Massive Magazine Volume 01 Issue 03 by Massive Magazine

APRIL 2012 - ISSUE 03

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CONTENTS ISSUE 3 April. Where is the time going? Already the first semester is half over and soon the realisation that the study break was mostly break and less study will start to dawn. We are three editions down with five more to go and going strong. This issue continues to look into the issues surrounding hydraulic fracturing that were brought up last edition, in our main feature and includes an open debate on the subject between Green MP Gareth Hughes and PEPANZ as well as a follow up article to update everyone with what has happened in Parliament and Taranaki recently. Last month’s story on fracking has received almost 900 likes on Facebook to date, with people commenting on it from overseas which, I believe, shows the value of student publications and the reach we can have when we use our medium for more than just opinion pieces. The rest of this edition is a bit of a mixed bag. There is pole dancing, homelessness, media manipulation, comedy acts and even a piece on youth suicide and music. I hope you are enjoying the new format of MASSIVE. We will continue to grow and hone our style to bring you more of what you want to read about. I would like to add a big thank-you to all MASSIVE contributors who help make the publication what it is each month. Remember we always have space on the team so flick me an email if you are interested in joining up.

Matt Shand, MASSIVE editor

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REGULARS 02. NEWS 05. LETTERS 06. DEBATE 35. MASSIVE CROSSWORD 36. COLUMNS 38. REVIEWS 40. COMIC

FEATURES 07. COURSE RELATED COSTS THE BIG SPEND 12. WITHOUT A SAFETY BLANKET 14. IT’S NOT THE GAS - IT’S THE PEOPLE 16. EXPLODING THE MYTHS OF POLE DANCING 18. THE HUNT FOR KONY SETTING THE AGENDA ONLINE 21. THE CLASS OF 95 28. GIN AND AUGUST 30. THE MAGIC ON STAGE REVEALED 32. COCO SOLID AS PARALLEL DANCE ENSOMBLE 34. FROM BATHTUB TO BEER BARONS

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

Thjis De Koning, Yvette Morrissey, Benjii Jackson, Matt Shand, Jess Roden, Elizabeth Beattie, Elisha Stephens, James Greenland, Emilie Marschner, Olivia Marsden, Trish Plunkett, Paul Berrington, Miriam Richdale, Daniel Hargreaves, Sam Bonney, Tim Cederwall, Allan Werner, Claydan Kirvan, Krysten McLeod, David Suk, Noel Hutchinson, Jessica Frank, Jonathan MacDonald, Amelia Jenkinson, Nicole Canning

PUBLISHER

Wellington Edition ISSN 2253-3133 (Print) ISSN 2253-3141 (Online)

Manawatu Edition ISSN 2253-315X (Print) ISSN 2253-3168 (Online)

Albany Edition 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 WHOOPS WE MADE SOME MASSIVE MISTAKES In the March issue of MASSIVE magazine there were a few errors that we would like to apologise for and correct. In the article headed Fracking: The Deeper You Dig The Darker it Gets, the author’s name was inadvertently dropped from the standfirst. That extensive article was written by freelance journalist Jamie Christian Desplaces. MASSIVE would like to apologise for this oversight.

COMMUNICATION LACKING OVER STUDY MATERIALS Yvette Morrissey

any students may have noticed changes to the way course notes are distributed. Online materials are now becoming the default option, the transition causing teething problems among students. The cost of computer ink cartridges has some spending hundreds of dollars on printing their materials, with many unaware they can ask for hard copies of these study materials for free. Massey University notes that in Semester 1, 2010, only two students asked for hard copies of their online Administration Guides. Some students believe this low number indicates a lack of communication from Massey, because there are many complaints coming in about this, particularly on the website Review It. Though the process of digitalisation has its advantages – reduced carbon-copy print being one – the main purpose for the change is to save the university money. Massey also notes that internal students will be able to receive their materials even sooner via Stream than if they were to wait to pick up material from the print shop. 02

With the advantages of digitalisation, many students are still finding this new process conflicting. Marinka Kingma is one who finds reading notes off Stream challenging. “I think it sucks because I am a very visual learner. I like having what I am studying in front of me and being able to sort out my study notes visually. It’s hard when the notes are on Stream because I can’t highlight anything – all I can do is flick through it.” To solve the problem of notetaking, Massey initially employed Annotate, a program that allows written notes to be recorded on a range of digitalised study materials, including PDFs and PowerPoint presentations. However, Massey withdrew this tool when not enough students were using it. Perhaps if there was better communication around the changes to notes, this tool would have been used more. Massey’s goal in its Road to 2020 Strategy of exploring the potential of new digital media contains two Digital Learning Resource (DLR) initiatives: Online Administration Guides, and Online Study Guide and Course Readings. This makes Massey the only university in New Zealand to

publish information for papers online. This change was inevitable, and has caused many extramural students to complain. Extramural Massey Students Society (EXMSS) President Ralph Springett has written many blogs on the subject, and maintains the position of “supportive watchdog”. “Massey is going in the right direction with digitalisation, but needs to supply solutions alongside the problems digitalisation creates,” he says. Massey has agreed to provide students with hard copies if they require them, but many are unaware of this. So the issue here, really, is communication. Although Massey says there has been regular consultation with student representatives, the complaints from students outweigh the compliments. It is now up to Massey to listen to students and to make them more aware of the ongoing changes and the options they have. If students have any issues getting hard-copy versions of materials, they should contact the Massey Contact Centre. Failing that, EXMSS also has discovered a direct line into Massey that can quickly resolve any printed material issues: student-informationresources@massey.ac.nz

In the article headed To Sell or Not to Sell, the accompanying graph was incorrectly labelled. It should have read “83.4% No” and “17.3% Yes”. There were also some typos elsewhere for which we apologise. We will strive to prevent this from occurring in the future. letters@massivemagazine.org.nz

COVER ARTIST –YELZ

The cover of this month’s MASSIVE is based around a comic called ‘Castles’ by Wellington Illustrator Yelz. The initial character concepts were developed through a multitude of stickers stuck around the city by the artist. Eventually, through some intensive doodling, a story developed about a little tower and his attendee who travel around in Yelz’s sporadic imaginative worlds. If you would like to follow Yelz’s work, or have some work for the artists, you can go to http://Ilikeyelz.co.nz and email at yelzie@gmail.com. ps.Yelz is exhibiting with a number of other NZ and international artist, at a show in OZ curated by dr.Foothead. visit http://footheadfly.blogspot.com.

ARAB SPRING: LIFTING THE VEIL Benjii Jackson

n late 2010, a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurred throughout the Arab world – from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya to Yemen. Civil uprisings forced the rulers of these four countries out of power, while protests took place in Bahrain, Syria, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Lebanon, Sudan... the list goes on. The Western world saw the power of protest as the Arab Spring took place. The Documentary Edge Festival 2012 pays tribute to these earth-moving moments in recent history and the emerging voices of the Arab world. On January 25 last year, Egyptians woke up not expecting that a public holiday would turn into a revolution overthrowing Egypt’s

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political regime. Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad and the Politician chronicles the lives of the protesters, the police forces and profiles Hosni Mubarak by several political figures. Mixing interviews with footage from the demonstrations, Tahrir 2011 playfully debunks the misconceptions and stereotypes that have risen from this important day in Egypt’s history. Tahrir 2011 is an unprecedented, valuable and unexpected insight into the Arab World. Director Amal Ramsis’ starting point for her documentary is a simple sentence with heavy hitting implications: what isn’t forbidden in Egypt? One of the most insightful documentaries since the January 25 revolution, Forbidden reveals through discussions with Ramsis’ friends how difficult and even absurd life is for ordinary citizens under Mubar-

ak’s regime. Rules govern filming on the street, where to walk, who to mix with, where you can go and what you can buy – and if you are a woman, this is even more burdensome. When Nefise Özkal Lorentzen was little, she used to send letters to Allah by balloon. Now she wants to send A Balloon for Allah to change the role of women in the Muslim culture. A Balloon for Allah shifts between documenting her journey to rediscover the Islam of her mother’s mother to charting the dreams Nefise holds. In The Last Days of Winter, director Mehrdad Oskouei follows the lives of seven teenage boys; inmates in a children’s correctional unit. Set in the last few days of winter ahead of the Iranian New Year, Oskouei gains their trust and confidence. As the boys share their thoughts to the camera – including what brought them to the facility, their hopes and fears - viewers see they are no different from other children. Original and creative, disturbing and heart-wrenching, Malaki

– Scent of an Angel sheds light on the trauma of six different families affected by Lebanon’s long and bloody civil war. None of the families know the fate of their abducted family member or whether he or she is dead or alive. Teta, Alf Marra (Grandmother, A Thousand Times) is a cinematic love letter to Teta Fatima, a feisty Beiruti grandmother. Forced to cope with the silence of her once buzzing household, she imagines what awaits her beyond this life. Director Mahmoud Kaabour’s documentary commemorates his grandmother’s many worlds before they are erased by the passage of time and death. Screening with Arabic Fusion: The Sound Between the Notes, a musical exploration of contemporary Arabic music.

The Documentary Edge Festival runs from the April 26 - May 13 in Auckland and May 17 - June 3 in Wellington

NEWS COMPETITION WINNER

This month we received heaps of entries for the ‘Zombifying Experience’ competition. After comparing all the answers we selected our favourite from Auckland based student Jon Anders which was a little out of the box. “In my opinion, the best place to go when the zombie apocalypse eventually comes around would be the nearest Ford dealership and hot-wire a Mustang gt500. This is for two reasons: 1. I’ve always wanted to drive a Mustang, so what better time to fulfill a dream, and should I turn into a zombie, I would “un-die” happy. 2. Because how awesome would it be to run over a horde of zombies in a car, more over, in a car as awesome as the Mustang. Also, should the unfortunate happen and I do get turned into a zombie myself, I would be epic because I would be a zombie driving a Mustang.” Jon has won himself, and three friends the chance to be chased by hordes of zombies at Spookers, Run for your freakn life event. Good luck Jon.

WIN 2012 NZ INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL PASSES

The good chaps at the 2012 NZ International Comedy Festival have generously given us passes for some of their hilarious events coming up over the next few weeks. First we have two double passes to Andrew O’Neil’s Auckland show and one double pass to his Wellington show. Andrew O’Neil is a transvestite, heterosexual, cross-dressing, steam punk, metal head, vegan, and occult comedian. He is also a bit ‘alternative’! We also have four passes to give away (2 for Wellington and 2 for Auckland (sorry Palmy) to the stage show Bombs Away taking place: May 1 Wellington - 6.30pm at Bats Theatre May 15 Auckland - 7.15pm at Loft@Q To enter simply send your best knock-knock joke, or a reason why the chicken crossed the road to: competitions@massivemagazine.org.nz 04

GET YOUR LAUGH ON! Matt Shand

993 wasn’t a very good year for entertainment. Honestly – Weekend at Bernie’s II? Sister Act 2? Look Who’s Talking Too? Yes, we had Sam Neil in both Jurassic Park and The Piano, but then there was Hulk Hogan in Mr. Nanny. Thankfully, the NZ International Comedy Festival came to the rescue, holding it’s inaugural event at the Watershed Theatre in Auckland. Twenty Festivals on and its going from strength to strength. Hogan’s acting career? Not so much. This year’s Festival is a mixture of some old friends returning to our shores, local favourites, and some exciting new comedians making their Festival debut. There’ll be comedy talent you may have spotted on Graham Norton, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Live At the Apollo, Mock The Week and Never Mind The Buzzcocks and, of course, 7 Days, Would I Lie To You? and A Night At The Classic. The returning Festival favourites include; Rhys Darby (NZ), David O’Doherty (IRE), The Boy With Tape On His Face (NZ), Stephen K Amos (UK), and Urzila Carlson (SA/NZ), Janey Godley (SCOT), Marcel Lucont (FR), Brendhan Lovegrove (NZ) and many, many, many more!

