In Unison, empathy vs apathy - 2009 by USU Students' Association at Unitec

The Empathy vs. Apathy Issue

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 1

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NEED MONEY? MAKE A FAKE CHARITY / NEWS NZ’S DIRTY SECRET / INSIDE FAMILY VIOLENCE

Issue 08

AT ’A SSOCIATION

30/07/2009 6:21:37 p.m.

USU SPORT, SEMESTER TWO EVENTS INTER TERTIARY LEAGUE Fortnightly competition between Unitec, AUT, Auckland Uni, Massey Albany and MIT. Aims to be a high standard of competition with institutes competing in Mixed Touch and Volleyball, Mens Football and Basketball and Women’s Netball.

TAG TOURNAMENT - 4 SEPTEMBER This will be the second year this tournament is being run. Tag Tournament is a one day, on campus event where students create their own teams and take part. This is a great social sports day and includes prizes and lunch.

FOOTBALL WORLD CUP - 18 SEPTEMBER Football World Cup is an annual tournament that is in its 4th year running. It is a one day, on campus tournament where students are invited to create their own teams and adopt a country to represent on the day. It is a great day out and includes prizes and lunch.

BLUE AWARDS - 16 OCTOBER

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For more information about sport at Unitec visit www.usu.co.nz Or contact Narissa, the USU Sports Co-ordinator

STU

The Blue Awards are a celebration of students who perform highly within their chosen sporting code and also excel academically. An awards dinner is held in October in recognition of their achievements and Unitec Sports Person of the Year is awarded.

AT ’A SSOCIATION

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ususport@unitec.ac.nz

30/07/2009 6:21:43 p.m.

The Empathy vs. Apathy Issue, 3rd August 2009, www.usu.co.nz/inunison

’A SS

ITE

usu OCIATION

STU

regulars

Family Violence, Make it Your Problem

How I Made a Fake Charity

NZ’s Dirty Secret

Editorial

Comics/Whats Hot

Tirade

Fashion on Campus

News

Photos

17 23

Gig Guide

23 25

Newsbot

Reviews

Band/Grad profile

Recipes

Whakarongo Mai Sport/Dear Barbie

Contents

features

USU STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION AT UNITEC

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES: ph. (09) 815 4321 ext 7927 inunison@unitec.ac.nz PO Box 44016, Pt Chevalier

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: ph. (09) 815 4321 ext. 7384 usuadvertising@unitec.ac.nz

CREDITS EDITOR: Stacey Knott DESIGNER: Erin Gaffney COVER PHOTO: Erin Gaffney

CONTRIBUTORS Joseph Harper / Megha Kehar / Stephanie McColl / Ravi Bhat Savannah MacIntosh / Greg Powell / NMA / Nicholas Mark The Goose / Newsbot / Barbie

In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 3

DISCLAIMER Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Submission and contributors are welcome, but the publisher reserves the right to select and edit the material submitted. Materials submitted will remain property of the publisher, unless alternative arrangements are made.

30/07/2009 6:21:48 p.m.

editorial

EMPATHY... Should morons who write manipulative questions be allowed to breed in New Zealand? That question makes about as much sense as the question you are going to be asked in an upcoming referendum about giving children the same rights to protection from assault as adults, or for that matter animals. I’m talking about the so-called anti-smacking referendum which is going to ask you this ridiculous question: Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?

Hurting a child... does not make sense to me.

”

Dear...

In 2007, Green MP Sue Bradford had a Private Member’s Bill passed to remove Section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961, before this change; parents could use the defence of “reasonable force” to “correct” a child’s behaviour. Before this was repelled, this defence let parents get away with hitting children with bamboo sticks, belts, hose pipes, wood and restraining them with metal chains. This law change pissed off some New Zealanders who still wanted to be able to get away with hitting their kids if they ever went to court over it. One of these pissed-off people was Larry Baldock who gained 310,000 signatures to initiate a citizen’s referendum to try and get the defence reinstated. He wrote the question for this up-coming referendum, but with the intention of getting everyone to vote ‘no’ so wrote it in an incredibly misleading and manipulative way. Firstly, it is not just about smacking, it is about using any kind of physical force on a child, secondly, it asks the voter to make a value judgement by using the word “good” which pretty much predetermines the answer. People may be drawn to answering no, on the basis that what is good cannot be bad. The way it is written suggests good parents will be made criminals. I liken this question to “Should a smack as part of good spousal correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?” or “Should a smack as part of good employment correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?” There has been plenty of wrong information spread around since the passing of this Bill, with many parents believing they will be thrown in jail for smacking their kid on the bum. Use commonsense, this is not going to happen. The police have been using their discretion on how to apply this law, and no one has been prosecuted for “smacking” since it was introduced. Parents can and still do use physical force to keep their children safe, like restraining them from doing something that will hurt them – like running onto a road. Further, this referendum is costing you, the tax-payer $9 million. Seeing as it is not legally binding, it is a depressing waste

of money. Imagine if that money was put into the social welfare system, into the family violence campaign, or the health system? The thing is, Parliament is set to review this law later this year to see if it is working. That process is effective and a hell of a lot cheaper than this referendum. “Correcting” behaviour with violence flies in the face of the steps New Zealand is making in realising it is not OK to abuse your family, that there are other methods to control anger and get your point across, with this law, we are passing on this message to the younger generations by controlling our own anger or frustration and keeping our hands to ourselves. Hurting a child, someone who you would presumably want to keep safe, secure and innocent for as long as possible, does not make sense to me. While most would argue smacking is not a form of child abuse, research has shown smacking can lead to child abuse and increase the chance of the child going on to abuse their own partner or child. There is also the question of where does the smack end? If a child becomes immune to it, then what is next? A slap, a punch, a kick? If you hurt a child enough and make it routine, then serious problems are going to occur. Because I don’t have kids you may be thinking it’s easy enough for me to have these opinions, I don’t know how frustrating they can be, and that talking to them does not always work, but I do know that teaching them with violence is the easy way out. Think about their future way of thinking, teaching them by being reasonable is surely going to better their lives? Hurting someone to get them to do what you want is not healthy, it does not teach a child, it will just make them fear you, the person they are meant to trust the most. When it comes down to it, this legislation is just keeping us up to the standards set by the United Nations. Article 29 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states signatories, which includes New Zealand, should take “all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.” Your ballot paper should be arriving in your mailbox soon, and voting closes Friday August 21st. Please take the empathic approach to children and vote Yes in the upcoming referendum. Let’s keep New Zealand progressive. Stacey Knott In Unison Editor, 2009

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30/07/2009 6:22:18 p.m.

WHAT’S HOT

1 2

Sometimes I act normal, some of them I don’t trust. Yeah I do.

ALBERT THE DOG

I lick their faces then they give me the cash.

I listen to them but don’t give them money.

2 3 4 5 6

Not really, I should. No, it shouldn’t.

I don’t smack my kids because I don’t have hands. Biting is better.

WHAT’S NOT

I think about how tasty they are.

Fashion beauty music @ the Kelliher Estate Puketutu Island / Auckland airport area, Saturday 21 November, invite only!

Lil Angel

2 3

David Farrier’s upcoming trip to Mongolia to make a film about his hunt for the Mongolian Death Worm

5 AC/DC in New Zealand February 2010 6 Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lover’s Fragrance in

BAPTASGE VAN RNRETERGHEM

Dane Cook Comedian

3 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay 4

I’m going to vote for no smacking.

HOT AND NOT

Syrah 2007

TEDDY DEMISSE

2 3

etc. etc.

VOX POP

1.HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN CHARITY COLLECTORS APPROACH YOU ON THE STREET? 2.DO YOU THINK ABOUT ANIMAL RIGHTS WHEN YOU BUY MEAT OR COSMETICS? 3.WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE UP-COMING REFERENDUM, DO YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL TO SMACK KIDS?

Wearing leggings as jeans when you don’t have the legs for them Beastie Boys Cancelling their UK Tour Advertisements for New Years Eve 2010 Woman, 67, stuck in toilet for week Hot Pink Lycra Bebo

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30/07/2009 6:23:21 p.m.

usu president’s tirade

HELLO...

Tirade

Empathy Vs Apathy ... Well next to peddling bottled water, probably full of chemicals to make you all feel even more apathetic about being a student, handing over thousands to come here and allow me to have a job. How about going home and drinking good old New Zealand tap water, clean and clear, full of fluoride, good for breaking down the masses into non caring, apathetic slugs. What is actually going on with the world? How about Grand Theft Auto, where to boost your life you go pick up a hooker, in your stolen car, find somewhere quiet to get the nasty on, kick her out of the car and pop a cap in her head so that you can steal the money back!!! No longer does the world need to get up off of the couch to feel emotionally part of whatever the media feel like feeding you that week. This 24/7, instant gratification through instant global media communications is overloading us and destroying our will to stand up and be present. Let’s stand up and slay the empathy of apathy! Get up off your couch, shut the lid on your laptop and Facebook, throw down that magazine or cell phone and declare to the world that you are not a market share; a number. Get out there and taste the world and its goings on. Stand up and shout to the world, I AM ME AND I THINK THIS!!!

have placed upon the English speaking world, and at least half of the rest. For simply being the worst television programme in the history of man, just above Teletubbies. You have been nominated as Wanker of the week…

DUDE OF THE DAY…

Unitec has recently awarded Lyonel Grant, the Master Carver of the newest building here at Unitec, Te Noho Kotahitanga, an honorary doctorate. Lyonel has used old Maori construction methods that have not been applied to a Marae in 120 years. To Lyonel for being a teacher, leader, dreamer, visionary and all out advocate for what is Maori, you are a Dude.

