water fountains on Akoranga Campus, but also what is up with taking away the Lime Café in AS Building? Vending machines with soft drinks are ridiculously expensive look at what crap we can buy as a quick snack or sugar fix. Tuna and nuts. We are not children in year one. We should be able to make our own choices on what we would like to buy and eat without some PhD student deciding what she thinks is best for the rest. This brings me to another point on my list. Why should we on Akoranga Campus be satisfied with the crap food from the food court? Have you had a good look at them preparing it? I know of least seven mates who were sick of the food they bought at the food court. We now rather go down to McDonalds. Why can’t we have the same type of food as our mates in the city at the Hub? We pay the same fees, don’t we? Aren’t we entitled to the same quality of food and other snacks as the other students? I think it is time for a petition from the students on the campus and the student unions to stand up for us at Akoranga Campus. It is already bad enough that we have to endure extremely hot conditions in old buildings such as AC and AB, but it is even worse that we have to put up with fucked up food, dirty bathrooms and no person taking our complaints seriously.

Counseling and Wellbeing staff on each campus as these incidents are able to be tracked and investigated where reported. The environment in AB and AC buildings is being considered for refurbishment and we expect that additional shading and improved air flow will be part of this project. Activity is planned to commence at the end of semester 2. Our North Shore Facilities Manager will be in contact with you personally to obtain more information on the bathrooms mentioned so that any lapses on service can be rectified. The issues you have raised are important and you can have full confidence that our facilities team take feedback on their work seriously. Thanks for taking the time to let us know your concerns. Regards Ian Robertshaw Director Facilities Management

Response to Carmen’s letter in issue 5: I am thankful that you replied to my article in issue 3 (it shows that people are reading it). This magazine is called Debate, and that is what it should be used for. However, everyone has the right for an opinion and the right to defend your opinion. For this letter I would like to cover two points that you mentioned. Firstly, you stated that you don’t smoke around “no smoking” signs. Although you might not do that, there are other people that do. The Carly McDonald story I discussed in my article was true, and it keeps happening time and time again. Although A Response from AUT many smokers do respect the signs, there are a Thanks for your correspondence Carly. number of people that continue to ignore them The university is completing an audit on water (hey, today someone smoked right outside the fountains and dispensers and this will inform WE lecture theatre’s doors, where a large crowd the review process for adding/changing units of people waited for their classes). And I am not over time. The review will involve AuSM over exaggerating. It is this type of “ignorance” and other stakeholder groups and is part of a that I’m against. And maybe AUT should have university special areas for smokers to go, so that it keeps wide process. everyone happy. AUT aims to provide its students and staff Secondly, when you walk down a street, let on each of its campuses a range of food and say Queen Street, and you pass children, you beverage options throughout the whole year, automatically become a role model. And kids either through Subway, the independently own copy what other people see. So when they see and operated food court operators on the North adults smoking, no matter what their teachers Shore and City campuses, AUT operated cafes will say, they will copy what the adults are or after hours available through the vending doing. Yes we don’t sign up to be role models, it machines located throughout campuses. just happens. Compared to what was available several years However, on an ending note, I wish you good ago, AUT now have available a much wider luck in your endeavours to quit smoking and variety of freshly prepared different ethnic food hope one day that you succeed in doing so. options. As always, suggestions and requests are very welcome and this information is central to Regards, Ben Matthews decisions to trial other food concepts from time to time. DEAR DEBATE!! We are concerned and sorry to hear of any KIA ORA BROOO!! incidents involving sickness that may be related just wanna say FAAAAAAAAAAAANXz AUSM!! to any food service provider on campus. All for the free feed every monday “YOU ROCK” providers maintain an ‘A’ grade food license so bt some how iem always last in line and by it is a requirement that only the highest levels tha time i get in front theres non left . . se of hygiene and food safety are observed at all agaga(gawtr spirit)!! so iem thinking next times. I will personally ensure these instances time iem gonna be 10min early haha dats you refer to are followed up with the Health, how we doose it here in souf aux . . bahaha . .

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

anywho’s iem loving our MANUKAU campus its soooo relaxing and moa exciting my cheapest takeaways is nearby lols . . ohh cos i can’t affort anything from tha cafe..tooo expensive . .err.. that’s all ... ohh shout owt to my “POLYBLU GURLz” UCE ROCK!! CATCH UP BUDDAH!! fa la ia!! LEAHz A response from AuSM The AuSM Free Feeds starts at 12noon and runs until we have no food left. They normally last between 30 minutes to an hour. From experience I advise that you join the line early as it is a very popular service AuSM provides. Also this year we have made some changes to the menu. Each alternate week we will be serving a vegetarian dish (for example, last week was vegetarian nachos) instead of sausages and falafel. Cheers, Kyle, AuSM Activities Co-ordinator Dear Red Fox, Us communications students are interested in what degree you are studying, perhaps you have too much time? Also, how long is your hair? You seem rather bitter. We suggest extensions. The high bun is a status symbol, this is why we wear it, and you do not. You imply that it’s not a fashion statement but for ease of use, and then you go on about it being a virus that has infected Hamilton. Do you live in Hamilton? If so, this explains much. The high bun bobble is more about proportion distribution and functionality than conforming to the so-called fashion ‘TRIFECTOR’. It is rich to claim those wearing their hair up are clones. If so, those who wear pants are clones, those who wear t-shirts are clones, and, would you believe it, those who wear shoes are clones! In conclusion, hideous is a matter of opinion, and shouldn’t be presented as a statement of truth. Good luck with your essays. XOXO Gossip Girl. I would just like to add on Sam’s rant about tv3’s childish antic. I happen to notice it on advertisements as well and it peeves me coz I find it unprofessional, desperate and pathetic, like some toilet cleaning product ad that I will not name. It’s one thing to be subtly putting down their competition but to put it out in the open public that they are better than so and so... actually stating who they’re referring to doesn’t really make them appeal any better to the consumers. On the contrary I believe. It saddens me because I’m confidently presuming that there are creatively clever people in the advertising industry yet this is the best that they can come up with. tsk tsk tsk Sincerely yours, concerned citizen

issue 06 2011

This Week (April 4-8) MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

4-5pm AUT Football training

Auckland Domain

www.ausm.org.nz

6 More AuSM events at

VESBAR EASTER PARTY

www.ausm.org.nz

Join ausm1 on Facebook Join ausm1 on Facebook

Like “ausm1” Follow ausm1

Follow ausm1 on Twitter

Follow “ausm1”

Mini chocolate/caramel muffins

These muffins are best eaten when they’ve barely cooled down and the caramel is at its warmest and most gooey. These can be served with a hot fudge sauce topping or next to a serving of vanilla ice cream if you want to make it more of a dessert meal rather than a snack. These can also be made at normal muffin size, but the recipe will need to be doubled. Good idea to overstock on the caramel eggs (for taste testing purposes, of course!).

Serves 8 8 mini caramel-filled chocolate Easter eggs (Cadbury caramello mini eggs work well) 1 egg 1 cup milk ¼ cup oil ¼ tsp vanilla essence 3 Tbsps cocoa powder 1½ cups flour 2 tsps baking powder ¼ cup sugar

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 190ºC. 2. Grease mini muffins pans with butter or cooking spray or line with mini paper cases. 3. Lightly whisk wet ingredients (egg, milk, oil and vanilla) in a bowl. 4.Sift the cocoa, flour and baking powder into another bowl. 5. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl, until just moistened. Do not over-mix 6. Fill muffins pans three-quarters full with the mixture. Do not over fill as they will expand 7.Place a chocolate mini Easter egg into the centre of each muffin, ensuring that it is at least partially covered by the muffin mix 8. Bake for approximately 12 minutes 9. Remove from pans, cool and serve

Chocolate Brownies (by Sophie Putze)

200g dark cooking chocolate, chopped 250g butter, chopped 1 3/4 cups (205g) brown sugar 4 eggs 1/3 cup (40g) cocoa powder, sifted 1 cup (150g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted 1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 160°C 2. Place the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly 3. Place the sugar, eggs, cocoa, flour and baking powder in a bowl 4. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until combined 5. Pour the mixture into a 23cm (9”) square tin lined with non-stick baking paper 6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set 7. Cool in the tin 8. Cut into 16 slices and serve

Chocolate Easter Cake (by Ashleigh Muir)

This is a great recipe and one I make almost every Easter, usually for Good Friday. The cake itself is usually quite light; however, the frosting is very rich. You can also make mini Easter cakes for friends and family; simply spoon cake mixture into muffin trays and monitor in the oven as they won’t take as long to cook.

Cake ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup boiling water 185g softened butter 1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar 3 eggs 1½ cups self-raising flour ½ cup plain flour ¼ tsp baking soda ¾ Cup milk 2 tsps vanilla essence

7. Add milk, vanilla and cocoa mixture 8. Pour into the prepared tin 9. Bake for 70 minutes or until it springs back when touched 10. Stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool

Directions: 1. Combine cocoa powder and water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Leave to cool 2. Pre-heat oven to 160° fanforced 3. Grease a deep cake tin (22cm round) 4. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy 5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions 6. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in sifted flour and baking soda

Directions: 1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan 2. Stir over a low heat until smooth 3. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 4. Stir frequently until a spreadable consistency 5. Spread over the cooled cake and decorate with small chocolate Easter eggs and rainbow sprinkles

Frosting 400g eating quality milk chocolate, chopped 2/3 cup of thickened cream

Chocolate Chip Cookies The chocolate chips can always been replaced with mini M&Ms if you’re feeling extra gluttonous. 125g butter 250g sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 Dstspn golden syrup 125g choc chips 250g flour half tsp baking powder half tsp baking soda

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 150° 2. Cream together softened butter (not melted) and sugar with an eggbeater 3. Add egg, vanilla essence, golden syrup and chocolate chips to the mixture 4. Add sifted flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix with a fork or hands 5. Roll mixture into small balls and flatten lightly with a fork 6. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes 7. Cool and serve issue 06 2011

Students and staff to construction workers: Shut the f**k up

by Lanuola Tusani

AUT students are being distracted from their studies – and for once, Facebook isn’t to blame. The noise generated from construction of the new WG building is disrupting student studies and may impact tests if it continues. The new 12 storey tower will house the School of Communication Studies, television and performance studios, lecture theatres and shops. Studio technician Scott Creighton says his students will be sitting tests in a few weeks and the noise will disrupt them. “There is a lot of noise and its distracting for students and us.” He suggests that the noise should be muted during test weeks so it won’t distract students. “We would have to ask them to be quiet when we have tests to get students graded,” says Creighton. His office is in WE block beside the site and the noise affects his work at times, but he says there’s no other way around the noise. “They’re giving us a new building so have to tolerate with it for two years otherwise it will

The new building will improve AUT in the future, but staff and students are upset that it’s affecting their learning now.

never be built,” says Mr Creighton. The new building site is at the border of three AUT buildings. A third year accounting student, Seung-Ja Kim, is disturbed by the sounds, especially when she’s at lecture.

“It’s a concern during class time when you hear drilling and other loud sounds,” she says. Kim hangs out in the Counter café in the business building most of the time to study. She says the music played in the café distracts her from the battering noise while she tunes into her studies. Chemistry student Ethan Creighton prefers studying at the library. He says although you can’t hear the loud noise the site is a distraction. Frazer Baggley is a landscape architecture working with the Jasmax WG Building architecture team to assist with the development. According to http://frazerbaggaley.com the project will improve the campus. It also states that the WG precinct project will complete the Mayoral Drive and Governor Fitzroy corner of the campus in accordance with the aspirations and principles set out in the AUT city campus master plan report. AUT were asked for comment but declined due to deadline.

Students angry at being guilt AUT students voluntarily tripped into paying back loans sleep on campus

by Vaughan Alderson

A new campaign urging overseas Kiwi ex-students to pay back their loans as a way to help rebuild Christchurch is being criticised by students abroad. New Zealander of the Year and Victoria University physicist Sir Paul Callaghan created the campaign in the hopes of aiding the country with the enormous recovory task. Callaghan says the Heroic Educated Kiwi Expatriots campaign - or Heke - is aimed the giving the 85,000 overseas exstudents who collectively owe $2 billion to New Zealand a chance to “make history”. However, students abroad are saying the campaign will have little effect and is merely a “guilt trip”. London-based ex-student and BBC lawyer Stephanie Simmonds called the plan a “dated perception of the income of New Zealanders abroad”. “The UK is in the midst of an economic crisis, many people have been made redundant, and the New Zealand dollar is extremely strong against the pound. There has never been a worse time to be paying off a student loan from the UK,” she told the Waikato Times.

www.ausm.org.nz

Some former students have even gone as far as to call the campaign “insulting”. “Throwing around the word ‘hero’ isn’t going to fool anyone,” says Canberrabased Todd Wilson. “It takes away from people who have actually earned the title of hero. The idea is there but I don’t like the way he’s gone about it.” Callaghan has admitted his plan is controversial and acknowledges many people will not be able to afford additional repayments. “If only a few respond, the effect will be significant, but if most of you do, then you will make history and your contribution will,” says Callaghan. Students have also said that it is Callaghan’s attitude, not the campaign, that will discourage students. “It definitely feels like a guilt trip,” says Sydney-based Hape Tupou. “He’s talking to university graduates not primary school students.” Christchurch’s earthquake repair bill could be as high as $30 billion. Experts say that is comparatively worse than Japan’s $300 billion tsunami repair bill based on GDP.

by Jessica Beresford AUT students swapped their roofs for the stars last week at the university’s annual camp-a-thon. Members of The Dorly House, an outdoor recreation club, turned a field at the North Shore campus into a campsite for three days and slept there overnight while attending their usual classes. During the camp there were guests speakers such as William Pike, the inspirational speaker who survived the Mt Ruapehu eruption but lost both his legs, as well as lecturers from AUT. The purpose of the camp-a-thon is to raise awareness for The Dorly House and get people interested and passionate about the outdoors. President Omine Ivatt says the club is about getting outside and becoming enthusiastic and practiced in outdoor recreational activities. “We are trying to inspire people to have a connection with the outdoors,” he says. The Dorly House participates in activities such as rock climbing, canyoning, tramping and white water kayaking, among others. There is equipment available that has been donated by AuSM and various outdoor equipment suppliers for the club’s members to use. Ellie Chapman, a Dorly House member, says everyone is really close because they spend their university time together as well as the weekends when they participate in the activities. “We literally are another family because the activities we are doing require a strong trust in each other,” she says. The Dorly House was established in 2009 and stands for Developing Outdoor Recreation Leadership and is available for anyone to join.

by Lanuola Tusani

Printer failures and network outages are forcing AUT support staff to work overtime. ICT student service and support manager Sunita Taneja says there are problems with the shared network causing printing and disruptions in some computers. “Staff work weekends and evenings to rectify issues. “This is so as to ensure little disruption to the labs during normal business hours and to provide the best service we can to our students,” she says. On Monday, March 21, staff and students were not able to access data on the shared network drives. Taneja says the university experienced intermittent issues on Monday, March 21. Taneja says AUT is working with the vendor to resolve problems but unfortunately there is no quick fix. ICT staff member Asma Pyakurel says a common problem that students face is printers not being recognised by the computer. Taneja says most of the problems are in the open access lab, which all students use, and this is because the university uses a very small portion of the available network. Some students are unable to print because of “budget expired” fault caused by the database not being updated till overnight. Staff members are in place to help students when they have problems with printing. Taneja says when returning students receive their new ID cards the database cannot be updated in the middle of the day because that will disrupt the print service for about 40 minutes. She says it is fixed automatically the following day when it’s updated.