It all kicks off with hearty belly laughs at the Comedy Gala (Auckland) and First Laughs (Wellington), which we’re stoked to announce will hosted by the multi-talented Greg Behrendt (USA), stand-up comedy extradonaire and the co-author of three-million-copy bestseller He’s Just Not That Into You. It may be our twentieth festival, but it’s Greg’s very first appearance in New Zealand. Tere are some epic events happening this year with the return of Le Comique, Best of the Billys, Late Laughs, Stand-Up For Kids, SKYCITY Gastrocomique with 7 Days, and the next generation comedians in the Class Comedians Showcase. To finish up, Last Laughs hosted by Te Radar will showcase the best in show with the finalists of the Billy T Award and the Fred Award competing to win the coveted titles! To top things off the Comedy Convoy embarks on it’s two week road trip, making twelve pit stops along the length and breadth of our great nation, hosted by the country’s Best Presenter, Jeremy Corbett (7 Days) and with performances by Urzila Carlson (NZ/SA), Gordon Southern (UK), Simon McKinney (NZ) and Marcel Lucont (FR). In the unforgettable lyrics of 1993 Tag Team hit – Whoomp There It Is!

NZ COMEDY FESTIVAL LINEUP JANEY GODLEY IN ‘THE GODLEY HOUR’ AUCKLAND: Mon 14 May – Sat 19 May, 8:30pm WELLINGTON: Mon 30 April to Sat 5 May, 7pm GORDON SOUTHERN ‘A BRIEF HISTORY OF HISTORY’ WELLINGTON Tue 1 May to Sat 5 May, 7pm Auckland May 7-12 May, 8.30pm ANDREW O’NEIL ‘ALTERNATIVE” AUCKLAND Mon 7 to Sat 12 May, 8:30pm WELLINGTON Tue 1 May to Sat 5 May, 8:30pm TERRY ALDERTON AUCKLAND Mon 7 May – Sat 12 May, 7pm WELLINGTON Tue 1 May to Sat 5 May, 8:30pm CHRIS COX ‘FATAL DISTRACTION’ AUCKLAND Sat 28 April – Sat 5 May, 7pm WELLINGTON Dates: Tue 8 May to Sat 12 May THE BOY WITH TAPE ON HIS FACE ‘MORE TAPE!’ AUCKLAND Mon 14 to Sat 19 May, 7pm WELLINGTON Sat 12 May / 7pm CRAIG CAMPBELL AUCKLAND Sat 28 April – Sat 12 May, 8:30pm WELLINGTON Mon 14 May to Sat 19 May

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.

RE FRACKING

I’d like to congratulate Massive Magazine for what is probably the best piece of reporting on the subject of fracking in NZ I’ve seen. Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ is a controversial drilling technique that many developed countries have placed moratoriums on or banned outright. The article revealed a history of well blowouts in New Zealand that should be part of investigations into concerns into operations in Taranaki. There are a number of considerable serious concerns around water contamination, air pollution, links to earthquakes and health impacts of the chemicals used to ‘frack’ wells. Until more is known and it can be proved safe it would be responsible to place a moratorium in New Zealand. Gareth Hughes MP

RE FRACKING

I just wanted to say that the piece on fracking in Taranaki was the most well researched and brilliantly investigated article in Massive/Magneto that I have read since coming to Massey in 2010. Jamie has truly delivered, and I would expect such an article in the Listener! Considering I spent 18 years of my life in Taranaki before coming

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to Wellington to study, and my entire extended family live there and have lived there for 8 generations, I find myself now completely involved in the fracking issue. My grandmother has been diagnosed and treated for cancer twice, and thankfully she has the all clear for the moment. Her sisters weren’t so lucky. If there was any chance that such illnesses could have been prevented... I don’t know what I would do. I know the first conclusion is to jump to ‘people are getting cancer’ but things just seem a little too... Coincidental. Not to mention the effects on the environment. The people who SHOULD know all the answers DON’T seem to know all the answers. Even after presenting these ‘facts’ in a report they can’t seem to remember. Something is wrong here. And I don’t want some shoddy excuses and half truths while people could be suffering for such a shitty thing as fracking. Thanks Jamie for an extensive article, and good luck to Sarah - I wish her all the best in trying to find the truth, I will rally right alongside her. Hayley

ABORTION

ALRANZ promotes a culture of death by seeking to have the law changed to make it no longer a crime to kill an unborn child. It is not widely known that the killing of an unborn child is a serious crime.The Crimes Act 1961, under Part viii, Crimes against the Person, section 183, Procuring an abortion by any means, states that everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years who with intent to procure a miscarriage of any woman uses an instrument or administers any drug to cause a miscarriage. Unborn children may be killed in special and rare circumstances provided for in section 187A. It is always wrong to kill the innocent and we all have a responsibility to defend life. The killing of children in the womb is a human rights issue not a health issue.The state has a responsibility to the common good to provide effective legal protection for unborn

children who are the weakest and most defenceless members of the human family. It is disappointing that ALRANZ purports to promote woman’s rights, seeks to denigrate and deny the humanity of unborn children, in doing so they denigrate the dignity of women. It was ALRANZ that expressed pleasure when the Court of Appeal last year stated in its judgement that the unborn child did not have a right to life. .This reaction was offensive to women and undermined the dignity of women and motherhood. The true feminist position is one that upholds the dignity of women and respect and protection for her unborn children. Women have an absolute right not to get pregnant. Children have a right to be conceived and born into a loving marriage. Marriage is for the protection of women and their children. There would be no call for abortion if acts of pro -creation were confined to marriage. It is a great tragedy that with the false message being promoted by Family Planning that women should be sexually active before marriage that is the cause of much suffering for women. The exercise of abstinence before marriage is the only effective way to protect women from unlanned pregnancies, STIs and abortions No name supplied

ABORTION AS HOLOCAUST

In reply to ‘Abortion as Holocaust’ (published in March issue) Thankyou Natalie Thorburn and Daniel McGrath for your letter helping to raise awareness of the issue of abortion in NZ, and especially as depicted in the DVD ‘180’. Well worth the watch this DVD can be requested free of

charge, or watched online. The connection made between the Holocaust in Nazi Germany and abortion practices here in NZ is a sobering one. It is commonly known how horrified and sickened ‘good’ German citizens were when they realized the extent of the methodical extermination of human life in their own back yards. Although out of sight and out of mind, there was always the smoke and that same smoke continues to belch from chimneys at numerous medical facilities in this country. You wrote “grotesque images of dead bodies & living foetuses...is contrary to the rights of students to feel safe on their campus”. Abortion, the tearing of babies’ limbs is grotesque and where are their rights to feel safe in the womb? Marie Cleland, Massey, Palmerston North

FINGERS IN RINGS

A good friend of mine and I were out fishing the other day on his boat. Making the most of the summer sun and enjoying the idyllic river, we lazed about with our fishing rods as the hours passed. When I finally had a bite, I grappled with the fishy beast for a few minutes before it’s brutish strength pulled me into the water and dragged me along the riverbed. The rod slipped from my grasp and as I saw the fish disappear into the murky depths, I spotted a shiny glint amongst the disturbed rockbed. Rescuing the curious treasure, I pulled myself onto the shore where my friend was waiting for me anxiously. It was a ring. Then I killed him and disappeared into the Misty Mountains. The Precious

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.

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

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.

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.

Jess Roden looks at the use of course-related costs and asks how smart is to give $1000 to every student, regardless of need and circumstance.

COURSE-RELATED COSTS: THE BIG SPEND-UP

wo-minute noodles, goon sacks, country road bags, coffee addictions, toga parties, couches set alight … these are all things associated with university students. We typically live from one StudyLink payment to another, which fortunately arrive just before the weekend. And each fortnight when rent comes out we’re left wondering if giving a kidney would be less painful. Though student loans are taken for granted most of the time, it cannot be denied that they are the backbone of tertiary education. They finance not only our studies but our lifestyle. In a broad context, the student loan scheme gives students from

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every background the opportunity to study at a tertiary level. But on closer inspection, the course-related costs aspect leaves a lot to be desired. For the past 20 years, loans for course-related costs have given full-time students access to $1000 at the start of the year which is meant to go towards textbooks, resources, travel, etc. But this one-size-fits-all approach is limiting students and wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars. While the cost of living has risen significantly over the past 20 years, loans for course-related costs have remained the same. Some students find that $1000 is not

nearly enough, and the quality of their projects is suffering because they can’t afford to buy the best resources. At the same time, other students look forward to the week-long bender that their course-related loans will finance.

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hird-year design student Rhianna Field says $1000 doesn’t come close to covering all the resources she needs to complete her projects. A computer and software are necessities but are in no way covered by course-related costs. She needs to use good quality products for presenting her work GRAPHIC BY CAMERON CORNELIUS

FEATURE because “you actually get marked better if you present it better, which means you need better paper and you have to use the good stuff. You can’t just do cheap shit ’cause you’ll get a bad mark … it actually affects your mark.” Third-year fashion and business student Ann Li agrees. Her courses are different to others in that they don’t require textbooks at the start of the semester, although materials needed throughout are the things that add up. Her course-related costs are material, thread, embellishing, paper, printing, etc. She says she’s unsure if she needs access to more than the $1000, because she knows she will have to pay it back, but “I would like the option”. Meredith Barley graduated with a fashion and business degree from Massey Wellington last year. In her fourth and final year she had to save all her money for her final project. She says she “waited until just before the end of year to get my course-related costs which covered paying my photographer and seamstress and printing of my final collection and a couple of other things here and there, but basically I was self-funded for the whole of the year. “Basically, it’s a mission, and if you asked anyone in my year they would tell you the same”. In her year, one student spent almost $10,000 on her couture collection, which was funded by her parents. One fourth-year fine arts student, who prefers not to be named, says she thought the cost of materials was different for everyone, but they hit design students the hardest. “There definitely is [pressure to buy the best materials] and definitely in certain classes. So, when I did print-making, for example, you were expected to buy a lot of special paper which was more and more expensive the better you get. But not for everyone, and not in all classes.” She agrees with other design students that “if you use really cheap materials or skimp out then they can tell and it makes them question what you’ve done and why you’ve done that”. She says there are probably people who use their course-related costs irresponsibly, but in her course she thought that most, if not all, “do legitimately use it for their materials”.

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ut flip the coin over, and there’s Emma, a third-year communications student at Wellington, who admits squandering her $1000. Despite being a conscientious student, Emma says the whole lot in second year went towards an iPod touch and part of her bond. When asked about this year, she 08

shrugs: “I have absolutely nothing to show for it”. She describes buying a new pair of shoes which she justified at the time by saying “I’ll walk to uni in them”. Emma knows she will have to pay the loan back, but like many she’s not thinking about that now. She’s not worried in the slightest about StudyLink following her up, though admits course-related costs are “too easy” to get. Third-year communications student Abbie concurs. She had no trouble justifying spending $300 of her $1000 on flights to Brisbane. Previously she has generally used the course-related loan for textbooks because she had to. As for paying it back? It isn’t something she thinks about. Take a look on Facebook and you’ll see that Emma and Abbie are just two exam-

ples of how some use their loans for courserelated costs to finance their lifestyle as opposed to their studies. Status updates show the casual attitude that some students have towards the loans: “bring on the 8th of Feb when StudyLink gives me $1000. Am in desperate need”. “Wow, I 4got what it felt like to put more than $5 petrol in my car … kinda nice. Thank you course-related costs ;)”. Could this be because they know they won’t have to justify themselves to the notso-terrifying wrath of StudyLink?

