TA August 2009

$3.90

AU G U S T 2 0 0 9

I S SN 0 1 1 3 -3 4 0 3 (P r int ) ISSN 1175-7140 (Online)

the Economy

unplugged:

turn down the noise, turn up the facts Billy Talent • UrbanYOUTHMovement Paramore poster • Smokefreerockquest Outlook for Someday • Recognyz Youth Awards

Sony Ericsson W508 Basshunter/Smashproof/ 3OH!3 tickets • Twilight Collector's Edition Arctic Monkeys and way more!

Mixing business with pleasure “As a student here I really do get the best of both worlds. The state-of-the-art Business School building provides an amazing base to study, but when I need a break, the action on campus is only minutes away.

Student life is so much fun and with my flexible timetable I am definitely making the most of all the great things Auckland has to offer. Studying at the Business School has really improved my time management skills. It’s a cool feeling knowing I’m working towards a world-class degree and having a blast while I’m doing it.”

Duncan Jessep, BCom student, The University of Auckland Business School

KingSt09175_TEAR_A

Make your mark on the business world, visit www.makeyourmark.ac.nz now.

www.makeyourmark.ac.nz 0800 61 62 63 | txt 5533

CONTENTS

Youth on the move: 19

Rescuing child soldiers: 10

Billy Talent: 12

Career in fine arts: 22

UrbanYOUTH Movement: 18

SPECIAL FEATURES 4

Just how well did you know MJ? Take our special quiz

5

The economy – we unplug the noise and explain what it’s all about

11 Recognyz Youth Awards 11 Amnesty International’s Freedom Week 12 Global Focus: rescuing child soldiers 20 UrbanYOUTHMovement: You Better Run Boy! 22 Youth on the Move: Red Cross on the road 24 St John: adventure for life 33 Outlook for Someday: sustainability film challenge

MUSIC 14 Talking to Billy Talent 15 Smokefreerockquest Nelson 16 Kiwi music news with Kiwi FM

Did someone say global financial crisis?

Zzzzzzzzz……

If you’re anything like me, you magically develop narcolepsy whenever the conversation turns to anything to do with the economy.

Luckily I had a team of writers to slap me awake and force me to address the issue this month!

What I learnt: playing dead is not a valid tactic. I will not solve my money problems by hiding under my desk – at some point I just have to acknowledge that economics exist and that managing my money really isn’t that hard.

So this issue, we translate all things financial into plain English and work out what we can do to make sure we can afford to live on something more inspiring than two-minute noodles for the next 50 years!

Mmmm, noodles…..

RAIN FRANCIS, Editor PS. Want to practise your journalism skills and join the Tearaway team?

Email me: rain@tearaway.co.nz

17 New from Drew: Vodafone Select Live 18 POSTER: Paramore

CHOICES AND CAREERS 26 Fine arts 28 Performing arts 30 Graphic design 32 Technology

August 09 cover Artwork by Benjamin Constantine www.plumpoyster.com

REVIEWS, PREVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS 33 DVDs 34 Movies 36 Games 38 Books 40 CDs

REGULARS

Next month in Tearaway Tough times... If you’ve lived through a rough situation and experienced a positive change (or if you’re working on those changes right now), we want to hear from you!

Email: rain@tearaway.co.nz

Kristin van der Poel

Ruth Hockin

42 Grabbag TEARAWAY magazine is an independent publication of TEARAWAY Press Ltd. HEAD OFFICE: PO Box 7351 Wanganui Phone: (06) 349 0049 Fax: (06) 345 0071 TEARAWAY MAGAZINE IS PRODUCED BY AND FOR NEW ZEALAND YOUTH The opinions expressed within these pages are those of the individual writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Tearaway magazine.

Publisher and Executive Editor: John Francis CEO: Josh Kosmala (josh@tearaway.co.nz)

Study with the Leaders Undergraduate and postgraduate courses offered in Design, Fine Arts and Visual & Material Culture

Editor: Rain Francis editor@tearaway.co.nz Sub-editor: Jonquil Brooks Operations Manager: Anita Smart (anita@tearaway.co.nz) Digital and Online Manager: Josh Kosmala (josh@tearaway.co.nz) Designer: Leo Francis CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE: Josephine Adams, Isaac Banks, Jess Brunette, James Buttery, Johnnie Cameron, Alexander Donohue, David Eng, Annie Hawker, Gemma Henderson, Ashleigh Hope, Paula Hopoi, David Hutcheson, Losalia Ikenasio, Fleur Jack, Rhian Lawrence, Phil Luke, Brie Jessen, Tracy Lambeth, Michael Moore-Jones, Drew Nemia, Feilidh O’Dwyer, David Osten Gifford, Tony O’Rourke, Ben Pearce, Jono Perkins, Lauren Ripper, Brittany Robertson, Hannah Robson, Mere Teinaki, Hepa Te Moana, Tupua Tigafua, Kelly Williams, Luke Wilson ADVERTISING: Josh Kosmala (josh@tearaway.co.nz) Anita Smart (06) 349 0049 (anita@tearaway.co.nz)

MASSEY COLLEGE OF CREATIVE ARTS

0800 MASSEY http://creative.massey.ac.nz

Distribution: Anita Smart Printed by: Webstar, Masterton Subscription Enquiries: anita@tearaway.co.nz

You cannot find peace by avoiding life – Virginia Woolf

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3

CELEBRITY NEWS QUIZ

So – just how well did you know MJ? Last month was a big one in the music world – the proclaimed ‘King of Pop’ tragically passed away.

There were the few days of shock, followed by all the allegations in the media over what might have happened, the memorial service on TV, and now, every second song on the radio is one of his!

JONO PERKINS delves deep

I can only imagine the impersonator at Rainbow’s End will be

into the heart of celebrity

having an awkward time right now…

goss to challenge your MJ IQ

So anyway, this month we have a very special edition of the news quiz! Take this quiz and let’s see how much attention you paid to the factual and hearsay goss over MJ’s life and death...

1. First things first! Which MJ are we talking about here? Because, it would be horrible to get this basic bit of information muddled up! a) Michael Jordan

a) The operating theatre where his 456 plastic surgery operations took place

b) Michael Jackson

b) His home and grounds – aka ‘Neverland’

c) Mick Jagger

c) A time capsule that Michael’s dad Joe put Michael’s twin sister in at birth

2. How old was MJ when he died in his home last month? This is a tough one.

You wouldn’t really have any idea by looking at his face because well, you know… it’s not really his… is it?

7. The family held a private funeral service for Michael but then hosted an enormous public ceremony in which NBA basketball team’s home stadium? a) Boston Celtics (TD Banknorth Garden)

a) 38

b) New York Nicks (Madison Square Garden)

b) 64

c) LA Lakers (Staples Center)

c) 50 3. How many children did the singer have? (Note: the ‘kid’ who may or may not be his son, dependent on whether or not Billie Jean was or was not his lover… we’ll exclude that kid here.) a) Three – Paris Katherine Michael Jackson, Prince Michael Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II

8. Transporting Michael’s coffin around was a bit of a mission. It was made of solid brass and plated with 14-carat gold and is estimated at US$25,000 (that’s about $38,500 in NZ)! The police closed the entire motorway so the hearse and family could drive to and from the services! How many Los Angeles police were involved in MJ’s funeral? a) 1,400! b) 500!

b) Two – Michael the I and Michael the II c) One – Blanket, who he dangled out the window of his hotel…

4. In which city was MJ booked and would have now been performing 50 soldout concerts to over one million people!

c) 25,000!

9. What body part was apparently missing at the funeral and memorial service and is expected to be buried alone?!

a) Los Angeles

a) His nose

b) Neverland

b) His brain

c) London

c) His heart

5. At what age did this MJ first make a real singing appearance, beginning a huge career that spanned 45 years? a) Zero years old, on the day of his birth b) Five years old at a school Christmas singing recital c) 38 years old while performing as Robbie Williams on Stars in Their Eyes – he won, and had a sudden burst of self-confidence to tackle the real music industry!

6. After Michael Jackson’s tragic death, what was opened up to the public and the media for the first time?

OK – from now on I’m just going to say Michael Jackson instead of trying to keep it a secret. It’s obvious and you all know who I’m talking about anyway.

If you didn’t get question one right, you live under a rock and would not be reading this magazine anyway!

10. From the day we heard about the death, there has been huge speak in the media over who will win custody of the children. The mother of two of the children, Debbie Rowe, is expected to want the children; sister Janet Jackson wants them; Diana Ross is talked of; and in the will it says Michael’s own mother Katherine would be the intended guardian. What is Michael’s dad, Joe’s plans for the kids? a) “They should go to school, get a degree and work hard all their lives.

Then and only then will they appreciate life” b) “We have plans for a tour of the children starting in 2010” c) “Sell ‘em”

Answers at bottom of page 31

How did you go?

OK – so you’ve done the quiz. Let’s see how much of a fan you are. Well, let’s at least see if you’ve been watching E Channel and reading the goss websites!

10-8: Oww! This quiz was as easy as 123! 7-5: Maybe tomorrow 4-2: All I’m trying to say is that, you don’t really care about this quiz…

1-0: You’re bad, you’re bad. You’re really, really bad…

4

Tearaway August 2009

And my goal in life is to give to the world what I was lucky to receive: the ecstasy of divine union through my music and my dance – Michael Jackson

technology students get to do some

f f u t s l o o c y l s iou

ser

TASK: research & create an original, beautiful and fully functional tutu www.techlink.org.nz/tutu TASK: research, design & construct a complete street luge, then test race it www.techlink.org.nz/luge

TASK: develop a robot that independently plays soccer in a competition with other robots www.techlink.org.nz/robot

TASK: research & develop the perfect fruit cake, and gift wrap with style www.techlink.org.nz/cakes

TASK: design, model & make a stylish & practical water sports rack www.techlink.org.nz/rack

www.techlink.org.nz

Check it out!

THE ECONOMY UNPLUGGED

The questions

Speakonomics you What

say about the recession

Do the words economic, downturn, recession, financial and/or crisis make you want to lie down on the floor and never get up again? There, there – you’re not alone.

But it’s not all doom, gloom and deprivation. In the following pages we find out what those dirty words really mean for us… and we translate it all into plain English.

But first, RHIAN LAWRENCE took it to the kerb to see just how much the recession is freaking us out… or not.

Jordan Harrington, 16 Pukekohe 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Get it, spend it I’m buying stuff NOW I don’t notice how my family’s going through it Rhian!

I don’t know, I don’t learn about money in class, I learn how to take pictures

Gemma Henderson, 16 Auckland

Georgia Parker, 16 Titirangi 1. Money is great to have, but not much fun to save 2. Nothing 3. The recession is making it hard for me to get a job, which I need 4. Love – All You Need is Love – The Beatles 5. We don’t learn about it at all, but we should!

Sammy Welsh, 16 Glen Eden

1. It’s just money to me, I’m not greedy with it and more likely to use it to help others 2. I’ve actually been buying little things like knives and forks, little things like that for the future when I move out, which will help financially when the time comes 3. The recession hasn’t affected me at all, I don’t think?

4. Mainly my friends, and the good ole internet connection 5. I haven’t learnt anything from school about managing money

Siobhan Connors, 16 Pukerata

1. It shouldn’t have such a huge effect on people 2. Not much; thinking about what kind of job I want so I won’t have to worry about where my next meal’s going to come from 3. It hasn’t really affected me at all. I’ve noticed people in other countries aren’t as financially secure as us, such as the UK, they’ve started freaking out a bit. But I’ve also noticed that nothing much is being done 4. Probably the internet and my phone 5. Not really. I had to learn off my parents, so I didn’t learn that well…

Chris Divitt, 17 Chatswood 1. Saving is good 2. Saving all my money pretty much. I only spend what I have to and I have it in a high interest account 3. I’m not participating in the recession 4. My friends 5. Not at all. I learnt from family and friends not to spend all the money I have

Ashley Flavell, 16 Papakura 1. Save as much as possible 2. College fund that 50% of my earnings goes to 3. It’s a load of crap, I haven’t noticed any difference except that chocolate is more expensive so Cadbury is suffering 4. My supernatural DVDs 5. No. But it would be boring to learn about

Orlene Enoka, 16 Manukau 1. What?

2. Saving for uni, I worked out how much to save a week – I don’t do it though 3. It hasn’t really affected my standard of living and stuff, but it has affected the way I think about money. I don’t spend as much any more 4. A fully stocked kitchen filled with friends to cook for 5. No, not at all. I learned more in primary with piggy banks and stuff. You kind of learn that stuff in economics, about inflation and stuff

1. If I have it, I spend it, and if I don’t, I somehow manage to get hold of some 2. I’ve decided to never have my own credit card because I know I’ll just end in debt 3. Recession hasn’t really affected me, I think it’s all blown out of proportion.

4. My friends and family 5. No, we learn nothing about managing money at school

Josh Parks, 17 Glen Eden 1. I think money is everything 2. I took geo and history for essay preparations because law and commerce in uni has a truckload of them and of course I want to be rich with that job 3. It hasn’t affected me at all 4. Family, friends, or video games. I don’t know 5. We don’t learn anything about money unless we’re in economics I guess, which I don’t take

1. What’s your attitude to money?

2. What are you doing to prepare for your future, financially?

3. How has the recession affected you/your family? What changes have you noticed?

4. What’s the one thing you couldn’t live without?

5. Do you learn enough at school about managing money?

Vince Herewini, 16 Pukekohe

Political chaos is connected with the decay of language... one can probably bring about some improvement by starting at the verbal end – George Orwell

1. What?

2. Get a job 3. I can’t get McDonald’s as much!

4. Food!

5. No, it’s bad!

www.tearaway.net.nz

5

THE ECONOMY UNPLUGGED

Global warming, environmental degradation, aids, starvation in the developing world, income/gender/racial inequality, war, greed, religious extremism and a whole host of other problems face planet earth right now.

With the above in mind, a recession would seem to be the least of our worries. But because most of us want jobs and like to have a bit of coin in our pockets, the recession is something we care about.

What follows is a brief summary of where we are at, what we are doing wrong and a way forward.

The recession:

Brought to you

by FEILIDH O’DWYER

a rough and ready guide The problems So what’s wrong with NZ and our attitude to money?

1. We are bad at saving According to a recent announcement by the head of the Reserve Bank, Dr Alan Bollard, New Zealanders are terrible at saving money. Young people are no exception.

Bollard said we had better get ourselves sorted or we’ll be forced to merge with Australia. OK, so they weren’t his exact words but they may as well have been.

2. We spend beyond our means (champagne lifestyle on a beer budget) Think of something that you really want. Say a shiny new car or a 42 inch HDTV? Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could get the things you wanted without having the money to pay for them? Well guess what? You can!

And herein lies the problem. Instead of being sensible and putting a bit of money away each week for a rainy day (or a rainy recession), a good chunk of us dash out to buy items we cannot afford.