Mayor’s brainchild means bigger voice for Auckland’s youth

by Conor Whitten

Auckland youth will have their own voice in the super city thanks to a new advisory panel representing young people all over the region. Brainchild of Mayor Len Brown, the Foundation Youth Advisory Panel brings together 21 people from local youth councils to form one unified body. Albany ward councillor Michael Goudie, appointed by Brown to oversee the panel, says it represents “essentially our first regional voice” for youth across Auckland. The panel will advise the Auckland Council on a range of issues affecting youth, including a review of alcohol bylaws in the wake of the national Alcohol Reform Bill. Goudie says the panel is part of a wider initiative to connect with the whole Auckland community. The council already has panels for business, ethnic, rural and Pacific communities. “This is just another string to the bow.” The panel will be youth driven, with membership open to anyone aged between 15 and 24. This first year will lay the foundation for more development in the future, and Goudie hopes it will become a fully fledged Youth Council. His job is to act as a bridge between youth and the council to make sure that their message is heard. At 26, Goudie is Auckland’s youngest councillor, and he understands the need to communicate with the whole community. He says fewer than five per cent of the population actively engage with the council, with that minority dictating too many of the decisions being made. Young people in the community can contact the panel through their local board or approach the panel directly, with contact details set to be released on the Auckland Council website shortly.

4. How many grams of fat does KFC’s double down burger have, which is expected to hit New Zealand shores later this year? 1. French climber Alain Robert, also known as “Spiderman”, scaled the world’s highest tower last week. Where is it? a) b) c) d)

Dubai Jakarta Hong Kong Brunei

2. Which team did the Black Caps beat to advance to the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup? a) Sri Lanka b) South Africa c) Pakistan d) No one – they were beaten in the quarterfinals 3. What was the name of Hamlet’s uncle, who killed his brother so he could be King of Denmark? a) b) c) d)

10.

Polonius Laertes Claudius Horatio

a) b) c) d)

21 25 30 32

5. Which actress is playing Wonder Woman in the upcoming television remake? a) b) c) d)

Christina Hendricks Adrianne Palicki Minka Kelly Elizabeth Hurley

6. How many sons does Muammar Gaddafi have? a) b) c) d)

Five Six Seven Eight

7. Where would you find Six Senses Ninh Van Bay? a) b) c) d)

Vietnam Thailand Cambodia Malaysia

8. What is the current world record for the men’s 100 metre sprint, held by Usain Bolt? a) b) c) d)

9.83 9.72 9.58 9.43

9. How old was Bailey Junior Kurariki when he was convicted of manslaughter in 2002? a) b) c) d)

9 10 11 12

10. Which singer is rumoured to be performing two shows in New Zealand in June/July after their Australian tour? a) b) c) d)

Britney Spears Ke$ha Demi Lovato Miley Cyrus

Answers: A, B, C, D, B, C, A, C, D, D

Technology woes plague AUT support staff

issue 06 2011

by James Wheeler The Cricket World Cup from New Zealand’s point of view came to life a month after it had started. After an uneventful round robin of games to begin, we found ourselves as heavy underdogs against South Africa in the quarter finals. We were up against a squad that looked tailor made for a deep World Cup campaign, an experienced top order, a middle order that was in terrific form and the best fast bowler in world cricket (Dale Steyn). As we do, we showed fight and punched well above our weight and held our own. When South Africa had us down for the 10 count, we struck back with our sharp fielding, which won us the game in the end. Nobody with a decent cricketing brain was giving the Black Caps a chance and deep down, I had that same feeling too. Advancing to the semi finals of a Cricket World Cup is something New Zealand had done five times before, but never had we reached the milestone of a World Cup final. Heading into our semi final against Sri Lanka, we had everything to play for. For some of our squad it would be the last World Cup game they will ever play. For our younger guys it would mark their most important test. Like all of us die-hard cricket fans, I stayed up for the game in the hope that we would fire on all cylinders on the big stage. Sadly, we ended up being 30 runs too short batting first and a good platform was squandered by a middle and lower order collapse. Losing our final six wickets for not many will be the deciding factor when people look back at this game. After a decent opening stand, we had good momentum heading towards the finish with both Ross Taylor and Scott Styris playing experienced, sensible innings (scores of 36 and 57 respectively). But, as has been the trend with New Zealand cricket, when we come up trumps in one area of our game (usually our bowling and fielding), our batting sadly lets us down. On a positive note, we almost made 217; a defendable score on a slow but good batting surface. When Sri Lanka looked like they were going to breeze through to the final, our bowlers responded with a great spell where quick wickets were captured and the hopes of all droopy eyed Kiwis were raised. We went down fighting, which is what I’ll remember most about this world cup. Now to the interesting question: Was this World Cup a success for New Zealand cricket? Besides the high stakes win against South Africa, we really didn’t show too much of our ‘A game’ against a top opposition. We had a great win against Pakistan in pool play, but were also crushed by Sri Lanka and Australia during that time. Our batting never quite gave us that complete performance that filled us with confidence either. On the other hand, we exceeded expectations by even making the semi final, and were 30 runs more from possibly making our first ever final. If you think this way, then yes, we would consider this World Cup a success. Now that the Black Caps are gone, I can’t help but feel sorry for our guys. They played hard. Now, the future of Daniel Vettori, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram and others hangs in the balance. After the last World Cup we lost many great players: Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Shane Bond and more. I think only now are we fully recovered from that loss. So for these names to be in doubt leaves me a little worried about our future as an elite cricketing nation. Where are the replacements going to come from? The domestic competition suddenly seems a lot more intriguing to me.

www.ausm.org.nz

It’s an exciting time to be a young cricket player in New Zealand. With several of our squad being in the mid 30s at the next world cup in 2015, the time to search for young talent starts now. We have already found one star in Kane Williamson, but there is always work to be done to find the next big thing in New Zealand cricket. The cricket fans’ dream is about to end for another four years. The final will be Sri Lanka versus India. By the time you read this, the result will have been determined. If I had to pick, I’d like Sri Lanka going home with the gold.

Highlights Tim Southee’s 18 wickets at an average of 17.33 will likely give him the second highest wicket taker honour for the tournament. Not bad for a 22-year-old who hasn’t even reached his prime yet. Ross Taylor’s scintillating 131 not out against Pakistan reminded us all why he’s our future captain. He led from the front and put on a six hitting clinic of the highest calibre. Anything that hit the pitch or reached him on the full he was looking to unleash upon, something that we haven’t seen him to do for a while. Jacob Oram vs South Africa: Big Jake hasn’t been in the best of form leading into this World Cup. In fact, many would say his bowling has overtaken his batting as his number one skill in the side. His four wickets against South Africa plus his pressure catch on the boundary to remove Jacques Kallis turned the game on its head when South Africa was looking like a lock for the semis.

Lowlights Inconsistency with our batting. Sometimes we look amazing. Other times we look way out of our depth. We seemed to be too much in a “four six or dot” mentality this World Cup. What I mean by this is that we seemed to look for three options: big six, a smashed four or blocking the ball. We weren’t looking for quick singles and twos enough, a key staple to any one day batting performance. Close but yet so far again for the team as a whole. The sixth time New Zealand has made a World Cup semi final and the sixth time we have lost at that stage. It was a talking point after 2007 and is one after 2011 as we look ahead. Dan Vettori has finished his stint as New Zealand captain on a sad note. He took over from Stephen Fleming following the last world cup and now Vettori wants to focus on other things and let a younger player take the captaincy into the next phase of New Zealand cricket’s history.

11.

by Alicia Crocket

HOW TO pull a train with your hands (well, almost…)

by Danny Nemani Strongman - a modern eclectic strength competition where competitors lift rocks, tote refrigerators, pull trains, walk while towing an 18 wheel truck and carry heavy objects for time or distance. But you don’t have to lift the same weights as the top strongman competitors to get the same benefits. Below you’ll find a few strongman exercises/events and the benefits of incorporating them into your training routine.

Farmer’s Walk

Strongman competitors carry heavy objects weighing 125-170kgs in each hand for a set distance, competing for the fastest time. In the gym: Set up two flat benches 10 metres apart, select a set of heavy dumbbells and walk (don’t run) around the two benches. Rest the dumbbells on the benches between sets. Ensure that you keep your chest up and your core muscles tight throughout the farmer’s walk; this will help avoid lower back pain. Benefits: Upper back muscle development, improved grip, core and lower body strength. The farmer’s walk is like walking with heavy grocery bags, so it can help you carry your groceries easier.

Anvil Carry

Strongman competitors carry a heavy anvil (160kg or more) cradled in their arms for max distance. There is no time limit; the event finishes when the competitor drops the anvil from fatigue. In the gym: Find an awkward and heavy object to lift e.g. a medicine ball, power bag or swiss ball filled with water. Too light and the exercise will be pointless, too heavy and you may injure yourself – so choose your weight wisely. Set up two flat benches 10 metres apart and walk (don’t run) around the two benches. Ensure your chest is up by keeping your elbows up and keep your core muscles tight. Benefits: Improved upper body and core strength, and improved cardiovascular conditioning. Having the load in front of you while you walk will “overload”

12.

your core muscles until they are screaming for mercy. This exercise is great for practicing carrying heavy stacks of books around campus.

Tyre Flip

Strongman competitors flip over a heavy tractor tyre weighing from 200kg to 300kg+ for a set distance (usually 25 metres) and compete for the fastest time. In the gym: Find a heavy object you can throw around outside like a power bag, 20kg plate or a heavy medicine ball. Start with the object on the ground. Stand in a wide “sumo” stance with the object close to your feet. Squat down and grab the object with a firm grip. Lift the object to your shoulders, ensuring that your chest is up and your back is flat. Now launch the object out in front of you as aggressively as possible using your whole body to do so. Walk to the object and repeat. Performing this exercise can be done for a set distance, repetitions or time. Benefits: Benefits: Improved upper, lower body and core strength, improved power production and improved cardiovascular conditioning. This exercise will also help you do a better job of throwing one of your mates into the pool. Remember to always be safe, choose your weight wisely and get expert help to make sure your technique is safe and sound. Happy lifting everyone.

Pumpkins are cheap at the moment, so make the most of them with these great quick fritters. You can use any type of beans in this recipe – cannellini, kidney, borlotti or butter beans. These can be eaten by themselves as a brunch or you can serve them in pita, tortilla or with some rice, salad and tzatziki for a Mediterranean feast. PUmkin and bean fritters

Serves: 3-4 Dairy free, gluten free Cost per serve: $1.32 by themselves, $2.20 with rice and tzatziki

Ingredients 1 x 400g can cannellini beans 2 cloves garlic chopped OR 2 tsps minced garlic 2 cups grated pumpkin (about ¼ small pumpkin) 1 Tbsp fresh chopped herbs OR 1 tsp dried herbs 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 Tbsps self raising flour Zest of ½ lemon 1 Tbsp oil Directions 1. Grate pumpkin, drain and mash beans 2. Add remaining ingredients and mix until you get a batter 3. Heat oil in a fry pan and cook small spoonfuls, turning once 4. Serve

Tzatziki

Serves: 3-4 Gluten free Cost per serve: $0.75

Ingredients 125g plain unsweetened yoghurt 2 tsps chopped mint 1 small clove garlic chopped, OR ½ tsp minced garlic ½ cup grated cucumber 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. Grate cucumber and put into a sieve. Sprinkle over ½ teaspoon salt and leave for 30 minutes to an hour to drain 2. Squeeze out any extra juice and mix into the yoghurt 3. Crush up the garlic 4. Add all ingredients to the yoghurt and leave in fridge until required

issue 06 2011

Veronica Ng Lam AuSM President 921 9999 ext 8571

veronica.nglam@aut.ac.nz

Greetings my fellow AUT Titans, As the next few weeks of assignments, assessments and the unending list of “things to do” becomes increasingly stressful, annoying and aggravating I stand by you when I say “I know how it feels!”. The sleepless nights, leaving things to the last minute, the constant deadlines everywhere and the absence of our social lives has become a sad reality. I urge you to PRESERVERE! Don’t give up, make sure you ask for help if you need it and remember that it will be all worth it! Onto a lighter note: AUT Titans, if you don’t know already we are hosting the Super City UniGames for 2011! By this week all teams, competitors and volunteers should all be confirmed so hopefully you haven’t missed out! This is going to be our chance to reclaim our title

since 2005 and so we will expecting ALL of you to get involved one way or the other! Whether it be coming along to the sports (which will be all around Auckland) to cheer our university on, or becoming the Titans mascot, make sure you get involved! University should be more than just assignments and exams, a balanced lifestyle is always a good lifestyle! I wanted to also congratulate winners from the Communication school and the Business and Law faculty who both had their awards ceremony in the week just gone. Well done to all the graduated recipients! Finally, a brief overview of how well AuSM and our students rallied around for the Christchurch tragedy. First of all thank you to EVERYBODY who donated to the Red Cross buckets we had throughout Orientation; we are still waiting to see what amount we have raised! To the African Club who put on an African performance night to raise funds, well done! To the Akoranga students who organised the bake off, you guys rocked! And to everybody for playing their parts big or small, it was good to see AUT students come together (and even right now still fundraising) for the Christchurch community. Your student executive council donated $5000 towards the University of Canterbury student association’s hardship fund (which had depleted almost immediately at the time of the earthquake), and a further $500 towards the Volunteer Army. Additional to this, for the Christchurch students that transferred up to AUT we tagged another $5000 towards assisting students who were trying to settle here. I think our efforts were extremely commendable and would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone once again for their help and contribution! Enjoy the week ahead and good luck with your studies – Ia manuia Your fellow president

