debate issue 17, 2011 by Debate Magazine

issue 17 2011

I’M BEAUTIFUL IN

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issue 17 2011

ISSUE 17 2011

on the cover

My Personal Space by Yu Xiaoyi (CC)

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Deanne Antao

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issue 17 2011

directory

h nostalgia, you dangerous thing. You place rose-tinted glasses on everything and make us forget the bad in things (or people). It’s particularly lethal when you don’t have actual memories to daydream over. Past decades are a constant source of daydream inspiration. We see and hear all the good things about each decade we weren’t apart of and wish we could be transported to days gone by. Teenage girls today would rather be transported to the 80s to become best friends with Molly Ringwald or idolise early Madonna, rather than be stuck with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan as role models. What rock aficionado or modern-day hippie doesn’t dream of being at Bethell, New York during the infamous Woodstock festival? And the old souls, who listen to Billie Holiday and swoon at Humphrey Bogart, dream of the “golden age” in the world, where the world was simpler, the fashion was spectacular and the celebrities were talents. Every era may seem idyllic, but really, we’re just viewing it through rose-tinted glasses. Take the 50s for example. My initial thoughts are brightly coloured skirts, perfectly coiffed hair, ice cream parlours, stepford wives, rock and roll music and everybody knowing how to dance. I never think of this as the decade where coloured people were treated as subhuman and same-sex relationships were punishable by law. I watch The Notebook and all I see is chivalrous gentlemen in the 40s building houses and dancing to jazz in the street, not thinking once about the Second World War which was happening during the “golden age”. But really, what’s so bad about today? We live in a decade where medicine is advanced and technology is rapidly developing every day. We may not have hover crafts like The Jetsons predicted, but they are more of a reality now than they were 20 years ago. Everyday Joe Bloggs has access to information scientists in the 20s would have killed for, all at a click of a button. We have music in every genre imaginable (some we wish had never been imagined). We are on the cusp of everyone having equal rights to marry, no matter their sex, and countries are introducing their first female prime ministers or black presidents. Tell that to a kid living in the 50s and they would have called you crazy. In 30 years, when most of us have kids that are at that daydreaming age, they’ll look back at our generation and think how simple our lives were. Perhaps they’ll marvel at how we could live in houses without alarm systems or create foods that didn’t come out of a box (gosh, I hope not!). They’ll also hopefully wonder how we lived in a world where equality wasn’t a universal right, terrorism was a threat, internet television was (mostly) an illegal business and driving to Australia was impossible. But while you’re all probably weighed down with a mountain of assignments, a bit of daydreaming can be a welcome distraction. And what better way to daydream than in flared jeans and a daisy chain headband?

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issue 17 2011

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

Letter of the week: Dear debate University is supposed to be about growing and finding your place in the world, right? AUT is the university for the changing world, Otago wants you to find your place in the world, etc etc, yet I’m wondering how low AUT’s admission standards have to be to let some of the dickheads I’ve encountered since semester two started. Yes, students here seem to put more effort into their appearance each day, but that does not give you the right to cat call and harass them. I don’t know what you were taught in high school, but whistling and yelling out lewd sexual innuendos does not result in any kind of positive reinforcement, if you know what I’m saying (although I doubt you do). I’m sure your dim-witted brain doesn’t realise that sexual harassment can get you kicked out of uni, so before you whistle at the next attractive female who is completely out of your league, remember someone’s always watching, just waiting for you to screw up. Sincerely, Smile, you’re on candid camera Hi Debate I’m just writing to say I really LOVE your magazine - its the highlight of my week! I always enjoy your articles and I think you have some great contributors. But I must point out that I love, love, LOVE everything that Brendan Kelly writes as they are usually funny, honest and insightful. I was especially amused (and saddened) by his story on the eskimo and the narwhal - very creative and different. So thats it, just a quickie to say hi, good job and bye! From Helen (1st year BA) P.S No i am not affiliated with Mr Kelly in any way so was not influenced to write this email! :) Debate, It astounds me that at this day and age, with all this technology around us, that people are getting dumber. Do I blame NCEA, which clearly has been

designed so that the simpletons that were only meant for manual labour can walk out of high school with the proper qualifications? Or do I blame the 160 characters allowed in a text message (or 140 in a tweet)? Whatever the reason, the fact that people can not only spell, but can’t grasp the correct there/their/they’re makes me worried for the human race. Beginners tip: If you are referring to an item of someone’s, it’s THEIR (their house – look for the I) and if you are referring to a place, it’s THERE (all the way over there). They’re is not the French spelling for either of these meanings, but rather a contraction for “they are” (they’re going over there to get their coats). Like, omg, did your brain just explode over that one? If you can’t quite grasp this elementary skill, please do everyone a favour and drop out of university until you have mastered it. I’m sure Dora tackles it on one of her many adventures. Regards, The Queen of England (or at least, her grammar division) Dear Buses (Link Buses in particular), Due: Expected at or planned for at a certain time. Due does not mean 10 minutes after you’ve originally said that you’re due. And perhaps you should stop boasting that a Link comes every 10 minutes and take a look at the cold students on Wellesley Street at 5pm on a weekday. From Driving from now on

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.

drown them out. It makes me wonder, if they’re so full on with the tamest of acts, how loud are they going to be in the bedroom? I’m not a prude, but I surely don’t want to hear them banging headboards (and other parts) while I’m trying to watch the season finale of the Big Bang Theory (the choice of show was not lost on me). What should I do, students of AUT? Sincerely, Anti-Smacking Bill Who do we contact about getting in more free feed options? I’m loving that we have branched out from the normal sausages and bread fare, but I wouldn’t mind seeing more ethnic meat dishes (all your fancy dishes seem to be vegetarian)? I just want some butter chicken and naan! But seriously, cheers AuSM for the free kai, it makes Tuesdays at the North Shore much more bearable. Response from AuSM Hi there Free Feed fans, The latest changes (made this time last year) were made to include more vegetarian options to great response, hence why you may have noticed the trend. One week is a vegetarian option, followed by a sausage and falafel week etc. All Free Feed feedback is welcome; email Kyle on krichmon@aut.ac.nz

I don’t have a rant about AUT or students or the price of petrol for the letters section, but I’ve noticed it’s been a little lacklustre since people came back from break and I just wanted to put my two cents in. My flatmate has just started seeing this girl, which is awesome, but they kiss really loudly! Like full on mouth smacking with every kiss. The odd loud kiss is alright, but when you’re in your bedroom at the other end of the house and you can hear them swapping saliva at the front door, there has to be something wrong, right? It’s super awkward, especially when there is no other background noise to try and

issue 17 2011

Corner will The winning piece for Creative for a week day each k drin hot win one free from Piko*! only. The *Coffee, tea and hot chocolate for five day a k drin hot winner will have one free redeem their they day the from ting star , week days first drink.

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25/07/11

by Scott Moyes It frustrates me when people prattle on about how sport isn’t what it used to be. Of course it isn’t. If sport stayed the same we would never progress. Just like everything else in this world, sport must change and adapt to the time to flourish. Imagine if fashion stayed the same. We’d all still be wearing flared jeans that buckle up an inch above our belly-buttons. The easiest thing to criticise in today’s day and age of sport is the involvement of technology. Technology supposedly detracts from all the favourable traits that good honest sport was found upon. However, I believe we must embrace it in order for sport to continue to flourish. A great example of this is the use of ‘the hawk-eye’ system in tennis. This particular device accurately predicts the path of the tennis ball in order to determine if the ball landed in or out of the court. If the player is unsatisfied with the original call that the line-judge has made, they can choose to challenge the call. They have a maximum of three challenges per set. If their challenge is incorrect, their limit is reduced to two. It is unaffected if they are correct.

no matter how sophisticated the technology may be. Clearly there are some sports more suited to technological refereeing than others. For example, it would be extremely inconvenient for a technological presence in netball, being so fast paced. Such delays in the game would result in the match deteriorating unnecessarily. It’s a similar case with football; there are few opportunities where a stoppage in play can be justified in order to make the correct call. Perhaps the only sort of technology that would be of use could be a sensor to determine if the ball goes into the goal or not. Goals in soccer are at a premium, so making the correct call is vital. It would also be naïve to assume that technology only assists us with adjudicating. Analysis equipment is extremely useful for sports teams as they deconstruct matches looking for strengths and weaknesses. The same technology allows us to record, watch and share these sports matches and relive every classic moment. It doesn’t stop there either. The entourage of specialists that accompany sports teams today are experts in health. They produce detailed diets for muscle growth, weight loss and basically anything that allows for optimum performance and snappy injury recoveries. Technology is everywhere. It’s too easy to say that technology eliminates the human element in sport. The presence of technology in sport is only as substantial as we allow it to be. To reject it altogether would be extremely ignorant of us. We don’t want to end up giving lectures at AUT not knowing how to turn on the projector. Who said that? Not me. NorthernTertiaryChallenge2011.pdf

Such a system is the perfect is example of how technology and human judgment can work hand in hand. The technology is only referred to when necessary and eliminates needless arguments. Just look at John McEnroe. He was notorious for having tyrannical rages at the umpire for judgments he thought unfair. The hawk-eye system saves this needless disrespect for the officials. Cricket has adopted a similar technique to resolve its issues. Cricket is still trialing a decision review system where a team can choose to challenge a dodgy call made by the umpire. Just like tennis, they are given a set amount of challenges, which vanish with each incorrect call. However I feel as though cricket hasn’t yet ascertained how frequently it is appropriate to use such technology. A typical game of cricket is plagued with hopeful appealing; giving a team too many referral opportunities is only going to encourage needless questioning. Cricket is a game built upon tradition and respect, so I think it unfair to constantly question the credibility of the umpire’s calls. They generally have a pretty good track record anyway. It would be sufficient to have just one challenge per innings. This way, they only need to challenge the calls they genuinely believe to be incorrect. But to be fair, cricket and tennis are fairly black and white sort of sports. A decision is either correct or incorrect. There is very little room for grey. The role of technology in contact sports such and rugby and league is perhaps less easily defined, yet still necessary. The use of a video referee often comes under the spotlight. However I think it is the role of the video referee that needs to be more clearly defined rather than the need for one in the first place. There is no denying that a video referee makes for more accurate decisions in regards to scoring a try; the issue is using them to find excuses to disallow a try rather than awarding it. Common sense must still have a presence in sport,

10/06/11

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10. issue 16 2011

Venturing Beyond Student Monotony As students it’s all too easy to be confined to the monotony of study, socialise, sleep and eat, particularly in semester two. Perhaps you’ll throw in a bit of part time work if you’re spicing things up. A fine life you’re thinking, it’s done the trick for the last months/years since embarking on your road to higher education and I agree. There’s no harm in the typical student existence but there’s also no denying its lack of adventure and excitement! One student who has broken the tedium and differentiated herself by going on an overseas adventure is Rangimarie Kelly who recently completed an AIESEC* education exchange in China. This experience involved her spending three months over the summer holidays teaching English to 12-13 year old school students in Dalian city, 10034.26km from home. “My experience in China was a once in a lifetime opportunity, I was given the chance to become fully immersed in a culture which I came to love and adore,” she said. Rangimarie taught in four different schools during her stay abroad. With no Chinese language she learnt to navigate Dalian’s public transport system and conquered her fear of getting lost in the “huge city”. Eating steamed dumplings for breakfast and teaching Chinese children about New Zealand life was not only challenging and fun but also something which provided Rangimarie which a networking opportunity and an impressive addition to her CV. “I experienced a number of ups and downs, but made so many friends, which I’m still in contact with and got to experience so much of Chinese culture. My OE was definitely a character builder

Which country was New Zealand tennis player Marina Erakovic born in? a) New Zealand b) Yugoslavia c) Croatia d) Hungary

Samsung is currently in a patent war with Apple over which product? a) Galaxy S b) Galaxy S II c) Galaxy Tab 10.1 d) All of the above

Who is the new Superman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel? a) Henry Cavill b) Brandon Routh c) Matt Bomer d) Christian Bale

What number jersey did Conrad Smith wear in the match against Australia on Saturday?

by Kate Waalkens

and I was able to push myself further than I had ever thought possible. The main highlights of my trip had to be the snow and cold weather, living with my home stay family for three months, eating the amazing food, going out with AIESEC members and other foreign teachers and being able to travel throughout China.” If you’re thinking that you’d like to spice up your student life over and above a part time job in the local Starbucks and are considering the possibility of also going on an AIESEC exchange (and at this point I imagine you are!) then you probably have a lot of questions. For answers or simply more information you can email aut@aiesec.org.nz or investigate further on www.aiesec.org.nz. AIESEC exchanges are not limited to education and teaching but also include internships related to other community development and some professional internships which may be appropriate as co-op placements. They are available in many different countries worldwide. Rangimarie says the biggest bit of advice she can give to others wanting to take part in an exchange is to “go with an open mind, especially in a place like China. I think if you do this, you’re less likely to be disappointed when things don’t always work out. Always look on the bright side of life and try to make the most of things from the get go, it’s all about how you make the most of your time,” So embrace any opportunities to challenge and improve yourself as a Chinese saying articulates ‘time is short’ and you won’t have those luxuriously long university holidays forever, use them for adventure!