We take advantage of hire purchase and get into truckloads of debt. By December of 2008, the outstanding debt of NZ households was six times higher than it was in 1990.

Something is amiss here.

An alarming survey by Dun and Bradstreet showed that 45 per cent of NZ workers would last only a month living off their savings.

What got us here??

Most of you will have heard of the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States? Well I hope so.

The VERY basic gist of it is that people who wanted to buy houses were being loaned money with no ability to pay it back. When the banks were like, “hey guys, can you like pay us back that money we lent you?” the borrowers were like “haha, funny you should say that, you know how we said we could pay it back? Well…”

The economies of most nations are very reliant on each other so when the US went down the khazi so did nearly everywhere else.

Now here comes the really screwed part.

These days, banks only have a small percentage of the money they lend out. At the beginning of moneylending in Western societies, banks would have vaults packed with gold and they would lend money on the basis that they actually had something physical to back the loan.

The bank knew that not everyone would want their gold at the same time so they could lend the money, safe in the knowledge they actually had it.

These days it’s not like that. Banks literally invent money and ask people to pay it back. They can do this because society and governments give them the licence to do it.

So let’s just say I get out my computer. I type in some numbers and transfer money to you on screen. Your bank statement now says you have a million dollars.

I don’t actually have the money to lend but I say to you, “Pay it back to me, with interest.” That’s basically what banks do.

(For more information on this watch Money as Debt on YouTube.)

3. Money comes too easily Seamus Brady, Welfare Officer at Victoria University, thinks that the easy availability of free overdrafts, credit cards and loans from finance companies does encourage young people to overspend.

He said he sees a lot of people fall victim to debt and the resulting impact it has on their mental health and academic performance.

“It’s extremely important that students get taught about finances at an earlier age and in a more consistent manner so they are financially literate.”

So really, the biggest problem, the very thing that got the world into this position, is debt. Appreciate the money you have.

What’s the government doing to help us?

According to Victoria University Vice-President of Welfare, not enough. He said the government has failed to come up with any coherent plan of action for us to weather the recession, instead slashing spending in areas such as education and superannuation.

He said the Australian government understood the importance of investing in education and had recently put $700 million into tertiary education, whereas NZ was going to cut spending by between seven and 11 percent in the next three years.

6

Tearaway August 2009

What if you , can t find work?

PhD candidate at Victoria University’s Faculty of Education, Bronwyn Wood, said that youth need to recognise that potential difficulties in obtaining employment are not a reflection of their inadequacy or lack of skills – unemployment is rising in all sectors of society and hitting young people especially hard.

It may be a good time to consolidate your education. Work on getting an ‘edge’ on other competitors in the job market by getting some experience – even if this means starting off in a voluntary capacity – that shows potential employers you have a bit of drive.

“In terms of expectations of young people currently studying or emerging into the workforce, the research indicates that young people are more likely to be in part-time employment during tertiary education (and quite possibly beyond it – although we have less data on that in NZ) than any generation previously.

“The majority of today’s students are both workers and students and the rates of full-time work for 15-24 year olds has been steadily dropping since the mid-80s.”

As covetousness is the root of all evil, so poverty is the worst of all snares – Daniel Defoe

Joining the financial dots

“Hmmm, the recession blah blah blah GDP blah blah subprime

Link is a Youth Action Team at Wellington Boys and Girls

mortgages blah blah blah.”

Institute. Bekah, Marko, Jackson, Chloe, Axel, Alex, Baxter

You too can speak intelligently about the economic crisis! Here’s a quick rundown of the most common terms:

and Anushka answered some of the questions FEILIDH O’DWYER put to them…

Main effects of the recession on young people?

The team thought the three main effects were: 1. Can’t easily get jobs 2. Reduced pocket money/disposable income 3. Parents might lose jobs, which could mean more stress in the home environment Is the idea of a gap year, more or less practical during a recession?

The team thought it made sense to wait out the recession and get educated because it will be hard to find a job, and the extra study will give you an edge when you try to find a job. If you are able to save, travelling is cheaper during the recession but finding jobs overseas will be difficult.

Buying houses?

The price of houses in relation to people’s income has skyrocketed since the 1970s. However, the team said that a positive aspect of the recession was that house prices are coming down, making housing more affordable for Gen Y, if they have an income and a deposit, than for Gen X. How will the recession affect people about to enter the workforce?

This will depend on your qualification. It may be difficult for young people as they are competing against older people who have qualifications and work experience. Knowing the right people helps out.

The team thought that the careers most in demand after the recession would be: • tradesmen: there’s always stuff to be built right?

• self-employment, especially farmers • finance and commerce workers: this is a sector that’s sure to pick up again once the recession ends • hospitality and retail: the skilled workers who have been filling these jobs will most likely move on, leaving positions open for youth Has the government learned from the recession?

The team said, “governments change, they don’t learn. Governments are pulling money from all the wrong projects and still keeping the crap ones. Why are they spending so much on the referendum?”

Do young people spend beyond their means?

The team thought that youth spend beyond their means but it was not official debt. They borrow from friends and family. It’s usually small amounts and they mostly deal in cash. Most youth have cellphones that are prepaid so the debt is not high.

Geekonomics

GDP: this is a basic measure of economic performance; it is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a nation in a year.

Economic growth rate: the percentage increase or decrease of GDP from the previous measurement cycle (often quarterly – ie. every three months).

Recession: this is when GDP growth slows, businesses stop expanding, employment falls, unemployment rises and housing prices decline.

Some economists say technically a recession is when GDP growth is negative for two consecutive quarters or more. Recessions are considered a normal part of the business cycle – basically, there are going to be ups and downs.

Depression: there is no agreed technical definition but basically a depression is a long recession, lasting years.

Inflation: inflation is when prices continue to go up, usually as a result of overheated (too much) economic growth. Usually wages go up too, but sometimes wages increase more slowly than prices, so that your standard of living can actually decrease.

Subprime mortgage: think ‘prime = best’ and ‘sub = under/beneath’. So a ‘subprime’ mortgage is ‘beneath the best’. Subprime mortgages are granted to borrowers whose credit history is not good enough to get a conventional mortgage – so there is an increased risk that they may not be able to pay it back.

Helpful hints • Bollard’s number one tip to help the NZ economy recover was, “greater savings by the household sector, to reduce the need for foreign funding of the economy” • You can get financial advice from your bank, and also try your local Citizens Advice Bureau (find your local branch at www.cab.org.nz, or Freephone 0800 367 222) • Most universities have dedicated financial services for students. They provide students with free financial and budgeting advice as well as information on other means of support from Work and Income (WINZ) or non-governmental organisations • Really, it’s common sense. If you don’t have enough money to buy something then don’t buy it!

A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain – Robert Frost

www.tearaway.net.nz

7

THE ECONOMY UNPLUGGED PHIL LUKE puts things into perspective

Is it really

that bad?

NZ genuinely worries me sometimes. We should not really call

This was bad

NZ a first world country. If you think I am being cruel, dear

The Great Depression was something to really fear. The Great Depression was the worldwide economic downturn starting in most places in 1929 and ending at different times in the 1930s or early 1940s for different countries.

It is still the largest and most severe economic depression in the 20th century, and is used in the 21st century as an example of how far the world’s economy can decline.

The Depression had devastating effects in virtually every country, rich or poor. International trade plunged by half to two-thirds, as did personal income, tax revenue, prices and profits.

Cities all around the world were hit horribly, especially those dependent on heavy industry. Construction was virtually halted in almost all countries.

Farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by approximately 60%. Facing plummeting demand, with few alternate sources of jobs, areas dependent on primary sector industries such as farming, mining and logging suffered the most.

Many people became homeless because they lost their jobs, and paying rent was simply a fantasy. The homeless then did anything to keep a roof over their heads, including making shacks out of anything, forming the infamous Hoovervilles.

The more people who were homeless, the more competitive the job market became. People who lost their jobs could not feed themselves, pay their rent, and support their family. This forced families together in crowded houses or apartments.

Ask yourselves, are we in that bad a state?

reader, experience the rest of the world and you will quietly agree with my crude statement.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a proud New Zealander, but sometimes this country feels so unschooled and childish that there are times when I quietly hide my passport while checking into another nation.

NZ limited While we have the facilities, man, are they underpowered – and they constantly remain underpowered. It is also frustrating to experience the dramatic limitations that NZ technological services offer.

Take, for example, Telecom: their broadband maxes out at 60 gigabytes per month while Singapore offers unlimited broadband for a quarter of the price. It’s faster too.

People ring each other in Thailand rather than texting. Why? It is cheaper.

Same goes for Sweden.

In England, you can get to France via train just as quick as it takes the Interislander to do its route.

It also takes Chinese builders less than six months to construct a skyscraper while it takes us six months to build a decent two-storey house.

No future?

We also panic madly about the economic times. We are so terrified of the sequel to the Great Depression. Ever since… well, whenever it started, the economy has just not looked healthy.

We get preached to on the news about how horrible the economy looks.

We get told that some sort of economic disaster is waiting to ambush us.

Quietly put, we get told there is no future.

Like a performance athlete who grew addicted to the couch, we became fat and lazy. Now, when needed, it hurts everywhere to walk.

Now, I am no media maniac but let’s come clean here – the economic downturn is nowhere as bad as we fear it to be.

We are very lucky, my dear reader, things are nowhere near as bad as they really could be.

Movies give us a rough idea, but let’s open history for a moment.

8

Tearaway August 2009

Wise up, world Even shortly after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, optimism persisted. John D Rockefeller said, “These are days when many are discouraged. In the 93 years of my life, depressions have come and gone. Prosperity has always returned and will again”.

Sometimes, I wish the world – NZ in particular – would stop being so immature. We have come an epic distance but we still panic like little schoolgirls with a tarantula crawling up one of their sleeves.

But they do say ‘the night is always darkest before dawn’.

MICHAEL MOORE-JONES explodes that old chestnut, tells us what bad shape we’re in and shows us how to get our money sorted

Do we have it easy these days?

“You kids have it so easy these days!”

It’s up to you

You know the line. It goes “myeh myeh myeh myeh blah blah blah

So, what can you do to learn even more, or learn faster?

There’s endless amounts of useful stuff on the Retirement Commission website, www.sorted.org.nz. Don’t be put off by the name – it’s relevant and important, even for our generation!

Sorted describe themselves as ‘a free independent money guide, with lots of calculators and information to help you manage your personal finances’.

They even offer free seminars, with information like helping you decide whether to join KiwiSaver, how much to save, and where to invest the money you do save.

There are also worksheets to sort out your goals. Writing down your short, medium, and long-term financial goals is a great way of committing yourself to them.

These worksheets on the Sorted website will also help you to work out your financial priorities, and how to set about achieving these goals.

myeh myeh blah blah blah” in your ear like that Miley Cyrus song your sister has played 300 times yet still finds enjoyable enough to sing along to.

It usually occurs when you’re right in the middle of a phone conversation to your girlfriend and happily ignoring the fact that the dishwasher needs emptying and the floors need vacuuming.

Aaaand, you got it – it’s said by your parents.

Next time they say it, hurl this back at them – “Man, you guys had it so easy when you were my age!”

My parents never had to worry about student loans when they were at university. And that doesn’t even begin to describe the extent of how good they had it – they even got paid what’s called a bursary for going!

Pleeeeeease someone roll back time!

Yeah right, and I’m Hugh Hefner.

Big bad mess Instead, what do we have?

The mess of the biggest financial disaster since 1929, ever-increasing student loans, and an ageing population who won’t be able to support us in our old age because they made bad financial decisions.

As NZ’s future generation, it’s up to us to provide for ourselves. Yet to do this, we have to know the ropes – each and every one of us.

Instead of leaving it up to the government to provide us with student loans and make deposits into our KiwiSaver accounts, we need to be able to make our own financial decisions.

The quality of those financial decisions will determine the standard of living we have throughout our working lives and our retirement years. Yeah, I know, retirement seems a millennium away, but the point is that if we don’t plan for it, nobody else is going to!

The biggest lesson of all The worst thing we could possibly do as the younger generation is to be ignorant – to assume that our financial wellbeing is safe in the hands of others.

If you could take away only one lesson from this financial crisis that has put the world into our current recession, it is that each and every one of us needs to understand our financial actions.

Learning about money Financial literacy has not been a part of the NZ education curriculum, yet without it we all lack vital skills and knowledge which will play a part of our everyday lives in the modern world.

The Retirement Commission defines financial literacy as ‘the ability to make informed judgements and make effective decisions regarding the use and management of money’.

Last year, the Retirement Commission started a trial, or what they called a pilot programme, in 10 schools around NZ. The aim was to see how students responded to being taught financial literacy, and to then decide whether the Ministry of Education should implement such a course in schools.

Students were taught how to manage finances, about hire purchase contracts, interest rates, the negative effects of bad credit ratings, and the importance of financial planning and saving.

Zzzzzzz?

Sounds boring, right?

Turns out students loved the programme, and learned heaps. Students said the best part was being able to go home and ask their parents how they were doing on their mortgages and other investments.

The Ministry of Education is now introducing the programme into schools around the country in August of this year.

New Tearaway writer Group hug! Welcome to the new addition to our team of writers, Michael Moore-Jones, 14, of Wellington College.

Currently I’m ... at the American School of Madrid, Spain for six months My favourite Spanish word is... un sacapuntas (pencil sharpener) I hate to admit this but... I quite like a High School Musical song!

Gotta Go My Own Way from HSM2. Man that’s sad!

My dream job is... to run my own business, or be in a managerial role of a huge one.

I became interested in business and economics... when the financial crisis hit us. I wanted to know more about how it would affect me and what I could do about it. It was actually through wanting a new iPod that I started to think about it, and I found it so interesting I wanted to learn as much as I could!

Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that – Norman Vincent Peale

Want to write for Tearaway?

Email rain@tearaway.co.nz for deets www.tearaway.net.nz

9

THE ECONOMY UNPLUGGED MICHAEL MOORE-JONES uncovers the link between China’s prosperity, irresponsible bankers and the global economic crisis

The recession...

Made in China?

You know how whenever you go shopping, you see all the labels with ‘made in China’ written on them?

Makes you realise how hardworking the Chinese are!

And you also know China has the largest population of any country in the world. So, a country with the largest population in the world and the hardest working citizens must be doing pretty well, right?

Right. So well in fact, that they have more money than they simply know what to do with!

Forget the stereotypes of Chinese living in poverty. Although China has huge numbers of poor citizens, it also has a massive middle class. It’s this huge middle class who can afford to save money, and huge corporations who are making great profits, along with the government.

The massive corporations in China, and other countries in the developing world, as well as their governments, are receiving so much money that they run out of options for what to do with it all.

As of July last year, the developing world’s surplus (money left over after they buy what they need) was estimated to be over US$4 trillion.

