Debate Issue 05

debate Issue 05| APRIL 2014

FOLLOW KEEP UP WITH WHAT始S GOING DOWN

@ausm1

ausm_aut

ausm.org.nz

/ausm1

ausm connect

debate Issue 05 | APRIL 2014 facebook.com/ausmdebate

Cover ART

by Xander Thurteen EDITOR Matthew Cattin matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz DESIGN/ART Ramina Rai ramina.rai@aut.ac.nz contributors Kimmy Morrison | Matt Ogilvie | Jessica Tyson | Cameron Carpenter | Jamie Barnes | Amelia Petrovich Alex Casey | Abigail Johnson | Kieran Bennett | Ethan Sills | Carl Ewen | Laurien Barks | Nathalie Owen Illustration & Photography Ramina Rai | Xander Thurteen | advertising contact Kate Lin kate.lin@aut.ac.nz printer PMP Print Ltd. publisher AuSM all rights reserved

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

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

FEATURE ARTIST: Xander Thurteen

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

http://xanderthurteen.tumblr.com/

DIRECTORY reception City Campus Level 2, WC Building 921 9805 Mon-Thurs: 9am-5pm Fri: 9am-4pm

North Shore Campus Level 2, AS Building 921 9949 Mon-Fri: 11am-1pm South Campus MB107 921 9999 ext 6672 Mon-Thurs: 9am-3.30pm

governance & leadership John Kingi AuSM Student President 921 9999 ext 8571 john.kingi@aut.ac.nz management Kathy Anderson General Manager 921 9999 ext 8570 kanderso@aut.ac.nz

advocacy Siobhan Daly AuSM Advocate 921 9999 ext 8311 siobhan.daly@aut.ac.nz

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

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

marketing Kate Lin Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8909 kate.lin@aut.ac.nz

media Matthew Cattin Publications Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8774 matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz

volunteers & clubs 921 9999 ext 8911 volunteers@aut.ac.nz

3

• 20% Student Discount • Frames from $69 • Great Finance Options • Latest Lens Designs • Exclusive Ranges • Affordable Urban Eyewear

X-Gallery Cnr. Lorne & Wellesley St. Auckland CBD

09 303 0077

vision@campuspecs.co.nz www.campuspecs.co.nz

Illustration by Xander Thurteen

EDITORIAL Hello gang, This week at debate, we decided to go all out with an 80s theme and quite honestly, I can’t remember ever having quite so much fun putting an issue together. Thanks to a lovingly assembled Spotify playlist, I’ve been bopping along to the best beats of the decade. And I have one word for you…

Synth. What an instrument… Great Scott! I tell ya, it’s the future… Makes me want to track down a Walkman and listen to Classic Hits long enough to make y’all mixtapes. But let’s be honest… Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Of all the decades, it’s the 1980s that usually draws the most utterances of “God… What were we thinking?” It’s as if on January 1st 1990, everybody woke up with a regretful hangover from a 10 year binge of bad fashion choices and the worst haircuts of all time. It’s a decade I never had the pleasure of living through but looking back from fancy pants 2014, it looked like a lot of fun.

The greatest thing about the 80s, and of any decade really, was the music. It’s like musicians back then only had the emotional capacity for two types of tune. They could either party like you’re in the navy or rip into a power ballad with your heart on your sleeve. There was no middle ground.

Broken heart? No problemo – slam your Love Will Tear Us Apart mixtape into your Walkman and cry into your pillow to the sounds of The Cure, The Smiths, Joy Division and Bonnie Tyler. When you’re all cried out, you can hunt out your Glory Days mix and dance on the street with your hip friends, ghetto blasting the Wham!, Billy Joel, MJ and Huey Lewis. Oh yes, with only two emotions to work with, the 80s were much simpler times.

With the 1981 dawn of MTV, music was more visible and accessible than ever and artists seemed to prioritise their image much higher than in previous decades. You see in the 80s, MTV actually played music videos, all day, every day, so in order to stand out amongst the many, bands needed flamboyance, colour and a point of difference. Michael Jackson splurged out on huge budgets for epic story videos, divas like Madonna and Cher starting bearing more of what their mothers gave them and bands like Twisted Sister and The Cure slathered their faces in makeup, all in an attempt to shock, entertain, thrill and sell records. I’m not sure the extravagance of the 80s music scene will ever be matched; it was just so bright, so bold and so delightfully camp.

Meanwhile in Hollywood, directors were finally coming to grips with the special effects technology to match their imaginations. For the first time in cinema history, filmmakers were not limited by shoddy graphics and as a result were able to produce the best damn sci-fi films ever made. Beginning in the late 70s, revolutionaries like Lucas and Spielberg began churning out the untouchable classics like Star Wars, E.T., Blade Runner, Terminator and Back to the Future. Sci-fi was undoubtedly the biggest genre of the decade, and considering it’s probably the coolest damn genre of all, it gives me heart palpitations just imagining the atmosphere of a Star Wars premiere screening. Being breast fed quality special effects, we’ve never known any different, but imagine seeing one of the above films in the cinemas for the first time, having your mind absolutely blown by effects you didn’t think possible. Such exciting times, am I right?!

Anywho, enough of my incessant ramblings. Turn the page, take the 80s quiz, check out our 80s-inspired artist of the week and enjoy the issue. Next week, we’ll go back to the future.

Don’t stop believin’, Matthew.

5

Work & play in the USA

and dents u t s e tim tes! ion full Attent cent gradua re e the ou hav tes for y w o n Sta uk Did yo work in the o t h t s? e chanc p to 12 mon u ning fo eve in e e r f the US to our Come junction with in con late.

Consu pm April, 6 Centre h t 8 y Tuesda vel 10, Data t. ces, Le ueen S Q 0 2 IEP Offi 2 g, Buildin ave .nz to s g r o . p s@ie o new at!

RSVP t your se

www.iep.org.nz 0800 443 769 Influenza.

Don’t get it.

Don’t give it.

BUILD THE

Don’t let the

LEGEND JOIN THE

FLU KNOCK YOU Get immunised.

TITANS Trials for the Southern Australia University Games start this week!

Visit facebook.com/autsport for details.

The flu vaccine is now available at AUT Health, Counselling FOR MORE INFORMATION :

0800 466 863 National Influenza Specialist Group

TXT FLU TO 515 WWW.FIGHTFLU.CO.NZ

NORTH (09) 921 9998 The influenza vaccine is a prescription medicine. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and possible risks or call 0800 IMMUNE. TAPS CH3843.

SOUTH (09) 921 9992

5809NISG 2014 Flu Posters_v4_FA2.indd 1

INSIGHT 5809

and Wellbeing: Immunisation may be FREE for you.

Ask your doctor or nurse CITY (09) 921 9992today.

16/01/14 3:28 PM

Alex Leighton / Xander Thurteen Hailing from the sunny North Shore, I grew up on a steady diet of equal parts Stars Wars, The Muppets, Calvin & Hobbes, Saturday morning cartoons and 1980s toys. My influences are many and always growing... Whether it's animators, painters, illustrators, street artists or musicians, I find inspiration everywhere.

I like making stuff in all sorts of mediums but I mostly paint with acrylics or use Photoshop and Flash to create digital work including my 'Fan-Art' and illustrations. I studied at Freelance Art School (now 'New Zealand Animation College') where I meet the two dudes I now run a business with. My day job is as one third of the team at Mukpuddy Animation where we try to create the type of cartoons we grew up on. At night I create homages

to all the stuff I grew up on for fun and to sell at markets around the city.

You can check out my stuff online at... http://instagram.com/xander13 http://xanderthurteen.tumblr.com/ https://www.facebook.com/xanderthurteen13 https://www.youtube.com/mukpuddy 7

Are you a creative cat? Email matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz if you would like your beautiful creations featured in the mag.

FEATURE ARTIST

9

Come on Tinder Light my Fire

By Kimmy Morrison

Pictures

I’m not usually one to get hooked on iPhone apps. Except for maybe Instagram… And Candy Crush…. And Lumosity… And Snapchat… But Tinder is the latest and greatest of all apps to have claimed almost all of my 3GB data allowance for this month. Ten days early…

Your Tinder pictures say it all.

I have stopped to examine a picture of three guys. In the pursuit to match the one I have my eye on in the picture I go through more pictures – but to my horror there’s only the one picture. You’re not going to pull a lot of fish with only one hook in the ocean my friend. I don’t take the risk and he gets a left swipe – whichever one he was. I shamelessly enjoy the odd gym selfie picture so I tend to click on the guys who have one to see some more pictures.

Maybe one with mum. Maybe one with a cute puppy. But what do I get? Yep. Another gym selfie.

Oh, another one… One more for good luck? Why not. Swipe left.

You’re lying if you say you’re on Tinder for a joke. You’re not. I find myself endlessly swiping to the left with hardly any swipe to the right.

I am a picky girl. But picky or not, I still manage to get the validation I am searching for on this shallow app with the matches I get. I start to shake and feel faint if I haven’t rejected at least 10 strangers on a given day, or at least get a “hey how are you?” message.