Which fast food franchise has closed its door in Fiji, after Commodore Frank Bainimarama demanded to know their recipes? a) McDonalds b) KFC c) Pizza Hut d) Burger King

Whereabouts would you find the Appalachian Trail? a) Brazil b) Mexico c) Canada d) United States

At the time of print, what was the golf world ranking for Tiger Woods? a) 19th b) 23rd c) 28th d) 32nd

*AIESEC is a worldwide, non profit student organisation which organises exchange opportunities to help provide young people the opportunity to be global citizens, to change the world and to gain experience and skills that matter today.

New Zealand band The Naked and Famous are due to play one show in Auckland in November. Which of these is not one of their songs? a) A Wolf in Geek’s Clothing b) Girls Like You c) Frayed d)Young Love

US President Barack Obama celebrated which birthday last week? a) 45th b) 50th c) 52nd d) 55th Who is older, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman or Sarah Jessica Parker? a) Sandra Bullock b) Halle Berry c) Nicole Kidman d) Sarah Jessica Parker

a) 4 b) 9 c) 11 d) 13

Answers: C, C, A, D, B, D, C, D, B, A. www.ausm.org.nz

11.

by Alicia Crocket

by Alicia Crocket Takeaways are a good option sometimes; they’re ideal when you can’t be bothered cooking or you need something on the run. However, buying takeaways is ALWAYS going to be more expensive than making something at home so it’s probably not something most people can do regularly. It is hard to recreate some foods at home, but luckily there are some ways you can enjoy takeaways, even when you’re on a budget. Getting a group together and getting some Indian or Asian food is a great way of saving money. Sounds a little bit backward, but when you buy takeaways there’s always so much more food than what one person can eat. So get a group of you together and order less than one dish per person. That way you get to try lots of different meals and you get to save money. The other bonus is that often when people eat in a group they eat less because they’re talking/ laughing. When you eat slowly, your stomach has time to tell your brain that you’re full. Who said takeaways have to be the traditional fast food places or Asian, Indian or fish and chips? Takeaways are all about meals that are ready to go and require no prep time. So takeaways can also be getting a hot cooked chicken from the supermarket with a packet of rolls. That’s the perfect takeaway for an evening picnic or a quiet night at home. It’ll serve four people and cost you about $12-$15. If you do end up ordering take out for just yourself, try serving up half of the meal onto a separate plate and save the rest for your dinner the next night. Paying $14 is much more cost effective if you manage to spread it over two nights. Finally, takeaways are not always quicker than making something yourself. I reckon that if I started making hamburgers at home at the same time that someone went out to get them, that I’d be eating first! If you’ve got all the ingredients, making hamburgers at home is so quick and so much tastier. Squash some mince into a pattie and chuck it into a pan. While it’s cooking cut some cheese, lettuce, and tomato, whatever. In 10 minutes the patties are cooked and you’re good to go. Try driving down to the chippie and getting them to make you a burger on Friday night quicker than that! So make your takeaway dollars go further by looking for alternatives, sharing your meals with yourself or your friends. And try scheduling in some mega quick, low fuss dinners when you do your groceries.

Makes 8 patties Dairy free without the cheese, Gluten free if you use GF breadcrumbs or no breadcrumbs Cost per pattie: $0.94 by itself $1.50-$2.00 as a burger, depending on fillings

These bean patties are great as part of a burger or just by themselves with other veges and some potato. You can also use these as a filling for pita bread. Feel free to change up the spices for a different flavour. These can be frozen singly, wrapped in glad wrap, so make up a batch, cook what you need and put the rest into the freezer for a night you can’t be bothered cooking. Freeze them uncooked so that you can crisp them up a bit by cooking them before you eat them.

Ingredients

1 leek, sliced into small pieces 1 Tbsp oil 1 x 400g can small kidney beans OR 150g dried beans soaked overnight and boiled until soft 1 x 400g can of cannellini beans OR 150g dried beans soaked overnight and boiled until soft 3 cloves OR 3 tsps minced garlic 1 tsp dried herbs (or 2 Tbsps fresh herbs) – use whatever your fav is ½ tsp chilli powder OR ½ tsp minced chilli 1 Tbsp cumin ½ tsp cinnamon 2 Tbsps grated cheese 1 small carrot, grated 2 Tbsps tomato paste/puree/sauce (depends on how strong a tomato flavour you want) ½ - 1 cup of breadcrumbs

Directions

1 Cut your leek and sauté it in a fry pan with the oil 2 Drain and rinse beans. Chop or roughly mash them up (you want some larger pieces so don’t go too crazy) 3 When the leeks are mostly cooked add the garlic and the spices to the fry pan and continue to cook for a couple of minutes 4 Mix all ingredients, except the breadcrumbs, together until well combined 5 Add enough breadcrumbs to get the mixture to a consistency where you can shape it into fairly robust patties 6 Shape into eight burger patties. If you’re freezing some, do this now. You can chill these patties in the fridge before cooking if you want. They’ll hold together a little easier and the flavours will be more developed 7 Dip in flour so they are lightly coated 8 Heat oil in a fry pan on a low-medium heat. Cook each pattie for about five minutes each side. 9 Serve in a burger bun with veges, in a wrap or on a plate with veges on the side

12.

issue 17 2011

Veronica Ng Lam AuSM President 921 9999 ext 8571

veronica.nglam@aut.ac.nz My fellow AUT students, Re:Orientation is done and dusted for this year – I hope that you have enjoyed the free events, activities and food that we have provided for you over the last two weeks! Look out for more AuSM events during semester two, we will be back with more fun and games for you all. By now you would have settled into the final semester for 2011! For some of you it may be the beginning of your academic journey and if it is, remember that anything worth having is always going to be hard work. For a majority of you it marks the half way or the ‘almost there’ mile stone and for that perseverance is key to keeping your eyes on that qualification. And lastly for others it marks the END! Your final semester and then you’re out of here and into the world. This is definitely the boat I sit in right now as I prepare for what will be my final semester in serving you all as your student president. For my fellow AUT students, for whom this semester will see the end to their AUT journey, I encourage you to make the most of what we have and leave with no regrets!

On that note I would like to say a big AuSM CONGRATULATIONS to all our graduands who by the time you read this will be our new AUT graduates! Well done on achieving your goals, dreams and aspirations. Job well done for making everyone around you proud: friends, families and all of us here at AUT! I pray the journey that lies ahead of you all is filled with great opportunities, life changing experiences and personal satisfaction to keep the heart smiling. I salute you all for overcoming all the obstacles and difficulties of being a student, and wish you nothing less of the best for the future ahead. ELECTIONS! It’s that time of the year when the student executive are seeking out those of you who want to make a change here at AUT, who know they can contribute to making student life better and who can advocate for the needs and wants of our students to AUT. By now most of you would have received emails of nomination – do not be afraid! Rise to the challenge and put yourself out there. If you know of others that would be good for the job, encourage them to get in there and be involved. The student voice is one that is well respected here at AUT and one that we must never lose, so get nominating and get elected to make a change for 2012! Over the next few weeks you might see some of our students rise to fame with campaigns in relation to positions on the student exec; don’t be afraid to ask them questions about what they will do for you. Don’t be afraid to challenge some of their thinking and most of all don’t forget to vote, as they will be the very people who will represent you views next year. So let’s get nominating, let’s get involved in the campaigns and let’s get voting! As it is my final semester I would really like to make the time to have my office door open to you all :) Whether you want to drop in and say bye, have a cup of tea or a good ol’ yarn please come visit me before I leave the AUT nest :) Wishing you well in the week ahead, best wishes with your studies Your fellow president in solidarity and peace - ia manuia

Veronica

Are you student executive material?

Have you nominated yourself for the student executive yet? Go on, do it now! If you want to find out about what being on the student executive entails we have compiled some FAQs on the AuSM homepage www.ausm.org.nz

AuSM Mates Rates is better than ever!

We now have better deals on the AuSM Mates Rates than ever before! Just go to www.ausm. org.nz and print out the discounts you want then take in store with your AUT student ID. It’s that easy! From horse riding to haircuts you can get it cheaper with Mates Rates.

Some of the latest deals on offer:

Piko: 2 for 1 coffee between 8am –10am R&G Concept Stores: 10 per cent off full price stock Ceroc Dance: $8 classes on Mondays Mr Yakitori: 15 per cent off Food and Beverage Klassique: $80 for cut, colour and blow wave

www.ausm.org.nz

AuSM Sports

We have heaps of sports coming up this semester so don’t miss out on the action!

12 August: Auckland Student Cup, Manukau Campus.

This is an all day free event with events ranging from dodgeball to bull rush there’s something for everyone. If you’re keen to sign up email Gus: gbrown@aut.ac.nz or head to the AuSM office Manukau.

27th Aug – 3rd Sept: NZ Uni Snow Games, Wanaka. Calling skiers and snowboarders! If you want to join us for this epic event email Melita to register: melita.martorana@aut.ac.nz

9th October: AUT Sevens, Hato Petera College.

The infamous AUT Sevens are back for a fourth year! This event sees tertiary institutions, clubs and invitational teams enjoying a great day of rugby and tough competition. For more info email Melita: melita.martorana@aut.ac.nz

13.

New Zealand Prime Ministers Through the Decades by Katie Montgomerie

1935-1940: Michael Joseph Savage (Labour) The first Labour prime minister of New Zealand was... an Australian! I doubt an Aussie would get away with that today! He was never voted out but instead died of colon cancer in 1940. Remembered for: Leading New Zealand into World War II in 1939. 1940-1949: Peter Fraser (Labour) Another Labour politician, this time from Scotland! Fraser was voted out in 1949 after his popularity declined due to his support for compulsory military training after World War II. He died in 1950, a year after he was voted out. Remembered for: Supporting conscription in World War II. Being portrayed in the TV movie Spies and Lies. 1949-1957: Sidney Holland (National) Finally a New Zealander! Holland was born in Canterbury in 1893 and was the first National prime minister of New Zealand. He stepped down from leadership in 1957 after experiencing ill health (this seems to be a trend). He was knighted after he resigned and died in Wellington hospital in 1961. Remembered for: The creation and consolidation of the National Party.

1972-1974: Norman Kirk (Labour) The first Labour prime minister to be born in New Zealand! He left school at 13 and became a railway engineer. He became prime minister in 1972 and set about implementing many new policies. At 51 he died suddenly of heart problems after he refused to address his health issues by reducing his work load. Remembered for: Protests against French nuclear weapon testing in the Pacific Ocean – leading to Australia and New Zealand taking France to the International Court of Justice. Refusal to allow a visit from the South African rugby team because of their apartheid regime.

1984-1989: David Lange (Labour) Lange defeated Muldoon by a landslide victory in 1984. He was only 41 at the time, making him New Zealand’s youngest prime minister. He died in Middlemore hospital in 2005 at age 63 from complications due to renal failure. Remembered for: Deregulation and public asset sales. Nuclear-free legislation and his support for changing the New Zealand flag. 1989-1990: Geoffrey Palmer (Labour) Palmer was in office for less than a year after Lange resigned due to disputes with Roger Douglas. It was clear he was going to lose the 1990 elections so was replaced by Michael Moore in an attempt to gain back support. This attempt failed however and Jim Bolger won by a landslide victory. Remembered for: Resource management act. Getting rid of Roger Douglas. 1990-1997: Jim Bolger (National) Bolger was born in Taranaki in 1935 and left school at 15 to work on the family farm. Three days after he was elected, he had to bail out BNZ at a cost of $380 million. He resigned in 1997 after a caucus coup by Jenny Shipley. He is currently the Chancellor of Waikato University. Remembered for: Ending the awarding of British Honours and introducing a New Zealand Honours system. Suggested that New Zealand should become a republic.