What would you do with US$4 trillion that you couldn’t spend? (I can think of a few ideas, but hey, how many iPhones can you possibly use!?)

Banks overjoyed Well, putting it in a bank isn’t safe, and doesn’t earn much interest, therefore seems a bit of a waste.

So the developing world turned to what is considered to be the safest investment in the world – US government bonds. (Bonds are a type of investment that give a percentage return each year, and governments issue them to raise money for special projects.)

By buying billions, even trillions, of dollars of US government bonds, this money was literally thrown at banks in the US. The banks were overjoyed by this, as now they could lend essentially an unlimited amount of money to anyone who wanted it.

It wasn’t just the banks who were happy – consumers were now able to get money at incredibly low rates. Some banks even offered cash out at free interest rates for certain amounts of time!

Money for free!

So banks earned huge profits, and consumers could get money virtually free whenever they wanted. Seems great, right? Well, it was!

Everyone found it so good that banks kept lending more and more and consumers kept borrowing more and more. So everyone was happy for a few years.

Yet everyone spending money they didn’t actually own soon had implications.

When the subprime mortgage market (think packages of millions of dollars worth of mortgages grouped together and traded amongst banks) collapsed in 2008, a crisis that could have been consolidated and caused little damage instantly ballooned out of proportion.

10 Tearaway August 2009

This in turn has led us into this recession.

People who could have limited the amount of money they lost soon found that they had lost a lot more than the original amount they invested – by borrowing, they had set themselves up to lose much, much more.

What can we do?

So what can we do, and what does the developing world need to do, to prevent such a crisis happening again?

Well, we need to save! Instead of being impatient and borrowing money or using a credit card to pay for that new LED TV that’s just come out, save money in advance.

Be patient, and only spend money you actually have and can afford to spend! Not only will this help to prevent a future crisis, but you will also find that individually you have more freedom in your life. Freedom from being tied down by trying to make the next hire purchase payment!

Why would you not want to save? It’s a win-win situation for us in the developed world.

And the developing world?

The developing world, on the other hand, needs to do the opposite! They need to spend, and spend lots!

This will reduce the surplus that the developing world posts each year, and therefore will reduce the amount that is being invested into the developed world.

There are more positive effects of this as well! The developing world can continue to grow their economies by spending within their own countries.

And for individuals, this means more stuff!

And, of course, everyone wants more stuff, right?

RECOGNYZ 09 Get your skates on!

ShoutOut!

Nominations close August 21.

Log on to www.hamilton.co.nz/recognyz to nominate yourself, a friend or someone you know who is doing outstanding things.

There are six nomination categories: Manaakitanga for community involvement and volunteering

Recognyz 09 is here! On September 24, youth from around

Youth 4 Youth for leadership of other youth

Hamilton have the chance to be recognised for their awesome achievements. It’s a fantastic opportunity for youth

The Apprentice for innovative and creative ideas

throughout Hamilton who do great things to be awarded for

Kia Kaha for overcoming adversity

their hard work, whatever it may be – in music, arts, business,

Dream Team a group award for community involvement and volunteering

community service, or for being leaders and role models.

The Hamilton Youth Council and the Hamilton City Council along with ZM and Tearaway are putting on a showcase at Founders Theatre on Thursday September 24 celebrating and promoting local youth talent with gigs throughout the night including hip-hop, kapa haka and local bands.

Recognyz is open to 12 to 24-year-olds living in Hamilton, and there are heaps of sweet prizes up for grabs, from iPods to fashion and music, Tearaway subscriptions, and the supreme winner on the night walks away with $2,000 worth of dream dollars to further their passion.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Beatstreet for achievements in arts, music or culture And a supreme winner To get more info or for general enquiries just email youthcouncil@ hcc.govt.nz. Entry is free on the night so come along and support your fellow friends and celebrate the achievements of youth in Hamilton.

So go fill out a nomination form and get involved with Recognyz 09!

It’s gonna be an awesome night!

Amnesty International school groups are changing the face of human rights campaigning – LUKE WILSON explains how you can help stop the use of child soldiers

Just stop it

Gone are the days when budding human

whose purpose is to make sure everyone gets the basic human rights promised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Amnesty school groups of the twenty-first century are hooked up, logged on and tuned in: we share this same idea but go about it in a remarkably different way.

Amnesty in schools now means freedom marches, petitions, handprint banners, fundraising concerts, public demonstrations and, yes, even some letter writing.

rights activists spent their lunchtimes inside, at desks, writing countless letters urging the governments of oppressed nations to stop their human rights atrocities.

Don’t get me wrong; Amnesty International is still alive and well in schools. It’s just… hip.

Amnesty is an independent, global organisation

Freedom Challenge week Then there’s Freedom Challenge: a week-long event, August 3-7, and the highlight of Amnesty’s calendar for student groups nationwide. Freedom Challenge always has a cause for which students

raise awareness, support and money.

In 2009 the cause is Kids against Camouflage…

Keeping Children out of Conflict; fighting to keep children in Colombia, Liberia and the Darfur region of Sudan from having to fight in wars they don’t belong in, and to ensure they live in peace and with dignity.

These kids aren’t like us, they don’t get the same opportunities to just be kids. This year, we’re trying to right this wrong.

And if you’re asking, “can we make a difference from NZ?” The answer is no… if you have that attitude.

However, if we make a collective effort, Amnesty can achieve a lot for these kids – shelter, food, education, support and safety; all things we can work to give them.

So, keep an eye open because Freedom Challenge will be happening near you. Check out www.freedomchallenge.org.nz for how you can take part!

It’s never too late to take action.

Luke Wilson helped set up Tauranga Boys’ College Amnesty International group over two years ago and is now the coordinator of the group.

One of the great things about young people is that they do question, that they do care deeply about justice, and that they have open minds – Zack De La Rocha

www.tearaway.net.nz 11

GLOBAL FOCUS

Stolen innocence , Photo by Stefanie Leuker

Rescuing Joseph Kony s child soldiers Recently, thousands of young people around the world ‘abducted themselves’ in an effort to focus attention on the plight of child soldiers in Uganda. Essential awarenessraising? Appalling exploitation? JOSEPHINE ADAMS (17) of Just Write explores The Rescue

A country at war

including Aotearoa New Zealand, thousands of young people

Uganda is a landlocked country in the east of Africa. Throughout its history, it has suffered various conflicts.

The different ethnicities of Uganda have been pitted against Joseph Kony each other, first as a method of control by the British colonisers and, after independence in 1962, by the Ugandan government itself.

This has led to the rise of many rebel groups including the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). LRA’s leader Joseph Kony is regarded as a holy man by his followers; none of them doubt his apparently ‘supernatural’ powers.

The LRA was originally the Holy Spirit Movement, led by Alice Lakwena, whom Kony claims was his cousin. After her death, Kony took over and took the resistance group in a more violent direction, but with the continued aim of making Uganda a state based on the Christian Ten Commandments.

participated in The Rescue. Their aim? To bring attention to the tragedies affecting children in Uganda.

The Rescue was an event organised by three young American filmmakers, Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole, who founded Invisible Children, a non-profit organisation aiming to help put an end to the exploitation of children as soldiers.

The idea of The Rescue was that participants would ‘abduct themselves’ by taking just a few survival items to camp at a designated site.

They were not allowed to leave the site until a celebrity or media mogul came and spoke out about the plight of the Ugandan child soldiers. When this happened, the city was ‘rescued’.

The activists spent their time ‘abducted’ writing letters to the children concerned and also to influential people they hoped would help free the child soldiers.

Mixed reactions This event received a mixed response. Some applauded it for bringing attention to the issue, while others said it didn’t highlight the seriousness of the situation clearly enough.

Juliane Okot Bitek, a Ugandan woman living in Canada, felt that, “to ask thousands of young people to pretend that they can ‘abduct themselves’ into creating a new reality for the children in northern Uganda is more than appalling, it is manipulative and undermines the horror of the last two decades of suffering over there.”

The organisers, however, firmly believe that raising awareness and more than US$23,000, is what’s most important.

It also gained the attention of governments around the world, which have put resources towards helping negotiate peace in Uganda.

Children

of conflict Uganda is not alone in recruiting children to perform

Photo by Joram Jojo

This year on April 25, in a hundred cities and ten countries,

Making abductions easier Invisible Children estimate that over 90% of the LRA’s forces were abducted as children.

Children all around northern Uganda live under constant threat of abduction and those who attend school often band together in groups to walk from their schools to safe sleeping areas in large cities.

It is because of these abductions that the current government placed thousands of its people in internal displacement camps (IDCs), originally meant to help protect the people from raids by the LRA. Unfortunately, these camps have just made the rebels’ jobs easier. With so many people packed together, LRA soldiers are able to attack many more people at one time, ruining homes, taking food, raping women and abducting children.

‘They tied up my younger brothers and invited us to watch. Then they beat them with sticks until two of them died. They told us it would give us strength to fight’ Children can be forcibly recruited into armed

Unfortunately, they are usually mistaken.

We know from children who have escaped such

the horrific rites of war. Conflicts in Myanmar

forces, but also ‘volunteer’ because they see no

[Burma], Colombia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and several

other option; joining the army may be seen as the

situations that they are often required to prove their

African nations affect young people in horrific ways.

only way of surviving.

loyalty to armies by killing a friend or family member.

They miss out on education, are used as forced

Children may see these armies as a way to

They have no power over themselves or anyone else,

labour, as well as being used as soldiers in wars they

avenge murdered family members, earn status and

and the violent abuse they are subjected to daily is

may not understand.

power in their societies, or escape domestic abuse.

worse than what they would suffer at home.

12 Tearaway August 2009

Concern should drive us into action and not into a depression. No man is free who cannot control himself – Pythagoras

Do something!

Take action

Learn more www.invisiblechildren.com www.child-soldiers.org/home http://therescue.invisible children.com/en/#/watch/ www.savethechildren.org

Photo by luos3r

Visit www.invisiblechildren.com and donate money, or find out about new initiatives that Jason, Bobby and Laren are planning.

Donate to organisations such as Save the Children and War Child, which also strive to protect children living in conflict areas.

There are several documentaries about child soldiers, such as those by Invisible Children, Uganda Rising and Act for Stolen Children. Plan a screening in your community to raise awareness, and encourage others to try to make a difference.

Organise your own demonstrations or events to help raise awareness and money.

www.warchild.org www.ugandarising.com

‘With so many people packed together, LRA soldiers are able to attack many more people at one time, ruining homes, taking food, raping women and abducting children’ Brothers beaten to death Abducted children can be used as soldiers, porters, sex slaves, or used to lay explosives. All are trained in combat and participate in violence. Many are made to kill friends or family.

A former child soldier, aged 13, describes what happened when he was made to join: “Early on, when my brothers and I were captured, the LRA explained to us that all five brothers couldn’t serve in the LRA because we would not perform well.

“So they tied up my younger brothers and invited us to watch. Then they beat them with sticks until two of them died. They told us it would give us strength to fight. My youngest brother was nine years old.”

Haunted The children fortunate enough to escape or be rescued then face another set of obstacles.

The psychological, and often physical, scarring left after serving in the LRA means that many children are haunted by the abuse they suffered, the people they have killed and by guilt for what they have done.

Funding for specialised rehabilitation centres is very limited.

Many will be stigmatised by their communities for what they were a part of, whether they volunteered or not, and post-traumatic stress is common.

Did The Rescue help?

Faced with the reality of the life of a child soldier, it is easy to understand Juliane Okot Bitek’s criticism of The Rescue, but I believe both Bitek and The Rescue’s organisers have a point.

The Rescue successfully raised awareness of the issue, as well as more than US$23,000. However, it is unclear just how well the young people involved understood what’s actually happening in Uganda.

The biggest appeal of this kind of event for young people is often just the opportunity to get out and actively feel like we’re helping to make a difference.

There is nothing wrong with this; it is, in fact, a very good thing.

But does The Rescue undermine the suffering of children in Uganda over the last two decades? Maybe, maybe not, but these young people are trying to recreate an ‘abduction’, a horror that they cannot possibly comprehend.

WIN fair trade goodness!

Go into the draw to win a Trade Aid prize pack full of food and other goodies.

Complete the crossword puzzle, and send your answers, along with your name and contact details, to Fiona, Global Education Centre, PO Box 12440, Wellington 6144.

Across 2. The head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (6,4) 5. Even if child soldiers do escape this is difficult (14) 8. What happened on April 25, 2009 (3,6) 9. Since the 1980s north ________ has been in conflict (6)

Down 1. Child _______ (8) 3. Tension, disagreement, war (8) 4. Another African country that recruits child soldiers (7)

1 2 3 4 5

6

7 8

6. Most child soldiers are _____(8) 9

7. Joseph Kony abducts _______ (8) EclipseCrossword.com

This Global Focus feature is a Tearaway and Global Education Centre project. This article was funded by NZAID – a government organisation helping out with aid and development around the world. The purpose of Global Focus is to provide young people with a forum and information about global issues. For more information, visit www.globaled.org.nz.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together – Vincent Van Gogh

www.tearaway.net.nz 13

MUSIC

BILLY TALENT Billy Talent are everything a punk rock band should be. Their music is powerful and unique, with intense drumming, driving bass lines, intricate guitar, and melodic vocals that can deliver a powerful scream when least expected. ASHLEIGH HOPE was lucky enough to chat to their drummer Aaron Solowoniuk

Aaron met his fellow band mates, Ben Kowalewicz (vocals), Ian D’Sa (guitar) and Jon Gallant (bass) in high school in Toronto, Canada. They competed in talent shows together, and sometimes even against each other.

validated the new direction the band took.

“He recorded the sound we wanted, it was a dream come true.”

The real Guitar Hero

As high school bands fizzled away, Billy Talent was formed. “We started playing four times a week and have been doing so for 16 years.”

The band released their first full-length album, self-titled, in 2003 and their second full length album II was released in 2006.

The three years between these two masterpieces showed a slight change in sound; their unique form of punk rock developed, exchanging some of Kowalewicz’s screams for more melodic vocal lines.

III has been released with a bonus Guitar Villain disc, which has all the music except for the guitar, so you can play along at home to the tabs of D’Sa. Aaron calls this the ‘real’ Guitar Hero. “We couldn’t get a song on the game, it’s so popular and only big bands can get on it, so we thought we’d take Guitar Hero to the next level.”

By doing this the band hopes to inspire kids to get involved with music and pick up real instruments as opposed to small plastic guitars controlled by buttons.

Grunge revolution

Punk at BDO

With their new album III released, it is easy to hear how the band has changed over these past three years. III fuses their punk rock roots with grunge influences, which Aaron believes was “not a conscious effort at all”.

The album’s producer Brendan O’Brien has worked with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots.

When the group’s record label asked who their dream producer would be for III, O’Brien was the first name on the list, almost as a joke – the prospect of actually working with him seemed slim due to his impressive credentials.