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tudyLink advises students applying for course-related costs to keep receipts because they may be asked to prove how

WHAT THEY SAY STEVE MAHAREY

Massey University Vice-Chancellor “Most students are in the situation where the costs related to their courses are relatively high, so the entire amount of money would go on their course-related costs, as appropriate.” He says that though some costs over the past 20 years increased, others decreased, while student bookstores now carry fewer books because students will find information online, although they do have to pay for that new technology.” “But overall, I think students today would say that they face more costs associated with their study than they would have 20 or 30 years ago.” …students would “welcome an opportunity to have the Government look at that level, given the kinds of costs that now occur … whether the Government would respond is up to the government.”

PETE HODKINSON NZUSA President

“There needs to be a more sustainable way of moving forward to deal with the courses where there isn’t enough money than just throwing a larger courserelated cost allowance at everyone.” “By and large, all tertiary students are absolutely responsible with course-related costs

they spent the money. Despite this, and after a great deal of asking around, MASSIVE could find no one who has ever had to justify their spending. Is that an empty threat I hear, StudyLink? We contacted them and asked how many students in 2010 and 2011 they audited regarding course-related costs. Their media consultant said they did not keep those kind of records, though the response implied that they did, indeed, audit some students. Massey University Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey believes students are fairly responsible with how they use their courserelated funds. “Most students are in the situation where the costs related to their courses are relatively high, so the entire amount of money www.massivemagazine.org.nz

– they kind of have to be with how costly the process of studying can be. I do think, though, that sometimes books and course materials seem to be irresponsibly highly priced.” “I know plumbing students, construction students, design students, and carpentry students, among others, who on top of book prices have to spend huge amounts on compulsorily purchasing their own tools and other gear in order to be able to succeed, or rather participate at all … which will often go well above $1000. The real challenge is matching need with resource.”

STEVEN JOYCE

Tertiary Education Minister

HOLLY WALKER

Green Party’s spokesperson for Youth and Students “Clearly, the cost of things, especially computer equipment, which is something that probably plenty of people like to use their course-related costs for, has increased exponentially. As well, the general cost of living and inflation has risen hugely in that time. So I think it should be linked to the consumer price index over time.” “I think design would be one. I imagine that medicine and other high-level courses would be others. Whereas if you’re studying English literature your costs primarily will be books, which is important but it isn’t going to add up to the same amount. “There should be a case where, if you can demonstrate requirement from your course to purchase particular items, you should be able to claim them as course-related costs.”

would go on their course-related costs, as appropriate.” He says that though some costs over the past 20 years increased, others decreased, while student bookstores now carry fewer books because students will find information online, although they do have to pay for that new technology. “But overall, I think students today would say that they face more costs associated with their study than they would have 20 or 30 years ago.” What about the level of course-related loans having not increased in 20 years? Maharey says he believes students would “welcome an opportunity to have the government look at that level, given the kinds of costs that now occur … whether the government would respond is up to the govern-

“Tertiary education is critically important for New Zealand and for your economy going forward. It’s a huge public good, actually, because it enables people to up-skill and often re-train if they are second-chance learners, and it increases their capacity to contribute to the economy”.

“Some students will find it less than what they need, some will find it more than what they need. We don’t necessarily take the view that students should be borrowing for every aspect of their time at uni anyway, because saving up and making a bit of a contribution is a good idea as well.” “I think, again, it’s about encouraging people to be responsible. Even though we don’t have interest on student loans now it can take people quite a while to pay them off.” “Student support costs are very, very high compared to places around the world, so it’s not on the agenda at this point.” “We are always looking for ways to improve the student loans system. We have accepted the interest-free part of it. It is an expensive part of our system and the reality is there isn’t any more money to spend on tertiary education. There’s a risk that if we don’t tighten up on the student loan scheme there will be less money to put into tuition fees.”

ment.” The President of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations, Pete Hodkinson, says he’s not sure if the answer to the issue is necessarily increasing loans for everyone. “There needs to be a more sustainable way of moving forward to deal with the courses where there isn’t enough money than just throwing a larger course-related cost allowance at everyone.” Hodkinson says that from what he sees “by and large, all tertiary students are absolutely responsible with course-related costs – they kind of have to be with how costly the process of studying can be. I do think, though, that sometimes books and course materials seem to be irresponsibly highly priced.” He says the issue is the fact that some

FEATURE

TOTAL AND AVERAGE AMOUNTS BORROWED 1992-2010

Total amount borrowed $ (millions) Average amount borrowed ($)

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

160

272

342

398

444

577

654

566

782

915

940

995

983

989

1,107

1,180

1,241

1,389

1,551

3,628

3,979

4,309

4,432

4,649

5,494

5,714

4,917

6,105

6,179

6,248

6,365

6,258

6,408

6,610

6,792

6,953

6,991

7,298

students don’t need the full $1000, while some need more. “I know plumbing students, construction students, design students, and carpentry students, among others, who on top of book

Perhaps as a result, according to the Ministry of Education, the amount of money that has been loaned to students for courserelated costs has increased considerably over the past three years. From $100.4 mil-

‘Despite being a conscientious student, Emma says the whole lot in second year went towards an iPod touch and part of her bond. When asked about this year, she shrugs: “I have absolutely nothing to show for it’

prices have to spend huge amounts on compulsorily purchasing their own tools and other gear in order to be able to succeed, or rather participate at all … which will often go well above $1000. The real challenge is matching need with resource.”

+++

o we took it to Parliament. The Green Party’s spokesperson for Youth and Students, Holly Walker, says it’s “ridiculous” that course-related allowances are the same as they were 20 years ago. “Clearly, the cost of things, especially computer equipment, which is something that probably plenty of people like to use their course-related costs for, has increased exponentially. As well, the general cost of living and inflation has risen hugely in that time. So I think it should be linked to the consumer price index over time.” Students who go to the grocery store with their parents over the holidays know that the cost of living today is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Heck, the cost of cheese probably is not the same as it was 20 minutes ago. According to the online New Zealand inflation calculator, a basket of goods and services that cost $1 in 1992 – which is when the course-related costs scheme was introduced – would now cost the equivalent of $1.56. In almost 20 years that is an increase 56%. That includes the cost of books, pens, paper, material, paints, thread, printing and computers. 10

than others. “I think design would be one. I imagine that medicine and other high-level courses would be others. Whereas if you’re studying English literature your costs primarily will be books, which is important but it isn’t going to add up to the same amount. “There should be a case where, if you can demonstrate requirement from your course to purchase particular items, you should be able to claim them as course-related costs.” In regard to concerns that students spend their loans irresponsibly, she says she is “fairly certain” most would not fit this category. For those who do “ultimately I guess, being ruthless about it, students who are borrowing and not spending the money for what it’s intended … they’re the ones who are going to have to pay it back, so it’s kind of self-defeating in many ways.” She says that in a broad context “tertiary education is critically important for New Zealand and for your economy going forward. It’s a huge public good, actually, because it enables people to up-skill and often re-train if they are second-chance learners, and it increases their capacity to contribute to the economy”. She would like to see as few deterrents as possible for people to take up tertiary education. Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says course-related loans should make a contribution only to the costs of university. He acknowledges that “some students will find it less than what they need, some will find it more than what they need. We

‘Rhianna Field says $1000 doesn’t come close to covering resources she needs. A computer and software are necessities but are in no way covered. She needs to use good quality products for presenting her work because “you actually get marked better if you present it better …’ lion in 2008 to $143.3 million in 2010 the figures show what appears to be students increased dependency on course-related money. Ms Walker acknowledges that some courses have greater costs attached to them

don’t necessarily take the view that students should be borrowing for every aspect of their time at uni anyway, because saving up and making a bit of a contribution is a good idea as well.” Joyce says that how responsible students

COURSE RELATED COSTS BORROWING: TOTALS AND AVERAGES BY GENDER Number of borrowers who borrowed courserelated costs)

Average course- related costs borrowed $

Total course-related costs borrowed $ (millions)

2000 2001

changes to the course-related costs aspect of the student loan, Joyce says he knows of none. “We are always looking for ways to improve the student loans system. We have accepted the interest-free part of it. It is an expensive part of our system and the reality is there isn’t any more money to spend on tertiary education. There’s a risk that if we don’t tighten up on the student loan scheme there will be less money to put into tuition fees.”

+++ 2002

2003 2004

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

are with course-related loans is generally a mixed bag. “I think, again, it’s about encouraging people to be responsible. Even though we don’t have interest on student loans now it can take people quite a while to pay them off.” He says the reason the level of the courserelated loan hasn’t risen since 1992, despite the rise in the cost of living, is because they are supposed to be only a contribution to the costs of courses, not the whole solution. From the Governments point of view “it’s www.massivemagazine.org.nz

not something that we would want to expend, because the Government and taxpayers are writing off something like 40 cents in every dollar that’s borrowed, so it’s not on the agenda at this point to increase it. “Student support costs are very, very high compared to places around the world, so it’s not on the agenda at this point.” He says he’s working on getting more clarity from universities in regards to the cost commitments for students to the prospective incomes at the end of their degree. With regards to any future possible

o, is it a case of some students relying less on the student loan and more on their own income? And does that mean it’s okay for others to waste away their courserelated loans on new shoes or crate day? Everyone interviewed for this story agrees that the student loan scheme enables students to have greater access to tertiary education. It cannot be taken for granted that New Zealand students have significantly more help from the government than in some other countries but, like anything, there is always room for improvement. The responsibility to fund their education essentially sits on the shoulders of students. The students we interviewed know this, with many choosing to take on part-time jobs to make ends meet. But the student loan, and especially the course-related aspect, could be improved to suit the diverse studying needs of students. This journalism student would argue that the current one-size-fits-all approach is doing no-one any favours. I heard a story the other day about a third-year student who flew to Brisbane early one morning, partied all day, and then comered-out on the flight home that night … all thanks to course-related costs. I also have friends who desperately need the latest computer programme for their design course, but their savings and course-related money are long gone. Every single cent students are paid is a taxpayer cent. In the current economic climate, the Government should be looking at not only doing things cheaper, but smarter. I may be only one student, but throwing $1000 at every student, regardless of need and circumstance … that to me is just not smart. What do you think about course related costs? Should they be increased to a higher level or should they stay the same? Massive Magazine will be conducting a follow up article in the future and comments will form part of that article. Send letters to: letters@massivemagazine.org.nz

FEATURE

Public concern about homelessness spiked with the death of Wellington’s Ben Hana (aka Blanket Man). Unhappy with the press coverage and public reaction to the issue, Elizabeth Beattie investigated further, and considered what life is like for NZ’s poorest citizens.