1997-1999: Jenny Shipley (National) Born in 1952, Shipley was New Zealand’s first female prime minister. She was defeated by Helen Clark in the 1999 elections after a two year term. She now chairs Genesis Power Ltd. Remembered for: Advocating the New Zealand 1957-1960: Walter Nash (Labour) flag to be changed to feature a silver fern. An Englishman who arrived in New 1974-1975: Bill Lowered the alcohol purchasing age from 20 to Zealand in 1909. He was the leader Rowling (Labour) of the Labour party and became Rowling succeeded Kirk 18. prime minister after a narrow win after his sudden death. 1999-2008: Helen Clark (Labour) in the 1957 elections. He retired He was in power Clark was the first female prime minister to from the Labour Party at 81 in 1963 for just over a year win the office by election. She served three and died five years later. but was ousted terms in parliament and in 2006 was ranked Remembered for: The Black Budget by Muldoon in the 20th most powerful woman in the world (significant tax increases on petrol, 1975. After leaving by Forbes magazine. After she was defeated by cigarettes and beer). His failure to politics he became John Key in 2008, she stepped down as Labour step in when New Zealand played ambassador to the leader and became the administrator of the UN South Africa in rugby and they United States in 1985. Development programme. demanded no Maori players were to He died from cancer Remembered for: The foundation of the Supreme be included in the NZ team in 1995 at age 67. Court of New Zealand. Committing NZ troops Remembered for: to fight in Afghanistan. Supporting New Zealand 1957-1957 & 1960-1972: Keith Holyoake Not a whole lot, but as a Republic. Civil unions for gay and lesbian (National) he was pro-choice in couples. Holyoake was born in Mangamutu in 1904. He regards to abortion. became prime minister in 1957, two months 2008-Today: John Key (National) before the election, due to Holland retiring. He Key was born in Auckland and attended was then voted out and became leader of the university in Canterbury. He went on to study 1975-1984: Robert Muldoon (National) Opposition. He was re-elected after Nash’s fall management courses at Harvard University in the Muldoon was an aggressive politician who from grace in 1960. He stepped down in 1972 and United States. In 1998 he was actively sought out succeeded Rowling. He was one of those guys was appointed Governor General in 1977. He died by National Party president John Slater to recruit you either loved or hated, and even today people in 1983 at age 79. him for the National Party. He became Prime have very strong opinions on Muldoon. He died Remembered for: Abolishing capital punishment. Minister in 2008 after defeating Helen Clark. in 1992 aged 70. Sent military support to the Vietnam War. Currently known for: Going on The Late Show Remembered for: ‘Think Big’- an economic with David Letterman. His campaign for a Security 1972-1972: Jack Marshall (National) strategy in which the government borrowed Council seat at UN General Assembly. Being on Born in Wellington, Marshall was prime minister heavily and pumped money into industrial for only 10 months. He was voted out as the projects to boost the economy (this largely failed). the 2008 National Business Review’s Rich List. public were tired of the long serving National Support of the Welfare State. Support of the 1981 National Cycleway project. government. He died in England in 1988 at age apartheid Springbok tour which provoked large 76. scale demonstrations against racism. Support of Remembered for: Not much! He was knighted Margaret Thatcher’s Falklands War in 1982. in 1974 and voted for the abolition of capital punishment.

14.

issue 17 2011

by Sebastian Mackay

Does Nationalism Care?

John Langley wrote in last week’s Herald on the “government’s sensible response to child abuse”. While I agreed with everything he said, it got me thinking about the “opponents” to the government’s plans to, for lack of a better term, stamp out, child abuse. The interesting thing here isn’t the opposition – there is opposition to everything in democracy – it is the fact of there being opposition to child abuse solutions. We all agree that New Zealand’s child abuse rate is sickening; our “clean and green” reputation should be torn to shreds and burned alongside our flag as a result of this. Yes, being “clean and green” has nothing to do with the way in which we treat our children, but perhaps it should. The prime minster seems to be more concerned about the way we treat our cows, in order to uphold reputation, than the way we treat our children. What kind of a government cannot look after its own people based on what the Otago Daily Times quoted as “tricky spending decisions” yet pour $2 million into a plastic waka? To two members of the government’s credit, some are trying; our Minister of Social Development, Paula Bennett, released a “Green Paper” in the week of July 29 opening the issue up for discussion. As well as, Sue Bradford’s 2009 anti-smacking bill, which raised the question, “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?” How can resorting to violence of any form be deemed as “good parental

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correction”? In my opinion, it cannot be and is unjustifiable in any case related to parenting on any level. I appreciate that I am no parent and have only looked at the issue within the scope of the immediate question, but should it not be re-worded perhaps to “should a smack as part of parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?”. The anti smacking bill, as out dated as the referendum itself maybe, seems to me to extenuate a glaringly obvious issue with the forms of parenting that are deemed, by society, to be acceptable within this country, forms using violence. Much like the anti smacking bill, the government’s solutions to child abuse have been opposed with arguments that range from the disempowering of families whom abuse their children to driving a wedge between family members and alienating the children concerned. Given the current situation, what kind of a sick fuck can stand behind arguments that in essence give dogs more rights than children? If an animal is abused, it is taken from its owner and the owner is banned from owning animals for up to five years. If a child is abused, members of society hide behind flawed arguments of alienation and disempowering families, stripping the child of their rights and installing them on the parents. These “moral humans” are afraid to face the cold statistics and stare the reality of the situation in the eye, and do their part in order to stop this issue. If we watch as another child dies or is beaten mercilessly in the family home, are we not as bad as the abuser? In a country where two children are physically, emotionally or sexually abused every hour, Unicef have already expressed disappointment in Key’s stand on child abuse. Unicef’s disappointment was due to his disregarding the need for both Labour and National to unite on the cause and follow up on Paula Bennett’s Green paper, based on monetary and political issues. faqs.pdf

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9:44 AM

Who can be on the student executive? AUT University students who meet the criteria for the position that they are standing for. Example: If you are thinking of standing for the position of Disability Affairs Officer you need to have self identified with the University on enrolment as a student with a Disability. You need to be an enrolled student at AUT now and an enrolled student at AUT next year. If you do not meet the Charities Commissions eligibility criteria for Officers of a registered charity you are not eligible to stand for a position on the AuSM Executive Council. There are different criteria for each position and you will need to check the criteria for the position/(s) you are interested in when you receive your nomination info email.

Write now or forever hold your pen.

How to Nominate yourself? Look out for an email you will receive in July within nomination period - this will have all the details of how to nominate yourself. C

CMY

What positions are available? 1 full time (37.5 hours per week) paid President, 1 part time (up to 10 hours per week) paid Vice President, 1 faculty representative from each faculty, 1 Maori Affairs Officer, 1 Pasifika Affairs Officer, 1 International Affairs Officer, 1 Postgraduate Students Officer,1 Disability Affairs Officer. Faculty Representative & Office holder positions are eligible to receive an annual expense payment of up to $1,500.

When do these positions start and finish? 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012

What are the functions of student executive? The key function of the Executive council is to govern the student association through policy-setting and budget monitoring. Furthermore the Executive council, through its chairperson, the President, is the representative voice for all students at AUT. As the representative voice the Executive council liaises with interest groups at all levels within the University and in the wider community.

What are the benefits? Being on the student executive provides you with the opportunity to be of service to your fellow students. Acquire new skills which will be a great addition to your CV and will help you stand out from the crowd when you step into the workforce.

How much time does it take up?

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. For more info on how you can get involved with debate,

email Samantha at debate@aut.ac.nz or pop into the AuSM office for a chat www.ausm.org.nz

The Student Executive meets monthly. On top of this there will be some committee meetings to attend. Additionally you will have to prepare for the monthly meeting and keep on top of AuSM issues. All up expect to spend about 2-3 hours per week (yes, that’s all).

15.

Novels to last the decades by Ashleigh Muir 1920s: The Great Gatsby

by F Scott Fitzgerald

In 1922 Fitzgerald announced that he wanted to write something different, “something new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned”. And The Great Gatsby was born. 1930s: Gone with the Wind

1950s: The Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

A controversial novel of teenage rebellion and the human condition. The controversy surrounding this novel alone makes you want to read it! 1960s: To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

1980s: The Borne Identity

by Robert Ludlum

After becoming a successful American TV series in the late 80s and a Hollywood blockbuster in the noughties, the Borne series has become a timeless piece of action culture. 1990s: Bridget Jones’s Diary

by Helen Fielding

by Margaret Mitchell

An epic novel of love and war – quite fitting with the world finally recovering from The Great War and WWII waiting around the corner. This novel has timeless themes that are still relevant today. 1940s: Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl

First published by Anne’s father after the war, this was a diary to change the world. The diary told of family life in hiding, of persecution. While the story does not have a happy ending, it is a story that we should all know.

A novel that was written at a most crucial point in Civil Rights history that depicts a beautiful and touching story of innocence, trust and the cruelty of human nature. 1970s: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams It has been a novel, a radio drama and a Hollywood film, so of course this has a place. The final book in the series wasn’t published until the early nineties meaning it literally lasted the decades.

There is something about Bridget that just seems to sum up the 90s. She seems to have absorbed everything from a single decade and has let it become her. A fantastic social commentary. 2000s: ?

While researching possible novels for this decade I was struck by a sense that nothing quite fit. Sure there are some fantastic novels, but they are not timeless, historically fitting or awe-inspiring in the way that the above are. Whether it was The Lovely Bones, Atonement or The Time Traveller’s Wife, we are too close to this decade to make an accurate judgement.

Viral Sensations, Thanks to the World Wide Web

Always blow on the pie A Kiwi cop was catapulted into internet stardom overnight after an episode of Police Ten 7 showed him dishing out some strange advice to a late-night carjacker. The teenager’s excuse was that he was just on his way to the petrol station to buy a pie, to which Sgt. Guy Baldwin ‘jokingly’ replied “It will be thermonuclear – always blow on the pie. Safer communities together” (the New Zealand Police slogan). The deadpan delivery of the joke made Baldwin a YouTube and Facebook sensation. The line has also given rise to rap songs, music remixes and even a South Park homage. Kiwi T-shirt brand Mr Vintage also created t-shirts emblazoned with the line. Naturally, I finished my set Here we have another such ‘joke’ made by a fellow Kiwi on national television. Cameron Leslie, a New Zealander living in Oslo, Norway, became a viral sensation after bragging about his gym work-out during the recent bombing in Norway. Leslie appeared on Campbell Live and told the nation that he heard the explosion during his “eighth repetition of 165kg” weights. He concluded with the line that would set him up to be sensationalised online: “Naturally, I finished my set”. Aside from becoming a viral sensation, Mr Vintage and Tui jumped on the mocking bandwagon, the latter coming up with the billboard: “Eighth rep of 165kg. Naturally, I finished my set. Yeah Right.”

16.