WANKER OF THE WEEK…

Until next rant, Greg Powell USU Student President 2009

To the creator of “America’s Funniest Videos”, for the killing of good peoples souls and brain cells. For the inhumanities that you

ADAM

General Exec usu@unitec.ac.nz

TOGIA

General Exec usu@unitec.ac.nz

PETE

General Exec usu@unitec.ac.nz

Treasurer usu@unitec.ac.nz

THANINDU

MANUAL

Post-Graduate Rep usu@unitec.ac.nz

Maori Rep usu@unitec.ac.nz

HANELLE

NATASCHA

International Rep usu@unitec.ac.nz

DIANE

Waitakere Rep usu@unitec.ac.nz

AJAY

Vice President usuvp@unitec.ac.nz

THE USU EXEC

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30/07/2009 6:23:47 p.m.

Studies Interior Design. We like her eclectic style and use of colour.

caption comp

LIVE OWEN

fashion on campus

FASHION ON CAMPUS

CAPTION COMP

SHAUN VAUGHAN

Studies Sport. Skinny jeans are big this winter.

THIS WEEK’S PIC COME UP WITH A CAPTION FOR THIS PHOTO AND BE IN TO WIN A DOUBLE SKY CITY MOVIE PASS! Email your caption to: inunison@unitec.ac.nz Competition closes: 29th July

MAI FONUA

Studies Tourism. Nice use of black and white. We like her appropriate use of leggings. Keep you leggings under the skirt ladies!

CHARLOTTE DODSON Studies Interior Design. Excellent casual outfilt.

LAST WEEK’S WINNER “Having enlarged her breasts by 6 sizes for the competition Susie was gutted to find out that she had not won the guiness world record for the largest breasts but she was pleasently suprised to recieve the unexpected world record for the stupidest reason to undergo life threatning breast enlargment surgery”

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30/07/2009 6:25:10 p.m.

news

Read me...

O’BRIEN PLEADS GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER, ACCUSED OF A HISTORY OF ‘TROUBLE MAKING’

By Stacey Knott

Bio O’Brien pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Auckland District Court last Tuesday. O’Brien was a civil engineering student at Unitec when his BMW collided with 78-year-old Jasmatbhai Patel’s van on Carrington Road, outside gate four on April 7. O’Brien then got out of his BMW, pulled Mr Patel from his van and beat him so badly he was taken to intensive care, but died the next day from head and brain injuries. The assault happened in front of children from Gladstone Primary School who were standing across the road, and a bus full of intermediate students on their way to school. One of these children wrote on the In Unison website “it was horrific. He would not stop punching Mr Patel. And then our bus arrived and we didn’t know whether or not Mr Patel was alive or dead. And then we all got interviewed by the police and had to imagine it all over again.” The prosecutions’ summary of facts said that O’Brien hit Mr Patel around the head and then pushed him with both hands in the chest, which sent him falling back onto the kerb, where he hit his head. This caused fracturing to the base of his skull and opened a head wound which, along with his left ear, began bleeding profusely. Now that O’Brien has admitted his guilt, Unitec has said he can not be a student at Unitec. “Bio O’Brien is no longer enrolled as a Unitec student due to his inability to

attend classes. In general, students who are unable to attend classes will be withdrawn from their programme when the Institute is made aware of changes to their personal circumstances that prevent them from attending,” a spokesperson says. A 21-year-old Auckland woman named Latoya told In Unison she knew O’Brien well through the Tuvaluan community. When she first saw O’Brien was accused of the assault, she says she was not surprised. “I knew that was coming, I had a feeling. He’s got a real temper on him.” Latoya has known O’Brien for about ten years. She says “he’s the type of guy that is really creepy.” He comes across as really cocky... He used to get drunk and start trouble wherever, and whenever. He’s not a nice guy.” She told In Unison that in the Tuvaluan youth community all the girls knew him as a “wannabe player”, and so avoided him. Latoya says due to an experience she had with O’Brien when she was younger, she believes he is “the type of guy to beat up women or forcefully do stuff to women.” She says he is a “cocky, forceful guy (but) only to people he knows are vulnerable and weak.” In Unison also spoke to O’Brien’s mother-in-law Sarai Tufala who says O’Brien is remorseful over what happened, but feels her son-in-law has been portrayed wrongly. “If he was so brutal why are there

no records like that of him in the Islands or here?” She says that O’Brien disputed the summary of facts that said he physically assaulted Mr Patel by punching him. “In this particular case he hasn’t violently, brutally or physically assaulted Mr Patel. “I don’t want to say anything like he’s a good boy, it will minimise what he did.” Mrs Tufala says there was no pathological evidence to back up the punching claim. She says O’Brien claimed he did not punch or strike Mr Patel at all; rather he dragged him by the shirt, and later pushed him over. “They were both denying responsibly over who caused the accident but Bio knew that his car was damaged and it was a BMW so he wanted Mr Patel to have a look at it, but he refused to.” Mrs Tufala says that from the beginning of the case, O’Brien was always going to plead guilty. When asked about his time in prison, Mrs Tufala says “it would be good for him to learn lessons”. She wanted to say sorry to Mr Patel’s family, but was legally advised not to contact them. When asked how her daughter was feeling she says “we are just thinking about the other side of the family whatever she is feeling the other side is feeling worse.” She says justice has been served for Mr Patel. O’Brien is due back before the court in late September for sentencing.

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30/07/2009 6:25:15 p.m.

An ex-international Unitec student recently hacked into the Unitec website in protest of not being allowed back into New Zealand. The hacker, who goes by the online name Hieupc posted a message on July 20 saying he was an international student at Unitec but didn’t get to finish his degree because his visa renewal was denied. The Unitec website was down for two days and then on July 24 he hacked into the Auckland University website. Hieupc, who had been studying the English language at Unitec from May until December last year, told In Unison he hacked into the sites to get his message across, stating he was set-up for fraud by a Chinese flatmate. Hieupc says the flatmate set him up for credit card fraud, by using his TradeMe account and bank account to sell tickets he had bought with stolen credit card details. When the fraud was linked back to Hieupc, his bank account and TradeMe accounts were closed, and the police started an investigation into the credit card fraud. By this point, the flatmate had left Auckland, and Hieupc could not contact him. “Next days, that was terrible days for me. I couldn’t imagine that happened to me. I was so scared and I don’t want to go to a jail. I want to continue my study but it’s impossible,” Hieupc says. He and his sister refunded the money to the TradeMe buyers which he says cost him dearly. He says he then went back to Vietnam to take care of his sick mother in the term break, and when he went to renew his visa to come back to New Zealand, it was denied. “That’s the end of my life, my future.”

However, a spokesperson for TradeMe and a festival organiser who was caught up in the fraud believed Hieupc admitted to the fraud. Chris Budge, TradeMe’s Trust and Safety Manager confirmed TradeMe investigators spoke to Hieupc and his sister over the issue at the time. He said that stolen credit cards were used to buy tickets online from Ticketek and Ticketmaster. When the charges for the tickets came up on people’s balances, they got in touch with their banks, the tickets were cancelled and the money refunded to the card owners. It was up to Hieupc and his sister to refund the money to the TradeMe members. If they had not, a criminal complaint against Hieupc would have been considered, Mr Budge says. Hieupc was also accused of using stolen credit cards to buy tickets for the New Years festival Phat 09. The festival organiser Dave White says Hieupc used stolen Amex credit card numbers bought overseas to purchase Phat09 tickets. When the organisers were told about it they tracked the numbers and cancelled the tickets. Mr White said it was a situation where everyone involved lost out. In regards to the hacking, Hieupc says he was surprised at how easy it was to hack into the Unitec site, criticising its security levels. He found a bug on the site, and then hacked into the server. A Unitec spokesperson said this was the first time since the website’s inception in 1998 that a security breach of this sort has occurred. Unitec responded by upgrading the current level of security to ensure there is no further re-occurrence.

news

By Stacey Knott

CHANGES FOR UNITEC PROPOSED By Stacey Knott

Me too...

UNITEC WEBSITE BROUGHT DOWN BY EX-STUDENT

Unitec has grand plans for the problemridden Applied Technology Institute (UATI) buildings and the Hub. Work has begun to house a new multi-disciplinary workshop for students and staff at UATI. The project will cost $1.3 million, funding from the Government was secured before it announced there would be no more funding of capital investment for tertiary providers. The project to upgrade UATI is going to be split into stages to upgrade and improve facilities, the first step is to develop a new “flexi workshop” behind building 98. Unitec chief executive Rick Ede says the redevelopment is an acknowledgment of the fact that the “facilities are not what you would call cutting edge.” Dr Ede says the workshop will allow staff and students to use the same space for multiple purposes. “The ideal space for trades’ facilities these days is a really big shed that you can configure in different ways, all wired up and connected with IT and services that has great storage but doesn’t restrict you to working in a workshop that can take a maximum number of 16 students.” This is expected to be completed by early 2010. Proposals for the next step of the UATI developments are currently being written. Once written, the proposals will be taken to the Unitec council to allocate money to the project. Dr Ede hopes UATI will be completed by the first semester of 2011, but says this is “a pretty tough ask.” Unitec is also looking into redeveloping the Hub, taking a “holistic” approach to informal learning facilities. He says the aim will be to create a one-stop-shop with more open spaces, IT facilities, a student help desk and cafes. This will also go through the Unitec Property Investment Committee to get money set aside for it in upcoming budgets. Dr Ede says the first stage of the redevelopments will be completed at the end of next year and the second stage at the end of 2011. He says they are planning something similar for the northern end of campus as well. Dr Ede says the USU has been involved in proposals for changes to the Hub, “to consolidate student’s views” however, the USU did not disclose their proposal details to In Unison in time to print.

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30/07/2009 6:25:16 p.m.

news

GOVERNMENT CUTS AT COST OF SOLO TERTIARY STUDENTS

Read me...