WITHOUT A SAFETY BLANKET

alking around some places in Wellington you are confronted with the sight of homelessness. That was a striking thing I noticed when I moved here. I wrote to friends about it and talked to family about my concerns. It was an issue that I, like most people, put to the back of my mind. But with the media interest in this issue, I wanted to investigate this problem 12

personally and consider those who have experienced homelessness. The Night Shelter is just down the street from my flat. It’s run by Mike Leon and offers emergency service by focusing on giving everyone who needs it a place to sleep for the night and a shower in the morning. Mike has worked there for about 17 years and paints a rather grim tale: “When I first started, I’d be getting a call every few

months from the police to go down to the mortuary and ID a dead body of someone who passed away. That’s become a lot less frequent now, there’s more services around.” Conversation with Mike is truly heartbreaking. He has seen a lot of things that would cause many people to give up, but he’s determined to break our misconceptions surrounding the homeless. “When

you put on that label, that ‘they’re homeless’, you start to dehumanise the person. When you start labelling people, you start to detract from their humanity.” He says public perception has a strong image of homelessness fitting into a category or class of

drugs as romantic, but in reality, Kerouac spent most of his life running from a dysfunctional upbringing and living a lifestyle which hurt those around him and ultimately cost him his life. Mike does not see Ben Hana’s lifestyle as

‘I remember walking past Hana. He would be sitting on the pavement, people walking around him, ignoring him’

friend who is couch surfing at the moment. Can you hang out with them, give them a meal? What can individuals do to help the Night Shelter? Just become better people.” Just before I leave, Mike challenges me: “If you found yourself homeless, as a woman, what would you do? There’s no women’s shelter.” This thought is so horrifying that I think I get stuck on the word “yeah” for about a minute. And I want to assure Mike – if he reads this – that I have been thinking about that …

+++ person, yet when he show me a list of stats it’s clear there is no stereotypical homeless person. “There are students here who are homeless and you wouldn’t necessarily recognise them,”

+++

ooking at those stats you can almost imagine the story of the person they represent. Many people I know have had accommodation issues or been on benefits of one kind or another, and it makes me realise how little difference there is between these statistics and the people I care about. Income source: sickness benefit Previous housing: living rough Why did you leave accommodation: harassment Income source: Employment Previous housing: Boarding house Why did you leave: ns However, the difference with the people I know is that they haven’t had to turn to sleeping rough in order to cope with such things. They have been supported through bad accommodation situations by family members or friends. Someone who has ended up homeless is someone who doesn’t have that extra support network, and this is where our system fails in the harshest way. One of the fallacies surrounding homelessness is that it’s a choice, and that homeless people are fighting against the confines of an oppressive capitalist society and are living in a way that is rebellious and free. In fact, these are disenfranchised people who have been rejected from an uncaring society which has scant regard for people affected by ill circumstance.

‘rebellious’, as some have described it. “His death was effectively a form of suicide over a number of years on the streets. He wasn’t looking after himself. He wasn’t accessing help that was available to him for a number of different reasons, and to some extent he bought into that whole legend about him being the Blanket Man as well. That became his identity, in a sense.” I remember walking past Hana. He would be sitting on the pavement, people walking around him, ignoring him, the occasional school child giggling or shouting something provoking. He was unnoticed as a person and regarded for the most part as an oddity, a spectacle, no longer thought of as a human being. In saying that, I’m as guilty as anyone – because I walked past him too. I think that’s why I wanted to ask Mike about what we can do, on a personal level, to make a difference. He chuckles that “cash donations are always nice”, but his real answer to those who wish to make a difference is to change our treatment of other people. He urges people to “just start thinking about their own place in life and how they impact on other people. There’s the broader issue of poverty – can your fellow students use your help in some way? You might have a

admit that walking home afterwards was a slow trip of tearful eyes and deep breaths. This is an issue that feels mountainous and overpowering. But simply treating people with kindness is something we can all apply to our lives. I’ve witnessed the difference that asking someone about their day, and meaning it, can have on someone who is feeling depressed. Those are things that make a difference, even though small. I think back to Mike’s response to my question: How do you manage to continue to have compassion for people and maintain a positive outlook? He offers the simple word “hope.” Treating people with kindness and hope? They seem like small artillery against such a big problem, but then I think over what Mike has achieved armed with just those two things.

For those interested, Sisters of Compassion take volunteers to work in their soup kitchen. The app is available via their website and they only require your help for about an hour on a monthly or weekly period.

+++

ack Kerouac’s On the Road made the concept of drifting from place to place and dabbling in various relationships and www.massivemagazine.org.nz

FEATURE

The debate over hydraulic fracturing has moved on since MASSIVE’s ground-breaking investigation in March. Editor Matt Shand retraces the issues and reminds us not to lose perspective.

IT’S NOT THE GAS – IT’S THE PEOPLE

mid the media hype, the protests, and the community meetings it’s easy to forget that the real story of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is not about shale gas. It’s about people. And families. It’s about health and safety. It’s just a drilling technique and people want to know that it’s safe. People like David Roberts – who have given up their lives and part of their sanity to fight for what they believe in. I watched David Roberts prepare for the community meeting held at Stratford in March to call for a moratorium on the practice from the local council. In my notebook I recorded his actions: “David Roberts sits still amongst the chaos ensuing around him. At the Stratford War Memorial Hall people are filing in, taking seats, swapping stories, and signing forms. Underneath this the organiser’s nerves are starting to run high. David’s included. He looks casual enough in blue jeans, work boots, and a red shirt, untucked, with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, almost like he was at the bar with the boys after a hard day’s work. But, with from the right perspective, you can see the subtle tide of nerves washing in. He keeps rubbing his forehead, or playing with his sleeves idly. Occasionally he would lock his fingers together and bow his head, taking in a moment away from fracking, and contaminated water and mining companies and documents and his fear 14

for the community he lives in. There has been plenty of that over the last few days, and there will be plenty more after this meeting is done …” People like Michael Self – who acted as courier for our tour through the Taranaki pastures. Throwing us around country road bends in a green, automatic four-wheeldrive. When he collected us he apologised immediately for the state the vehicle was in, saying he had “picked it up cheap after being caught out in a flood”. The muffler was broken, making the vehicle roar righteously whenever the accelerator was pushed too far to the floor, which happened often on back-country roads. He looked like Santa clause would if he owned a farm or a plantation instead of a reindeer ranch. His white beard formed a dishevelled mane around his chin and this was matched by his wildly hair, his hands with dirt stains around the edges of the fingers, and he wore jandals despite the cattle fields he would be guiding us through later. He was born and raised in the region (except for study trips further afield), and there was not a monument, shed, or hillside that he could not match to an insightful piece of trivia. “You see those silos up there,” he yells, pointing to the horizon, “they paint them like the cheese and over there is the hill they do the cheese rolling competition. Boy, those people run down those hills flat-

out. One guy went crashing down and broke three ribs. Three! But he kept on going. The crowd loved it.” Then he spots a stretch of houses and the conversation turns back to its morbid, chilling cancer, and deformity toll. And he tells us about other people involved, people we never met, or can name, but real people, who live real lives on the emerald green fields under the watchful eye of Mt Taranaki and probably never cared about the words hydraulic fracturing before, but who have heard about nothing but since the story ran in MASSIVE last month. It also ran on 60 Minutes and Campbell Live and Stuff and in the local papers and featured in parliamentary debates and question times. And now, the most recent development – the news that fracking will come under official independent scrutiny, with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, launching an investigation, to be released before the end of the year. But what will this investigation mean for these people, and others like them? But not just them but also so the oil company and mining executives with employees to pay, employees with children to feed and families to support. What happens if Jan Wright’s investigation determines fracking is unsafe. What happens then?

+++

an Wright was undoubtedly too busy to respond to questions from MASSIVE but the website spells out the power her office has in such cases. It draws from the Environment Act of 1986 (S.16) and the commissioner has wide discretion to exercise them. The main functions are to: review, investigate, report, and inquire into environmental issues and processes that affect the country. There is also a strong focus on encouraging preventative measure and remedial actions to protect the environment. Though the Parliamentary Commissioner

suggested that regional councils are not fully up to speed with what is occurring within their regions. He cited differences between executive summaries of reports and the content of reports as being part of this confusion.

+++

t was the difference between what was being told to her by the council and oil companies that prompted Sarah Roberts, a major source for the story, to dig deeper into the reports to

“The oil and gas isn’t going anywhere and some councils have admitted they don’t have the expertise to deal with the consent process for these new wells. The Government should slow down and wait until the report is out before allowing this to happen.” – Gareth Hughes for the Environment (PCE) has wide powers to “investigate and report on any matter where, in her opinion, the environment may be, or has been, adversely affected,” she does not have the authority to make binding rulings, nor can she reverse decisions made by public authorities. It will be up to the politicians and the voting public to determine how the issue progresses after the report is filed. The news that an investigation has been launched has, so far, been received well by both sides of the political spectrum. Green Party Energy Spokesperson and fracking cautionary Gareth Hughes greeted the news of an investigation as “excellent” but still wants a moratorium put in place while it is under way. “By the time the PCE’s report will be finished and released to the public, new fracking wells may have been consented in Gisborne, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and possibly Wairarapa.” On the flip-side, Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley said “the PCE’s inquiry will sort out fact from fiction and provide a framework for full consideration of all options involving fracking.” He said one of those fictions was the notion that the activity was unregulated and dangerous. “Fracking is a well-regulated activity in New Zealand carried out by experienced international specialists to a very high standard, unlike some instances overseas. I am fully confident in the ability of councils to manage its use well, just as they do for many other activities in their regions.” Last month, in Jamie Christian Desplaces’ revealing article on fracturing, it was www.massivemagazine.org.nz

find these troubling sections. Some of these reports have been tabled by Gareth Hughes at Parliament, but no moratorium is in place. Hughes says: “The oil and gas isn’t going anywhere and some councils and councillors have already admitted they don’t have the expertise to appropriately deal with the consent process for these new wells. The Government should slow down and wait until the report is out before allowing this to happen.” During parliamentary question times, Hughes has questioned Heatley about implementing a nationwide moratorium until the PCE assures the public fracking is safe. Heatley replied with a simple “no.” Hughes suggests the Government has not taken public concerns seriously. “Instead they have tried everything they can do to

When asked if there had been any reported water contamination as a result of fracking he again responded “none proven.” But the problem with this is that there is proven water contamination from a reliable source – the Shell Todd Oil Services Annual Report 2009-2010 for the Maui and Kapuni Production Stations. This report states: “The groundwater results are attached to this report. These results indicate that, with the exception of KA-5/10, shallow groundwater below the well-sites is not fit for potable or stock water use. Furthermore, shallow groundwater below KA-8/12/15 and KA-13 does not meet the criteria for irrigation. It is noted that no monitoring of groundwater has been conducted since December 2008.” Perhaps politicians like Phil Heatley need to spend a bit more time with the people their policies will actually affect. Had they spent time with the Sarah Roberts, David Roberts, or even an afternoon in the beaten-up four-wheel-drive with Michael Self, they might have well seen it from another perspective – a human perspective instead of a fiscal one. During our short time in Taranaki, we did see Gareth Hughes mixing with the locals and listening to their stories, which perhaps explains why he is so passionate about the moratorium. He has heard and seen the concerns first-hand. He isn’t surprised by the stance the National-led Government has adopted on the fracking issue. “Unfortunately, this reaction isn’t surprising [because] fracking is a big part of the Government’s ‘drill it, mine it’ agenda for Aotearoa,” he says. “This Government is leading us down a path to runaway climate change and depleted resources, with relatively little reward for New Zealanders by way of profits and jobs.