Hi, my name is Kimmy Morrison and I am a Tinder addict. That said, I would sleep better at night knowing I had shared with the readers of debate the things I love and hate about Tinder.

Location I find the location feature which tells you ‘how many kilometres away’ a person is from you to be both creepy and helpful. From my room in Orewa with a latest match 30km away I can quickly workout that they are either an Auckland city slicker (yum)… Or they live rurally up north in the middle of nowhere, probably without cell reception, in a tent (yuck).

If you’ve Tindered as much as I have, you’ve made it to the ‘there’s no one new around you’ notification. This road block really makes me think. How could I get through all the boys in the Auckland area that quickly?

I pat myself on the back for such efficient Tindering before considering extending my zone to find a few more potential suitors.

But the need for a snuggle buddy in an acceptable distance takes over and I stick with my 35km radius. I have to think of travel costs.

Then there are the ones with no photo at all? Who do you think you are Daniel, 27? I can’t see your personality from here. Swipe left.

I think my photo sequence is killer.

I crafted to perfection a photo arrangement that would reel in the crème de la crème of Tinderers. I start with a picture of me alone: a little cheeky, a little smile, a little ‘you know you want me’ glance.

The next picture is one with my friends. This lets them know I have friends, and good looking ones at that. If they STILL need convincing I leave it all up to the cleavage shot. Y’know… Let male instincts get the better of the boys that are uming and ahing. They swipe right.

‘You’ve got a new match!’

Ah, the joyous moment when your phone vibrates and you think it’s a Facebook notification or an email.

Nope, it’s a bloody match on Tinder – you go you hottie! … But now comes the Tinder chat.

early days of Tindering as an amateur saw me sending a few horrid (but hilarious) pickup lines. I started with ‘If Tinder were a meat market – you’d be the prime rib’ or ‘Do you like soda? Cause I’d mount-and-do you’ among others that were about as R rated as an American Pie movie (ask me later if you’re into that sort of thing). I’ve progressed now to being such a Tinder god that I don’t send the first message (unless you’re literally Ryan Gosling), and unlike that Tinder flame heating up, I play it cool. As for receiving, the simple ‘Hey how are you?’, well that just doesn’t cut it for me. I need something a little more original.

One of my recent matches started with ‘Do you mind if I ask you a few make or break questions?” Clever.

I accepted. Unfortunately, though, I failed his little test. Oh well, on to the next. One of the more memorable messages I received had to be ‘Let’s play a game’.

Immediate flashes of images of 1000 ways to die in a saw movie came to mind but I replied ‘what kind of game?” to which he replied, ‘The game is Titanic... I say iceberg and you go down’ Meeting someone from Tinder I have heard some great success stories in this stage. None of them are mine. I decided to try and meet this cool, iceberg man but to all fault of my own and Jose Cuervo I got a little too white girl wastey and was taken home before I had the chance to meet the potential love of my life. He has since given up on me, knowing my 15 tequila, floor routine that I tried to laugh off as cute. Bummer.

But I sleep well at night knowing my next match is just a swipe away and so the famous saying goes… you won’t find love on the radio, but at least you’ll hook up on Tinder.

This is the deal breaker. Sure, you both think you’ve matched your Tinder version of Ryan Gosling or Jessica Alba but you could stuff it up all in one sentence. My

11

NIFTY NEWS Minimum Wage ‘Suppresses the Poor’ AUT branch president John Prince said a small number of AUT employees, mainly cleaners and caterers, were on salaries and wages below $18.40 an hour.

hour wage rate,” said Mr Prince. He would continue the campaign to bring upon “social justice” for these staff members.

Mr Prince said the 0.2 per cent increase is a small amount considering the university’s total salary bill was $192 million.

AUT council members were not available for comment. However Massey University vicechancellor Steve Maharey recently released a statement saying the university had taken no position on the living wage issue and indicated that it was a very complex area because other matters like family support, the minimum wage and the basic guaranteed income had to be taken into account.

TEU branch president John Prince. Photo Courtesy of New Zealand Tertiary Education Union

“We don’t think the university will have any trouble paying the extra salary which equates to approximately three professors’ salaries,” said Mr Prince.

The Tertiary Education Union believes AUT should aim to be the first tertiary education institution in New Zealand to be a Living Wage employer.

By Matt Ogilvie The Tertiary Education Union is calling on Auckland University of Technology to back the living wage campaign, saying the current minimum wage is unfair and suppresses the poor.

However the union suffered a setback when the AUT Council rejected the proposed living wage increase at a recent meeting.

“We were very surprised that AUT rejected our claim to abolish all pay under the $18.80-an-

Mr Prince said he would continue to campaign during upcoming employment negotiations.

The union estimates 30 directly employed staff and 50 contractors will be affected by a wage increase at a total cost of $290,000.

Māori students start the year off with a bang

By Jessica Tyson

its members,” says Professor Keiha.

Māori students kicked off their academic year with a function that celebrated their identity and pushed academic performance.

TKT is led by an executive committee of Māori students who organise noho, sleepovers, at the university marae every Wednesday, says Head Executive Regan Paranihi.

Titahi Ki Tua, also known as the AUT Māori Students Association, used its Wednesday event to promote what it offers Māori students.

At the Wednesday event members dressed to the theme wearing peace-sign necklaces, aviator sunglasses, flared pants and flowers.

TKT is supported by the Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor for Māori Advancement and offers study groups, kapa haka practice and regular social events.

The evening started off with a hangi at the marae followed by a 1960s pub quiz at Vesbar and an after function at JET Nightclub.

The office has supported the programme since last year.

Parahini says the event was a success where more than 70 members attended the dinner and more showed up as the night continued.

Pro Vice Chancellor for Māori Advancement, Pare Keiha, says TKT offers a way for Māori students to celebrate their identity and academic success.

“It provides a community bound together by culture and pride. TKT is part of the network of support to awhi and encourage the success of

“I received a lot of great feedback about the event but more importantly about how great our association is and how well-mannered we are,” she says.

First year Māori development student from Waimamaku, Kereihi Warwick, says TKT has given

her the opportunity to form friendships with other members.

“It’s a good feeling to know I have people around me who are working towards the same goal of achieving academically.

“The launch was such a good experience and it was awesome to see everybody dressed up and having fun. Knowing that TKT group can balance social life and study is really cool,” says Kereihi.

Professor Keiha says as TKT matures it will continue to provide a supportive environment for all Māori students.

“Not all learning takes place in the classroom and it is important that students socialise in safe environments, particularly those that recognise the unique contribution that Māori have to offer each other,” says Professor Keiha.

The association has 462 members, says Paranihi, and welcomes students of other cultures to join in the fun and success.

13

Lovenotes and Hatemail Note: Both Jessie and Craig’s letters have been edited for space. To see their letters in full (and some bonus arguing on the side), head to their blogs.

Jessie Song – cadburycrazed.tumblr.com Craig Robertson - sandandglass.tumblr.com An open letter to Debate, In reference to the article titled ‘Feminism is Hurting Women’ written by Jessie Song in your issue published March 24.

To put it simply, this article shocked me. I couldn’t believe what I was reading and it actually made me feel somewhat sick.

I do not wish to downplay the role of free speech and genuine political debate in our society, but I do wish to criticise your decision to publish such a wilfully ignorant and harmful piece of writing.

It is your implied duty as publisher to ensure that all material published by the magazine is of a standard that is acceptable. I believe you failed that duty.

The article contains a number of passages that undermine, hurt and demean women (past and present) who have fought valiantly for equal rights. I can only speak for myself (as a male), but I found the article offensive.

The article contains a number of offensive, inaccurate and vitriolic statements. For example: “…the reality is, whether in the West or the East, society is still dominated by men.

Feminism hasn’t brought happiness to women obsessed with overachieving or comparing themselves to men, only misery from the inevitable disappointment of unrealistic expectations.”

“The false confidence of believing that men and women are equal has created an abundance of overqualified single women struggling against their ticking biological clock, because feminists convinced them that their priority is to spend their most crucial years ‘proving themselves’. “…it’s simply not practical for companies to

hire women who are at childbearing age for having to pay maternity leave.”

“One need only examine the sorry state of the modern western family to see how unsustainable and unhealthy feminism is.”

“When feminists demand ‘equal pay and work’ they are not in fact asking for ‘equality’ but quite the opposite.”

In my view such comments misrepresent feminism and misrepresent the law, in particular: By suggesting feminism (and women) are simply obsessed with ‘overachieving’ and ‘comparing themselves to men’

women still face employment discrimination and many are still subject to the blight of sexual harassment – something which is demeaning and dehumanising. Some single mothers struggle to feed and take care of their children.

So I urge you, Debate, not to add to the struggles of New Zealand women by publishing material that demeans 50% of the country.

Regards, Craig Robertson

By suggesting feminists have ‘unrealistic expectations’

Hi Craig, Thank you for your feedback. It’s good to see a complaint that doesn’t resort to insults to make a point.

