JULY 2012 - ISSUE 05
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CONTENTS ISSUE FIVE Being the heiress of the Matthew Ridge fortune, Jamie was always destined for great things. She has risen to the ranks of ‘A-list celebrity status’ after hanging onto the coat tails of SBW. Then she flailed her way to victory at the Mother of All Fight Nights against champion boxer Rosanna Arkle (a girl from the GC). Then she retired undefeated from boxing and is filming a reality TV show with her mother… It’s a pretty good story so far. But I think I could make it better. Women’s Day get your pens ready, cos Jamie Ridge is about to become big news. Here’s how. Jamie becomes infatuated with Shane Cameron. She falls in love with the boxer that made NZ wince when his right hand connected with Barret. So, after a lot of will they, won’t they and a massively publicised break up between Shane’s current women they get have a happy relationship, for a week or so. But SBW is back on the scene and madly jealous of Shane, and remorseful at letting Jamie go. Over months of public mudslinging and headlines, Cameron calls SBW out to settle things once and for all, in the ring. Jamie is torn between her two suitors and while she enjoys her new relationship with Cameron she still has feelings for SBW. Who will she choose? Eventually she lets them choose who is the man for her and decides the winner of the upcoming Cameron v SBW bout will also win her heart and undying love, for a week or so. The drama reaches fever pitch and the country picks its own champion splitting into team Shane or team SBW. The entire nation watches the fight for $100 on pay per view cheering their champion. Finally one man remains victorious, sweaty and bloodied he calls out for Jamie her name and she leaps into the ring and kisses her new champion. It could be The Mad Butchers Hearty Showdown for Supremacy of Jamie Ridge, oh and a boxing match.
Matt Shand, MASSIVE editor
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REGULARS 02. NEWS 10. WELLINGTON NOTICES 12. PALMERSTON NORTH NOTICES 14. ALBANY NOTICES 16. LETTERS 56. COLUMNS 58. REVIEWS 60. COMIC 62. PUZZLES
FEATURES 19. TRESPASSING ON HERITAGE 24. TRIAL BY AMBUSH 30. UP IN SMOKE 32. NEERACHAR SOPHOL - THE TALENTED FAN 37. OILY ABS AND TEARS 40. REALITY ON DEPRESSION - PART ONE 44. MILLS AND POON THE SEXCAPADES OF DICK HARDY
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 48. KILLING IT AT MASSEY 50. SPREADING HAPPINESS (VAN SHE)
SPORTS 52. HANSEN AND DEBUATANTS MAKE THERE MARK 54. LEO BERTOS - IN A DREAM OF HIS OWN
EDITOR Matt Shand editor@massivemagazine.org.nz 04 801 5799 ext 62068 DESIGN, LAYOUT & ART DIRECTION Cameron Cornelius allstylenotalent@gmail.com 04 801 5799 ext 62064 ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP MANAGER Jacob Webb advertising@mawsa.org.nz 04 801 5799 ext 62069 027 894 8000
CONTRIBUTORS
Matt Shand, Yvette Morrissey, Morgan Browne, Diana Russell, BMD, Denelle MacDonald, Steven Buck, Harriet Lowe, Murray Kirk, Micheal Smythe, Yvette Morrissey, Vivienne Fountain, Nicole Canning, Blake Leitch, Hayley Locke, Kyle Schubert, Neerachar Sophol, Ruth Field, Dick Hardy, Abigail Sine, Paul Berrington, Daniel Hargreaves, Isabelle Truman, Claydan Kirvan, Jack Biggs, Jacob Liley, Murray Kirk, Elizabeth Beattie, Max Bell, Hannah Douglas, Felicity Wren, Roy McGrath
PUBLISHER
Wellington Edition ISSN 2253-3133 (Print) ISSN 2253-3141 (Online)
ISSN 2253-315X (Print) ISSN 2253-3168 (Online)
ISSN 2253-3176 (Print) ISSN 2253-3184 (Online)
This publication uses vegetable based inks and environmentally responsible papers. The document is printed throughout on SUMO Laser, which is FSC® certified and from responsible and Well Managed Forests, manufactured under ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems. MASSIVE magazine is committed to reducing its environmental footprint.
NEWS STUDENTS STARVING THROUGH STUDIES Every week students around the country facing hardship approach the Massey University advocacy services requesting assistance with food. The weekly food bill is usually a large chunk of each week’s allowance, or wages and sometimes students make cutback to make ends meet. Massey University Wellington Student Advocates say most of us [students] understand that inadequate nutrition affects people’s ability to function and carry out basic tasks, let alone study and achieve academically. “After accommodation costs food is the second biggest expense most people face,” they say. Yet many people, students included, have no idea –or only a vague idea of how much they spend on food each week. According to the Otago University Food 2011 Study, a female student in Wellington can expect to spend $61/ week for a basic diet and a male’s basic dietary needs would cost $65, but an student allowance of $228/ week that represents 30 percent of income to sustain a basic diet. Add rent to that figure ($160 per week) then, assuming students have no other income, they would have $7 left for other expenses. No wonder some students try to cut corners on the grocery bill.
MASSIVE EVOLUTION MATT SHAND
WELCOME BACK FROM HOLIDAY AND BACK to Semester 2. And thanks for picking up a copy of MASSIVE. Our writers, illustrators, and photographers have been working hard over the break to produce this issue and we all appreciate your interest. You may have noticed already – if not, sorry to spoil the surprise – that we’ve made some structural changes to MASSIVE. At first glance it’s the same masthead, same paper, same crazy artwork on the cover, but look a little closer and you’ll notice the coloured pages that were in the centre have gone, and the whole thing feels bulkier. Many readers would not have realised that till now we have been producing three editions – one for each campus. Each local section (those coloured pages in the centre) was used to promote content specific to students at Albany, Palmy and Wellington. But over the break we had a look at how that was working and realised that, aside from a few local stories, most of that local content actually would have been of interest to students on all the campuses. Whether it’s general issues occurring on each campus or maybe something such as Albany’s infamous 02
Dick Hardy’s sexcapades, Massey has a lot of interesting stuff going on, and we decided all readers should be seeing it. We may be studying on three sites but we are essentially part of one campus, and we at MASSIVE like that idea. So, our new look is aimed at providing a total picture of what is happening on and around all three campuses, and to achieve that we’ve added more pages to accommodate it all. • More pages filled with literary gold • A bigger news section at the front • Special sections for campus notices and updates • A sports and a Arts and Entertainment section • More features. • A bigger puzzles section • The removal of the central campus section But we won’t necessarily stop here. MASSIVE will always be a work in progress and will always looking at ways to improve, so give us your thoughts on these latest changes as well as other ideas for improvement. Drop us a line at letters@massivemagazine.org.nz
Yet rather than cutting corners with groceries advocates’ suggest that smarter shopping choices can really helping students on maintain a good diet. “While it might seem like basic dollars-andsense money management, the benefits of keeping track of what you spend on food and other expenses cannot be under estimated. It might seem boring but making your own lunches during the week can add up to big savings.” Wellington Advocate and Budget Advisor, Sian Aldred says, “more money spent on discretionary [non-essential] food purchases = less for other costs or for basic groceries.” Yet many students either shop individually for themselves, or not at all. Too many students cite the time or hassle required to get to a supermarket as prohibitive and therefore exist week to week on convenient, but often expensive food with low nutritional value. Shopping as a flat, sharing food costs, buying at the produce markets can save students hundreds over the course of a year. And, if a weekly shop sounds too much like hard work students could share the cost of a fortnightly or even monthly bulk homedelivery to save time and money of shopping regularly but the need to lug groceries up hundreds of steps. “Budgeting for food is only one part of a student’s weekly expenses, we encourage students to keep track of how much they spend. Students can seek help with this and other students issues from the student association advocates
MASSIVE ARTISTS, ILLUSTRATORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
This edition is jam packed with creative goodness. Here is some recognition of the talented people who helped us make MASSIVE ‘prettier’. Cover Art – Painting by BMD www.bmdisyourfriend.com This month’s cover art was created by the enormously talented, but secretive, group BMD. Inspired by the artwork (opposite) the idea was to paint a human cut up. The image is very striking and a tribute to their skill with paint, and their photographer’s use of light to create the dramatic effect. BMD’s street art is a prominent sight around the city streets, check out next month’s edition to see a map of their works around major cities. They also take donations through their website. Wall’s wont paint themselves. Cover Art -Photography by Denelle MacDonald denelledotnet.wordpress.com Denelle is 19 and has just started his second year at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand studying photography. A selection of his work can be found on his website and is well worth a look. Cover Art - Model The model is known only as ‘sloan’ and is shrouded in mystery but very talented. ALSO... Trespassing on Heritage & new bulding photography Steven Buck The feature on Erskine featured photography generously provided by Massey graduate, Steven Buck. Steven is an up-andcoming photographer and artist from Wellington, New Zealand. He specialises in documentary and art-based photography work, but also photographs portraiture, glamour and advertising material commercially. See some of his work on Facebook, https://www. facebook.com/pages/StevenBuck-Photography/, or contact him via email, stevenbuck99@gmail.com Reality on Depression Graphics Diana Russell
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03
NEWS
GIVE STUDENTS A SPORTING CHANCE HARRIET LOWE
THIS YEAR MASSEY WELLINGTON WAS UNABLE to send any teams to Uni Games, despite the games being held in Wellington. This is an accurate reflection of the state of student sport in New Zealand. Unless changes are made soon, students will continue to miss out. The governing body of tertiary sport in New Zealand is University Sport New Zealand (USNZ). In April of this year a report was commissioned by Sport NZ and USNZ to “identify opportunities for USNZ to enhance its contribution to the tertiary sporting sector, and to the sporting sector in general.” The environment of sport in universities and other tertiary institutions has changed in recent years. Increasing costs and decreasing funding, Voluntary Student Membership (VSM), as well as a changing student culture are factors affecting participation in tertiary sport. There have been things going wrong with USNZ since 2008 after Rotorua Games made a considerable loss, says Peter McDonald. The report highlighted areas of concern in USNZ contributing to reduced participation in student sport: Sport NZ will not financially support USNZ, VSM has led to a re-prioritising of reduced available student funds, a high turnover of staff at USNZ, particularly in director positions and a “lack of a value proposition,” as the levies charged by USNZ do not appear to match the perceived value of involvement in tertiary sport. “Value proposition” is a key phrase here. Organised sport in tertiary institutions must 04
offer value for money, value for time, value for students and value for staff. Since the sizeable financial loss of the 2008 Rotorua Uni Games, staff of USNZ began to resign and the team of five steadily dropped to a team of two. The recommendations of the report are being thoroughly considered by all at USNZ. A transition group has been formed with representatives from USNZ as well as tertiary institutions. Ben Thorpe is a student association representative on the transition group. Ben says USNZ hopes to have 70-80% of the recommendations in place by November of this year. The 2013 Uni Games will be a good indication of the progress USNZ has made. However, Ben says it could take a couple of years for USNZ to fully re-establish itself.Time and money are scarce resources and sport must offer a valuable return on both. This should be the primary role of USNZ: to make organised sport a worthwhile use of time and money. Achieve this and participation will surely follow. USNZ must develop a vision and strategy based on coordination with organisations across the sporting sector. USNZ cannot work in isolation: they must work closely with Vice chancellors and recreation managers, but also with other national sporting organisations, according to the Maister report. Sport at high school seemed so easy and accessible. Competitive and social sports in a multitude of disciplines were readily available and encouraged. No wonder there is a marked drop-off in sport participation from
secondary school to tertiary education. USNZ hopes to develop resources and opportunities to encourage secondary school students to continue their athletic pursuits. The membership structure of USNZ is being reconsidered following the recommendations of the report. Currently, full membership is offered to universities and associate membership to ITPs such as Polytechnics and Institutes of Technology. Universities and other tertiary institutions pay their levies to USNZ based on the number of full time effective students. But as Peter, executive director of USNZ says, the members of USNZ do not matter; what matters are the students. Cut out the middle man is the strategy. Instead of the student associations being members of USNZ, the institutions themselves (Massey University) should be members of USNZ, says Peter. Yes, funding may be scarce, and, yes, it may take a while to adjust. But VSM may very well encourage greater efficiency and innovation by student groups and clubs. Students of all tertiary institutions should have the same opportunities to participate in sport and recreation, and be supported by USNZ under the same membership model. Ben Thorpe says the effects of VSM could be reduced through greater governance by the institution rather than the student associations. The tertiary institution would be forced to consult with the students as to how they spend the student services levy. There would be a “student driven focus,” says Ben, and ultimately, the students will benefit.
CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE STUDY OVERSEAS FOR ONE OR TWO SEMESTERS WITH THE MASSEY UNIVERSITY STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
VICE CHANCELLOR’S STUDENT FORUM Interested in Massey’s plans for 2013? Why not ask Steve Maharey? All students are invited to the annual VC’s Student Forum, which will be held Friday 20th July in the Manawatu campus, Social Sciences Lecture Block, lecture theatre 1 (SSLB1). Check out the MAWSA (mawsa.org.nz) or ASA (asa.ac.nz) websites for more information on where students can gather to join the forum from Wellington and Albany campuses. The forum will also be streamed live online. Go to http://tinyurl. com/vcforum2012 and log in with your Student ID number and Massey PIN. You can ask questions during the forum (and these will be relayed to Steve) or you can email questions ahead of time to vcforum2012@gmail.com. Likely topics will include 2013 fees, student services and student levies but the forum is open and you are welcome to come along and raise any concerns you have.
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EXCHANGE DESTINATIONS IN 25 COUNTRIES INFORMATION SEMINARS Wellington Wed 25 July, 12.15pm, LT100 Albany Wed 8 August, 12.15pm, SNW100 Manawatü Wed 22 August, 12.15pm, SSLB3 APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR EXCHANGE Semester One 2013 Deadline has been extended* to 10 August 2012. (*Not all partner universities included in deadline extension. Check our website for details.) Semester Two 2013 Deadline: 1 October 2012 0800 MASSEY http://studentexchange.massey.ac.nz/
05
NEWS
NEW BUILDING, A WORLD-FIRST JACK BIGGS
STUDENTS RETURNING TO STUDY WILL probably notice the brand new building sitting centre stage on campus. Massey University’s new creative arts building Te Ara Hihiko was opened in Wellington by Sir Richard Taylor, New Zealander of the Year and awardwinning Design and Effects Supervisor for Weta Workshop. The building’s advanced seismic engineering will make it one of the most resilient buildings in the city. It is the first in the world to use a post-tensioned timber seismic frame, which flexes like a push-puppet toy during earthquakes. In production testing, the key structural features of the building were found to withstand ground shaking and acceleration greater than that experienced in the Christchurch February 2011 earthquake. Massey University Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says the building represents a bold investment by the University in the future of New Zealand. “New Zealand needs to embrace design, creativity and innovation because that’s what this century is all about. Massey’s investment in this building is about ensuring we continue to produce world-leading designers who are not only creative but entrepreneurial, business savvy and globally 06
connected. In particular, this building will help us attract top international postgraduate students in line with the government’s vision for tertiary education.” The final cost of the building is expected to be under its $20 million budget. Weta Workshop’s Sir Richard Taylor is a Massey alumnus and member of the College of Creative Arts Hall of Fame. During the opening, he placed a time capsule into a chamber in the building where it will remain for 50 years. The capsule was designed and produced by the college. It contains works on paper by creative arts staff and students, bitmaps of digital files, specially dried seeds of kowhai trees from the Wellington campus, and a taonga designed by Lyn Garrett of Te Ati Awa. he building was dedicated by mana whenua, who gifted the building name Te Ara Hihiko to the college. Professor Ross Hemera, the college’s Kaiwhakaahua, explains that Te Ara Hihiko means, broadly, a pathway to creativity. “It is a tremendous honour for us to receive this name from mana whenua, and strengthens our relationship with the Tenths Trust, Te Ati Awa and Taranaki Whanui,” Professor Hemera says.
College of Creative Arts Pro Vice-Chancellor Associate Professor Claire Robinson says staff and students are looking forward to moving in for semester two. “We have a stateof-the-art building here that is unrivalled in New Zealand. The spaces and the facilities will inspire our students to create work we can’t even imagine yet, taking New Zealand creativity to a new level.” Dr Robinson says the industry-standard facilities open up more opportunities to expand the college’s already strong links with industry. The building provides the College of Creative Arts with: More functional workspaces that inspire creativity and innovation, facilities that match or exceed the best in industry, such as a new green screen for filmmaking, a digital-audio lab for interactive art and design projects, flexible gallery spaces for showcasing student and staff work and international touring exhibitions, and spaces of the standard required for accreditation to host top flight international postgraduate students. The building combines Massey’s creative vision with architectural design by Athfield Architects and engineering by Dunning Thornton Consultants. Construction was project managed by Arrow International Photographs by Steven Buck
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07
NEWS
THIRTEEN COUNTRIES AT EARTH FILM FESTIVAL XXXXXXXX
FILMMAKERS AND GUESTS WERE GREETED by flashing cameras and the sound of ukuleles played by local school kids as they walked down the green carpet at the Masseysponsored 2012 Reel Earth Film Festival Awards on Saturday 19 May. The glitzy environmental affair was not quite Hollywood, however. Filmmakers from 13 countries submitted films to raise awareness about important environmental issues during the festival, which ran from May 11-19 in Palmerston North at Downtown Cinemas. Fifty-six films were featured over the eight days, with the winners being credited at the final event at the Regent on Broadway. The event was hosted by the hilarious New Zealand comedian Michele A’Court, who managed to raise several laughs and lighten the mood of a serious subject. Guest speaker Rob Hamill, the New Zealand champion rower and producer of the film Brother Number One, also made an appearance to give an emotional and motivational speech surrounding the murder of his eldest brother, Kerry. Manawatu band Ukephoria! provided talented ukulele versions of popular songs as entertainment, also. Directors included students, professional filmmakers, and those who just took an interest and decided to participate, such as the best short film winner, composer and musician Andy Ross, who makes it clear “I am not a director”. Ross’s film Well Beyond Water follows Australian sheep farmers’ struggles against droughts and the adaptations they make to their farming. The masters thesis film by Auckland University student Nicole van Heerden, entitled The Huia, won Honourable Mention for Best New Zealand Emerging Talent, her first award 08
for the film. Van Heerden was given the prestigious Huia Feather as her award. Rachel Patching and Roland Kahurangi won the award of Best New Zealand Emerging Talent for their film Gone Curling. Canadians made an impact, with three of the awards being taken out by Vancouverbased Joel Heath for his film People of a Feather, and by Toronto-based Isaac King for Second Hand. Heath took out Best Science Communication Film and Best Feature Film, while King won Best Ultra Short Film. People of a Feather was Heath’s first film. Grant Baldwin and Jen Rustemeyer, a young couple also from Vancouver, Canada, and whom Massey University paid to fly to New Zealand with the help of Palmerston North City Council, won the Audience Choice Award for The Clean Bin Project, which was also the festival opener. They said they had a fantastic time at the festival and were “honoured” to be at the opening night film and then to win the Audience Choice Award. “It’s our 9th festival award and a pretty fantastic end to our official festival run!” However, Palmerston North wasn’t short of awards, with our very own Girls High Students Sophie Kent and Katie Ayling winning the under 21 EF-Factor Award for their film Cole’s Conscience Confronts Him about His Carbon Footprint. Palmerston North home-schooled Sarah Risdale won the 7-13 year old category with Cows and Cleaner Drying, while her brother, Sam, won the under-6 category for Careful Car Washing. The three winners each received Telecom smartphones. There were nearly 200 entries for this year’s festival before being cut down through selection.