By Nicholas Mark

Over 4500 sole parenting tertiary students may have their studies affected after the Government released in May’s Budget that the Training Incentive Allowance (TIA) no longer applies for those who seek tertiary level education. The Ministry of Social Development says the restrictions that deny assistance to any single parent enrolled in courses at level four or involved in higher education are “in place to treat everyone fairly.” It states that, “There remains a whole package of support available to people who are on a benefit and want to study at lever four and above.” However when fulltime Unitec student Ana* went to her local Work and Income New Zealand with quotes for her textbooks and childcare costs they told the mother of four she no longer qualified for the Training Incentive Allowance and she did not qualify for any assistance because of a surplus of $4.50. She was outraged. Ana uses the TIA to pay for the childcare of her two younger children and to provide assistance with course materials like textbooks that she no longer can afford. Close to completing her degree, she admits that this is a blow, “I am nearly finished, I have two semesters left but something like this could deter me from finishing studies and what about the other single parenting mothers out there?” For a single parent, childcare in Auckland can range from $40 to $70 per day. At $40 per day, three full days is $120, over a period of 10 weeks this is $1200. This is without consideration for care in the evenings, when classes are scheduled or even during exam times. The Ministry of Social Development advises that a student loan is perhaps a way to help reduce costs for single parenting students. The course related cost gives a maximum amount of $1000 per year which will need to be repaid once earning over the minimum of $19,084 per annum. Naomi Strickland, a single parenting mother and fulltime Unitec student says “the allowance only covers a bare minimum as it is.The TIA works for those who are studying part time. For single parents like me studying full time it covers six of my courses but it’s still not enough, I’m still left to cover for my other two papers.” In 2003 an evaluation of the TIA indicated that beneficiaries who received the allowance also spent less time receiving any type of welfare. Social Development Minister Paula Bennett, a former single parent beneficiary who during the 1990s gained a degree in social work is the Minister who made the cuts. The TIA will be reduced by up to $3.6 million next year. In 2013 the total reduction of $8.7 million is expected. While the Minister may argue that the recession is cause for the cuts in the Budget, this will be at a huge cost for our single parenting tertiary students. * last name withheld

EXECUTION, 30 APRIL: By Stacey Knott The USU exec met at a new time for their fortnightly meeting, which meant some members could not attend, while others, namely Adam Brakey just decided not to show up, without notice. The exec decided to pay themselves at this meeting, accepting their honoraria reports for the last quarter, which USU student president Greg Powell has yet to show In Unison. President Greg Powell presented his president’s report, which included a congratulations to Maori representative Hannelle Harris for her work on the Runanga committee. The praise didn’t end there, Powell later lavished the exec in praise stating “you guys have been the most effective and diligent exec”. They also discussed the USU applying for grants to put on its events, because the budget is “very, very tight”, and a lot of the USU’s money goes into putting on its events. However allowing the sponsorship and events people to do this will be under scrutiny and the exec requested they be constantly updated, with Powell saying “I don’t like to hand over total reign to someone.” He also brought up the exec’s recent scrutiny in In Unison, admitting the exec has work to do to get better at what they do. They also discussed carver Lyonell Grant getting an honorary doctorate from Unitec for building its marae, of which the exec are working on getting students’ access to. Lastly they discussed the upcoming elections for next years’ exec, Powell cannot run for president but member Pete Hodkingson said he would. Most of the others said they did not want to run again next year. President’s Right of Reply: Adam did give an apology but it was not in an email form so was lost in the process of creating the agenda. He was in Fiji and the only wrong he has done is to forget to email what he told Lynn in passing.

BUILDING ONE NOODLE BLUES By Joseph Harper Students studying in Building One on Unitec’s Mount Albert campus have made complaints about the removal of the student microwave and vending machines from what was once a student common room but is now the site of the Long Black Café. Dan McGovern, owner of the Long Black Café, says the vending machines were moved to the hall outside the café purely for security reasons. “We spent a lot of money, and put so much stuff in there… it was a matter of making the coke vending machines accessible to students after 10:30pm.” He says the microwave was removed by Unitec’s facilities management when they removed the dilapidated couches and armchairs which previously occupied the common room space. USU’s education coordinator, Louise Allen says the USU has taken on student concerns, and a solution is currently being looked into, but as yet there are no definite happenings. Mr McGovern says the Long Black has no problem with students eating their non-Long Black lunches on their premises.“We’re putting a lot of effort into creating an area of community, for staff and students… Creating a warm area for students is our primary concern.”

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30/07/2009 6:25:21 p.m.

A confidential memo from David Guerin, executive director of the National Association for Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics, has been leaked to the Sunday StarTimes, which reveals the Government’s plans to radically overhaul the way in which polytechnics and institutes of technology (such as Unitec) are operated in this country. The memo outlined Education Minister Anne Tolley’s plans to introduce new legislation within the next couple of months, which would see all institute’s governing councils cut from their current numbers of between 14 and 20, to a mere eight. These cuts would result in around 250 councillors around the country losing their seats on the council. The proposed new eight member structure would see councils made up of the chief executive, an academic board

representative, a student representative, four ministerial appointees, and one member co-opted by the council. The chairman would be appointed by Ms Tolley. Ms Tolley is yet to comment on the leaked memo, but her office has released a press statement addressing the proposed restructuring, and the reasons behind it, in which she stated: “People in the sector have reported that current governance structures could be refined to achieve stronger and more effective outcomes.The issue is being considered by government though final decisions have not been taken as yet. The minister has had ongoing discussions on governance issues with ITP councils and chief executives and will continue to do so.” At this stage most organisations are remaining tight-lipped, and in keeping with this line, when asked by In Unison, Unitec declined the opportunity to comment.

ATTACK OF THE BENNETT By Nicholas Mark A storm brewed last week around Social Development Minister Paula Bennett when she released the income details of two sole parenting beneficiaries who were planning to pursue tertiary education next year. Jennifer Johnston and Natasha Fuller are two beneficiaries who were relying on the Training Incentive Allowance to assist them, but are now the subject of intense debate after details of their income was released by Ms Bennett’s office. In Unison asked Ms Bennett why she released the information. “We felt all the information needed to be out there in the interests of fairness. We were being criticised for not providing enough support to people on the DPB to enable them to study,” her office replied. The Green Party’s Social Development spokesperson Sue Bradford says, “Paula Bennett’s release of personal details of two women on the Domestic Purposes Benefit who dared to go public about cutbacks to the TIA is an outrage.” During an interview on Campbell live Ms Bennett said the women’s benefits were justified. “They are totally entitled

to that money.” Despite this the women have become controversial targets, and have been attacked on the internet and radio as “parasites on society”. When In Unison asked the Minister’s office if the release of the information was an intimidation tactic, a spokesperson said “not at all, I think these are two women who have stood up for what they believed in, and good on them.” Despite this, the two women believe that the issue is with the assistance while continuing higher education. Jordan King, co-president of the New Zealand Union of Students Associations agrees, “the core issue for students is the unjustified scrapping of such a constructive and helpful allowance that for many years has helped people into higher education, and then into the job market.” Ms Bennett is a past recipient of the TIA while a beneficiary and urges single parenting students to, “Back yourself, this Government is backing you as well.” The NZUSA is calling for the Minister to abandon the cuts and to reinstate the Training Incentive Allowance immediately.

news

By Joseph Harper

KEEP YOUR MEAT PIE OUT OF THE RECYCLING BINS By Megha Kehar

Me too...

FAT CATS IN IVORY TOWERS SOON TO LOSE THEIR MARBLE THRONES? AND OTHER SENSATIONALIST JOURNALISTIC CONDIMENTS…

Mounting environmental concerns and the increasing cost of waste disposal has led Unitec to step up its recycling programme. Unitec’s safety and security manager Frank Webb says even though Unitec has always recycled, there is a greater need now to minimise the amount of waste that ends up in Auckland City Council’s landfills. “We want to increase the amount of recycling that occurs and the reasons are obvious. It’s mainly about sustainability,” he says. The waste paper collected at Unitec goes to a pulping mill through a contractor. Items that cannot be recycled end up in landfills. “Waste disposal is by no means cheap. The council has introduced a $10 levy on waste disposal, which is over and above what it used to be,” he says. The charges used to be borne by the contractor but that is not the case anymore. “When the petrol prices go up, you start thinking about shortening your trip. The same principle applies to recycling,” Mr Webb says. “It’s so people will have more inclination to reduce the waste.” He says “commingled recycling”, where one bin receives a wide range of materials, is a problem area though. “We’ve always had commingled recycling bins in place but Unitec wants to increase the number now,” he says. However, if a commingled bin is contaminated with organic waste to a level of 15 to 20 percent, the waste has to be consigned to a landfill. “The machinery can’t handle that kind of waste. It becomes too difficult to sort the waste out so it ends up in our landfill anyway,” Mr Webb explains. He says for the recycling project to be a success, it is imperative students and staff are educated about putting the waste in the right bin. “There is no punishment if someone puts food waste in commingle bins. The problem is who do you punish? We could install a video surveillance camera over the bins but the amount of time required to analyse the video will be huge,” Mr Webb says. Unitec aims to reduce the amount of cross contamination via education and publicity, he says.