By suggesting men and women are not, in fact, equal when they are

Where to begin? It’s been quite a week here at debate.

By suggesting employers can/should discriminate against women

The way I see it, feminism is not a black or white issue – it means different things to everybody.

Some people, I think mistakenly, hold the belief that feminism is an Amazonian, women take over the world, burn your bras and crush the Y chromosome movement, while most others believe it is simply the deserved equality for all.

Some feminists will feel condescended when a male opens a door for them, and others will walk on through with a smile – it varies person to person. For another perspective, check out Abigail Johnson’s opinion on page 25.

By suggesting women are not of equal worth to men The fact of the matter is women ARE equal and should be treated as equal to men. This is what countless decades of campaigning have been about. The feminist movement has been and is one that focuses on equality and human rights.

Women have a fundamental human right to equal treatment and equal pay. Women have a fundamental human right not to be discriminated against. Such rights are enshrined in both international treaties and in New Zealand law. `It is sad to see Debate publish an article so devoid of insight, critical thought and fact. But further than that, it is disappointing to see Debate publish an article that suggests women are not equal to men. Such sentiments only set us further back as a society. They also undermine the genuine concerns of women.

Many women still do not receive the same pay as their male counterparts. Some

While Jessie’s view of feminism is - as the week’s hate mail has proven - not a popular one, it is one girl’s opinion in the context of a debate. It was not presented as fact and I hoped it would be regarded as merely opinion. I knew at the time of publication it would be controversial, but I did not consider for a moment how offended readers would become. So, sorry guys and gals.

In saying that, Jessie has been slandered this week on the internet with pretty stink insults. And that is really uncool. It just seems funny to me that after being offended by somebody’s words on the internet, your first thought is to sling back personal attacks.

Let’s all be friends, eh?

Matthew

An open letter to all the angry feminists,

Matthew,

Hello!

First and foremost, I agree with the principles of women’s rights, that women should be treated fairly, equal to men both socially and politically. I really thought I made that clear.

It’s my opinion that we’ve achieved this (and more) within most parts of the western world.

Women can vote, access higher education, work within most fields, and hold positions of political influence. Open expressions of sexism, discrimination, sexual harassment and violence against women are no longer accepted by this society, and there are laws to punish offenders. Anti-feminist =/= antiwoman.

Charmander sucks. You forgot the other two starter Pokémon. Guys need to get your shit in order.

I feel like I’m going to have a hard time convincing anybody I didn’t make up this letter…

But, I think I speak on behalf of the contributors, Ramina and I when I say thank you! As cliché as it sounds, it is letters like these that make the weekly struggle of putting the magazine together worth it. Thank you for taking the time to be a wonderful human being. You’re great!

Matthew

My article was never derogatory towards females, and was intended for the eyes of an audience with an open mind to the plight, the experiences and observations of others.

Those whom were well-read with a good level of reading comprehension were able to understand. I did not expect unanimous agreement with the article, and in fact enjoy the thought-provoking nature of a wellinformed debate. I only request that if you wish to refute my arguments, please form the basis of your rebuttal around what I have actually said, rather than the words you put in my mouth because your level of education hindered your ability to understand the heart of the argument. My article made it very clear that I do not think that women should be treated as second-rate citizens, only that if a woman is not able to be highly successful in the workplace and fulfil all the family duties then she shouldn’t be judged or faulted by society.

51.343% of the population of New Zealand, and I, do not need you to defend us against imagined slights and first world problems.

If you really care about the welfare of women who really have been victimised, then donate or volunteer for women’s refuges or domestic violence charities. Work with Amnesty International, be kinder to the women in your life, and read Half The Sky. Sincerely yours, Jessie Song (A 22-year-old Asian female, for those who were asking on Facebook whether I was a woman so you could decide how offended you should be)

Best wishes, Louise Stone Louise, I challenge you to a Pokematch.

All the best, Matthew.

PS: I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the Pokémon episode Snow Way Out!, but I think Charmander did a pretty brave thing in that snow cave, helping Ash keep warm until his fire tail nearly went out. I have to ask, would Bulbasaur or Squirtle do the same?

PPS: I’m a Squirtle man through and through.

Dearest Mr Cattin, THANK YOU! Thank you for making Monday morning bearable along with the rest of the team at Debate. I saw you this morning distributing the magazine around campus, and instead of walking to class with my friends I made a beeline for the Debate stand and picked up the newest copy.

You see my friends think I'm hilarious, looking for a mag first thing on a Monday morning. So they weren't really surprised that I walked off to grab one to which they all cracked open in class without me! They also all seem to think that I am the only one at AUT who enters the competitions, but I wasn't laughing when I won two competitions in one week!

You see, Debate is pretty much a weekly saviour, written for us students. So what I don't get is why you wouldn't read it? There's something funny and interesting in every issue, and with a puzzle page you can't go wrong!

(Loving the huge puzzle pages by the way...).

I think it is amazing hearing from so many different students who all write so well.

I just want the whole team to know that I appreciate the time and effort, I don't know how you do it.

Letter of the week Dear Matthew, I’ve been contemplating for days now on whether or not to email you but I have started this email and there is no going back. (Once I send it, I'm going to pretend this never happened) (I'm awkward okay) So I just wanted to say how much I loved reading your editorial for issue 3. Especially the bit about being single and loveless and one way track to death by carbs and loneliness. This made me laugh so much only because I can relate to this (so tragic, ikr) in fact I love reading all your editorial pieces.

It's interesting and funny and sometimes very relatable.

I look forward to every week’s issue because your editorial pieces make me smile. Thank you :) Regards, Sanni Dear Sanni, I wish there were more people like you. But then again, if there were I would probably keel over with chronic diabetes cause you just so damn sweet. I’m sad to hear you can relate to being single and loveless. Perhaps you’d be interested in attending a carbaholics anonymous meeting with me sometime? I can be your sponsor.

Allllll the happy vibes, Matthew

Our 'Letter of the week' wiriter Sanni has won herself two Event Cinema vouchers! Swing by the AuSM Office to collect your prize!

Love, The Crazy Debate Lady P.s. I think you should do an Agony Aunt section. That'd just be the icing on the cake. :D

Want to whisper a sweet nothing in our ear? Or would you rather scream hateful somethings at us? Either way, email us at mcattin@aut.ac.nz., or drop your letter off to the AuSM office.

We look forward to hearing your judgement of us!

15

Great prizes awaits you!

Your feedback is important to us, so let us know your thoughts in the AuSM Orientation! The survey takes less than 5 mins to complete and you will be in the draw for lot of amazing prizes such as vouchers from Gordon Harris, Huffer to 12 month AUT gym membership and movie passes from Event Cinemas Queen Street and much more! Entry close date: 3rd April 2014.

Survey link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RZ6ZVV7 Or head to AuSM website for more info. http://ausm.org.nz/ AuSM Advanced Movie Screening is back!

Thanks to Event cinemas Queen St.! Our first movie to catch is Divergent. We are going to hook you and your friend up with an advance screening for it on 4th April 2014, 4pm. Check out AuSM Competition page http://ausm.org.nz/whats-on/competitions/ to enter the draw for the movie! Deadline for entry will be on 1st April 2014.

Top-up your phone with AuSM and get discount!

AuSM offices sell Vodafone, Telecom and 2degrees top-ups? Buy a $20 top-up from us for just $19.50. Still a bargain!

UPDATES www.ausm.org.nz

Prez’s date night with our AuSM President John Kingi will be giving away a double pass for a very lucky student to win the chance to watch Divergent on the 4th April 2014. All you need to do is to email John at jkingi@aut.ac.nz and tell him who you are taking on the date and why. There will be a prize in it for the winning contestant too! Males, female or those yet to decide, get the date night entries in! See you!

Kia ora!

It's now week four and the days until mid-semester break are slowly counting down. To all those who have been studying hard and attending classes, well done! Don't worry if things are seeming easy, that will soon change.

Last week we had our clubs days on each campus. Thanks to all those who came and joined a club. Student clubs are a great way to get involved in university life. I encourage you all to get involved and make the most of the events and activities that university clubs provide.

Coming up we have the first AuSM movie screening! I am running a competition called 'Prez's date night'. If you have a special someone and want two free tickets and a prize to take that someone to a screening of an up and coming film, email me why you should win at jkingi@aut.ac.nz.

On a different note, some of you may also be aware that there have been some issues with the shuttles at Manukau South campus. I have been working hard alongside our South campus rep to ensure these issues are resolved. If you have any concerns or have been affected please let me know.

PREZ SEZ president of ausm, john kingi

Finally I have been really hard at work trying to secure a new recreation centre on our city campus. This is a priority for the university and I hope to be able to give you guys an announcement on this development soon.

That's all from me this week, onwards titans!