Veronica

Get the discounts you deserve AuSM has sourced more than 130 discounts across Auckland for AUT students to use year round. Visit our website and click on the Mates Rates icon to start browsing. When you find something you like, print out the discount and take with you to the store along with your AUT ID. Top 10 Mates Rates

1. 15 per cent off Pulp Shoes 2. 15 per cent off hot beverages at Esquires,

Auckland Library

3. 2-4-1 bike hire at Woodhill Forest 4. Snowplanet student tickets from $19 5. 20 per cent off everything at Bakers Delight,

Manukau

Perfect 10 Vesbar is turning 10 in May and we’ll be celebrating with a week of celebrations and a massive party on the 20th but it is our VIPs who will be getting all the presents! If you haven’t signed up as a VIP yet, don’t miss out. You can also follow Vesbar on Facebook for all the latest event photos and specials. Focus group We are currently looking for students on all campuses for focus groups that will help us improve events and services on campus. Focus groups will be held on all campuses in May and include lunch for participants. The sessions will take 30-60 minutes. If you are interested please email rebecca.williams@aut.ac.nz

6. 30 per cent off indoor go-karting at Auckland Raceway 7. Free combo upgrade at Habitual Fix 8. Free phoenix drink with large pita at Pita Pitt 9. $4 off Revive 10. 10 per cent off at Stirling Sports, Queen Street What are you waiting for? Visit: www.ausm.org.nz

www.ausm.org.nz

13.

by James Wheeler

What were you doing on Saturday evening, March 26, at around 8.30pm? I ask because at 8.30pm on that Saturday marked the annual ‘Earth Hour’ campaign headed by the World Wildlife Fund to promote climate change. I must admit, I knew little about the event and felt a little embarrassed when I asked the WWF climate change woman, “how much power was saved from Earth Hour last year?”. I felt that this was the main message of Earth Hour but I was assured it was not. “Power saving is not really the main aim of Earth Hour,” she told me, which made me feel a little silly. “The light switch off is a symbolic event to draw attention to the need for global action on climate change.” The above sentence really sums up the need to act now rather than later about the future and what we could be doing differently. The future of the planet is something that we don’t really think about all that often. I certainly don’t. I come to uni everyday on the bus, not thinking about what that is doing to the environment. A good reason could also be we won’t be alive when scientists say the Earth will become unliveable. But should we be thinking that way? Are we just going to leave this problem to the next generation to take care of?

14.

When we put into perspective some of the things happening in the world right now we see some interesting but concerning things. In the last decade we have had more hurricanes than I can count, tsunamis and earthquakes as well, and I saw a picture online two weeks ago of a decent sized tornado in New Zealand! It makes me think; if we don’t change the way we use energy now, we are going to be far worse off later. Consider Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005. Is that just a preview of things to come? Hurricanes are born out of the rising temperature of

light power down by 50 per cent (they weren’t keen on shopping in complete darkness). The Auckland Museum also dimmed its lights, as it has done for the last few years. Others didn’t participate, either through ignorance or because they didn’t want to switch off the TV during a Super rugby match or drink in darkness. Some places I called weren’t aware Earth Hour was on! If you were one of these people that weren’t aware, perhaps it’s a sign we should start being more environmentally aware of the energy we use and what might happen if we don’t

“The light switch off is a symbolic event to draw attention to the need for global action on climate change.” the ocean and the air pressure dropping alongside it. With sea levels rising, average global temperatures rising, a dangerous trend is developing. Earth Hour was on Saturday, March 26. For one hour (8.30pm until 9.30pm), we were encouraged to switch off our lights, put away the Playstation or XBox and do our part for climate change. Some places got on board with the idea which was encouraging. I noticed my local Countdown switched the

world it’s the current vehicle for spreading the message. This year 130 countries took part and that number is sure to rise in future years. An event like this was needed to make us all remember that climate change is an issue that we should care about now. A poll was done in 2008 of 127 countries and about a third of them were not aware of global warming or climate change. That’s a bit of a shocker. New Zealand has expressed an interest in trying to reduce carbon emissions, and other countries are also involved in this initiative. When Earth Hour comes around next year I encourage you to get involved. It’s a chance for much of the world to unite without having the leave the house. It sends a strong message for change and that things do need adjustment if the Earth is going to be sustainable for the foreseeable future. Switch off for an hour, Earth hour.

make changes now. I wonder sometimes what the world will be like in 50 years. Will Venice be overcome by the rising sea level? Will island countries be able to cope? Perhaps you are one of the people fully convinced 2012 will arrive and none of this will matter. But, if we are still alive in 2013, then this issue needs more time devoted to it than it’s currently getting. Earth Hour just completed its fourth year last week. With one hour per year around the

issue 06 2011

by Danielle Whitburn

alk about the prison system in New Zealand and two issues usually arise: the rising state of crime within our innocent clean-green islands, and the fact that prisoners are now allowed luxuries such as Playstations, X-Boxes, Nintendos, and Sky TV. The main question this article will discuss is not only, ‘Is this true?’ but also, “Is this fair?”. How come we have to abide by all the rules, watch our backs for rapists and murderers and tell kids not to accept candy from strangers when those very criminals might end up with flasher technology and nicer meals? And more importantly, who is funding all this paedophile pampering and murderer molly coddling? A main point here I would like to add (although trying not to have a bias, as snaky journalists are apt to do), is that it is not only Playstations and cafeteria-cooked meals that prisoners have had over the past few years. If you are a minimum-medium security prisoner (e.g. not Clayton Weatherston), life is looking pretty sweet. Under-floor heating warms your slippers all day, until you receive money, gifts, and kissy-kissys from the wife, kids, and/or jailbait on Saturdays. You may also make calls to whomever you like from morning till night (think: possibly working from “home”), only working your ‘real job’ four and a half hours a day. A story has also just broken about David Bain wannabe Mark Lundy receiving medical treatment outside prison after murdering his family. It’s easy to see why people get angry. Would you want the person who stole your car, assaulted your grandmother (or worse in the case of Lundy), to have a life so lavish? Surprisingly, the answers are often mixed. It is probably time to get to the facts. Out of 19 nationwide prisons, the Department of Corrections owns assets of $1.7 billion and a budget of $748 million. Comparably with, say, Canada, we have good rehabilitation rates: only 14 per cent of our adult rapists reoffend within nine years, in contrast to their 61 per

www.ausm.org.nz

cent(!), and we have the same re-offending rate of paedophiles (21% per cent). We have a breaking-out and positive drug-testing rate of 15 per cent, which is relatively low. We also offer restrictions such as text blocking (no text-messaging allowed in some of our prisons), along with only a few other nations such as France, Sweden, Scotland and Mexico (although this is probably a money-saver when you have free in-cell calling). The UK, by contrast, is also worse than us on the Playstation front: they spent more than 221,000 pounds on prisoner entertainment and only admitted to 10,000. Bad public relations indeed. Are these statistics really bad enough for us to kick up such a fuss? Or is asking a statement like that simply begging the question? Journalist Marc Alexander has echoed a debate that has been passed around in our national politics like a hot potato since who knows when: that we need to stop seeing criminals as misunderstood victims. Although this might be hard when research tells us at least 60 per cent of our prisoners have at least one major personality disorder, it does ring true. New Zealand often has such high aspirations for equality because it is viewed as a first world country. We love to forgive, we have numerous charities and we join in with the big guns when it comes to international politics. But could these ideals be affecting the way we treat our most hardened criminals? Just like most of us don’t want to be the one at the head of the line or the one pushing in, we don’t want to be the ones who push for pensionerpunchers to be denied Halo 3 or for stabbers to have their heated rugs pulled from under them. Why? Because everybody is equal. The courts might preach that all are innocent until proven guilty, but what really happens to those who are proven in the wrong? As far back as 2002 a Sentencing Act was passed, reducing the amount of incarceration time before parole to a 1/3 less. The media might be the ones mitigating what we hear about these prisoners, but there nevertheless seem to be myriads of

cases where special treatment is given, not to mention the lessening of sentences for the most disturbing of crimes. Let us explore the other side of the coin for a minute, supposing that we are being unreasonable. There have also been cases of ill neglect within the prison system, and not just a ‘watch-your-back’ mentality between imprisoned former gang members (or so they are stereotyped). One case is of a certain David Cox, an over-60’s minor offender who died of pneumonia after having repeatedly asked guards for extra clothing and blankets. Cox died seven days after having contracted the disease, reportedly having a blue pallor and shaking. Even in the low-risk prisons, then, not everything is coming up rainbows and lollipops. Perhaps the problem with these kinds of discussions is that we have heard the side of the real victims, the families or those directly attacked, so often and with so much emotion. We can relate to these people. Most of us have not been inside a prison. How many people are related to or still friends with a current inmate? We are nicely dressed, non-patched Aucklanders who know someone that a crime has happened to. We find it hard to sympathise with the high percentage of mentally ill convicts because we all know, thanks to John Kirwan, that one in five of us have it already. Why should we care about a sad inmate? They stole our car and hooked our cousin up on meths. Besides, the heated flooring and Playstation-parading that we’re funding really gets up our noses. We’re not happy with it and we have to pay for it, but we’re warm-hearted New Zealanders. We don’t want to get all Texas-Death-Row on you. We just want to write an article.

15.

by Jarred Williamson I find hypocrisy hard to swallow. Do one thing, but say another. What frustrates me and at the same time amuses me about the Labour Party is that this is often the case for them. They have no problem going on the offensive, but when things get a little tough they cry conspiracy. The past few weeks politically have been ruled by controversy, particularly with the opposition. The 49th Parliament has seen its far share of political ‘scandals’ – the likes of Chris Carter and his well-stamped passport, Shane Jones and his err, ‘interesting’ taste in hotel movies at the taxpayers’ expense spring to mind. Of course these are no doubt fuelled by the lovely media. Over the past few weeks, there have been a number of things that have annoyed me with regard to the Labour Party. Firstly, Maryan Street made a complete fool of herself and her party at question time in Parliament. She asked Civil Defence minister Chris Carter why the prime minister was given special attention in the red zone in Christchurch over many business owners and what was his business being there? Well, duh. That’s a no brainer. I cringed when the Speaker of the House addressed

her as the ‘The Honourable Maryan Street’. There wasn’t anything honourable about the complaining and politicisation of the Christchurch quake recovery. That’s a bit of a distasteful decision Maryan. We will need to make cuts and compromises so that the country can recover; the quake isn’t a pretext for the 2011 Budget coming in May. Phil Goff was adamant that is was, however. Did you know that the Marine and Coastal Bill has passed into law? Well, the media forgot about that last week with the Darren Hughes controversy. My focus is not on Darren Hughes and what he may have allegedly done – the police haven’t completed their investigation and there is a heck of a lot of versions of events out there. My only view is that a former senior MP has had serious allegations made against him – that’s not good. Instead my focus is on Phil Goff and the Labour Party’s handling of the situation. The leader of the opposition was all too happy to jump on the prime minister’s back in 2009 when the Richard Worth saga came to light. The PM investigated the issue and sacked Mr Worth, demonstrating both leadership and decisiveness. When it turned to Phil Goff, it became known that the “leadership team” (Not including the Party president) knew about the complaint laid weeks ago and decided to keep it quiet. Hughes offered his resignation, but Goff turned it down. See my point here? Double standards. It’s simply not good enough for a leader of a political party wanting to become prime minister to hide this fact from the public. Not only did Goff change his stance each day on the Darren Hughes affair, but he flip flopped on his 2009 stance, saying he realised it was different with the shoe on the other foot. What?! Are you serious! No wonder Labour’s ratings are so low. I see a man under pressure. I see a man that can’t seem to take a firm stance. I see a man that is not capable enough to lead. It’s simple to synthesise that Phil Goff’s in trouble despite his reassurances. Whichever way you look at things; Phil Goff’s made a bit of an arse of himself and further made his party’s job tougher leading to November 26. Whether the party are still faithful to him to lead them to Election Day, well, we’ll find out soon enough.

The calendar allocates us 90 days of summer, but we’re now past the 120th day of summer. With Easter fast approaching – and thus mid-semester break – this could be your last real chance to enjoy summer while you can still swim without catching a mild case of the flu. Now is the time to make those plans; find the perfect group of friends or family or simply steal your other half away from the hustle and bustle of uni life for a couple of days. Summer may have officially ended, but as long as you’re prepared for cooler nights and crisp mornings, the Easter break is the perfect time for a last ditch effort to make the absolute most of decent weather (fingers crossed). Whether this means spending two weeks tramping down to the local beach every day, or loading up the car and taking off for a week of relaxing bliss; it’s essential before the cold sets in. Spend your Easter break: Camping Put the tent and the sleeping bags in the car and head off to your favourite spot for the weekend or a couple of days during the week. Make sure you take a few extra layers in case the temperature suddenly drops and time the traffic peaks properly. Don’t forget the marshmallows and the chocolate biscuits! Picnics Pick a day and go, no matter the weather. If you end up sitting in your car with six friends eating sandwiches then so be it. Get everyone to bring a plate – sandwiches with the no crusts, fairy bread and cupcakes! Be creative. Remember to take your camera for those face-versus-window shots or the rugged up beach pictures.

16.