“While I take people’s concerns seriously, there is no evidence of either environmental effects or the risk of inducing earthquakes to justify a ban.” – Phil Heatley

pass the concerns of communities, farmers, and the public off as emotive, irrational or part of a conspiracy.” Heatley: “While I take people’s concerns seriously, there is no evidence of either environmental effects or the risk of inducing earthquakes to justify a ban.” When asked if there have been any reported health cases as a result of fracking, he responded simply with “none proven.”

“I can’t speak to what the PCE will conclude or how the Government will respond, but I am working on a Member’s bill right now, to be introduced to the ballot soon, which would prohibit fracking. I am hoping that MPs across the board will get behind it.”Fracking is now in the hands of the politicians, and the people who elect them. MASSIVE will continue to follow the progress of the PCE investigation and Gareth Hughes’ Member’s bill.

FEATURE

Elisha Stephens tries out the latest trend in fitness and finds there’s more to it than meets the eye

EXPLODING THE MYTHS OF POLE DANCING

ole dancing classes are catching on around the world as an interesting and fun way to get fit, lose weight, and improve flexibility. Celebrities such as Kate Hudson and Jenifer Love Hewitt, who revealed her passion for pole dancing in this month’s edition of Maxim magazine, have claimed that pole fitness is their ‘body secret’, turning it into a fitness trend. Now, pole fitness studios are popping up all over New Zealand, many with special deals for students, so it’s the perfect time to give it a try.

So that is exactly what I decided to do. And two six-week courses later I don’t think I’m doing too badly. I feel healthier and happier because not only have I increased my amount of exercise each week but it is a workout I enjoy (it does help that one of my good friends is in the same class); I am inching ever closer to the splits (as a beginner by “ever closer” I don’t actually mean “I am close to doing the splits”, those of you who have ever attempted the splits will understand); and it has opened my eyes to a whole other world of performing arts.

As pole fitness has become more popular it has become influenced by the original disciplines of instructors and performers – yoga, pilates, circus and burlesque – and this is evident in conditioning techniques and more complex ‘tricks’. At the moment, most of those who attend pole-dance classes are already involved in creative industries such as circus, gymnastics, and burlesque, or are fed up with their usual gym work out. However, more and more ‘ordinary’ people are also being drawn to the fitness benefits of pole fitness as more people are talking about it.

So I thought I would bust (ha!) some myths about pole fitness classes, and encourage you all to give it a try!

+++ Myth 1: I’m not strong enough to do any of the moves. rong! Though it does take a lot of practice and strength to look like the professionals you can see at competitions and on YouTube (try searching ‘advanced pole routine’ or specifically Vladimir Karachunov or Tiffany Hayden), most beginner classes are designed to teach you easier, but

Myth 3: Pole fitness is only for women. rong! Although many studios offer classes only for women, that’s simply because pole fitness has not taken off as a craze for men. If you take my advice from earlier and searched YouTube for Vladimir Karachunov you would see that being that good at pole performance requires a lot of muscle control and upper body strength. It can also be competitive. In class, you generally have a friendly competition of who can master climbing fastest, and there are pole competitions for both men and women.

+++

‘Celebrities such as Kate Hudson and Jenifer Love Hewitt have claimed that pole fitness is their ‘body secret’, turning it into a fitness trend.’

still cool-looking, moves which help tone abs and upper body. These moves help condition your body so when you’ve mastered the basics and want to learn more complicated tricks, your body will be more able to do them. Many classes also integrate yoga, pilates, and other techniques to help with flexibility, strength and conditioning. Pole fitness classes are usually small (5-15 people) so the instructor is able to adjust the lesson plan to the capabilities of students and give them one-on-one attention in every session. They also know you are a beginner, not an expert.

t is, as previously mentioned, a variable and fun workout, so if you don’t enjoy the gym, haven’t found a sport for you, or it is the off-season of the sport you do enjoy, it’s worth a try. You will improve your strength and flexibility and have some laughs during the class. If you’re looking for a change to your workout, or just want to have fun and learn a new skill, check out these studios, look on the x-pole website www.x-pole.co.nz at their studio directory or simply Google search your town + pole fitness. Unfortunately guys, most classes are

women only, but if you and a group of friends contacted your local studio I’m sure they would try and sort something out. Auckland: Auckland Aerial Arts Academy (www.polerevolutionz.weebly.com) offers classes throughout the week so you can go when it suits you. They also offer student specials: During April for $30 per week students can do as many pole, circus and conditioning classes as they like (classes are usually $25 each for casual or $100 for 5 classes). (09) 5765538 Wellington: Poleclass (poleclass.co.nz, on Facebook, or email info@poleclass. co.nz). ‘Like’ on Facebook to receive a 10% discount on your first course. The next beginner course starts from April 18 on Wednesday nights. They also often offer taster classes and workshops so you can try before you commit, and courses in hula hoop (YouTube Venus Starr for examples) and burlesque. Poleclass.co.nz (04) 801 8148 Palmerston North: Palmy Pole Fit (www. palmypolefit.co.nz) or Pole Fitness Palmerston North on Facebook for contact details. Valid student ID gets you 10% off the normal course cost. Next beginner course is on Thursday nights, starting April 26. To secure a spot you should contact Sharon asap. Palmy Pole Fit (06) 358 7528

+++ Myth 2: My gym-junkie friends will laugh at the idea. rong! They will be jealous! Or, if they really do their research about new fitness trends, they will be very interested in finding out what it’s like. Either way, they are going to end up joining you in class, making it even more fun. While they spend hours at the gym with sweaty strangers, you get to spend an hour or two a week in a small group environment where, after a week or two, you’ll know everyone there. And it’s less sweaty but none-the-less an excellent workout. As well as breaking in your new heels, you are combining cardio with improving overall body strength and flexibility ... It is essentially pilates on a sixpack of Red Bull!

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FEATURE

James Greenland looks at the phenomenon that is Invisible Children’s viral campaign and finds there are two sides to the story.

THE HUNT FOR KONY – SETTING THE AGENDA ONLINE

othing is more powerful than an idea whose time is now. Really? What about murderous kidnappers armed with machetes and machine-guns? Guerrilla soldiers and their captive child soldiers rampaging through unwary villages under cover of darkness to wreak a nightmarish-barbarism upon the innocence of youth itself … This is the choice that the phenomenally high-profile organisation Invisible Children wants you to make: Which is the more powerful? First, their viral idea, which has rapidly infected the global community and is hosted within cells of online empathetic collectives; or, secondly, a small bunch of

armed rebel ideologues with weapons hiding somewhere in the dense jungle of Central Africa, who raid homes and prey on the defenceless, led by an evil bastard with a good Christian name – Joseph.

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nless you have been hermiting beneath a boulder, without wi-fi or 3G, you probably know Joesph Kony is a bad man. You probably know he kills and kidnaps children. You probably want him stopped. This is what Invisible Children wants to happen, too – this year. They want Kony captured and tried for war crimes by the

International Criminal Court in 2012. And they want the people of the world to make it happen. All they ask is that you pay attention (and a few dollars a month). Invisible Children believes their virtual virus can overcome Joseph. Millions of you agree. The time is now, they say, and the idea can stop the bandits. They need you to help. But what do you know?! You know the idea. “Stop Kony”. Invisible Children exposed LRA leader Joseph Kony’s monstrosities to the Western world through their video production Kony 2012, which was released early in March. It captures one’s attention immediately, and does not release it for 30 minutes.

In the film, analytical details of Kony’s terrorism in Uganda are traded for stimulating graphics, and a manufactured contrast between good and evil – represented by the filmmaker’s young son reacting to tales of Kony’s malice. This stark contrast may

example). However, the age of instant global communication has not been entirely beneficial to Invisible Children’s campaign. Critiques of them began to circulate on the internet almost as soon as the movie was released.

‘What cannot be debated is that Kony 2012 has become a phenomenon, unquestionably achieving its stated goal of raising awareness.’

simplify a complex political conundrum, but Kony 2012 definitely doesn’t sugar-coat depictions of the LRA’s atrocious rebellion. Viewers are left emotionally exhausted after 30 minutes of wondering how such evil has been allowed to exist. With typical American hyperbole, documentary-maker Jason Russell gives viewers hope for a change. Something everyone can agree on – the prevention of murder, kidnap, rape, and all other vile atrocities regularly perpetrated by the Kony clan. It is a compelling documentary. And now his name is everywhere. He is in the news, on the internet, and all over the T-shirts of the trend-wariest hipsters. In the West, Kony has become infamous on a scale never before seen, going from a little-known-zero to an ultra-celebrity internet anti-hero almost overnight. Their movie has become one-of-if-not-the-most viral online videos in the history of the internet. Already with over 100 million views, it is gaining momentum. Invisible Children cared, now people everywhere care. And the reason is social media. Invisible Children targeted their phenomenal video campaign carefully. By encouraging some high-profile socialmedialites to promote Kony 2012 through their various digital profiles, they reached out to an audience of millions, who avidly follow the daily updates of many celebrities’ lives. Millions upon millions of internet users quickly became aware that something was happening. Some strange word was taking over their usually familiar homepages, cluttering their online experience with red and blue hues, an unfamiliar face, and murmurs of unpalatable human hideousness. Intrigued, people opened the link. Now, more than 100 million people “like” Kony 2012. Whether you like it or not, it has become unavoidable. The power of the internet and social media to set trends and influence opinion has proved truly astonishing in recent years (during the Arab Spring revolutions, for www.massivemagazine.org.nz

Accusations have flown around the internet, from in blogs to mainstream news reports, claiming that Invisible Children have managed a financially questionable charity, produced misleading and West-centric • LRA = Lord’s Resistance Army, active since 1986 in northern Uganda, originally intended to protect the interests of Acholi people, eventually turned against own people, “purifying” them in attempt to create an Acholi theocracy; labelled terrorists after September 11; thought to be 200-700 troops remaining. • Joseph Kony, LRA leader, indicted by International Criminal Court for war crimes in 2005. Believes he is a messenger of God. Dickhead. • Invisible Children, a non-profit organisation devoted to raising awareness about Kony and restoring peace/prosperity to villages affected by his tyranny. http://www. invisiblechildren.com/

anti-African propaganda, and deeply offended some Ugandans personally affected by Kony’s terror. Possibly most discrediting were reports of the film’s maker, Jason Rus-

dren’s campaign. They have been labelled as ill-informed, apathetic, bandwagon jumpers, who are more interested in keeping pace with the craze than they are concerned by the LRA’s torment of Central Africa. Because all they have done is watch a film – and told other people about it – they are chastised for having offered little-to-no practical support to the cause. I wonder if such critics ever heard Burke’s famous call-to-action: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. Though next to it, spreading information online is not nothing.