THE CLEAN BIN PROJECT Grant Baldwin and Jen Rustemeyer, a young couple, decided to ask the question: is it possible to live waste-free? The result was an award winning comedic documentary about their light-hearted competition to see who can produce the least amount of garbage and stop consuming “stuff” for a whole year. The directors were flown to New Zealand to talk about The Clean Bin Project. There were three rules – no buying stuff such as material goods, no producing garbage so packaging had to be avoided, and to take responsibility for your waste, so any rubbish made outside of home must be brought home to be disposed of. It resulted in a challenging and interesting battle, and earned them several awards such as the winner of Best Canadian Documentary at the Projecting Change Film Festival, Filmshift Film Festival, Tallgrass Film Festival, as well as other official selections, as well as the Audience Choice Award at this festival. The film was screened in the Japan Lecture Room at Massey, and was followed by a workshop in which the couple happily answered any questions. Neither of them expected such a positive international reaction, but they are glad to have the message reaching so many people. “We never thought the story would have reached so far and give us the opportunity to connect beyond our city”. And as for their waste management today? “These days we still abide by many of the rules, but we’ve scaled back a bit.” They are working on another film Just Eat It – A Food Waste Story. For more information on The Clean Bin Project visit www.cleanbinproject.com
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09
WELLINGTON NOTICES
CLUBS POLICY GIVEN SHAKE UP
Micheal Smythe
MACS SPEED DATING THE MASSEY ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNICATION Students (MACS) is happy to announce their annual AGM and Speed dating event for 2012, with the event scheduled for the 15th of August. The AGM and Speed Dating event is MACS flagship event, with the opportunity for students to meet and network with industry professionals from throughout the Wellington communication sector. MACS aims to facilitate opportunities for students to forge relationships with those already working within the communications sector, after all it’s often not what you know but who you know. It is also the time for electing the new executive for 2013, and for students to have a say on what MACS is all about. This is the opportunity for students to put their hand up to be a part of the growing body of students who are actively participating in providing opportunities for themselves while at university. Being on the executive provides opportunities in event planning/management and relationship building and a chance to become an active part of the Massey student body. Like any AGM, MACS needs support from the students in order for the election to take place. MACS hopes that Massey Students will come along an actively participate, whether it be to vote or to become a part of the new executive. And if that’s not a good enough incentive, there’s always the free pizza. Details for the MACS AGM and Speed Dating: 15th August , 5-7pm, Executive Seminar Suite, Free for MACS members, $5 non members 10
THE WAY IN WHICH SPORTING, AND CULTURAL clubs are orchestrated on campus are set to be shaken up with the arrival of a new Clubs Development Officer, Anna Hobman. Hobman previously worked at the Wellington City Council as a Recreation Co-ordinator and has experience in sports and recreation, community development, and event management. Wellington has not had a dedicated clubs development officer and this has led to Wellington having a relatively small number of clubs on campus, but Anna is determined that change that. At the start of 2012 only eight clubs existed at Massey University. In comparison, Victoria University has approximately 130 clubs. Key to encouraging club development is chanding the old club structure which often made creating a club simply too difficult for students. “When I first looked at the club constitution documents I was horrified at how unnecessarily
BIG CHANGES AFTER AGM MASSEY WELLINGTON STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (MAWSA) held its AGM on June 21 and made a number of changes to the constitution of the student association. The changes were mostly in response to operating in a post-VSM environment. After the initial formalities of accepting apologies and approving reports from ex-presidents, managers, and current president the business was taken care of. Then everyone could enjoy the free pizza on offer for attendees. The motions that were carried and translations into what these motions mean for students are included below: Motion C3: “That the members of the 2012 AGM give authority to make constitutional and policy changes to the 2012 President and persons of his appointment during the voluntary student membership transitional timeframe of Nov 2011 until August 2012, following the (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill
complex they are. I want to change it so that creating clubs is not an ardours task but actually fun like clubs should be.” Hobman’s proposed new structure aims to simplify the club affiliation process by offering varying degrees of integration with the student association (mawsa). It allows for social clubs that require little funding to exist without the need for ‘silly bureaucracy’ while still permitting larger clubs, that need financial assistance to exist and apply for funding. The proposed new system sees two levels of sponsorship: Navy (registered) and Gold (affiliated). Navy is suited for smaller clubs that do not need a lot of support, but would still like to advertise their club via mawsa services such as facebook. Gold is ideal for clubs that have operational costs that need to be covered such as: venue hire, league fees, and production or uniform costs. Gold clubs will have to elect a president, charge a membership fee and have a succession plan. “If you are keen to join a club, or have a great idea for a club you want to see exist, come up and see me between 12-4 everyday in the mawsa office. Let’s get together and kick Vic’s ass at clubs and make this the coolest campus to belong to.” Hobman is looking for feedback on the proposed club structure. A full copy of the proposed club structure can be found on the mawsa website (www.mawsa.org.nz). that was passed into law on 30th September 2011 for implementation in 2012. Members will be notified as changes are made and they will be up for discussion at the SGM in September.” Translation: Student President, Ben Thorpe, can make constitutional changes without the need for a SGM to be held. This gives MAWSA the power to change its ‘laws’ without caklling for 40 members to approve them. But all changes must be approved at the September SGM,. Motion C4: That members of the 2012 AGM approve the removal of the annual membership levy for 2012 of: $83 (up to 45 credits), $130 (up to 90 credits) and $172 (over 90 credits).” Translation: It’s now free to be part of the student association. Motion D1: “That the numbers to make quorum for a general meeting be reduced from 40 members to 20 members.” Translation: Pretty basic really, MAWSA wants to buy less pizza’s at the next AGM.
OZEKI WEDNESDAY SPECIAL SET MENU WAS $35 PER PERSON - NOW $25 WITH FREE BYO - WINE ONLY
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11
PALMERSTON NORTH NOTICES
MASSEY HOCKEY CLUB TURNS 8O Nicole Canning
NOTICES
CHANCE FOR BASKETBALLERS IN JETS’ SERIES Nicole Canning
SINCE 1982, THE MANAWATU BUSINESS HUB Jets have represented Manawatu with pride in the New Zealand National Basketball League. Nine teams make up the league, providing exciting and fast-paced games, with the Jets playing their home games right here at Arena Manawatu and offering a great night out for students on a budget! Now it’s the students turn to get involved and play some basketball against other tertiary campuses from around Palmerston North. The Manawatu Jets Basketball Tertiary Series is an exciting new tournament aimed at tertiary students from IPC, UCOL, and Massey, and is about attracting more students into the world of basketball. The series will consist of three teams from each campus vying for the title of Tertiary Series Champions. Games will be held twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7-9pm at the IPC indoor basketball courts, and will run in a knockout style format. Not only will there be spot prizes, but the winning team will have the opportunity to face the Manawatu Business Hub Jets in a fun game where students can test their skills for real. This may even be the chance for some to get noticed by the Jets coaches! So, if you would like to prove your basketball skills once and for all, sign up at the registration points around the campus or email z.topping@hotmail.com with your team’s details. More information will be available at the following registration points: Massey Recreation Centre, UCOL Information Centre, and IPC Reception during the first week of semester 2. 12
IN 1932, THE SPORT OF HOCKEY CAN’T HAVE been much. There were no fancy turfs, or scientifically designed shoes for mid-foot support, or sticks that were anything more than wood carved into a specific shape. There was, however, the sport itself, and three men with a vision to make it something more. Some 80 years on, this vision is calling for a celebration. July 2012 marks the 80th anniversary for the Massey University Hockey Club (MUHC). Created by Bill Sutton, Bill Jacques, and Ken Rudall, the club is one of only three to reach the milestone. As choosing the right hockey stick developed into a sport itself, factoring in weight, size, material, shape, and bow, the past 80 years also saw a huge development in Massey University hockey. The club began with a few leisurely games on the grassy fields at the Turitea Campus, and since has grown into a well-developed club producing some of New Zealand’s best players..Matt Waldin has been a member of the MUHC for five years and says it has always been fun. Playing for Division 2, he is impressed by the high level of skill and competition that the club has to offer, with all four teams winning their division in the first round this year. However, the club has more
to offer than nail-biting games of hockey, As Matt says, “the socialising is always good fun”. He says the club is a bunch of really cool people who all get along well. The Super Secret Bus Trip is a highlight for Matt, where all the teams load into buses and tiki tour around country pubs to play pool, meet the locals, and partake in boat races. With at least nine players in recent years making the Black Sticks and playing at the Olympic Games, the club has definitely had some achievements. Emily Naylor is one of these prodigies, with more than 150 caps for the Black Sticks. A born-and-raised Palmerstonian and a member of the MUHC, she plays alongside co-captain Kayla Sharland, also from Palmerston North and also a member of the club. They have competed together at the Athens and the Beijing Olympics. Kayla is also set to compete in this year’s Olympics in London. These days the club focuses on providing friendly hockey experiences, from competitive through to social. It aims to be the first port of call for student players, provide an environment where players can improve and develop their skills, and guide players to NHL and international teams. Brooke Karam, a current women’s 1st division player, says, “it was my first preference to play for MUHC and I love it”. To celebrate its 80 years, the club is hosting a celebration on Saturday 21 July, and all past and present players, coaches, managers, and supporters are invited. More information can be obtained by emailing the club (muhc. alumni@gmail.com) or by calling Sarah Crofoot on 0274419101.
SHAG WEEK
SIXTY LUCKY STUDENTS CAN GET FREE chlamydia checks during Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance (Shag) week, on a first-in, first-served basis. Shag week is set to run from July 23 to 27. The STD checks will be as discreet as possible, with two rooms being booked upstairs from 12-2pm for students to get tested. “Students can get tested for other STDs, such as HIV and syphilis, as well,” says one of the organisers, Thomas Robertson. For these tests, a finger-prick is required, with results being available right away, and a few days later for the chlamydia tests.
On Tuesday 24 there will be a film night in the MUSA lounge featuring a documentary on HIV/AIDS, a movie, and a short clip Who Are You, about alcohol and sexual abuse. It starts at 7pm with free entry, tea, coffee and biscuits. The main day will be Wednesday 25 on concourse during the 12-2pm common break, featuring acoustic artist Beni Tipene, condom giveaways, lube arm-wrestling, prizes (including vouchers, refurbished bikes, hampers), and a Magi noodle give-away. Mid-Central Abuse and Rape Crisis Support, and Family Planning, will also be on the concourse. There will also be a sex-themed quiz on the Wednesday night in the MUSA lounge at 7pm, with the bar opening at 6.30pm. There will be novelty prizes for teams entered. For additional information, see the guys and girls at MUSA or check out the MUSA Events page.
OUEEN OF CALVES Nicole Canning
MASSEY UNIVERSITY’S CHELSIE HANSEN IS this year’s recipient of the $3,000 Bell-Booth Dairy Research Scholarship. Chelsie, originally from Iowa in the United States, completed a Bachelor of Science at the Palmerston North campus, majoring in animal science. She is now working towards her Masters, studying ruminant nutrition, digestive physiology, and research practice. She will then undertake a six-month masters research project. She is delighted to be announced the winner and says the money will “cover my second semester tuition fees, with a little left over for a new guitar”. The Bell-Booth Dairy Research Scholarship was established in 2011 by Bell-Booth Ltd to encourage postgraduate research, especially
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projects of relevance to the dairy industry and nutrition of calves. The scholarship was available on the Massey website, and involved filling out an application form along with writing a small review of what research will be undertaken. Chelsie’s research project is on dairy calf nutrition and will focus on looking at how different diets and feed intake can affect the behaviour of the calf, specifically oral behaviours such as Inter-sucking. “Inter-sucking, when one calf sucks on an area of another calf, such as the naval or udder, is a detrimental behaviour sometimes seen in calves and occasionally in cows. We are going to feed different sources of fibre to see if the source can alter the amount of cross-sucking that occurs.” She hopes her research will lead to a job in the dairy industry: “The dairy industry is very important for the New Zealand economy. This should be a very good area to be getting into as the nutrition and growth of the calves is important for their future production as a cow; mainly in terms of milk production.” She is scheduled to finish her masters by June 2012, but hopes to have it completed far earlier. Dr Jean Margerison, a Massey University Lactational Physiologist, will supervise the project.
RE-O WEEK RE THEME FOR RE-O WEEK THIS YEAR IS THE environment, and the organisers are trying to make the event as eco-friendly as possible. Re-O week will kick off with a film from the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival in the MUSA lounge at 7pm. Entry is free, and tea and biscuits are provided, so bring a bag of popcorn, your hottie, and a blanket, and cuddle up on a MUSA couch. Wednesday night is Band Night, featuring three bands: Huff, The Nerines, and The Eversons. It is being held at the Events Centre at 8pm with free entry and the bar open. Also on Wednesday there will be a free BBQ on concourse if students are interested in signing up to MUSA for free. The DJ’s night is on Thursday at 8pm, featuring two student DJ’s: LSD and Vivek. The theme for the night is ‘Jersey Shore’, where students are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Shore characters. Entry is $10 and the bar will be open. On Friday night there will be an environmental quiz night in the MUSA lounge. There is a $2 entry and it starts at 5pm. There is a bicycle up for grabs, as well as vouchers for organic coffee, the recycle boutique and more.
13
ALBANY NOTICES
INNOVATIVE BUSINESSES FIND THEIR STRIDE Blake Leitch
MASSEY ALBANY’S FUTSAL TEAM LOOKING TO STAY ON TOP MASSEY UNIVERSITY’S ALBANY FUTSAL TEAM is looking to stay on top as they head back to Australia to defend their title at the Eastern University Games at Tamworth in New South Wales. The team won the futsal crown in 2011, with Lee Robinson recognised as the top goal scorer of the tournament. Now, with the support of Massey University and the Albany Students’ Association, they are eager to keep their futsal success flowing, and have been at ‘boot camp’ training intensively for the past two weeks. “Most of the players on the team have been together for about three years now, so we’ve got the team vibe sorted,” says player-manager Salam Arif. “We’d like to say a massive thank you to Massey University and Steve Maharey in particular for their financial assistance. We also want to thank the Albany Students’ Association for their financial contribution, and for always being there when we need them,” he says. Although they are the current champions, Mr Arif says he’s not sure what to expect with this year’s competition. “We’ll just get there, play our best, and hopefully get the right results.” The Eastern University Games is the largest of the three regional university games held simultaneously across Australia, and is expected to attract over 2,200 participants across 16 sports. The Games will run from July 1–5. 14
MASSEY UNIVERSITY’S ECENTRE PLAYED HOST to the ‘Startup Weekend’ business innovation event on the weekend of 15 June at the Albany Innovation Campus. The event was sold out, with nearly 90 people pitching business ideas. Some 12 groups then formed around the 12 best-received ideas, and the 54-hour marathon to create a Startup business was on. Many ideas were based on social media and mobile apps. The weekend was also trending on Twitter and a simultaneous Startup Weekend was streaming live from San Diego. It was truly a social media event. Event organiser Jessica Gillon said beforehand that drama was expected. By Saturday morning tension was already starting to build, with some team members even defecting to other groups. However, groups then re-established with their new members and activity was running smoothly once more. Mentors were also available to help direct the different groups. The mentors had training and success in areas such as marketing, business, and law. Mentors were both physically present, as well as virtually, with entrepreneurs available via Skype from San Diego, Copenhagen, Trondheim, Washington DC, and Fes. Businesses were then pitched again before lunch on Saturday. The new pitches, based on the 12 original pitches, were more purposeful and defined. Group members had a clearer direction on what they wanted to achieve. Groups were then left to continue with development, customer validation, and further mentoring throughout the afternoon. Updates were given on the Saturday night, with business prototypes made, and even some customers already acquired. Head Coach and co-organiser Alan Froggatt said
teams were “on timeline” and “settled”. This continued well into the night with one team operating until past 3am despite the venue being closed at 1am. A hitch on Saturday night saw the lighting go out while groups were still operating. This didn’t seem to deter operations, though, as everybody seemed to be in high spirits. Sunday morning provided the final countdown for the weekend. Global Facilitator and co-organiser Dave Moskovitz said that everybody was “under tremendous pressure and responding really, really well”. The teams’ ideas were “outstanding”, and with help from the mentors to “crack the whip”, the teams worked hard and well to create viable business plans and products. On the Sunday afternoon, teams finalised plans, products, and presentations in preparation for the judging panel that night. The panel consisted of four New Zealand business gurus: Candace Kinser, CEO of NZICT; Nick Gerritsen, Owner at Cripstart Ltd; Brett Roberts, CEO of Wharf42; and Misti Landtroop, Country General Manager at Pitney Bowes. After all 12 teams presented their ideas for innovative businesses, the panel deliberated for a long time. Coach and co-organiser Mike Zeff felt that due to the quality and potential of each presentation, it would be a “tough call for the judges”. In the end, the winning team was SmileToday. co, an innovative charity business with a social entrepreneurship aspect. First prize included a space on the ecentre sprint programme (valued at $4500), an MYOB start-up services package (valued at $1000), a StartupPack™ of legal services from Lowdnes Jordan (valued at $2000), and a $500 cash prize on company formation.Following the Startup Weekend, 12 potential businesses were formed, with four receiving prizes to ensure their formation and continuation.
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LETTERS
LETTERS
Massive magazine welcomes letters of all shapes and sizes, They should preferably be emailed to letters@massivemagazine.org.nz, though they can be dropped into any student association office. The Editor reserves the right to edit, abridge, or just plain bastardise them, and will refuse any that are in bad taste or defamatory. Pseudonyms may be used.
ART APPRECIATION Although I’m not much of a reader, I can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue of MASSIVE. I am eagerly waiting to see who has illustrated the next cover. It’s refreshing to find a magazine backing and promoting our homegrown talent. I particularly commend you for getting on board DRYPNZ and YELZ, it’s been cool to read about them and see a little more of their work off the city walls. Also, that ice cream head lady was an interesting surprise. Keep it up MASSIVE. METAL MAN SPEAKS Thanks for an interesting tour of heavy metal in your last issue. I grew up through the same time period as the writer and listened to many of the same bands. Living in the US in the mid 80s, I have first hand experience of Tipper Gore and her cronies as well as being accosted by Jesus freaks at concerts who preached that we were all going to hell for seeing a particular band. I haven’t heard a lot about the New Zealand metal scene before and found the piece a real eye (ear) opener. 80smetalman
FRACKING FOLLOW UP??? It would be very helpful to the people of South Taranaki if you could follow-up with your excellent fracking story. For example, Is there information available on the extent of the use of the practice at the moment, and is there any co-relation with the recent earthquakes in the area? Dr Robert Shaw
16
LOUD SEX AND NEW RELATIONSHIPS So recently I’ve had to deal with a problem I’ve never really encountered before. Because I’m a relatively selfish person with little regard for the feelings or sleep patterns of others, I have never bothered to ‘keep it down’ (so to speak) when I’m engaging in coitus in a house full of flatmates. My squeaky mattress, headboard banging against the wall, and orgasmic screams weren’t my problem. Hell no! But, oh, how the tables have turned! Now one of my flatmates has acquired a man friend and over the last few months she’s been bringing him home with her at the weekends. It started harmlessly enough. When I was on my way to the bathroom in the middle of the night I’d hear the odd squeal and a giggle coming from her room and would just slap my hands over my ears as I walked down the hall and hum quietly to myself as I sat on the loo. Unfortunately, the situation has deteriorated in a most unpleasant fashion. Were it not for the fact that I have an aversion to this particular flatmate, for reasons I won’t go into here, I would probably be able to deal with having to listen to her now shrieking her head off as she’s getting the living hell hammered out of her by this evidently vigorous boyfriend. And for those of you who think I’m an intolerant bitch, well trust me, I’m not. If girls live together for too long they generally end up hating each other or at least harbouring mild feelings of dislike. These feelings of dislike are only growing as I encounter more and more sleepless weekends, being forced to listen to these two in the throes of passion all night long. Don’t even think about suggesting I wear earplugs either – I refuse to wear these in my own house! The thing that makes all of this worse is that the frequency of sex in my relationship has diminished. It’s not that my boyfriend is denying me sex, it’s just that we’ve got to the point where we don’t feel the need to constantly express our feelings physically and have sex on the kitchen bench. Plus, our relationship is a fairly long term one so we spend more evenings watching DVDs in bed and laughing if we happen to break wind than lighting a million candles and shagging like rabbits. Don’t get me wrong – I’m delighted with my relationship and the direction in which it is heading. I just sometimes find myself wistfully remembering the days when we were the ones keeping our flatmates awake. Karma really is a bitch.