Easter Egg Hunts Remember the days of running around the back yard in your PJs trying to find the Easter Bunny and whatever he left behind. Make a hunt for your flatmates while they make one for you. Colour code the eggs and watch them scamper around the yard on Easter Sunday looking for blue bundles of chocolate. Go Home, Stay Home This was one of my favourite childhood games. Collect a group of at least six willing participants and wait until dusk before heading outside. Split into teams. One team counts while the others hide. If you’re ‘tug’ return to ‘base’ until your team frees you (a free member must say ‘go home, stay home, 1, 2, 3’) or until all your team is caught. Switch roles and be amazed at how fit you were as a kid. Barbecue Invite friends and family over and crank out the barbecue. Again, get everyone to bring a plate – meat, salads, homemade bread and dessert! There are endless possibilities and there will ALWAYS be enough leftovers to last two weeks. Assignments You could always spend your break catching up on upcoming assignments, any and all readings you missed during the first half of the semester and revising lecture notes until you know them better than the lecturer. But let’s face it, spending the last days of summer inside studying is nowhere near as appealing as being outside with friends and family, enjoying the heat while we still have it.

issue 06 2011

Who is the beholder ?

by Ashleigh Muir

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But what about art? Is art supposed to be beautiful, or just expensive? Who decides if it is beautiful? Would you buy a Picasso or a Van Gogh because they are truly beautiful paintings or would you buy one because of the status it gives you or its monetary worth, either now or in the future? Now I realise that we are all students here. Most of us have found ourselves with debt up to our eyeballs and struggling to make the pay cheque stretch. But that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate good art. But how do we know what good art looks like? I am no art history scholar – I didn’t take it at high school – but I know when I like a piece or not. But I also know that it is my opinion. The film Mona Lisa Smile asks this very question in an art history lecture given by Katherine Watson. Some of the comments made by the female students include: Katherine Watson: “25 years ago, someone thought this was brilliant.” Betty Warren: “Who?” Katherine Watson: “My mother.” Betty Warren : “Art isn’t art until someone says it is.” Katherine Watson : “This is my mom. Is it art?” Susan Delacorte: “It’s a snapshot. “ Katherine Watson: “If I told you Ansel Adams had taken it, would that make a difference?” I was recently in a small gallery in the Coromandel and both my mother and my grandmother remarked on a painting. Neither of them liked it. I thought it was brilliant! It was by a well-known artist of the area who specialises in painting boats. This particular

www.ausm.org.nz

piece was very realistic. It was dark and dreary. It challenged the general perception of the ocean and showed it for what it really is; mysterious, powerful and even brooding. This particular piece captured that perfectly but was cast aside because it wasn’t pretty. The art around campus is not what I would consider pretty either. But it is still art, isn’t it? I was in the business building for the first time last week and discovered a piece I quite liked. I won’t tell you where it is but I feel it captures a sense of the emptiness that art can often have. Art should provoke something inside you. Whether you are looking at a painting or a photograph, a sculpture or a film; it should make you think or feel something. Anything. What about the canvas prints sold at The Warehouse or even Cotton On? It might be ‘cute’ or popular – such as the recent ‘Keep calm and carry on’ art that is abundant everywhere, but does it mean anything? ‘Keep calm and carry on’ art simply objectifies England and the stoic perspective they have held true for hundreds of years. Does art have a minimum price tag? Famous artists have earned their place in our history books but what does that mean for everyone else? As Betty Warren said, “Art isn’t art until someone says it is”. However, I can’t simply decide something is art, can I? Maybe I should paint something and sell it for thousands of dollars. Perhaps then they will call me an artist. Although I don’t even think my mum would buy it. Advertising is a representation of society, as it is now. It can be beautiful, creative or a blatant attempt to sell something. But is it art? They can make us think about ourselves

and our society; they can make us laugh and smile. YouTube the NZ Post advert. Is that art? It is beautifully made, it tells a story and shows you a relationship in less than a minute. It is barely different to film in these respects. The only difference is that it is trying to sell you something – but film is full of product placement so what is the difference? On this fine Monday morning, you are probably too tired to have read this far, but for those of you who have made it, thank you. I realise I have asked you far too many questions and answered barely any of them. The problem is, I don’t know what to think. That beautiful painting in the Coromandel got me thinking about art and beauty and whether they go together. However, the previous 723 words have led me to conclude a couple of things. Firstly, make your own decision about art. What do you think about the piece? Whether it is pretty or brooding, empty of meaning or bursting at the seams, it all comes down to your own personal opinion. After all, you wouldn’t want something hanging on your wall you didn’t like. Secondly, art is whatever you want it to be. Be that film, advertising, painting or music. It doesn’t have to belong in a musty museum with a million dollar price tag. It can be homemade, mass produced, an original Picasso or something that will never sell – if that is what you want it to be. Follow Katherine Watson and make up your own mind. There is no textbook to tell you what to think.

17.

by Matthew Cattin

18.

The world has changed crazy fast. The last 10 years are a whirlwind to me. When I was little, I didn’t really expect many things to change. But then the Venga Boys went and split up, Paul Holmes went racist and What Now turned to shit and if I’m honest, I miss the days when everything was as it should be. The days when you could open a Where’s Wally book and he wasn’t circled on every freaking page*. When afternoon cartoons were worth racing home for and Saturday cartoons were worth waking up early for. Hey Arnold, Captain Planet, Rugrats, Wacky Racers… ALL LEGIT! You could even watch The Simpsons knowing it wouldn’t be a repeat. Television was actually good. I remember Saturday nights with McDonald’s Young Entertainers at 6pm and Goosebumps at 6.30pm, which made lying in bed at 8pm a scary time. No wonder I wet the bed. Missing a Colgate Saturday feature was a fate worse than having your odd bodz collection put through the wash in the back pocket of your cargo pants. But at least if you knew you weren’t going to be home or it finished too late (past nine), you could set the VCR. 0800 001 001. How many times have you unsuccessfully dialled that number? But it’s okay! Because you were in the What Now club and that was cool enough, even if you never won the dinosaur K’Nex set. I bet if you called What Now nowadays you’d get through straight away as all the new age kids are using text and email. Free Willy, E.T., Home Alone, The Goonies, The Labyrinth, Fly Away Home and Jurassic Park, not

to mention anything Disney put out, were all quality films. I have watched them all since and found the quality far surpasses that of Camp Rock or Aliens in the Attic. Maybe it’s because the target audience back then was hella cool. The only finance issue you had was trying to find enough coins under the playground swings to buy Skool Milks and Moosies from the tuck shop. And then your hand would freeze long before you finished, giving you dead fingers for the next class. The only ice creams you ever bought were paddle pops (for the matching sticks competition) and buffalo bills (for the bubble gum nose). Despite the fact they were obviously the best ice creams anyway, everything else was over your $1.50 budget. I distinctly remember thinking that everybody older than me was ‘cool’. At school us littlies would be running around playing the lion king or heads down, thumbs up while the older kids just sat coolly with their chatter rings and yoyos, eating nerds and spaceman candy. They would wear their hat backwards EVEN THOUGH it didn’t protect their face from the sun. The coolest thing about childhood has to be that you would literally believe in anything, so long as it came from the mouth of an adult. A fairy that trades your filthy teeth for gold coins? Common sense. A Cadbury sponsored rabbit who hides chocolate eggs around your house? Logical. A fat old man who climbed down your chimney and gave you gifts? The best day ever. I still remember when my Dad bought our first computer home. It was Windows 95. I used to love going into word and getting the help paper clip to come and talk to me. We had Dangerous Creatures, Encarta ’97 and Windows Golf ’97, all on CD-Rom, not to mention the floppy disks. They were so fun to eject. When we first got internet, it took a minute to turn on, all the while making that awful dial up tone. Since it was before Google, I used to make up websites and hope they led me somewhere. Oh yes I was a practical wee lad! I would love to sit a new age kid down on an ancient PC with dial up and watch the suffering going down. I never had a real girlfriend until year 10 but I definitely had a mad crush on Suzy Kato in my earlier years. She was the only woman in my life and I doubt I was alone in thinking that. There simply isn’t any children’s television icon these days that can live up to Suzy in her prime. She had the preschool world in her creative hands. And for that Suzy, I will always love you. Things have changed so much in just 10 years and it scares me to think what another 10 years will bring. We used to find entertainment in the smallest things but I fear this is fast changing. It’s scary to think that a generation will grow up without The Lion King, Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Michael Jackson. One thing I’m sure of is I am glad I grew up when I did and I think it’s a darn shame my kids will grow up in some techno, chrome, space age future. Stay classy San Diego. * Straight up that really pisses me off. What kind of a sick person takes pleasure in ruining Where’s Wally for everyone? Shame on you.

issue 06 2011

Television, you überskank. I used to be on your side. I was part of the generation that had three parents, one of whom was Mum’s new boyfriend Samsung—a rather large, colourful character, but always there for a good laugh. He was a friend, dude. And we had some good times, right? Re-runs of old shows that we watched as kids make us nostalgic and gushy just thinking about them. I’m sure you could list five old school shows off the top of your head that you’d sell a kidney to watch. And another kidney to get the DVD box set. But where did television actually go? Did it just get its kicks and leave like a psychopath at a Bangkok strip joint? Or is it still maliciously watching us in the shadows, poking its head out when we think all hope is gone to offer up another season of Family Guy or SpongeBob? Even though we did all right, in retrospect, as kids, we were dumb little gremlins back then. We bought into all the crap they were spitting out. Beyblades, Pokemon, Captain Planet. Jesus, I remember one time I actually owned one of the power rings from that show—until I ate it, of course. But that’s only because I saw Yogi Bear do it once. It seemed a first-rate idea at the time. The Bugs Bunny reference does pose an interesting proposition, though: how much of our childhood experience was influenced from what we saw on the box? With the exception of say, Wile E. Coyote, who was probably the greatest work safety spokesperson of our generation. Let’s assume that we go watch an old episode of Pingu, an old sweetheart of mine. I remember one episode where he attempts to get his ball back from a small cave, and once inside, he can’t get his stupid beak out of there. If you were nine and saw this, where everyone was happy families at the end of the day, wouldn’t you just love to try that? Exactly. And it doesn’t even have to be something that elaborate. Batman. I know one of my nutso friends running around throwing paper bats at people pretending they were Batarangs. And don’t even get me started on some of those other crazy shows. Like The Wild Thornberrys? If you saw that and didn’t try and strike up a conversation with your parakeet, I’m buying you a beer. If we weren’t watching television, would we have gotten all those embarrassing juvenile polaroids of us in a Superman costume in mid-jump off a flight of stairs? Probably not. But, Christ, we’d be boring people. I mean, think about it. We were the generation that might as well have the emergency broadcast colour chart tattooed across our forehead. Media had us from the womb—even our dummies had My Little Pony on them. If Mummy needed some alone time, she’d plonk you in front of Blue’s Clues and away you go. And that’s just in the first three years or so. If Mum was tired of you then, she’d flick on

www.ausm.org.nz

Malcolm in the Middle. Or The Simpsons. It never really mattered. All it did was distract you from your sugar-hyped self so she could have a ciggie. In the television’s defense, this influx of creative work kept us receptive. It made us see the world through a pair of sunglasses shaped like stars. We got it easy as kids. So much television actually made the world seem so much more grandiose than it really was for us. We were a creative bunch. We got lucky. We were the generation that got the twin worlds of seizure fit inducing cartoons and parents that wouldn’t take shit from this faux father and booted our baby asses outside to play real games with real people. But that’s where the problems arise. Television shouldn’t have been a kind figure that abandoned us mid-way through the jungle to hunt on our own. It should have been a drill sergeant, screaming at you day in day out to straighten up and get that homework assignment in. It should have given us that shotgun blast of reality straight to the temples where it would stick properly. But, unfortunately, it did fail in that respect. And it’s just getting worse and worse. We’re coming to a time in television history where the programming needs to pull its pants up and stop wanking in the bathroom between sets. Yes, the programming that has carried us through to our freshman years is, for the most part, okay. But look what the new generation has to endure, and tell me you’re not essentially watching a severe dental operation. And it’s all been done before, but 10 times better. The next generation of children have to sit through the leftovers of what we’ve had, and they’ll be as useless as Helen Keller’s drum kit for it. We got it good as kids with television. But dude, what happened to you? You were so full of life back in the day, now it’s like you’re running on old dreams and feathers. Where’s the imagination gone, man? As kids, we were watching the greatest cartoons ever to air, and, now we’re all grown up, we give so much more value to what we had. Plus we can bless ourselves lucky never to have to sit through fucking Jonas LA. Christ, they can burn in pits of tar for eternity for that one. And yes, I do bitch about the state of affairs nowadays, what happened to us, what those little tuckers are doing now, etc. But every time we conjure up these memories of the TV set that was bigger than a brick mansion on steroids, they are always loaded to the eyeballs with good times. Even that Superman leap of faith was a happy, if short-lived moment. It was in that moment where it was perfect: “I’m flying, man.” And it didn’t get much better than that. Consider this an intervention, man Give them what we had. Trust me, they’ll be better off. And so will the A&E.

by Doc Watson (Salient)

19.

by Ally Garrett (Salient)

How’s your relationship with food? Does food hold your hand in public? Has food met your parents? Are you and food moving in together anytime soon? Chances are a lot of people reading this have a relationship with food that bears an uncanny resemblance to Carrie and Mr Big (so uncomfortable you can’t take your bra off during sex) or Bella and Edward (actually a creepy allegory for Mormonism). I ate an entire Mee Goreng for dinner so I think that right now my relationship with food is actually a little bit Brokeback Mountain (I just can’t quit you). When we talk about relationships with food it’s easy to think about the extreme case scenario. The first thing I think about when somebody uses the phrase ‘disordered eating’ is about Karen Carpenter turning orange from eating too many carrots when in the throes of anorexia or the documentaries I watched as a child featuring vomiting ballerinas. These kinds of eating disorders are serious. Of all psychiatric disorders, anorexia nervosa has

20.