GTL When looking for truly and utterly idiotic quotes, we need look no further than the cast of the Jersey Shore. Some of the gems they have come up with over the past few seasons include “pickles is my thing” (Snooki), and “at least wear a thong. That’s classier” (JWOWW). But the phrase that really went viral was uttered by none other than the head of the STI-infected house himself, The Situation. “GTL baby. Gym, tan, laundry” quickly became part of pop culture vocab. The GTL Facebook page has over 30,000 ‘likes’ and Jimmy Kimmel even created a GTL based skit which aired on his show and has since had more than 30,000 hits on YouTube. Which seat can I take? Granted, this quote did already have its origins in an online video, but it was this single line, uttered by Rebecca Black during her debut single Friday, which really caught the online world’s attention. It perfectly captured the sense of inner turmoil and angst-driven confusion felt by teenagers confronted with the gruelling task of deciding whether to ‘kick it in the front seat’ or ‘sit’ in the back seat. The ‘which seat can I take?’ dilemma prompted many a YouTube piss take and gained a place in meme history. There is even a website, www.whichseatcanitake.com, which was created with the sole aim of helping one make that oh-so-difficult decision.

issue 17 2011

by Alisha Lewis

www.ausm.org.nz

Every decade has its own ‘thing’. The 70s had disco and bellbottoms. The 80s had rock stars and spandex. The 90s had boy bands and bad hairdos. They may not have been the coolest things, but at least they had their things. The noughties on the other hand, seemed to pass by with no real defining moment, genre or fashion. In fact, the whole decade was kind of like one of those towns you drive through when you’re road tripping the South Island, like Mossburn or Balclutha. You blink and it’s over. Where did the noughties go? This worries me. Especially since my entire adolescence occurred during this time – I turned 10 in 2001. The defining moments in my life, so many ‘firsts’ and so many ‘lasts’, happened during the noughties. Yet if I were to create a scrapbook of the past decade, I have no idea what the unifying theme would be. I envy the kids of the 90s. My memories of being a 90s kid are so much more vivid. Memories of fighting over who got to be Baby Spice and who had to be Scary, or purchasing that first pair of flared jeans and crop top (a la Britney). Perhaps the world was simply thrown into a state of confusion with the whole Y2K debacle. The whole decade seemed to be a big mish-mash of this-and-thats, as if no one knew which direction they wanted to go. In saying this though, the noughties were anything but uneventful. A lot has happened since that Y2K millennium bug, well, didn’t happen. However, much of what went down during the past 10 years wasn’t too flash– maybe that’s why nobody got too excited. Are we all just ready to forget it? To be fair, the decade got off to a pretty shit start right from the get go – George Bush was elected President of the United States. It’s like we weren’t even in with a fighting chance. From then on, it was blow after blow after blow. We had the September 11 attacks which incited an era of terror and terrorism. America launched war against Iraq. The Boxing Day tsunami hit South East Asia. The London bombings happened. Israeli troops invaded Lebanon. There was a worldwide financial crisis. Swine flu was declared an international pandemic. Add to that global warming and skyrocketing fuel prices and it’s no wonder people were ready to just get the decade over and done with already. But then again, maybe we’re just a generation that’s taken it all for granted. We are a generation that’s never satisfied – we’re constantly chasing the next big thing. Are

we simply just not grateful for the past 10 years? Perhaps. After all, that’s part of the reasoning behind the term ‘noughties’. Aside from being based on the word ‘nought’ meaning zero, it’s also a play on the word naughty – due to the ‘naughtiness’ and, basically, selfishness of the decade. It has been described as a decade of incredible excess. In a way, I can see how this could be true. Remember getting your first cell phone? Probably back in intermediate or early in high school? Nearly everyone had the same thing; those classic Nokia bricks – unbeatable, unbreakable cell phones which were basically limited to calling, texting and playing snake. End of story. Within a year though, new models were out. Pretty similar, but these one’s had blue screens instead of green. Within six months, colour screens were out. Then the first VGA camera phones. Then came megapixels and videos. It was impossible to keep up. But somehow, we did. We are a generation that has grown up in a world that’s changed more rapidly in the span of one decade than any other. We’ve grown up chasing the next new thing – leaving little time to be satisfied. What was cool one minute became lame the next. Perhaps that’s why the noughties don’t seem to have any one defining theme. It’s like we’ve had the development of two or three decades in one. For whole decades, people in the 80s and 90s were content listening to their music on walkmans. The development of CDs and discmans brought a change, but that’s where the development stopped. People weren’t fussed though – no one complained about not being able to get their walkman in a smaller size or a different colour or newer model. Today though, it’s a constant race to keep up with it all. Is it worth investing hundreds of dollars in the iPhone 4 when you know the iPhone 5 will be out in a few months? And then what about the iPhone 6 which is likely to follow? Life for the kids of the noughties has been hugely different to kids in previous decades. Wikipedia, Facebook and YouTube weren’t around before the noughties. Words like LOL and OMG and n00b did not exist before the noughties. We didn’t have the Xbox and Playstation and Wii back then either. The noughties were basically just something that happened while we were busy making other plans. We were out chasing the next big thing. We weren’t sitting back, enjoying the moment. We weren’t outside on the front porch, fighting it out over who got to be Baby Spice and who had to be Scary. The noughties were a decade of excess and incredible consumerism. We might have gained a lot, but we haven’t given back much.

17.

18.

issue 17 2011

On August 18, the 19th amendment to the US Constitution is approved which prohibits any US citizen from being denied the right to vote based on sex.

Alice’s Wonderland is created by Walt Disney – his first cartoon

Tennessee teacher John Scopes is arrested on May 5 for teaching the theory of evolution, which is forbidden by state law.

Pluto is first discovered and named the ninth planet

Mickey Mouse makes his debut in a comic strip in the January 13th edition of the New York Mirror.

The BBC introduces three hours of television programming per day, making it the world’s first television service.

The first pap smear (originally called pap test) is conducted to detect cervical cancer.

The Big Bang Theory is created by George Gamow to explain how the universe came about.

Studies show that smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer.

The first Playboy magazine hits newsstands, featuring Marilyn Monroe as the first centrefold.

Disneyland is opened to the public for the first time on July 17.

Alaska and Hawaii become the 49th and 50th states, respectively, in the United States.

The Berlin Wall is erected between East and West Germany to stop refugees. It doesn’t not come down until 1989.

Martin Luther King delivers “I have a dream” speech during the civil rights march in Washington D.C.

The famous Woodstock Music and Art Fair draws more than 450,000 people to Bethel, NY.

Eleven Israeli athletes are killed at the Olympic Games on September 5 in Munich after an Arab terrorist group invades Olympic Village.

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1925

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1950

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1963

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1972

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19.

CNN launches on June 1, making it the first all news network

Apple launches its first Macintosh computer in 1984.

Michael Jackson and Lionel Richieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s song We Are the World, wins song of the year at the 1986 Grammy Awards.

Milli Vanilli admits to lip synching and has their Grammy award taken away,

1980

1984

1986

1990

Hijackers fly planes filled with passengers in the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.

American Idol debuts on television. Kelly Clarkson is the first winner.

Gay marriage becomes legal in the state of Masschusetts on May 17, the first state in the US to legalise same-sex union.

Barack Obama is the first African-American to become President of the United States, winning the election in a landslide over John McCain.

Wildfires in Victoria, Australia kill at least 181 people and destroy more than 900 homes. It is the worst wildfires Australia has ever seen.

The LA Lakers defeat the Boston Celtics four games to three in the NBA Championship.

On February 22, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 181 people. It is the second deadliest natural disaster to ever hit New Zealand.

2001

2 002

2004

2008

2009

2010

2011

Euro currency is introduced in Europe on May 3.

1998

On October 3, O.J. Simpson is found not guilty of killing his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. An estimated 150 million tuned in to hear the verdict.

Star Wars is first released in theatres.

1977

1995

Sony develops the first home videotape systems (VCRs) in Japan.

1975

by Ksenia Khor

Art in the 20th Century or: how to sound cultured while eating instant noodles

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) One of the pioneers of abstractionism, Kandinsky was born in Russia and educated in Germany. He turned the established ideas about art upside-down with his explorations of shape and colour. Like many innovators, he was ahead of his time and his ideas were opposed by the conservative artists of Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany where he spent a few years of his life. His works were accused of having no meaning because of the nonrepresentational form he preferred. However, Kandinsky saw abstract irrationality as a different method of self-expression and a glimpse of a ‘cosmic world’. One of his most significant works is YellowRed-Blue, 1925. Kandinsky described this work as very romantic. Circle was one his favourite shapes and he used it extensively. Yellow-RedBlue is a complex study of shapes and lines put together and blended with three primary colours from the title and results of their mixing. Kandinsky didn’t use black much in his works there because he saw this colour as a symbol of death and nothingness. Mark Rothko (1903-1970) Another abstractionist, he was born in Russia but immigrated to the US at age 10. With the prestigious education he received at Yale University, his initial plan was to become an attorney or an engineer. Instead, Rothko moved to New York to pursue his passion for art. His early works were reminiscent of French impressionists’ paintings. Rothko refused to paint in ‘academic’ style because he believed it didn’t contain anything apart from perfect strokes and perspective. His most famous works were created in the late 40s. They are collections of different rectangles (his favourite form) set in colourful backgrounds exposing a variety of moods. It might seem overly simple, even primitive, but these works are the studies of basic human emotions reflected by the colours. Rothko was more concerned about the philosophical essence than the figurative representation. He didn’t even give titles to some of his abstract works. They are described by the colours he used or just given a number (for instance, the Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red), 1949).

20.

In the 20th century the arts flourished. New technologies and inventions, events of global importance such as two world wars and massive changes in human lives couldn’t leave the artistic souls indifferent to what was going on in the world. It was the time of emergence of various new styles and artistic movements. Hundreds of books are written on them and it is impossible to embrace all of them in one magazine piece. The art of that time can be divided into two massive categories: modern and contemporary art. The first is the period from 1860 to 1950, or, as some art historians argue, 1970. Contemporary art is everything created since 1950s (or 1970s if you prefer). Here are some of the most influential artists from both of these periods.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) This Spanish artist is one of the most significant figures in the cultural life of that time, creating more than 20,000 art pieces including paintings, drawings, photos, films, stage designs and sculptures. He started painting at the early age and then spent most of his life in France and experimented with every medium available in the 20th century. Moreover, in contrast to many talented but unappreciated artists, he received recognition and fame. Though his works were considered avant-garde, Picasso never did any abstract paintings. His works were always figurative with distinctive style. Though his two early periods in art (pink and blue) are quite popular among the art collectors, in reality they are not as influential and distinctive as his later paintings. Picasso was also connected to Cubism, a movement which simplified real objects to different forms. It was the predecessor of abstractionism though still representational. It’s really hard to embrace the whole heritage of Pablo Picasso. New works of his are found every year. His most famous pieces are an explosion of colour and a journey to the weird. These mixes of reality and dreams are full of eroticism, irony and emotions. Take a look at the Weeping Woman (1937) or Kiss (1969). Through bright hues and quirky shapes Picasso manages to tell fascinating stories about human nature.

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) Dali was a Spanish surrealist and the author of the notorious Paranoiac Critical method or an irrational interpretation of the world. His paintings are mostly painfully realistic portrayals of the artist’s inner world and dreams. However, he didn’t limit himself to one style. He expressed himself through various media: from classical oil to film. One of his most celebrated paintings is the Persistence of Memory (1931). It is a glimpse of a dream based in the Spanish sceneries (Dali loved to paint them) with strange melting watches that became Dali’s trademark. The time has no power in this place where all the objects lose their form. The artist even put himself in the painting: you can recognise his face under one of the watches. Dali’s paintings allow various readings and meanings. So, for the spectators it can be an exciting mind game to grasp what the artist wanted to say. Or, did he want to say anything at all? Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) A celebrated Mexican artist. Originally she intended to go to medical school, but at 18 she was seriously injured in a bus accident. She spent a year in bed and art became an outlet for her. It is not surprising that pain, passion and death permeate all her works. Apart from physical health problems, Frida suffered emotionally. She married another famous Mexican artist, Diego Rivera, who was 20 years her senior. They were never faithful to each other and artistic ambitions didn’t help the relationship either. Frida told her own biography through the paintings. She did a lot of self-portraits at different stages of her life. The intensity of emotions is reflected through her choice of bright colours. Frida’s art is life-affirming. It shows her deep artistic thought and her desire to live despite all the hardships that she had to experience.

issue 17 2011

Silver screen sirens of Hollywood by Alisha Lewis

1920s Clara Bow (1923-1933) Largely representative of the flapper era, Clara Bow was the ‘it’ girl of her time – literally. The silent film It bro ught her global fame and the nickname ‘The It Girl’. Bow’s flamboyancy made her the quintessential flapper who personified the roaring 20s, and she was described as the leading sex symbol of the era. Bow appeared in 46 silent films and 11 talkies during her career. 1930s Greta Garbo (1926-1941) Arguably one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, Greta Garbo’s career began during the silent age of cinema but her popularity grew in the 30s. She was the most famous actress during this time. After years of silent films, Greta broke into the ‘talkies’ scene with the 1930 film Anna Christie. In 1954 she was named “the most beautiful woman that ever lived” by Guinness World Records. That same year, Garbo received an Academy Award for her “unforgettable screen performances”. 1940s Ingrid Bergman (1939-1949) Originally from Sweden, Ingrid Bergman is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American Cinema of all time by the American Film Institute. She appeared in classics such as Casablanca, Notorious and Gaslight and won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award. However, her career stalled for many years when she caused a scandal by having an affair with Italian film director Roberto Rosselini. Rita Hayworth (1939-1972) Rita Hayworth was the major sex symbol of her time, equally as famous for her acting as she was for her pin-up girl status during the war years. Her erotic appeal was most evident in the black-and-white 1946 film Gilda, in which Hayworth, dressed in black satin, performed a legendary one-glove strip tease, making her a cultural icon as the ultimate femme fatale. www.ausm.org.nz

1980s 1970s Faye Dunaway (1962-present) Faye Dunaway was one of the top actresses of the 70s due to many leading roles in major films such as Bonnie and Clyde, Chinatown, The Towering Inferno and Network – for which she won an Academy Award in 1976. She was also popular for the sex appeal and allure she brought to her roles. 1960s Jane Fonda (1960-present) Jane Fonda rose to fame with the success of her performance in the 1965 film Cat Ballou. As America’s new sweetheart, she went on to star in a string of romantic comedies, however it was her role in the 1968 science fiction spoof Barbarella which transformed Fonda from girlnext-door to sex symbol. 1950s Brigitte Bardot (1952-1973) Brigitte Bardot rose to international fame in the controversial film And God Created Woman which was about an immoral teenager in a respectable small-town. Her early films were generally lightweight romantic dramas in which Bardot was cast as the siren and was often in varying states of undress. Marilyn Monroe (1952-1962) After developing a ‘ditzy blonde’ persona, Monroe used this to her advantage in films such as Gentleman Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch. Although she was undoubtedly a sex icon – arguably most famous for her infamous affair with President John F Kennedy – Monroe won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like It Hot. She died aged 36, after overdosing on prescription medication.