EPICOUS 2 Just wanted to say Good game at Indoorpendance in Wellington, good to see Massey Ultimate playing well, shame about the loss to Penultiamte Warriors, but at least it was a fun game. Keep up the good work.
Sgt. Slaughter
PRINTING So I can imagine that every CoCA student will hear me when I say, what is with the printing services in the Museum building? As New Zealands leading provider in design studies I find that the magnitude of this issue renders me almost speechless. Now in my third year at Massey Wellington I cannot begin to describe the tears and frustration that the sheer lack of printing services for CoCA students (and all students for that matter) has caused me. How can one faulty colour photocopier and one hugely unreliable colour printer possibly be enough for the whole design college? The level of work that is expected of students does not tie in with the services available. Should we really have to go off site to get basic printing requirements fulfilled? I do hear that with the addition of the new building on campus that there is a complete printer upgrade underway…I do seriously hope this is the case. For me this issue would be the one thing letting my whole Massey experience down. One Serious Printer
RED VS BLUE One of my favourite times of the year in sport has to be State of Oregon! The intense rivalry between Queenstown and NSFW just gets the blood pumping and forces even the most tight knit group of friends to beat the crap out of each other with Bushman’s Draught bottles. Seeing the skill of the best players in the world also has its moments, but it’s when they throw it down and start head-butting each other’s fists that shit gets real. Gotta love soccer eh? Sports Fan
EVERY LETTER WINS! All letters receive a prize courtesy of Massive Magazine. This month it’s 250 Gram bag of Peoples’ Coffee. Either come to the mawsa office or email:
competitions@massive.org.nz
to collect your prize.
WANTS YOU
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17
DEBATE
DEBATE
SHOULD A MORATORIUM BE PLACED ON HYDRAULIC FRACTURING WHILE THE PCE CONDUCTS HER INVESTIGATION INTO THE PRACTICE?
GARETH HUGHES
PEPANZ
Green Party MP
Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of NZ
M
odern life is dependent upon oil and gas - computers, cars, food, heating – life would be very different without it. Renewables are coming, but can’t keep up with world increase in demand for energy. For now oil and gas is the number one energy source. Natural gas is the cleanest and most efficient hydrocarbon. We are lucky in New Zealand to have enough to fuel our lives and our industries. What’s more, we produce it cleanly and safely. A well proven technique for producing gas from tight rock reservoirs is hydraulic fracturing. The process pumps 98% water, and 2% sand and household chemicals over a period of 3 hours to create tiny fissures (just 50m long) at an average well depth of 3500m (3.5km deep)below the earth’s surface (that’s 3km deeper, through solid rock, than any fresh water aquifer). The tiny fractures (thinner than a drinking straw, held open by tiny grains of sand) enable a pathway for gas to reach the well bore and up to the surface. It’s a dedicated engineering discipline, performed by people who are equally concerned about protecting our environment for today and the next generation. Hydraulic fracturing has occurred in natural gas reservoirs in Taranaki since 1993. There have been no incidents of drinking water contamination, land contamination or earthquakes linked to hydraulic fracturing. Our track record alone shows no justification for a moratorium. It seems there are some who see political advantage from scaremongering about an industry and science they do not understand and are philosophically opposed to. An investigation will correct misinformation about the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing, will show the engineering science behind the practice and the incredible commitment from the industry to eliminate risk and ensure the practice is undertaken safely. New Zealand has very strict regulations and rules around environmental control. New Zealanders should have confidence in our scientists and regulators. Head of Petroleum Geosciences at GNS Science in New Zealand, Dr Rosemary Quinn, says ground tremors from hydraulic fracturing are smaller than those caused by a truck driving down the road, so are therefore minor compared to natural background levels of seismic activity. Hydraulic fracturing does not cause earthquakes. It takes much more than pumping water down a nine inch well bore to move millions of tonnes of earth and cause an earthquake. As an industry we have nothing to hide and everything to gain from participating in an open and honest dialogue. Not just about hydraulic fracturing, but also about how the industry employs 7000 people, is our fourth largest export earner and could create so much more energy security and wealth for New Zealand, without compromising our environment.
06
F
rack yeah or frack no? Fracking, the controversial drilling practice for oil and gas, has burst on to the public scene in the past year and now the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has announced an investigation. Hydraulic fracturing, to give it its formal title, involves pumping water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure deep into the ground to extract oil and gas. Given the large number of concerns both in New Zealand and overseas, I believe the responsible thing to do would be to place a moratorium on new wells until the commissioner returns with her findings. New Zealand is on the cusp of a big expansion of the fracking industry. Permits covering 4.4 million hectares of land have already been approved, with a further three million being considered by the Government. In the past year we have seen a 170 per cent increase in the rate of new wells, compared with the average rate for the previous 18 years. Energy Minister Phil Heatley has welcomed the investigation and says it will answer some questions. I believe it would make sense to wait for the results of the investigation before allowing new fracking wells to go ahead. Fracking in New Zealand to date has occurred only in Taranaki, where we have seen well blowouts and water contamination, and consents being breached. And that’s from a comparatively small number of wells drilled over 20 years. The industry’s own reports to the Taranaki Regional Council show we have already seen some of the many potentially harmful effects. The fracking- related earthquakes reported in other countries might not yet have happened in Taranaki, but poor processes, blowouts, and water contamination have. Of the 10 countries where fracking has taken place, seven have put nationwide or regional bans or moratoriums on the practice. Only New Zealand, China, and Ireland haven’t. Where fracking is occurring so is damage, and governments and regional authorities around the world are waking up to this. The New Zealand Government has a responsibility to protect the farmers, communities, and local councils, who all have legitimate concerns. Both the Government and the oil and gas industry acknowledge these concerns. Four local councils have now requested that the Government introduce an immediate moratorium, and at least two community boards have declared their regions frack-free zones. Both sides of the argument admit more information and research is needed on the New Zealand context of the debate. The oil and gas isn’t going anywhere, so what’s the rush? The Government should wait until the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment can assure the public that fracking is safe before allowing a massive expansion to occur.
Many of New Zealand’s heritage buildings are not up to modern earthquake standards. But with costs to strengthen them hard to come by the future of many is uncertain. Wellington’s Erskine College embodies the dilemma these buildings face. Massive Editor Matt Shand reports on the fight to save Erskine College.
L
he rust-tanned iron gate swings freely, but deliberately slowly, in the Wellington wind. The sound of tired hinges offers an eerie welcome to trespassers brazen enough to ignore the flaring red, laminated warning sign plastered in stark contrast to the picketed iron gate. The sign screams at passers-by: “Earthquake Prone Building – DO NOT APPROACH” and lists an impressive amount of legal text and threats of fines. But it is easy to ignore for anyone with a sense of curiosity, adventure and history. Through the gates lies a worn, stone path. Nature is reclaiming it. Leaves litter it, and
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TRESPASSING ON HERITAGE massive roots which reach skyward have forced fissures in the man-made slabs, a reminder that time eventually conquers all. The path carries the curious past weeping trees with gnarled, leafless fingers clawing just above head-height. The wind that blew the gate open and shut splashes against the shelter of the trees, but is shuddered off. Inside, the gardens all is still. The sound of the welcoming gate becomes a hushed whisper as it is swallowed by the mass of foliage. The path branches. Turning left takes you to a clearing, an old quad, where modern cave-scrawling splash a snapshot of artists lives in aerosol after dark. Discarded spray
cans once held with tender care now litter the ground. Occasionally the wind picks up and they skitter back and forth like roaches fleeing sunlight. Some of the bush has been cleared, and old cushions, boxes and cans tell the story of a homeless man using what he could to stay warm in winter. The makeshift home is deserted now. Was he driven to the shelters by the coming winter, or just swallowed up by the grounds? The scorch-marks from his makeshift fire may be the last traces of this man. Taking a right at the stone path takes you through a faded white archway, which has so far escaped rust within the shelter of the trees. From here, Erskine College peeks 19
FEATURE
at you. The main door is just visible, as is one window. A vandal has shattered the glass with a rock. The shredded cracks in the glass that form around the circular impact of the stone look, from afar, to be an old eye watching over the path, just as curious as the trespassers themselves. The trees claw tighter near the end of the stone path, hiding the size of Erskine behind, but when you reach the top of the steps it finally reveals itself to trespassers, and Erskine truly comes alive.
+ THE FIRST THING THAT STRIKES YOU IS ITS presence. It is overpowering and commands respect. This is made greater at its sudden appearance beyond the trees. In the early 1900s, John Swan had set out to deliver a Catholic Gothic Chapel and college for Convent of Sacred Hearts, and he did not disappoint. The smoothed, sleek, grey bricks that form the exterior of Erskine rise more than three stories high, and provide a real sense of presence to the building. Arched narrow windows are slitted symmetrically into the walls, looking like exposed ribs or even gills. Three verandas overlook the hushed garden grounds and the suburb of Island Bay beyond. The view must be fantastic, but the fire-escapes that provided quick 20
access to the upper floors have now been padlocked and barred with steel grating. Only pigeons enjoy the view now, modern gargoyles roosting in the top levels, perfectly camouflaged by gothic architecture. Time has aged the stone, creating a red tinge in tiger-striped patterns on patches. Some of the original spouting can still be seen, rusted but still clinging to the walls. Where it has fallen away, white plastic spouting sprouts. It looks out of place, and alien. Like life-support tubes on a loved one in intensive care. But, like the crow’s feet on your grandparent’s face, you can see signs of a happy history. The Florence pattern motifs left from removed spouting are undulled by the passage of time and provide a glimpse of history. The stained-glass windows that beautifully play with the light have escaped the vandals’ rocks, showing a respect for its history and heritage. But for how long?
+ IN JUST FOUR MONTHS’ TIME, ERSKINE IS likely to be demolished. The red sticker so easily ignored by trespassers forebodes a gloomy future for the building. A future filled with bulldozers and excavators. Erskine embodies the dilemma facing heritage buildings. It is not up to modern earthquake standards, and is too expensive
to bring up to modern earthquake codes. Ian Cassels, director of The Wellington Company (TWC) and the current owner of Erskine College, says the cost of strengthening Erskine will simply make the rent too high to be commercially viable. “You wouldn’t strengthen it unless you were going to bring it up to 100 per cent code. You’re looking at about $10 million. You simply won’t recover it.” It often makes fiscal sense to demolish and rebuild, then renovate. But when a building is a heritage site, this not always a case. Erskine is like other heritage buildings in that the community rallies to save it from bulldozers. In fact, it seems everyone wants to save Erskine. Online and print petitions have started to save it, the Wellington City Council says it wants to save it, and Ian Cassels says he has tried to save it, but even with all this support it will probably still be demolished. You could argue for money, you could argue for safety concerns, but in reality Erskine is simply being ‘saved’ to death. There’s too much saving, not enough solutions. That is why Erskine, in its current form, is likely doomed. Saving something to death takes a lot of time, and effort. The main things you need to have are a sense of heritage, community organisations devoted to the building, and time. Lots and lots of time. Erskine has Photographs by Steven Buck
these things in spades. First off, Erskine is listed as a Category 1 Heritage Site. This is the highest rating a building can have and is awarded only to buildings of national significance. The Historic Places Trust included within its review of registration a summary of Erskine’s significance:
value. Sect is also unique in that it is the only Heritage Order holder that does not have the capacity to own the land it is protecting. This status carries with it its own problems. Sect has no ability to purchase the site but is in control of what the owner can actually do with it. Ian Cassels says that though Sect’s heart is
‘Save Erskine College Trust has endeavoured to advocate community use to the current landowner and has prevented the landowner carrying out inappropriate development.’
“Erskine College is of outstanding heritage significance. As a now-rare physical testament to the work of the Society of the Sacred Heart in New Zealand, the place tells a story of the development of Catholic education in this country. “The main convent building, Chapel of the Sacred Heart and associated additions are also of special architectural, cultural, technological, and aesthetic significance. The chapel, in particular, is regarded as the finest Gothic interior in New Zealand, and its elegant proportions an offer exceptional acoustic quality which has seen many notable musical performances.” Trying to protect this heritage is Save Erskine College Trust (Sect), a community group steadfast in its conviction to preserve the old college. This forms the second ingredient of saving something to death. Sect was established by members of the public in May 1992 “for the purpose of opposing the demolition of the whole building complex, except the chapel, as was proposed by the (previous) owners of that time”.
+ SECT SECRETARY, MAGGIE KENNEDY, SAYS the group continues to ensure that any use or changes to the buildings, as well as the grounds, should be carried out in a manner that is compatible with the heritage values of both. “Sect has endeavoured to advocate community use to the current landowner and has prevented the landowner carrying out inappropriate development. It has also attempted to have the landowner carry out maintenance, though this has been with little result.” The group was also the first non-government organisation to have a heritage protection authority granted to it. This means all plans to alter the site have to be approved by Sect, which will assess changes against historic www.massivemagazine.org.nz
in the right place, it is not really contributing to making things work. “All they say is, ‘yes, that’s alright, and no, that’s not alright’. That means really that it’s impossible to start on a journey. In reality, you haven’t protected anything at all until you have found a way to make a building work. It’s by making a building work that a building becomes protected. “We wanted them to be involved on principle. I call it being on the bus. This thing has to work commercially or it’s not going to go ahead. If we can’t agree on that we can’t really make much progress. We [TWC] want to do our best to make this site work from a long-term sustainable heritage point of view. But when we get to that point they say no, ‘it’s not our job to do that’.” So far, there have been several plans submitted to Sect for consideration. For various reasons, they have all been denied. Cassels is also the Wellington Branch President of the Property Council of New Zealand (PCNZ). That organisation is an
depreciation for buildings does nothing to incentivise redevelopment of heritage buildings. Under this new tax regime, the Government runs the risk of heritage buildings being neglected. The private cost of preserving heritage buildings, including seismic retrofit, is such that fiscal (tax) incentives, along with policy settings are needed or demolition will become an attractive option.” Of course, this raises a few questions and has been seen as a contemptuous statement by the Sect’s online and print petition organiser, Steven Buck. It is easy to call for tax breaks when you own a building that needs earthquake strengthening. But it was never a secret that the site needed improvements. Records show the main reason for the closure of the girls’ school that had originally used the buildings was due to costs associated with earthquake strengthening, and that was in 1985. Buck sees the call for tax incentives as a request for a “bail-out”, and finds irony in the statements about preserving heritage buildings when TWC owns Erskine, which has fallen into disrepair. The buildings’ neglect is suggested to be intentional to further the eventual demolition of the site. This is refuted by Wellington City Councillor Iona Pannet. “The current owner of Erskine College has proactively gone out and found possible uses for this building. Plans have included retirement villages, music schools, and a whole range of options but there hasn’t been something yet that all the various players can all agree to.” The council believes that a compromise of sorts can be reached between the two parties. “Unless one party is willing to go a long way, nothing will get done at Erskine, Wellington City Councillor,
‘Ian Cassels says that though Sect’s heart is in the right place, it is not really contributing to making things work. “All they say is, ‘yes, that’s alright, and no, that’s not alright.’’’
advocate for adding incentives such as tax and rate breaks for property developers to encourage them to strengthen heritage buildings. “Council could half rates for those that comply, and double rates for those that don’t.” In a recent PCNZ document, Growing our Assets, the costs of preserving heritage buildings is mentioned: “Wellington’s heritage buildings are under threat not only from a major earthquake, but from an ill-conceived tax regime. Disallowing
The council representatives are unsure what would make a suitable compromise. “We generally list the exterior of the building. It’s just a pragmatic consideration. Otherwise you can’t easily adapt buildings to suit purposes.”
+
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AT THIS POINT YOU ARE PROBABLY wondering how a heritage building can be demolished in the first place. Doesn’t a Heritage Order provide protection? CIan Cassels seeing himself as a tycoon crusader, changing the shape of property and business in Wellington? You can't pass the blame to an issue you perpetuate and then expect to be bailed out by the council, all while trying to pass yourself off as a prophet of change. Respect comes from fulfilling your responsibilities Mr Cassels. ontrary to popular opinion, having a Heritage Order does not protect a building from demolition. While those who wilfully damage buildings which have Heritage Orders can be fined, resource consents and proposals to demolish sites can still be tendered, although these will be subject to approval by the local council, or a Heritage Order holder. Viv Rickard from Wellington City Council says: “Category 1 is an identification under the Historic Places Trust, it is not a council identification, and the council heritage list is quite separate from the Historic Places heritage list. The district plan provides protection, and this confuses people enormously. Erskine is listed on the Wellington City Councils District plan. “When an owner buys a building – and the current owner bought Erskine knowing there was a Heritage Order on that building 22
– they have to actually talk to the council, the Historic Places Trust, and the Heritage Order holders before beginning work. “There are a whole lot of rules under the district plan for alterations to a building. What is covered in the district plan is only the exterior of the building. This differs from the Heritage Order, which lists every part of the building, including some of the trees. We don’t prohibit activity under the district plan, so you could, in theory, demolish a Category 1 building, but it would have to be an exceptional case.” This “case” is what Sect was established to prevent, and has been trying its best to do. But their methodology is somewhat dated. Though it is not a Heritage Order holder’s agenda to help a property development company make money, an understanding of the need for businesses to do so will go a long way. It highlights a lack of understanding of what is needed to preserve the site and can be seen in correspondence between Sect and TWC. One letter from Sect says: “TWC purchased the site in full knowledge of, and indeed no doubt for the consideration it did, in the sure knowledge that there would be considerable expenditure required if the heritage values of the site were to be preserved. It cannot now expect to excite concern over whether it can, or make redevelopment conditional upon, making a profit out of the exercise. Or
whether it can now fund it for that matter. It has probably made a profit already, but it is not a factor that Sect can or should take into consideration. TWC is the developer; and if it wishes to develop the site it will need to fund the development itself. It may choose not to fund if it considers it cannot make a profit. Sect is not able to nor does it wish to speculate on the outcome.” The letter raises some very good points. TWC did purchase the site knowing it was a heritage site, and that there would be significant costs involved to bring it up to code. There has also been little repair and maintenance work done, and one could question if this inaction has led to major internal damage. Also, the damage and safety concerns have made Erskine uninhabitable, and a derelict building earning no income will degrade rapidly. It seems unethical to leave the building in such a state, but this is not an open-and-shut case. Proposals by TWC are being routinely denied. These proposals cost a lot of money, and there is a degree of frustration by TWC, which has invested money to prepare building reports and proposals for Sect approval, which have been denied. So TWC has focused on other projects.
+ Photographs by Steven Buck
FROM THE OUTSIDE, IT COULD APPEAR that Cassels is simply winding the clock down, waiting for demolition to occur, but in reality, Erskine has become too much of a headache. The time and energy spent making proposals and recommendations, and incurring costs only to have them flatly rejected, is just not worth it any more.
put on the owners of heritage buildings to protect them and prevent damage. Currently there is no real obligation for owners to actively prevent damage to sites. “TWC bought the site knowing its heritage value. They should have a legal obligation to protect it, if not a moral one.” Recently the Facebook page he moderates received
‘Ian Cassels sees himself as a tycoon crusader, changing the shape of property and business in Wellington? You can’t pass the blame to an issue you perpetuate and then expect to be bailed out by the council, all while trying to pass yourself off as a prophet of change.’
Without some form of compromise, there can never be any common ground. And in four months, the building may just be demolished anyway. This will swing the balance of power away from Sect and into the hands of TWC. Sect will not serve Erskine by refusing proposals or not having an interest in finding a commercially viable solution. Right now it seems the battle is lost. The walls of Erskine are surrounded and soon it may all be wiped out. Sect is still in a position to negotiate the terms of the surrender, spare the aspects that make Erskine so special, and find ways to preserve the history of the place in whatever new business takes root there. It may be harsh, but only by facilitating some development and some demolition of Erskine will Sect actually act in the spirit of its Heritage Order. If it fights to the bitter end, as noble as this may appear, everything may be lost.