the highest mortality rate. It’s also important, though, to separate the issue of eating disorders from disordered eating, which can include emotional eating and having an unhealthy relationship with food or your body. This disordered eating bizzo is a lot more common than you might think, with three out of four women experiencing some kind of disordered eating in their lifetime.* It doesn’t make sense for me to try and tackle the subject of eating disorders here because I have neither the lived experience nor the medical expertise to do the topic justice. What I can do though is write about food relationships for those of us who have both the able-bodied and the economic privilege to be able to eat ‘normally’ and talk about ways to encourage a relationship with food that’s more Elton and David and less Brad and Jennifer. It’s easy to see why disordered eating is so common. On the whole, Western culture seems to have a pretty toxic relationship with food. This can be seen through the performative eating of young starlets during interviews and the dignity-robbing pictures of ‘headless fatties’ that are published alongside articles about the obesity epidemic. Nestle makes Kit Kats, of course, but they also own Jenny Craig. Tim Tam adverts encourage viewers to eat supposedly ‘sinful’ chocolate biscuits and women who are deemed too thin are harangued to ‘eat a sandwich’. Poet Laureate Britney Spears sung it best with the words ‘She’s too big, now she’s too thin’ and it’s all a little bit Sid and Nancy. A big part of this destructive heroin-addled murder-suicide relationship is our obsession with labelling foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Not ‘nutritious’ or ‘protein-packed’ but GOOD and BAD. Actually, food is just food. It does not have ill intentions or moral attributes. Foods have different nutritional components, yes, and eating everything in moderation is really great but labelling a food as ‘bad’ only contributes to a weird, fucked up belief system around eating. A belief system where business women can’t buy chocolate off my friend Izzy without commenting on how ‘naughty’ they are being. Where a human being can’t go to the gym without being told they are ‘being good’ even though they might just like going to the gym to punch things. These words, the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ and the ‘virtuous’ and the ‘naughty’ are insidious. They are body shame and blame, tied up in little adjective parcels. They are body surveillance culture, hidden as offside remarks. They are the words that say it is okay to be fat, as long as you are dieting and running up a hill every five minutes, because God forbid you love your body the way it is. This shame and blame is tied, of course, to the relationship that food has on body size. Every year squillions of dollars are spent on the ‘war on obesity’ and thousands of articles are released about the ‘obesity epidemic’. It only

takes a quick scroll through Facebook to know that fat prejudice is alive and well amongst students of this very university. I continue to be baffled as to why people think that shaming and blaming fat people for their appearance is helpful. The ‘War on Obesity’ actually translates as a ‘War on Obese People’ resulting in many fat people hating their bodies. Why on earth would you want to you look after something you hate? The US Surgeon General is advocating an approach that is ‘pro-health’ rather than ‘anti-obesity’ and this seems far more effective because anti-obesity campaigns too often forget that ‘obesity’ isn’t the same as eating rubbish and never exercising. Regina Benjamin states: “As America’s family doctor, I want to change the conversation from a negative one about obesity and illness to a positive conversation about being healthy and being fit... Eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, and have fun doing it.” She’s right. The best kinds of relationships are the fun ones. Think Tim and Helena. Food should be the boyfriend that lets you leave the house with mismatched shoes on. Advocates for this more positive approach often tout the Health At Every Size Manifesto, championed by academic Linda Bacon who basically has the best name ever for a health expert. HAES encourages followers to eat intuitively and engage in physical activity that is pleasurable for them, in the pursuit of health, as opposed to weight loss. HAES is a beautiful thing. Every body is a good body and every body deserves to be nourished and moved around and made to feel good. Food is a pleasure, a joy, a survival tool. Food is memories of birthday cakes or eating eggs before exams to make your brain work better or getting hungry after you go swimming. Food is the cheese and crackers you eat with your friends when you talk about sex. Food is eating garlic when you’re sick and watermelon when you’re hot. If you’re Logan, then food can be Mary-Anne. As someone old and beardy once said, the course of true love ne’er did run smooth. Your relationship with food is forever. It’s more civil union than one-night-stand-you-picked-upat-the-Kumara. Your wedding vows are signed, because with food it really will be “until death do us part”. In the world we live in food and bodies are often associated with judgement and shame; they’re value laden and the way we eat is so often linked to our mental health. Self care is a radical act. Trust your body. Enjoy your relationship with food. Let food borrow your toothbrush. Tell food when he has spinach in his teeth. Buy food flowers on her birthday. Renew your vows on Waiheke Island. For now, you’ll have to excuse me. Food and I are going out for dinner. For more information on Health at Every Size I recommend googling Linda Bacon or visiting www.fatnutritionist.com *No statistic is on hand for men. Probably because scientists assume men are too busy building a shed or something to have anything as wussy as disordered eating. There is also no statistic on hand for the transgender community. Scientists seem to be quite into the arbitrary gender binary.

issue 06 2011

ACROSS 2. What your course-related costs are supposed to be spent on 3. A hot caffeinated beverage, made without milk 9. Way to travel between AUT campuses 10. Type of referencing, hated by all students 11. Normally consumed at a petrol station 12. A social networking site that was big with university students in 2005 14. A place you only go to when you need to study 15. Students are given these as homework during lectures 16. An alcoholic beverage, made famous by James Bond 18. Where scarfies come from 19. A popular procrastination website 20. Students wear Harry Potter robes to this

DOWN 1. A computer brand 4. What some students spend their course-related costs on 5. A degree at AUT, typically with a large number of female students enrolled 6. AuSM puts these on at AUT campuses three times a week (one at

ALLNIGHTER BREAKDOWN CAFFEINE CRAM CRASH ESSAYS EXAM

www.ausm.org.nz

FACEBOOK FAIL FATPANTS INCOHERENT JUNKFOOD LAPTOPS PROCRASTINATION

each campus) 7. A horizontal surface or a house of residence 8. The local watering hole 13. Students always want this, but never get enough of it 17. There are two of them during the academic year

RAGE REFERENCING

STRESS STUDY TEARS YOUTUBE

21.

Kiwi music finally in the spotlight on the world’s stage by Alisha Lewis

22.

For a small country, we’ve done pretty well when it comes to the entertainment scene. Oscar nominated films like Tolkein’s trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia and Whale Rider have all garnered global nods in recognition of our prowess within the film industry. Meanwhile, television comedy Flight of the Conchords has been a huge hit on the small screen overseas. However, one area that’s always remained elusive has been music. How many Kiwi artists can claim international super-stardom in the mainstream music market? Not many, if any (couldn’t resist chucking that Scribe reference in). But really, it’s proved hugely difficult for our voices to carry from somewhere around the bottom of the world to the pimped out recording studios on America’s West Coast. Sure, we’ve had artists who’ve made it big across the ditch – Brooke Fraser, Scribe, Opshop, Midnight Youth etc. And although the Aussies stole him, we still claim music legend and Crowded House lead singer Neil Finn as our own. We’ve also had our fair share of one hit wonders. Split Enz’ single I Got You made it big in Australia, Canada and the United States while OMC’s 90s hit How Bizarre spent 36 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 at number four. OMC sold around four million records worldwide, making it the biggest selling New Zealand recorded and signed record ever. How Bizzare was actually named the 71st greatest one hit wonder ever. Our claim to fame lies with the Otara Millionaires Club. It’s pretty depressing. But maybe, finally, that’s all about to change. A number of hot, young Kiwi acts have been shaking up the music world big time, both here and overseas. The first to break the barrier and burst onto the international scene was singer Ladyhawke with her 2008 smash hit, Delirium. Delirium made it onto the US Triple J Hottest 100 sitting at number 11 while another single, Paris is Burning, also made the list at number 26. Ladyhawke’s success brought her to the attention of celebrity gossip blogger and music fiend Perez Hilton, who often scouts for fresh talent to promote (he was praising Lady Gaga before she made it big). Hilton invited Ladyhawke to co-headline his musical tour Perez Hilton Presents…, which saw her performing at sold out shows in North America and Canada. In the United Kingdom she was just as popular and was nominated for a 2010 Brit Award in the category of best solo artist. Since Ladyhawke’s success, it seems the world has suddenly opened its eyes to the possibility that maybe we’re actually good for something other than rugby, sheep shearing and housing hobbits. In particular, ever since Perez Hilton took on Ladyhawke as his protégé back in 2009,

he’s been on the lookout for Kiwi talent. And he hasn’t been disappointed. Perez is actually possibly the biggest endorser of our music overseas. With millions flocking to Hilton’s site every day, it’s a pretty sweet deal for our Kiwi kids trying to make it with the big boys. A recent post endorsing The Naked and Famous, raved about Kiwi music in general and encouraged readers to check it out – even posting links to the bands’ web pages. “We’re not quite sure WHAT is going on in New Zealand, but they are making some AMAZING music lately! From Kids Of 88, whom we posted about this week, to Zowie, Kimbra, Ladyhawke and, now, The Naked And Famous. We are LOVING Kiwi music!,” he said in a post last month. Even more impressive, Hilton singled out two Kiwi acts – Kids of 88 and Zowie – to perform at his concert, One Night in Austin, which is part of the famous annual South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival. The artists were already invited to play at the festival, which showcases the hottest music from around the world in a string of concerts in Austin, Texas over four days in March. The festival is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, so for Kids of 88 and Zowie, performing for Perez was the icing on the cake. Immediately after the festival ended, Perez posted his favourite acts of the festival. Singer Zowie made his top five but the unexpected winner of the night was Auckland band Kids of 88, whom Perez touted as the best of the bunch. Despite being the act with arguably the “least buzz” going in, they walked out with “the most buzz and a whole bunch of new fans”. “After seeing a bunch of shows, we can safely say that Kids of 88 were THE breakout act of this year’s SXSW! Audiences unfamiliar with their music were instantly won over by their insanely catchy hooks and the rock star energy of their lead singer.” Zowie received high praise too, saying the “New Zealand dynamo…rocked our stage…She may be little, but she packs a big punch!” Meanwhile, the festival’s annual New Zealand showcase was headlined by The Naked and Famous with Brooke Fraser, Liam Finn, Zowie and David Dallas also playing to a packed tent during the three hour show. Other local acts who performed at the festival included Battle Circus, King Kapisi, Surf City and Street Chant. The delegation was large and the reception was spectacular. We caused a buzz and it appears that New Zealand music is finally being put on the map. At last, people are starting to associate Kiwi music with something other than the Otara Millionaires Club or Brett and Jermaine’s rendition of Hiphopopotomous Vs. Rhymenocerous.

issue 06 2011

Where have all the good films gone? by Samantha McQueen

tudents in Auckland get such a raw deal compared to the rest of the country. We have to pay through the roof for, well, a roof over our heads while our friends down South are lapping it up for $100 a week. They don’t have to pay for necessities like water, whereas we’re shelling out for every drop. They’ve got access to Southern Gold and Canterbury Draught, both filthy student beers, but still infinitely cheaper than the dozen Heines that are a requirement for an Auckland party. They’ve got access to cheap fish and chip shops, $3 double scoop ice creams and grass while we… don’t. Luckily for us though, with a magic VIP card we can still get cheap movies any day of the week (take that tight ass Tuesday!) while they’re shelling out $16+ every time they want to see shit blow up or Ashton Kutcher in a soppy rom com. We had an exceptionally good year in films last year; you couldn’t tear me away from the movie theatre. There were the kiddie animation films that ended up melting adult hearts, like Despicable Me, How To Train Your Dragon, Shrek Forever After and Toy Story 3 (I’m getting a little welled up just thinking of the ending). In fact, the latter of these topped the US box office in 2010, making US$414,984,497 at the American flicks alone. There were the sequels that ended up kicking ass at the box office, like Iron Man 2, Paranormal Activity 2, Harry Potter 7 and Twilight: Eclipse. There were the mind fuck Leonardo Dicaprio movies that divided audiences, and let’s not forget about the calibre of Oscar nominated films, like The Social Network and The King’s Speech. Even terrible films like The Last Airbender or Sex and the City 2 managed to pull in some huge box office numbers ($US131 million and US$95 million respectively) as people flocked with their frozen cokes to laugh out loud at the travesty they had willingly chosen to watch.

www.ausm.org.nz

But not this year. To date, there have only been two films in the US that have topped the $100 million mark, and one of those hasn’t even been released here yet. And features Adam Sandler. This time last year, Alice in Wonderland, Shutter Island and Valentine’s Day had all surpassed the $100 million milestone, while How To Train Your Dragon and Clash of the Titans were opening to big numbers. It seems people just don’t want to pay to see them anymore. I mean, why would you, when in a few months it’ll be $2 on Mondays at Civic Video or your badass friend would have illegally downloaded it for you to watch on your 42” television (yes, Auckland students are another breed). And when some films have such a delayed opening in countries like New Zealand, it’s no wonder the internet pirates are doing so well. It’s not as if we went into the year with nothing to look forward to; quite the opposite in fact. This has been the year of the hype, followed by bitter disappointment. There was The Green Hornet, the start of a slew of superhero movies this year, which promised high speed chases, impressive fight scenes and enough car technology to satisfy even the fumiest of petrol heads. Unfortunately, what we ended up with was two hours of Seth Rogan in a ridiculous mask making unfunny jokes. Yawn. There was Country Strong, Gwyneth Paltrow’s foray into country singing, which led to her guest appearances on Glee and her performance at the Oscars. The trailer promised emotional country ballads, many Kleenex moments and a Reese Witherspoon type performances, but critics awarded it a 21 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and Kiwis were rewarded with a no show in cinemas. There was I Am Number Four, which was pumped up with shirtless interviews of Alex Pettyfer and lots of promo shots of “that chick from Glee” but even that didn’t help its poor US$53 million taking and 30 per cent critic

rating. Plus it had those supernatural comparisons that movies want to avoid these days (I don’t understand why though, Twilight’s will have made well over a billion dollars by the time Breaking Dawn part 2 hits screens). And don’t even get me started on Red Riding Hood, which is already a contender for the worst picture Razzie next year (although it has stiff competition with Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son). It’s so depressing that when there are so many independent movies out there begging for funding, movie companies would rather shell out their millions to see Martin Lawrence don a fat suit and a wig for the umpteenth time. Sure, it’s only three months into the theatrical year, but I can’t help but think there are many more movies which will leave us with viewer regret (similar to KFC regret, but less greasy). We’ve got Thor next month and Captain America in July; two avengers so anticipated you can almost smell the saliva from the comic collective (and let’s not forget The Green Lantern). The trailers and TV spots look impressive, but we’ve been duped before (Catwoman, anyone?). There are the millions of sequels coming up, including Transformers 3, Pirates 4 and The Hangover 2, which in my opinion is one risky movie. Critics didn’t respond well to director Todd Phillips’ follow up Due Date, even with Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downer Jr – easily two of the funniest people in Hollywood – starring. How can he work in 90 minutes worth of stupid, drunk shit that hasn’t been seen before? Let’s hope Hollywood is trying the “save the best till last” trick and that the next 272 days will be full of cinematic masterpieces that will renew our faith in cinema, and stop us from experiencing FOMO at our Southern counterparts. Like Harry Potter – that movie will be off the chain!