Michelle Pfeiffer (1978-present) Michelle Pfeiffer began her acting career at the very start of the decade, but it wasn’t until her breakthrough role in the cult hit Scarface that she began to rise up the ranks to become an A-lister. Another unforgettable performance which contributed to this status was Pfeiffer’s portrayal of Susie Diamond in the 1989 film The Fabulous Baker Boys. Her performance was raved about and compared to Rita Hayworth’s in Gilda and Marilyn Monroe’s in Some Like It Hot. Pfeiffer was in so much demand that she was able to be picky about her roles, which saw her turn down the lead role in the 1990 film Pretty Woman. 1990s Julia Roberts (1987-present) Julia Roberts became a superstar in 1990 after landing the lead role in Pretty Woman. The role set her up as Hollywood’s golden girl and she was offered a barrage of roles in a number of romantic comedies. A decade after her breakthrough role, and after many nominations, Roberts finally took away an Academy Award for her performance in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich. Since then, Roberts has become one of the highest paid actresses in the world. 2000s Scarlett Johansson (1994-present) Scarlett Johansson was undoubtedly a sex symbol of the 2000s – her roles in films such as Match Point, The Other Boleyn Girl, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and He’s Just Not That Into You are all highly sexualised. She was named ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’ by Esquire magazine in 2006 and ‘Sexiest Celebrity’ of the year by Playboy in 2007.

2010s Rosie Huntington-Whitely (2010 – present) A newcomer to acting, Rosie Huntington-Whitely is best known for her modelling stints with Victoria’s Secret and fashion house Burberry. However, her recent role as Carly Spencer in the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon has seen her explode onto the Hollywood scene as one to watch. MTV’s NextMovie.com named her one of the ‘Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011’ and she was named ‘Female Star of Tomorrow’ at the 2011 CinemaCon Awards. Christina Hendricks (2010 – present) Although Christina Hendricks is best known for her role as Joan Holloway in the television series Mad Men, she is beginning to move into bigger roles on the silver screen with a role in the 2010 film Life as We Know It and three new films due to be released over the next year. She is famous for her oldschool curves and was voted the ‘Sexiest Woman in the World’ in 2010 by the female readers of Esquire magazine. Charlize Theron (1995-present) Charlize Theron, originally from South Africa, is a film producer and former model as well as an Oscar winning actress. She won her Oscar for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster, making her the first South African to win an Academy Award in a major category and also proving that she is more than just a pretty face. However, her physical allure is still evident through her promotional deals with designers such as Christian Dior and John Galliano, the latter of whom often cites her as his muse.

21.

by Jarred Williamson

by Joshua Martin

Further Taxation:

The joshua journey

Annoying the heck out of people since ages ago

he rumours floated of a ‘capital gains tax’ came true. Labour’s vision is to be funded by taxing the living daylights out of that infamous social sub-group “the rich”. Media have labelled this a ‘bold’ policy and frankly, it keeps with Labour’s typical social and economic stance. Tax. This kind of increased taxation on higher income earners and taxing capital gain does not agree with me. Not because I want my rich mates to not pay tax (Do I even have “rich” mates?). But because it’s the wrong thing for the economy if you tax us even more. A capital gains tax is a complex thing. There can be many variation and exceptions to the legislation meaning there will be ways of going around the law and cases of people having no clue what it means. Labour says it will not tax the family home, but if you own a second property or bach, any profits or gains you make at sale will be taxed 15 per cent. This extends to share trading and investment, but not jewellery. There are so many yes and no’s that I’d use up the word count telling you all of them. But you get my point. Further to this tax, the top tax rate will go from 33 cents in the dollar to 39 cents in the dollar. Don’t always believe what you first hear. It’s highly unpractical that a capital gains tax will raise $4.5 billion annually like Labour says it will. This will take a long period of time for this amount of income to be realised – 15 years is a figure thrown around. The complexities of the tax will also determine the annual amount of tax raised. Labour and the New Zealand media throw around the loose term “the rich”. So just who is this ominous and invisible group? Not even the majority of the New Zealand population. Approximately 50,000 Kiwis pay the top tax rate. I looked into figures and the higher tax groups were the minority of population and paid the majority of tax, while lower income earners were the opposite. Further research found that lower income families earning under $50,000 usually qualified for government schemes like Working for Families. While they did pay tax, most of it was subsidised by these schemes. One blogger put a figure that for every $1 tax paid these families got $3 or $4 in some form of welfare in return. Surprised? Well, the media haven’t really reported on that and the figure really questions Labour’s argument about making things “fair” for all New Zealanders. Taxing “the rich” is an idea that is unoriginal and crazy, and there aren’t that many “rich” here. Do you want them to go elsewhere, so that lower incomes are taxed to hell and back? The phrase “last one out, turn off the lights” springs to mind. Labour says they have vision, but this really looks like following the same line as it usually does. Really all this taxation is to pay for some of the promises Labour have made: the first $5000 tax-free on income, GST free fruit and vegetables and so on. It’s ironic that you pay slightly more tax so that you can have tax taken off food. “Making it fair for all New Zealanders” is what Phil Goff said when introducing the plan. Sorry Phil, it’s not ‘fair’ for all New Zealanders. A sociology lecturer at the University of Auckland (and forgive me, I’ve forgotten her name) mentioned taxation and asked is it fair that a portion of tax payers pays all this tax and don’t get as much out of it as other groups? Hate on me all you want, I don’t see it is fair. Finally some clear lines for the general election in November; further taxation and capital gains taxation from Labour or National’s more apparent realistic spending, better management and partial asset sales. I’m still not convinced on Labour’s ability with financial management.

22.

t was the inspirational Tony Robbins who once said: “Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade”. It is this philosophy I will be challenging in the next 12 months (and a bit). Hi, I’m Josh and I’m a 28 year old first year BCS student, and in just under 13 months I will permanently bid ka kite to the 20s, and a big fat kia ora to the 30s. It was the realisation of this looming milestone that simultaneously saddened and inspired me, and got this Maori boy to thinkin’. It saddened me because I realised whilst I’ve done some amazing stuff in my life, there is a long list of things stamped with the phrase ‘yet to achieve’. I felt like I was waltzing around with a big fat ‘failed in life’ sign tattooed to my forehead. On the other hand, this challenged and inspired me because I had an epiphany. While I haven’t done all the cool things I’ve wanted to in life, I need not accept my lot just yet. So, I have decided that I have the opportunity to take this bull named ‘Life’ by the horns and ride that baby without inhibition. I have decided to compile a list called ’30 things I want to do before I’m 30’. Ok, granted it isn’t the most captivating title in the world, but it is short, succinct and really self explanatory. Basically what I’ve done is taken 30 things I’ve wanted to do in life, that I haven’t yet achieved, and spend the next 12 months trying to accomplish them. My list will include a variety of things ranging from the not so extreme (starting a video blog about my journey or learning to tap dance), to the reasonably more challenging (write and record my own song in a studio) and then the more extreme (get my first tattoo, meet Ellen DeGeneres and kiss the girl of my dreams). My full list of 30 things before I’m 30 will be released in my next column. For me to complete my list I am going to need to let go of all my inhibitions, my fears, inadequacies and complacencies. This kind of undertaking is a challenge for even the biggest extroverts, let alone for a person who really enjoys the luxuries found in my comfort zone. I have decided that this final year of my 20s is going to be the most exciting year of my life to date, because I am going to spend it doing things that inspire, excite and challenge me to do more than I thought I could and push my personal boundaries beyond what I am comfortable with. My hope is that it will change me and form me into the Josh that I really want to be, and perhaps, by way of positive collateral damage, inspire others to do the same. Be sure to follow my video blog on thejoshuajourney.tumblr.com or on twitter, @Shuazee.

issue 17 2011

by Nicole Brown

by Stephanie Arthur-Worsop

Not Just world peace

hen beauty pageants started out as ‘local bathing suit competitions’, viewers and contestants alike would have had no idea what they would turn into. Fast forward six decades, and the Miss World organisation is celebrating its 60th birthday and the significance of their caption “Beauty with a Purpose”, is reflected upon. Beauty pageants have evolved into annual international organisations that aim to forge links between competing countries in a way that can’t be compared to any other global event. From past titleholders that would have defined themselves as swimsuit models, the current queens of elegance must also be intelligent, ambitious and passionate about genuine causes. Each pageant, national and international, has a different central aim that identifies them. In New Zealand, the pageant industry is a somewhat neglected piece of history, but one that has so much to offer. The umbrella of opportunity that is the Miss World New Zealand pageant encompasses the majority of titles that are now attainable for New Zealand women. Despite recent negative speculation around beauty pageants in the media, it cannot be denied that the potential to do great things is unlimited as a competitor. Different aspects of culture, fashion, beauty, talent and humanitarian causes, all combine to create an event that is so much more than a modeling of swimsuits. Each year, Miss World New Zealand selects their ‘purpose’. Last year, it was “Children of the Earthquake”, a Variety charity cause helping those children either orphaned or disadvantaged in some way by the Christchurch devastation. The contestants of the 2011 pageant raised a total of $15,000 – hardly a poor effort. As well as this added aspect, the current demands of a pageant contestant range from sports competitions to on the spot interviewstyle questioning on the economic situation of New Zealand. It is safe to say that beauty queens have to be so much more than runway worthy these days. If you manage to master all of that, there is then the added possibility of you representing your country in the international pageant of the same title. This chance to travel the world, meet new people, experience new cultures, develop skills, perform for thousands, all while doing some good in the world, leaves me wondering why more girls aren’t involved in pageants in New Zealand? It is also interesting to note that with the exception of New Zealand, Australia and Canada, other countries that actively participate in pageants receive up to US$3,000,000 for their national directors to promote the cause and candidates. In comparison, New Zealand only has annual budget of NZ$60,000 – which includes their charitable donations. Although the directors of national pageants are expected to attend their international counterparts, their travel comes out of their own pocket. As well as benefits for individuals, more substantial sponsorship and coverage of pageant events would mean that New Zealand as a nation could see what this world has to offer. With more candidates and promotional efforts behind the industry, New Zealand would be in direct exchange with foreign organisations which would endorse our tourism sector and help to put New Zealand on the map as a holiday destination. Considering all these points, it is safe to say that the pageant era of the 1950s has had an extreme makeover: extensive edition. These days, it’s more than just world peace. www.ausm.org.nz