According to Aaron, O’Brien arrived in the studio two weeks later, and his experiences and influences, specifically those from the 90s grunge revolution,

14 Tearaway August 2009

When asked about festivals and travelling around the world Aaron reminisced about tours in America and Europe, but was quick to express his desire to come and play in NZ. “Big Day Out is a world renowned festival which we are planning on coming to this year… I can’t wait to see NZ, and Big Day Out is in your summertime so we’ll miss our winter, which is nice.”

A good old-fashioned punk band has been missing from the BDO line-up for a couple of years now, so they will surely be warmly welcomed with mosh pit frenzies and fists in the air. www.billytalent.com

Music can save people, but it can’t in the commercial way it’s being used. It’s just too much. It’s pollution – Bob Dylan

Smokefreerockquest

New oldu nds

school so rock Nelson

Nelson winner

We’re now in the lead-up to the big Smokefreerockquest schmozzle – the national finals. In the Nelson regional finals, JOHNNIE CAMERON’s pop acoustics won the night.

We asked him some important questions about toasted sandwich fillings and some other stuff...

What’s your style?

Popular acoustic. I’m a bit of an old-timer at heart because I was brought up listening to The Beatles, Hendrix, Dylan, the Stones, and blues and jazz artists.

I’ve got my dad to thank for the wide range of music I’ve been introduced to. Much of the music I listen to with my friends and family, and cover with my duo partner, harks back to the ‘old school’ of sound.

How have you found the Smokefreerockquest experience so far?

Amazing! Smokefreerockquest regional champ is a really great title, it has really pushed me to come up with material that I know could be professionally produced.

Johnnie cameroN

You have to work on a DVD now, right?

How is that going?

I don’t want to give too much away but it’s a mixture of the standard things featured in video clips: girls, flash cars and of course the artist playing in various situations.

Really it’s about portraying my style and personality to the judging panel – hopefully in a way that shows I’m an original and marketable artist.

Smoking is a shocking thing – blowing smoke out of our mouths into other people’s mouths, eyes, and noses, and having the same thing done to us – Samuel Johnson

Favourite music video clips ever?

On the spot, I’d have to say that song by OK Go called Here it Goes Again. Not so much because of the song itself but coming up with that treadmill dance sequence – hilarious!

If you could play support for artist, who would you choose?

JOHN MAYER! He’s such a great songwriter – someone I get a lot of my songwriting techniques from, not to mention the fact that he plays a mean blues guitar which comes through in his pop work.

(Not quite as good as SRV (Stevie Ray Vaughan) though. Would be a dream come true to shake his hand!)

What’s the best thing to have in a toasted sandwich?

Hahaha it’s funny you should ask – Mum showed up last week with a toasted sandwich maker she’d bought me off TradeMe for 10 bucks (lol what a steal, good old Mum!) and I’ve tried various combinations but so far would have to say tasty cheese with ham and sweet chilli is my favourite.

But I’ll keep you posted because I’m sure I’ll come up with something better! www.smokefreerockquest.co.nz

www.tearaway.net.nz 15

MUSIC

KIWI MUSIC NEWS

The best in the music biz Every year since 1965, APRA (the Australasian Performing Right Association) honour a NZ songwriter with the APRA Silver Scroll, which is basically the best written song of the year.

It is judged by the 7,000 plus songwriters around NZ who are registered with APRA. This year, for the first time, the Silver Scrolls will be held in Christchurch Town Hall where just one act will be recognised for their outstanding achievement.

A panel of songwriters have gone through the entries and compiled a list of 20 top songs which you can listen to at www.apra.co.nz/html/ voting2009.php

The latest musical haps with Kiwi FM’s FLEUR JACK

Life ,s busy for Liam Finn He has spent the last two years (after the release of his debut solo album I’ll Be Lightning) touring and writing, PlUS opening for The Black Keys and Eddie Vedder.

His new EP is set for worldwide release in September but rather than focusing on one thing at a time, Liam will spend August in NZ in a studio with Eliza-Jane, Lawrence Arabia and Connan Mockasin.

Their plan is to spend around a month writing and recording together in the studio and then take their new works on tour for four special dates around NZ. www.myspace.com/theliamfinn

Gig ‘n’ kai

Wanna catch a live gig, but don’t want to leave the house?!

Check out Guess Who’s Singing For Dinner every Tuesday night @ 8pm.

Burger Fuel puts on some food, a band comes in to play three live songs and have a chat about life on Indie Alt New with Fleur Jack.

“I wanted to have a band on my show every week and I thought what better way than to lure them in with the promise of a darn tasty kai” – Fleur Jack Thanx Burger Fuel!!

MONDAYS Mellow Mondays w/ The Good News Diary TUESDAYS Guess Who’s Singing For Dinner?

WEDNESDAYS The Rock Factory Musicians Helpline THURSDAYS Indie Album of the Week Interview FRIDAYS Party Rock Night

16 Tearaway August 2009

102.2FM AKL 102.1FM WLG 102.5FM CHC

with FLEUR JACK Monday – Friday 7pm – 9pm The Best of I.A.N. Saturdays 12pm – 3pm & Sundays 1am – 4am Audio on Demand 24hrs, 7 day @ www.kiwifm.co.nz

Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory – Sir Thomas Beecham

New

from Drew , What is cracking people!? I m

back! No need for applause! OK, maybe a little.

Smokefree Pacifica Beats

set to go off!

The big news this month is that all the heats are on for Smokefree Pacifica Beats.

If by chance you have hidden under a rock and don’t know what it’s about, Smokefree Pacifica Beats is kind of like the Smokefreerockquest but the performers must include Mäori or Pacific Island themes in their music either by way of dance, lyrics, storytelling or by using cultural instruments to enhance their songs.

Spacifix, Nesian Mystik and Adeaze are some of NZ’s finest talent to come out of this competition and it’s just been confirmed that Nesian Mystik will be special guest performers at this year’s national final.

And all shows are all-ages! www.smokefreepacificabeats.co.nz

My favourite show on C4 right now is of course Select Live, then it would have to be Who Wants To Be a Superhero? on Thursdays.

That show is insane!

You better be watching it, or else! If that came across like a threat, it’s because it was.

This got me thinking…….if you could have a superpower, what would it be? If I had a power, it would be to make everyone with a TV – and especially a black box sitting on top of their TV – tune into Select Live every day!

I hope you’ve got your tickets for Green Day and the Black Eyed Peas. If you don’t, hit up our website c4tv.co.nz and you could win some!

The Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards are coming up again this October and your entire class could be coming along to the awards night with us! You know the drill, check out our website for more info.

Make sure you’re watching C4 for all of your Awards gossip over the next couple of months. We’ll be bringing the show to telly again.

It’s going to be massive! I’m looking forward to dusting off the tux. Actually, first I need a tux to dust off. If you’ve got one, hook me up!

Movie-wise, I’m amped about the new GI Joe film! To celebrate, we’re giving you and a mate the chance to go on a top secret GI Joe mission in Tokyo, Iceland or Paris! Watch C4 for more details.

Our poster this month is Paramore. I love their music and I can’t wait for their new album which is due in September.

Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, their new video Ignorance will be in our hot hands… we can’t wait. Watch Vodafone Select Live to check it out! Or else! That was threat number two!

Love, Drew

Busy band with a grand plan They have a groovy reggae sounding vibe and have been working together since 2005. The band are from Auckland but have travelled to Wellington to record with Dr Lee Prebble (The Black Seeds, Woolshed Sessions).

Tahuna Breaks will be releasing their second full-length album Black Brown

and White at the end of this month.

As well as the release, they will be touring all around NZ for a whopping three months and taking all their news songs with them to test them out on the road.

Check them out at www.tahunabreaks.com

All of my religious beliefs are based on Star Wars – Mike Dirnt (Green Day)

www.tearaway.net.nz 17

PAGE TAG

Urban

DANCE PAGE TAG

YOUTH

Movement When a kid twice your size steals your lunch, punches you in the face and says “You better run boy!” – what do you do?

Photos by Lauren Ripper

UrbanYOUTHMovement’s brand new work is titled YOU BETTER RUN BOY! and it explores the problem of bullying in our schools and on our streets. It’s set to be fast, fierce and funny – it’ll make you want to laugh at a bully, hug a bully and bully a bully!

Led by Neil Ieremia, the UrbanYOUTHMovement project (UYM) has been running since 1999, giving a select group of students the opportunity to work with members of Black Grace to create a dance work.

UYM performances 8 – 12 September 2009 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre are similar to Black Grace THE EDGE 8 – 12 September 2009 09 357 3355 Heraldin Theatre, works thatAotea theyCentre are buytickets.co.nz THE EDGE blackgrace.co.nz fast, physical and push the 09 357 3355 buytickets.co.nz boundaries. blackgrace.co.nz 8 – 12 September 2009 Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre THE EDGE® 09 357 3355 buytickets.co.nz ® blackgrace.co.nz

®

Hey, hey, Paula Hopoi’s the name; I’m 18 and living out in Mangere, South Auckland. This year I’m blessed to be trained by Neil Ieremia at Black Grace – pretty buzzing aye?

Black Grace was founded in 1995

by Neil Ieremia and quickly became NZ’s leading contemporary dance company. Choreographer Neil Ieremia fuses Pacific and contemporary dance, creating athletic and dynamic work.

Black Grace regularly tours NZ and has toured internationally to Holland, Japan, USA, Mexico, Canada, New Caledonia, Australia and Guam.

Black Grace is proud to be 100% auahi kore smokefree! Dancer Brent Dockary managed to boot the nasty habit, and says, “It’s nice actually being able to breathe when I dance now. My stamina levels are improving every day now that I’ve kicked the habit”.

(So it IS possible! You CAN quit.

You’re strong… Or, make it easy for yourself – JUST DON’T START!) www.blackgrace.co.nz

20 Tearaway August 2009

How did I get involved with Black Grace? Well, during my five years at Otahuhu College, for the first time in my life I came across a dance style other than cultural or hip-hop, called contemporary dance. The teachers would use Black Grace trainee Black Grace as an example.

As I learnt more about contemporary dance I studied and watched performances by Black Grace and I felt I related straight away to Neil’s work, even though I was like, “I have no idea what that was about”, haha!

In the sixth form I based my English paper on Neil, and to my shock I ended up interviewing him in his office and afterwards meeting the dancers. I was inspired, but what hit me was at the end Neil told me all you have to do is call or email to book an audition – and he could train me if I made it.

One day, as I was ending my seventh form year, I randomly showed up at the studio doors, pressed the bell and asked if I could talk to Neil – brave-faced but shaking and crying scared inside. Haha – not an easy thing to do!

We talked and things worked out, I auditioned a couple of weeks later and was told I had made it. I started working on January 5 and have felt blessed every day since.

I came to Black Grace because I know it will help me achieve my vision one day – which is to make performing arts studios as common as rugby balls.

My first UrbanYOUTHMovement is something to look forward to. I’m excited because these young dancers came out firing in the auditions, and put that together with Neil’s vision, and we have something big coming!

Paula Hopoi

I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself – Mikhail Baryshnikov

Tupua Tigafua Black Grace dancer

Jenn Horne (front), Huiarangi Honara, Brittany Le Sueur, Caroline Gray.

Tupua Tigafua on left

Talofa lava! My name is Tupua Tigafua and I’ve been dancing with Black Grace for almost two years now.

Growing up in Mt Wellington I had no training in dance, had never watched a ballet and never heard of contemporary dance until I left Penrose High School.

In 2002 I was lucky enough to get a taste of contemporary dance. I was 19, wide-eyed, amazed and inspired by the Pacific Island men of Black Grace who could move through space effortlessly.

Mid 2002 I was asked by Neil Ieremia to join the UrbanYOUTHMovement production of ESCAPE and enjoyed the hard work, meeting people and getting to perform in Auckland city.

After UrbanYOUTHMovement I went on to train in contemporary dance at UNITEC. Being a professional dancer has lived up to my expectations; I have performed in many theatres around the world and never thought I would see my photo printed on a t-shirt!

I look forward to working with the young performers in YOU BETTER RUN BOY! and to experience what it is like on the other side, as a mentor.

Wiremu Mehana

Joash Tuugamusu (front), Sean MacDonald

Brittany Le Sueur with Tupua Tigafua

www.tearaway.net.nz 21

PAGE RED CROSS TAG

BRIE JESSEN has recently returned from the experience of a lifetime. Along with Aaron Turner, Brie represented New Zealand Red Cross at the third International Red Cross Red Crescent Youth Conference, Youth on the Move, in Europe

Youth on the move Both Aaron and I were very excited about this trip prior to

Fiaccolata

leaving, neither of us having travelled out of the Pacific before,

The youth conference concluded with the Fiaccolata. This is a 10 km walk through Solferino to commemorate the path that the village women took to carry the wounded soldiers from the battlefield in Solferino to the nearby town of Castiglione for treatment.

It celebrates the work of those courageous women in Solferino 150 years ago, as well as all those who work in conflict and disaster zones putting their lives at risk to help others.

The Fiaccolata event happens every year, but this year in particular was very special as it was the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Solferino.

I was hugely honoured to be asked to be one of the youth delegates to hold the Red Cross Red Crescent flag.

It was a truly inspiring experience to lead the candlelit procession of 13,000 people, along with youth delegates from around the world, committed to making their communities and our world a better place.

but I think the excitement has only doubled since we returned.

We have so many exciting ideas to put into action.

The trip itself was in two parts; the first part was the International Youth Conference in Solferino, Italy. The conference hosted 500 young people from 150 different countries.

We spent three days discussing the important humanitarian issues facing young people today, and how we, as the youth and future of Red Cross, can work to alleviate suffering and make a difference in our communities.

The workshops covered a wide range of topics, from food security, HIV/ AIDS, blood donation to leadership, non-discrimination, and the humanitarian effects of climate change.

Psychosocial support Aaron and I decided to target different areas that were of interest of us. I attended three workshops: volunteering and branch development, nondiscrimination and respect for diversity, and gender.

Aaron also attended three, looking at disaster risk reduction, resource mobilisation and psychosocial support.

For Aaron, the psychosocial support workshop was by far the most interesting, looking at the ways that young people could help in the rehabilitation of children after traumatic events.

The workshop provided some interesting concepts which could be used with refugees in NZ and also with children who are affected by natural disasters.

Gender The workshop that I enjoyed the most was the gender workshop, which looked at the way we can deal with discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.

Using non-cognitive ways of learning, such as games, role-playing, and art, as well as discussion based on thoughts and feelings, we explored the stereotypes that exist around gender and how these can hold people back and contribute to vulnerability.

We learnt how to facilitate programmes known as YABC – Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change. This programme empowers young people to become agents of change in their communities and teach others about the values Red Cross stands for.