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hat cannot be debated is that Kony 2012 has become a phenomenon, unquestionably achieving its stated goal of raising awareness. I believe, along with Invisible Children, that spreading the knowledge of specific evil doings is a good and necessary thing for the prevention of evilat-large. A good person, concerned by the fate of other good people, is a good thing. Many good people concerned is great. Chris Park is vice-president of communications and marketing at United Nations Youth New Zealand, and does much of his work online, using various mediums of social media for the communication of his organisation’s message. UN Youth NZ seeks to equip young New Zealand citizens with the knowledge and understanding they need to co-operate effectively as global-citizens within our globalising world. Writing to me, Chris Park joked that though they have much experience disseminating information online, UN Youth NZ campaigners have yet to achieve a viral potency equivalent to Kony 2012. Like Invisible Children, he believes in the power of internet-based social media to positively in-

‘Spreading the knowledge of specific evil doings is a good and necessary thing for the prevention of evil-at-large. A good person, concerned by the fate of other good people, is a good thing. Many good people concerned is great.’

sell, losing his mind, running around naked and masturbating in public. This was filmed and, ironically, went viral too. There seems to be a dark element to Invisible Children’s campaign. Certainly there are two sides to the story. Much criticism has been directed toward the hordes of young “slacktivists” who form the bulk-mass of support for Invisible Chil-

fluence the hearts and minds of the young, connected generation. “If you are trying to generate hype and get buy-in from Gen Y, it only makes sense that you use social media campaigns,” he says. Despite Joseph Kony remaining an uncaptured international criminal, Park contends that, good or bad, Invisible Children has been successful. 19

FEATURE

“No matter what you think of their video campaign, it is indisputable that Invisible Children has achieved what it set out to do – the issue of child soldiers has been brought to the attention of the world, it has fundraised millions in donations, and Kony and his criminal acts have become common knowledge.” That is the point. For all its arguable failings, Invisible Children have alerted the world to a serious problem. Their video plumbed the depths of our emotions and sparked an unprecedentedly empathetic reaction from an incredibly diverse crosssection of humanity. From the start, their stated objective was simple: to get Kony arrested in 2012. To do this,. Invisible Children needed popular support. That required a popular film – a human story. “In a world where we are literally bombarded with so much information that our brains stop processing and start blocking it out, stories envelop the viewer and they 20

experience the tale, relate to the characters, and they live through the storyline,” Park says. The ability to relate to those suffering from Kony’s crime was gifted to millions of otherwise blissfully ignorant internet users by Jason Russell’s documentary. And now, Kony is world famous. The ordinarily apathetic and indolent have proven themselves invaluable catalysts for social justice. They do not deserve criticism for evidencing their compassion.

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ndoubtedly, it is government policies that will stop Kony, not merely online activism manifested by a ‘like’ or ‘share’ online. As democratic as the West claims to be, it is rarely the demos who decide the foreign policy of great powers. However, the online-community has resoundingly set the agenda. And now it looks like policy-makers are listening to the populous.

The United States has already committed some of their troops and intelligence support in the effort to arrest Joseph Kony. On March 24, The Guardian reported that the African Union will form a 5,000-strong brigade, led by Uganda and supported by surrounding Central African countries, to hunt the LRA. The force’s leader, Francisco Madeira, has said: “We need to stop Kony.” Would he have spoken those words a month ago, before Invisible Children’s video went viral? Before the connected-community cared? It is powerful, this idea. Peoples’ ideas. From seemingly out of nowhere, Kony 2012 became pandemic, and now challenges the power of the warlord and his soldiers. Our words and ideas are seriously threatening Kony’s weapons and violence. Can popular opinion triumph over universally unpopular warmongering? Is this idea more powerful than his army? Time will tell.

Matt Shand finds some light from a darker time

THE CLASS OF 95

jolt, like a cold shudder, throws me violently awake. The jolt was somewhat familiar, having experienced them often throughout my life, yet it always felt alien and unexpected like suddenly feeling the soft, deliberate padding of a tarantula slowly inching up your spine, or perhaps a snake slipping through the sheets over a fleshy thigh. It was something viscerally cold, steely even, but something that came from within myself. I flail at the sheets as they now grip tight to my beaded sweat. They only release their pincers after I give the duvet a solid kick. Finally I am free and can breathe again. The evening air yearns for the warmth of my body and saps it from me. My hairs stand on end, my eyes adjust to the darkness and I can see steam escaping above through the moonlit room. I shiver but remain uncovered to let the heat escape and assess the sensation. I hold my breath to take in the silence. www.massivemagazine.org.nz

Nothing stirs except my heartbeat thrumming quickly though my ears, a reminder that I am still alive. As the beat slows down I can hear the soft, rhythmic breathing of my girlfriend still sleeping beside me. She used to wake whenever this happened, confused at what could wake a grown man so often, and so violently, at night. But before long, confusion and curiosity turned to quirkiness, and the quirk suddenly became mundane and finally routine. Six years of sleeping side by side will do that to anyone. Six years, had it really been that long? I try to match her steady, rhythmic breathing to calm down. Calm down. Sleep. Sleep now! It’s fine. But it isn’t fine, it hadn’t really been fine for years. I will have to get up, walk around, drink some water, or something stiffer from the over-the-liquor-store-counter medicine to match the cocktail of fear, adrenaline, and confusion that I had already mixed up while sleeping. I’ll probably put some music

on and try to calm down. Maybe that song? Yes, my mind could do with some structured distraction. And that song will be perfect right about now.

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knew returning to Christchurch would be a bad idea. It has been 15 years since I last stood on the grounds of my old Intermediate school. I had arranged to speak to the new principal and she had been only too happy to accommodate my request. She couldn’t have realised the nature of my visit, the questions I had been rehearsing to ask her. How would she react? Would she be offended, angry, remorseful, or just confused? Would she yell, scream and ask me to leave? I can see her now, sitting in her office waiting for the arrival of a stranger. Rising through the ranks of a low-decile intermediate would have hardened her, but the 21

FEATURE oddness of my request would have made her somewhat nervous. Curiosity would quell that soon enough and she would wonder who would return to an intermediate school, especially her intermediate school. This question will rattle around in her head for a while, but she will put it out of her mind, taking refuge in the plaque that sits in the school foyer. The plaque commemorates the Rotary Club Honour Roll programme and, in black lettering on a gold faceplate, it reads: ‘Matthew William Shand’ – Class of 1995’. The awards existence is as confusing as their ceremonies. They were started as a means for the Rotary Club to get more local publicity. Each school in the region put up three students to be bored beyond despair by Rotary speakers. Then the students would be marched up, read their academic success aloud, thrust a certificate, pose for a picture, shake hands and that was a wrap. Maybe the principal thinks I want to talk about old times, or possibly make a donation. I feel ashamed of the surprise in store for her when I finally enter her office. She is probably sitting there looking at the clock wondering how long she would wait before deciding I was a no-show. To pass the time she will arrange her office work, catch up on some grading and then I would come in and demand answers to things that happened years ago. Things that occurred before she was even at the school.

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did not have the courage yet. Or maybe I didn’t think what I was doing was fair. I have rehearsed the conversation in my head a hundred times, but now that I am actually here I have retreated into my 12-year-old self, sulking in the same lunchtime hangout behind the swimming pool. I was trying to psyche myself up for the interview by cranking Let the Bodies hit the Floor through tinny iPod headphones. The song is a lyrical and instrumental abortion fuelled with undirected rage and angry guitar solos. It was made worse by the crackling, budget headphones. It was worse when I hit the repeat button. But it is a clichéd angry song, a song from my teenage years that seemed to fit the moment, so I listened anyway, again and again and again and again. I distracted myself by studying the familiarity of the school. It left me dumbstruck and the sight of the school brought out a misguided euphoria. The two earthquakes had caused only minor damage to the solid two-storey slabs that housed the students. The buildings were still arranged into a uniformed rectangle that flanked a paved common area in the middle. There were 22

some cracks in the paving and the faded paint lines that marked out grids for handball, four-square or netball. The only thing noticeably different was the removal of the wooden monolith of an adventure playground. The playground was a monument erected to the gods of splinters and tetanus shots. It was financed by donations, provided by Rotary, and built over the course of four hot summer weeks. About 15 parents had spent most of summer turning pink from sun, sweat and beer while listening to cricket updates on the radio, stopping only to break out into some classic 70s rock ka-

the side streets, the run was about three square kilometres. In the centre, was the Intermediate, the Highway 61 gang headquarters and three Black Power Houses. Highway 61’s property crossed over on to our lunchtime hangout. Sometimes junkies would blaze up by the pool watching us play. We played in shoes to avoid stray needles. The two Black Power Houses closest two to our home were tinny houses that were open all hours of the night, the other was a fenced fortress headquarters. They were at war with the Highway 61 skinheads and occasionally marched from their third

‘Girls flirted with him because that’s what they thought girls were supposed to do, and boys hung out with him so the girls might flirt with them, too, because we thought that was what we were supposed to do.’

raoke sessions with a beer or two in hand. All accompanied by the grating sound of hammers, sawing and ‘synergy’. Now all that remained of the playground was a barren bark pit next to the basketball court. The far hoop had been bent down by an overpowering slam dunk and swung from the back board. This itself was exactly the same way it looked in my day. The hoop had been broken routinely by high school kids who could easily ‘Air Jordan’ the lower-than-regulation hoops and smash them to pieces. In a few weeks the hoop would be mended. Mended just to be broken again days later and on it went in its perpetual state of futile repair, just like the students. Another similarity was the sight of crumpled ‘Cody’s 8 Percent’ cans under the hoop – it used to be Canterbury Draft, but the High school kids were on to harder stuff these days.

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t was the contrast of the school, in relation to the rest of the suburb, that had stumped me. As if the neighbourhood had taken a long overdue backhand for the state of the school all those years ago. On my return to Christchurch I had walked my old paper route to see the damage first hand. The paper run was my first real job. I had inherited it off my older brother who had begun work at the local supermarket. I had inherited it for $24 a week and because ‘when I was your age I had three jobs’. The run would take me from my house about a kilometre, then a right and another kilometre and back past the intermediate before looping back to the start again. Including

headquarters on Linwood Ave, a fenced fortress housing a mongrel army and look for rival gang members to fight. The fortress guard always demanded five copies of the paper, I always skipped a block of flats to make sure I could always give him his copies. Some days the police would turn me away from the house as armed officers would be battering down the doors and searching the grounds for drugs. They never kept large amounts on site. They paid their neighbour to hide the stash underneath the fourth paving stone on his lawn. Everyone knew it, even the lowly paper boy. No one told the police, but then they never asked. Had they voiced the problem, talked about it openly, someone might have helped and the problem would have been solved. Instead they just broke the door down, arrested someone and released them the next day for lack of evidence. In a few months, they would do it again. Just like the basketball hoop. Just like the class of 1995. The local dairy, had crumbled in on itself, the rubble had been caged in by meshed fencing to keep scavengers out. The Asian Takeaways / Fish & Chip Shop was still open, but the price of a scoop of chips had risen from 80c to $2.80. Also, the Street Fighter 2 arcade machine that I had sunk hundreds of 20c pieces into had been destroyed. The earthquake had also cost the Highway 61 headquarters its concrete perimeter wall forcing them out. The house behind lost its sinister nature with the increased visibility. It actually looked like a nice home, suitable for an elderly couple or even a new family. It was currently empty. The real estate agent was probably having trouble shifting an old gang headquarters. PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH BURTON

One of the tinny houses appeared to have families living in it. A white station wagon sat in the driveway, the lawns were kept well clipped.

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ack in the kitchen I am still rambling on to myself. Shattered thoughts flood through my head. Shards of memories. Snippets of my life. Some real, others twisted versions of reality, and other still pure fabrications that seemed real but never actually happened. At least I think they didn’t, but repression therapy is a double-edged sword, and separating fact from fiction becomes difficult. Chunks of fiction merge with fact like a virus, binding the two forever, and they said it would help. Thoughts never settle, they appear within the mind like a horde of status updates streaming through consciousness. The sweat had returned despite the cold air. It hadn’t been this way for years. One thought 10 years, and another said five. Another shudder and then what was it again? Seven years? I grab a handful of ice, slam it into a tumbler, chill some rum over it, drain it and pour another, this time with more ice. The iPod leaps off the charger and I grab the Sennheiser headphones and select my soundtrack, ‘old school’, and breathe deep. What a soundtrack it was. It is the same soundtrack we used to listen to behind the swimming pool in form 2 at lunch, with the notable exception of one song, the song I later dubbed the unofficial anthem for the Intermediate. With a bit of athleticism the walls of the swimming pool could be scaled and Sonny’s tape deck, which he carried everywhere, could be plugged in. Sonny loved that tape deck; he had told us his brother had bought it for him because it had his name on it, ‘SONY’, so he couldn’t lose it. Sonny loved music.

on the school grounds. Discmans were too expensive to make it mainstream and antiskip protection had not yet been invented. Walkmans lasted only an hour before needing batteries, and it was still unusual to listen to music no one else could hear. But Sonny’s tape deck, sipping from the mains supply, would play all lunch time. We should have felt like kings.