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feature To get a real feeling for what I was writing about, I took to the streets of Auckland Central, Newmarket and Mount Albert with a black eye and a graze to my chin (done with special effects makeup) to see how people would react, and to see how it felt to be a walking victim for a day. I had many one-on-one encounters with people in shops and on the street, but no one said a thing. Some people looked at me then clearly looked away, others avoided eye-contact, and it took longer than usual for some shop assistants to assist me. While I did not have any clear expectations of what this experiment would entail, I thought that at least one person might ask me about the bruises, even in passing. If I were a man, sporting a black eye, I’m sure reactions would be different. I went to a travel agent and had a conversation about the prices in the window. I went to the Karen Walker store in Newmarket, and as the only customer in the store, the assistants looked uncomfortable but still endeavoured to show me their latest lookbook. I even asked about eye-makeup at the Body Shop which, ironically, is doing a campaign on the anti-smacking referendum, yet they had no comments about my face. I am certain that as soon as I left stores, or walked past people

together on the street, they would have talked about the young lady with the bruised face. Family violence often happens behind closed doors and the evidence, as in facial bruising, is kept hidden until it’s healed. I’m sure my blatant exhibition of my injuries made many people feel uncomfortable, but it really did make me question why no one asked if I was ok. I started to understand the sense of shame some victims may feel about being bruised and beaten by the person who is meant to love them, especially when no one else I passed on the streets was sporting bruises. I wondered what people were thinking of me; were they wondering who did this? If I was beaten by a partner, had I left them, and if not, why? Staying with an abusive partner is something I grappled to understand, so I asked the Auckland City Police District’s family violence coordinator, Detective Senior Sergeant Vaughn Graham, why someone would stay in a relationship where they were being hurt; he believes there are many reasons. He notes that relationships will rarely start out violent, but it is something that will happen over time, after trust has been built up. “They are sort of wooed into that relationship - not coerced and forced into it straight away. It’s not always an apparent trap, it’s a

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The Auckland City District Police give top-priority to family violence callouts because of the safety concerns. The police usually arrive within ten minutes of receiving the call, and will investigate the matter and gain statements from the victim and any witnesses. They need to work on the basis that the complainant will, at some stage, be reluctant to participate in the prosecution process because of the nature and relationship they share with the offender, so they will speak to neighbours, other witnesses, as well as the victim and also use the 111 calls as evidence. They also try to get information from the families involved. Graham says this can go either way: some families are really supportive while others are very protective, despite some horrific things happening in the families. Neighbours are usually good independent witnesses, who can provide good evidence. The problem is sometimes this evidence comes too late. Nia Glassie for example. The police collect all the evidence and, if they are satisfied an offence has been committed, they will arrest the offender, charge them, then hold them in custody to appear in court the next morning, where they will usually be bailed with the condition they have no contact with the victim. Whenever there is an arrest, advocates from Shine, an Auckland family violence victim support group, which works closely with the police, will go to the home to see the victim while the perpetrator is in custody. They will talk the victim through the court process, help them determine a plan to keep safe in the future and arrange a lawyer and refuge if needed.This will take an hour to an hour and a half, and Shine does about 20 of these a week. After the initial bailout, there is a three week wait until the offender appears in the Auckland Family Violence Court. This allows them time to engage a lawyer and get copies of all the police evidence.

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slow problem they find themselves in, and then they don’t have tools to get themselves back out.” The Auckland City District Police have a dedicated team to deal with family violence incidents. On average the police will attend 5000 callouts a year. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg; research shows this is only 10 to 15 percent of cases of family violence out there. This is because there is a stigma that is stopping people from speaking out and asking for help. This might be because it is too hard for a victim to admit they are in a bad situation, or it could be the fact that they don’t have the ability or know-how to ask for help, Graham says. Then there is the fear. “Offenders will often trap victims, (they will) isolate them. As easy as it is for other people to call the police and ask for help, some people are quite often too scared to.” Graham sees a range of people; sometimes they are a first time incident, which he says is fortunate because they can intervene early to prevent it from happening again, or they may be people the police have seen again and again. However, family violence does not discriminate by culture, religion or socio-economic standing.

This court is usually presided over by Judge Lex de Jong. This court is one of six in the country, the courts were set up with the purpose of getting both the victim and the offender the help they need. Sentences can range from making the offender attend a stopping violence programme – to teach them to live without violence, through to serving time in prison. De Jong says that with the establishment of these courts, there has been a huge turnaround in people’s guilty pleas in family violence cases. Before these courts it was about 80 percent pleading not guilty, now it is about 80 percent pleading guilty. At their first appearance at this court the offender will enter their plea. If it is a guilty plea for a first time offence of low-level violence, such as pushing or hitting on the shoulder, de Jong says they will give the offender the chance to be discharged without conviction, but they must work for it. They will have to go to a stopping violence programme and often alcohol and drug counselling, because about 90 percent of the attacks happen when the offender is on drugs or alcohol. Most stopping violence programmes last for 20 weeks, and the court monitors the offender’s progress. They will go back to court after about 12 weeks with a letter from the programme provider to make sure they are attending, and then the third and final court appearance will happen when they have finished the programme, and they will tell the judge what they learnt from the programme. As long as they have no other convictions in that time, they attend all the counselling sessions, and the victim does not complain again, they will be discharged without conviction. However, when it comes to serious incidents, there will be a conviction and the offender will also have to attend the stopping violence programmes. Some offenders will be supervised for a maximum of two years, depending on the problems. De Jong says this is a “last ditch effort get them to address problems.” He notes that the majority of people are going to reconcile with their partners, so the court needs to find ways for the offender to rehabilitate because often the victim will either say they want their partner to change, that they still love them, or feels safe and wants them to come home. I go along to one of the Family Violence Court list days. An assortment of people come draping in and out of the court; some look dishevelled, lacking in sleep with bloodshot eyes, wearing scruffy clothes, while others are in crisp shirts and clean suits. Many look morose. A 23-year-old Paheka man is called forward. His mother is in the gallery to support him and we learn that his partner, who he assaulted, is outside with his step-son. He is enrolled in a drug and alcohol counselling programme and relationship counselling. De Jong tells him he is responsible to set a good example for his child, as the child will follow what he does. He acknowledges the man’s guilty plea, and tells him the court is here to support him, not punish him. Later, a Middle Eastern man, here on a work permit with his family, was spoken to through an interpreter. He has completed the stopping violence course for a “single slap” and has since reconciled with his wife with who he shares a child of 14 months.

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De Jong asks him what he learnt through the programme. “I have learnt to control my anger and to use different methods to calm down and also to find alternatives to get out of a situation.” De Jong discharges him without conviction but says if it happens again, he will be treated in a very different way. “The responsibility rests on your shoulders.” Next, a Maori man named Marsh, who appears to be in his 30s, is in front of de Jong seeking bail. He denies the assault he has been arrested for on the weekend. However, he has nine pages of prior convictions. The man looks enraged as the complaint is read out. Marsh is accused of driving over the Harbour Bridge, with his partner and father in the car, swerving over the road and threatening to drive off the side of the bridge to kill them. In the process, he allegedly punched his partner twice in the mouth, struck her with a screwdriver, kicked her in the back, and strangled her until she lost consciousness. He is also accused of climbing through the woman’s window, and assaulting her while she was in bed. While Marsh denies the accusations, de Jong says the police have photographic evidence of the woman’s injuries. De Jong rules that Marsh is too high of a risk to the victim in this case, so is further remanded in custody.

The emphasis the criminal system now places on the seriousness of family violence is clear and, as recent research shows, society is catching on. This newfound concern can, in part, be attributed to the Campaign for Action on Family Violence which includes the It’s Not OK! campaign - best known for its effective ads that have played on TV since 2007. The campaign aims to increase visibility, understanding and personal relevance of family violence and to get people to act on it. Campaign manager Gael Surgenor says the campaign is about making family violence everyone’s business, and she feels this has been successful. A survey conducted last October, to look at the effectiveness of this campaign, found 95 percent of respondents recalled seeing the ads and over two thirds said they understood more about family violence because of this, and had discussed the issue. 20 percent of the respondents had taken some sort of action, such as talking to family or friends about violence they were worried about; this number was doubled for Maori and pacific respondents. Last year the emphasis was on getting the message across that family violence is never OK, this year they will be focusing on asking for help, and how to give help. “One thing we have discovered, as the campaign has gone along, is people do want to help and do want to intervene but they are not sure how to. “A lot of it is promoting ideas that it is acceptable to do it (get involved). If you did see someone with a black eye, or you did hear something, instead of thinking ‘that’s not my business I’m not going to do anything,’ think ‘I am going to do something.’” Surgenor points to the recent Sophie Elliott case as a good example of people close to the victim and perpetrator not recognising family violence. “A lot of the signs that she was in danger were there but no one recognised them because people don’t know them. If we came to a situation where most people acted when they suspected something,

we would save lives.” She says a key thing is to keep offering to help people if you are worried about them. “When someone dies, whether it’s a child like Nia Glassie or an adult like Sophie Elliott there are always people who knew something was going on but they didn’t do anything about it because they didn’t realise how serious it was.” The Campaign for Action on Family Violence has put out a book of family violence survivors’ true stories.The themes are obvious throughout; all eight writers had abusive parents, which in turn, led them to either becoming abusive to their partners and children, or end up in abusive relationships. However, all the stories detail the changes the writers make in their lives, and their violence-free outcomes. All of the writers end up in health or social-work related careers, using their experiences to help others. All stories describe the different forms of family violence- it’s not just physical, but can be sexual, emotional, financial, and psychological. In one of the stories, George writes about his extremely violent mother.“She’d strip us naked and send us outside to get a stick from the hedge. She’d tell us the dimensions of the stick she wanted, and we’d have to go outside in full view of the street and our friends and get one from the hedge in front of the house.” This kind of abuse followed him into his adult life, where he also beat his wife. However, he took a stopping violence course, and now lectures at a university and has been violence-free since 1993. Lorri writes her physically and sexually abusive childhood set her up “to be a walking target.” She ran away from home, was put in juvenile detention, and also got into abusive relationships. Because of her experiences she decided to set up a women’s refuge. She sums up what has become apparent in every story; “our culture doesn’t respect children and we are abusive towards them, and then as adults they get their own back on their parents and so the generational abuse continues. It is abuse – whether it is sexual, emotional, physical, financial or psychological. We continue to act it out one way or the other.”