BRIE JESSEN is the national youth representative on the governing board of NZ Red Cross, and chairs the National Youth Panel. AARON TURNER is a member of the NZ Red Cross Dunedin Branch executive committee and the Dunedin Red Cross Response Team.

Why Solferino?

2009 marks 150 years since the birth of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement.

Driven by the horrors he witnessed on a battlefield in Solferino, Italy, Henry Dunant, a young man from Switzerland, was inspired to create an organisation which could assist vulnerable people, particularly those affected by conflict.

His vision was of an organisation that could be impartial and offer medical assistance to people on both sides of conflict, without discrimination or prejudice.

Today the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement has millions of volunteers in 186 countries, working with people who are vulnerable because of war, conflict, natural disaster, poverty, substance abuse, HIV/ AIDS or hunger.

Make your move – volunteer with New Zealand Red Cross

Help us create hope.

It’s time to make your move.

now and make a difference in your community.

Call 0800 REDCROSS (0800 733 276) visit www.redcross.org.nz

22 Tearaway August 2009

The more you care, the stronger you can be – Jim Rohn

Journey of an idea

The second part of the trip was called Journey of an Idea.

Along with 240 young people from the conference, Aaron and I took part in this journey from Solferino to Geneva following in the footsteps of Henry Dunant as he took his idea of the Red Cross back to his home town.

The first three days were spent on buses and walking through the Swiss Alps and countryside to Geneva. As we travelled we stopped in several towns and spent time sharing our views on humanitarian issues with local authorities.

Youth declaration Our time in Geneva saw us visiting the International Red Cross Museum, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

We had the opportunity to participate in workshops with staff from the ICRC and learn more about the international work of the IFRC. The main focus of our time in Geneva was the presentation of the Youth Declaration which was the result of our feedback from the International Youth Conference.

This declaration is an important outcome from the conference and expresses the concrete actions and ideals which we, as the youth of Red Cross, commit ourselves to working towards.

The declaration was presented to the heads of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, United Nations officials, and members of the international community in Geneva, and has given us an amazing opportunity to have our voices heard.

‘We have met so many fantastic people – young volunteers who are making such positive contributions to their societies, and are real agents of change’ we also work to help those in need overseas through our international humanitarian aid worker programme.

For Aaron and I the whole experience in Europe has been amazing. We have met so many fantastic people – young volunteers who are making such positive contributions to their societies, and are real agents of change.

We have both come away so much more knowledgeable about Red Cross, and full of passion for the organisation we love.

Passionate about our work This conference has given us so many great ideas to develop in NZ, and the drive and enthusiasm to inspire others to get involved with this fantastic organisation.

In NZ, Red Cross plays a dual role; we assist vulnerable people here in NZ with the delivery of programmes that target specific areas of need, and www.tearaway.net.nz 23

ST JOHN

Abseiling, rodeos, motocross, travel – it’s all in a day’s work for TRACY LAMBETH (19) as Assistant Divisional Manager of St John’s youth division in Dunedin

Adventure for life My father got me involved with St John when I was eight, and since then I have just loved being part of it all. As

Tracy and friend in Hong Kong

Assistant Divisional Manager (ADM), I help organise and run the teaching of the badge work and training, and help organise competitions and write tests.

As you progress though St John Youth you are given opportunities to gain rank: corporal, sergeant and youth leader. If you have rank it is expected that you will help out more in the division, teaching some aspects of a badge or running a game with the younger members.

I love being involved in the youth division and helping other members enjoy being in St John. I get the opportunity to see people come into an organisation and learn new and exciting information, make new friends and have new experiences.

Tracy working with young cadets

Trip of a lifetime There are heaps of opportunities for travel within St John – mostly within NZ but it’s great to get out there and experience your own country!

Every five years there are international competitions where you could travel to many different countries.

I was lucky enough to be selected for a trip to Hong Kong on a St John exchange programme. It was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on, as I had only ever been to Australia before that.

It was incredible to experience a whole new culture. The 50 NZ Youth members plus leaders were joined by about a hundred Hong Kong cadets, and we also then went on a trip into China and saw some amazing things and places.

I will never forget all the friends and experiences – it truly was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Don’t miss this!

I’ve been involved in several emergencies at St John events, such as at car rallies, marathons, sports games, motocross and my favourite, the rodeos.

It’s a great way to see what really happens and learn new things. You are working with several experienced ambulance officers or paramedics so you don’t feel lost or out of your depth if something does happen.

The most useful things I have gained from St John would be my leadership skills and the ability to communicate and get along with a wide variety of people.

Definitely go along to your local division and check it out – or, if that makes you nervous, find someone who is part of St John and get them to take you along.

It’s an opportunity you really can’t afford to miss.

Choose your own adventure St John is a large organisation and offers endless career possibilities:

ambulance staff

Under pressure

tutors Picture this: someone is injured and hanging halfway down an incredibly tall abseiling wall. You have to climb the building, abseil down to the ‘patient’ and start treating them in mid-air with nothing to hold onto and a harness as your only support.

Reckon you could handle it?

This is what Tracy had to do as part of a team leader test at a national competition.

“Being somewhat afraid of heights this was a bit of a challenge but I now look back and think it is one of the best tests I have been in. Not only was it testing my first aid knowledge but also testing how we can stand up under pressure and face our fears.”

24 Tearaway August 2009

St John Youth managers accounting and administration media and advertising Caring Caller (basically, a friendship service to those who are housebound or live on their own) delivering workshops in schools

Be ready when opportunity comes...Luck is the time when preparation and opportunity meet – Roy D Chapin Jr

Follow in the high achieving footsteps of UCOL’s Bachelor of Fine Arts alumni. Graduates of our

Taking art to new heights Join UCOL’s Fine Art graduates in exhibiting around the world

Quay School of Arts in Wanganui exhibit in galleries throughout New Zealand, Australia and Europe.

During the four-year degree programme, you’ll be introduced to the technical, conceptual and professional aspects of fine arts by our highly regarded artists and academics, all within the School’s excellent printmaking, painting, sculpture, photography and glass* facilities.

As one of the School’s students, you’ll also have an exclusive opportunity to enter the pattillo Scholarship, one of New Zealand’s largest tertiary art prizes. * With the Wanganui District Council’s support, UCOL will continue to offer the Glass Major within the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

TEAR5691BFA

ENROL NOW AS UCOL’S BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS STARTS FEBRUARY 2010

0800 GO UCOL 4 6

8 2 6 5

enquiry@ucol.ac.nz www.ucol.ac.nz

www.tearaway.net.nz 25

CHOICES

Ben Pearce

As a kid, was into: making go-karts, collecting stamps and bugs, making tree huts, drawing, Sega, making things in the garage and getting into trouble around the neighbourhood with my friends.

Dreamt of being: an architect. I have some tattered old plans of my dream house I designed when I was eight. It’s a little overboard – laundry chutes, secret tunnels. It was based around the letter ‘S’, with rooms on either side of the letter’s curves. I’d live there.

I chose art in a round about way. It was either art school or automotive engineering. Art was just as natural for me as fixing cars, but a scholarship to study fine arts at Quay School

Currently: working at Cicada Works, and from my studio at home www.benpearce.co.nz

of the Arts at Whanganui UCOL took me in that direction.

Pivotal weirdness I found some old books once at a garage sale. A stinky old hardback of Picasso was in there and it became my bible. I wanted immediately to be as good as him at drawing. That was a pivotal moment.

My mum enrolled me in a holiday programme that gave kids an opportunity to work with other ‘art-minded’ kids from other schools. It was very weird – take the best kid from each school and put ‘em together.

Qualification: Bachelor of Fine Arts (sculpture) Place of study: Quay School of the Arts at Whanganui UCOL

Intriguing, unnerving, mystifying...

Art was an area in which I could be totally free to express my ideas and feelings.

Drawing and creating new objects that don’t function in any way is what I’m passionate about. The challenge of making something that can intrigue, make people think and possibly unnerve people is what keeps me going.

Home town: Palmerston North

No one was used to so many others being so good at art. It brought me down quite a few pegs in my mind. I worked even harder on my paintings when I got home that day.

At Freyberg High School the art department was really strong. Spending a lot of time in the art room helps, and the trips to museums and galleries instils a sense of quality and what you can or can’t get away with.

Mystifying and crazy At UCOL I studied fine arts. It requires you to ask ‘why be an artist, why make anything at all? What do I want to say, and how can I become specialised in one area?’

I found sculpture the most mystifying, so I went that way. Sculpture can be very annoying, there are too many materials out there, and too many ways to put them together.

Studying at UCOL was the craziest four years of my life, for some reason the strangest things happen to you when you’re studying. I totally recommend it.

I think art in particular is good as you are always trying to understand yourself and why you think the way you do. That can drive you a little crazy, but aren’t we all a little crazy?

The best things about tertiary life....

Making good friends is a cliché but so awesome. You get to know everyone’s deepest, darkest secrets when it comes to art.

Sitting in cafes yakking about art assignments, artists, music and gossip was just as good as being by yourself at 3am in the morning frantically trying to finish a piece of work for a 9am critique.

Highlights were visiting artists from overseas and NZ, learning new processes and techniques, and gaining respect from lecturers and local artists.

UCOL in Wanganui is a supportive place to study. There are heaps of artists living in Wanganui, it’s a special place. I really enjoyed my time at UCOL.

26 Tearaway August 2009

God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant, and the cat.

He has no real style. He just goes on trying other things – Pablo Picasso

Blurrily busy Since graduating, I’ve maintained a steady flow of exhibitions, at first put on by myself. Now that I’m gaining a stronger presence and having shows in public spaces, all I need to worry about is making work and getting it to the gallery.

I’ve been really busy, it’s all a blur. I moved to Hawkes Bay in 2005 to join Cicada Studios (a furniture and art studio, now Cicada Works) to make my work. I’m still here working during the week as a designer and maker for David Trubridge.

It’s a diverse job with a great bunch of people; it has helped me gain a stronger feel for quality and tuned my eye.

I recently had a show at the Hawkes Bay Museum and Art Gallery (HBMAG) and it went very well. I’m so happy with the work I made and it has opened many doors already.

The work also moved up to Object Space in Auckland. That gave the work an opportunity to be shown to a different audience.

I was shocked too recently when I had a solo show in Napier which almost completely sold out. That gives you impetus to keep working and pushing what you do.

Art is born My work always has to be interesting and entertaining for me or I get bored, and if I’m bored, the viewer is going to be too.

Putting up finished work and seeing how it looks, something just buzzes inside you and it’s no longer something you’ve made, it’s art that exists in its own right.

I guess it kind of gets born in a strange way, then leaves home on its own strange little journey collecting dust, stories and meaning.

I’m working on some new work – I’m working a lot on paper at the moment and am making work for a show in Auckland at Masterworks in December with three other artists.

Who could do fine arts?

A career in art is suited to a very dedicated person; it takes a lot of determination. There are times when nothing is happening, and you have to keep doing it for the love of it.

It helps to be quite obsessive and think a lot about things. Take cues and hints that life is showing you.

It definitely isn’t supposed to be easy, and decisions are hard to make. So as long as you are doing something that has the potential to scare or excite you every day, you’re doing the right thing.

Patience is a virtue as they say, slow down and enjoy the journey. www.tearaway.net.nz 27

CHOICES

Serious about training in Dance, Drama or Music?

Doing what I love best

[guitar, bass, drums, keys, vocals]

She has always

NZQ

EXCEL

Accr e

A

dited

School of Performing Arts

loved drawing and dancing but when BRITTANY ROBERTSON heard an amazing guitar piece, she knew that was going to be her thing

Who else offers...

Flexibility - Study more than one subject Outstanding industry tutors ● One-on-one tuition for music majors ● Second year tour opportunity ● Performance-based ● ●

I grew up in a big family of seven with my dad playing guitar but

AUDITIONS NATIONWIDE OCT-DEC

Book an Audition Tel (09) 827-7327 Visit: www.excel.ac.nz Contact us:

info@excel.ac.nz or PO Box 15357, New Lynn, Auckland J4677

28 Tearaway August 2009

I was more interested in art and dance. I started off playing flute in primary school but when I heard this song in a movie I immediately wanted to learn how to play it on the guitar.

My dad showed me the start of it and told me how to read tab and I was off, learning the piece for my NCEA exams!

I heard about EXCEL School of Performing Arts when they came and performed at my school and I found that I could study a Certificate of Performance in Music, majoring in guitar but I could also take dance as a minor.

So here I am, halfway through my course at EXCEL doing the two things I love best.

I’ve found the one-on-one lessons twice a week with my guitar tutor have meant that a whole new world of chords and improvising has opened up for me. I’m also in a band and playing all sorts of different styles.

I really love the song writing part of the course because it lets me explore my creative side and then the trick is to get it down onto paper!

EXCEL has given me new friends from around NZ and the support we give each other is something special. I know I want to make a difference and I’m going to use my music.

Could this be you?

Auditions for 2010 start in October. The minimum age for entry is 16.

For more information on EXCEL School of Performing Arts and the entire audition process, visit www.excel.ac.nz, call us on (09) 827 7327 or email info@excel.ac.nz We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance – Japanese Proverb

Bringing the stage to life He was born to perform and showed early talent as the class clown but it’s as a singer that TONY O’ROURKE really controls the stage

I didn’t really come from a musical family and it wasn’t until I joined my school choir that I discovered a real passion for singing.

I had always been a bit of a comedian but when I started to sing that’s when the stage came to life.

When I was at high school, EXCEL School of Performing Arts came to perform and I loved what they did, and said to myself, “I want to go there and do what they’re doing”. And now I’m halfway through a Certificate of Performance in Music.

I’m majoring in vocals but I’m also able to study guitar as a minor which is a real bonus.

Being at EXCEL has made me realise that singing is not as easy as I thought it was. I had already formed an ‘a capella’ group with a few friends, but I was amazed to discover how much I needed to learn about controlling my breathing and placing my notes.

It’s been practice, practice, practice but I remember someone telling me that you either have to experience the pain of discipline or it’s the pain of disappointment.

So now I’m going hard and I want to get selected for the second year programme here at EXCEL and be part of the tour around NZ in 2010.

‘You either have to experience the pain of discipline or it’s the pain of disappointment’

Dancing – on the road She started out as a shy young dancer but now LOSALIA IKENASIO is hitting stages around NZ with newfound confidence

I’m currently in my second year of study at EXCEL School of Performing Arts. I completed the first year and danced every day. I got so fit and learnt new styles like American jazz and contemporary as well as my favourite, hip-hop.

In my first year I was part of the team from EXCEL which won the Disney TV series Camp Rock the Tasman. Then I put my name forward to try out for the second year which is limited to about 20 students who then tour NZ for about five months.

We are now halfway through the tour and I never thought that touring could be so exhausting. Day after day we are performing on all sorts of stages around NZ. The performance experience is unbelievable and not only do I dance but I get to play bass in a number of the songs as well as mixing on the sound desk.