Your prez,

John 17

BIFFTANNEN CHUCKBERRY CONTINUUM DELOREAN DOCBROWN

EINSTEIN FLUXCAPACITOR FUTURE GEORGE GIGAWATTS

GOLDIEWILSON GREATSCOTT HEAVY HILLVALLEY HUEYLEWIS

LIGHTNING LORRAINE MARTYMCFLY MILESPERHOUR PLUTONIUM

Circle all the words in the Back To The Future Wordfind, tear this page out & pop it into the box on the side of the red debate stands, and you could win a Free Student Combo voucher for Al's Deli, Auckland CBD! Tooooo easy! Winner will be notified by email.

Name:

Email:

DID YOU KNOW? An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

WORD JUMBLER

EIGHTIES How many words of three letters or more can you find without cheating? Probably not that many‌

6-12 Go back to school 13-20 Average Joe 21+ You did good kid.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.

A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.

Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.

Slugs have 4 noses.

Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue.

Newborn babies are given to the wrong mother in the hospital 12 times a day worldwide.

A starfish can turn its stomach inside out.

40% of all people who come to a party in your home snoop in your medicine cabinet.

A snowflake can take up to a hour to fall from the cloud to the surface of the Earth.

Comic by Xander Thurteen 19

WHICH 80s POP ICON ARE YOU? What's your dream ride?

First thing you do in the morning?

What scares you the most?

A) A 1970 Harley Chopper, tearing up the town with a gang in tow.

A) Sneak out the bathroom window.

A) When the wind messes up my do.

B) Give thanks to the morning.

B) The inequality of the working class.

C) Stretch and head out for a jog.

C) Being unnoticed.

D) Put on eyeliner and lipstick.

D) Mondays.

What’s your favourite 80s gadget?

Pick a candy:

A) Sega game console.

A) Sour Gobstopper.

B) Portable walkman.

B) Reeses Pieces.

A) Leather. All the leather.

C) Cellphone

C) Turkish Delight.

B) Denim everything. It’s durable and goes with everything.

D) Rubik’s Cube

D) Liqorice.

C) Bronze – it’s so supportive.

How do you take your coffee?

D) Satin. It’s soft like an ex-lover’s touch…

A) “On the rocks, babe”.

Where are you most likley to be found on a Saturday night?

B) A ’69 Chevy convertible, open roads, heading into the sunset.

C) A limousine, New York City, chasing the press.

D) A midnight train ride, all alone, with no destination in mind.

What’s your favourite clothing material?

B) “However you’re making it sweets”.

What’s your favourite Disney film?

A) Hercules

C) “Almond milk, two sugars, four stirs, now”.

D) “Triple shot Americano… I’ll sleep when I’m dead”.

B) Robin Hood

A) At a bar, talking up some ladies.

B) A burger joint.

C) Sneaking to the front of the line at a club D) At home with a book.

C) Alice in Wonderland D) The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Mostly A's

Mostly B's

Mostly C's

Mostly D's

BILLY IDOL

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

MADONNA

ROBERT SMITH

A rebel to the death, you’re a leather-rocking nonconformist with a cheeky grin and a heart of gold. Despite your wild child image, you’re a big softy that would do anything for love, even if it means lending your guitar to a love-struck Adam Sandler for a mile-high serenade.

A true, blue American hero, baby you were born to run.

Hardworking, honest and not afraid to get your hands dirty, you stand up for the little guy and look damn good in denim. Although you prefer the peace and quiet of driving your ’69 Chevy down the open roads, you’re also the life of the party and always up for a yarn about the glory days.

A revolutionary to the core, you’re ambitious, original and never one to shy away from controversy. You love being in the lime light and causing a stir, but you stand up for what you believe in and make a difference. Going unnoticed is never an option and you strive to express yourself with material things.

You’re dark, quirky and rather strange, but it suits you so you roll with it. You’ve had your heart broken a few too many times but rather than let it get you down, you’ve made it your signature. You’re often the last person anybody will sit next to on the bus, but only because you’re bad at putting on your makeup – inside you have all the feels. You’re just misunderstood.

DEBATES

Should marijuana be legalized in New Zealand?

NO

JAMIE BARNES Marijuana is an illicit and dangerous substance and should remain illegal for the safety of all New Zealand It is common knowledge that marijuana, unlike the harmless tobacco cigarettes we all enjoyed as children has mind-altering properties that lead to unpredictable, erratic, capricious, sporadic and even temperamental behaviour.

The marijuana legalization process has been trailed without success in Colorado USA where on the first day of marijuana being legalized 37 people lethally overdosed on the drug forcing the local government to immediately re-illegalize it, or at least I assume that’s how it ended, I’ll look it up later.

While a marijuana smoker or “stoner” is under the influence they become what is known as “stoned”, is a reference to the behavioural effects of marijuana where (like a stone) the participant becomes sedimentary by losing all motivation to work or study. In extreme cases a stoner may even loose the motivation to move, bathe and perform even necessary actions such as using the bathroom and praying. It is this effect on behaviour that sets marijuana apart from the rest in terms of how extreme the danger is. As opposed to other drugs like cocaine which increase productivity, marijuana exponentially stunts it.

The marijuana parasite is a cunning and lethal predator that attacks the weak where it knows they are most vulnerable; as children. Marijuana attacks children at a time where they should be socializing, cutting them off from society and the precious social interaction which is peer pressure that teaches kids right from wrong. The main side-effect of marijuana is paranoia, so the more weed a stoner consumes, the more they withdraw from society due to threats that they wrongly perceive to be around them such as their appearance, how fast they are driving and whether or not people are judging them for how they act/dance/talk etc. These characteristics may sound familiar because they are the direct opposite to the effects of a known benefit to society; alcohol. Alcohol has proven its worth by ingraining itself into many cultures. If it was in any way harmful to society then it would have been banned at some point, so it stands to reason that since marijuana is still illegal where alcohol is not, marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol.

So we have established that marijuana has negative effects physically, behaviourally and socially but by far the worst effect, is how it rots the soul - it is a concoction derived straight from Satan himself. I came to this this revelation once I learned the band of false prophets known as The Rolling Stones (“Stones” obviously being a reference to marijuana “stoners”) where they make their intentions abundantly clear by blatantly titling one of their albums Their Satanic Majesties Request. Some of their songs that reference marijuana are: - - - - -

Get Off of My Cloud references how sometimes people compare being stoned to ‘floating’ and commanding the listener to ‘get off’ reflects stoners anti-social behaviour.

19th Nervous Breakdown is a reference to stoners’ frequent anxiety attacks.

Ruby Tuesday tells how getting stoned during the week instead of going to work and being productive is called a “Ruby Tuesday” in reference to stoners red eyes.

Far Away Eyes alludes to when someone gets stoned and loses focus their eyes tend to drift into the distance, looking ‘far away’.

Mother’s Little Helper- I’m not entirely sure, but it’s definitely there.

Although in rare cases some other drugs may cause potential harm, The Rolling Satans never make references to drugs such as LSD or Amphetamine, only marijuana.

This article is dedicated to the love of my life Becky, who tragically died after only taking one marijuana when she was in high school. I will never forget the day I learned of her passing, when only hours after I asked her to marry me her friend texted me to inform me of her demise. After no more than two glorious weeks of dating my precious Becky, marijuana cruelly and selfishly snatched her from me before she was ever able to accept my proposal, and it is for that reason I have devoted my life to ending the wicked devil weeds chokehold on society.

RIP Becky… something.

Amelia Petrovich Recently I’ve been killing time arguing with conspiracy theorists and Illuminati obsessives over Facebook so I’m a little out of touch with the concept of a ‘proper argument’, but I’m prepared to do my best for all of y’all out there partial to the odd foray into the world of Mary Jane.

It’s illegal and no one is doing it, just like no one drinks alcohol under the age of 18 and none of us pirate films. Yet somehow marijuana and its legality in New Zealand has been a pretty trendy conversation topic recently and I’d just like to have a wee chat about why I don’t reckon legalizing is such a bad thing.

YES

I’d like to point out before I go further I am not actually a massive pothead. You could say that my relationship with weed is not unlike my relationship with small, handbag sized dogsif you passed me one around a campfire or on a balcony I wouldn’t throw it to the ground but I’m hardly about to go out and ACTUALLY be bothered buying one of my very own.

I’m far too poor to be a rebel, when I want to relax in most cases I just sleep because it’s free.

But anyway- HILARIOUS jokes aside; let’s quickly take a look at the arguments against legalizing marijuana. I’ve got no direct quotations to back me up here but generally the things I hear from a lot of people against legalization are “it alters your mind and body”, “it’s bad for you”, “it clouds your judgment”, “you turn into a total waster” and so on. These statements, to a degree, are all pretty true. However, you know what also does all that and more? Alcohol. Yeah that’s right, the liquid gold confidence-juice that that we all* seem to not mind chugging down before a night out. Now I’m not advocating binge-culture but what I do want to do is draw a parallel, because there are a ton of things that ‘should be’ illegal if simply being not great for you is grounds for this. Alcohol, tobacco, fatty food, artificial sugar, the list goes on. Simply making things illegal does not eliminate the demand for them; it merely increases the levels of crime and violence attached to their acquisition.