23.

by Briar Hubbard There is a lot of hype about living healthy these days, but we are bombarded with so much information it is pretty confusing. Every food seems to be advertised with being ‘rich in antioxidants’, but does anyone even know what that means? And low fat alternatives are becoming more popular than iPhone apps, despite the fact that fat is less harmful than most non-fat alternatives. My aim is to clear the blurry line between the hype and eating healthily, while keeping taste buds happy in the process. Facts on Folate: Traditionally, folate has been associated as a supplement for pregnant women. Turn on the TV between 5-7pm and you will see advertisements telling women the best supplement to take when pregnant is folate. Although it is vital for those attempting to conceive, folate is an important part of the diet for anyone who has a stomach. What is Folate? Folate is a B-complex vitamin, however its complicated structure means that even when the digestive system is at its most efficient, the body can only absorb around half of the folate we digest. Why is it important? As well as preventing babies with neural tube defects (serious brain and

by Jason Burnett I sit outside and take my first puff of my cigarette. It’s probably my 10th of the day. I inhale, feeling the warm smoke flow down my throat and exhale. I’m left with the dull bland flavour rolling around my mouth, a tingle from the chemicals on my lips. I am a smoker. I am an addict. It’s funny; one never wakes up and decides, “today, I’m going to be a smoker”. I grew up with both my parents smoking, and somehow, even when a lot of my peers around me were butt-puffing away, I never picked it up. In fact I detested it. I would open my mother’s cigarette packets and systematically rip each cigarette in two, and replace it in the box. I swore I would never be a dirty smoker. I was wrong. In December 2004, New Zealand adopted a smoke free policy in bars and restaurants. This was quickly adopted across the board with most businesses and public areas becoming smoke free. The world soon followed. In July, New Zealand prisons will go smoke free. This raises a few questions about civil liberties but it’s probably a good thing, as 70 per cent of smokers want to quit. And why wouldn’t a smoker want to quit? It is FACT that smoking is bad for your health, which every smoker is reminded of this whenever they look at a packet, confronted with graphic images relaying messages about impotence, blindness, gangrene, heart disease and lung cancer. Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer, with 90 per cent of lung cancer in men and 80 per cent of lung cancer in women caused by smoking. Every eight seconds, someone dies from a smoking related illness. Smoking is expected to claim one billion lives this century. However, smoking is declining in the western world. Twenty-five per cent of 15-19-year-olds currently smoke, with total number of smokers declining by 15 per cent every decade. Even still, 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily, which works out to 10 million cigarettes a minute. Most of this is in developing worlds where regulations and education on the harms of smoking are not as prevalent. Evidence being the Indonesian toddler who was addicted to smoking, racking up a whooping 40 cigarettes a day, who couldn’t yet talk but was so profuse and dactyl with a cigarette it puts seasoned veterans to shame. For those who have never smoked, it is hard to understand how difficult it can be to give up. I have been told giving up heroin is easier. I mean, a smoking addict goes through the same withdrawal symptoms as a heroin addict – headaches, shaking, anxiety, mood swings, nausea, insomnia, depression – and unlike a heroin addict who needs to rob an old lady and find his nearest dealer to get a fix, any smoker can cure all that ails with a quick nip down to the dairy/petrol station/supermarket for a fee of about $20. New Zealand again looks to lead the world in smoke free legislation, aiming for a completely smoke free country by 2025. While it’s a nice utopian thought, enforcing the law will make criminals out of everyday citizens as well as fuel a forest fire for black market tobacco. Instead of looking for a short-term fix that encroaches further on our civil liberties and takes us one step closer to 1984, we need more support for the smokers of today and of the future. I take a puff of my cigarette. I inhale, feeling the warm smoke flow down my throat, and exhale. I stub it out.

contributorsBW.pdf

31/03/11

4:05 PM

spinal problems) folate is associated with supporting red blood cell production (therefore preventing anaemia), allowing better nerve function, preventing dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease and helping to prevent high levels of homocysteine, which contributes to the development of Parkinson’s disease. Interestingly, it is also said to help prevent and combat alcohol addictions. Symptoms of folate deficiency: Irritability, mental muscular fatigue, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression are signs that a folate deficiency is at hand. Foods high in Folate: Steamed broccoli, kidney beans, tomatoes, strawberries, peanuts and lentils are all high in folate. Choosing a breakfast food that is high in folate, such as Sultana Bran, Vegemite on toast, or any cereal fortified with folate is an easy way to obtain folate, without the bad after taste of brussel sprouts, or calf livers (which happen to have some of the highest sources of folate). Folate Recommendations: 400micrograms are recommended for both men and women under normal situations. If pregnant, women are advised to up the folate intake to 600micrograms.

Write now or forever hold your pen.

CMY

debate is looking for awesome contributors for 2011.

If you are a news hound, sports nut, political guru, pop culture fanatic, columnist, reviewer, feature writer, camera happy, cover designer, cartoonist, general know-it-all or astrologer get in touch.

24.

For more info on how you can get involved with debate, issue 06 2011 email Samantha at debate@aut.ac.nz or pop into the AuSM office for a chat

by Jess Etheridge The world lost an icon on March 23: Elizabeth Taylor. What a classy lady, huh? What a selfless and talented woman who gave her life to enriching the film industry, as well as fighting the good fight for countless humanitarian causes. Of course, many writers have highlighted her colourful and unique love life – having married eight times throughout her life – but it’s always the memories and films that mark such a legacy in the end. Liz had a good run. She was 79-years-old, had a seven-decade long career and had been recognised countless times by her peers and critics, through awards and five-star reviews. But not all stars of Hollywood are so lucky. To take a turn for the morbid, I’d like to take a look at the stars who didn’t make it until the end, who left this world too soon, before they could really showcase what they’re made of.

River Phoenix

My mum – and probably many other mums – always gets distressed when watching a River Phoenix film or True Hollywood Story. He started acting quite early, in the classic Stand By Me, as well as working with some of the greatest actors of our time. He played a young – and memorable - Indiana Jones in the third instalment, The Last Crusade in 1989 alongside Harrison Ford. Unfortunately River died on Halloween, 1993, of a suspected drug overdose. Who knows where this kid would’ve gone with the right life direction and film roles.

James Dean

Much mystery clouts James Dean’s death. He was only 24 when he crashed the car he was driving in Salinas, California in 1955. There’s confusion about how fast he was going, if there were external contributing factors or if it was just a freak accident. I’d go with the latter. Very much the ‘bad boy’ babe of his generation, he inspired teens everywhere to be rebels without a cause. A family friend has portraits of him everywhere throughout her house, as well as leather jackets and a motorbike, just because she is still in mourning. Cute.

Heath Ledger

Probably the most distressing of all three of these brilliantly talented actors who died too soon is Heath Ledger. His death is most certainly the most recent tragedy, after dying of a supposed drug overdose in 2008. After a high-profile romantic relationship and break up with Michelle Williams, Ledger reportedly buried himself in his work. He was already renowned for being a hard working, method actor who gave it his all on his projects but one of his last roles in The Dark Knight may have pushed him too far. Those working on set with Heath said he seemed depressed and dark, even when he wasn’t on camera portraying the joker, which he posthumously won an Academy Award for. In his short career, he touched a generation, myself included, and I know tears were shed by many on the morning of his death.

by Elana Kluner My friend Marlene broke up with her boyfriend of three years last month. I went out to dinner with her the other night to spend some quality girl time. She had just dragged herself out of a month long hibernation and managed to dress up and play the part. We talked about how miserable she had been these past four weeks. We talked about how fat and ugly the witch her ex cheated on her with was. We talked about how much ice cream she ate. We talked about how many love songs she’d listened to and how many sad movies she’d watched. I don’t know why we try to torture ourselves and instigate the glumness, but that’s besides the point. Once we made it through the debriefing of the post-breakupmodernism, we were able to laugh about the relationship. We took the cynical approach and poked fun at so many of the things that went wrong with them. For example, the time when they came to my dress up party and both dressed up as The Brain because neither of them wanted to be Pinky. Or the fact that he was allergic to seafood and her father was a gourmet seafood chef. We rambled on until dessert and it wasn’t until we dug our spoons into our passion fruit sorbets that she gave me the juicy details. She told me about how she used to fantasise about other guys when she was with her ex. Coming from a lady who had just broken up with her boyfriend of three years for cheating on her, this caught me by surprise. So this got me wondering… Is it cheating if it’s just thinking? We have been brought up in a society filled with Playboy magazines and topless waiters. The films are filled with flawless stars and the music videos are drool worthy. Our imagination is pretty much handed to us on a silver platter. So if the media has implemented all of these images of attractive beings, is it wrong to use them for our benefit? If we are in love, shouldn’t that be enough? After questioning Marlene, she blurted out a line that I couldn’t help but giggle at. She said, “Whatever gets the job done”. Knowing that she’s a pretty tough cookie, I shot her back with a tough question: “Well, maybe her ex just wanted to get the job done”. She then defended herself and said it’s only cheating if someone else gets the job done for you. At first I didn’t agree, but we analysed the issue until we paid our bill and by the time we walked out of the restaurant, she had me convinced. We both agreed that what happens in our minds should probably stay there, to avoid hurting our partners, but like Walt Disney says, imagination is everything.

Liz Taylor had an outstanding career but it’s a reminder of what we’ve lost in other actors who have gone too soon. We should count ourselves extremely lucky to have had her while we did.

www.ausm.org.nz

25.

Now that’s what I call

horoscopes ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Volume Six

This week, your lucky colour is blue, your lucky number is 17 and your lucky appliance is a George Foreman grill.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Now Raging

Misuse of Irony

One thing that really annoys me is how people use irony in the wrong context. It’s like everyone has adopted the Alanis Morissette way of thinking. Her song has annoyed me from the year dot. The only ironic thing about the song, Ironic, is that it has nothing to do with irony. Raining on your wedding day is not ironic, it’s just unfortunate. However, if you were the sun god Ra and it rained on your wedding day, then it would be ironic. So the next time you are about to call something ironic please make sure it is actually ironic, or risk being called a douche or something even worse. Regards, the Irony Police.

Now Loving

$1 weeklies at Civic Video

Nothing is $1 anymore, and if it is, it’s bitterly disappointing ($1 lolly mixtures, anyone?). So when I saw that my local Civic Video was going $1 weeklies on Tuesdays and Thursdays my inner film buff screamed in delight. Now I can watch the first season of Buffy and other classic 90s dramas instead of heading out to Ponsonby Road in the teaming rain on a Saturday. Plus, it’s way cheaper than Sky.

Now Loathing

Air New Zealand’s new safety ad

I’m usually on board with Air New Zealand’s safety in flight demonstrations (a little old lady streaking is just hilarious), But the bedazzled Richard Simmons “Fit to Fly” video just makes me cringe. Is this really how we’re going to welcome people into our country – with an ageing fitness instructor who isn’t even a Kiwi? Someone please tell Air New Zealand that the World Cup is coming up, not the Jazzercise Nationals.

Now Missing

Stuff blog writers

For those of you soon to embark on the real world, you will discover that reading blogs and doing the Stuff daily quiz will be your new procrastination tools (especially if Facebook and Twitter is blocked at work). I’ve spent the last year intently reading three Stuff blogs while eating my lunch at my desk, so it’s devastating that in the last month, all three blogs have said sayonara. To The Girl’s Guide, Reeling and the Lady in the Red, I will miss your woes and wit. Now I have to find others to virtually share my pathetic looking sandwiches with. If you think you’re on the pulse with what’s happening in Auckland, email debate@aut.ac.nz with your own Suggestions for Volume Seven.

Challenge your brain this week by eating with your knife and fork in opposite hands.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)

Start looking forward to the future: it features a stunning array of stubbies.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

It’s time to take a serious look at your eating habits this week, because the double down is coming and you are not prepared. Eat up, get fat.

LEO (July 23-August 22)

The stars have predicted that you will end up working in the politics game later in life. Better start brushing up on your mincing if you want to lead a country.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22)

You will give off an air of pretentiousness this week. In short, everyone thinks you’re a douche.

LIBRA (September 23-October 23)

There will be at least two once-in-a-lifetime opportunities this week and you will manage to screw them both up. Sucks to be you.

SCORPIO (October 24-November 21)

It’s time to take action against the puberty that never came. Raid the local barber for lock leftovers and spend an afternoon crafting your very own beard. Mix and match colours and textures.

SAGITTARIUS (November22-Dec21)

Stop being a sheep and following everyone else. This is why there is so much mutton at the supermarket. Think about it.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19)

Nothing says “serious interviewee” like an Ed Hardy shirt bedazzled with rhinestones.

AQUARIUS (January 20-Febuary 18)

Feeling lucky this week? How about now? Still? Better skip classes and head to the casino. I’d put $200 on black.

PISCES (Febuary 19-March 20)

The stars predict that Briscoes will have a ONCE IN A MILLENNIUM sale this weekend. Get amongst it.

CMY

26.

issue 06 2011

Dear Agony Aunt

This Agony Aunt column is brought to you by the team at Health, Counselling and Wellbeing. If you have a question you would like answered email debate@aut.ac.nz and put Agony Aunt as the subject or drop it in to the Health, Counselling and Wellbeing office.

Dear Agony Aunt

I’m worried my boyfriend is back on drugs. He told me he had a problem with cocaine some time back and promised me he wouldn’t do drugs again. But I’m worried; he’s been behaving differently lately. Sometimes he is even a bit aggressive towards me and I’m very upset by this. I daren’t confront him about this because I’m scared in case I’m right and I really love him and don’t want to lose him. From Worried

Dear Worried

Talk to him, it’s the only way. You are not being fair keeping your suspicions to yourself. He may be completely innocent and you should at least give him a chance to explain why he has been behaving differently towards you. It’s not good to speculate, you could convince yourself of all kinds of stuff. He may be dealing with other things that he hasn’t told you about. If your suspicions are correct and he admits to taking drugs again then you have a decision to make. You can stay with him and help him get support to kick his habit again or leave him and move on with your life. If he is being aggressive to you either verbally or physically I would strongly advise you do the latter. It doesn’t have to be for forever but it is important that you are safe; you are the most important person here.