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he unofficial song for the Intermediate class of 1995, the song I am searching for now among the playlist, is neither a good song nor a popular song. The song

‘People looked for things to blame – broken marriages, broken homes, and broken moral standards. Something was broken. Something needed to be fixed. These children need to be fixed!’

He was in the school band and would play a Samoan drum at performances. His tape deck sealed the deal and made him the most popular kid in school. Girls flirted with him because that’s what they thought girls were supposed to do, and boys hung out with him so the girls might flirt with them, too, because we thought that was what we were supposed to do. There was no other music www.massivemagazine.org.nz

was so unpopular that most people in the class of 95 have never heard of it. There was plenty of other, more age-appropriate white noise to drown it out. Sonny’s radio was constantly churning out ‘today’s hit music’ which included: the Vengaboys, who were just hitting their straps, with S-Club 7 in hot purist or a space girl mix tape interlaced with some Livin -la-Vi-Da-Loca or Robbie

Williams if the mood was right. The songs streaming from the radio may have been upbeat, but it was a facade. The DJ had turned up to the wrong party, but we were all too shy and confused to tell anyone. So on we danced to the misguided soundtrack. But it wasn’t a dance of merriment or rejoice, just a slow step while we waited for something better to play, for this was not a happy school despite the appearances. Somewhere, hidden underneath the thin veneer of childhood innocence, were other, more insidious emotions. Emotions that stirred up trouble for counsellors who never saw them coming. How could they? We were too young to feel this way ourselves, no one could have predicted the shift in behaviour. People looked for things to blame – broken marriages, broken homes, and broken moral standards. Something was broken. Something needed to be fixed. These children need to be fixed! So they brought in the counsellors, made trips to the counsellor’s office mandatory for most students, but more mandatory for ‘special’ students.

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he inside of the counsellor’s office was sparse. There was a reclining sofa, with a writing desk close to it. The walls had a portrait of Einstein, a food pyramid poster and wall clock. The clock ticked one octave louder than the faint Mozart, Chopin or 23

FEATURE Beethoven seeping into the room from the wooden veneered stereo. The final piece of furniture was the counsellor’s desk, a huge mahogany or oak construction that dwarfed the door into the room. I often wondered, during compulsory reflection time, if the office had been built around the desk. What sat on top of the desk changed with each new counsellor, and it changed often, but the posters, furniture and even the phrasing used by the counsellors never did. They had all been given the same ‘sheet-music’ to solve the problem but had never heard

the boys gawking at Alasdair’s pornography stash behind the bike sheds, (we didn’t understand what we were seeing, we knew we were supposed to like tits, but not why. It was enough to know that we were breaking the rules). Nothing worked. One day I was too angry, the next too sad, then too happy, then too confused, then too bored, then back to anger and then confusion turns up again. A wild roller coaster of ups and downs. It was enough to make me sick, to make me scream at the ride attendant to stop the ride, stop it, I want off!

‘She took a blade to herself while in the camp kitchen peeling potatoes for dinner. Dinner was cancelled, as was camp, and she joined the other ‘troubled’ children at Sunnyside.’

the music aloud. All they had were old techniques that they tried to form into a ‘bandaid’ to troubled youth. But it was like trying to convince a severed arm to heal. Diversions were the main attack strategy. The plan was to convince the students these feelings didn’t exist, that way we could all get on with life. Lyrics such as “You don’t talk about what happened, you shouldn’t feel that way, don’t be dramatic, you’re too young to think that, that didn’t happen, get over it,” were heard often within the counsellor’s office. Get over it! What a terrible attitude to take. After being convinced you were fine, you were sent on your way with a note to collect another student. Their job was done for now. The counsellors were well intentioned, but ineffective. But then the subject itself is tricky. It makes people feel uncomfortable, squeamish, and angry. The problem was compounded by the fact that if someone wanted to talk they could never define what the problem was. I liken it a radio scanning through stations but unable to focus on one. It shifts, changes, and morphs, obscuring the music behind it through static. One day it’s anger, the next, sorrow. The day after it’s confusion, annoyance, aggravation, or a sense of nihilism. Even trying to define this emotional trip with my adult mind, the words escape me, let alone my 12-year-old self. I feel that it isn’t an emotion at all, but the body compensating for a lack of something and trying to fill the void with a random emotion (a sound plan). I tried to fill it with something, anything for some normalcy. I tried studying, I tried wrecking friend and foe alike in bull rush, I began acting as the lead in the school production, and even joined 24

And that’s exactly what 28.7 teenagers per 10,000 officially did. In 1995, New Zealand led the world with the highest rate of youth suicides per capita. A disgraceful label for an ‘egalitarian paradise’ that prides itself on openness and freedom of speech. The nation also shared the counsellors’ attitude towards ‘the S-word’ and tried to cover up the embarrassing figures. Unofficially, hundreds more ‘bailed’ in secret. They were labelled as accidents to cover up the records. The road toll in 1995 was just over 600, the highest on record. Many of these were caused by head-on collisions between car and truck. Many of the truck drivers protested there was “no accident, the vehicle came straight at them”, but they were labelled as such anyway. Suicide-by-truck is the industry term, but officially it doesn’t exist, just ‘traffic collision’. The figures also don’t include the thousands more who were caught in the act and smuggled away to mental hospitals. The Intermediate had several believed suicides, and dozens more attempts of varying ‘seriousness’. All attempts ended the same way. The students cemented themselves outside of the local counsellors’ help and landed them into Sunnyside Hospital. Veronica was one them.

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or Veronica, being dumped by Sonny on day 3 of the camp was too much for her, at least that’s what we thought. We had no idea about her parents’ breakup, the CYPS callouts to her house, her father out of work sitting at the pub all hours of the day or scoring at the tinny houses. We had no idea

that her mother would invite women over and have sex with them on the front lawn. Veronica took a blade to herself while in the camp kitchen peeling potatoes for dinner. Dinner was cancelled, as was camp, and she joined the other ‘troubled’ children at Sunnyside. Sonny wasn’t the same after that. He left school, taking his stereo with him. Now silence sat over the playground.

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nce you went into Sunnyside, you could never leave it behind. We called the dentist, the ‘murder house’ and Sunnyside the ‘loony bin’. Actually, the parents called it that, mine included, and we mimicked them. Our parents warned us not to speak to the kids who came back from there. The ones we did speak to were not the same. Something was changed about them. They appeared robotic, on autopilot for most of the day. It was as if their volume was stuck on medium, it could never be cranked up or toned down, like the counsellor’s radio. Just kept an inch below the passing of time. Manageable. In control. It was too much for some kids to take. Veronica, just 13, spent most of her school life leap-frogging in and out of that place. She would come back to school, a few kids would talk to her, some would invite her to play games but she rarely smiled anymore, or got angry. Even when people would tease her, she just looked on blankly. She took her medication at 2pm each day. The teacher would make a ceremony of it. He would tell her to come up to the front exactly at 2pm, maths time, and swallow her pills. She called them happy pills, which made sense – the label was covered by a neon smiley face sticker. She didn’t know what they did but sometimes we would steal them on a dare and swallow them. A pill seemed a logical way to be happy. They didn’t do anything to us, but we pretended they did and would smile at everyone and laugh insanely, revelling in the Placebo effect.

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ut whether we were carted off to Sunnyside or made it through outside of its walls, we were all walking wounded. The thousands that made it through the ride but could never forget the experience. Still stuck with mixed feelings, trying to fill the void with family, work, drugs, alcohol, anything. Were others awake now? Listening to long-forgotten music in the dark, their head spinning with ideas. Maybe there are hundreds still suffering in silence but carrying on regardless, still ignoring the subject like the counsellors before them. But recently PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH BURTON

attitudes towards suicide have changed and discourse on the subject can be permitted by the coroner, a massive no-no until recently. It seems this is the perfect time to look into this doomed generation, my generation, to hopefully gain a glimpse of the class of 1995 and tackle it with the hindsight of an adult. Even if it just helps one person, the time would be worth it. There is no one reason. It could be anything really. The climbing divorce rate. The slumping economy. The new government. Fluoride in the water. Or hidden messages embedded into music. Any of these reasons would be a useful scapegoat, a place to point an accusing finger to and waggle it with smug faces. But in reality it came down to bad timing. We are a generation stuck in the path of a hurtling train. We never had a chance. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Blindsided but carrying on oblivious. We were thrust into the role of the middle child of the generation family, with no purpose or place. There were no Nazi’s to fight. No commies to kill. No ‘zipper heads’ to bomb. No cause to fight for. We were too late to be a great, and too early to make a difference. Our parents had been thrust into being by the last recognised war heroes who had ‘fought the good fight’, and crushed humanity’s greatest villain in Euwww.massivemagazine.org.nz

rope and the Pacific. Our parents had hit the ground running. They picked up their legacy and made songs of their own. They had their own war songs. Fortunate Son, All along the Watchtower, and Sympathy for the Devil would blare from helicopter gunships across the lush bush of Vietnam as democracy was shelled into the NVA army. Later, they changed their songs, such was their right given their great pedigree.

anything drunk on their invincibility. The drum beat of the 1981 Springbok Tour divided, then reunited, the nation under one banner. It was their own local war. Like all good wars fought against an abstract noun. Racism, we’re not going to take it, no we aren’t going to take it. Then a war that couldn’t be fought occurred. Black Monday sent the Western World into recession. New Zealand was heavily in debt and small businesses were unable to sustain growth. People were laid off, money was tight and families were unable to cope with the strain. Divorce rates skyrocketed as the labour force plummeted. Debts were called in and families were forced to do what they could to survive. Crime was on the rise. We bought a guard dog, new locks and bars for the windows. By the time 1995 rolled around the sound had died down completely. The wave our forefathers had ridden had crashed into the shoreline and was now receding. 1995 had no cause, no reason to exist except to get jobs, make money, fuck then die like the good worker bees we were. The internet was too slow to open up the world and give us overseas causes to fight, and the TV was dedicated to ensuring us that things would get better. Beyond 2000 promised us flying cars, moon bases and even immortality, but none of it came to pass. Music was what we had. But what meaning could be gleaned from the Spice Girls, Vengaboys, and S-Club 7? Pointless songs with no meaning. Nirvana had burnt out, drunk on its own ideology before he could make a difference, his only real contribution was showing Dave Grohl the ropes. Occasionally we would hear the music of our fathers and try to enjoy it, but it is without context. Like saying watching a winning match is the same as scoring the

‘It seems this is the perfect time to look into this doomed generation, my generation, to hopefully gain a glimpse of the class of 1995 and tackle it with the hindsight of an adult. Even if it just helps one person, the time would be worth it.’