sex

ex. It is no longer the taboo topic it used to be when the only acknowledgement of its existence was by tittering housewives at a Tupperware party. Nowadays its place in society is iconic; something constantly discussed, worshipped and eroticised. It’s everywhere! You just can’t seem to escape the overstimulated craze of having amazing sex. But where is the romance in it all? Is the youth of today no longer concerned with wooing or being wooed? It seems inevitable that we are propelling ourselves in a direction where the art of romance will only be referred to as a lost practise of the past. What is so different about society today that sex is no longer associated with romance? Part of the answer lies in the media. Music, movies, books, you name it; they have all broken down the barrier that deemed sex as being an inappropriate topic. In doing so, it has made the subject more widely accepted among circles; however, it has also eliminated the purity of the act. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for the breakdown of conservatism, but I find it hard to swallow the rambunctious treatment of the topic. “We take it to the bed, and then we take it to the floor. We chill for a second, then I hit that ass some more”. This Ray J song, Sexy Can I, is a perfect example of this. Youth listens to this music, and being the sponges we are, want a piece of this erotic cake. It is to be expected that you are not going to find romance in the hot (or not so hot) guy feeding you tequila shots and ushering you into the back of a taxi to experience what the media keeps referring to – steamy, unattached one nighters. With only a headache and possible regrets to greet you in the morning, it’s no surprise that romance is slipping through our fingers. Unfortunately we can’t blame all our bad judgements on the influence of the media despite how much we may want to. The fact that romance is becoming increasingly void from relationships can also be attributed to how trigger happy we are when it comes to getting under the covers with our latest beau. It almost seems ridiculous these days to expect people to save themselves for marriage, but this may be the key as to why we are missing that special component of courtship in our everyday lives. By jumping into sex so quickly, we completely disregard opportunities to experience the romance leading up to it. It is this romance that gives us emotional satisfaction, not boning as many people as you can. Finally, and I suspect this to be the leading cause of the negligence towards romance; men feel like they can’t live up to women’s expectations so they don’t risk it, settling for the more comfortable option of physical fulfilment. I have noticed of late, men complaining that fictitious characters (think Edward Cullen and Alexander Belov), are causing women to have unrealistic expectations of their partners. To an extent this may be true, but the situation is worsened by the fact that men would rather not try to be romantic at all out of fear that they will fall short. As a result, women are left to either lower their expectations for romance or face what they fear to be a life of loneliness. It appears that romance has developed a reputation of being highly unattainable. The thought of trying to achieve something that seems so difficult scares people and so we replace it with what we can gain more easily – sex. However, this doesn’t give us the emotional satisfaction we are seeking, leaving people in relationships feeling disgruntled and singles mistaking their steamy one night stand for a romantic date. If we keep shying away from romance because we don’t want to be disappointed, it will come to a point where the art is lost to us forever.

23.

All day long I hear people talking about stuff and things. If I challenged you to a contest in which you had to refrain from the words “stuff” “things” and “other” for a day, you would go batty and fail desperately. These are the general words of the English language, the jack of all trades so to speak. It could be anything; in any context or object or scenario or idea these general words can be slipped in with ease.

by Vinny Francesco STUFF “Hey, how’s stuff with you?” “I have a lot of stuff to do.” “Stuff off!” “Wow, this is good stuff, man.” “Man I’m stuffed; too many pies.” Whoever was first to put an assortment of bound substances inside a chicken and call it “stuffing” was a great cook no doubt, but not such a cunning linguist. “Show us your stuff” “Is it me or is it stuffy in here?” “Yeah I’m into that sort of stuff”. Stuff is one of my favourites, because it simply sounds so weird. THINGS Anything can be a thing. This article could be a thing. If I am walking at university and a friend or an acquaintance says “Hey, I read that thing you wrote”, it may be unclear what is meant without a clueing word. If the person says “Hey I read that thing you wrote in debate”, then this would be easier to understand, because it gives a clue (debate). It requires a kind of guesswork/ common-sense/intuition to digest what some someone means by a “thing”. A thing is a particular something, caused by pinpointed and selective attention. We often refer to objects as things, for example a milk bottle, a chair, a statement or opinion or a computer programme. There are variants of things as well, such as the informal “thingy-ma-bob”, or for mysterious items “the thingy”. From the concept of “thing” comes the concept of “other”. OTHER Almost every single day, English speakers use the word “other”. And what is an other (another)? An other is something else, something besides the main thing. When we pinpoint our attention on something in particular, this creates a main thing, which is the focus of attention. As soon as we isolate one happening, everything else becomes the “other”. For instance I might pick a fruit out of a bowl containing many fruits i.e. mango, grapes, and guyabano. Mango

Grapes

Guyabano

Main Thing

Other Thing

Main Thing

Other Thing

Other Thiing

Main Thing

As the table illustrates, when one fruit has the position of Main Thing, any of the fruits not selected receive the title Other Thing. As stated previously a [main] thing is a particular something caused by selective attention, and as a result whatever isn’t selected becomes “other” or background.

24.

Stuff and Other Things: An Essay on the Triviality of the English Language Not everybody uses these general words in the same proportion. People have a differing and individual lexicon (lexicon meaning the words you like to use). These three words, although key, are not the only general words. We have good and bad; good seems to be more popular than bad. This is particularly true of the female lexicon. In a nutshell girls say good more than boys, especially in awkward situations. It’s a great thoughtless filler for when you are utterly disinterested in what someone is saying, or when you feel so confused you have no idea what to say. (As a bit of a side-note, it is uncommon for there to be less “good” than “bad” in human matters. In Christian mythology, good is frequently triumphant over bad (or “evil”). There’s David and Goliath (Samuel 16:17), the deluge and the nephilim (Genesis 6:7) and the whole book of Revelation. As an educated guess I would put the ratio of good triumphing over bad at about 90 per cent good versus 10 per cent bad; there is just enough bad to keep the Lord fucked off. In Vedic (Hindu) literature (e.g Bhagavad Gita), the narrative of good versus bad is similar. I would put the ratio here at about 66 per cent versus 33 per cent. It’s enough for good to triumph, but enough bad in the mix to keep it dramatic.) Time is arguably one and we can’t get enough of personal pronouns. Singular personal pronouns are a favourite, but collective pronouns have their place. Space and place. There are many denominations of things, as you well know. Nothing, something, anything, everything and another-thing. You may note that some people don’t use these general words compared with others. Think for a moment about the way a lecturer speaks; more often than not there are less of these general words than in “normal” conversation, opting for adjectives and jargon. It is said that a person who speaks French thinks differently than a person who speaks English, because the words we use affect the way we think. It seems logical that general words would account for a lot of this, if only because they are frequently used. It may be possible that we use these words so much it affects our perspective a lot. Remember the word “water” never quenched anyone’s thirst. So much for our account of stuff and other things.

issue 17 2011

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 at my wits end and don’t know who to turn to. My boyfriend has taken off and gone home to mummy and he has left me in the flat with all the bills to pay. Like rent and a huge phone bill. I can’t get anyone else in, as it only has one bedroom. Shall I just split too? Please help. From Strapped for Cash

Dear Strapped for Cash

WHOA! I won’t say what I’d like to call him. You can’t run away from this one though. You need some good sound advice. If only his name is on the rental agreement or the phone is only in his name, then it is probably not your problem. Why not contact an advisor at Student Financial Services (921 8823). They will give you all the facts about Tenancy Information. They can help you. An advisor can contact the phone company, and help you sort out rental payments. They can also help you sort out a budget for the future. If it gets really hairy, contact an advocate at AuSM on 921 9999 extn 8379/8311.

Every pop singer on the radio these days seems to have a perfect voice. The singers can all reach ridiculously high notes and hold it for what seems like eternity. This can’t be authentic, and it’s not. It is all thanks to the help of auto-tune. According to Google autotune is a “proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Autotune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances”. So basically that means auto-tune is a plug in that evens out the pitch in vocals and makes anyone’s voice sound decent. For instance, I’m tone deaf but with the help of autotune I could pick up a microphone, belt out some lyrics and wake up the next morning feeling like P. Diddy. Autotune was invented by Dr Andy Hildebrand. He was using audio to map under the earth’s surface. In 1989 he left this and studied music composition at Rice University. While trying to improve sampling of music Hildebrand came up with four prototypes before inventing the final “autotune” in 1997. Hildebrand wanted the use of autotune to be discrete. The aim was to

Dear Agony Aunt

I have a couple of warts coming up on my fingers, they are so ugly and I hate them. How do I go about getting rid of them quickly? From Hogwart

Dear Hogwart

Warts are caused by a virus and transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. Sometimes they disappear on their own when the immune system gets to them, but this may take anywhere six months or 20 years. There are different ways to treat warts but sadly, none of them are instant fixes; they all take time and persistence. This is because the virus invades the cells surrounding the wart so even if the wart itself goes, the virus can still be present and the wart can re-grow. There are a variety of ways to treat warts, from using creams to freezing them with liquid nitrogen. If you want to have your warts treated make an appointment with the nurse at Health Counselling and Wellbeing. Keep in mind that it may take at least three to four visits to make you wart free.

allow musicians to complete recording quicker and sound on key. But if we all look back to the first recorded song with autotune, Cher’s 1998 pop ballad, Believe, it was anything but subtle. If you listen to the song it sounds as though Cher is in space, it is obvious there is some intense technical work going on behind her voice. Hildebrand doesn’t understand why people would want their recording to sound like this. After Cher almost everyone on the pop scene wanted a try, I’m sure we can name at least 20 singers that use autotune on their tracks. Even rappers are now using autotune for their songs with T.Pain and Lil Wayne leading the pack. Some say that autotune has destroyed pop music and that the people of today have no real talent compared to those of yesteryears who actually had to know how to sing on key. When asked if autotune was cheating and if the talent has decreased over the years Hildebrand assures us that is not the case. He said “It’s easier now with autotune. Is the actor who plays Batman “cheating” because he can’t really fly?” Touche Hildebrand.

The invention of autotune by Rebecca Lee

25.

horoscopes VOLUME 17 ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Now Coveting

Freaks and Geeks DVD box set

If you want to see the brilliance of James Franco, Jason Segel, Seth Rogan and Judd Apatow before their careers exploded, this show will satisfy all your wildest expectations and then some. Directed by Apatow, Freaks and Geeks ran for one season over 1999-2000 and focuses around two high school groups, the ‘freaks’ (burnouts) and the geeks, dealing with being teenagers in the 80s. Why it was cancelled after only one season will be an eternally frustrating question. With terrific acting, excellent music and great storylines, the box set is worth investing in. However, if you don’t want to fork out, just head to the TV series aisle at your nearest video store, pronto.

Now Shopping

UrbanOutfitters.com

When it’s too difficult venturing out into the icy, blizzard-like conditions just to get yourself a new top to wear Friday night, UrbanOutfitters.com – which finally ships to New Zealand – opens up a whole world of clothing/shoes/accessories options, accessible from the comfort of your bed. Make the most of the weak American dollar and go nuts. And if your wallet tries to protest, shut it up by explaining the many benefits of the ‘sale’ section.

Now Watching

The Voice, Saturdays at 7.30pm, TV2

Not just another singing competition, The Voice is a hugely popular American reality talent show that has finally reached New Zealand. Instead of a panel of judges there is a panel of coaches, all of whom are successful musicians themselves (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton). The series consists of three phases – a blind audition, a battle phase and then performance shows. This new format brings something fresh to the arena of television singing competitions and the talent this season looks good. Watch your back, American Idol.

Now Travelling Armchair Style

With a hugely busy semester lying ahead of us, any plans for travelling or holidays are nonexistent. And it’s not exactly beach weather anyway. But if you’re still pining for some pine trees or talking about Thailand there’s a solution: read about it instead. Although you can’t actually spend the year eating in Italy, praying in India and falling in love in Indonesia, you can read about it in Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Other good books for the armchair traveller are Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (China), The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (India), On Beauty by Zadie Smith (USA), The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais (Europe) and The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles (North Africa). If you think you’re on the pulse with what’s happening in Auckland, email debate@aut.ac.nz with your own Suggestions.

26.

There is too much Geordie Shore in your stars this week. Abandon all televisions this week in an attempt to cure yourself of this obsession.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

It’s not the planking, it’s how you’re planking.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)

You’re still finding it hard to deal with the fact the Amy Winehouse is dead. The stars believe the only way to gain closure is to perform a tribute rendition of Valerie in the middle of the quad.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

The stars forgot about you guys this week. You don’t get a horoscope. Sorry.

LEO (July 23-August 22)

You are just one wild drunken weekend away from completing your collection of all the different Absolut vodka bottles. Way to make mama proud!

VIRGO (August 23-September 22)

You’ll try to regain your faith in humanity by dropping a five dollar note in the quad and waiting for some lovely human being to give it back to you. They won’t.

LIBRA (September 23-October 23)

Your flatmate/sibling has been using your toothbrush as their own personal tongue cleaner for the past two months. Just FYI.

SCORPIO (October 24-November 21)

The stars think you’re stupid enough to be an internet sensation. Just have someone follow you around with a handy cam this week and post the results on YouTube. The key is lots of auto tune.