+ PETITION ORGANISER STEVEN BUCK, agrees. “They [Sect and TWC] are on different islands, both at either end of the spectrum. Neither side is helpful in finding a solution because neither is flexible.” The petition has around 600 signatures and is picking up more signatures each day. His goal is twofold: to find a solution or workable compromise, and help raise awareness or bring about change surrounding historical building protection in New Zealand. “What I would like to see, ideally, is a change to the laws surrounding historical buildings in New Zealand. It became apparent early on in the petition that the public was not well-informed about historic buildings. I would hear, ‘but it’s a heritage site, right, so it’s protected’ when the reality is, no, it isn’t.” Buck feels there should be responsibility www.massivemagazine.org.nz
photos showing extensive water damage inside the building. Weeks later this was still present, if not worse. Though Buck would prefer to save Erskine as it is, he is aware that The Wellignton Company needs to turn Erskine into a viable option. His petition is, in part, a compromise that could work. He is focused on preserving the chapel and the main block which makes up most of the site, and allow the demolition of the later additions named the Liseaux and Coen wings. “These wings were added much later and have less historical value,” he says. “Erskine has been an integral part of our community for 100 years. In New Zealand we have lost so much heritage already, that returning our backs on an opportunity to save one is neglectful and distasteful.” It is the right sort of thinking, one that is passionate about heritage but keen to see a solution. What is needed is more thinking like this that is less focus on saving, more talk of solutions, and some solid pragmatic thinking.
+ THE CLOCK REALLY IS TICKING. THIS IS THE last ingredient needed to ‘save something to death’ – time and the proper amount of patience. Patience to allow time to pass. Time for the heritage of schooling, education, and culture to fade away. Time to warp the roofing. Time to let the rain slip through, ruining the flooring and twisting the walls. For the windows to be broken by vandals. For trespassers armed with 40 ounces of courage and joints to enter through broken windows and creep through the abandoned corridors to pass ghost stories along with joints and wonder what this abandoned place, with its gothic exterior and discarded hymn books scattered around, used to be. Time enough for squatters to trip alarms, a few trespassers to be arrested, and taggers to infest the interior. Time enough to change the heritage of the site and leave just a ruined, depreciated building. A relic of its former self and for safety to become a concern. And in a safety-conscious world, once safety is a concern, you can avoid some serious red tape. Erskine College, despite its stunning gothic architecture and envious pedigree, will be torn down in the name of safety and uncompromising attitudes. Because it all had to be saved, it all had to go. Literally saved to death. All it took was a lack of compromise, earthquake codes and time. Fifteen years and six months. Just four months to go. There is a small silver lining. The Wellington Company and Wellington City Council both want to preserve the chapel. It is likely that should the college be demolished then the gothic chapel would remain and be hopefully used again for weddings.
‘It may be harsh, but only by facilitating some development and some demolition of Erskine will Sect actually act in the spirit of its Heritage Order. If it fights to the bitter end, as noble as this may appear, everything may be lost.’
Viv Rickard: “Pragmatism really has to happen now. There is a red sticker on the door and the site is deteriorating. There is vandalism, tagging, so a solution needs to be found. There is a need for some pragmatism. These buildings were built in an era where there was money to fund them.“Sect would really like for the building to be used for educational uses, but that may simply not be possible. It’s not the sort of building a school will use these days.”
People wanting to find out more about Erskine and the petitions to save it should check out ‘Save Erskine College Trust’ on Facebook. Erskine College is located on Bay Rd, Island Bay, Wellington, and is something that should be seen before it is taken away forever. MASSIVE magazine totally encourages people to take heed of warning notices surrounding the site.
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FEATURE
On 5 June 2009 a jury in the High Court at Christchurch found David Bain not guilty in his second trial of murdering five members of his family in Dunedin in 1994. But as he walked free it would be the turn of his champion, Joe Karam, to go on trial – in the court of public opinion. Hayley Locke reports
TRIAL BY AMBUSH
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o one can argue that Joe Karam hasn’t been an ardent and committed advocate of David Bain’s innocence since he became involved in his case after Bain’s first trial saw him sentenced to life imprisonment in 1995. While Karam is admirable in his passion and tenacity, he can hardly claim to be unbiased after he has defended the cause so publicly. It is for this reason that it seems unlikely that his latest book, Trial by Ambush, will be effective in altering any reader’s opinion on Bain’s innocence. Karam sings the same
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tune as he has in his previous book and media appearances, making it unreasonable to expect that anyone who believes Bain is guilty of the murders, even after his acquittal, would be willing to give Trial by Ambush a chance. But books make money. Especially books about famous murder cases where public opinion is so divided. Though Karam provides an engaging discussion of the forensic evidence, especially regarding the new technologies that have become available since the first trial, his arguments are polemic more than objective, and his obvious bias is
painstakingly clear throughout all of the conclusions drawn. Trial by Ambush would have served as a much more convincing text had it been written by an impartial party, which Karam could never be, considering how open he has been on his pro-Bain standpoint, and had the court findings been presented by commenting only on fact, avoiding unsubstantiated speculation which would there avoid the drawing of biased conclusions.
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TRIAL BY AMBUSH GOES INTO MUCH DETAIL of the Bain family’s circumstances in the lead-up to the murders. While three of the six family members, Arawa, Stephen, and David, appeared to be functioning normally – attending school and university and generally succeeding in their ambitions, the other half of the family was in disarray.
familicides are committed by a child of the family, 95 percent are committed by the father. He makes a very strong point when he notes that if David was the murderer he would have to be the only recorded perpetrator of familicide who, as an adult son, was not abused, mentally deranged, psychopathic, and who did not commit
‘Trial by Ambush would have served as a much more convincing text had it been written by an impartial party, which Karam could never be…’
Margaret and Robin’s marriage had failed. No longer sharing a bedroom with his wife, Robin split his time between a decrepit caravan at the back of the Bain property (where he had slept the night before he died) and a house owned by Taieri Beach School, the primary school of which he was principal. Having had an enjoyable, challenging job working at a teachers’ refresher college in Papua New Guinea, where the family had lived for 15 years during the 1970s and 1980s, Robin struggled to find work that matched his qualifications and experience once he returned to New Zealand. Seemingly in reaction to her estranged marriage, Margaret had taken up New Age religious practices which were a departure from the traditional Christian values she had once held. Seventeen-year-old Laniet, the youngest daughter, had a past that was shrouded with mystery, with many witness making claims about her which can no longer be proven due her being dead. It is known that she was a prostitute, and there are claims that she had told friends that she had given birth to a baby while in Papua New Guinea. There are no legal or medical records of her ever being pregnant. Most relevantly, it is alleged she had revealed to friends an incestuous relationship between her and Robin. Karam suggests that the unravelling of Robin’s marriage and family, the degradation of his professional career, and his fear of the consequences of his relationship with Laniet (who, according to a witness, was planning to reveal the affair to her family on the weekend of the murders) is what ultimately led him to allegedly commit the murders. Karam’s arguments rest on the idea that Robin’s alleged act of familicide, the act of killing one’s own family, was committed because he was suffering from mental illness and was depressed. He points out that while only about 1 per cent of www.massivemagazine.org.nz
suicide after the murders took place. Karam lists pages of references at the conclusion of the chapter on familicide. He has obviously done his homework, thus it’s reasonable to believe that if David was the murderer, he would be the first of his kind. Additionally, he says that the way he perceived Robin’s personality fits perfectly with one of two types of fathers who commit familicide. Rather than the controlling, destructive, ‘angry’ type of familicide-committing father, Robin is classified as being typical of the ‘despairing’ type. Such types usually attempt to conceal their misery, meaning they often have no history of violence or abuse, and from the outside may not be perceived as being mentally unwell. Karam explains that the reports from family and friends that Robin appeared to be as happy as he ever was consistent with many of those who commit familicide, because they internalise their personal sufferings in an attempt to maintain a front of successfulness.
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children. The house is very much a family home. It is impeccably tidy and comfortable. There is old, sturdy, and practical furniture and the wall space is carefully adorned with pictures of grandchildren The interview began with Michael giving us an outline of the person he knew Robin to be, an account which was in stark contrast with the one given in Trial by Ambush. Micheal described Robin as “a very kind, caring, generous person who loved his family very much”. While he notes that he was unaware of any personal family troubles Robin may have been experiencing, he says that in all of their interactions he found Robin to be “a steady, responsible, caring, kind person and unchanged in all that he’d ever been”. They had been on a family holiday together just six months before the murders. Michael described that as being “a lovely, happy time”. He had kept in contact while Robin and the family lived in Papua New Guinea, with Robin flying back to New Zealand regularly to visit his family. When asked if he had spoken to Karam about the contents of Trial by Ambush or the case in general, Michael replied: “No, not at all. No point. He’s on a crusade, and I’m sure he won’t be persuaded from it.” As the interview progressed it became clear that Michael’s argument for Robin’s innocence had evolved into something much more substantial than it being simply a case of a man who didn’t like to think that his brother may have murdered his family. Of chief concern to Michael is the addition of hearsay evidence being permitted at David’s second trial. A major part of his concern comes from an affidavit written by Dean Cottle, which was read by the judge to the jury during David’s second trial in 2009, at the end of which he was acquitted of the murders. Cottle, an associate of David’s sister Laniet, presented an affidavit to the
‘Karam’s arguments rest on the idea that Robin’s alleged act of familicide, the act of killing one’s own family, was committed because he was suffering from mental illness and was depressed.’
IN ORDER TO GAIN A WELL-ROUNDED VIEW of the opinions surrounding the case, MASSIVE magazine interviewed Michael Bain, the brother of Robin, to understand his sibling as he knew him, rather than as the incestuous psychopath he has been portrayed as in the media. Michael welcomed MASSIVE’s editor, Matt Shand, and me into his home – the same home that he and Robin grew up in as
court alleging an incestuous relationship Laniet allegedly told him she and Robin were perpetrating. In Cottle’s statement he claimed that Laniet was allegedly planning to come clean to the rest of the family during the weekend of the killings, and he assumed that it was in relationship to the allegation of incest (though that is unable to be proven). Though he was summoned to testify as a witness for the defence for 25
FEATURE
the second trial, Cottle failed to appear in court, having been in Australia at the time, and therefore couldn’t be cross-examined. It was on the basis of him being out of the country that the judge decided to read his statement. Michael takes issue both with the actualaffidavit , he doesn’t believe Robin and Laniet’s relationship was ever more than what would be normal between a father and daughter, but also with the fact that it was even allowed in court at all. As the evidence was hearsay and speculation, and was unable to be proven one way or the other given Laniet and Robin were both dead and were not able to explain, clarify or rebut the affidavit or to defend themselves, Michael feels it should have been treated as inadmissible to the court. During our interview, Michael described his views by saying “I feel, and my family agrees, that it’s unfair that hearsay evidence can be allowed when it cannot be substantiated, explained or rebutted because the persons against whom it submitted are deceased.” 26
The first trial, in 1995, did not allow Cottle’s evidence to be presented due to its speculative nature. However, the Evidence Act 2006 allowed hearsay evidence, provided it was deemed relevant, to be put before the jury in time for David’s second trial. Iin the intervening period, books and newspaper and magazine articles were published, and television programmes aired, leading to intense speculation, and giving nearly every New Zealander the chance to form an opinion. There is little doubt that this amounted to nothing short of an unfortunate ‘trial by media’ that would help add fuel to the calls for David’s eventual retrial. Additionally, the defence introduced witnesses in the form of colleagues and friends of Robin’s, all of whom felt they had noticed a change in his psychological state.
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TRIAL BY AMBUSH EXTRAPOLATES ON THESE witness statements, painting a picture of Robin being a depressed, forlorn man who had been pushed out of his family home. Karam then goes on to explain how the impression that he formed of Robin’s character fits with the stereotypical model of men who commit familicide. Though Karam’s insights into familicide are thoroughly researched, it must be noted that he has picked and chosen witnesses accounts where they have suited his theory, rather than basing his views on the overall findings of the witnesses who commented on Robin’s psychological state at trial. Many of those witnesses said they had found Robin to be every bit the “wise, gentle, kind, generous, steady person” Michael knew him to be. Karam acknowledges this, and also mentions that these witnesses felt that what the defence witnesses had observed in Robin’s behaviour was merely his personal mannerisms and idiosyncrasies, and nothing to be alarmed about. Karam
summarises these witness views together, rather than individually referencing them as he did the many witnesses who felt Robin had been experiencing mental distress. To make Trial by Ambush a balanced text, Karam needed to treat these positive witness statements with the same seriousness as he did the negative statements, in order to prove he wasn’t trying to fit the evidence with his own beliefs and theories.
assignment. However, as time progressed he began to feel more and more that Robin was not the killer. In our interview, he shared his dissatisfaction with Karam’s interpretation of both psychological and forensic evidence that Karam feels proves Robin to be guilty. One of his key arguments is that he feels it is unfair to speculate on Robin’s possible motive for murdering his family before
‘When asked if he had spoken to Karam about the contents of Trial by Ambush or the case in general, Michael replied: “No, not at all. No point. He’s on a crusade, and I’m sure he won’t be persuaded from it.”’
Michael argues that Karam’s exploration of Robin’s psychological state is bordering on defamation, saying “I think that the fact that a deceased person can be defamed without the opportunity to defend themselves is totally unfair. A dead person should have the same rights as a living person to have their names and reputation protected. We feel very sad for Robin’s reputation that it continues to be unfairly impugned based on hearsay and supposition”. Therein lies the problem of Trial by Ambush, which uses its discussion of Robin’s alleged mental state as a major draw-card for readers. While what Karam has to say is very interesting to read, he appears to be pushing his point too far. Robin has not been proven as the killer, as the trials have focussed on David’s guilt or innocence instead. This makes Karam’s claims about Robin’s psychological state appear to be a personal attack on Robin, which seems especially unfair given Karam never met him. Trial by Ambush’s psychological evidence is based on hearsay and speculation which, even though it was permissible in a court of law, still undermines Karam’s credibility. If Robin were alive Karam would not be making this claim, or if he did he would very quickly be the subject a law suit – unless he had proof. He does himself no favours by pointing his finger elsewhere. Instead, it points to the weakness in his argument. Though we have stated the clear bias that Karam has exhibited after all he has invested into David’s case, it is also obvious that Michael has a natural vested interest in Robin To balance this, MASSIVE spoke to Bryan Bruce, the award-winning journalist and documentary-maker who created a documentary on the murders, A Question of Justice for TV One’s The Investigator. Bruce began his investigations in a neutral state, as a journalist working on an www.massivemagazine.org.nz
forensic evidence has been able to prove that he definitely was the killer. Doing so is unfair speculation that is unable to be proven, and, as stated above, defamation. This obvious attempt to redirect attention merely highlights the weakness in his case. Michael echoes this view, saying “At the first trial, the judgment of the jury was based on forensic evidence that had been presented by the prosecution and had not been adequately countered by the defence, leading them to arrive at a guilty verdict”. But when it came to the second trial, Michael feels “there was lots of hearsay evidence that was allowed to be considered [at the second trial]. And it was on that hearsay evidence that I believe the jury found David to be not guilty”. He also believes that “The first trial was based on the proven facts: the forensic evidence. The second trial was based on a lot of unsubstantiated forensic evidence and I don’t, we don’t, believe the hearsay evidence at all.”
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the gun – supposedly left there during an altercation with the killer – and David’s fingerprints were found on the stock, no fingerprints of Robin’s were found anywhere on the gun. Karam points out that the fingerprints of killers often do not appear on the gun, but Michael and Bruce both feel that Robin would have had to have held the gun quite firmly in order to position it so he could commit suicide. Bryan Bruce also spoke about the documentary he created about the murders. He attempted to reconstruct the killings in a way that would allow an actor, playing the role of Robin, to murder four of his family members, dispose of his bloodied clothing, and then kill himself within the amount of time it would have taken David to do his paper run. But he was unable to recreate the scene in a way that was consistent with all of the forensic evidence, and within the time period. This further cemented his view that Robin could not have been the killer.
+ MASSIVE MAGAZINE TRIED REPEATEDLY to secure an interview with Karam. The publishers were very accommodating and even sent an advance copy of the book for this article, but in the end MASSIVE’s editor was told that Karam was interested only in interviews that were positive in nature. At the time of our request the article had not been written, so it we had no way of knowing if it was going to be positive or not. We would have preferred to have included Karam’s reaction to Bryan Bruce and Michael Bain’s comments in this article. In the end, no amount of dispute can alter the facts of the case. Either Robin or David was the murderer, and, though David was originally convicted, he has now been acquitted by the courts. In that respect, it seems odd that Karam feels the need to argue his point further. David has been
“I think that the fact that a deceased person can be defamed is totally unfair. I believe a deceased person should have the same rights as a living person to have their names and reputation protected.” – Micheal Bain
KARAM EXPLORES FORENSICS HEAVILY IN Trial by Ambush, but both Bryan Bruce and Michael Bain are critical of the way he has interpreted certain findings and placed emphasis on some forensic evidence while downplaying other parts of it. An example of this is the fact that though Stephen’s fingerprints were found on the barrel of
freed from prison, and the New Zealand public have long since made up their minds on who they think is guilty. While Karam, through his book, makes the court proceedings more accessible to the public, his bias is blatant enough to deter any reader from taking his interpretations as fact. 27
FEATURE
Kyle Schubert studied smoking and concludes there’s too much hype surrounding cigarette smokers and they should just be let be.
UP IN SMOKE
L
irst there were pipes, calumets that the Native Americans used to toke their ‘sacred herbs’. Mayans and Aztecs later rolled tobacco leaves together, early forms of cigars. What were to come were rollies – roll-your-own cigarettes that required rolling papers (which, by the way, has an interesting history of its own, with a much larger variety of brands like Zig Zags in 1879) and filters. Later came the gentlemen’s pipe, seen in the early 1900’s as a symbol of class and sophistication, and then the tailor-made (tailies) boom. In 1929, public relations founding father Edward Bernays was hired by Lucky Strike to create the monumental “Torches of Freedom” campaign. New York models were hired by Bernays to break the taboo of smoking in public by lighting up in Times Square. The campaign created positive connotations for women, including 28
freedom and independence – giving them the respect and equity they sought in those sexist times. Huge budgets supporting the branding and advertisement schemes for big tobacco brands such as Lucky Strike, Benson & Hedges, Pall Mall (Pally Malls), Camel, and Marlboro, led to a smoking boom in the 1980’s. It became a popular phase among young adults. Such branding led to the development of the Joe Camel or ‘Old Joe’ campaign, where the iconic hip camel was seen living the high life and smoking Camel cigarettes. From product placement in movies to branding in sport and motorsport, cigarettes were on a popular rise. However, the growth in popularity also led to the growth in research concerning the damage smoking did, and governments across the world started making it harder for companies to
sell cigarettes. This included setting age restrictions and putting health warnings on branding. Eventually, anti-smoking campaigns turned the fashionable, iconic, powerful symbol that smoking cigarettes represented, into a death sentence. With huge tobacco corporations like British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International, who sold 915.3 billion cigarettes last year, making US$31.1 billion (roughly NZ$40 billion), cigarettes are still popular, and the money these companies make reflect that. The Smokefree Coalition says increasing tobacco tax is one of the most effective ways of reducing tobacco use. The tax proposed this year will raise the price on rollies and tailies in a bid to enforce the Government’s vision of a smokefree New Zealand by 2025.
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SO WHY DO PEOPLE START SMOKING? MOST I talked to pointed out the effects their peers had on their decision to start. Margot Mills, a 19-year-old Massey communications student, started smoking at the age of 15 in the same way many started: at a party. This seemed to be the catalyst for most, hanging out in a scene
reasoning behind it [trying to make NZ smokefree] but they’re not going to go around upping the beer prices … to stop alcoholism, because that’s unfair on people who want to drink”. The same applies to smokers. “I think it’s unfair that they can stop me from doing something I enjoy by forcing the prices up.