Dear Confused

When relationships break up often we miss the intimacy and attention that we enjoyed as a couple and can feel lonely for some time afterwards. Having one night stands is an easy way to experience intimacy again and enjoy the closeness of someone else. However it’s a quick fix that leaves you feeling bad about yourself and worried about the risks you are taking with your health. Don’t be too hard on yourself; you are clearly an intelligent girl and most importantly you want to change your behaviour before it gets out of control. The first step is to find someone to talk to; it might be a good idea to book an appointment with a counsellor who can help you explore why you are feeling like this. Appointments are free if you are enrolled and are completely confidential. Unfortunately, you may not have dodged the bullet like you think you have. It is very important that you have a sexual health check. It only takes one time to get infected with sexually transmitted infections. Chlamydia is at epidemic proportions in New Zealand and you should definitely be tested for this. If you have been infected it is easily treated with antibiotics, if you don’t treat Chlamydia infection then it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in the future. Call 921 9992 for city campus or 921 9998 for North Shore campus to book an appointment with a nurse, doctor or counsellor. Condoms protected against most sexually transmitted infections and are free from Health Counseling and Wellbeing.

(s) of the week with UrbanDictionary.com

by Katie Montgomerie With assignment due dates just around the corner, I thought it would be good to remind everyone just why we’re at university in the first place... to study! It might sound odd to some, but uni isn’t just about fun and games... and drinking games... sports... games in general ok?! It’s also about expanding your horizons and knowledge in a specific field and about actually retaining some of that (whether important or useless) information that is doled out on a daily basis. Or, instead of retaining, you could also practice:

she purges, shortly after the exam an academic bulimic retains very little memory of the regurgitated information. Example A: “I got up at 5am this morning to cram for the exam today, I think I nailed it!” B: “So what is your opinion of the uses and gratifications theory in modern day society then?” A: “The what now? All of my memory of the course has been vomited onto the exam” B: “Ah, someone has academic bulimia!” Luckily though, it isn’t quite exam time yet so we won’t have to worry about them too much until they pounce on us after the mid semester break. Till then we are going to be more concerned with what happens to us when it’s essay season...

Academic Bulimia

The act of cramming a large amount of information into memory over a short period of time and then regurgitating the memorised information onto a test. Just as the bulimic retains very few copy.pdf nutrients from the food he3:03 or bridgeadvert 1 29/03/11

I’ve always been a good girl in regards of sex. I never slept outside of relationship. I split up with my last BF last July and since the beginning of this year I already had four one night stands, and what worries me that all of them were unprotected and I didn’t even care. What is happening to me? This kind of behavior is not normal for me. I know the dangers of STDs and there is always a risk of pregnancy, but it seems that when the moment comes I cannot stop myself. How can I help myself because I know that one night I might not dodge the bullet? From Confused

Essay Gut

The bulging stomach area that results from sitting in a library for periods up to a month during the dreaded essay season. Students tend to eat junk food and heavily caffeinated beverages during this time without much exercise, resulting in an unfortunate pot-belly. Example “Hey mum, I have returned from the wilderness of the AUT Library where I’ve been cocooned for the last month with nothing to eat or drink but pizza and V!” “Look at you, you’re disgusting, go have a shower and get on the treadmill to work off that essay gut. Go on!” I can feel my essay gut start to grow with my growing panic about assignment due dates (they just creep up so fast!), so I better get back to my pizza and V so I can finish them in time! See ya for our last issue of the term next week!

Learn and play Bridge. Many young people do. Meet in the Auckland University Engineering Department Cafe (basement floor, Symonds Street) 5.00PM - 7.00PM on Wednesday during term time CONTACT:www.ausm.org.nz Richard on (09) 232 8494 rksolomon@xtra.co.nz

27.

n the space of seven months, New Zealander Nick Von K has launched a jewellery line that has taken New Zealand by storm and captured the beady eye of several international designers. It is his unique designs and personal, perfectlyexecuted craftsmanship that has set him on a pedestal. But he is not alone, with other New Zealand jewellery designers excelling both in their craftsmanship and in their unique pieces which go against the mainstream mould. More established labels such as Meadowlark, Deadly Ponies Precious and New Jewellery are also producing whimsical, darkly beautiful pieces making their mark on the world scene. Jeweller Phil Walker has worked in the industry for over two decades and has given an insider’s perspective as to what goes on behind the scenes. Offered an apprenticeship right out of school 24 years ago, Phil Walker has observed the many changes in the jewellery industry that have taken place over the years. One significant change he has noticed is the “rapid expansion of the retail jewellery sector which brought a more affordable type of jewellery to the average customer”. This change has opened up a more fashion-conscious, affordable sector of the industry that designers, such as Nick Von K and those mentioned above, design amidst. Larger in size, less ‘safe’ and constructed from semi-precious stones and precious metals, these pieces allow the designers to delve deeper into their creative imaginations. Nick Klarwell, aka Nick Von K, launched his debut jewellery collection in September 2010. Having been in the jewellery industry for 12 years collaborating with Ricochet on seasonal accessory ranges, his debut collection is split into three tales, those of life, of death, and of the imagination. His inspiration comes from what has shaped him – from his teenage passion for Guns N’ Roses and Metallica, to his roots

28.

in Austria. His fascination with skulls plays a strong role also, with various human and animal skulls being carved from mammoth tusk to pounamu and others cast in precious metals. His approach to skulls however is not as uninformed and obvious as has been done by other designers, with more of a focus on the South American spirit world which celebrates the transition of the dead and embraces their existence in the spirit world. It is these works that have launched him nationally and internationally. Air New Zealand 2010 Fashion Week’s featured American fashion designer Nicole Miller gravitated towards Klarwell’s work during her guest appearance. Purchasing several pieces for herself and taking others to sell in her store in the US, her design team have since been emailing with requests for more pieces. Von K has also caught the attention of US fashion blogger/television personality/stylist Derek Warburton, to whom he gifted a skull ring when Warburton approached him post-show. Currently stocked in New Zealand at Walker & Hall Newmarket and Auckland Airport, Klarwell plans to expand and stock further nationally in 2011. New Zealand’s jewellery designers are making a strong imprint on the international stage, with Phil Walker noting that the “high-quality and originality in locally made product… equals that of most international fashion labels”. Meadowlark is a well-established label whose pieces have been purchased and coveted by Alison Mosshart and Jaimie Hince of British band The Kills alongside being favourites of Gin Wigmore and Rose McIvor. Established in 2006 by Claire Hammon and Grey Fromont, Meadowlark has come to be a significant player in New Zealand’s jewellery industry. Combining beautiful, whimsical elements with somewhat darker elements, Meadowlark designs for the individual who they describe as “creative, off-beat souls with a strong sense of

their own style”. Each season they add and build upon their existing collections, introducing complimentary pieces to combine with previous collections. This refreshing approach goes against the fast-fashion movement encroaching upon the fashion industry. Respected designers Katie Smith and Liam Bowden of Deadly Ponies Precious are further established than Nick Von K but draw many similarities in both inspiration and design. Also taking inspiration from themes of death and the macabre, Deadly Ponies Precious features off-the-wall, darkly beautiful pendants, rings and pieces which follow the Victorian tradition of mourning jewellery. Smith and Bowden met in design school at university and went on to join forces, beginning with bags and moving on to jewellery with stunning results. All Deadly Ponies jewellery is designed and made in New Zealand, adding to its appeal. Featuring delicate bones, animal carcasses, skulls and claws, the Precious line follows its own beat which is refreshing to see and to an extent difficult to accomplish in such a small country. Phil Walker has stated that he believes that a lot of New Zealand designers’ success comes from their courage to “push the boundaries beyond what is expected”. And Deadly Ponies Precious certainly takes leaps and bounds into the unexpected. Taking their inspiration from twisted fairytales and mourning jewels, Bowden also looked to his childhood for their 2010 collection. Their coveted sparrow’s foot pendant was cast from an actual sparrow’s foot Bowen’s sister kept tucked away as a child. It’s this hands-on, personal approach that alike to Nick Von K and Meadowlark, sets Deadly Ponies Precious apart. Contrasting in size to the aforementioned labels is New Jewellery, located on Lorne Street in Central Auckland. Yet size really has no standing when it comes to creative talent and beautifully crafted jewellery. Tucked away behind a vault-like store front is Auckland’s best-kept secret where the family-owned business creates contemporary silver pieces incorporating semi-precious stones, and specialising in an extensive array of gothic inspired pieces. Among the talented family members of New Jewellery is Paterson Riley, who has designed jewellery for the Harry Potter films and whose work has also appeared in Madame Tussauds’ museum in London. Not to end their high-and-mighty connection there, New Jewellery’s fan club and customer base includes Aerosmith, Metallica and Slash. Nick Von K is only one of the hugely talented young jewellery designers in New Zealand whose work is storming onto the wish lists of those worldwide. It is their unique imagination and dedicated hard work which has placed them in the top end of their field, and Walker doesn’t see this success lessening anytime soon. With a wealth of experience in the industry behind him, he sees a “very strong future for current and future jewellery designers in New Zealand”, further adding that “each successive generation seems to have a greater thirst for new and innovative… styles which give plenty of scope for designers to experiment and develop”. Whether they are more established houses such as Meadowlark or fresh new blood, the rate that New Zealand jewellers are bounding in our current times makes this an industry which is well worth keeping an eager eye on.

issue 06 2011

Tiffany Low Bachelor of Business (third year) Shakuhachi maxi dress Trade Me cardi Country Road shoes

Rachel Chan Bachelor of Fashion Design (second year) Nom*D tube top Diesel dress Stockings from China Savemart shoes

Iason Smith Bachelor of Graphic Design (second year) Vintage ‘92 NY basketball singlet Recycled jeans Havaianas jandals Adidas hat

Store review: Sole Survivor Located inside the Lee factory outlet store, 8 Brown St, Ponsonby (off Ponsonby Rd) by Isaac Banks

Beware, I’m about to drop a knowledge bomb on you. Many of you will probably not know about the Sole Suvivor retail store. That’s because it’s not advertised. At this point in time it’s for the few who have discovered its massive potential and its awesome pricing. Located inside the Lee outlet factory store, it stocks a range of both mainstream and rarer brands. Two brands, Hoven and Carve, are both primarily sunglasses brands. The sunglasses come in a range of styles, fit amazingly well, and are very good price wise. Following the surf, skate and snowboard culture both brands are worn by surfers and snowboarders around the world. Hoven have the likes of Timmy Curran and Archy on their books, while Carve have Drew Courtney and Dan Pryor to name two. Sole Survivor also stock Macbeth footwear. Personally these are my favourite shoes. Never before have I come across shoes which fit so perfectly, are durable, and don’t cost the earth. From my experience, you’ll be able to wear these shoes day in, day out for at least a year before you need a new pair. The range of styles, colours and fits will leave your imagination running wild, plus they also do

www.ausm.org.nz

Sunnies: From $30 Shoes: From $40 Tees: From $40 collaborations with music artists in their “studio projects”. This means you can walk around with a shoe designed by Greenday’s Mike Dirnt on your feet, or one designed by Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull, to name a couple of the artists. For all the vegans out there, most Macbeth shoes are just that. This means unlike most shoes you don’t have to wear animal on your feet. Macbeth also makes tees, which incidentally Sole Survivor stocks. These are well priced, and look pretty amazing. Student budgets normally mean half average clothing, and shoes which should have been retired long ago. Sole Survivor has you covered for shoes, tees and sunnies. What more can you ask for?

29.

Gnomeo and Juliet

Directed by Kelly Asbury

Film Review by Harris Williamson (Canta) (B+)

Gnomeo and Juliet begins with a diminutive gnome informing us that the story of Romeo and Juliet has been told many times before, and that they (the cast of gnomes, presumably) are going to tell it again. He begins the prologue and is swiftly swallowed up by a trapdoor, which is not the worst way to begin an adaptation of the Bard’s most famous tragedy. Indeed, it is the first of a number of deviations from the original plot which make this retelling one of the freshest of the recent past. The basic details are still there, of course: Verona Lane is the home to Ms Montague and Mr Capulet, who despise each other. To make this nice and obvious, their houses are different colours, their letterboxes are different colours, and their gnomes are different colours. Ms Montague’s “Blues” and Mr Capulet’s “Reds” are rival gnome groups whose toughest men partake in the sport of lawnmower racing. One of these races ends in disaster for our hero, Gnomeo, who is cheated out of a well-deserved victory by Tybalt, a thug of the Red persuasion. During an aborted revenge mission, Gnomeo spies a pretty Red gnome named Juliet. And so it begins. A movie about two sets of garden gnomes at war sounds ridiculous. It is. The lawnmower race sets the tone for a string of other strange events, such as the emergence mid-story of a heartbroken one-legged flamingo, and an unusual postmodern interaction between Gnomeo and a statue of Shakespeare. It makes you wonder whether you’re watching an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet at all. To be honest, this is a good thing; I got the feeling during the movie that it would have been ruined if the writers had gone for anything more than a loose adaptation. There are times when the writers try to be authentic (“a gnome by any other name”), but the script is at its strongest when it is ridiculously over-the-top. Director Kelly Asbury shows creative flair with polished and interesting action sequences. Also notable is his use of vivid colour, which manages to engage the audience rather than distance them from the world of the gnomes. The quality of the animation is what you would expect from a movie aimed squarely at children.

30.

The voices suit the characters down to a tee, and the calibre of the actors performing them is high. McAvoy, Blunt, and Statham dominate the script, but the cast also includes Michael Caine, Stephen Merchant, and Patrick Stewart. Okay, Patrick Stewart isn’t that exciting. Unless you’re into Star Trek. Sometimes, you just feel like watching a movie where you know nobody else will be in the cinema. That the movie turned out to be one of the best Romeo and Juliet adaptations I’ve ever seen was merely a bonus.