While my personal experience left me disheartened, as Surgenor says, it will take time for people to start acting on what they see. Unitec graduate Jill Proudfoot is the client services director at Shine and also says that everyone should care because family violence affects the whole society, not just the people involved, as the campaign stories show. “If we have a violent-free society it benefits everybody. For example if children grow up in violent homes they are much more likely to become violent, flaunt the law themselves in various ways, it’s a huge cost to our society not only the human cost but the financial cost...so everyone needs to care.” Detective Senior Sergeant Vaughn Graham says family violence “really strikes at the heart of morals and who we are as a community and nation really. “If you argue on the side of ‘it’s not our problem’ then you need to look back on our morals…would you really say ‘it’s not my problem?’” asks Graham. What to do if you need help, or suspect someone does. • Call the Police: 111 • Are You Ok?: 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz • Auckland Women’s Refuge: 09 378 7635 www.womensrefuge.org.nz

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As much as the misanthrope in me wants to tell you that every idiot in Ponsonby is a total sucker and will shell out cash without any evidence that your charity is real, I’d be lying. It pays to forge up some evidence. There are a couple of things to consider here, and the first is non-physical evidence. You need to create a semi-convincing back story for your charity. Decide when it was created, maybe come up with a bogus founder with a charitable sounding name (like Douglas) and figure out the reason the charity was started. It’s probably a good idea to say that it’s a newish charity, which helps when explaining why the people you’re trying to get money off may not have heard of it. You should write out some kind of spiel, full of vivid verbs and adjective, about the good your charity does in the community, which you can recite/preach when you ask for donations. Think of it as selling a vacuum cleaner, but instead of accentuating the positives, you want to stress the negative circumstances you’re trying to combat. Physical evidence is the second thing which can help you to dupe the masses. I suggest making some kind of phoney brochure. It’s a simple and effective way to add a weight of authenticity to your bogus charity.

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This step is both crucial and easy. The key to manufacturing a charity which people will empathise with, and thus donate the big bucks to, is by covering as many bases as possible. It’s very important you include some downtrodden/minority element in your “cause”, as nobody’s going to give up any dough if it’s going towards affluent white men. I would recommend including children in there somewhere. Couple them with the word ‘impoverished’, and you’ll effortlessly conjure up vivid visions of flies and hungry, swollen bellies. I choose to name my charity, ’Te Mokopuna o te Kanga’, which translates to ’The Children of the Corn’. I found that translating my charity’s name into Maori added an element of social realism, and also allowed me to coat tail the recent Te Reo craze which is sweeping the nation. Keeping your charity local also has the inherent quality of exploiting the kind of lite-racism that is so present in our contemporary society. People will usually give to locally based unfortunates before they give to some foreign poverty goers. I billed my charity as one that helps give recession/poverty ridden Auckland youths a helping hand. I think adding an element of topicality is always a good idea, as you can make good use of ridiculous hysteria which is created en masse by the media. The recession is a really good example, as it is almost omnipresent, yet most people have slim to no understanding of it, which means they’re likely to blindly accept any ’truths’ you present them with.

People aren’t gonna just open up their wallets for any old bum. And they certainly won’t empathise with you if you look/act untrustworthy. That why it’s important to consider the way in which you go out collecting on your charity’s “first annual appeal”. Your appearance and your performance are what counts here. First off, you don’t want to intimidate. If you look too swanky or fashionable, it will hinder rather than help your cause. In saying this, you don’t want to look homeless. What you should be aiming for, is a sort of librarian-chic. Attempt to emulate the look of casual scout from the fifties, and you should be right. Wool is your friend here, jersey or sweater vest, as long as it’s v-neck. Don’t even think about sporting a t-shirt (unless you manufacture one with your charity’s logo on it (but then you’re taking this way too far)). Shirts/ blouses are the way to go. If you’re a guy, it’s a good idea to wear a tie as well. Allow them to think you are that serious about your cause. If you’re a lady, things are a little easier.The human species is voyeuristic and visually driven, so where guys have to dress to impress; you can probably get away with just flashing a bit of thigh/shoulder/bosom (depending on how many men and/or lesbians inhabit your chosen neighbourhood). If you’re not willing to show a bit of meat, you should probably try to emulate an English teacher, though one who’s a babe if possible. Props can also make you look authentic. Nestle a clipboard between one arm, and bring a red bucket with a slit in the lid. You’ll look just like one of those trustworthy as Amnesty International peoples. If you get the look right, the only thing you have to worry about is your collection technique. Figure out the person’s name, and then try to use it in every sentence. Maintain eye contact, but not in a creepy way. You should be confident but not aggressive. Niceness is also key. People like nice people, and their level of donation will usually reflect how much they like you. I found it was helpful to begin each begging session with, “kia ora”. Most people like to think they are culturally aware (pro-tane/wahine labelled toilets), and they will respond well to a little of the old Reo here and there. A word of warning though: don’t overdo it, especially if you aren’t Caucasian. If there’s anything that will rustle the feathers of (white) potential givers, it’s someone who is too ethnic. Once a person has donated, you’ll want to avoid any possible questions, and get out of there as quickly as possible.You don’t want to get caught up in the web of lies you’ll be spinning.

It’s as easy as that. Make sure you hit up a nice suburb, as you don’t want to waste your time by flogging a dead horse (stay out of Waterview) so to speak. If you follow my steps, you should be able to pull in some decent bread. I successfully scored from five different houses, and earned enough to buy a medium Chicken Mcnugget combo from McDonalds. It tasted extra delicious because of the sweet and sour sauce, and because I knew I’d earned it. Good luck moochers. See www.usu.co.nz/inunison for a video from this feature

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feature It has been an extremely hard day for you. As soon as you plonked yourself down on your chair in your coop-sized office cubicle, you realised you could not log in to Facebook. No random strokes of witticisms in the form of status updates to be shared today, no commenting on photos and looking through albums of friends of friends is certainly out of question. Oh misery. You soon realise it is not just Facebook. The Internet is down today. So almost instinctively you locate Counterstrike on your computer. “File corrupt,” the system unapologetically informs you. It’s a day when nothing seems to comply with your simple wishes. Seven hours have gone by and all you have done is gnawed on various computer cables, one colour at a time. Total emptiness has started to take control over your brain. All you want to do is go home and scream into a pillow and punch cushions. Oh there is nothing that could make this day any worse, except the realisation that this is exactly what every day is going to be like – for the rest of your life. You feel like a caged animal suffering the death of one brain cell at a time, as mind-numbing nothingness slowly draws you towards a state of paranoia. Suddenly someone switches the light on and you wake up with a jolt. The nightmare is over. But for hundreds and thousands of farm animals across New Zealand, the actual and absolute every day reality is only a thousand times more miserable and abject, and the only likely end to which is a sharp hack of the butcher’s knife. The farm animals probably pray for such an end to their morose existence in captivity. Most of us like to think of ourselves as nice, peaceful individuals but don’t realise that our apathy towards animals starts as early as the morning breakfast. All the meat that we consume throughout the day comes from animals that were not only mercilessly butchered but also made to suffer an intolerable life consisting of overcrowded pens and crates so small and cramped, it’s impossible to turn around. It is easy to be oblivious to these animals’ misery but there are some who feel strongly enough about it to go out of their way to bring about a change. Diane Smith is a volunteer for SAFE (Saving Animals From Exploitation), a New Zealand-based animal rights organisation. Every now and then she and other SAFE volunteers dress as sows and go around Central Auckland campaigning against cruelty towards factory farmed animals.

She says she gives up her time because she feels the need to empathise with all factory-farmed animals. “People generally empathise with dogs because they’re companion animals, because you can see their character and relate to them. They can’t do the same for farm animals, so it is hard to empathise with them,” Smith says. She says farm animals are treated as little more than machines. “Comedian Mike King went to some of these farms and saw the state of these animals. He could see that these animals are suffering from depression. He was able to see it in their eyes. They displayed stereotypical behaviour like animals in zoos. It’s repetitive behaviour – like monkeys pull out their own fur, leopards walk around the cage endlessly,” she says. The animals are doomed in these conditions, she adds. Summer Smith is a vegan-turned-vegetarian-turned-“flexitarian” who lives and studies in Auckland. She says she eats whatever she wants but wishes she didn’t. Summer says she is “consumed with guilt” whenever she eats meats or any dairy products. “I know how important it is for the environment to at least be vegetarian if not vegan, but I can’t help it because it so difficult to find cheap and easy vegetarian options while I’m studying and living in the city,” she says. “A lot of vegan food needs to be cooked and my flat doesn’t have all the facilities for it,” she adds. Summer says it’s really easy to forget animal suffering and how bad meat farming is for the environment if it’s “not in your face reminding you all the time”. “It’s one of those things that’s really easy to forget about if it’s not in front of you, kind of like you shouldn’t bitch and moan about stuff when there are people living in war and poverty, but it’s easy to forget,” she says. Michele Ong, another student living in the city, says she wouldn’t ever like to be a vegetarian. “I find them a little cult-ish but if someone wants to, I can respect that,” she says. When asked what she thinks of the animal farming, she says “cows were bred for eating. I can’t live without a big Mac. “You can think of the poor veges too, you know,” she says. She says people have been eating meat since the beginning of time and the farmers need an income.