‘We told ourselves we were casual smokers, until one pack a week became two, and two became a pouch.’
where friends and acquaintances around them influenced their decision to start. Not intentionally at first, but rather a ‘spur of the moment’ decision. We told ourselves we were casual smokers, until one pack a week became two, and two became a pouch. After taking a quick drag of her B&H Classic, Margot looks up and says: “I started smoking behind the science block in year 12.” Believable because it’s safe to say everyone knew the smokers’ group somewhere in their college. The government’s efforts to make the public aware of the damage smoking does has succeeded. We know it’s bad for us but we still smoke out of choice. It’s that choice that the government hopes to take away. Tobacco tax is to increase by 10 per cent on January 1 every year for the next four years in the hope of preventing young people from taking up smoking and encouraging existing smokers to quit. In a bid to make smoking unattractive, Associate Health Minister Tariana Turia announced a ban on branded packets as part of reaching the 2025 smokefree target. But British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, and Imperial Tobacco have all said plain packaging won’t work. Philip Morris New Zealand Corporate Affairs Manager Christopher Bishop says “plain packaging will not reduce smoking rates, [instead it] will trigger a variety of adverse consequences and violates numerous international laws and trade treaties”. Turia responds that “We know how important branding is, and particularly its appeal to young people, and we’ve had a huge focus really on moving young people away from uptake and that’s what we’ll be concentrating on”. Christopher Bishop: “People would start buying cigarettes for their taste as that’s the only way they could determine the differences between brands. I see their www.massivemagazine.org.nz
They [the Government] shouldn’t be able to do that,” he says. “Why do they get to decide who is smoke-free? Where is the money going? If they’re doing it because smokers are apparently really hard on the health system, why don’t they just start upping the price at McDonalds? They’re just making it more cool because now it’s expensive and you can you can show off you’re rich and badass because you smoke”.
+ THE HEALTH WARNINGS HAVE AN EFFECT ON how smokers view cigarettes, but it’s more of a subliminal one. As Margot says: “I don’t see a packet of cigarettes with a warning and go ‘Oh God I’m going to quit’. Humans are inherently bad at long-term decisions, like global warming, wars, and the recession. If we were really good at planning, we wouldn’t have destroyed our Earth”. The increase in prices isn’t going to make anyone stop instantly. More likely it’ll make them go dry every other week, where they can’t afford to smoke, which may effectively wean a smoker off cigarettes.
tailie contains around 0.7 grams. Therefore by switching to rollie, a smoker can around 20 to 30 percent more cigarettes for their money than if they smoked factory mades.’ So what effect will the new tax have on students? It’s not going to stop me smoking. “I think it’ll stop a lot of new smokers from smoking as much. It’ll stop people from starting and it will definitely stop people from continuing, but there’s still a larger majority that will smoke. People who have smoked for 30 years aren’t going to stop”. Seeing the number of price increases that they have, I’m sure an extra 10 percent won’t hurt. A leading academic has said an extreme increase in the price of cigarettes could lead to black-market dealing. Margot says that in Europe there is a black market for cigarettes, where they are brought in illegally from other countries and sold at a cheaper price. The price will greatly effect poorer families, and effectively deter students who simply don’t have the money to spend. “To get people to stop smoking is a pretty fucking good plan, but I just don’t think they have the right to do that,” says Margot. “I don’t think it’s right for them [the Government] to decide that you don’t smoke, we’re doing for your own health, for your own good, and it’s, like, awesome, but you’re not my mum. I’m an adult, I can vote, I can get married, why can’t I smoke? “They’ve got the campaigns for anti-smoking and that’s awesome, get people on that level, don’t hit them where it hurts, you know, the wallet. They wanna smoke, they wanna smoke, and that’s their problem. They’re gonna die from it – that’s not the Governments problem,” she says. “You’re already milking us anyway – why attack the wallets where people who are addicted anyway can’t afford to smoke and don’t have the willpower to quit? People just quit when they’re ready, they don’t need the Government on their backs forcing them to quit.”
‘The Government’s efforts to make the public aware of the damage smoking does has succeeded. We know it’s bad for us but we still smoke out of choice. It’s that choice that the government hopes to take away.’
Rollies are economically the better option because not only do they get more cigarettes, but also they last a little longer than a pack of tailies. Action on smoking and health NZ says ‘On average a rollie cigarette in New Zealand contains around 0.5 grams of tobacco. A
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FEATURE
WATCHING JOHNNY DEPP LIGHT UP continuously in his role as Hunter S. Thompson in the movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was enough of a catalyst for me to find an interest in smoking cigarettes. Later, with the influence of friends and partying habits, I jumped on the bandwagon. Something about having a cigarette between your fingers gives some sort of gratification and relaxation. Social acceptance of cigarettes has changed dramatically since the early 1900’s. Instead of being seen as a sign of independence and class it is now considered a filthy habit. The lyrics to Tex Ritter’s song Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette in the introduction to the movie Thank-You For Smoking sums up the attitudes toward smokers : Now I’m a feller with a heart of gold And the ways of a gentleman I’ve been told The kind of guy that wouldn’t even harm a flea But if me and a certain character met The guy that invented the cigarette I’d murder that son-of-a-gun in the first degree. I consider myself a ‘casual smoker’ who tends to smoke in social situations and anytime there’s a coffee involved. Such smokers shouldn’t be discriminated so profusely for their habits. Everyone needs a vice, and most smokers turn to theirs in stressful and social situations that allow them to enjoy life that little bit more, even if it’s harmful to their health. Just as whatever a person eats is their business, so is their reasoning behind smoking, and doesn’t concern anyone but themselves. 30
Kim Lochner is for the tax increase on cigarettes. “Unfortunately, it’s not going to stop people smoking. It’s going to hit lower- to middleclass families where the kids are directly affected by their parents’ budget. Mum and dad are going to be forced to rob money from the household budget to feed their habit and, as a result, the kids will have less food at home, being encouraged to buy lunch and dinner because it’s cheaper than healthy food,” Kim says. “This will have repercussions on the health system further down the track. Back in the day, advertisements for cigarettes would go on for four/five minutes and by the end of it you wanted to be on that horseback with the hunk smoking a cigarette. Elegant cigarettes like Cartier 120’s were definitive cigarettes, giving the smoker a sense of elegance and sophistication. It’s like a lady sitting down and crossing her legs – she’d sit down and light a cigarette. It became etiquette. “Early 80’s, it was the ‘in’ thing for cigarettes to be given or placed on tables at weddings and other ceremonies in complimentary packs of 10. They were a sign of class.” Kim does not agree that cigarettes should be banned “because certain people need a crutch. They need something to rely on, something to be addicted to, and much rather they be addicted to cigarettes than drugs”. She strongly opposes so-called ‘passive smoking’ or ‘second-hand smoking’, which are defined as the “inhalation of smoke by persons other than the intended ‘active’ smoker”. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General indicates that second-hand smoke is a major cause
of diseases, disabilities and deaths, and is a major contributor to the outlawing of smoking in bars, clubs, restaurants, and some public places. “I get pissed off when I see people smoking in cars, with their kids in the back seat,” says Kim. “I feel really sorry for them [the kids] whose parents smoke, ‘cause they don’t have a choice.”
+ THE TAX INCREASE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE of years and the following debate over cigarette branding and a possible ban is bound to stir up some controversy. As long as I’m not paying a dollar a cigarette, I’m happy. There’s too much hype surrounding cigarette smokers. Chill out, let us be. As long as we’re not blowing smoke in your face, we’re not hurting anyone, but ourselves, and we know that. Don’t take that vice away, or there will be a rise in smoking something else. It is strong, but anti-smokers will argue that its not smokers killing themselves that is the problem, it’s the drain on the economy as a result of ACC payouts and subsidised surgeries. You could add some maths in there to see how much tax a pack of cigarettes has on it, work that out into an average life spend on tax, versus the predicted costs of a surgery Action on smoking and health NZ says ‘On average a rollie cigarette in New Zealand contains around 0.5 grams of tobacco. A tailie contains around 0.7 grams. Therefore by switching to rollie, a smoker can around 20 to 30 percent more cigarettes for their money than if they smoked factory mades.’
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FEATURE
NEERACHAR SOPHOL - THE TALENTED FAN NS: I love to work in traditional medians.
Neerachar Sophol is the young up-and-coming artist who created MASSIVE’s second edition’s cover art. MASSIVE speaks to her about what inspires her, and checks out some more of her stunning artwork. MASSIVE: Do you have a ‘style’ for your artwork, how would you describe it? Neerachar Sophol: I call it, “Fantasy SemiJapanese Realism”. I love to use the colour range of Fantasy World plus my drawing and line-art which my Thai friends used to tell me have a western feel but my interna32
tional friends tell me it’s more Japanese. So whatever, I just call it Semi-Japanese. Realism stands for my drawing style that I love to draw. M: A lot of your work is done in digital format, what attracts you to use a digital median over more traditional forms of art?
I love water, oil, acrylic colour and even pencil drawing. I use digital medium but also base drawings on real life. The digital process is cheaper as you don’t have to buy raw materials, cleaner, faster and you don’t have to wait for things to try. You also don’t need much space, just a computer, but if I had my own studio or space I would prefer to work in traditional paint (or sculpture). M: What programs and equipment do you use to create these pieces? NS: I use Photoshop but sometimes also Coral Painter and Paint Tools Sai (in
Windows OS), Tools Wacom Intuos4, a scanner and my iMac. I usually draw or at least planning rough composition it in paper then scan it and painting digitally. Mostly I used to go straight and paint it in colour by try to control the overall colour theme.But other way to paint more efficiency is to control light and shadow first in gray scale or monochrome then add colour on top layer. I’m don’t paint in this way much because, it gets boring so fast while painting in gray scale or I just stop it in just a line-art process. www.massivemagazine.org.nz
M: Are there limitations to working in a digital form? Personally, I don’t call it a limitation because I can work in both 2D and 3D. The one thing I don’t like about painting in digital is I can’t add real life texture as I can do in oil painting or paper texture in water colour. I think the only limitation is lacking of imagination M: I notice a lot of images of Loki, what interest you about this character? Or Tom? NS: I have to confess that I love “Tom’s Loki” (I don’t read many Marvel Comics). I like how Tom interprets the character with
reference from his geeky roots in Shakespeare’s characters like Iago in Othello and Edmund in King Lear and Cassius in Julius Ceasar. Which gives the character more depth and charisma. M: Where would you like your art to take you? Where would you like to work? NS: So far I have kept walking on this path. From lecturer to 3D artist, then came here in New Zealand again after 10 years to follow my dream to work, of course, at WETA and start my new life here. However I still keep learning new things and get more experience. To get a job is not just applying 33
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for a position but apply for it to do the task which you have to have enough experience to do to too. M: Do you have any advice for budding artists? NS: Keep drawing, keep painting. Find yourself, your own style. Everyone is unique, proud to be yourself. Don’t stop learning. Learning and try to see the connection between things from theory to ideas to work flow to finishing process. Do your research, lots of research. Learning from the artist, trying to understand not just the process but the thinking of the 34
artist behind each art work.Don’t stop fighting. Don’t stop dreaming. Holding on what really important to you follow it follow your heart. Everything takes time, keep practicing, it is not easy at the first try but be patient. Someday all thing you have done and training will show the result. M: How do you find inspiration, and what attracts you to drawing fan art? NS: I mostly draw inspiration from stories or myths and also real things around me. I really love to draw scenery and natural scenes. I must confess that I don’t like to draw people much. But because I don’t
like it is not a reason not to practice. My strategy to change this habit was to draw fan-art from animation to movies, from 2D characters to real persons When I create my own characters or story, I am still influenced a lot by history, myth and paranormal things. M: Who are some artists that inspired you? NS: For light, shadow and anatomy study I like Vinci & Micheal Angelo, they are gods! And I can’t begin to describe the work of John Howe & Alan Lee. Their colour composition, process and working processes inspired me so much. Japanese
artists and studios have also inspired me so much through thier style, workflow and extreme detail behind the artwork. Check out:Yoshitaka Amano, Nobuhiro Watsuki, Hiromu Arakawa, Hideaki Anno, Makoto Shinkai, Clamp, Studio Ghibli & Madhouse Animation Studio they are amazing. My greatest inspiration though would have to be Chalermchai Kositpipat. He combines traditional Thai line-art with a modern painting style (Thai-contemporary) and fantasy colour, and he has a intersting way of thinking and personality. www.massivemagazine.org.nz
M: Did you study art at all, where did you
learn your craft? NS: Why I like to draw is a long story. When I was young I spoke very slow and stammered (because I was thinking too much and couldn’t say things in time). My mother helped me by teaching me to draw which helped me concentrate on things and arrange into drawings and then let me try to explain it. Drawing became my habit when I was just 10 years old. Because I didn’t speak too much when I was young (and even no) I used to look at things and read all kinds of books. All of those
books were full of illustration and I really loved to look at it and tried to copy some of them. I learned thing by looking and seeing some connection between drawing and reality, light and shadow, shape and space, colour and composition. Afterwards I was influenced by Japanese comic (manga) and animation. It was here where I learned to concentrate more into detail and workflow by studying not just the artworks but their process and concept behind each storyline.
noei1984.deviantart.com noei1984.daportfolio.com
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If you haven’t been on a Contiki tour, chances are you know someone who has. Ruth Field was surprised to discover that not only was her tour more than a drunken romp through Europe.
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here were no tears. Twenty-one and setting off on my first big overseas adventure, I thought I might get a bit emotional as my Kathmandu backpack and I left my family behind at Palmerston North Airport. In a society where girls go to the bathroom together, I was slightly terrified at the fact that I was travelling to the other side of the world alone. But there were no tears. I suppose the knowledge that I was joining a tour of other 18-35-year-olds in London reassured me. It could have easily done the opposite. I was drinking Cosmopolitans with my aunt a few days before my Contiki tour started. “When I went on my Contiki,” she informed me, “everyone was trying to score The Hat Trick: sleeping with the tour
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OILY ABS AND TEARS manager, the bus driver, and the cook”. Indeed, Contiki seems to have a bit of a reputation. From the very first tour in 1961 – a vanload of people on a 12-week trip through Europe led by Kiwi John Anderson – the company has focused on cheap travel for young people, a client base not often associated with abstinence and sobriety. As someone who would happily spend all day in a museum, I was a bit sceptical about booking a Contiki tour. Becky Bradley, a travel agent for eight years who works at Palmerston North Flight Centre, reassured me: “The way we describe the tours is as a bus split into three sections. At the back you’ve got the ones who partied all last night and probably spend the journey asleep. At the front you’ve got what we like to call the
culture vultures – they don’t party much and they go to all the museums. In the middle is a mix: they go out and party, but not too hard because they still want to see things.” And so I booked it: a 21-day Contiki tour, starting in London and finishing in Athens. I chose a Concept-style tour, which meant staying in cabins and hotels instead of camping. A third style, Time Out, utilises still more luxurious accommodation. Becky said the camping style is popular with those aged 18-25, while older people or couples are more likely to book Concept or Time Out tours, but that huge range of people end up in any given group. She wasn’t kidding.
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MY TOUR WAS A TESTAMENT TO CONTIKI’S wide appeal. There were three sets of siblings, two couples (one of which broke up in Paris and got back together in Florence), a doctor, a model, two nurses, a law student, two cops, and a psychologist, to name a few. Our group was about 80% female (read: Contiki offers great odds if you’re a single male). At 6am on the day of departure I checked in and had my suitcase weighed to ensure it was under the strict 20kg limit. It quickly became evident that there would be no Hat Tricks on our tour, because we were Concept-style we didn’t have a cook, and our tour manager was female. Everything fell to our Dutch driver, Guido (who apparently didn’t have much trouble picking up the slack). Guido aside, Contiki was much more than its reputation. To my delight, museums, historical sites, and architectural masterpieces were visited just as often as bars and shopping malls. I shared a trip to Versailles with two girls before I even knew their names, wandered the Louvre with an Australian bikini model, saw David and decided he really was the perfect man, 38
threw coins into the Trevi Fountain with other hopeless romantics, and finally found an appreciation for my classics degree while standing on the Acropolis. The Culture Vultures were able to attend a concert of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the backseat-boys partied in a discotheque frequented by the cast of Jersey Shore. Contiki claims to strike a balance between the right amount of scheduled activities and free time. We always had at least half a day to explore a city on our own. There were also optional extras, such as a cabaret in Paris and flamenco dancing in Barcelona. While sometimes overpriced, these activities were fun and provided more of a cultural experience, so I paid up. We were in Europe, after all. The place I had been looking forward to visiting the most was Venice: the maze of cobble-stoned streets, the delicately arched bridges, the gondoliers in their bright, striped shirts. My Contiki trip to the city didn’t disappoint, with glass blowing and lace-making demonstrations, a walking tour and a gondola ride all included. After lunch, my companions and I headed to St Mark’s Basilica and, thanks to a tip from our
tour guide, managed to skip the hour-long queue. We spent the extra time we gained shopping for the perfect Venetian mask. I was delighted to have an excuse to wear one – Contiki was putting on a masquerade party that night. Such theme parties were common, organised by Contiki employees who live and work at each campsite. The accommodation often had a pool and almost always had a bar. Cabins were varied: barely big enough to open a suitcase (Antibes), brand new but without air-con (Florence), complete with a disco showerhead that changed colour (Paris). They were mostly twin-share, with an adjoining quad-share bathroom. Though not glamorous, they were perfectly adequate and we hardly spent any time in them, anyway. The food was much better than I had anticipated. We were served local cuisine whenever possible: pasta in Italy, moussaka in Greece, frogs’ legs in France. It was during these meals and parties that the most group-bonding occurred. A Contiki romance blossomed between whimsical 28-year-old Thaïs and 18-year-old Ryan. Shani, an Israeli-born Canadian, who I’d originally thought of as quite shy,
participated in the inter-tour wet t-shirt competition. Everyone teased Boston-born Alex for his continual use of the phrase ‘hey girl’. American Sarah and Australian Paul became the tour’s inseparable couple. She has since moved to Adelaide to be with him. Contiki relationships, compacted into a few short weeks, seem to be much more intense. And so it was heart-wrenching when, in the middle of our tour, we had to say several goodbyes. Seven of our companions had booked a shortened version of the tour, ending in Rome. Jase, the tattooed and muscular winner of the Oily Abs Competition in Venice, was in tears. Granted, a fair bit of alcohol had been consumed, but it was really something to see this man crying. “I’m going to miss my boys so much!” he told me as I tried to comfort him with a hug. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry too.
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BUT THE NEXT DAY JASE WAS ALL MUSCLES again, dripping with sweat and hurling (now severely overweight) suitcases up a flight of steep, narrow stairs. We were boarding a ferry to Greece and he and another Australian carried every single piece of luggage on to the ship, much to the relief of 37 very appreciative females. Arriving on the island of Corfu, I allowed myself one night to indulge in Contiki’s reputation and get embarrassingly drunk. I think something about wearing a toga releases inhibitions. I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember much of the evening, but apparently it was my brilliant idea to go for a midnight swim in the Ionian Sea. I do, however, remember bumping into a guy I studied psychology with for three years back in Wellington. He was on a separate Contiki tour but we’d wound up at the same toga party on the same Greek Island, on the other side of the world. We’d both been serious students, the type unlikely to wear alcohol-stained bed sheets and crowns of leaves. But there we were, caving to the Contiki reputation and enjoying ourselves thoroughly. Culture Vultures temporarily migrating to the back of the bus.
So I put it to my tour-mates: would you recommend Contiki? Shani, of wet t-shirt fame, responded enthusiastically. Since getting home she’s been looking into booking another tour with her friends. Thaïs felt differently, saying she would recommend Contiki only to those aged 18-24, but “it was cheaper and less stressful than organising it all on my own.” She still keeps in touch with Ryan, though. We all keep in touch. Someone set up a Facebook page for our group before I even made it back to New Zealand. That was how I found out that Jase broke his toes in Santorini, but just kept walking on them. Upon discovering this, I was marvelling at the fact that saying goodbye to 21-day-old friends made Jase cry but breaking bones didn’t, when Alex sent me a message. I could hear his Boston drawl even through the text: “Hey girl. How you doing?” I was listening to the popular European song Stereo Love, which our tour manager had played every morning to get us excited for the day ahead. Nostalgic and painfully aware that I was sitting alone at my computer, I typed back: “Missing the 24-hour company.” There may have been a tear or two. 39
FEATURE
From a place of dark depression, Max Bell finds that managing yourself is the first key to doing anything else. Part one of a two part journey through depression.