Meeting new people and performing in schools and youth concerts has helped me hugely with my confidence.

At the start of the year I wasn’t confident at all with performing or even speaking in front of a crowd. Now I can do it without feeling like I’m going to collapse or make a fool out of myself.

Right now, I’m so excited because we’re off to the South Island for the second half of the tour. Who knows what it will bring.

‘The performance experience is unbelievable and not only do I dance but I get to play bass in a number of the songs as well as mixing on the sound desk’ www.tearaway.net.nz 29

CHOICES

Future creative Fletcher Construction is a name synonymous with quality building in NZ and for Natcoll graduate JAMES BUTTERY it’s a great platform from which to extend his design skills

‘I wanted to really push my boundaries, develop my style and work in a studio-style atmosphere surrounded by inspiration’

As a graphic designer with Fletcher’s

Time to enter the real world

Thriving on the challenge

communications team, James’ work

That ambition was realised in the Diploma of Digital Media (Advanced). “It really opened my eyes to the possibilities of graphic design. By the end of the course I really felt I had developed strong technical and creative skills. It was time to enter the real world.”

Natcoll tutor Jason Hyland concurs. He describes James as an excellent all-round student who worked determinedly to develop his skills.

“James had a very good work ethic, he showed enthusiasm and dedication to his learning through both diplomas – and as he progressed you could see the refinement and attention to detail became more apparent.

“He was never afraid to try something new, was happy to experiment with ideas, and always aimed to do the best that he could.”

Hyland confidently recommended James to Fletcher Construction. “James had many qualities that put him towards the top of the list of students we were happy to recommend for a number of roles that came through the college.

“We knew we could be certain that he would approach it professionally and would represent himself and, in turn, Natcoll very well.”

Fletcher Construction’s executive responsible for brand, communications and marketing, Peter Cowey, approached Natcoll when he was looking to employ a design graduate.

“From my experience, Natcoll appears to attract competent students and give them a good overview of the industry – and the graduate placement assistance is impressive.”

He says James has made a smooth transition to the corporate environment. “James is very keen and eager to do well. He fits into the team and is responding positively to the opportunities to be mentored by industry professionals.”

James thrives on the challenge and variety of his work and says Natcoll definitely prepared him well.

“Natcoll was an awesome experience. It took me from high school graduate to professional graphic designer! It gave me the confidence I needed to take my first step into design.”

comprises anything from technical illustrations of construction sites to health and safety campaign posters.

He has to juggle a variety of projects, maintain good rapport with clients and work to tight deadlines – and he credits Natcoll with giving him the knowhow to succeed.

Give me more!

James’ earliest Natcoll experience was through a short course while still at high school. He can remember being “blown away” by it and says he couldn’t wait for more.

So, school’s out and iCreate’s in, “because I was still trying to find my way round in the design world. I knew there were different options, but I had no idea what to choose”. iCreate inspired James to move into graphic design. “I realised I really enjoyed print media.”

The Diploma of Computer Graphic Design allowed him to focus on technical skills – and then James envisaged his next step. “I wanted to really push my boundaries, develop my style and work in a studio-style atmosphere surrounded by inspiration.”

30 Tearaway August 2009

Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic – Anonymous

t a in g e b s r e e r a c e iv t a Cre

l l o c t a N Whether it’s designing posters, websites, animations, graphics for TV, music videos or advertising, at Natcoll we’ll teach you the essential skills for your new creative career.

Digital design has transformed the way we see and experience the world and there are loads of great career opportunities available to students who master the tools of creative digital design. From our introductory iCreate course through to our advanced diploma courses you’ll learn skills to tackle the creative world of digital design. Get in touch today on 0800 66 55 44 or visit our website at natcoll.ac.nz

Animation . Computer Graphic Design . iCreate . Interactive Design

0800 66 55 44 NATCOLL.AC.NZ

Video Post Production . Digital Media . Web Development - plus more!

QBrand - 73868

www.tearaway.net.nz 31

CHOICES A unique GPS-based autopilot for radio-controlled aeroplanes turned a five year hobby into awardwinning results for Ashburton College student PAUL BOWLER, when his Year 13 Technology project took second place in the 2008 Bright Sparks awards

Autopilot to success Paul gave himself the challenge of creating an autopilot that could use an onboard GPS unit to control the direction of a radio-controlled plane, making it fly automatically through a set route, similar to an unmanned military aircraft.

Although there were some commercially available units similar to this on the market, Paul really wanted to get an inside knowledge of this technology so he decided to make it from scratch.

PICAXE makes it real At first, Paul wasn’t sure how practical his idea would be and it wasn’t until his discovery of the PICAXE microcontrollers that his basic idea became a reality.

With the help of this controller, Paul developed a system where he could override the manual steering controls of a radio-controlled plane and switch them to an autopilot which, after receiving data from an onboard GPS receiver, steers the plane to a series of designated points.

Paul’s autopilot also transmits a stream of data to a laptop on the ground, keeping the user informed of the plane’s current velocity, direction, and bearing to its next destination point.

Although the current range of this data is only about 100 metres, it does provide Paul with crucial data on the performance of the autopilot.

‘If used with available GPS software like Live Track and in conjunction with topographical maps, this system could be used for aerial photography and other forms of research and observation’

To see more technology projects visit: www.techlink.org.nz 32 Tearaway August 2009

Huge potential While Paul is the first to admit there are still a few kinks to work out, particularly in making the steering and correction of the unit more reliable, he’s excited about the future possibilities of the autopilot.

“If used with available GPS software like Live Track and in conjunction with topographical maps, this system could be used for aerial photography and other forms of research and observation. Once fully developed the potential of this project is enormous.”

Recognition for Paul’s ingenuity and perseverance came when he was awarded second place for his prototype in the annual Bright Sparks Competition which aims to encourage students from around the country to create innovative and unique projects in the categories of electronics and software.

The Outlook for Someday

Make

sustainability reel!

Always wanted to give film-making a crack? Here’s your chance. It’s The Outlook for Someday sustainability film challenge.

All you have to do is make a short film (up to five minutes) interpreting ‘sustainability’, and whatever that means to you.

Documentary? Mockumentary? Road trip?

Animation? Thriller? Bromance? Choose your weapon! You decide the genre. You decide what kind of camera to use.

This year, as well as 20 winning films, there will be seven special awards, including a Primary/ Intermediate School Film-makers Award and a Secondary School Film-makers Award.

But you don’t have to be at school to enter, and the upper age limit is 24.

The winning films will be announced at The Outlook for Someday Awards towards the end of the year. They will then be broadcast on TVNZ 6 on both Freeview (channel 6) and SKY Television (channel 16).

DVD PREVIEWS

The Outlook for Someday in 2009 is a partnership between Connected Media, The Enviroschools Foundation and WWF New Zealand (project partners) and TVNZ 6 (screen partner). The project is supported through funding from the Ministry of Youth Development. Project sponsors are New Zealand Post and The Body Shop New Zealand.

Where to start?

Begin by brainstorming ideas, by yourself or with a small army of mates.

Consider the following questions: Are we on the verge of something huge? Are you excited or freaked?

Can small actions by lots of people create positive change?

What does sustainability really mean? What does it look like?

Have a look at some of last year’s winning entries at www.theoutlookforsomeday.net. There you’ll also find all the information you need to enter the competition.

Start thinking now – entries close September 18!

The flicks that rock

The Boat That Rocked

Fast & Furious

In 1966, a bunch of ramshackle DJs play rock and pop 24 hours a day, broadcasting from Radio Rock, a pirate radio station in the North Sea. Eighteen-year-old Carl arrives on board, and is instantly plunged into a series of hilarious and lifechanging adventures and misadventures. His mother thought the boat would straighten him out – a spectacular mistake!

From Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a DV8BTR Funeral, Love Actually) The Boat That Rocked is a brilliant comedy featuring the best pop music ever made and an all-star cast led by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans, and our very own Rhys Darby from Flight of the Conchords.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker reteam for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed.

Heading back to the streets where it all began, they rejoin Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster to blast muscle, tuner and exotic cars across Los Angeles and floor through the Mexican desert in the new high-octane action-thriller.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans The prequel story traces the origins of the centuriesold blood feud between the aristocratic vampires known as Death Dealers and their onetime slaves, the Lycans.

In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian (Michael Sheen) emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor (Bill Nighy), the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them.

Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja (Rhona Mitra), in his battle against the Death Dealer army and his struggle for Lycan freedom.

DV8UND

I wanted to be a journalist. I thought I’d meet beautiful women in the rain – Bill Nighy

Princess Protection Program

DV8FAF When Princess Rosalina (Demi Lovato) is threatened by an evil dictator, she is whisked away and placed into the Princess Protection Program, a secret agency that watches over imperiled princesses around the world.

Mason, an agent with the programme, hides Princess Rosalina in his own home where, with the help of his daughter Carter (Selena Gomez), she adopts the cover of an ordinary teen named Rosie.

An insecure tomboy, Carter works at a local bait shop after school and dreams of going to the school dance with her crush, Donny, the school hunk.

Carter and Rosie form a close bond as Carter helps Rosie transform into a normal teenager and Rosie DV8PPP shows Carter how to find the princess within herself.

Yours for zippo All these DVDs are up for grabs, so get yourself to www.tearaway.net.nz with the entry codes and be in the draw! www.tearaway.net.nz 33

PAGE MOVIETAG PREVIEWS Brilliant. It’s 100% pure escape-land month.

Toys come to life, parallel realities are discovered through secret doors, and houses float to South America on helium-filled

Total fantasy month

balloons... DAVID ENG goes to the movies

Up

Coraline

This is the latest Pixar film, which has Oscar written all over it. Sure, they say that about all the Pixar films, but if you get a chance to check out this one, you’ll see what I mean.

It seems they get better every time, perfecting the Disney/Pixar formula.

The animation is amazingly detailed, the characters are way too lovable, and the story is delightfully entertaining from start to finish.

The movie begins with a little about a boy called Carl. It sets the tone as a sweet love story with Ellie, a girl just as sweet.

It seems a match made in heaven as they grow older together, dreaming of a time when they can take off to the jungles of South America. However, a sad twist of fate sees Carl become a widower.

This brings us to the current story. Determined to finally make that trip, Carl innovatively ties thousands of helium-filled balloons to the roof of his house, which lifts his whole house off the ground and high into the sky.

Upon lift-off, he finds a boy scout named Russell on his doorstep, and he joins the journey.

On their adventure to the astonishing South American jungles, they run into some interesting characters including an exotic rare bird that Russell names Kevin, and an incredibly smart dog named Dug. Although Carl and Russell are the main characters of the film, the scenestealing moments belong to Dug who sports a fancy collar allowing his thoughts to be translated into English.

His subtle comments from the mind of a dog are hilarious, complementing Carl and Russell on the quest to keep Kevin safe from the dangers lurking in South America.

As with every Disney film, there are sad moments, heart-warming moments and definitely hysterical moments. Up is the animated film of the year that shouldn’t be missed, whatever your age.

It’s well overdue but the master who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas finally brings another gem to the big screen.

Like a spooky rollercoaster ride, it’s like following Alice down the mysterious rabbit hole to see where it takes you. And it’s a ride that leaves you in suspense right until the nail-biting finale.

Coraline bears many similarities to the 2006 film MirrorMask, telling the story of a young girl dealing with the common childhood problem of loneliness in a new city and the feeling she is being ignored by her parents all the time.

Exploring her new surroundings, Coraline discovers a secret door in her bedroom. Curious, she enters the door to the other side (much like the wardrobe to Narnia).

What she finds is a parallel world much like reality, only with a few subtle differences.

At first, Coraline finds this new world is everything she’s ever dreamed of, better in every way. Only, the inhabitants’ eyes are soulless black buttons, and they force Coraline to give up her eyes as a way of acceptance.

Through a series of events, Coraline finally realises what was so special about her real parents.

Although the concept has been covered a million times before, director Henry Selick takes a fresh new approach to deliver a frightful take on the different realms of reality.

The performances are fresh and unique with Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman as the voices of the typical parents, Dakota Fanning as the sweet and innocent voice of Coraline and a talking cat voiced by Keith David.

There’s even some comic relief from French and Saunders as a pair of ageing burlesque performers and Ian McShane (TV’s Deadwood) as a hilarious Russian circus artist.

What results is a thrilling joyride of the imagination, especially in 3D which makes the animation all the more impressive.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Hasbro thought it was a good idea to jump on the ‘bringing toys to life’ bandwagon and a bunch of patriotic kick-ass soldiers fighting the bad guys seemed like a formula that couldn’t lose.

If anyone was bold enough to take on this next action blockbuster, it would be director Stephen Sommers, the man responsible for The Mummy and Van Helsing. And he has done one hell of a job.

It contains well choreographed action sequences, cities being destroyed

34 Tearaway August 2009

by explosions, and Sienna Miller in a tight leather suit!

As everyone knows, the film is based on the action figures of the same name and brings back all the classic favourites; General Hawk, Destro and Duke are sure to please all the guys who never really grew up at heart.

It headlines some pretty big names such as Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans fighting on the side of good against the evil organisation led by the talented Christopher Eccleston (TV’s Dr Who).

Watch out for martial arts genius Ray Park, best known for his theatrics as Darth Maul or X-Men’s Toad – his stuntman moves, with an actual sword this time, are not to be missed.

But, although the special effects and action are intensely mind-blowing, the script lets the film down. It is much too cheesy and unbelievable, following the patriotic ‘good always prevails’ notion.

Sommers focuses more on the action and how believable it looks to see the Eiffel Tower go down. But that’s all you really want in a film like this.

It’s a movie that doesn’t require too much thinking, but I definitely recommend checking it out.

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it – Roald Dahl

MOVIE REVIEWS DAVID ENG’s top five kids’ adventure flicks from the David Bowie decade – the 80s

Back in the Bowie day...

Labyrinth Jim Henson’s puppetry magic is applied to these various wonderful creatures, proving that he can produce more than just your average Kermit the Frog and his pals.

A young Jennifer Connelly plays Sarah, an imaginative girl who, jealous of her baby brother getting all the attention, foolishly wishes the Goblin King would take him away.

Her wish is granted, and the infamous Jareth (played by none other than David Bowie) shows up to whisk Toby away.

Immediately regretting her decision, she follows Jareth into the goblin world known as the Labyrinth to get him back. Along for the ride are Hoggle, the selfish yet caring goblin just looking for a friend, and Ludo and Didymus, the loyal ape and fox that stand by Sarah until the bitter end.

What makes this film a classic is that this was defined as Bowie’s era, and one he made his own with his unique ‘freaky’ style as Jareth the Goblin King – the only quirky villain to rule such a world.

Gremlins Much like Labyrinth, Gremlins follows the nature of Little Shop of Horrors and is an American comedy-horror about a young man who finds a strange creature known as Mogwai and claims it as a pet.