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“What are the cow farmers going to do should everyone go vegetarian?” she asks. Throughout New Zealand and across the world, animals are held captive at factory farms for meat, fur, leather, cosmetics, scientific study and so on. In New Zealand, approximately 800,000 pigs are farmed and slaughtered each year. About 22,000 sows are kept in cramped stalls with bare concrete floors. Pregnant sows spend most or all their 16 weeks of pregnancy in such conditions. They can only stand up or lie down. Kept in semi-darkness, the sows start displaying abnormal behaviour such as biting at the metal bars after merely a few days. During the final days of pregnancy, the sows are moved to a farrowing crate where in the absence of straws, they are unable to build a nesting place for the piglets they will give birth to in a few days. At the tender age of four weeks, the piglets are separated from the sows. The sows are impregnated again and returned to their cramped stalls. And thus the gruelling 16-week cycle of pain and extreme frustration starts all over again. Meanwhile, the little piglets spend their time in dark and overcrowded fattening pens, awaiting death. Hens too endure harsh living conditions. The ‘farm fresh’ eggs we consume come from highly frustrated hens, who spend most of their 18 months – the age at which they are killed for stock or pet food – in cages the size of a sheet of A4 paper. Innocent animals in New Zealand are also made victims of science. The drugs that are tested on them can cause discomfort, pain and even death. Toxicity tests usually induce vomiting, extreme salivation or cause organ damage. Accoridng to SAFE over 300,000 animals used in experiments each year in New Zealand, half are killed. “Despite the intention of Animal Welfare Act 1999 to protect animals, the Act permits cruel, invasive and even lethal experiments to be conducted on animals,” the SAFE website says.

• • •

Don’t buy factory farm produced bacon, ham or pork products Don’t buy caged eggs Write to your MP demanding an end to the use

Smith says it’s the resistance to change and/or laziness which drives the apathetic behaviour towards animal. She however adds that not every one is ready to sit down and wait for things to change on their own. “There are people who go out of their way. For instance, there is a young woman volunteer at SAFE who gave up her lunch hour today to help out. She was dressed as a pig in her high heel shoes. She’s now gone back to work. She had been to our store on another occasion, found out about it and got involved. “I met several people today who said they want to become volunteers.” Smith has been a vegetarian for 29 years. “My husband and I went vegetarian together when we had our first child. She was brought up a vegetarian for three years and then we went vegan,” she says. She says even if people don’t want to give up eating meat, it is easy to care by making small changes in what we spend our money on. “It is very easy to be apathetic and not do anything, just carry on doing things the way we have been doing them. But the biggest thing that people can do is make changes in their own lives. A lot of their money is going into the pockets of people who carry out these cruel practices against animals, who keep animals in this way. “All people have to do is change their spending and not buy factory farm produce or cut down on the amount of meat that they eat. “Rather than going for your breakfast at the café round the corner without even thinking where that bacon or ham or eggs came from, find out if it’s free range. People can also opt for a vegetarian alternative occasionally,” she says. “That will help the animals.” SAFE also has a store on K’road in Central Auckland from where people can buy vegetarian alternatives for meat products such as veggie sausages, ham and mince.

• • •

of companion animals in scientific research. Cut down on meat consumption Try vegetarian alternatives to meat Say no to leather and fur

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 22

30/07/2009 6:31:03 p.m.

column

Whakarongo Mai WITH THE JOSEPH News-Bot WITH HARPER NEWS ROUND UP

THE EXOTIC JAPANESE.

I’ve been thinking of the things that I care about. My favourite long sleeved t-shirt is black and white (black arms/white torso). It has a number of fierce animals stitched onto the front: tiger, eagle etc. On the back it reads, “The Exotic Japanese.” The shirt fits me poorly. It is very large, and I am weedy. The stitching has been done with some sort of extremely coarse, twine-ish material, and it itches my back terribly. In spite of its pitfalls, I love it. I was given my Exotic Japanese when I was 15. My family hosted a student from Japan named Hirokazu Konno. He was a giant of a 16-year-old boy; with hair like a hedgehog, and a mobile phone which blew my mind in the same way I imagine James Bond’s would. He stayed with us for three weeks, and I used him as an excuse to ask my mother for video game money. We went to the Time Out arcade beside Hoyts 8, on Moorhouse Ave, over six times. He didn’t like it that much, but he came along because my brother and I liked it a lot, and also assumed he would. Our ignorance maybe? I also remember his fancy shoes. I feel a bit bad for this. On the day before he left, my family and Hirokazu went to the beach. We ate fish and chips, and swam a little. I got a donut. In those days, I didn’t have much time for fish, and hotdogs repulsed me for one reason or another. After eating, my mum and dad presented Hirokazu with a selection of kiwiana as gifts, including: a plush kiwi which turned inside out to become a rugby ball, a t-shirt which had the words of the haka on it, and a postcard featuring two Maori guys in traditional garb sticking out their tongues. Hiro, in return, gave us a selection of quite stereotypical gifts (two fans, a set of deluxe chopsticks, and a novelty mirror with a samurai picture on the back) and this is how I got my Exotic Japanese t-shirt. There is something about the Japanese that I like. I don’t want to sound racist, but I would honestly name Japanese as my all-time favourite race. No offence to the rest of them, I just find Japan immensely attractive. “Polite and serious,” is how my third form Japanese teacher described his homeland. I like that description. It seems very fitting. Sushi is (above all things) a polite and serious food, wouldn’t you say? My first taste of the land of the rising sun came at a young age. I have an uncle named Kirk, who kept a banzai tree. Small trees are impressive. He taught me about them and their native nation, and whenever he went to Japan on business (he is something of a foreign dignitary) he brought me back Japanese stuff. One day I would like to go to Japan. Perhaps once I’ve finished with Unitec. That could be nice/adventurous. I’d love to play pachinko.

T-Shirt

Alright kids, how many of you defecated all over Weatherston via Facebook updates after the verdict last week? Some of my friends’ updates were pretty brutal and, if I may add, R18. It is amazing how Clayton Weatherston, the man found guilty of murdering his former girlfriend, 22-year-old Sophie Elliott, managed to not make a single fan despite his retro cool glasses and high mathematical abilities. I’m kidding. Weatherston’s lawyers argued that his ‘unique psychological makeup’ meant he was not entirely capable of handling the relationship. That argument elicits just one response which is – WTF! They said he was provoked. Well he’d certainly have a lot of easily-provoked buddies in jail to discuss that with now, won’t he? If any of you need a lesson in being a man, look up John Key. Not because he’s the country’s top man but because he has snubbed big fish the United States over demanding New Zealand’s Special Air Service (SAS) deployment in Afghanistan. Not only has Key refused to have the SAS fight alongside Afghanistan’s army but has also admitted that it’s too “dangerous” to do so. Not everyone admits cowardice. Balls of steel. While John Key’s straight gangsta’ attitude is commendable, another Kiwi is raking in some bad press. 37-year-old investment banker Justin von Tunzelman, who lives in London, is accused of taking advantage of a sloshed-out married woman. He allegedly took his clothes off and then stripped the woman who had passed out from drinking too many cocktails and shots called ‘Slippery Nipples’. What’s the point? Funnily enough, neither Tunzelman nor the victim remembers anything from that night. Sounds a bit like ‘The Hangover.’ On the political front, Labour leader Phil Goff has the Government in a headlock over their dole policy. He has asked the Government to provide unemployment benefits to people laid off because of the recession, despite the income of their spouses. I think that’s fair enough. I don’t know about you but my roboetiquettes will certainly never allow me to borrow money from my spouse. But then I don’t have and will never have a spouse because I am self-dependent. Did anyone hear about the house that blew up on a motorway in Hawke’s Bay last week? It literally blew up into a million pieces on the road as it was being towed on a trailer. That’s like the ideal setting for the Madness to break into ‘Our House, in the Middle of the Street.’ A study has found that nearly 79 percent of New Zealanders will catch the swine flu and grow pig’s trotters and a curly tail, although will not become ill. The study is based on the fact that swine flu is more infectious than other varieties of flu. I don’t know about you but I wash my hands some 20,000 times a day. I hope you all do that too, you dirty hippies. For my sake, please!

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 23

30/07/2009 6:32:10 p.m.

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 24

30/07/2009 6:32:11 p.m.

GANDER AT SPORT

At the end of four rounds of golf at the British Open, an American golfer with initials T W was involved in a play-off to win the claret jug for a record equalling 6th time and, no I’m not talking about Tiger Woods. 59-year-old Tom Watson last won the British Open in 1983 and hasn’t won a major tournament in the 26 years since. After failing to hole a relatively simple putt on the 18th he ended up in a play-off with fellow American Stuart Cink, not a bad effort for someone just six weeks short of his 60th birthday. Watson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and was introduced to the game by his father Ray. He first gained local renown while on his high school team at The Pembroke-Country Day School in Kansas City. Watson won four straight Missouri State Amateur championships, from 1968–1971. He attended Stanford University, playing on the golf team and graduating with a degree in psychology in 1971. He now plays his golf mainly on the USA Seniors tour, but receives exemptions to play in the major tournaments due to being a former winner. Looks like these exemptions nearly worked for Watson, falling agonisingly short of what would have been an amazing victory over other golfers, some of whom weren’t even born when he first played professional golf. Another seasoned campaigner performing miracles on the world stage is the great cyclist Lance Armstrong, who after a three year hiatus has competed at yet another Tour de France, the pinnacle of world cycling. In Paris on the 25th July 1999, Armstrong made headlines around the world with the most stunning comeback in the history of the sport, winning the Tour de France in the fastest time ever, only 18 months after a life threatening battle with testicular cancer. He went on to win the great race six more times and after his 7th triumph in 2005, retired from the sport at age 33, but now at age 37, is once again competing against cyclists much younger than him and at the time of writing, is second only to superb Spaniard Alberto Contador. Lance Armstrong is a true great in sport and despite rumours of drug cheating (mainly by French newspapers jealous of his success) continues to dumbfound his critics and perform once again at the highest level after two and a half years away from a bike. I am a huge Armstrong fan and if you’re looking for inspiration in whatever field you’re following, I would strongly recommend reading his two books, “It’s Not About the Bike” and “Every Second Counts.” Tom Watson and Lance Armstrong; two inspirational athletes proving age is no barrier to success.