REALITY ON DEPRESSION - PART ONE
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever.” - 1984
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ccording to New Zealand studies, one person in eight will have a major depressive episode in their lifetime, and one person in 16 will experience dysthymic disorder (a milder form of depression that is chronic, lasting over two years). In a rough calculation, this means 4,500 Massey students, out of the current 36,000 nationwide, will become majorly depressed at some point in their lives. Depression is estimated to cost the Australian economy $3.3 billion in lost productivity each year. The World Health Organisation predicts that by 2020 depression will be the second highest cause of death and disability in the world. When we attend a university that claims to be “The Engine of the New New Zealand”, an un-ignorable portion of that future is
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bleak and has a greater risk of ending in suicide. The alumni of this fine institution, “New Zealand’s defining university”, may be educated, but they're not predicted to be happy. The rates of depression are increasing with each generation and the age of onset is becoming lower. At the end of the first semester of 2012, my study had progressed to the point where I was going to fail. Something had gone terribly wrong with my mind. A black daemon had taken over control of my thought processes, my feelings, and my beliefs. The only thing keeping me from setting my room on fire with me inside it was a faint thought, or hope, that I still wanted to accomplish things in life. Someday I wanted to get something important done – like get a degree. But such dreams were fading fast. Something had taken me over and I
deserved to stab myself to kill whatever sort of daemonic corruption it was…But at the start of 2012 things were good. My story starts with a girl. I had spent the night with her in Wellington over a staggering New Years. Via the miraculous mechanisms of Facebook we stayed in touch and, knowing I was going to be in her town in March, she agreed to spend the weekend with me. So I flew up to Auckland for a workshop … well, mostly to see her again, and found my way into the big city. On the friday night she texted asking where my apartment was. I went out and brought pancakes and bananas and maple syrup to cook her for breakfast the next morning. She then texted back with instructions. I was to walk out of my building, over to another street, cross the road, and into a llustrations by Diana Russell
small park where I would find, in her words, a “blondie sitting on a park bench.” These were her sorts of games; she knew how to build anticipation. I wanted her. I zoned in on her blonde hair and green eyes among the other pretty faces that brighten the gloom of a city at night and kissed her. “I like you,” She announced. It felt good to remember what her voice sounded like. But
and spent the days on my bedroom floor amassing a disarray of books and notes and clothes and takeaway containers around me. Takeaways and coffee was all I could function on. I hadn’t cooked anything in weeks. I avoided doing everything I was meant to be doing. I avoided meetings and missed appointments. I made up excuses when people wanted to hang
‘The rejection from the blonde girl hit me hard. I wanted her acceptance, I wanted the feeling of sharing my life, I wanted the satisfaction, the meaning, the vigour of having her laying naked and vulnerable in my arms and seeing her blonde hair spread out across my pillow like it ended up the weekend I met her’ she stayed seated on the bench and looked at me. “But I liked you more when we first met. Time has made it different. I think you're a nice guy but I’m afraid to me that's all. I’m really sorry and I feel bad, but that’s how I feel.” She didn't come back with me. We didn’t have breakfast. We didn't spend the weekend together. In the interval of us first meeting in my hometown and us meeting again in her hometown, her view of me had changed. I had become a friend, a ‘let’s be friends, friend’, and nothing more. That hit me harder than I wanted to admit, even to myself. I find it embarrassing to voice that I put too much meaning into it. I am not one who can needlessly discard girls, like some would as easily as the condom wrappers used with them. My world was becoming nocturnal – blunted and dark. My mind was shutting in on itself, collapsing into ruminating in a vicious cycle. The rejection brought up old issues – it started a downward spiral. Because being reticent and somewhat inarticulate is normal behaviour for me, I didn't pay much attention to the fact that I was withdrawing from life, nor did many who know me think to question it.
+ BY THE TIME MAY CAME, I SAT IN ONE OF the far reaches of the library watching rain drip down the windows and people-watched students walking through the corridor of the building opposite into a lecture theatre. I opened one of my text books and read. “As you begin your career in management, keep in mind that …” and all I could think was ‘Oh God, I can't stomach another day of this fucking awful mess, yet alone an entire career. Why is this book mocking me?’ I returned home, closed the curtains, www.massivemagazine.org.nz
out. Emails, bills, and work piled up. I needed to go pick up my contacts from the optometrist. I needed to get a haircut. I needed to get groceries. I needed to buy a camera. I needed to call my mother and wish her happy Mother's Day. I needed to go to university and explain to them that I couldn't function in daily life yet alone in study life. I needed to do a hundred things and a thousand more things. I needed to get off of the floor of my trashed room and out of my own head ... It was all too much. Too fast. Too ugly. Too difficult and too goddamn much! I was fragmenting into something less than human. Something that would need putting down. Something I felt should be put down. My mind was being hit by a series of denial of service attacks and was breaking under the pressure. I was going to subside and implode, why couldn’t anyone see that? I'd need to be culled because of weakness and inability to cope. There was something so fundamentally wrong about me, and I couldn't figure it out. It was just under my
world suddenly so abominable? Why am I so broken? These thoughts were glued to the surface of my mind and couldn't be peeled away. There is a bottom down there somewhere. If you hit it, I don't know if you can ever recover. It might take all the King's horses and all the King's men just to put you back together again. Pragmatically, we live in a society where doing that for one person isn’t worth the effort or the resources it takes. The world is over-populated, and a new wave of students rolls into Massey each year. As long as only a few slip through the gaps and drop out or fail or ruin their lives, it doesn’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things, does it? If a few are unhappy or commit suicide, who cares. Maybe I'm one of the unlucky ones who was too slow, or too dumb, or just too fucking something? The world continues to rotate and the pain continues to subsist.
+ I MANAGED TO GET OFF THE FLOOR long enough to make it to campus. The air-conditioning in the computer lab was unbearable. I wanted to scream out that the heater was turned up too high and that the entire room was diseased and was going to suffocate everyone in there. But screaming that would only make my situation worse. It would make heads turn and make people think I was crazy. Despite my sense of decency, I felt the craziness coming like an inescapable sauna. So I put my fingers back on the keyboard and searched online for self-diagnostic tests ... “You appear to be suffering from severe depressive symptoms commonly associated with serious depressive disorders, such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or dysthymia. These symptoms appear to
‘There is a bottom down there somewhere. If you hit it, I don’t know if you can ever recover. It might take all the King’s horses and all the King’s men just to put you back together again.’
skin and needed to be torn out. I felt like I was grown in a lab instead of being born, and there was something in the process of creating me that didn’t give me a soul. I wasn’t worth the effort of receiving one. Because of this, I couldn’t think clearly, or recall memories clearly, or connect with the world. I was absolutely certain that I was a disgrace to nature that had to die. Why could no one see that? Why is the entire
be causing you some serious impairment and distress in your normal, everyday functioning. You would likely benefit from the immediate attention of your physician or a trained mental health professional for further evaluation and a more accurate diagnosis and treatment.” This wasn't how I envisioned life to be, yet it was what I had become. They say that when you’re dying your whole 41
FEATURE
life flashes before your eyes in an instant. I once heard it said that when you’re depressed your whole life flashes before your eyes but incredibly, painstakingly, deadfully slow – like being stuck in a theatre, watching a long, drawn-out, boring rendition of Shakespeare that you’ve already read and already know the ending to and just want to hurry up get to the emotional cathartic ending. It feels like you’re trapped, realising you have no control over the ending of the book, so you go back over the previous parts of the story, the memories of your life, and think about the moments where you could have changed the ending but screwed up and failed instead. It never occurs to you that the present can be changed, you just wallow in past mistakes. That’s why popular phrases on depression handouts at the doctor’s office are “hope” and “there is a way through it”, because those thoughts never occur to you when you’re depressed. They’re just words, with meanings maybe for other people but not for you. You feel like you’re only going through the motions, or following instructions, or sticking to a routine, because you’re only killing time until the suffering finally 42
stops. You feel like you’re in a book and the outcome of everything is already written no matter what you do. Your life is already written for a dismal outcome. There is no point. I walked home one night, admiring the lit-up windows of the cosy suburb homes and wondered how many people must be having dinner behind them at that very moment. How many families? How many happy people? I felt absolutely certain that I could never have that – and I became detached, like I was hovering above myself, like I was having a near-death experience after watching myself skid into a car wreck, and seeing people run distraughtly over to the ruin, and hearing the approaching manic-depressive undulation of the emergency sirens, and seeing the ambulance lights reflecting off the shattered glass chips spilled all over the road like pieces of a fractured brain, and numbly observing the doctors operating on me, all while watching myself from up on the ceiling in the corner of the room, not caring at all what becomes of the previous body of this messed-up man. I was in a movie, an independent movie, where some disillusioned kid walks through
the busy city streets alienated and alone? Cliched, yes, but clichés ring true more often than not. That was me. I couldn’t end the sad tone, I didn’t have the option to. The melancholy music and the low-key lighting was cemented inside of me. Part of my mind knew that what I was doing was stupid, that if I didn’t stop feeling this way then the next thing I knew I may be on the roof of a building leaning over and my life would soon be over. But that part wasn’t the majority of my mind. Another part knew that something was wrong, and it knew there was no escape, it knew that darkness chased me wherever I went. No one could see it. And even if they could, they couldn’t help. That bigger, screaming part of me was terrible, and it knew that the anguish stopped when I stepped off the building. It knew the world was alien and changed and that life would never be the same until I ended it. It knew that stepping off was the only way to live.
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I FOUND A WHISKEY BOTTLE LEFT OVER from St Patrick's Day and downed the remainder of it, then went outside and threw it over the garden and into the neighbour’s driveway. I wanted to hear the ramifications of it impacting against concrete. I wanted to let the shattering be my purgative expression of angst, to let something out of me, to let anything out,
sexuality.” I am reminded of those words, as others in the club flirted and danced and dreamed of being accepted by the gorgeous girl or being approached by the solid guy, because my dream in that moment was to plan my own demise. At that hour of the night I could have climbed to the top of a nearby car park building and then on to the roof, for I have the strength and the
‘I found a whiskey bottle left over from St Patrick’s Day and downed the remainder of it, then went outside and threw it over the garden and into the neighbour’s driveway. I wanted to hear the ramifications of it impacting against concrete.’
to see if I was still capable of expressing myself. However, smashing it didn't bring any relief at all. Everyone around me was no longer bright eyes and warm smiles but had become only daunting silhouettes always striding towards me. I could no longer look at anyone’s face. If I did, they would pierce my soul and realise how pathetic and beneath them I truly was. I tried to drown myself by going clubbing and being social. A girl – short, bubbly, brunette, and constantly radiating happiness like a cartoon character, so much so that she was turning heads – told me to “Stop listening to the lyrics. They're nonsense.” Even though we were on the dance floor, I couldn't relax. “Just dance.” she told me. Her and a few others I'd met earlier that night moved to the beat, ignoring the fact that the song really was just a repetition of thinly disguised sexual metaphors that were somehow idiotically fascinating when spoken in a party atmosphere. But I couldn't appreciate the environment, for my mind was stuck somewhere between anxiety and dread and not at all in the present. The people around me were dancing, smiling, flirting. I could perceive that they were happy from something, but I wasn't able to have that. Something was incomplete within me that made me unable to feel happiness, unable to feel much of anything at all. Somewhere along the path of my life I had devolved from being human into an alien that was now struggling to live in this un-understandable world of human emotions. In the words of the great William Styron, from when he suffered from depression: “In truth such hideous fantasies [of suicide], which cause well people to shudder, are to the deeply depressed mind what lascivious daydreams are to persons of robust www.massivemagazine.org.nz
sporting ability to do so, and then from the roof on to the abandoned elevator shaft that watched over Luke's Lane like a monument to urban decay, like a clock tower that raised above the surrounding buildings and would chime the plunge of the city into serene destruction. I could have stepped off and announced my own end in an act of solace.
+ THE REJECTION FROM THE BLONDE GIRL HIT me hard. I wanted her acceptance, I wanted the feeling of sharing my life, I wanted the satisfaction, the meaning, the vigour of having her laying naked and vulnerable in my arms and seeing her blonde hair spread out across my pillow like it ended up the weekend I met her. The truth is, it wasn't so much her and her beautiful, inquisitive nature that hit me ... it was the significance I placed behind what she meant to me. I was just covering up for a bigger problem. One where I believed that if only I had a girl then life would be good – it would be easy, it would be fulfilled, it would be beautiful, it
larger agony that I had with life, for having been depressed and troubled for a long time and never having fixed it. This wasn't the first time i'd had an episode of major depression. There was a period a few years ago when I would spend the days isolated in my room with the blinds pulled shut, unable to leave the house. Opening the front door and stepping out was something akin to walking into the undiluted sun of the Sahara desert with no means of escape. When my mother came home from work, I would walk down the hallway into the lounge and try to talk. “Mum”, I said, trying to form something into words. “I haven't done anything all day. I can't get moving.” She sighed. “Don't worry. It's like you've been on holiday the past few months. You'll soon have to get yourself together and get a job.” “I can't.” I started to cry despite not wanting to. “I don't know what's wrong.” “Maybe you're just stressed,” she said, trying to get on with the housework. “I'm not. There's something that's completely wrong. Everything is just so ... so utterly wrong. I don't know how to say it. I don't know how to control it.” “What is it?” She turned towards me, concern in her eyes, and demanded “Just tell me what you want from me?” “It feels like there's a giant hole I can't fill up,” I said through tears. “What can I do for you? Please stop crying. I can't talk to you when you're like this! What can I do to help you?” “I don't know. I just don't know. I don't know how to do this. The world is so dark. I can't ...” Nothing could be done. I couldn’t be reached. And through all of this, my father would do nothing. He wouldn’t talk to me or wouldn’t acknowledge anything was wrong. He’d withdraw into another room and not care....
‘I tried to drown myself by going clubbing and being social. A girl – short, bubbly, brunette, and constantly radiating happiness like a cartoon character, so much so that she was turning heads – told me to “Stop listening to the lyrics. They’re nonsense.”’
would have some meaning to it other than just getting through another day. However, any sentence that includes “if only” is usually not leading to a good outcome. It was just a temporary stop-gap to alleviate some of the pain. It was never going to work. It was working it the wrong way around. So many of the things I was doing were just patching up a bigger issue, covering up for a
Read the conclusion of Max Bell’s, journey through depression, next month / Max starts to confront his demons, but is it enough to get him through university.
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FEATURE
Dick Hardy returns with tales of his latest sexual adventure through Massey Albany. But this time we also hear from the sultry seductress, Jenna Talia, who left him high and dry last month who reveals more about Dick Hardy then is let on in these pages. The tension is mounting.
MILLS & POON: THE SEXCAPADES OF DICK HARDY Dick Hardy has been writing about his sexcapades on the Albany Campus for years now. Last month he made his debut in the Albany section and was left pants around his ankles by a mystery women. This month we take Dick Hardy’s story nationwide. Check out his last adventure at massivemagazine.org.nz
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had invited her over to my house, “for a night full of great food, leisure, and lust”, as I worded it in the text. We had been increasingly flirtatious and she responded, “sounds dreamy Romeo ;)”. I had put in a fair amount of effort with the meal, all too aware of the aphrodisiac properties of the cheese I was putting into the chicken cordon bleu. I heard her knock on the door and I left her to wait juuuust that bit extra while I set the table. Then, after I had allowed her nerves to build a little, I went and opened the door with my best attempt at a smouldering gaze. She looked relieved to see me finally, and I picked her up powerfully from the hips. She squealed in fright and excitement and my hands greedily slid higher under the tight, black dress she was wearing. Then I kissed under her jaw line and even bit her ever so lightly. Then, putting her down, I led her into the house as if nothing had happened. I noticed with satisfaction the devilish grin she couldn’t contain and the slight flush to her cheeks. I told her to sit and dinner would be ready soon. “What have you cooked me then?” she asked, “It smells amazing.” 44
I looked at her sitting at the table with cute dimpled cheeks and twirling a strand of her hair. She looked stunning. “Oh, nothing special,” I assured her. I served the chicken on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables and brought it out to her with a glass of wine. “Wow, fancy!” she exclaimed. She licked her lips but her eyes were on me, not the food. I laughed off her compliment and told her to enjoy. We sat eating the dinner in almost silence, and the sexual tension was intoxicating. We stared at each other throughout the meal, not talking much and I felt her foot sliding up and down my leg under the table. When we had finished I cleared the plates and went to the kitchen to get dessert. Before I had made it there, however, I felt silky hands slide into my shirt from behind. I smiled and leaned back into her. “Dinner was delicious – who knew you were such a chef,” she said as her hands slid up to my nipples. Her cool hands felt amazing and my nipples instantly stiffened under her touch. “Now how about I take care of dessert,” and she walked over to the fridge. I smirked at her cheesy line but I was
stupidly aroused so I didn’t care. “Hmm, what do we have in here?” she said, peering back at me with a cheeky grin. “Go and get comfortable,” she instructed. “I like a woman who takes charge,” I told her with a laugh, and walked to my large couch. “Well, you haven’t got much to work with do ya?” she called out to me. “What did you have in mind?” I called back. “I don’t know? Chocolate sauce or something,” she laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m improvising! Close your eyes!” I closed my eyes and then I felt her warm thighs slide over my legs as she straddled me. “No peeking,” she exclaimed and then after a bit of effort she put something over my head to cover my eyes. I realized it was her bra and I reached up to feel her exposed breasts, noticing she had simply pulled her dress down to bare them. \ She slapped my hand away though, “Not yet!” I heard her fumble around with something for a while and then holding my hands down she whispered, “Put your tongue out.” I did as I was told and I felt something cold and sweet pushed into my mouth.
“What is this?” I mumbled through a full mouth and she giggled at me. “Mmmm that feels good,” she said and I realised after a lot of sucking and licking that she had covered her perky little nipples in strawberry jam, the only sweet thing in my fridge! Not complaining and still with eyes closed I began to gyrate between her
JENNA TALIA IN RESPONSE TO DICK HARDY Dear MASSIVE readership, I would like to begin by introducing myself. Although, as Mr. Hardy finds appropriate, I shall use a pseudonym. You can call me Jenna. Jenna Talia. After reading Dick Hardy’s previous episode, I realised with a glow of amusement, and more than a hint of
‘“Go and get comfortable,” she instructed. I like a woman who takes charge,” I told her with a laugh, and walked to my large couch. “Well, you haven’t got much to work with do ya?” she called out to me.’’’
hot thighs in sexual excitement. She let out little whimpers and slid her hand into my pants where she massaged my member to full size. My face was being cushioned between her sweet and sticky breasts until she pulled back and with mischief in her eyes, she pulled my shirt over my head. With her finger, she plunged into the jam jar and began to cover my nipples with the pink sticky substance. While she was busy I slipped a condom out of my pocket (always prepared) and then skillfully slid my trousers down and pressed my rock-hard penis against her mound. I rolled the condom quickly on, then pulling her underwear to the side I thrust into her dripping folds to which she gasped and fell forward into my jam smeared chest. She breathed out in a half laugh which turned into a moan as I began to pump back and forth and then she began suckling the jam from nipples. I couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to have her tongue sliding all over me as I was inside her. She grinded her body all over me in a sensory explosion, the taste of jam still in my mouth, her tongue hungrily licking at my torso. The pace quickened and she threaded her hands through my hair as her body began to contract. She stared into my eyes with fluttering eyelids and I almost laughed at the sight of jam smeared all over her cheeks but as her orgasm trembled through her into my loins I realised I couldn’t hold out any longer and I spasmed inside of her explosively until we both lay back on to the couch exhausted. I fell asleep still inside her and with her sugary breasts sticking to my chest. It was certainly an interesting night, one well worth the wait, and who said you can’t play with your food!