I’ve already talked about under aged drinking- if you’re sixteen and you want to drink, lack of legality isn’t going to make a beans bit of difference to you. What it does do is increase the likelihood of associated crime. You might get an older friend to buy for you (CRIME), you might nick some (CRIME) and ultimately, you’re still going to drink some (CRIME).

‘But if we legalize weed, everyone is going to be baked ALL THE TIME!’ Buddy, I hear you.

I hear you, but you’re wrong.

As I’ve pointed out, if you’re the kind of person who wants to smoke, you are going to smoke regardless of the law. Likewise if you are the kind of person who just doesn’t want to smoke, it’s unlikely that when hypothetical John Key passes the hypothetical ‘legalize all da weed’ bill you’ll be left thinking “oh jeez wow, now that I’m allowed to turn my brain into mush I might give it a whirl!” I mean they legalized gay marriage too and I can support this reform 100% (and I do), but at the end of the day I am straight and even if it’s legal, I’m not going to feel pressure to have a wife rather than a husband because I am an autonomous adult and that is my own personal choice.

It’s also true that prolonged and improper use of marijuana (or indeed any drug) can take its toll on the human body and mind. I believe however that legalization would open doors to the possibility of regulation and surveillance - we would be able to see who is purchasing the most and which groups (if any) are wrestling with things like addiction. If we can see where the problems exist we can also see where we need to target aid and education. Quitline advertisements are not targeted at eight-year-olds because they’re not suffering lung diseases and nicotine addictions. Tobacco is legal and therefore the sale of it is transparent - we can see who is buying it and how frequently, allowing us to pitch and target what help and support is out there for those wanting to break the cycle.

I’m not saying that every marijuana smoker is trapped and unhappy, I can almost hear the indignant cries of “but it’s not even ADDICTIVE!” All I’m saying is that because this particular drug is not legal and therefore not regulated, it makes the possibility of giving help extremely complex. Better to clearly see where the problems lie and then channel society’s resources into resolutions rather than exhausting them on ineffective crime and punishment.

I’m open to discussion and persuasion on this topic, but I do think mine is an important viewpoint to put forth and consider. Legalize and regulate hombres!

*This is the ‘Artistic License Asterix’. There are a rare few among us that possess a thing called ‘genuine self-esteem and confidence’ and may not need such artificial enhancements.

21

Surviving Celluloid Slashers

By Alex Casey The 1980s were a great time for happy things like Pac-Man, neon and interesting pants with inventive crotch-lengths. But it wasn’t all fun and games - there was a depraved darkness growing in cinemas that absolutely exploded in this decade. The ‘slasher film’ arrived fresh off the coattails of late 70s hits such as Halloween and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, leaving audiences thirsty for blood. Well, not so much blood as a corn starch-esque jam-style fluid but still. The slasher genre erupted and killers were suddenly bloody everywhere; summer camps, cupboards, lakes, bedrooms - even in your damn dreams.

unfortunately awakening a hiding serial killer. In Sleepaway Camp (1983) a shy girl is sent to summer camp where (surprise!) young campers are killed in a series of grisly incidents.

You get the picture - summer camp is a disaster of an idea and will leave you doomed either way. If you are attending camp, you are going to be skewered like a toasted marshmallow. If you are working at a camp, you are set to become a raving lunatic murderer, probably with a badly burnt face.

My advice would be to stay back in the family home over summer - but don’t think that means you are safe...

Now, as savvy modern audiences we have come to learn some of the key rules in surviving horror films (don’t go up the stairs, don’t answer the phone, don’t check that noise outside), but back then there was a more specific set of rules. So, because why the hell not, I have taken the liberty of assembling the 1980s guidebook to surviving slasher films:

Don’t live in suburbia, babysit, or go to sleep. Ever.

Part of the slasher mentality in the 1980s redirected the horror away from the traditional ghosts/monsters lurking in that spooky graveyard/castle and focussed on the darkness lurking beneath the domestic bliss of middleAmerica. This meant that the white picket fence and cookie-cutter nuclear family were no longer symbols of safety, but of fear.

Don’t bother going to summer camp.

You would be an idiot to go anywhere near a summer camp in the 80s. If you did, expect to be axed in the head before you even utter the first line of Kumbaya. Friday the 13th (1980) launched a whole new kind of campfire terror, and was followed unbelievably closely by about 70,000 sequels and multiple copycat franchises. The Burning (1981) features a disfigured camp caretaker who seeks revenge on teenage campers. In Madman (1982), camp counsellors are slaughtered for calling out “madman marz” and

The Halloween sequels that littered the 80s featured melted-Shatner-maskwearing killer Michael Myers (not to be confused with hilarious Love Guru/ Shrek namesake), who would cruise suburbia once a year and do some very serious damage. The antidote to his scarily silent, slow-moving stalking was the manically camp Freddy Krueger, who screeched into suburban slumbers in 1984. This guy was unstoppable, looked disgustingly funny, and literally haunted your dreams. Even in the safety of your bedroom, tucked into bed, Freddy Krueger was stretching his weird face through your wall and extending

illustration by Xander Thurteen

his very long tongue through your phone in the style of Soulja Boy’s Kiss Me Thru the Phone.

If you think you can avoid sleep by getting the gang together for a sleepover, may I direct you to Slumber Party Massacre (1982). And finally, don’t try and hug your doll for comfort. It’s bound to be inhabited by the spirit of a serial killer a la Chucky (1988). At this point, nothing is safe.

Don’t celebrate any widely-recognised holidays.

So, Friday the 13th and Halloween are obviously already out of the question.

But there are many more holidays and coming-of-age events that should be avoided at all costs. Been invited to a Prom Night (1980)? Forget it. That dress you said was “to die for”? You really will die for it. Oh, you’re thinking of playing some April Fools Day (1986) pranks on your buddies? Keep an eye out for an evil jack-in-the-box that may or may not lead to your own murder.

And as for Valentine’s Day, I would avoid visiting any romantic empty mine shafts unless you want to end up in the body count of My Bloody Valentine (1981). Even Christmas becomes a downright bloodbath, with Christmas Evil (1980) and Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) giving very sinister meaning to “you better watch out, you better not cry”. All these American rituals of celebration, family and togetherness became rituals of slaughter, a symbolic slaughter of stuffy past traditions. Basically, everyone in the 1980s realised they didn’t have to give a hoot about anything anymore.

characters ranging from “promiscuous girl wearing nothing but a man’s shirt” to “promiscuous girl wearing nothing” to “virgin wearing all the clothes”. The basic rule is, the more clothing you remove, the more minutes you shave off your survival-time in the typical 80s slasher film. There’s a reason why Laurie Strode survives so long in the Halloween franchise: it all comes down to very tactical and complex vest layering.

So basically, if you are a female: you are probably going to be dead meat.

But the guys don’t get off that easy either. First of all, a lot of them had the most absurd haircuts and earring combos committed to celluloid. Second of all, the up-and-coming hunks of the 80s were also the prime targets for some of the grisliest deaths of the era. You know Johnny Depp? He literally gets eaten by a bed. Ironically, the ridiculous onscreen deaths of Tom Hanks (He Knows You’re Alone) Johnny Depp (Nightmare on Elm Street) and Kevin Bacon (Friday the 13th) were actually their glorious births into the acting limelight. And just look at Kevin Bacon now. Actually, don’t.

Basically, the 1980s slasher destroyed all ideas of tradition, family and authority gleefully with a pickaxe, and set a whole new precedent for horror that has influenced the genre to this very day. The horror ‘rules’ have since evolved and mutated much like the deformed face of Jason Voorhees, but 30 years later some consistencies still remain. Whether it’s 1980 or 2014: summer camp is still full of weirdos, babysitting is still scary as hell and Johnny Depp still wears a single earring 100% of the time.

Definitely don’t be a female, or a breakthrough male heart-throb.

It was very tough being a woman in a 1980s slasher, with diverse female 23

ENTER “AUSM” WHEN BOOKING TICKETS AND GET $25 TICKETS

“an extraordinary piece of theatre... thrilling”

KIRK TORRANCE

AUSM STUDENT PRICES

- DOMINION POST

AuSMConnectA3.pdf

1

19/02/14

NANCY BRUNNING

MIRIAMA SMITH

20 MAR — 12 APR

C O - P R O D U C E D W I T H T H E N E W Z E A L A N D F E ST I VA L A N D P R E S E N T E D I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H O K A R E K A D A N C E C O M P A N Y

Book 09 308 2383 atc.co.nz MAIDMENT THEATRE

4:40 PM

AT&T

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

LATEST NEWS, DISCOUNTS, EVENTS & CALENDARS

K

Untitled-3 1

3/07/13 3:37 PM

RECIPE

FEMINISM HELPS EVERYONE

By Abigail Johnson Feminism is a word that has lost its credence within the last few decades.