SAGITTARIUS (November22-Dec21)

You’re unhappy with the recent string of not-sopleasant horoscopes and are plotting ways to get back at the stars. They suggest you give up now; it’s only going to end badly.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) You will see someone drop a five dollar note in the quad. You need bus money. Yeyaaaah!

AQUARIUS (January 20-Febuary 18)

Unlike Taureans, you get that planking is so May. This week for you, it’s all about cone-ing.

PISCES (Febuary 19-March 20)

You have been short on cash lately and the stars have watched you search tirelessly for a job. They feel sorry for you and have decided to hook you up. You like cleaning toilets right? You’re welcome.

issue 17 2011

Frankie turturro Bachlor of Fashion Design (second year) Nanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shirt from the 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vintage jacket Sportgirl leggings Bling headband

debate_halfpage_priest.pdf

www.ausm.org.nz

Katt tieu Hospitality (first year) Cotton On T-shirt Supre trousers Andrea Biani shoes

21/06/11

Ged Davis (left) Bachlor of Engineering (third year) Cotton On T-shirt Cotton On cardigan Just Jeans jeans No1 shoes

Miranda Hart Bachlor of Engineering (third year) Stella McCartney dress Karen Walker glasses YSL ring Vintage shoes

1:12 PM

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FourEyes are better than one

An interview with street style fashion bloggers FourEyes On an international stage, street style fashion blogs have taken over. What began with Bill Cunningham and then Scott Schulman has now grown exponentially to websites in every area of the world, documenting individuals with brilliant style out on the streets. Up until fairly recently New Zealand was yet to jump on the bandwagon. Over the past years several sites popped up here and there before burrowing into retirement shortly after. All this has changed however with the incredible new site that is FourEyes. Founded in April this year by four friends with amazing style, photography skills and an eye for the brilliant, the site has rapidly gone from strength to strength. What differentiates FourEyes from those around them is their artfully photographed posts of gorgeous style of all different spheres. Their own four individual styles allow them to document varying styles therefore making Four Eyes an utter visual treat. The brilliant FourEyes team spoke to Petra Benton about their website and the wonderful world of street style. You began FourEyes earlier this year and already it is a huge success. Had you been planning the blog for awhile or was it started on more of a whim? Well, a couple of us had been thinking about starting a street style blog here in New Zealand and one day over a Facebook chat, we decided to give it a go and just went from there. So I guess you could say that it was partly planned and partly on a whim. Internationally, street style blogs are hugely popular, while New Zealand has only recently begun to follow suit. Why do you think this is? We have all noticed that in the past few years, New Zealander’s have really stepped up their game in terms of how they dress. There is a lot more statement dressing happening with people really wanting to express their individuality through what they wear. We love the fact that you can just walk outside and see such a variety on our streets and we think people enjoy and get inspiration from what others wear. It’s often mentioned that New Zealanders dress rather frumpy and casual compared to other countries. How do you think New Zealand style compares internationally? Kiwis definitely have a more relaxed approach to clothing. This relaxed approach, combined with the creativity we are famous for has resulted in a really great mix of experimentation and unique outfits on our streets. What attracts you to someone on the street and makes you document their style on FourEyes? Someone who turns heads! We love finding people on the streets who have put in a lot of effort and who have an air of confidence and ease. We do not look for a particular style - it could be a great pair of shoes, a cool haircut, silhouette or certain colour that captures our eye. One of the wonderful features of FourEyes is that you all capture people with very different styles and aesthetics. Do you think this is due to there being four of you - all with different personal yourselves? Yes, the fact that we have our own individual tastes definitely contributes to the variety that we feature on the blog. Also, even though something isn’t necessarily our style or something we would wear ourselves, we still have a real appreciation for the uniqueness that we come across. Another unique feature is how you blog about style in other countries whilst travelling. Was this initially planned as an important part of the blog or has it come about more ‘accidentally’? It wasn’t something we had specifically planned on but from the beginning, the blog was to be more of a reflection of looks we have an appreciation for, regardless of where we took the photos or who the photos were of. We are

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currently all based in Auckland, so by default most of the people we photograph are on the streets of Auckland. However, we love to travel and will continue to take photos of people who inspire us wherever we are. We also think New Zealander’s are just as interested in what happens overseas as we are. It has been observed that this is the generation of street style, with people on the streets in a sense dictating the trends and what the higher end designers will focus on. What is your opinion on this? We think it’s great that trends starting organically on the streets are being taken on board by international designers. It means that the public have more control over what becomes available in stores and that designers are designing more for real people. On the other hand, there will always be a market for designers to continue to strive for original looks that nobody has ever seen before Often AUT design students are featured on FourEyes! Do you plan to look for people to photograph near AUT, or do you accidentally come across them? Now, there’s an idea! No, we don’t go specifically to AUT to look for people but you’re right, we have featured many AUT design students on the blog that have awesome, original looks! Keep up the good work guys! How does a blog post come about normally for you guys? Do you go out specifically intending to photograph people or do you carry your cameras with you at all times and snap people when you run across them more randomly? It’s a mixture of intentionally walking the streets looking for subjects because it’s so much fun and also just trying to always have a camera on us just in case we see someone great, which is most days. The worst feeling in the world is to not have our camera on us and seeing a stunningly dressed person walk by! What do you all have planned for the future of FourEyes? We plan to continue doing what we are already doing because we love it so much! We are open to whatever and wherever our blog will take us. Do you have any other favourite international or New Zealand style blogs to recommend to debate readers? We all like The Sartorialist (www.thesartorialist. com) because the photos are beautiful and are taken in different cities in Europe mainly and also Jak & Jil (www.jakandjil. com) for its always striking images. Check out FourEyes on www. eyeseyeseyeseyes.com, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter (@ foureyesblog).

issue 17 2011

Beastly

Directed by Daniel Barnz Film Review by Samantha McQueen

(D)

I shouldn’t admit this in public, but I was really excited for Beastly to come out. It was delayed several times here, before finally hitting straight to DVD and even though that should have tipped me off, I was at the video store the day it was out, ready for some cheese. I’m so sorry I did. The beast in this so-bad-it’s-bad remake is Kyle (Alex Pettyfer, I Am Number Four), an attractive, wealthy high school student who believes that good looks get you everywhere in life. After insulting the school’s “witch” (Mary-Kate Olsen! I haven’t seen you in years) one too many times, she puts a curse on him, and he’s transforms him into a tattooed, metal-faced, scarred mess. Like the fairytale, he has to find someone to love him before the last rose blooms or else he’ll stay a beast forever. Unlike the fairytale, his father (Peter Krause), also attractive, doesn’t want to deal with his eyesore of a son and locks him up in an apartment downtown, where his tutor (Neil Patrick Harris) is blind. The object of Kyle’s affections is Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), who is forced to stay with Kyle when her dad’s drug deal goes back and Kyle blackmails him into giving her up. He’s builds her a greenhouse (wait, didn’t Zac Efron do this in High School Musical?), reads romantic poetry and breaks into a zoo – how could you not fall for him? If it sounds bad on paper, that’s because it is. Alex Pettyfer gives a performance almost as bad as the “ghastly” makeover he’s given. Granted, he probably wasn’t reaching when he was playing the arrogant rich kid, judging by the tabloids, but when it comes time for him to show his sensitive side, he goes as wooden as the greenhouse he built. Hudgens is once again stuck in the sickly sweet , reading poetry normal teens have never heard of and dreaming of Macchu Piccu, and I still have no idea why Harris (How I Met Your Mother) wasted his

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talents on this sad excuse for a movie. The real problem director and writer Daniel Barnz (Phoebe in Wonderland) made with this movie was to exclude any conflict that could possibly redeem this sentimental sap fest. There are no consequences for Kyle blackmailing Lindy’s father into giving her up and the threat of death that came from the dealer is resolved in a tidy text message, rather than a duel on the streets. If he’s going to turn pretty in the end anyway, couldn’t they have at least roughed him up beforehand? Like the review directly below, Beastly is exactly what the title suggests. I expected some cheese from this teen remake, but I didn’t think they’d butcher my memories of this classic fairytale forever. Avoid –it’s not even worth it to see Pettyfer shirtless.

Horrible Bosses

Directed by Seth Gordon Film Review by Samantha McQueen

(B)

With a stellar cast, filled with comedic geniuses and Kevin Spacey, Horrible Bosses should be the funniest comedy of the year. It’s not, thanks to a less than stellar script, but you’ll still find yourself laughing all the way through. The film’s premise revolves around three friends, all of whom have, um, horrible bosses. Nick (Jason Bateman) is a hardworking office drone, who is in before sunrise and out after sunset. It’s all for a promotion that suddenly disappears, thanks to his snarky boss Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey). Meanwhile Dale (Charlie Day) is a newly engaged dental hygienist who is on a registered black list and is stuck working for Julia (Jennifer Aniston) a nymphomaniac whose mouth is as dirty as the acts she wants Dale to perform on her. Kurt (Jason Sudekis) actually likes his boss (Donald Sutherland), but then his boss’ heart explodes and his cokehead son Bobby (Colin “combover” Farrell) takes over, who would rather kill off villages than decrease profit margins. With the job market still recovering from the recession, the only option

to keep their sanity is to kill their bosses. Enter Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx), a murder consultant who the guys go to for advice about pulling off the perfect killing. Horrible Bosses is a basic premise and a lot of the film relies on basic humour. There are plenty of fat jokes and homophobic digs (both from the bosses from hell) and every sentence is punctuated with an f bomb or dirty sexual remark. Yet, despite the simplicity of the script, you can’t help laughing. You know you shouldn’t find the gang’s attempts to pronounce nav man Gregory’s real name funny, but the reality is just enough to send you into fits of giggles. (As an aside, how much did Volkswagen pay to be in this film?) Likewise, the filthy advances Aniston has to make are so in your face, like her work meeting with Dale in nothing but a lab coat, yet it’s pulled off by her perfect comedic timing. It’s a great reminder of how well comedy suits Aniston and has you wondering why she keeps accepting jobs like The Bounty Hunter. Day is perfect as the energised buffoon, who somehow spoils each plan just by being himself. His idea of a subtle lookout signal is six long honks of the horn and he’ll obviously leave fingerprints when doing recon on their bosses’ houses. He’s perfectly balanced out with Bateman’s straight-faced humour, and the two really excel when they’re together, particularly when they accidently get high in a scene involving spilt cocaine and a dust buster. The only disappointing cast member is Colin Farrell. It’s not because he’s not fabulous is his role as the dropkick tool (he is) but his scenes are significantly less than the other two bosses. The credit outtakes contain almost as much screening time than the previous one and a half hours. Horrible Bosses is about as subtle as a gun, but thanks to some ridiculous gags and the three leading men, somehow it works. You might feel guilty from some of the giggles, but it’s a lot better than most of the comedies we have to endure these days.

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes Directed by Rupert Wyatt Film Review by Matthew Cattin

(A)

This film will do to monkeys in 2011 what Jaws did to sharks in 1975. I’ve always thought of chimpanzees as cheeky wee primates that play pranks on all the other jungle animals. And in my ignorance I felt at peace. Rise of the Planet of the Apes changed all that. It made my palms clammy and my heart race and I’ve gone off primates in general. But oh my, what a good film it was! People always get touchy about remakes and prequels and I also generally tend to steer clear of them but for this I made an exception. It has James Franco, Weta Digital was on-board and I loved the original film so it had a lot going for it. Despite this, I was fully prepared to be let down by a stupid CGI slo-mo fest with horrible one liners and the patriotic god-bless-America moments. Disappointed I was not. What made the film so good was its focus on the chimpanzee characters rather than their human counterparts. For maybe 80 per cent of the film the plot follows the rise of the chimps and it’s honestly the most epic animal drama you will ever see, apart from maybe The Lion King. The main chimp Caesar, played by Andy Serkis, delivered an Oscar worthy performance. The realism and range of facial and eye expression was, in my humble opinion better than Gollum in Lord of the Rings. It just looked so darn good! The human acting on the other hand was good but nothing spectacular and if anything, it let the film down a little. You know something isn’t quite right when the animals deliver more stirring performances than the people. I know it’s a bit anal but I don’t like seeing the Harry Potter cast in anything that isn’t Harry Potter. It honestly just makes me feel awkward. I found myself wondering why Malfoy (Tom Felton, who plays a sneering chimp handler) didn’t just use a crucio curse on the chimps? But that’s just me…

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The film made a few references (some good some not so good) to the 1968 original which was quite cool. Malfoy said a couple that I noticed, including the classic line “get your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape!”. I don’t know how well he pulled it off though; to me it sounded a little forced and stupid. What was cool though, and perhaps my favourite moment of the film, was when Caesar unexpectedly replies in English. When you see it, you’ll understand what I mean. I nearly wet my pants with excitement. You know it was a good film when the credits roll and your body starts craving a sequel. The second half of the film is just non-stop awesomeness and when it came to a close I was totally gutted it was all over. Don’t wait ‘til it comes out on DVD. Go see it oi.