What results from this cute, harmless creature is a group of small, destructive, evil monsters wreaking havoc across the city.

With Steven Spielberg’s name headlining this feature as the executive producer, this was guaranteed to be a good classic film.

Gremlins used puppetry as the main form of special effects to portray the gremlins with real people. And it was deemed a kids’ movie almost too violent for its PG rating.

But that’s why we loved this film so much.

The Goonies The Goonies was a classic family film that resurrected the pirate genre, previously dormant since the likes of Treasure Island and Pirates of Penzance.

It follows a typical group of friends who embark on an adventure after finding a treasure map which belonged to the legendary One-Eyed Willy.

As they follow the cave through booby traps and monsters, with a villainous group of Italian criminals hot on their trail, they learn the value of friendship and believing, as every kids’ film should.

As a kid, you can also relate to the characters in the film, as each brings their own unique personality to the table.

Along with sibling rivalry between the two brothers, and the teenage romance with that’ popular girl from school’, you also wish you had friends like Chunk, the lovable fatso who makes his lard comical with the Truffle Shuffle, and Data, the token Asian kid with little gadgets he has on him but always complains how he’s underappreciated all the time.

The Neverending Story The Neverending Story was a film that I’m sure every kid growing up at this time has seen at least once, if not a hundred times.

Based on a German novel published in 1979, the story itself is about the world of Fantasia, a world created by human fantasies which is being destroyed by ‘the Nothing’.

The protagonist is a young warrior, who is asked by the sick Empress to set off and find the cure for their world. This warrior parallels the young boy in the film who is reading the book of the whole adventure.

Although this is incredibly cheesy, it focuses on the power of imagination as the boy realises he has the power to save Fantasia. This was storytelling at its best.

Princess Bride Although I never admitted this as a child, I always had a soft spot for this film. The narrative is explained beautifully, told like an actual bedtime story featuring a boy sick in bed and his grandfather.

The plot of the movie is the enactment of the story as it is being read, which is occasionally interrupted by comments from the grandson and grandfather.

The story being told is a fairytale brought to life with a beautiful princess named Buttercup, a heroic prince named Westley and an evil prince named Humperdinck who wants to marry the princess for his own personal gain.

All the minor characters contribute to the beauty of the tale, especially Andre the Giant as Fezzik and his companion Inigo Montoya as the comic relief, Wallace Shawn as the cunning yet idiotic criminal genius, and also a cameo from Billy Crystal.

Expect sword fights, witchery and even a bit of icky romance.

www.tearaway.net.nz 35

TEARAWAY GAMES PAGE TAG

ALEXANDER DONOHUE ponders the joys of 24 superheroes in action and wonders why

PREVIEWS

anyone would sing about being a walrus

Iron Man vs Captain America?

Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout DEVELOPED BY: Rocket PUBLISHED BY: Ubisoft AVAILABLE ON: Wii

Like Wii Fit, Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout is an exercise programme that utilises the Wii’s motion sensing controllers, as well as the Wii Balance Board, to put you through a personalised training routine.

The main difference is that whereas Wii Fit was oriented towards stretching, yoga and other gentle exercises, Gold’s Gym seems to be aimed towards those looking for a more intensive workout. Exercises include sit-ups, squats and abdominal training.

It can even teach you how to throw a decent punch, making this one of the few video games that could conceivably make you more violent in real life.

Rock Band: The Beatles DEVELOPED BY: Harmonix, Pi Studios PUBLISHED BY: Electronic Arts, MTV Games AVAILABLE ON: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360

I’ve never liked the music of The Beatles all that much, but apparently everyone else in the world does. So everyone else in the world should be getting excited about the impending release of Rock Band: The Beatles, which will allow you to belt out I Want to Hold Your Hand and ponder anew what the heck I Am the Walrus is about.

In addition to new game content (including harmonised vocals for multiple singers) you will be able to acquire new instrument peripherals – including a Beatles-branded drum set – modeled after the 60s-era equipment actually used by McCartney, Lennon and co.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (PSP version) DEVELOPED BY: Rockstar Leeds PUBLISHED BY: Rockstar Games AVAILABLE ON: PSP, Nintendo DS

The latest Grand Theft Auto game is being ported to the PSP, with enhanced graphics and new story missions. The port seems partly an attempt on Rockstar’s part to make up for surprisingly poor sales for the original Nintendo DS version.

For me, the commercial failure of what initially looked like an almost certain hit raises some interesting questions about gamer culture. Are gamers finally sick of games centred around 36 Tearaway August 2009

crime and violence? Or is there some truth to the stereotype that Nintendo gamers prefer softer, less bloody games?

Do people only like GTA when it’s in full 3D? What’s the deal, people?

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 DEVELOPED BY: Vicarious Visions, Savage Entertainment, n-Space PUBLISHED BY: Activision AVAILABLE ON: Xox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, Nintendo DS, PS2

Superheroes are cool, and a team of superheroes is even cooler. So the upcoming Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, which boasts a roster of over 24 superheroes (including new characters like the mystical martial artist Iron Fist) has the potential to be very cool indeed.

The storyline is slated to draw heavily from the recent Civil War comic series, which saw the heroes of the Marvel Universe take sides over a proposed Superhero Registration Act. It remains to be seen, though, whether the game will utilise the storyline for political and dramatic impact, or whether it is simply an excuse to have Captain America and Iron Man punch each other up.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 Developed by: Codemasters Published by: Codemasters Available on: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC

Apparently being dead isn’t enough to stop Colin McRae endorsing video games, as the upcoming release of DiRT 2 proves. The developers seem to be trying to up the ante, with more powerful cars (including a Group N Subaru, if that means anything to you motorsport aficionados) available right from the start of the game.

They are also attempting to give the racing something of an ‘extreme sports’ feel, with greater emphasis placed on off-road events. This sounds like a bit of a dicey proposition to me – often, trying to make any franchise more ‘extreme’ instead results in it becoming, well, lame. If they pull it off, however, it could work well.

Ashes Cricket 2009 DEVELOPED BY: Transmission Games, Gusto Games PUBLISHED BY: Codemasters, Atari AVAILABLE ON: PC, PS3, XBOX 360, Wii

Given that most major game developers are

American, it’s not surprising that the noble sport of cricket is often overlooked in the field of video games. So it’s nice to see Codemasters and Atari putting out Ashes Cricket 2009.

The game is fully licensed by Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and apparently all the official players from the Australian and English teams will be available.

The control schemes sound fairly involved, and will hopefully allow the intricacies of batting and bowling to be properly recreated. This is clearly a niche game, but dedicated cricket fans should keep an eye on it.

Buzz! Brain

of New Zealand

DEVELOPED BY: Sony Computer Entertainment PUBLISHED BY: Sony Computer Entertainment AVAILABLE ON: PS3, PS2, PSP (PS3 version reviewed) REVIEWED BY: Dru Seneviratne

Buzz! Brain of New Zealand is better than its PS3 predecessor and is a welcome step up.

It is more question-friendly, and much more accessible for the younger gamer audience.

One of the main changes is the addition of the new ‘lucky dip’ question subjects. And that is probably the best reference to NZ that I could find.

However, at least there are some new playable characters, notably the vampire and the stereotypical Mexican wrestler. And of course, the host, Buzz, is still as sarcastic and eye-gougingly annoying as ever.

Now, to the actual gameplay. If you are playing Buzz! alone, you don’t deserve to own it. The single player game is just monotonously answering question after question.

As for the multi-player – this is the Buzz! that we all know and love, the one that blends cream pies, explosives, theft and gambling all in a child-friendly, ‘happy’ way.

This is the best Buzz! I’ve ever played, and so far, no repeat questions.

Win Buzz!

GM8BUZ

Get your brain and your entry code to www.tearaway.net.nz to be in the draw to win Buzz! Brain of New Zealand (PS2 version) Never play cat and mouse games if you’re a mouse – Don Addis

GAMES REVIEWS

Halo Wars DEVELOPED BY: Ensemble Studios PUBLISHED BY: Microsoft Game Studios AVAILABLE ON: Xbox 360 REVIEWED BY: Isaac Banks

Resistance 2 DEVELOPED BY: Insomniac Games PUBLISHED BY: Sony Computer Entertainment AVAILABLE ON: PS3 REVIEWED BY: Hepa Te Moana

It’s not often that a game impresses you before you even know what it is or what it’s about. Right out of the box, literally, this game had me thinking and thirsty to play it.

The promotional kit which came with it: a biscuit box, old and rusty like someone had buried it and it’d just been dug up after years of earth dwelling. Inside: old photographs, newspaper articles and the game disc itself, modelled like an old vinyl.

I was not only impressed but really intrigued by Resistance 2… before even putting it in the console!

Personally, I prefer shooter games when they involve human opponents such as terrorist groups rather than alien extraterrestrial monsters, but coming in to this game I knew to expect the latter.

Something else I was expecting was for things to slowly come together and eventuate before I started having fun with it. However, I was pleasantly surprised to be thrown into it and welcomed to the action by a massive enemy standing over me as I crawled out of the crashed helicopter at the game’s very beginning.

And it wasn’t the only time! Throughout the whole campaign mode the player is met by massive enemies or massive numbers of them!

Reminiscent of something out of Heavenly Sword or God of War, you can find yourself smashing through enemy after enemy. It’s not exactly smooth sailing, and requires a fairly large combination of endurance and persistence, but ultimately it makes for greater satisfaction once you’ve come to the end of a mission, so remember – hang in there!

Of course, if you’re looking to share the workload then the online eight player co-op mode is for you! Each team member is given a special skill such as The Medic, The Soldier or The Special Ops. All of these have their own sets of pros and cons, and force the players to all work together, while still allowing some room for the opportunity to have a hero moment.

I never played the first part of the series but friends and sources both agree that the sequel doesn’t struggle to keep up and even, in some cases (such as the multiplayer mode), surpasses its older brother.

If you’re a fan of the shooter genre, you’re about to have a new favourite deemed a classic and added to your collection.

Halo Wars, the newest experience in the Halo series, starts off in typical fashion, right in the middle of the action. You are thrust straight into battle, rounding up the remnants of the UNSC Alpha base, and leading a charge to regain control of the base and secure the Relic that the Covenant so eagerly want to destroy.

Set around the events 20 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, in 2531 AD, the storyline focuses around a group of forces and commanders associated with the cruiser ship UNSC Spirit of Fire as they engage the Covenant.

You are guided through the game by Serina, an artificial intelligence personality, while playing under the UNSC banner.

The storyline is very original, as has been the case with all of the Halo series, and extremely engaging and definitely keeps you on your toes through random events.

The characters are also a major thumbs up for the game, and while you won’t be seeing Master Chief in action, Sergeant Forge, a foulmouthed insubordinate, more than makes up for it. You certainly have to hand it to the developers at Ensemble Studios, they make characters who are just damn awesome!

At certain points in the 15 campaign levels, there are cut scenes. To a gamer, this can be perceived as one of Halo Wars’ few flaws. While being prerendered (no loading times) and cinematically engaging, most of these cut scenes fail to show the gamer that there is a galactic war going on.

In saying that though, the 15 levels are pretty excellent. They have been cut away from the ‘build base and kill enemy’ type scenario, and there is much more at stake than that. On one level you have to ‘clean’ a flood infestation off the hull of the UNSC Spirit of Fire, which definitely makes for fun times!

In the past, one of the major requirements of real-time strategy games has been the mouse and keyboard. Here you have an Xbox 360 controller, with 16 buttons.

Despite that, the controls have actually been laid out very nicely. It is a free-flowing system, where for example, one click of the left keypad selects one unit, while a double click selects all units of that same type. Scrolling is also very simple, and makes for an easy transition.

One major downfall of this layout though is the build and recruit mechanism. With a keyboard there was the stock standard B for build menu, and so on, but with Halo Wars you have a button which brings you back to the base, then you have to fiddle around with the build menus.

In the heat of battle this gets annoying, especially when you have war on more than one front.

As with the past three Halo games, the musical scores are something to be admired. Composed elegantly, they provide the perfect backdrop to destroying Covenant troops!

The graphics for an RTS are also first rate, with explosions looking almost lifelike. The scenery is breathtaking as well – the Halo universe has been recreated in all its glory.

This game is a must for any RTS lover. Sure, it does have its troubles, but overall it is a pretty impressive addition to the sprawling landscape which is the quality of Xbox 360 games. www.tearaway.net.nz 37

BOOK REVIEWS

Spellbinding Prophecy of the Sisters

by Michelle Zink The publishers of the world’s recent most-loved book series, Twilight, bring you a new and most intriguing book entitled Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink.

No, it doesn’t have a storyline like Twilight or any vampire relations at all. In fact, it’s completely new and unique. The first story I’ve ever read on a topic such as this.

It follows the teenage life of Amalia Milthorpe in the 1800s, who has just lost her father and stepped into the fairytale-like prophecy that has plagued her mother’s family for years.

It all starts with the mysterious mark on her wrist. Through her journey, she makes friends as well as enemies – her twin sister Alice for example.

The prophecy is that twins born in this line are either a gate or a guardian.

The gate’s job is to either let out, or keep leashed, Samael – the beast known as Satan – and the guardian’s job is to watch over the gate.

When Amalia finds out this destiny, she makes it her job to find the keys that will allow her to control the gates to Hell while she battles with herself to make the right decision.

A highly interesting and inescapable book – I read my copy in one day.

It will grab your attention and make you cry and scream for a sequel. An incredible read – RHIAN LAWRENCE

Exposure by Mal Peet Otello is a football superstar. Desmerelda is a pop sensation, and daughter of a highly important politician. Together they are the ultimate golden couple.

Ever wonder what happens to a couple when they are constantly in the spotlight?

This book is a huge insight into the lives of celebrity couples and is based loosely on Shakespeare’s Othello (oh, that name seems somewhat familiar) and the Beckham’s whirlwind life.

This book has three different stories all intertwined with one another – the golden couple, a sports writer (Paul Faustino), and three ‘street’ kids (Bush, Bianca and Felicia).

How does this work? To be honest with you, at times I was confused. But, as the book progressed, it all started to make sense and came together as a really strong story.

Sometimes the writing style was hard to read, although as I got into the story I did not seem to notice it too much.

This is the third book in which Peet uses the character Paul Faustino.

I went into this book thinking I would enjoy it, and you know what? I did.

Go read it and enhance your knowledge – ANNIE HAWKER

38 Tearaway August 2009

Joyride by Amy Ehrlich “Secrets were really common between us. But we were so close we needed our secrets.”

It has always been just the two of them, Nina and her mother Joyce, travelling across the country, never staying in one place for long.

In each new town, Nina has to start all over again – new school, new friends, a whole new life.

At 14 years old, she finds herself following in her mother’s footsteps, running away whenever things get tough.

But what is it that keeps Joyce on the run?