Women and girls will shun the label. Asked if they believe men and women should be treated equally they’ll agree whole-heartedly. But feminism? Sounds a bit extreme.

Truthfully though, feminism is simply the belief that women and men should be equal. It is not man-hating (gosh I’m tired of having to say that) and it is certainly not stay-at-home-mum hating.

As with any movement there are individuals who get it wrong. There are ‘bad feminists’ who believe that trans* women should not be included in the movement. There are ‘bad feminists’ who hold disdain for stay-athome-mums. The list could go on.

The movement, however, has always emphasized choice. True feminists hold equal respect for those who work in the home and those who work in the office. True feminism pushes for more respect for those who work in the home. The home needs to become an accepted and respected place of work for men and women. Men should not be chastised for wanting to be ‘hands-on’ in the raising of their children. Women shouldn’t either.

Feminism is an inclusive movement. If a man is raped by a woman it is often men who tell him to ‘harden up’ and ‘enjoy it’. It is feminists who take this trauma seriously.

The movement advocates for the parental leave of both sexes. It is simply untrue that women are ‘biologically baby-making machines’. We are not. We require the input of a man to make one, and the resulting child is as much the father’s as the mother’s. If an employer is faced with two equally-qualified candidates of both genders, they should remember that both genders are capable of producing children, and both, either, or neither of them may require parental leave. In fact a woman’s time-frame for producing children is smaller than a man’s- he can remain fertile for a great deal of his life, so technically speaking employing a man is the greater risk. A man in his late fifties may require parental leave. A woman of the same age most-likely wouldn’t. But only an asshole would not hire a man based on his fertility. Right?

The idea that women cannot handle ‘having it all’ has run-rampant, but nowhere in the feminist dogma do those three words appear. The phrase ‘have it all’ was not made up by feminists. But the idea that women cannot handle being ‘wives, mothers and managers’ is deeply insulting.

My own mother is a great example of how wrong this is. She raised my brother and me single-handedly for a long time. We never lacked for nurture, meals, or care. And she worked (and continues to work) as a lawyer. One time my brother asked if men could be lawyers too. She laughed and told him that men could do any job that a woman could.

And they can.

We are all humans. All of us may require time-off or time-out at some point in our lives. This can come down to many factors. None of them is what we have between our legs.

by Kimmy Morrison As Lorde has pointed, out we will never be royals so we might as well stop pretending like we can afford to eat like them.

I’ve survived four years in Dunedin and not only have I come out of it with an undergraduate degree, the ability to funnel two crates of beer without throwing up and one close call with a criminal conviction I’ve also learnt to be so thrifty with money that Macklemore himself would be impressed.

Here is my cheap meal for the carbo loading student. Feeds 4-5 people and based on current Countdown prices it costs $19.48. If you’re really on a budget cut out the chicken and add some other vegetables.

Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta Ingredients: 200g diced chicken breast 500ml bottle of cream 100g basil pesto 1 head of broccoli 1 bag of penne pasta 1 onion diced Half a bag of frozen green beans (use the other half when you make this meal again) Method: In a small pan, fry the diced onion. In a separate pot, cook pasta on a stove in water with the green beans and broccoli on a high heat until it’s soft. Drain the water, then add all the basil pesto mix. Stir this in with the pasta and vegetables and add the onion.

Add the cream to the pasta and stir it in. Simmer on a low heat and season with salt and pepper.

You’re all done, Enjoy your cheap and delicious meal.

25

Kia ora, hello, my name is Lucy McKenzie and I work at AUT as the Sustainability Officer.

So what is a Sustainability Officer – do I wear a hat, epaulettes and a uniform you may ask? As the Sustainability Officer I’m focussed on AUT being environmentally, socially, culturally and economically sustainable in our operations as a university. Trying to make sure students have enough now, without compromising the ability of future students to access resources.

Hi, I’m Margaret Alldred - the AuSM Receptionist/Sustainability Officer who represents the student voice on sustainability issues and fosters student participation.

I assist in the development of a culture of awareness and engagement within the student populace that supports the University’s strategic objective of sustainability.

As you can see from the photo below there are recycling bins installed in many areas on each campus. You also now know what Margaret and I look like, so if you see us around the campus, come and say hello as we are always keen for a chat.

Both Lucy and Margaret are keen to gain your feedback about what the students of AUT would like to read about in this monthly sustainability column and what your views are regarding sustainability. Send us your thoughts to sustainability@aut.ac.nz and we’ll endeavour to cover the things you want to read about. The objectives of AuSM’s Sustainability Officer are: ·

To provide opportunities for students to identify, develop and/or participate in on-campus sustainability projects.

·

To profile and co-ordinate student participation in wider (local/regional/national) sustainability initiatives.

·

To distribute information to students about the University’s sustainability programme and/ or projects and provide a conduit for student feedback to the University.

·

To build a robust and active Sustainability Club.

·

To help locate business opportunities for the Sustainability Club.

All the best for a great year of study!

Join the AuSM Sustainability Club today!

THE

AMERICAS SALE ON NOW

SAVE 10% ON SELECTED

WORKING HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES

WORK USA | WORK CANADA | WORK CANADA JOB FAIR

PLUS

LAYBY

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WORKING IN NORTH AMERICA! WORK USA INFO NIGHT 8 April Auckland Level 10, 220 Queen Street, Auckland CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION EVENT 15 April Auckland Level 10, 220 Queen Street, Auckland RSVP at statravel.co.nz/event

COME AND SEE THE STA TRAVEL TEAM AT QUEEN STREET TODAY 267 Queen Street, Auckland P: 09 356 1550 E: queenst@stores.statravel.co.nz

DID YOU KNOW...

As an AUT student you can get Office 365 FREE! Just go to UniCentral for your free download: https://unicentral.aut.ac.nz

CONGRATULATIONS MACKENZIE! Congratulations to first year Bachelor of Creative Technologies student Mackenzie Drew, winner of the Semester 1 Student Readiness Survey prize draw and happy owner of a new iPad Air! Mackenzie moved here from Wellsford and is living at Wellesley Student Apartments.

From left: Vandana Minhas (SET Team Leader), Mackenzie Drew, Deborah Blake (Residential Services Manager).

It’s that simple.

27

We Don’t Know How Good We Have It

by Kieran Bennett I remember my first experience with video games.

I was five and it was Christmas. It was to be a Christmas of beginnings in some ways as that was the Christmas I was given a PlayStation. I had heard, of course, tales of these machines.

You could play games on them on your TV. Your actual, honest to goodness TV for goodness sake. And here I was, barely in school and somehow blessed enough to be holding one.

But if I had figuratively wet myself at that event (or perhaps literally, you never can tell) I was to veritably explode upon receiving my next gift.

I tore that wrapping away with all the fury my five-year-old self could muster and there it was, a brand new copy of Hercules that, incidentally, I still have to this day. I was taken upstairs and after what seemed like the rest of the summer; an entire new world opened up for me. Did I play it? Oh yes, yes I most certainly did. And I loved every sweet, digital moment of it.

Which brings me to my question; why is it that many gamers today have such an entitlement complex? Too often I open the web and find yet another game announcement trailer with fans of all kinds decrying the game. It looks

low-res they say, it looks uninspired, it's just a clone of [popular game] or maybe it's just plain shit. With the sheer amount of vitriol that’s slung at developers it's surprising that studios bother to actually announce things anymore. Where are the days where people would look at an announcement for a game and say “that’s cool” or “that’s not for me” and be done with it?

In the 80s, arguably the decade when video gaming finally became a ‘thing’, players were grateful, if not blown away, by the ability to move a few pixels.

Perhaps it's the fact that nowadays we can do it all at home, we demand more now that gaming is in the home. In the past, the only way you could blast away at those pixels was by throwing away a few coins down at the arcade. Maybe the spending of what was, to a young gamer, a small fortune meant that the perception of how good it was increased.

Somewhere in the back of your mind you knew that Pac-Man was talking smack about you, and that honestly you couldn’t stand to eat another pellet, but god-dammit you spent your 50c and you were going to enjoy it. Even if you were lucky enough to have your own system, the pickings weren’t so much slim as pretty much

non-existent. The range and breadth of games we have available to us today is enormous compared to what was on offer 30 years ago and somehow over the years, this has been forgotten.

HD graphics, online play, hell even the ability to save the game; these were only dreams to gamers in the 80’s. Hercules was released in 1997, nearly 10 years after the ‘end’ of the 80s; but my point still stands. We just don’t know how good we have it. Perhaps there are standards that games should or need to measure up to, but sometimes I consider myself lucky I can just save the game. I mean, the idea that I can now send my friend a message in a matter of seconds and then in a matter of minutes we can be playing a game that far exceeds that of 20 years ago, all without having to put my ‘good’ pants on, is nothing short of a marvel.

Why would I complain that a game’s textures are poor or that the lighting is bad or even that it's similar to another game? Perhaps we need to take a pixelated and poorly animated leaf from games of the 80s and judge games based on the only thing that really matters; fun.