Dear

BARBIE

xox

OLD CAMPAIGNERS PERFORMING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

dear barbie

The Goose’s

Dear Barbie, One lonely autumn evening, I got a wrong number text from a lovely lady named Donna. We got chattin and hit it off immediately. It resulted in her sending what I think is an erotic picture of herself (85% sure). I really want to take it to the next level but I’m scared of what my friends will say (they already compare her to numerous large mammals: whales, rhinos etc) Can you help me? Chur, Ginger and Lonely in Love

Oh my god there is so much wrong with this. I really don’t know where to begin, seriously, I’m distressed. The obvious factors I am disturbed by are: the fact that you are ginger, the fact you don’t actually know this person - only through a cell phone, and also the fact your friends make fun of you because Donna is fat. Well, you know how I feel about fatties! When it comes down to it, there are some people out there who are just not meant to be loved, which is why I despise technology like your cellphone and web dating. All it does, is brings more losers together who will then breed and spawn even bigger losers. Can I help? Yes. As long as you give up on love now, or we will all suffer, the same goes for Donna the whale. Xx Barbie

Dear Barbie, I keep calling you and you don’t pick up. I come to your house and scratch on your window and you won’t let me in. I follow you to work and you weave a complex way through the streets so I can’t follow. Does this mean it’s over? Are you sure it’s me? I live in a penthouse suite so I doubt you could reach my windows to scratch on, and I barely go to work, let alone walk to it. As if! You know, there is a sleuth of Barbie impersonators in this city, recognisable by their tacky shiny tops from Glassons and slut-boots from Number One Shoe Warehouse. They can be found slutting it up at the Viaduct any night of the week, and most of them are actually men. Did you know that? They try and base their looks on mine, so I hate to break it to you darling, but a man who tucks his penis between his legs and wears a wig is who you have been calling and following…hopefully that’s all you’ve been doing with him. Xx Barbie

I’m the Goose and You’re Not.

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 25

30/07/2009 6:32:42 p.m.

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Fairfax New Zealand Journalism Internships JJOIN an innovative, inspiring and unique programme designed for you ‒ tomorrow s outstanding journalists. Fairfax Media, publisher of the country s leading newspapers, magazines and websites, is again seeking the brightest aspiring journalists to become part of our journalism intern scheme. We want the best people to be part of our multi-media organisation. This is the fourth year we ve sought such people, and already those chosen are making their mark. Again, one of our interns won the Qantas Media Awards StudentPrint category this year.

We will reimburse the fees of those who pass and provide challenging work afterwards in our newsrooms. As well, we provide ongoing training and opportunities to advance. We are seeking highly motivated people from all walks of life to join us. A relevant tertiary qualiﬁcation is preferred but we will consider candidates who have minimum qualiﬁcations of NCEA Level 3 or the relevant life skills.

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 26

30/07/2009 6:32:43 p.m.

student art

STUDENT DESIGN 2.

Design

1. - 3. SOPHIE FOTTE

4. - 5. HAZEL DAVIES

6. - 8. MICHAEL HO

Sophie is a first year student in the Bachelor of Design and Visual Arts. The first piece (1.) is a MDF box design based on an image of the Palazzo Ducale in Venice.The materials used inclue old text books of elementary calculus and vintage postcards. The ceramic sculpture (2. -3.) was developed to illustrate an excerpt from the movie ”American Beauty.” It includes three press-moulded pairs of hands, made from Matakana clay with applied details in aluminium leaf.

Hazel is in her final year of graphic design at Unitec. She likes to work on idea-based projects and describes herself as ”a big fan of hand-done typography and obsessed with green, trees and black electrical tape!” Here is some work from a street stickering project done while on a student exchange in Melbourne (4.) And some recent work from a proposal for an arts and cultural venue/ bar called AM/PM (5.)

Michael is currently in his forth year of a Bachelor of Design, majoring in media design. His annual report design entitled “Enjoy the process,+ not the result” has recently been entered in the Best Awards. His goal was to design an annual report for himself that emphasises his humourous personality and playful design style. The final result was a 38 page publication including projects he completed throughout the year and statistics.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS: Final Year Unitec Painting Student Exhibition, Opening: Thursday 6th August, 5:30-9:00pm, Te Karanga Gallery, 205 Karangahape Road (Upstairs along from Starbucks) DO YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR ART IN IN UNISON? DO YOU HAVE AN EXHIBITION COMING UP THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?

Email usugraphics@unitec.ac.nz, or call 815 4321 ex. 7928 and let us know about it.

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 27

30/07/2009 6:33:00 p.m.

reviews

HARRY POTTER AND THE PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA HALF BLOOD PRINCE

FILM

Views

I am an unabashed Harry Potter enthusiast.The movie franchise has however, never managed a satisfying visual summoning of the magical world that existed first in my imagination. My viewing of Hollywood’s latest offer in the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) is entirely jaded by this fact. It’s just incredibly annoying to watch a film based on a book, only to find that the film glosses over all of the little moments and nuances you loved. Escapist fantasy is something I’ve been fond of since I watched the Neverending Story as a child, and if you don’t take into consideration the fact that a film can never properly render something as nicely as your own imagination can, the movie adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is a decent watch. Pleasant and exhilarating special effects from the get go, as well as a rather dark aesthetic quality makes this kids’ film feel quite grown up. The palette employed is one of brown tinges and washed-out greys, which conjures up the spirit of an archaic world at the point of exhaustion and collapse. Daniel Radcliffe as the eponymous Potter, is as consistently hollow and inauthentic as he’s ever been. However his supporting cast isn’t half bad for the most part. Jim Broadbent, as new potions teacher Horace Slughorn, is exceptional and hits every quirkridden beat. One problem which plagued the last Potter film was pacing. When you base a film on a book which is that long, it’s important to not try to fit in too much.The previous Potter film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, tried to fit in too much information, and felt rushed and jumpy because of it. Half Blood Prince didn’t have this problem, and I felt the plot moved along at a nice pace. Overall the film is pleasant. Nothing exceptional, nothing that makes it a ’must see’. But if you’re looking for two and a half hours of youthful escape, maybe give it a try.

Hayao Miyazaki has set himself out as an illustrious master animator and story teller. He has a beautiful and idiosyncratic style and a depth of imagination which is staggering. Miyazaki first caught the world’s attention with the breathtaking Spirited Away, and followed it up with the equally sensational, Howl’s Moving Castle, and his trademark flourishes of fantasy and magical realism are present in his latest work Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. The film is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid story, using a goldfish named Ponyo, and a boy named Sosuke.The film is clearly targeting a younger audience than some of Miyazaki’s previous efforts, and a lot of the deep-seated symbolism which was present in Spirited Away is missing here. This is not necessarily a bad thing however, as Ponyo has its own strengths. Namely an abundance of adorability. It feels like Ponyo and Sosuke have been crafted from the sweet, warm breath of a gingerbread kitten, and the scenes upon which they have been painted are very, very pretty. If you’re looking for logical story telling, then you should probably look elsewhere. Miyazaki’s film unfolds in which ever direction he chooses it to. It doesn’t feel like much consideration has been given to whether or not it makes sense/feels satisfying. This could be seen as a shortcoming, but I don’t see it that way. On the contrary, I feel the way Miyazaki allows himself to work at the absolute whim of his imagination, is one of the film maker’s greatest assets. It’s also probably the reason the children who often inhabit his stories are always believable and massively empathetic. Definitely recommended. Reviewed by Joseph Harper

Reviewed by Joseph Harper

THANKS TO:

for more info on movies showing now and coming soon visit www.skycitycinemas.co.nz

In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 28

30/07/2009 6:33:17 p.m.

Bluebird

SNACK

Reviewed by Joseph Harper

911 New North Rd, Mt Albert

CAFÉ As I’m on the train to Unitec, my stomach’s grumbling like crazy; I’ve forgotten breakfast. Luckily I have an hour free before class and just a short walk away from the Mt Albert train station is the Triniti of Silver Cafe. One girl in my class swears by the pancakes and another raves about it like it’s the most amazing cafe experience that Mt Albert offers. So as I enter the rather eccentric cafe with funky décor, the smell of freshly roasted beans and home-baked goods has already won over my stomach. The lady behind the counter takes my coffee order as I resist the urge to rip open the food cabinet and end my hunger. I sit in the “adult area” -minds out of the gutter -this café is family orientated so they have three separate sitting areas; one is children friendly, an outside area and my seating choice, the secluded “adult area”. A wide range of magazines are available, luckily for me it’s the glossy, trashy type, but within minutes I’m sipping on my ordered latte. I sip away at the well-rounded latte and my eyes feast away at the menu. I deliberate over it for awhile, noting it is filled with an extensive range of organic and gluten free options. I settle for the eggs benedict and creamy spinach, the waiter leaves me to wait fervently. Ten minutes into my scrutiny the waiter returns, my eyes bulge at the piping hot order with nice portions of crispy freerange bacon, two well done poached eggs drenched in rich decadent hollandaise sauce, served on a bed of creamy spinach on lightly toasted brioche bread, which I polish off within perhaps the same amount of time it took to make, definitely to my stomach’s approval. $22.50 for eggs benedict and a latte means it’s not studentfriendly money-wise, however the service was excellent, and the wide-range of food on offer meant it was difficult to decide what to order, especially because of my starvation factor. But is it the most amazing cafe experience that Mt Albert has to offer? Good as it is I hope not.