Joyride is an easy read that will keep you guessing till the end. Ehrlich’s vivid descriptions make you feel like you are sharing the adventure – I couldn’t help but get out the atlas and follow Nina and Joyce across the USA. The final twist was a little too farfetched for me, but it was still an enjoyable read – KELLY WILLIAMS

Stargazer by Claudia Gray Stargazer is the sequel to the amazing Evernight, carrying on from the tragedies that take place at the end of that novel.

Bianca and Lucas’ troubled relationship brings them terrifyingly close to the end, Evernight Academy is being haunted by wraiths, and Balthazar meets a very important person from his past who might just cause a whole lot more trouble than anyone thought possible.

The first book in this series probably gave the feel that it’s just another Twilight-esque storyline, and although I love Twilight a whole lot, this book is nothing like it, and I still enjoyed them equally as much.

It made me laugh out loud in public a number of times, and it made me cry in class when I was meant to be listening to the teacher instead of reading.

I personally think Stargazer has the potential to have the same reputation as books such as the Twilight series, without being related too closely, as Claudia Gray entices everyone into her spellbinding little world.

It’s vampires versus hunters in an all out showdown to do what’s best for their own kind. Action so thick that you can feel your stomach muscles clench in anticipation for the next two books, Hourglass and Afterlife.

I fully suggest you hop on the Evernight bandwagon and start loving those vampire novels that are coming out. They seem to be everywhere!

– RHIAN LAWRENCE

Imagination is a quality given a man to compensate him for what he is not, and a sense of humour was provided to console him for what he is – Oscar Wilde

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Ever by Gail Carson Levine

Wow. If you thought that the first two Vampire Academy books were good, then this is a must! And if you haven’t read any of the series, then do it!

Shadow Kiss carries on from Frostbite, when guardian-in-training, Rose, kills two Strigoi – the evil breed of vampires – single-handedly. However, it came at the cost of her not-boyfriend, Mason.

Rose has to deal with the traumatic events of being held captive by the Strigoi, as well as the death of her friend. And she, of course, still has her crush on Dimitri, her teacher.

But she also comes back with a reputation – one of being strong and calm when in danger, and obviously having the ability to kill Strigoi and therefore protect the Moroi – the good vampires.

As always though, there is something that stands in the way of her becoming Lissa’s official guardian. This time, it’s Mason.

Rose sees his ‘ghost’. He turns up during a Strigoi attack – a test for her field experience as a novice guardian – and freezes, unable to fight and kill the Strigoi.

But she can’t tell anyone about Mason because they would either think she was crazy and wouldn’t let her graduate, or that she was incompetent, thus fail her field experience.

As the events of the first book in the series Vampire Academy are finally resolved, more answers are needed to explain Rose’s behaviour as her ghost problem gets worse.

The trial of Victor Dashkov is finally being held – the man who tried to exploit Lissa’s spirit magic and persuaded his own daughter to turn Strigoi to do so.

Will Victor be released? Will Rose be kicked off the field experience? Will the questions about Rose’s ghosts be answered in time? Will Rose manage to protect the ones she loves the most? And will she finally find true love? Or will everything be shattered?

This book is fantastic! It’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster, one that is a must! But make sure you read the first two books first! – HANNAH ROBSON

In a different land altogether, where beliefs are different in every town, and Gods roam the living.

Where slaves are still around and priests make sacrifices – human and animal. Where a girl named Kezi, and a god named Olus realise what it is to be alive.

It starts with Kezi dooming herself to death by giving up her life for a promise her father made to the god Admat.

Kezi is only 16, and already she is sentenced to die. She lives out her last days, trying to enjoy them and make her parents happy also. That is, until she meets Olus.

Olus is the Akkan god of the winds who has powers beyond imagination, yet all he wants to do is blend into society as if he were mortal.

All through his life he has wanted to leave the place where he was confined, on Enshi Rock. So when he finally does leave, and he meets Kezi, that’s when he finally realises what it’s like to be happy.

In Ever, Kezi and Olus face their worst fears and adversities in order to see the bigger picture.

This is a story about faith, love and trust; a story that brings about selfquestioning thoughts and actions, a time to challenge what you believe in.

It’s a powerful book that contains many important messages to today’s society. About how things can change, but still remain OK. Although the writing style is a bit odd, the story behind it is still good.

Ever is a nice, quick read for whoever’s interested in such themes – RHIAN LAWRENCE

The Loblolly Boy by James Norcliffe The Loblolly Boy is a fictional being with green wings, a green outfit and is invisible to most. Upon hearing this, I automatically thought of a plant sim.

With that image in mind, it made the book very ‘odd’ to say the least.

Odd as my imagination might be, the story was a novel slice of Kiwi writing. I was sceptical to start with, as I do tend to judge books by their covers, but this story was a welcome relief.

The story follows a young boy who turns into the Loblolly Boy and his journey to find out who he really is. The characters are believable and some are likeable, others are just plain sinister.

This story is full of twists and at times predictable, though not in a bad way. Overall, it is very entertaining and well worth a try – ANNIE HAWKER

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Crazy good ear candy MURS MURS for President In a world where hip-hop has achieved a persona of foul-mouthed, women-objectifying, exaggerated thuggery, MURS is running for presidency (metaphorically) in a movement to bring the genre back to a respectable art form.

MURS for President is the major label debut from underground rap veteran MURS. Having already built a musical empire as an indie artist (he has his own music festival!) MURS has decided to go mainstream in an attempt to save the face of hip-hop, fans of which will acknowledge that he is the real deal.

MURS for President covers issues from cultural stereotypes in Think You Know Me to his love life and respect for women in Love and Appreciate II, all without needing to teach a dance move or hint at the price of his jewellery.

Despite being signed with a major label, he’s avoided having his music overrun by collaborations and cameos, and although there are appearances from the likes of Snoop Dogg and Will.i.am, the album is very much his own.

Anyone who remembers what hip-hop used to be like or are sick of the mainstream garbage that is fed out these days should definitely pick this one up! – DAVID HUTCHESON

Motocade Tightrope Highway Like many other NZ bands, it has taken Motocade a few years to be properly recognised on our music scene.

They’ve been around since 2003, and have released a couple of EPs, but Tightrope Highway is their first CD. And what a job well done.

I like to think of the time they’ve spent getting this album to the public not as an indication of record labels not recognising good talent when they see it, but rather tension and suspense building, so that when we finally heard this album we’d be blown away.

That, in my opinion, is exactly what has happened. Their highly adored single My Friends

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is a good hint of the standard and quality of this album.

With an inventive and intelligent mix of lyrics, rhythm and beat, Tightrope Highway has become my new favourite CD. It’s very easy to listen to and has lived up to the name that will soon be heard all about town – Motocade – GEMMA HENDERSON

The Checks Alice by the Moon Normally I’m quite anti the NZ music movement as I rarely see any talent fit for my ears, but The Checks, now that’s a different story.

Seen them live a few times and their new album Alice by the Moon is crazy good. Catchy and memorable vocals and addictive tunes are all the makings of an awesome album such as this.

Every song has a different sound therefore a different feeling associated with it but they all seem to have one thing in common: they make you want to hit repeat until your iPod has run flat and your ear buds are burning from over use.

I’ve been listening to this album for quite some time now and I’ve had each song as my favourite for differing lengths of time.

The addictive guitar riffs entwine with the vocals so smoothly and the other random sounding instruments add to the truly awesome music that this album produces.

Described as ‘alternative’, this music will be some of the sweetest candy your ears will ever receive. Listen to it. Now – RHIAN LAWRENCE

Antiform City in Exile Appropriately released in NZ Music month, City in Exile is the debut album

by Kiwi drum and bass outfit Antiform.

Although this Auckland-based trio have been around for a while, they’ve only been emerging onto the mainstream scene with the singles for this album, and with a great reception.

When I first heard the rapid bass and synths, with Tiki Taane’s vocals, on the track Got To Be You, it became an instant favourite.

The album as a whole seems to feed off the huge variety in Kiwi music and has a go at appealing to the whole audience. It has tracks influenced by all genres, from hip-hop (collaborating with artists like Neesh and Ethical on the club banger Grip) to the rock tracks like Blood Spilt (with vocals by Angelo Munro from the Bleeders), all with skillfully incorporated electronic beats, keeping to the fast pace of the album.

This mash-up results in a collection of really original sounding songs that Antiform can definitely claim as their own. A great album from a Kiwi group that have a huge future ahead of them.

Get a copy and support New Zealand music! – DAVID HUTCHESON

Green Day 21st Century Breakdown This is a fantastic album, but you can’t expect another American Idiot.

21st Century Breakdown is three acts following two young lovers, Christian and Gloria, through the trials and ideology of this century.

It’s not as obviously political as American Idiot, and also doesn’t have such heartbreaking moments like Wake Me Up When September Ends. But it does have stripped down parts like 21 Guns and Last Night on Earth – a gorgeous Bowieesque powerballad.

Album highlights are !Viva La Gloria!, an upbeat track, similar to Maria; Peacemaker, a percussive, Eastern European style song; and Little Girl, a gritty, driving track that reminds me of MCR’s Mama (if you liked The Black Parade this album is pretty similar).

I liked their recurring motifs, such as the characters, and that the beginnings of the first two tracks repeat at the album’s end.

Green Day are still the same band that made Dookie – punks, but evolving 21st century ones.

Brilliant! – MERE TEINAKI

My vocal style I haven’t tried to copy from anyone. It just developed until it became the girlish whine it is today – Robert Plant

Jonas Brothers Music from the 3D Concert Experience Jonas Brothers – most people will cringe away at the sound of that name.

Therefore, if I say ‘the Jonas Brothers movie’, most people will attempt to kick themselves in the head.

Apparently, it is only ever acceptable to like Jo Bros if you’re a 13-year-old girl.

Now let me tell you something – I’m not, and I like their music. It’s not even a guilty pleasure, because I don’t feel guilty. Do you?

This whole disc is filled with live performances from their film, except for one song, I’m Gonna Getcha Good. Sound familiar anyone? (Remember Shania Twain? Canadian country singer who bought NZ. Yeah, you know.) Jo Bros performed a cover of that and it’s not half bad.

Other than that one song, the rest are all theirs.

They have songs from their last two studio albums such as Burnin’ Up and S.O.S, thrown in with some cameos by Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift.

A bonus track from the movie, Love Is On Its Way, is also packed on there.

I haven’t seen the movie but if it’s as good as the soundtrack, it should be super sweet. They also sound good live – ANNIE HAWKER

Anti-Flag The People or the Gun This is punk-metal band Anti-Flag’s ninth studio album and, amazingly, they still manage to stay true to their original style.

Filled with the expected anti-government, anticapitalism, anti-everything lyrics, longtime fans of Anti-Flag will love this new CD. There isn’t a single letdown track.

The most interesting thing with this band is that, after two decades of being around, all of their songs are still distinct, energetic and original (if you’re old or boring, however, all punk will still sound the same).

The best part is that with the Australia and NZ release, a bonus three-track EP is included.

Rough, grainy... perfect. There’s nothing wrong with a tidy sounding studio album, but this EP really takes you back to the band’s old days of tape decks and anarchy.

Rock along in a mosh pit, blare it from the speakers at a rally, have it on your iPod when you kick your mate with your steel-capped boots, whatever. It’s hard to deny that in the world of punk, Anti-Flag are the ironic kings – DAVID OSTEN GIFFORD

Eric Hutchinson Sounds Like This Style-wise, Hutchinson is somewhere between Gavin DeGraw and Jason Mraz. There is a great happy vibe and folky pop groove to Sounds Like This. The only letdown is it’s not very polished.

Vocally it’s pitchy, particularly in the upper range and embellishments. Also some of the lyrics don’t flow very well – ‘See her, heavy make-up and cut t-shirt, every girl out wants to be her’.

Two fantastic tracks worth downloading are the super-catchy syncopated Rock and Roll, and OK, It’s Alright With Me, on which I love the note bending.

Slower highlights are All Over Now, a sad, pretty James Morrison-esque song, and It Hasn’t Been Long Enough, a mellow darker track on which Hutchinson’s vocals have nice tone.

Though parts of the album are a bit mundane, some songs are so infectious that you can’t help but sing along to them – MERE TEINAKI

Simply the Best: New Wave It’s difficult to explain what exactly new wave is, but to me it’s moderately up-tempo experimental techno-punk.

This is a good album to have in your collection with tracks that have stood the test of time like Just What I Needed by The Cars, Dancing With Myself by Generation X and Dr Feelgood’s Milk and Alcohol.

Two must-have songs are Elvis Costello’s absorbing Oliver’s Army and Blondie’s uber-catchy Denis.

Some of the songs on this album aren’t necessarily the ones you’d expect on a ‘best’ selection, and some of the bands, also, not necessarily the essence of new wave.

This is a great album to have on in the background, but it is old school, and not everyone’s cup of tea – MERE TEINAKI

Miley Cyrus Hannah Montana: The Movie Soundtrack This is possibly the best Hannah Montana album. And no doubt it accompanies a great film!

Yes, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus is back with another album that is just great – the soundtrack of Hannah Montana: The Movie.

With songs like The Climb you know this one is going to be good! And then throw in some other artists and bands, and you’re ready for one fantastic Tennessee hoedown!

On this album, you’ve got Taylor Swift (yus!), Rascal Flatts, Steve Rushton and, of course, Billy Ray Cyrus!

As with every album there are songs here that aren’t great, but surprisingly there aren’t that many.

And to counter that, there are some really great ones like Don’t Walk Away, Dream, Butterfly Fly Away, Taylor Swift’s Crazier and one of my favourites, Back to Tennessee by Billy Ray. The songs are really catchy, even Hoedown Throwdown, dare I say it. And you’ll find yourself singing along in no time!

This album has variety, which is important in an album. It’s fun and vibrant, with just the right amount of teenage angst.

Don’t pre-judge this as just another Hannah Montana CD, because it actually IS good. So give it a go, you never know, you might be heading to the cinema to see the movie! – HANNAH ROBSON

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3OH!3 and Smashproof Tickets!!!

2. Basshunter, Basshunter, 3OH!3 and Smashproof are touring the country in October, and we have double passes to the Wellington and Christchurch gigs, along with copies of Basshunter’s special edition CD/DVD Now You’re Gone as runner-up prizes. Get in quick – this is going to be HUGE! Tickets on sale now from www.ticketek.co.nz and www.ticketdirect.co.nz. collector’s edition set 3. ATwilight love story with bite, the Stephenie Meyer Twilight series follows

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Ashley Tisdale – Guilty Pleasure 6. Sink your teeth into Ashley’s new album Guilty Pleasure. Fourteen

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tracks including Acting Out, Tell Me Lies, It’s Alright, It’s OK, and more. Check out www.ashleytisdale.com

How to Enter

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ENTRIES CLOSE August 31

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No good fish goes anywhere without a porpoise – Lewis Carroll