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arousal, that he was detailing the events that occurred with yours truly. I felt it only fair that I express my side of the story, so I wrote a letter to the editor of MASSIVE who felt my story should be shared, and would I like to write my own piece to counter Dick’s? And so that is why you find yourself reading this. I wonder a great deal at what all of those who read the article must think of me. A slut perhaps, a cock tease? Or perhaps (as Hardy so eloquently put it), a femme fatale? I prefer the latter because it shows I made my mark on the ‘man’, although I assure you my motives were hardly so sinister. Now, in the interest of hiding my identity, I won’t divulge too much about myself, but I will say that I do indeed share a class with the elusive Dick Hardy. And I suppose I could say it was a friend who exposed his true identity to me; she was, in fact, the main event in one of his earlier erotic stories and discovered who he was after reading the pages of Satellite. She wasn’t embarrassed by his public exposure of their encounter because he
all he makes himself out to be. His stories may come across rather enchanting in moments, despite the air of chauvinism, but his persona in reality is not nearly so embellished. I had been watching him flirt his way through the lecture with a somewhat attractive first-year although it was apparent his interest in her went no further than materialistic desire. She was so dolled-up for uni, no doubt the extent of her conversation wouldn’t go past her new dress from Wild Pair or what a bargain she had got from Stolen Girlfriends Club. But I’m not writing this to express my concerns about the upcoming generation of shallow, glamour babies who know how to dress pretty but wouldn’t know a good book if I told them they were looking Fifty Shades of Grey, to which they’d no doubt miss the reference and take offence. Ha! Anyway, the class was ending and I approached Dick with undisguised curiosity. Here was the famous Dick Hardy, an adored and sexual man, oozing a charm to which countless women had succumbed; it was almost like meeting a celebrity. I noticed the stubble on his face, recent growth, which somehow made him more human, more tangible. In all his glory, Dick was decidedly very normal looking. However, since talking to my friend who was written about in one of his stories, there has been something tantalizing about getting with him, and even more so, about using him the way he used my friend. And so as I neared him, I made sure to hold my shoulders back so that my bust was even harder to miss, and I made absolutely sure to get his interest. It was interesting to see how Dick edited our conversation for the magazine, but the end result was indeed that we decided to meet on the top of floor of the library that night. I remember how easy it was to decipher his
‘It was cute the way he actually pretended like we had gone there to study. I thought about dragging out the sexual tension and making him squirm while I quoted page after page of boring text, instead I took him by the hand and led him to the back of the library.’
kept her identity anonymous, but her friends quickly caught on to her and she felt a tad hurt at the way he portrayed her (a fact that comes out often at a drinking session). She felt he had used her just to get a story. And so, I guess you could say that I had something to prove. When I realised I had a lecture with him, obviously I was fascinated and so I watched him from afar. I can’t say much, but I’ll tell you he isn’t
puppy dog grin, as if he couldn’t believe his luck. I couldn’t wait to have my way with him. And so I arrived at the top floor of the library, knowing I looked stunning. Believe it or not I was a little nervous. When I saw him there I was amused at the effort he had made. He had changed his clothes and it looked like he had recently showered. He certainly smelled nice. He told me I looked 45
FEATURE
great … when I was wearing the same thing that I had been wearing at the lecture. Jerk. No, really any girl loves to be told they look great … and maybe I had done a little touch-up with my make-up. But the point was, I wanted to let him know I was in charge of the situation. I got a thrill out of dominating the all-powerful Dick Hardy. It was cute the way he actually pretended like we had gone there to study. I thought about dragging out the sexual tension and making him squirm while I quoted page after page of boring text, instead I took him by the hand and led him to the back of the library. His hand was a little clammy, he must have been nervous? I loved it. I swung around into him, playing dumb. His account of my sexuality was probably not far off – I made sure he had a good view of my cleavage. If you’ve got it then flaunt it right? And I would like to think my actions were in the name of retribution. It’s surprising how much a guy will do for you if you stroke his ‘ego’, if you know what I mean.
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ANYWAY, I COULD CERTAINLY FEEL HIS ego straining through his pants and so, getting on to my knees, I began the task I knew I wasn’t going to finish. I wondered if he would let me, but he even helped me to unbutton his pants. I pulled down his Jockeys and his member sprang forward to stare me in the face. I held his warmth in my hand and, to be honest, I’d seen bigger! Haha! I also noticed he had trimmed his hair down there. At least I wouldn’t be coughing up any hair balls later. I looked up as I poked my tongue out ever so teasingly. His eyes were half closed in anticipation and I felt a little dizzy because of the absurdity of the situation, but it was certainly exciting. I focused my tongue on the sensitive underside and tip of his penis while massaging his soft little sack. Maybe I’m strange but I find it empowering to hold a man by the scrotum; in all his confidence and power, he is helpless in my hands. I love the way he flinches upward when I tease him, completely in my control. Using a trick I had learned a while ago, I pressed my finger to the area underneath his testicles and began pressing the spot. I looked up to see his eyes bulging and the
expression on his face looked almost as though he was going to cry, so I knew I was doing a good job. I kept it up until I felt his body begin to flex and I knew he was just about there. Satisfied that to abandon him at his sexual peak was a just punishment, I quickly stood up to conclude my revenge. He laughed in disbelief and asked me what I was doing. I whispered into his ear, ‘Well I had a great time studying, but I really have to go. I might see you again Mr. Hardy.’ His face dropped and I saw confusion and realisation sink into his composure. Then I promptly walked out of the library to his utter dismay, making a conscious effort not to turn around as I did so. Now, I must admit that I was unbearably turned on by the entire event and I had to race home to take care of things. But it was definitely worth it to see the look of shock on his face and I still use the memory of it to get me all hot and bothered. So there you have it, how things actually occurred. It was strange reading his interpretation of the event and I wonder what he will make of my version. But that’s all from me, readers, all the best. Jenna Talia X
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ATRS & ENTERTAINMENT
It is important to encourage a culture of appreciation and respect for those who base their aspiring careers and achievements around the passion they have for their creativity and talents. New Zealand no longer needs to be fed on a culture of Tall Poppy Syndrome. Relish in the talents of your peers – those who study alongside you at the same institution, those who you pass in the hallway, and those who you stand in the line with at Tussock, but who you seldom get to appreciate for their hard work due to a difference in what your major is. The quantity and quality of work in design and arts being produced at Massey Wellington is outstanding. This feature aims to provide a platform on which our artistically minded students can share their craft.
KILLING IT AT MASSEY FELICITY WREN
Age: 20 Year: 3 Degree: Photographic Design student Place of Origin: Dunedin
Felicity embarked on her university life at Massey Wellington as a first-year Visual Communication Design student. She quickly realised that photography was the path she really wanted to embark on. Felicity says her third-year context paper has been the most enjoyable and the most rewarding. The photos beautifully and clearly portray the blurred line between childhood and adulthood that children face in today’s society. This same clarity and aesthetic endearment can be seen in her use of lighting and colours in the shoot she did for Sophie’s collection. Both experiences
helped Felicity build confidence in her abilities as an independent, working photographer. Wren says she hasn’t quite managed to pinpoint her photographic style, although she knows her photographic passion lies in portraiture. After Massey, Felicity plans on entering the world of freelance fashion photography with the dream of her work featuring in magazines. Her biggest motivations and inspirations are the works of Nirrimi Hakanson, Tim Walker, and Sara Orme. For more of Felicity’s work visit:
www.cargocollective.com/felicitywren
SOPHIE DEANS
Age: 21 Year: 3 Degree: Fashion Design Place of Origin: Masterton
Sophie began life at Massey Wellington as a Fine Arts student but after taking a paper in Fashion Design she realised her degree choice needed a change. Assignments such as ‘Special Project’ this year have allowed her to use the bank of knowledge and skills she has gained over her past years of study and put it to use in a project that essentially requires you to do what you want within the Fashion Design spectrum. She says that although it was intimidating to be given such freedom with her design and creation choices, she eventually found it liberating to have such control over her work, and from it came a collection of warm and inviting
yet luxe and vibrant garments that resonate superbly with the current climate. These garments are also a testament to her ability in craftsmanship, as each jacket is made from a rug and then dyed the bright, bold hues. She partially owes this love affair with eye-catching colours and luxurious textures to her favourite brand, House of Holland. It is incredibly important for Sophie to remember not to make these garments for the financial gain but to create for the love of it. Her coats featured in this issue can also be seen in a spread in Issue 3 of Collectif magazine.
Sophie’s creations (RIGHT) Model: Helen Young-Loveridge Makeup: Alice Adams using M.A.C All photos by Felicity Wren
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ATRS & ENTERTAINMENT
SPREADING HAPPINESS (VAN SHE) PAUL BERRINGTON
FORMED IN 2002 SYDNEY BAND VAN SHE are touring New Zealand for the first time in support of their new album ‘Idea of Happiness’, released on Modular, this month. Displaying the same groove laden electro indie sound as label mates Cut Copy and The Presets, the band have been undertaking the difficult task of the sophomore album, crafting the follow up to their hit debut, ‘V’, released in 2008. But can fans eager to attend their show as part of Orientation expect from the Van She live show. Meeting each other at the Bang Gang club night in Sydney, which began in old King’s Cross strip club in 2003 and quickly became the stuff of hedonistic legend, Van She helped bring a unique Australian take on 80s electro pop to a worldwide audience. Made up of Nick Routledge (vocals/guitar), Matt Van Schie (bass guitar/vocals), Michael De Francesco (synth/guitar), and Tomek Archer (drums/ sequencer), the quartet began playing shows before releasing their debut, self-titled EP, in 2006. Although the band’s early work showcased a stripped back electronic based sound on singles such as ‘Sex City’ and ‘Kelly’, the group have developed into far more complex and diverse outfit, which is demonstrated on the new album. It is clear throughout ‘Idea of Happiness’ that a decade together, and tours with such big names acts 50
as Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Bloc Party, Phoenix, and Daft Punk, have turned Van She into a highly accomplished songwriting team. “We had strong opinions on what we wanted and we’ll never do it any other way”, Archer told Vulture blog, and it is this vision that comes across in slick new songs ‘Jamaica’ and ‘Coconuts’, mixing the contemporary sounds of underground house music with pure pop melody and sophisticated arrangements. It’s the sort of sound that should see the band gain commercial recognition and success. Yet this doesn’t mean the group has lost their ability to fill the dancefloor, which you’d expect from a band who have remixed the likes of Klaxons, Empire of the Sun, and Ladyhawke. The fact all four members DJ and produce allows them to indulge in the grooves and rhythms of dance music without sounding clichéd. Pages magazine describes the album as “a suitably joyous affair”, and by bringing in noted producer Tony Hoffer (M83, Temper Trap), De Francesco says “ensured the songs ended up exactly as the band had envisioned them”. Kicking off in early July, Van She is undertaking an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand before heading for Europe later in the year. When asked what the reaction to the new songs live has been like by Press Record, De Francesco said, “It’s been really good, the last tour we did for the single
(Idea of Happiness), we played about five songs at it was like they weren’t new, like we’d been playing them for ages, the crowd loved it”. This enthusiastic reaction matches the positive attitude of the band and the uplifting record they have created. “It’s a lot more summery than the first record. It also has a more synthetic sound, yet at the same time is still more organic and has the feel of a band”, De Francesco told Purple Sneakers. So after a four-year hiatus between albums it seems that Van She has the world at their feet. Critics have garnered positive reviews of ‘Idea of Happiness’ and the band seem happy and content, confident in their creative output, and pleased with the recording process. “We built a studio and we weren’t restricted by times or budgets”, Francesco says, which allowed the band to create a record rich in atmosphere and professionalism. Besides making one of the best albums of 2012 so far, Van She looks set to thrill New Zealand audiences with their fun new songs and slick live show.
You can catch Van She, with support from Ruby Frost and Black City Lights, as part of ReOrientation at San Francisco Bath House on 19 July in Wellington and are playing in Auckland at the Monte Cristo Room on the 18 July.
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SPORTS
HANSEN AND DEBUTANTS MAKE THEIR MARK JACK BIGGS
MANY DIFFERENT THINGS CAN BE TAKEN FROM the three-test series against the Irish. First, the status of world champs has been cemented against a strong Irish outfit. Secondly, the new crop of players will serve us well in years to come. Steve Hansen’s new reign has been as smooth as possibly taking over the mantle after Henry’s departure at the end of last year’s World Cup. Aaron Smith, the incumbent halfback, has surely cemented his spot in the No 9 jersey. His passing alone has him worthy of being ahead of some great halfbacks around the country such as Andy Ellis, TJ Perenara and Piri Weepu. It was vital for the All Blacks to produce new talent with the old. South Africa learnt that fate after, perhaps, hanging on to their veterans for too long who were just not physically there at the World Cup. Sonny Bill Williams’ All Black career reached its high during the Irish series, not only was his offload and attacking flair evident, but his defence has shown huge improvement, most probably under the watchful eye of Dave Rennie and Wayne Smith at the Chiefs. For mine, though, Maá Nonu is still our premier second-five. Say what you will about the man, but his efforts in the All Black jersey at the World Cup were unsurpassed by any other second-five at the tournament. Although he has had a shaky start to his time at the Blues, I do believe he has much left to offer, particularly 52
when SBW decides what his future holds. Dan Carter appears back to full fitness after the groin injury that saw the country go into a depression during the World Cup. His form is some of the best I can recall, similar to that produced during the British and Irish Lions tour in 2005 where he singlehandedly tore them apart. It is also nice to have some depth in this country. Aaron Cruden is without a shadow of a doubt the form five-eight in Super Rugby and his injury in game 3 of the test series robbed the world of a supreme performance. However, as is the theme in rugby, someone is always there to fill your boots. The Hurricanes’ own Beauden Barrett rose to the occasion as the consummate professional he is, not looking out of place whatsoever. He appeared to fully understand his role and looked as though he had been there for 10 years. Steve Hansen is already, at this point, one of the most successful All Blacks coaches. Three from three. Not bad at all. He is up there with Fred “The Needle” Allen as one of the most successful All Black coaches. It is early days for Hansen, but after two solid victories and one near hiccup, where the Irish played above and beyond their usual self, things are look good. The first test the debutants shone. Julian Savea’s first test could not have gone better. A hat-trick on debut – you could not ask for better. And 42-10 is a solid score-line for a
new All Black team which many questioned. The second test, to the surprise of many, was a very much different affair to the first. While the talk was on how the AB’s could perhaps chuck on another 20 points to the margin, the Irish had other ideas. A gritty performance saw Ireland nearly sneak a win. Tied up with 5 on clock, Dan Carter produced a World Cup winning play with a dropped goal to seal the win. 22-19. The third test saw a reshuffle in the lineup. A supposedly “weakened” All Black team with the loss of Dan Carter and Kieran Read left many thinking the Irish may finally break the voodoo. Those thoughts were soon washed away with a commanding 60-0 win, complete turnaround in one week. Standouts in that game were Liam Messam, who was brought into the team and produced his best game ever in black. Cruden and Barrett both looked at ease and produced great solo performances. The real test will come in the new “Rugby Championship” after Argentina’s induction into the tri-nations. South Africa and Australia will be the key fixtures in telling just how good this All Black team is. It is one of the most highly anticipated rugby series in recent history, with Argentina providing an exciting new twist. Hansen will definitely give his team a pass mark but there is always room for improvement. Cruden is hot on the heels of Carter.
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SPORTS
LEO BERTOS - IN A DREAM OF HIS OWN JACK BIGGS
IF YOU HAD TOLD THE SIX-YEAR-OLD LEO Bertos when he was kicking a ball around in his backyard and watching his father play with his mates that one day he would be playing for a Wellington team in an Australian league, he probably would not have believed you. Football has come a long way in the past decade. Much of that rapid rise has to be credited to the man who started it all and who, for mine, kick-started an exciting chapter in New Zealand’s illustrious sport’s history – Terry Serepisos. Bertos credits a lot of the Phoenix’s success and credibility to Serepisos and to the positive impact they had on the national team, the bulk of whom played for the Phoenix. “I owe a lot to Terry,” says Bertos. “He’s one of the main influences that made me come back. It’s not just about forming a club and coming back, even if it’s your home town, because it has to have some credibility to it and it couldn’t be a waste of time. I owe a lot to both Terry and Ricki for that”. It all began for Bertos at Wellington College, where he and others noticed his talents. He would play up to three times a week and train nearly every day for the sport which he loved. Being a Greek- New Zealander, football was a big deal. “When Sky Sport first came out, my family used to get up and watch the Premier League and the Italian Serie A, and I guess I tried to follow certain players and then emulate what they did.” After college he had a choice on what his future would entail and there has been no looking back from there. It was the phase in his life where he evolved from a part-time footballer to a full-time footballer. 54
“I have fantastic memories of those college days. We did have a great team and a lot of them I am still great friends with. “I had a decision to make. Do I carry on studying and try get into university or go a direct route straight to Europe. I was pretty fortunate to get a contract at Barnsley”. Bertos had great success over in Barnsley and also for Rochdale where he accumulated 82 appearances between 2003 and 2005. After a successful stint at the Hyundai A Leauge’s Perth Glory, where he was the highest assisting player in the A-League in his debut season, he found his way back to Wellington. Signing with the Phoenix in 2008 would see him claim the player of the year award for the 2008-2009 season and send him to the heights of his career with both the Phoenix and the All Whites. Much of what the All Whites have achieved in their, arguably, most successful period has to be credited to the Phoenix, which boosted football in New Zealand. The do-or-die 2010 World Cup qualifier against Bahrain in Wellington on 14 November 2009 goes down in New Zealand sporting folklore and is right at the top of Bertos’ career highlights. Lest we forget the assist from his corner kick, finding Rory Fallon who rocketed a header into the back of the net to send the team to South Africa. “To have had that game in Wellington of all places, the stadium I play week in week out, was a dream come true, and everything fell into place. Everything that could have happened, happened. It was the perfect scenario. That night for me was special. Don’t get me wrong,
the World Cup was amazing, but the road to get there was special”. The dizzy heights of the World Cup didn’t seem to affect the All Whites. Being the only unbeaten team says it all. Bertos clearly has much admiration for his national captain, Ryan Nelsen, who appears to be cut from the same cloth as All Black captain Richie McCaw and other leaders in our country. “He raises the level. Someone like that as a player and a leader at the World Cup boosted us. He made you run that extra yard, jump that extra high, and everything like that. He’s the perfect guy to be leading us”. The Phoenix are fast approaching the start of their 2012-13 campaign, and Bertos appears itching to get out there to raise his level as high as he can. Goals for the Phoenix as far as Bertos is concerned are endless. “I want to, personally, play as many games as I can and be consistent and raise my level. As a team, the so-called clock is ticking and we want to win something here. We want some silverware”. The Phoenix’s games are like no other in Wellington. The Yellow Fever supporter group creates an electric atmosphere and they are always looking for more recruits. The teenage Leo Bertos was once training for Wellington Olympic up in Newtown and now he trains for the Wellington Phoenix on the same turf. “It’s quite surreal”. The fast-footed and smart footballer he is will, without doubt, keep defences guessing and continue to create opportunities for both the All Whites and the Phoenix for years to come.
GYM
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03
COLUMNS
BEER DRINKING ON ITS MERITS
BEER GUY
Daniel Hargreaves loves his hops, barely and yeast, and often writes blogs about the subject he enjoys so much. We tricked him into writing about all things beer for MASSIVE. For more of Dan’s insight into the world of beer visit: www.raise1glass.com
We may have had fine weather in Welly lately, but come 6pm the cold air begins to creep through windows and slightly open doors. The fire goes on. Winter’s fingers begin to close around its chilly palm and eventually form into an icy fist. The thing about ‘decent’ beer is that it can match any occasion. Very few mass-produced beers of the generic lager theme can cajole feelings of warmth and comfort come winter. It’s simply my favourite time of year for drinking. Sure, a couple of cold ones on a hot summer’s day are great, Yet, to appreciate beer with food, or to truly drink a beer on merit over sheer refreshment value, the colder months are definitely time to indulge. The trouble with darker beers is that they are often the last style that drinkers new to craft beer get into. With Wellington’s all-day dependence on caffeine and the wonderful coffee that is poured
daily around the city, it constantly surprises me that dark beer gets the press it should. Everyone in this town has a palate for roasted, chocolatley, burnt toast berry-like flavours. Why should these nuances in beer put so many people off? For me it’s back to global machismo marketing, to the artificially gloopy stouts you see the world over being consumed by old seadogs with nicotine-stained hair. It’s time to drop this centuryold attitude that stout or porter is for old men, ladies with anemia, or Ena Sharples! Dark beer can take many forms. Look out for the German-inspired Schwarz beers or dark lagers. Mussel Inn Dark Horse and Hallertau Deception are well worth checking out. Something slightly more interesting would be Croucher Patriot, a black IPA or, my perennial favourite, Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black. A beer that straddles the line between a black
IPA and a hoppy porter. It tastes as good as ever at the minute and if you try a glass of this with a well-made chocolate brownie you’ll never drink a latte again! So what’s to do? Wait for a cold day – the wetter and more miserable the better – source one of the beers below, leave it out of the fridge for an hour, and indulge, with a book or fine company. It’s sure to start an impromptu gathering or moment to yourself that you won’t regret. 8Wired Big Smoke: does things to you that beer shouldn’t be allowed to do. A NZ interpretation on the Rauchbier style. Cassels and sons: milk stout currently pouring from a number of hand-pulls around Welly. Hard to find but well worth it. Renaissance Craftsman Chocolate Stout: surely there is another batch due from the boys in Blenheim. When it hits the shelves it will disappear. A must-try.