Lupe Fiasco LASERS

CD Review by Alisha Lewis

They say change is a good thing but in the case of Lupe Fiasco’s latest album LASERS – an acronym for Love Always Shines Everytime Remember 2 Smile – this doesn’t necessarily ring true. While his past albums Food & Liquor (2006) and The Cool (2007) were challenging and daring, this time round Lupe seems to be playing it safe – no doubt due to coercion from Atlantic Records who delayed the album release for three years, forcing him to make a number of artistic compromises. As a result, he’s lost some of his gritty authenticity and seems to have fallen into a more mainstream mould with over synthesized hooks and too many autotuned singers delivering them. Another thing missing from LASERS is the trademark spoken word that usually opens each album. Instead, the album opens with the track Letting Go, featuring Sarah Green. While it’s got a catchy hook, it’s a bit annoying to start the album listening to Fiasco bitching about his life, with lyrics like “My self portrait/ shows a man that the wealth tortured”. And it’s not really an encouraging start when you hear the primary artist sing about how his “inspiration is drying up”. Despite obvious attempts to please the bigwigs at Atlantic Records, Lupe does manage to stay true to himself in many other ways and still proves to be a lyrical master of beats and swagger. The only problem is that these lyrics seem to be delivered mainly through angst driven tracks or juxtaposing bass-thumping, synthy commercial jams. I put this down to the album being over-produced and simply trying a little too hard. LASERS featured production by so many people (The Audibles, Needlz, Alex da

Kid, Soundtrakk etc.) that it ended up sounding a little schizophrenic. It dabbled with heavy and soft rock, ultimately ending up with a pop-rock feel that’s a little hard to take seriously. This meant the album ended up a bit hit and miss. Tracks like Word I Never Said and Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways) fall by the wayside in terms of what Lupe usually delivers – they are slower paced and the hooks are overbearing and annoying. However with other tracks, the experimentation seems to have paid off – Till I get There and Coming Up are lively and fresh. LASERS message and lyrics are its biggest redeemer – it encourages integrity, freedom and eco-responsibility. The album’s lead single The Show Goes On, an interpolation of Float On by Modest Mouse, is a powerful life-anthem. You can feel the authenticity of his words, especially when Lupe addresses his fans, “I will give up everything, even start a war, for these ghetto girls and boys I’m rapping for….yeah the world is yours”. Meanwhile, All Black Everything is equally as stirring as it explores what the world would be like if slavery never existed. I blame Atlantic Records’ interference for preventing this from being brilliant. Lupe doesn’t need to be dripping with synth and crowded with other singers to be successful. Putting it simply, LASERS shines – the light’s just not as bright as it could have been.

Panic! At The Disco Vices & Virtues

Album Review by Ben Matthews

(A+)

How do I write this review without sounding like a crazed fan? Out of all the emo bands to come out of the 2000s, Panic! at the Disco was my personal favourite. Where other bands of that time were making their music as bloody and as gloomy as possible (My Chemical Romance’s Black Parade anyone?), Panic! were able to break away from that mould. From the disco techno inspired album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out to the Beatles inspired Pretty Odd (one of the most underrated albums of the noughties) they seem to be able to do anything. However in mid 2009, their bass player and their lead guitarist – who wrote most of their music – left. Leaving behind lead singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith, they went on to form the Young Veins, who recorded and released Take A Vacation! last year. Without a songwriter to write their music, Urie wrote most

issue 06 2011

of the music on the new album with Smith helping out on a few of them. What we have with Vices & Virtues is a collection of songs similar to the music which made us fall in love with Panic! in the first place, mixed with the tightness of their second album, Pretty Odd. A surprising thing about this album is that every song on it could be released as a single. The Ballad of Mona Lisa is in the style as I Write Sins Not Tragedies, which has a circus feel, similar to the first album. Ready To Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind) is a happy catchy pop song, which feels different from the usual stuff they write. Other highlights are the anthems Hurricane, Always, with its whooshing violins and guitars, and Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...), another song similar to their original stuff. All in all, Panic! at the Disco has proven they can continue, even if half of the members have quit, and record something that is truly brilliant. Unlike most mainstream music, Panic! have been able to deliver us something original, and not rely on auto-tune, something which is commonly plaguing pop music recently. Both Panic! and The Young Veins have managed to record top notch albums, showing that splitting might have been the best thing for them musically. Overall, this is their best work to date, and maybe one of the best albums released in a very long time. Well worth the wait.

Phil Edwards Band Slow Borders

Album Review by Matthew Cattin

Slow Borders is definitely a summer album. It’s light, it’s chilled, it doesn’t challenge the listener and every song contains the word love, peace or heart (or a cheesy combo of all three). You can tell they’re just a bunch of genuine Hawkes Bay lads who love what they are doing, which is always refreshing to hear. It’s hard to critique a band that plain and simple just make you smile. It’d be like telling a singing preschooler that they were off key and their vowels weren’t pronounced. The opening track, Crash, is Phil Edwards Band’s debut single but I think any one of their 13 tracks are catchy enough to be on radio. It begins with a two chord acoustic guitar intro with the classic Jack Johnson strum pattern, as made famous by Flake. I can’t help but think of

www.ausm.org.nz

Rebecca Black when I hear some of the rhyming going on in this song. “Forget the bad and bring the good, let’s treat summer like we should. Feeling fine and drinking wine, with the ones we love we’ll spend the time.” I just feel like adding a big “and I see my fraaaands!” on the end. In saying that though, it is a very cool song. I would recommend you all take a peek on their MySpace and have a listen. It is extremely feel good, as is the rest of their album. Who You Are, my prediction for their second single, is a little more reggae influenced, sounding similar to Katchafire in places, complete with a bluesy harmonica solo and a sleazy wah-wah guitar riff. Very cool. You can pick the band’s influences right away. I suppose it’s a curse of the cruisy/surfy genre to be always compared to the great Jack Johnson but Phil Edward’s voice is at times uncannily similar, and it seems to be recorded with the same style layering so typical of Jack’s music. Lead guitarist Tom Charlson (also from Tahuna Breaks) definitely draws from John Mayer with his clean solo style, but it fits well with the music so no complaints there. Because the band’s collective sound is a combination of influences I think they definitely pull off their own sound. To me, good lyrics aren’t critical to a good song. People will sing along to anything if the tune is good. But on my first listen to Slow Borders, I found myself correctly guessing a lot of the lyrics before they were sung, and it distracted from the music a little. In any album I think there are expectations to hear varied lyrics between songs but I found that most tracks had nearly identical themes and keywords. Love, following your heart and believing in yourself crops up in every song, which gets a little repetitive. I had never heard of Phil Edwards Band before reviewing Slow Borders so I was pleasantly surprised when I had a good listen. They brighten up your day and transport you back to summer time so in my opinion, they are on to a good thing. They have room for improvement, but it is early days yet so give them a listen and get in to them while their gigs are still $10. Ka pai NZ music.

Zealand’s most talented actors and actresses to reprise Bare for one night of unforgettable drama at the sold-out Civic. The level of talent for a one night only show was incredible. On display were New Zealand’s brightest young stars and the veterans who make it look so easy. To name them all would take an entire paragraph, but let’s just say it’s one of the most star studded line-ups a play in New Zealand has ever seen. Every actor that came out was terrific, either getting laughs from the crowd or quiet appreciation as they drew the audience into their monologue. Essentially, Bare is a series of monologues spoken to the audience. The topics ranged from sex, to graffiti, to traffic wardens, to Shakespeare and even Burger King. Interestingly, the play was originally written for only two people. But because of the overwhelming level of talent available, the roles were split between them and the base of the play was kept the same. Rhys Darby was one of the (surprising) standout performers on the night. The crowd loved him before he even said a word and as his monologue gained power, he drew the audience into a story of both comedy and great sadness. Those who judge him based on Flight of the Conchords should reconsider their opinion. The highlight of the show for me came near the end of the night. The lights came on. No one was there. A few seconds passed and then Sam Neill strolled out on stage. I haven’t seen too much theatre myself, but it was surreal to see and hear how the audience reacted. As the crowd had earlier welcomed Rhys Darby with applause, there was a collective gasp when Sam Neill walked out. His monologue was titled ‘Rich Pisshead’, where he played a man complaining about the tagging in his neighbourhood while he walked his poodles through the street. He made it look so easy that by the time he was finished, he got a cheer so loud it more than made up for the initial show of respect. As the curtain fell with an emotional performance of Bathe in the River by Hollie Smith, the Jubilation choir and The Toa Fraser’s Bare Muttonbirds, the actors emerged to a standing Live at the Civic, Friday March 26 ovation. As the almost deafening applause Theatre Review by James Wheeler sounded through the building, I felt happy After the Christchurch earthquake, everyone has that I had done my part for the Christchurch been doing their part to help. On this Friday night Red Cross Appeal and witnessed a fantastic production. Although it’s too early to tell how New Zealand’s acting community gathered to much money was raised from the night, Bare do their part to contribute in the best way they can. In 1998, Toa Fraser’s theatre production Bare was a highly enjoyable night of high class theatre. debuted at the Silo theatre in Auckland in front of a crowd of 100 people. More than 12 years later, the events of Christchurch inspired New

31.

32.

issue 06 2011

Spot the Difference

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

Name Phone # Email Campus

AuSM now sells 2degrees SIM cards (RRP $19).

The SIM is loaded with $20 worth of airtime and 2X free TXT packs valued at $10 each.

...PLUS each time a friend joins 2degrees the recommender gets a free TXT pack with 2000 TXTs (maximum 10 free packs).

SIM card

www.ausm.org.nz

33.

Adam Rowe

Bachelor of Applied Chemistry

What was your New Year’s Resolution this year and have you achieved it yet? To not knowingly kill any extra terrestrials, so far I haven’t failed Who would be the worst person to be trapped in an elevator with? Charlie Sheen, I am sure he would spend the entire time coming up with ways being trapped was WINNING! What is your best hangover cure? Tomato juice and scrambled eggs When was the last time you checked your Bebo or MySpace account? Two years ago I checked my MySpace account to go to a MySpace secret show. What is the worst movie you’ve seen this year and why? Black Swan, you know why Where in New Zealand would you least like to live? Bluff

Sinead Fynn

Bachelor of Applied Chemistry

What was your New Year’s Resolution this year and have you achieved it yet? Begin each day as if it were on purpose Who would be the worst person to be trapped in an elevator with? Someone who can’t control their bodily gases OR the guy who got I Gotta Feeling stuck in his head all day. YouTube it: Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling by Hitmanbreakeroftheye What is your best hangover cure? Avoid it When was the last time you checked your Bebo or MySpace account? I forgot I had a Bebo account!? What is the worst movie you’ve seen this year and why? I Am Number Four, dumb ending Where in New Zealand would you least like to live? Hawera

Helena Lau

Bachelor of Graphic Design

What was your New Year’s What was your New Year’s Resolution this year and have you achieved it yet? Sadly no, [it was] no cursing What did you think of the new Air New Zealand flight safety video? Really bizarre and a really back comeback for Paul Henry. That’s not the right way to re-emerge Who would be the worst person to be trapped in an elevator with? Snooki probably, that’d be horrible. She’s just mental and she looks smelly What is the worst movie you’ve seen this year and why? The Invention of Lying. I had high expectations because he’s a comedian and it just didn’t make sense. Where in New Zealand would you least like to live? Huntly

Mariah Healey

Certificate of Communication Studies

What was your New Year’s Resolution this year and have you achieved it yet? To go to Cairns, Australia on holiday and I have booked flights for mid-semester break Who would be the worst person to be trapped in an elevator with? The fat guy from Mean Girls that always farts in class What is your best hangover cure? A banana and vegemite on toast When was the last time you checked your Bebo or MySpace account? Probably two months ago, just to get old photos What is the worst movie you’ve seen this year and why? My Wedding [and Other Secrets] because it had a weak story line and bad acting Where in New Zealand would you least like to live? Invercargill, because it is cold and distant and doesn’t have a very good university

Watchout for debate around campus - you could be the next micro-celeb!

34.

Claudia Easton

Bachelor of Graphic Design

What was your New Year’s What was your New Year’s Resolution this year and have you achieved it yet? I don’t really believe it them, I believe in setting little goals, not one big goal Who would be the worst person to be trapped in an elevator with? Hitler What did you think of the new Air New Zealand flight safety video? I thought it was funny. It was just a really cool take, but it could be confusing for people What is the worst movie you’ve seen this year and why? Helvetica, the movie. It’s a cool font but a boring movie Where in New Zealand would you least like to live? Christchurch

Regan Tong

Diploma of Travel and Tourism

What was your New Year’s What was your New Year’s Resolution this year and have you achieved it yet? I didn’t have any; I was coma-ed by 7pm Who would be the worst person to be trapped in an elevator with? Snooki – she’s crazy What is your best hangover cure? Blue powerade all the way What is the worst movie you’ve seen this year and why? The Producers. It’s really boring and too musical for me Where in New Zealand would you least like to live? Wanganui because it’s full of gangs issue 06 2011

0__[h ]^f Uâ cWT 0DC ET]cdaT 5d]S ! $ Uâ cWT QTbc XSTP P]S d_ c^ ! Uâ bcPac d_ Ud]SX]V >_T] c^ P[[ 0DC D]XeTabXch bcdST]cb 2^\T c^ cWT X]U^ bTbbX^] ^] & 0_aX[ ! $ _\ F5 & 1dbX]Tbb BRW^^[ 5X]S ^dc W^f c^ P__[h P]S fWPc cWT YdSVTb PaT [^^ZX]V Uâ

www.ausm.org.nz BTT cWT fTQbXcT Uâ \âT X]Uâ\PcX^]) fff Pdc PR ]i eT]cdaTUd]S

35.

this week only!

75% off

all 2011 calendars and 50% off all 2011 diaries and * wall planners Stock will vary between stores. Valid at AUT stores only until 10/4/11 or while stocks last. NETT Price - no further discounts.

AUT City Campus AUT Akoranga Campus 55 Wellesley Street East, Auckland City 90 Akoranga Drive, Northcote Tel: 366 4550 Fax: 366 4570 Tel: 489 6105 Fax: 489 7453 Email: aut.city@ubsbooks.co.nz Email: aut.akoranga@ubsbooks.co.nz Web: www.ubsbooks.co.nz Open Monday to Friday or shop securely online 24/7 issue 06 2011 36.