And a jump function, it’s 2014; I should be able to jump by now.

SECOND HAND SONGS

by Amelia Petrovich I am a great big snob.

I have 40c left in my account, yet I would still never stoop as far as McDonalds (when sober).

I don’t suffer bad movies or bad coffee, and walking through the clothing department of The Warehouse makes me gag a little. However one thing I am no longer a massive snooty wanker about is music. I used to be ‘that girl’. I think we all know the type, do we not? Snarling at the Top 40 countdowns and listening exclusively to elitist underground bands, yet somehow a musical authority despite not knowing an H-Flat from a Z-Sharp. Muse and Matt Bellamy were my religion until they released The Resistance and became ‘superficial sellouts who just wanna cater to the man, man’. In short, I was a real judgmental pain in the ass.

Another thing that definitely was not okay with my enlightened, younger self was song covers. In my mind, the original was the best and most ideal version, the way the song was intended to sound.

Any tampering was inauthentic. What I’ve come to realize in my old age is that with that kind of logic we’d all still be fiddling around on Bebo and or watching Michael Galvin on Shortland Street…

Oh wait, hold on….

The point I’m trying to make is that there ain’t nothing wrong with progress. It’s the ‘started from the bottom, now we’re here’ mentality. The ‘original’ is still beautiful, but there is skill in revamping something we all love and breathing new life into it as well. Some songs I reckon exemplify this super well. Take a minute, grab a computer and hook yourself up to Sound Tube or You Cloud to see what I mean.

Call Me Maybe –Ben Howard (originally Carley Rae Jepsen) Yeah that’s right, I’m requesting that you revisit that dark void in your past that was the music scene of 2012 and give this number another shot. Unless ‘peppy’ could be considered a legitimate human emotion, Call Me Maybe always seemed to lack a certain je ne sais quoi in terms of depth. Somehow, Ben Howard turns this song into a harrowing wave of emotion and it’s pretty beautiful. He also omits the whole “before you came into my life I missed you so bad” lyrical element, so it even sort of makes logical sense.

Baby It’s Cold Outside –Anthony Green and Mindy White (originally written by Frank Loesser and performed by Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams) This duet is so adorably sweet it may actually give you diabetes, and not just because both singers have colours in their names (though that is a big part of it). I’ve always considered the original to be a Christmas song but Wikipedia has just informed me instead that it is ‘STRICTLY A ROMANTIC WINTER SONG’, so I stand corrected, as Wikipedia is the way, the truth and the life.

DISCLAIMER: Not safe for people who are currently single and bitter about it - this is definitely cuddle music. If you are lacking a boy/girlfriend I recommend an obliging cat.

Get Lucky –Daughter (originally Daft Punk) If the original sounds like a funky night out then this cover is the sleepy, sultry come down that you experience when the blood returns to your alcohol stream and makes you groggy. I’m not sure if that’s the most enticing description really but this song is like breathy ear sex and Elena Tonra (the band’s front woman) sounds delightfully like Florence Welsh who will someday be to vocal artistry what Meryl Streep is to acting.

Latch –Kodaline (originally Disclosure) This song makes me want to run at someone really good-looking in slow motion after something really dramatic (like maybe a year-long war or a day without phone reception) and give them the sloppiest, movie pash in the whole world. This is a cover that squeezes your insides and makes you want to serenade someone, anyone, EVERYONE, ALL THE TIME!! Also the band themselves are Irish and beautiful and perfect and I am absolutely not biased at all ever.

The Boxer –Mumford and Sons (originally Simon & Garfunkel) This is one cover that manages to retain the original feeling of its original and amplify them gorgeously and loudly in true arena-folk Mumford style. It’s so grand and majestic, a lion of a cover if ever I heard one. I don’t know about you but when Marcus sings “…in his anger and his shame/’I am leaving, I am leaving’/but the fighter still remains” every part of my soul melts and I turn into a puddle of mush and admiration. Those harmonies, they’ll getcha.

Bootylicious –Tom Rosenthal (originally Destiny’s Child) I don’t care what you’re doing right now. Stop it, stop ALL of it and search up the music video for this cover right now. Watch it all from start to finish, take in the lyrics and appreciate every inch of this song/video. Then once it’s over, take your pulse and make sure you are still on this planet because what you have just witnessed is perfection beyond normal earthly capability. You’re welcome.

29

X O V PS PO

Matthew Cattin

Carl Ewen

Abigail Johnson

Who is your 80s power icon?

David Bowie in Labyrinth as Jareth the Goblin King. Amazing film and it just made you want to kidnap young children to teach bratty teenagers a lesson.

Who is your 80s power icon?

My power icons are people whose reign has spanned decades; Cher, Cyndi Lauper and Madonna would be a few who were particularly awesome in the 80s.

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

Masters of the Universe & Thundercats – the best of the 80s toys! They also had the best TVs that went along with the toys - they taught kids real values while battling evil. I still have all my original He-Man toys too. Just not in the box. I’m not that geeky.

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

I would bring back all the basic technology, terrible TVs, and videos. So much simpler. And nicer I think.

If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

That’s easy, Marty McFly. I mean the dude has easy access to a time machine and a mad professor as a best friend.

Although I don’t think he’s too bright, considering his girlfriend changed actresses between BTTF I & II and he didn’t notice.

If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

There are so many. I think ultimately I would choose Marty McFly - he is just such a cutie. I also always wanted to be a part of The Babysitters Club. And Judd Nelson's “being bad feels pretty good, huh?” makes me weak at the knees.

Who is your 80s power icon?

Well I do spend a considerable amount of my free time googling Bruce Springsteen and drooling onto my lap, so I’d say he’d take the cake - the Boss.

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

Boom boxes and mix tapes. I realise that is two things… But they go hand in hand. Bring back the hip kids walking down the street, boom box hoisted on their shoulder, cranking the MJ. If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

ET! No question. It can heal things, its fingers glow, it looks damn good dressed as a woman and it can make bikes fly.

Kieran Bennett

Amelia Petrovich

Who is your 80s power icon?

The synth. So influential in music and just plain cool.

Who is your 80s power icon?

It kinda has to be Madonna because she was Lady Gaga before Lady Gaga was Lady Gaga even.

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

The red looking thing you put the discs into. Viewfinder?

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

I am an advocate for leg warmers because shins feel the cold too.

If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World. Because then it would be party time all the time. Excellent.

If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

I would befriend Grandpa Seth from Troll 2. If you don't know why, YouTube search that man!

Ramina Rai

Laurien Barks

Who is your 80s power icon?

I gotta pick my main man Bill Cosby.

Who is your 80s power icon?

Joan Jett cause she's badass.

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

The 80s frizzy mullet will never cease to get me lustin'.

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

Bring back the poofy side ponytails. They're so fluffy! And take approximately 3.7 seconds to do.

If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

Bill & Ted 4eva. Who wouldn't want to have excellent adventures and bogus journeys?? PARTY ON, DUDE.

If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

Two-Bit Matthews from the Outsiders because he's hilarious and I would eventually marry him.

Ethan Sills Who is your 80s power icon?

Edmund Blackadder – one of my favourite ever TV characters, nothing represents excellent British 80s humour like him.

What thing from the 80s would you bring back into popularity?

I love those massive cell phones that they used to have. Considering the iPhone 27 will probably be the same size, I don’t see why we can’t just bring those back – at least they won’t break the first time you drop them.

If you could befriend an 80s film character, who would it be?

Gizmo from Gremlins, because who wouldn’t want something that cute in their lives? Just can’t catch up in the rain, would not end well for anyone…

No data caps.

No 12-month contracts.

No joining fee.

No termination fee.

No reason not to try it.

Naked broadband from $79/month.

Get it now. Bigpipe.co.nz

31

REVIEWS

Do your strong opinions drive away your friends? Send us an email at mcattin@aut.ac.nz to contribute to our reviews section.

Ferris Beuller's Day Off (1986) Directed by John Hughes Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara

My personal favourite John Hughes film, it sticks with what Hughes does best; a plotline involving teenagers, high school and learning what it is to grow up. If you haven’t already guessed from the title, this film follows Ferris Bueller as he pulls the ultimate sickie (thus the ‘Day Off’). After an ingenious set up to throw his parents off guard, Ferris enlists his actually sick friend Cam to help him make this the best day off ever. Under the nose of their suspicious principal, they get Ferris’s girlfriend Sloane out of school and they’re away laughing. What follows next is the craziest of shenanigans as they are free to explore Chicago city. They really do cram a whole lot into a day, as they visit an art gallery, a baseball game, and a skyscraper, have lunch at a fancy restaurant and go to a parade. Yet even though this surely would’ve taken a lot of time, they still manage to chill in a swimming pool for a while.

Really, it makes you tired just thinking about it!

Despite the fact that this is a super fun movie, there are also some really great life messages in there. As a high school student nearing the end of school when I first watched this, it really resonated with me the fact that this is it; we’re about to move into a new chunk of our lives and there’s no going back. As Ferris so aptly says “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” This film really just makes you want to leave all your responsibilities for a day and go someplace awesome.