Views

There is something to be said for a snack food which is manufactured and sold in New Zealand, is completely trashy, and yet has the hilarious idea to call itself “Le Snak” as if it’s some kind of escargot-esque French delicacy. It’s the closest our country has ever come to culinary/ironic brilliance. Let’s start off with the good things. Le Snaks are pretty tasty. They come in many flavours, and so the likelihood is that you’ll be able to find a flavour that works for you. Being from the South Island, and therefore a butch/macho type, I tend to prefer the more mannish flavours (bacon or cheddar), but Le Snaks also cover the more feminine (French onion) and alternative (cheese and chives) markets. According to the box they are a good source of calcium, are made with “real cheese”, contain no artificial flavours or colours, and are “Le Yuuuummmm!” This last point is an important one, as my opinion on snacks is primarily based on yuuuummmmmmness. They come in a box of six, which can be bought from most good supermarkets and some superettes. Prices range from around $2.50 to $3.50, which in my opinion is excellent value. The small size, and packaging of the individual Le Snaks makes them ideal for popping in you bag or pocket and taking them tramping or to class or whatever. However, there is one major problem with Le Snakswhen you finish your biscuits before your cheese (and you will inevitably finish your biscuits before your cheese), when you dip your finger in to scrape out all the excess cheese, you will almost certainly look real gross and a bit like a paedophile. Flaw aside, Le Snaks are an excellent snack for anyone who is into cheese or crisp bread.

TRINITI OF SILVER CAFÉ

reviews

LE SNAK

Reviewed by NMA DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE CAFE OR SNACK THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD REVIEW?

Email inunison@unitec.ac.nz and let us know.

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 29

30/07/2009 6:33:32 p.m.

grad profile

BAND PROFILE: THE RUBY SUNS

Profile

FEW BANDS IN NEW ZEALAND ARE AS RAD AS THE RUBY SUNS, WHO ARE MAKING MASSIVE WAVES AROUND THE GLOBE WITH THEIR BRAND OF POP/EMOTRONIC/HEALING AND EASY-LISTENING MUSIC. JOSEPH HARPER FACEBOOK CHATTED TO PROMINENT RUBY SUN, RYAN MCPHUN.

What kind of things inspire you food-wise/animal-wise/ music-wise/anything-wise? Inspiration? Well I like a lot of different music. Usually when I hear new sounds I get pretty pumped so often it’s the production of a record that inspires me, because a pop song is just a pop song. How you present it is a completely different thing. I’ve been interested in house music this past year, so I’ve sort of learned new production tricks and got ideas from listening to stuff like that. But I like all kinds of music. Oh, travelling is usually pretty inspirational too. I notice you don’t swear that often (lyric-wise), is there a reason for this? Or are you some kind of krazy khristian? I’m not religious at all. Maybe if I were I’d be much more popular because Christians seem to eat up any kind of music as long as the lyrics refer in some way to Jesus or the lord or whatever. Actually one of my new songs, a catchy one that could be a single, has both ”fuck” and ”shit” in it. Sorry that was inappropriate. What are you up to at the moment musically? I’m currently spending most of my time working on new songs and recording. I’ve got a deadline for my next record so I’m trying to stick to it. I’ve got a lot of work to do! I’m trying to make sounds that I haven’t made before. Trying to make music that I myself would want to listen to. Not sure if others will like it! If you could make/play in a covers band made up of any musicians from the history of the world, who would you include, and whose tunes would you cover? That’s a good question. But I quite like playing in Disciples of Macca, our Paul McCartney covers band. That’s usually myself, James Milne of Lawrence Arabia and Jonathan Bree of the Brunettes. Our friend has suggested that four of her friends/boyfriend form a covers band to play post-Revolver Beatles songs for her birthday party. That would be James Milne, Connan Hosford, Liam Finn and myself, not sure if it’ll happen but will be fun if it does. Any shows or upcoming records you want to publicise? Ryan: Nothing for NZ. We’re touring with our buds the Dodos in the States in Sept/Oct. Looking forward to that - will be playing heaps of new songs by then.

GRAD PROFILE: TUI MATELAU

FOUNDATION STUDIES LECTURER TUI MATELAU UNDERSTANDS THE PRESSURES STUDENTS’ FACE, THAT’S BECAUSE SHE WAS VERY RECENTLY ONE HERSELF. SHE IS SET TO GRADUATE WITH A GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN HIGHER EDUCATION AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IN 2010 WILL PURSUE HER MASTERS IN COMMUNICATIONS. SHE SPEAKS TO NICOLAS MARK ABOUT HER STUDIES AND WORK.

Not many lecturers would let their students notify them that they are going to be late via a text, but Tui Matelau is the exception to that rule. She works as a foundation studies lecturer at Unitec, and because of her very recent studying, she understands the pressures that students face during their studies; it can be daunting. The certificate in foundation studies is an education programme that assists students to gain higher education to further vocational opportunities. Taught in blocks of six months, the programme is designed for students to succeed. Often students have complicated relationships with tertiary study, and Matelau is no stranger to this fact. As a single mother, she knows that the relationships or connections that the students form now in her classes is what will assist them to continue their studies. So how did she go from graduate to lecturer? “It sort of just happened that way,” she says. She grew into the role from teaching classes in foundation studies at Unitec. “When a full time position came up with the department of foundation studies, I applied, was given good references and here I am.” A graduate of the Bachelor of International Communication, now known as the Bachelor of Communication Studies, Matelau was attracted to the writing component of the degree. “I’ve always loved creative writing and wanted to create a sustainable career with it,” But she has no plans to go anywhere just yet. When asked what the Unitec degree taught her, she says with a big smile, “It gave me confidence to present. Each lecture is like an hour and a half presentation and the BIC taught really excellent presentation skills.” Matelau’s first hand student experience assists her to give practical advice to students, like teaching them to write according to what is expected from the course. She consistently looks at innovative styles of teaching, like texting as a form of communication in a formal context. She says she is always hoping she is doing enough to enable her students to leave with identifiable skills to progress them in their pursuit of higher education. She admits, “trying to cater for my diverse students can be tough but when a student comes up and thanks you or you see them start to understand, it’s those days that are really rewarding.”

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 30

30/07/2009 6:33:34 p.m.

recipes

RAV’S

STEPHANIE MCCOLL’S

Life Lessons

LEARNED THROUGH BAKING With anything in life you can learn lessons – so why not when baking and eating wonderful treats?! You can think of baking as intensive therapy and personal growth, all of your friends and flatmates will love you for it!

FOR THE STRESSED STUDENT

Are you an overworked and stressed out student? This column is all about de-stressing by cooking easy-peasy budget meals in quick time with ingredients that you can buy from your local Pack N Save or Countdown. Feel free to crack open a can of beer or a glass of wine while you’re trying out this recipe to make cooking more fun.

‘Rav’s Easy-peasy meals’ is all about avoiding fancy meat cuts from the gourmet butcher and out of season vegetables from the grocer. Instead I’ll be using frozen vegetables, meat from the supermarket chillers and some pasta, rice and noodles that can be easily microwaved or cooked on the stove top.

APPLE CRUMBLE Topping: • 1/2 cup all purpose flour • 1/4 cup white sugar • 1/4 cup light brown sugar • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon fresh or ground nutmeg • 1/8 teaspoon salt • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces • 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Filling: • 1.2 kg or 6 cups Granny Smith Apples or other firm, tart-tasting apple (peeled, cored, and cut into 2.5cm chunks) • J uice of 1/2 lemon • 1 teaspoon lemon zest • 3 tablespoons white sugar Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and place rack in the centre of the oven. Butter a 23 cm deep dish pie plate or a 20 X 20 X 20 cm baking dish. Set aside. For Topping: Place all the topping ingredients (flour, sugars, spices, butter, oats and nuts) in a food processor and process until the mixture is crumbly and there are no large pieces of butter visible. Set aside while you prepare the filling. *This can also be done with two knives or your fingertips. For Filling: Place the apple chunks in a large bowl, along with the lemon zest. Toss with the lemon juice and sugar. Transfer to your prepared baking dish. Spread the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until bubbly, and the topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Makes 4 servings.

Yum Yum

LIFE LESSON # 7 – GET TO THE CORE OF THE MATTER! Bake your way through any worries with a warming apple crumble! What can be better than symbolically coring your troubles while preparing apples that will soon be enjoyed in a not-too-sweet, but satisfyingly simple dessert? Give it a shot

Easy-Peasy Meals

MEXICAN CHILLI & RICE • • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 packet Uncle Ben’s Mexican Rice 500 grams beef (or lamb) mince 400 gms can of Chilli beans 400 gms can of Watties Mexican Tomatoes 1 cup of frozen vegies (diced peas, carrots, celery etc.) 1 cup stock (chicken, beef or vegetable) 3 Tbs cooking oil 1 onion diced 1 tsp garlic paste 2 tsp curry powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp salt

Heat oil in a large saucepan and add diced onions to slowly turn golden (5 minutes) and add garlic and mince. Brown meat on medium heat and then add all the spices and salt and cook for a few more minutes. Add the stock, vegetables, tomatoes and beans and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the mince is simmering follow microwave instructions and cook the rice. Serve mince and rice together along with any salad (for example diced cucumber and lettuce)

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 31

30/07/2009 6:35:06 p.m.

USU PRESENTS:

THURSDAY 20TH AUGUST 7PM, CARRINGTON’S, GATE 3, UNITEC, MT ALBERT

DJ TAKTIX DJ JOE SIK DJ REMINISE Playing all your favourite high school hits

$5 USU M E M B E R S (U N I T E C S T U D E N T S ) $10 N O N - M E M B E R S & D O O R S A L E S

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In Unison, Apathy vs Empathy issue outlines.indd 32

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R18

ID REQUIRED 30/07/2009 6:35:08 p.m.