Kaiser Chiefs

The Future is Medieval Album Review by Ksenia Khor

(B)

When releasing their latest album, The Future is Medieval, Kaiser Chiefs tried out a new concept of selling music on the internet. The band allowed their fans to create their own unique records by choosing the tracks they liked most from the list of one minute previews of 20 songs streamed on their official website and then customise the art work. Of course, it’s not a total innovation, with bands like Radiohead selling their latest album on their website, but it’s a new marketing scheme to encourage fans to be creative not only with the music tracks, but also with the artwork. At the end of June, the official record compiled from the most popular tracks was released with an additional song, Kinda Girl You Are, that hadn’t been streamed before. No matter what songs you chose, you will get upbeat indie rock, although this time Kaiser Chiefs decided to explore their darker and edgier side. However, the flexibility of the record affects it consistency. Giving listeners the freedom to choose what they

want, the band forgot that short previews give only a short glimpse of the songs. It won’t be surprising if tracks that are worth listening to can go unnoticed. Despite that half of the record sounds almost the same to the three previous offerings, there are still great songs that could stand out but are lost among the unoriginal ones. Unfortunately, it seems that Kaiser Chiefs chose quantity over quality. In the gloomy Child of Jago the frontman Ricky Wilson sings that “the city is a cemetery” and welcomes us to the nightmare. The song lyrics also gave the name for the album. This is a step away from the band’s traditional upbeat towards something strange and more dramatic, and that’s why it’s one of the most memorable songs from the album. Little Shocks, the lead single, is another quirky experiment. It bursts out with frenetic cosmic sounds and powerful guitar passages that make this song sound quite intense. It’s also my personal favourite. The melodic piano When All is Quiet is reminiscent of the Beatles. The vocals and tune is very 60s. It could probably be a perfect closing track, but Kaiser Chiefs decided that every person willing to buy their songs should decide for themselves what’s good or not. That’s how they lost the consistency and concept. Even though I listened to all the songs, I can’t say that it was a good idea for the band to sell them all. Some of the tracks just make the album heavier. The Future is Medieval is definitely not a coherent album and some people go as far as saying that it’s not an album at all. Nevertheless, the dark mood permeates the record and becomes a thread stitching all the songs together. If choosing the right tracks, the listening can be quite pleasant.

The Help

Written by Kathryn Stockett Book Review by Samantha McQueen

(A)

issue 17 2011

After finishing The Help, I was left with a feeling of horror and sadness. Horror, because a mere 40 years ago, coloured people were responsible for cooking, cleaning and raising children in a white household, but weren’t allowed to shop in the same supermarkets or go to the same hospitals. Sadness, because even at 455 pages long, spanning a year in Jackson, Mississippi, I was left wanting more. The book is told from three perspectives; Skeeter, a white college graduate who has just returned to Jackson after four years away, and two coloured maids; motherly Aibileen, who has raised 17 white children and sass-talking Minny, whose reputation is as famous as her chocolate pie. Skeeter, still grieving the unknown dismissal of her childhood maid Constantine, dreams of being a writer and at the advice of a high powered book editor in New York, sets off to write a book from the point of view of the help – something that is highly illegal. At the same time, the villainess of this story, Miss Hilly Holbrook, is campaigning for the home sanitation initiative, which would require every white home to have a separate bathroom installed for the help, because of all the extra diseases coloured people supposedly have (they are, of course, immune to white people diseases, because of all that extra pigment in their skin, according to Hilly). A staunch supporter against racial integration, this woman will raise thousands of dollars to send to the PSCA (poor starving children of Africa), but won’t loan $75 to her own coloured maid. After several flat refusals, due to the consequences if they are caught, Aibileen finally agrees to tell her story to Skeeter. Conducted in her small house on the coloured side of town, the venture soon brings in Minny, who has recently been blacklisted from almost every house in Jackson thanks to Hilly, and eventually, all the secrets about Jackson households come to light. Some are ghastly, like the coloured neighbour who was blinded after accidently using a white toilet, while others show the sweet relationship between maids and employers. Stockett, a Mississippi native herself, has crafted characters that come to life in every chapter. Readers are embarrassed players at the weekly bridge club, when Hilly badmouths the help while the maids are within earshot, and they’re the fly on the wall during Skeeter, Minny and Aibileen’s interviews. Stockett made

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a bold move when deciding to make two of her three narratives coloured (she is white) but even with the thick drawl she’s written in, the maids come off in the best light. Aibileen, with her wisdom and hidden heartache, makes you wish you were once of the 17 children she raised. She recites mantras of “you is kind, you is smart, you is important” to the tubby toddler she is currently taking care of and puts her all into her job, even though she’s paid below minimum wage. Somehow, even in print, you can pick out the softness in her voice when she’s speaking to Skeeter about the homes she’s worked for. Meanwhile, you hope that Hilly gets struck by a toilet every time she enters a room. The Help is a powerful story, but not because of the era that it is set in. Yes, there are nods to real life events that helped the civil rights movement, but the real story here is told through the maids behind closed doors, who are colourful in life, despite the colour of their skin.

One Day

Written by David Nicholls

Book Review by Samantha McQueen (A-)

One Day follows the story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, two friends who sort of hook up on the night of their graduation, July 15, 1988. Each chapter represents a year passing, always on the same day, for the next 20 years. Sometimes Dex and Em are together, skinny dipping in exotic countries or arguing it out at an overpriced London restaurant; other times they’re apart, like when Dex goes off overseas to ‘find himself’ (screw a lot of women) or when Em starts an affair with a married headmaster. It’s obvious from the start that Dexter and Emma belong together, but Nicholls has managed to successfully create a love story that

doesn’t really feel like a love story. Both of these characters are riddled with flaws. Dexter, with his stately family home in the Cotswolds, glides through life with an obnoxious attitude, good looks and connections, spending his thousands on booze and drugs and making his living being the most “odious man on television”. Meanwhile Em, the perfect student with the double degree, spends years struggling in a low rate Mexican restaurant, while writing blasé attempts at a novel under a pathetic pseudonym. Her love life isn’t much better. After a couple of years spent accepting the platonic nature of her and Dex’s friendship, she winds up with Ian, a comedian with not one funny bone in his body. Despite their flaws, they make for an endearing – and funny – friendship. Their flirty innuendos are never lost, even when they’re in relationships with other people, and even though his communication with Em may sometimes be limited to delayed postcards containing words like “mad”, “insane” and “rocks” he has the highest regard for Em. She may have self-esteem lower than the restaurant she spends her mid-20s at, but to Dex “you’re gorgeous, you old hag, and if I could give you just one gift ever for the rest of your life it would be this. Confidence. It would be the gift of confidence. Either that or a scented candle.” The laughs are ever-flowing, from Dexter’s ALL CAPS co-host, to Ian’s painfully unfunny gags, to a beard resembling an item of clothing and the moments of reflection, loss and love will strike a chord with even the hardened of souls. One Day is a story that is as ordinary as it is extraordinary. The characters are relatable in so many ways, and they tackle the big questions we all ask ourselves: “what am I doing with my life” (which you’re asking just as often in your mid 30s as you are when you’ve finished university) and “who do I want to spend it with?”.

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issue 17 2011

Correctly identify the five differences in the two photos then and drop your entry circle them into your nearest Au SM office, or the bo of the red debate sta x on the side nds, or post to deba te PO Box 6116 We before 12pm Thurs llesley St day. What’s up fo r grabs? Two “squawk vouchers for Velve burgers” t Burger on Fort St, Auckland CBD. Co to our issue 16 win ngratulations ner, Derek Lim, Cit y Campus.

Name Phone # Email Campus

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Rocky Mak Which decade would you most like to have been born in, and why? 2000’s. Sure, I’d miss out on the great musical and sporting icons of 80’s and 90’s, but the internet could had been uncapped and fast for every country. If the 70s were hippies, the 80s were punk and the 90s were grunge, what do you think the noughties will be remembered for? R&B or fusion alternative rock. On a scale of 1-10, how sick are you of hearing about the Rugby World Cup? 0! I’m a volunteer. Bring it on! (just give me a paid job afterwards). If you could be a contestant on any reality show, what would it be? Million Dollar Singer (Taiwanese version of Singing Bee/Don’t Forget the Lyrics). That or Gay, Straight or Taken. I want to be the guesser because I guess the taken ones easily. How many classes have you skipped so far this semester? 2, but I was at the dentist getting my sutures out after my wisdom tooth extraction. It should have been 3.

Melanie Batley Which decade would you most like to have been born in, and why? I was born in the 80s but would have loved to have been born in the 90s...that way I would be celebrating my 21st birthday next year and not my 31st! If the 70s were hippies, the 80s were punk and the 90s were grunge, what do you think the noughties will be remembered for? Depressingly, it will probably be remembered for dubstep On a scale of 1-10, how sick are you of hearing about the Rugby World Cup? 0 – I LOVE RUGBY! If you could be a contestant on any reality show, what would it be? Idol – although sadly, my lack of talent would be a major disadvantage How many classes have you skipped so far this semester? I am only doing mid-wifery part time this semester ...and class doesn’t start till next week...but guaranteed I will be MIA for some of them!

Kate Carey Which decade would you most like to have been born in, and why? The 80s for sure. The Smiths, The Cure, The Pixies... imagine the concerts! If the 70s were hippies, the 80s were punk and the 90s were grunge, what do you think the noughties will be remembered for? Maybe electro pop, or pop in general? On a scale of 1-10, how sick are you of hearing about the Rugby World Cup? 1? Isn’t bothering me in the slightest! If you could be a contestant on any reality show, what would it be? Masterchef. I can’t cook well or anything, it just looks fun! How many classes have you skipped so far this semester? Oh God. Too many. 3. Maybe 5 if you include lectures. Re-O week was just so fun! But we’ll just keep that a secret.

Chloe Porter Which decade would you most like to have been born in, and why? I’m stoked to have been born in the 80s, listening to G’n’R in the uterus, now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! If the 70s were hippies, the 80s were punk and the 90s were grunge, what do you think the noughties will be remembered for? Indie (sadly) and dubstep On a scale of 1-10, how sick are you of hearing about the Rugby World Cup? 5 – a mixture of excitement for the comp and dread at how Auckland traffic/nightlife will cope with an influx of meatheads. If you could be a contestant on any reality show, what would it be? Amazing Race – traveling the world and winning $50 thou? Oh, only if I have to! How many classes have you skipped so far this semester? None. It’s just so goddamn interesting (touch wood)

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

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Mike Tiu Which decade would you most like to have been born in, and why? I would say the 80s ay, disco looks extremely fun. And the dance moves are great! If the 70s were hippies, the 80s were punk and the 90s were grunge, what do you think the noughties will be remembered for? Alternative. But might change to dubstep. Hopefully not. On a scale of 1-10, how sick are you of hearing about the Rugby World Cup? 0. Never sick of hearing about the world cup. GO the ALL BLACKS! FIRED UP! If you could be a contestant on any reality show, what would it be? Amazing Race (to travel the world) or Masterchef (to learn and get tested on my cooking skills) How many classes have you skipped so far this semester? 1, Northshore is too far away from where I live. Not worth going all the way for a 1 hour tute

Daniel Louis Fisher Which decade would you most like to have been born in, and why? Free healthcare, free schooling, free love – 1940s babe! If the 70s were hippies, the 80s were punk and the 90s were grunge, what do you think the noughties will be remembered for? Putting up with Paris Hilton as a STAR for wayyyyyy too long! On a scale of 1-10, how sick are you of hearing about the Rugby World Cup? 1 – bring on the Rugby World Cup! If you could be a contestant on any reality show, what would it be? Survivor Island. I’ve always wanted to be on that show, so funny watching people who have NO idea what they’re doing. How many classes have you skipped so far this semester? 9 out of 12. I must be baaaaaaad! Good reason though, I promise. issue 17 2011

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