Reviewed by Natasha Free Bueller…Bueller… Bueller. Ah, comedic gold. This film to me essentially summarises all that was good about the 80s. It has teenagers sticking it to the man, crazy adventures, beautifully wacky clothing, and we cannot forget a random song and dance number placed in the middle just for fun. This word essentially summarises the film, it’s just really fun!

If you haven’t already been able to tell by now, I love this movie. I watched it twice the first day I saw it and I still bring my DVD of it to movie nights, with the hopes that we’ll pick it (we never do, so sad). This film just has so much freedom to it, and it never fails to cheer you up. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. If you’ve seen it, watch it again. It really can’t hurt.

Her

social media, wrapped together in one of the most interesting love stories ever to be on film.

Directed by Spike Jonze Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams

Set in 2025, Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore Twombly, a lonely man caught up in a post-divorce depression that has affected his job writing intimate letters for other people. His life becomes altered when he purchases a new artificially intelligent operating system (it has been likened to Siri but think more of JARVIS from Iron Man). The female-voiced system names herself Samantha, and after only a few months together, the relationship between owner and machine grows and begins to transcend their physical limitations.

This is a film that manages to be sweet, eccentric and thoughtful all at once.

Director and screenwriter Spike Jonze (whose other films I have unfortunately not yet seen, but this definitely makes me want to see more of his work) creates an intriguing, visually pleasing world with a message that he does not beat you over the head with but it is clear throughout the movie.

Reviewed by Ethan Sills Since the dawn of cinema, an inevitable part of nearly anything that happens in the world is that it will eventually inspire a movie. The more obvious forms of this are of course biopics and ‘based on a true story’ films. But then there are other things that merely inspire some attribute of a film in either a small or major way, but still encapsulate the same ideas of reflecting our world.

Her, one of the last of this year’s Best Picture nominees to make it to our cinemas and perhaps the most original, is the latter; a quirky little film that shines a spotlight upon our growing reliance on the internet, technology and

The actors are brilliant, especially Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson (who gives a powerful voice-over performance as Samantha). Amy Adams plays Theodore’s friend, also named Amy, and provides a nice touch of humanity and a voicing board for his quirks. And there is even a memorable voice-cameo by the talented Kristin Wiig early on in the movie. My only critique would be that it does feel drawn out a bit; the two hour running time was perhaps unnecessary. The end comes across rushed at the time, though after dwelling on it post-viewing I see it does make for a satisfying conclusion.

I implore everyone to go see this movie, both for the great leading performances and the social message Jonze is trying to tell us; this is perhaps the worst movie you could ever text in, and if you manage to survive without your phone for 126 minutes and simply savour Her for what it is, then you may see why it’s best you don’t touch it again.

Ready Player One Novel

By Ernest Cline

The catch is this; upon his death the creator of OAISIS revealed that he had hidden an ‘Easter egg’ within the system which can only be found by someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge of 80s pop culture (as the creator grew up in that timeframe). The reward for finding the Easter egg is control of the OAISIS network - a big deal considering the whole world uses the system so whoever finds the egg controls the world. Also there’s a manic pixie gamer dream girl and an Eeeevill corporation that wants to take over OAISIS and use it for Eeeevill purposes.

This is a pretty standard male power fantasy where a boy does something every boy loves, becomes really good at it, uses it to get a hot girl, save the world and gain self-confidence. The difference this book has is the hook of nostalgia porn - this book is 80s reference after reference after reference, and it’s done terribly. The 80s hook could work if it was done like the diner in Back to the Future 2 where it was purposefully done badly or intentionally over-romanticised, or even done cleverly. But instead we get lists - you would be reading and then you’d just come to a straight up list of 80s… things. Since the “Easter egg” is supposed to be suggested through the creator’s personality the author would come to a part in the story and just start saying “this character liked…” and list a whole bunch of games or movies or whatever, but since you are never introduced to this character you just don’t care. It also kinda sucks since at one point he lists authors and you just think “thanks Cline, you just reminded me of a shitload of better books I’d rather be reading”.

by Jamie Barnes Wade Watts is a disenfranchised youth living in a post-apocalyptic society where pollution has ravaged the world causing worldwide famine. His only refuge is OAISIS a matrix-esque computer system where he can log in and escape his miserable existence and run his day-to-day life in a virtual utopia.

True Detective Created by: Nic Pizzolatto Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan

What sets this behind similar books like Harry Potter or Enders Game is the sloppy writing; with other sci-fi books when they introduce the new technology you kind of just accept it which is fine but this book insists on explaining every little thing which in practice amounts to little more than just filler which is just plain boring.

a philosophical type damaged by his experiences in a drugs prevention taskforce, respectively. The two are former partners in the Louisiana State Police, and the show begins with them being interviewed in 2012 about their 1995 investigation into the murder of Dora Lange. What started as a simple murder case mutated into a full blown investigation into a number of missing women and children, with Hart and Cohle’s investigation shown side by side with their interrogation seventeen years later, as the case they thought they’d closed is potentially still open, and one of them may be involved.

I’ll make this simple: everything in this show is fantastic. The acting is great, the direction astonishing, the writing genius, the cinematography, the hair and make up, the set design, the camera work – hell, it even has a brilliant title sequence.

McConaughey and Harrelson make one of the best television pairings ever with their seamless chemistry, aided by another fantastic partnership of the writing and direction. Two people wrote and directed every episode respectively, a rarity in television, allowing a consistent beauty both visually and aurally throughout the series.

Reviewed by Ethan Sills For years, HBO has churned out hit after hit, giving us some of the biggest dramas and funniest comedies ever to be on TV. Many of you would be familiar with things like The Sopranos, Sex and the City and, of course, Game of Thrones but their latest offering, True Detective, is quite simply one of the best shows you will ever watch. This is a crime thriller show that blows every other crime show out of the water, and it will be a long time before anything manages to top this masterpiece.

True Detective stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as Marty Hart, a by the books, family man with a bit on the side, and Rustin ‘Rust’ Cohle,

But the thing I love most it is actually about the murder case. So many crime shows waste time with red herrings or boring side plots but True Detective keeps the story firmly on the case and the lives of its lead, looking at how they affect the case and how the case affects them, and there are few instances where it strays away. Admittedly, child murders have been done to dust, but at least this one was told so intricately and engrossingly.

It is rare for television to actually be perfect. Especially with multiple seasons, you usually end up with characters going stray or plotlines not paying off in the long run. But True Detective is a one off storyline, so you know at the start you will have a clear beginning, middle and end and that the case will be closed by the end of Episode Eight. It is like watching an eight hour movie, one that never ceases to amaze; if True Detective ain’t perfect, it’s pretty bloody close to being there.

33

FASHION ICONS OF THE 80's

by Nathalie Owen

These ten formidable women defined the style of the 1980’s, weather it was Madonna’s tutu skirts and lace gloves, Joan Collins iconic Dynasty look or Princess Diana’s royal elegance, these women were the style icons of a generation.

CHER

MOLLY RINGWALD

Cher’s Bob Mackie gown caused quite a stir at the 1986 Oscars.

Molly Ringwald was an 80s icon, a member of Hollywood’s infamous ‘Brat Pack’, Ringwald appeared in iconic films such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink.

JOAN COLLINS

BROOKE SHIELDS

GRACE JONES

MELANIE GRIFFITH

Big hats, shoulder pads and power suits defined Joan Collins character Alexis in the hit show Dynasty.

Supermodel Brooke Shields was the ‘It girl’ of the 80s, landing contracts with Calvin Klein and film roles such as Blue Lagoon.

Grace Jones’ distinctive androgynous look and unique voice propelled her into superstardom in the 1980s

Melanie Griffith’s power suits in the 1988 film Working Girl was a defining fashion moment for the then up and coming actress

MICHELLE PFEIFFER

PRINCESS DIANA

MADONNA

DEBBIE HARRY

Madonna solidified her status as the new Queen of pop at the 1984 VMA’s.

Queen of punk Debbie Harry was known for her effortlessly cool style in the 80s.

Michelle Pfeiffer’s 1983 breakout Princess Diana of Wales is one of the performance in Scarface turned her into a most iconic figures of our time and a Hollywood legend. leading fashion icon, pictured here on a royal tour of Hong Kong in 1988.

EXPORT 1.4ltr SUPER JUGS from 12pm

TUI 1.4ltr SUPER JUGS from 12pm

WOODY WEDNESDAY from 12pm *CONDITIONS APPLY

EXPORT EXTRA COLD 1.8ltr JUGS from 12pm *CONDITIONS APPLY

TGIF! TUI LAGER 1.8ltr JUGS

from 12pm - heaps of other specials at the bar!

35

www.vesbar.co.nz

www.facebook.com/vesbar

HURRY IN!

25% off all 2014 diaries and * wallplanners

Stock will vary between stores. NETT Price - no further discounts.

*