TOO MANY GIRLS WHEN WITH THE GUYS
ASK A GURU
Similar to the back of the bus, this is where all the juicy shit is. Each month we will answer your questions via. Formspring.me/massiveguruz Read the rest of this months Guru Questions at:
facebook.com/MASSIVE.magazine
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Q: I have a problem not many other males can claim to have, too many girls hassle me in town when I’m trying to have a fun night with the boys, how can I stop being irresistible to the opposite sex. A: Guru knows exactly what you are talking about. Same thing happens to me when I venture into town. You haven’t identified what makes you so irresistible to the opposite sex, do you have excessive amounts of money that attracts the gold-diggers in town, or the ones that go, ‘hey you, I’ll touch you if you buy me a drink’, or are you extremely attractive and look like Channing Tatum or Ryan Gosling, or are you just a nice social person? If you are any of these things, then go you. You are lucky and 99% of the male population hates you. You have two options, either become an ugly arse hole, step by step instructions to achieving this are below, or you can tell
girls things that will make them put on their chastity belt. These can include; “I have the herp and derp”, “I have a non-existent willy”, “I’m on bath salts and want to bite your face off”. These quick fire lines you can whip out will make those girls run for the hills, or if they are kinky and into that shit, then you are out of luck, and need to follow the steps below. Guru recommends that you first think about this makeover before you do it. Do you want to be the ugly duckling? I’m sure your friends would appreciate the move to you turning in to an unattractive arse hole, but will you? Here are some things you can do to achieve the ultimate ‘unattractive, poor and socially awkward’ male ever. Guru is going to walk you through an extreme makeover, from the ladies man with everything going for him, to socially awkward, poor and extremely unattractive. Step one: Become an arsehole.
When someone offers you a drink, grab it, take a sip, spit it at him or her, throw it on the ground and then knock the person who gave it to you out. Hate things, hate people, hate life. Walk around pulling the fingers and be angry for no reason. In no time you would have lost all your friends and no one would really enjoy your company. Step two: Turn your Ryan Gosling looks into the complete opposite. Become hideous. Stop showering, let everything grow and stop giving a shit. Avoid the sun at all costs; we want to give you that pale ‘Edward the vampire’ look. You should now look like shit. Congratulations. Step Three: Get rid of that money. Blow it on strippers and drugs. When you venture to town now, no one will want to ‘blow your whistle’ or ‘get low’ on you. Guru thinks however that you should remain irresistible to woman, as I can’t handle them all.
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PICKS
FILM BUFFED
Paul Berrington seems to know everything in the world about film, and wants you to as well
One shining light during the cold months of winter remains New Zealand’s world-class film festival. Packed with gems from Cannes, and touring all of the main centres, the NZIFF team has put together another outstanding programme of films with something for everyone.
European drama is always well catered for at the festival and this year is no different. Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or winner Amour follows an elderly couple as one of them begins to suffer from Alzheimer’s, it stars French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant and Haneke regular Isabelle Huppert. Huppert also stars in the Korean film In Another Country, directed by auteur Hong Sang-soo. Outstanding Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen picked up the best actor award at Cannes for his turn in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt, the tale of a wrongly accused man victimised by his own community. Mathieu Kassovitz brings his talents to the war film Rebellion, which chronicles the French military response to a 1980 New Caledonian hostage drama. New wave German helmer Christian Petzold provides romance in Barbara, which stars Nina Hoss from The Lives of Others. Pole Agnieszka Holland director behind many episodes of The Wire and Treme, provides the Academy Award nominated In Darkness, the story of the people of Lyov under Nazi occupation during WWII. Andrea Arnold’s radical interpretation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights has been described as a “costume drama
like no other”, with the doomed relationship central to the novel brought into a modern light. Veteran director Ken Loach returns with the whisky-soaked The Angel’s Share, a light-hearted tale that follows four Glaswegians’ quest to solve their problems through the procurement of a barrel of Scotland’s national drink. School of Rock director Richard Linklater reunites with Jack Black for Bernie, the true story of an assistant undertaker who became famous in Texas for his larger-than-life personality and a small matter of murder. One of American literature’s defining moments looks safe in the hands of Walter Salles, with his adaption of Kerouac’s On the Road, starring Sam Riley and Kristen Stewart, and more interestingly, Viggo Mortensen as William S. Burroughs. There are always a diverse range of action-based films at the festival, and 2012 is no different. Transporting adolescent drama into the realm of post-apocalyptic Japan, Shion Sono’s Himizu delivers Manga-style entertainment with contextual intelligence. Exorcist director William Friedkin continues his resurgence with Killer Joe, which stars Matthew McConaughey as a Texan cop and gun for hire.
Another big name actor, Clive Owen, stars in the espionage thriller Shadow Dancer fresh from the Berlin Film Festival. The James Ellroy-scripted Rampart features a great ensemble cast, with Woody Harrelson, Anne Heche, and Sigourney Weaver in a film that follows the day of a very bad LA cop. Catch Sleepness Night before the Hollywood remake comes out early next year, this looks like it will please fans of John Woo and Quentin Tarantino, and features even more bent cops doing bad things. Slow cinema has made an imprint on film over the past few years, and those who find ‘bang for your bucks’ philosophy of Hollywood unappealing will find much to enjoy. In the Fog is Sergei Loznitsa’s follow-up to the mesmerizing My Joy, and details the Nazi occupation of Belarus in 1942, the film won the Critic’s Prize at Cannes this year. Another award winner, taking the Grand Prix at Berlin, is Bence Filegauf’s Just the Wind, which follows a gypsy family faced by threat of racial attacks at a nearby village. Darezhan Omirbayev adapts Dostoeyevsky’s Crime and Punishment in Student, set in modern Kazakhstan, and following a shy young student who commits a senseless murder.
+ Documentaries are important element of any film festival, and again the NZIFF team has selected a range of films sure to inspire discussion and educate. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry documents the struggles of China’s most famous artist, his battle with authorities, and offers a look at the many problems facing modern Chinese. Crusading journalist Anna Politkovskaya was murdered in Moscow in 2006, Marina Goldovskaya explores both her work in exposing Russian corruption and the lazy attempts to find her killers by authorities. Oscar winner Undefeated follows the season of an American Football team from an impoverished area www.massivemagazine.org.nz
of North Memphis, focusing on star player O.C. Brown’s struggles to find a sport scholarship. School bullying is brought into focus in Lee Hirsch’s Bully, which analyses the 13 million kids who suffer from it every year in the US. No festival is complete without Werner Herzog. His two films Into the Abyss and Death Row offer a haunting view of convicted murderers awaiting execution. Marley comes with a strong reputation, Kevin MacDonald successfully documenting the life of Bob Marley. Another lesser known music legend Rodriguez, is the subject of Searching for Sugar Man, which explores this legendary singer-songwriter in more detail than ever before.
Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s much talked-about revisionist horror Cabin in the Woods offers a subversion of traditional horror themes and motives, with nods to genre classics such as Evil Dead and Friday the 13th. While anyone who saw Kill List last year will want to catch director Ben Wheatley’s new film, Sightseers, which follows the killing spree of an caravanning couple in a provocative and realistic manner. The New Zealand International Film Festival is in Auckland from 19 July to 5 August, and Wellington from 27 July to 12 August, and in other centres throughout the country. Check the website for details: www.nzff.co.nz 57
REVIEWS
PROMETHEOUS Paul Berrington
FILM
2012
Directed by Ridley Scott Produced by Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, David Giler, and Walter Hill Staring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, and Guy Pearce.
Billed as an Alien-prequel Prometheus sees veteran director Ridley Scott remaking the sort of philosophical science fiction his previous entries into the genre, Blade Runner and Alien, epitomized so well. Visually impeccable in terms of design and scale, Prometheus clearly got the juices running for Scott, there is a real energy to the way the film proceeds on its quest after two scientists discover a link between cave-paintings from ancient civilizations and a far away galaxy. This leads to a privately funded search for the existence of an intelligent alien lifeform by the Weyland Corporation (a reference to Alien) joining the journey as the rag tag team are awoken by android David (Michael Fassbender), who has cared for them on the
two-year journey. Once on land it becomes clear they have found what they were looking for, but the aliens are dead, and all that remains is a complex structure of hidden tunnels and chambers. All is not what it seems, and when organic material is found, things start getting a little horrific. Adding to this, The Weyland backers aren’t in it for the same reasons as the scientists, and soon this ideological battle adds further complexities in dealing with what they have discovered, the key to our existence. Scott has managed to make a film full of stunning visuals and inspired set design, not afraid to obscure the camera inside a helmet or behind a locked door. These have often been Scott’s strongest capabilities, yet some of his weaknesses, such as clichéd
characters, and an emphasis on grandiose theories tend to scuttle the film. There is enough conceptual meandering going on here for a trilogy of films, and not all is resolved by a deliberate and slightly contrived ending. Idris Elba as Captain Janek is underused while Charlize Theron is sturdy as a Weyland enforcer with a secret. Noomi Rapace is well-suited to the Ripley-style role of Dr. Elizabeth Shaw. But the film belongs to Fassbender, whose plays the ‘soulless’ and cunning David to perfection. Without his performance or the quite brilliant CGI-world of Prometheous, Scott’s much hyped comeback would fall flat of its intentions, that said this is big-budget entertainment that you do have to think about, even if its slightly confusing.
SOLE - SELLING LIVE WATER Roy McGrath
ALBUM
2003
Label Anticon
Produced by Alias, Sole, Odd Nosdam, Jel, Telephone Jim Jesus
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Sole is a founder and former member of indie rap collective Anticon who has worked his way through the underground rap scene; establishing himself as a respected, if largely unknown, rapper. ‘Selling Live Water’ is his second record and was released on the Anticon label in 2003. Due to the socially conscious nature of his lyrical content, the jaded suburban white American perspective that he’s coming from, and the release date, this record reeks of post 9/11-Americanpatriotism backlash. It paints a grim picture of greed and social corruption which is just as relevant in the post-2008 Wall Street crash years as it was then. ‘Selling Live Water’ opens with the track ‘da baddest poet’ where Sole reflects on what he sees as the misery the white man has wreaked
on the planet. He takes his views on the state of office-dwelling, comput, white (or white-collar?) America, ignites them like a stick of dynamite, and continues to fuel the fire as they explode over some bold, and deliberately sluggish beats. The record only picks up in intensity from here. On tracks like ‘Tokyo’ Sole frantically pieces together a pessimistic collage of an outsiders’ view of America. He throws lines and themes together in such a jumbled and frantic nature that it could be easy for songs like this to fall apart. He keeps them together by linking his lines with rhymes and connotation; the lyrical equivalent of a cryptic crossword. Sole builds the record to an anti-epic conclusion with the title track. Here, he’s at his best, combining stinging wordplay with stunning
metaphors and tight-knitted, figurative riddles. To listen to Sole is to be blown away by a double-barrell shotgun of ideas. On ‘Selling Live Water’ each carefully thought-out and constructed line is spat down the microphone with desperate intensity and this is what makes it so captivating. The complexity of the lyricism is what keeps the listener coming back for more. If there’s one drawback about this record it’s that there’s no let up. While at no point does it feel needlessly rushed, it does feel like there’s no room to breathe; no chance to stop and take it all in. At the same time though, it’s the frenetic nature of the rhymes that make it work. This style adds immeasurably to the honesty (and ultimately the high quality) of this album.
PROTOTYPE 2 Hannah Douglass
GAME
2012
Platform Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360
When the opening cinematic started up, I was expecting a storyline as intense as I am Legend when Robert has to kill his beloved dog Sam. Roughly two minutes after the cinematic finished however, all memory of storyline was forgotten and any sense of empathy or compassion towards the “hero” James Heller evaporated into thin air. The storyline never really came back into it either; being one of the “Evolved” is simply too much fun to bother with something so trivial as a storyline. Who, in all honesty, doesn’t enjoy a completely open world with scores of NPC’s just milling around, waiting to be shredded by whatever mutation you happen to have just unlocked, with no sense of obligation always driving the story forward? You get the feeling pretty early
on that Heller is an angry, angry man. He hates everybody, which is what makes this game so much fun. There is never a point in this game when, if you decide to go on a rampage, you risk killing an ally, simply because they don’t exist outside of Heller’s cellphone. You can literally annihilate everything in your path with no consequences whatsoever. I must say, my favourite part of this game is the controls. They work exactly how they are meant to, and I didn’t once find myself dead because I was sure I had pressed a button and nothing had happened. It helps to speed up the flow of the game, allowing you to kill as senselessly as you please, no extra rage required. Boasting 14 hours of missions, Prototype 2 can get a tad repetitive. Find this guy, consume
him. Rinse and repeat. Pretty straightforward stuff, and it can get old quickly if you only do it the easiest way possible. But the fun lies more in getting creative with how you get there and how many people you tear apart on the way. Sure, the graphics aren’t really up to the standard of other 2012 releases, but it’s a game that appeals to the simple pleasures in life. Paint the streets with the gallons of blood that spills out from a single body. Kill anything that moves, kill some things that don’t, do it with mutations, hijacked military vehicles or any other object you can figure out how to use as a weapon and make things explode. It’s like Grand Theft Auto, but with tendrils, claws and bad language. What’s not to love?
Hot air roasting is the difference If there is one thing discerning coffee drinkers expect it is consistency of flavour. Roasting with expertise and precision each and every roast is fundamental to achieving exceptional flavour. Many years ago in our quest for roasting perfection Allpress introduced hot-air roasting technology, a method where beans roast evenly in a stream of hot air with no risk of scorching or tainting. Roasting this way consistently produces cleaner, sweeter tasting coffee. When you spend a great deal of time finding the best coffee you want to roast it with the best technology and care.
Brewing at Tussock and Museum Cafés
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COMIC
have to It seems we stle to ca a send out ... te ga ti inves nce... what a nuisa
Sir, our only ‘active’ castle just fled out the door...
Not counting staff Sergeant Elroy... ...or Brigader Walls...
WHAT? REALLY? Corporal FINNICY is our only castle?
Agreed. That Elroy is a useless clump of Earth with a moustache...
Ahem.
We do have six towers Sir. Three little guys... and three bug un
’s.
...BUT even though Finnicky is a stuck up piece of cement we can’t send him out.
HMM...
AHA, time to send them out you reckon? PROMOTION and that?
There may be castle material amongst them sir. If they survive out there...
go Lets look. a have
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CONTINUED next month...
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1. Process (film) 6. Unclothed 10. Prig 14. President ... Lincoln 18. Titles 19. Supermarket lane 20. Airwaves medium 21. Nevertheless 22. Butter-making vessel 23. Roof overhangs 24. Tiered 25. Wooden spike 26. Himalayan nation 27. House step 28. Macho guy (2-3) 30. Standard of perfection 32. Tripoli native 35. Tap seals 39. Hindu temple 42. Proposer 46. Besieges 48. Bite-sized party snack 49. Remove (brooch) 50. Actress, ... Lansbury 51. Closed (curtains) 53. Ice-free Norwegian port 55. Splash (through) 57. Allowed to borrow
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58. Droplets on grass 60. Sri Lanka’s old name 61. Similar 63. Recurrent pattern 64. Kidney treatment, ... dialysis 65. Person beyond help 66. Rogue 70. Floor beams 73. Ringlets 74. Dim 75. Tangles 76. Argument (3-2) 77. Smoke & fog 78. CD brand (1,1,1) 79. Book page 80. Hard to climb 81. Light-ray tool 83. Uproar 85. Long exam answer 86. Parthenon city 88. More straightforward 91. Stage player 93. Estimate 95. Banish from own country 97. Plant, ... vera 98. Ill-tempered 99. Phone text (1,1,1) 100. Familiar with (4,2)
101. Dozes, ... off 103. Pop star 107. Child’s jumping toy, ... stick 109. Cushioned 110. Filleted 111. Prodded 112. Render weaponless 114. Lariats 116. White water river area 118. Dog leads 121. Consumes (4,2) 123. Men In Black star, Will ... 127. Screened (movie) again 129. Baron or duke 131. Unpleasant 133. Baby’s skin problem, ... rash 136. Register at hotel (5,2) 137. Astir 138. Arrives at wharf 139. Intense emotion 140. Courage 141. Trapper’s lure 142. Defame 143. Claimed 144. Shorted across (of current) 145. Stabs with tusks 146. Notwithstanding
2. Wear away 3. Precious stone 4. Single entities 5. Not fully 6. Head support 7. Bonfire residue 8. Gain (respect) 9. Cafe patrons 10. Delight 11. True 12. Clothe 13. Orient 14. Unwell 15. Male pig 16. Meeting schedules 17. Amphitheatre centre 28. Israel language 29. Brother’s daughter 30. Imaginative plans 31. Portugal’s capital 33. Street fighter 34. Emphatic 36. Greenish blue 37. Dash 38. Rollerblading venue 40. Hollywood is there, Los ... 41. Four-sided shapes 43. Mummy & ... 44. Former soldier 45. King Arthur’s court 47. Conjure up (memories) 52. Remembered 54. Losing energy 56. Not-guilty verdict 58. Nimble-fingered 59. Zaniness 62. Angered 67. Confess 68. Army trumpet 69. Window material 70. Actress, ... Foster 71. Tiny landmasses 72. Exchange 82. Anyone 84. Dachshund, ... dog 86. Powerful light (3,4) 87. Stashed 89. Midwestern US state 90. Resumes (investigation) 92. Spirals 94. Removes errors from 96. Rope circles 97. Dwellings 102. Add spices to 104. Former chat show hostess, ... Winfrey 105. Skilled 106. Inch (along) 108. Smell 113. Newspaper piece 115. Speaks freely (5,2) 117. Pressed 119. Waned 120. Frankfurter in a bun (3,3) 122. Refilled, ... up 124. India’s Taj ... 125. Direct (to specialist) 126. Leg/foot joint 128. Cancel (mission) 129. Cat’s lives 130. Volcanic rock 131. Knob 132. String toy (2-2) 134. Unchanged (2,2) 135. Famous Ivy-League college
CONNECTING YOU TO A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY
ALUMNI RELATIONS
WELCOME TO SEMESTER TWO While you are studying at Massey we encourage you to get connected by joining one of our virtual networks:Online Community https://alumnionline.massey.ac.nz Facebook (keyword Massey Alumni) LinkedIn (group Massey Alumni & Friends)
GEAR UP FOR WINTER Looking for a memento, some cool Massey gear to wear, or just something to remember your time with us? We have a huge range of memorabilia, gifts and apparel to suit everyone.
WANTS YOU
HOODY GREY/NAVY OR NAVY GREY $65.00 MERINO SCRAVES $35.00 MERINO BEANIES $25.00
MINI UMBRELLA NAVY $26.00 THERMAL MUG ASSORTED COLOURS $7.50 LAPTOP SLEEVE $30.00
CONTACT ALUMNI RELATIONS call us on 06 350 5865 or alumni@massey.ac.nz SHOP ONLINE AT http://alumnishop.massey.ac.nz VISIT ONE OF OUR STORES Manawatu Shop opp Dining Hall Wellington Student Central Albany UniMart & Pharmacy @ Student Amenities www.massivemagazine.org.nz