Now it was Quiet Riot, Queen, John Lennon, and the Sex Pistols. This time it blared from ghetto blasters or was sung by mobs of striking wharfies or coal miners. Occasionally the songs spearheaded national movements. Movements where the entire generation raised fists and placards and clashed with police on the steps of Parliament. The clattering of batons raining blows into the crowd did nothing but add to the beat and create a glorious crescendo. They could do

winning goal. It would never be the same. But later on, we would – I would – have a song to fill the gap. Filters, Hey Man Nice Shot. Finally a song that was written for our generation. It was a song I hope survivors of the Intermediate would hear and decipher as I did. It could give them some hope, some reasoning to the dire and futile struggle going on within them ... and myself.

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FEATURE thoughts and give context. Emotions that were suppressed by counsellors, ignored by the people employed to remove them. Emotions too fucked for anyone that age. Like the veterans of the Great War, told to never speak of it. Their only outlet were the songs they sang at the RSA’s. But we had no songs … I had no song. We suffered in silence, but were driven slowly mad but the perverseness of it all.

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t was song about life, the sudden ending of it. For many, it was a brazen attempt at a fledgling band trying to sneak their way into the charts in the early nineties, but for others, others that knew, others that had experienced, it was so much more. It was about Kurt Cobain’s big toe as he slammed the hammer back on the 12 gauge, it was Hunter S Thompson’s No More Sunday Night Football, it was the flames on the Buddhist Monks outside the White House, but it was also Jared stringing himself up, and Racheal lunging off the car park building; it was about anyone who had mixed up a shaker of painkillers and vodka or the friend of a friend who had taken a razor to themselves. It was a song that will still echo within my head, with its shattered memories, throughout my life. It would spark up as I stagger home drunk from another friend’s early funeral. It will resonate long enough to still be there as I kick holes in the walls, smash plates, and fall down drunk into a floor scattered with premixed bottles. It would fade away as I toasted the darkness with the closest liquid and chug away still prone on the floor. 26

It was a song for those left behind, a knowing nod or tip of the cap for those who made their final sacrifice. It laid no blame, it laid no guilt, just recognition of the deed undertaken. If nothing else could be salvaged from the tragedy there was a glimmer of hope for those left behind to cling to. A decision was made, a decision was acted on. The suffering was over. Not much to

he light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be a runaway freight train heading the other direction. With nowhere to turn we questioned the world around us. We became Generation Why? Why should we work hard years to die in marginal middle class? Why should we toil the fields while mortgage brokers and insurance companies get rich off our dividends? Why should we attend school anyway, why can’t we travel, learn through experience, through work, through people. It was scary for counsellors, and scary for parents who heard it. Such thoughts were unthinkable, something must be wrong. It could have been our greatest cause, our Great War. A defiant charge against the face of society. Tear it down at the seams and build a new future, our future, one not sold to us by the past. Burn it all. But the signal to charge was never given. One by one the war banners fell and the will to fight, to rebel, faded away. Those who had the courage were rounded up and given happy pills or had taken the train ride to oblivion before motivating others to make a change. But we weren’t radical, we weren’t broken, we were just different. We wanted to make our own mark on the world, to have a purpose. But this new strange sound coming from the youth was twisted to the ears of the older generations. They had their

‘The light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be a runaway freight train heading the other direction. With nowhere to turn we questioned the world around us. We became Generation Why?’

cling to, but something none the less. It was a dark salute for the wasted generation, my generation. A reminder that those who left had made a choice, however tragic, and it should be respected. But it was also a song for those still suffering. Those of us who had made it through life at Intermediate but were still struggling with scattered emotions, unable to put them into

songs stuck in their head, the great bands were all dead and this angst nonsense was nothing but trouble. So the pills were made, and distributed and a entire generation was pacified and muted so life could go on the way it was. Just a blemish on the face of the Mona Lisa. No one talked about it. So no one noticed. But somewhere within the minds of the PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH BURTON

class of 95, the beat goes on, muffled but still audible. We will fight on though muted. We refuse to marry young. We refuse to succeed academically in pointless, outdated, and uninteresting subjects. We refuse to accept the world as it is. We refuse to hold the same job for 40 years. We refuse to retire at 65. We refuse to sit still. We reject this world you expect us to take at face value. We will construct our own place in it, carve out our own slice of the planet to call our own. We spit in the face of your rules and

we reject your hegemony. How dare you mute a generation for talking out of line. All we needed was someone to listen to us, listen to me. Not to hear the words, but to comprehend them. That was all that we, I, wanted. An ear to lend, a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on. Perhaps some reinforcement that we were allowed to feel the way we did. Maybe that you did too. I read about a study of grandparents that found that 85% of grandparents died within six months of each other. No medical reason. No medical cause. The study concluded that once life is deemed to be over, biologically the body starts making preparations to leave the world gracefully. The study stated that purpose should be given to the elderly to ensure they live long lives. Maybe this study applied to the youth as well. Maybe without a cause we were stuck without an internal body clock and left at the mercy of a world we no longer cared for, or respected.

songs, and new, giving them new meaning and context and all brought forth through tectonic plate movement. The city is working together to build a better future, and part of that future is listening to each other. That was all it needed, a bit of openness and some understanding. An articulated scoop truck could have done the work in minutes but it wouldn’t have given the same sense of purpose or hope that hundreds of people singing and working united in one purpose. That gave the city hope. Hope that people can fix the problem and hope that the people will ‘get through it’. Not ‘get over it’. This is the same attitude being adopted by the new breed of youth counsellors. Suicide is no longer looked at as a problem to ‘get over’, but something to be worked through. If everyone works together on this problem and stops hiding from it, or finding industrialised, outdated solutions to simple problems, we can all get through it.

95 becoming youth leaders, like Veronica. I had tracked her down on my second return trip to Christchurch. WAYN.com had proved ineffective but Facebook had found a match after several attempts. Veronica lives with her father again, who has managed to find work and is working on mending their shattered relationship. “His idea, not mine,” Veronica said. “It’s a good thing, and it’s working out well. He’s doing well.” She doesn’t mention her mother. Her arms and still bear the scars of her twisted childhood. Neat rows cut into perpendicular angles from each other that could be mistaken for a tattoo from far away. Despite the scaring, she wears a singlet and makes no attempt to cover her marks. They are part of who she is. She has found a new purpose giving back to the generation below her. Her past makes her future stronger, or maybe it makes other peoples future stronger. It enables her to connect to others. People can learn from her openness and frankness on the subject. The kids can relate to what she is saying as she shows visible proof of their shared pain. Suicide, after all, is a burden, a pain we all carry, and all share but it is invisible to most. We talked about the old school briefly, and avoided the topic of Sunnyside Hospital. It was a subject we both understood only too well, though her experience was worse than mine. We talked about the nights and waking for no reason. This happened to her, too, especially after she threw her medication away, as I had done seven years ago. It appeared that volunteering at Youthline had helped her start to manage the problem and she urged me to do the same back in Wellington, my experience was too valuable to not share. Maybe she understood my feelings better than I did.

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of the day a school reflects the community around it, and the community is on the mend. The earthquake destroyed most of the decay. The gang houses had crumbled and, not being insured, were either set to be bulldozed or purchased by families looking for fresh starts. The students, some of them survivors of the class of 95, gathered together for the first time with a cause. A cause to fix the neighbourhood one shovel-load of silt at a time. They worked to the sound of the old

‘By the time 1995 rolled around the sound had died down completely. The wave our forefathers had ridden had crashed into the shoreline and was now receding. 1995 had no cause, no reason to exist except to get jobs, make money, fuck then die like the good worker bees we were.’

had returned to Christchurch, the place where it had all gone wrong, to gain some insight into the subject. To put the questions to the principal and demand answers to the subject that swills around in my head and keeps me awake at night. This was, after all, where the ‘class of 95’ a class that included a once bright-eyed Matthew William Shand was counselled. I am now 15 minutes late for my appointment. She is probably angry that I wasted her time. I have decided not to go in. What could she tell me? Through no fault of her own, she is the product of an era long gone. A generation that stifled the music of the one preceding it. Pointing fingers would be petty at this point of the game. At the end www.massivemagazine.org.nz

finish the song and head back to bed. It is cold now and I hope I am able to sleep the rest of the night. It had been a sleepless few weeks, and I was set to return to Christchurch again soon, to gain some final insights into the subject.

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oday, counsellors have admitted the ineffectiveness of their ways. Youth workers, church leaders, and even Youthline volunteers are now taught to speak openly about the topic of suicide. Youth suicide rates, though still too high, have been dropping steadily over the past 10 years. Perhaps a result of the survivors of the class of

he class of 95 may have yearned to change the world, and failed. But we can succeed at making sure the next generation struggling with the same uncertainty that we faced. But this time with openness, empathy, and understanding, instead of textbook denial and diversion. Maybe this is our great cause, or challenge to overcome. Maybe the class of 95 will make its mark after all. As I left I had a passing thought and asked her how she had coped throughout the years. “Music” was the simple answer. “I had a song that anchored me and it made me feel sane, for a moment.” She never said which one. And I never told her mine. 27

FEATURE

Trish Plunkett’s highly recommended entry into last year’s creative writing competition

GIN AND AUGUST

n the chaos that is my life there is a house that was our house. And there’s a dish on the counter where I dump all the crap from my wallet and sort through all the rubber bands and empty wrappers, loose change, and old receipts. Except today all the receipts seem to be about you, a whole fucking story in dollars and cents and pain that won’t go away and a love that won’t give up and die and an old broken heart. And suddenly I can’t read them for the tears, but in those tears I see you again. And I knew it would end up this way because you can’t buy love, although God knows I tried. I tried.

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hen you came to the house that was not yet our house you shut yourself in the spare room and I never saw you. That 28

room, which would become your room, was sparse and naked and lonely as you. You brought your bags and your clothes and your bathroom stuff and kept them all in there, playing the same music over and over again on your laptop. So I went out to buy you DVD’s, movies and TV series’ and concerts. Disks and disks that piled up on the counter in front of the bewildered clerk – sci-fi and drama and comedy and anything I thought you might like because I didn’t know you anymore and all I wanted was to see you smile. And I didn’t even wince when I saw the total. I just slapped down my Visa card to sign your sadness away. I put them outside the door of your room and when you opened up and saw them I had already turned away. But then you called my name, and I saw the edges of your mouth twitch in the faint trace of a smile. And like the old fool I am I fell in love with you all over again.

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ou came out of the room that was becoming your room and joined me at the breakfast table, stitches scabbing over and bruises yellowing. I could see your ribs through your t-shirt and all I wanted to do was feed you. But what I offered you didn’t want, so I settled for brewing the first of a thousand cups of tea, hoping to put a little warmth into your shivering shoulders. I made a shopping list, and when I said you would have to come with me you let out a long sigh, just to remind me that this was not your home, you were only here because you didn’t have anywhere else to go. You spoke a little during the trip, leaving me to think back to who you used to be, and what you used to like. And then I noticed things sneaking into the trolley, brightly coloured wrappers and expensive food and

completely pointless items - dog food for the dog we no longer had. I hauled the lot to the checkout, dog food and all, and paid far more than my budget would allow. But when I cooked dinner that night you came out of your almost-room and ate with me, though your dark shadowed eyes would not quite meet mine, not yet.

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‘I thought you had changed,’ you whispered, and for a moment I thought we might get away with just pretending I hadn’t messed it all up again. But what was in your eyes turned to hate. ‘You sick fuck.’ And then you were gone.’

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here were days which were better than others, where you smiled easily and we could chat and laugh about stupid things that had happened so long ago, before you knew I loved you and you went away. Where we could sit in the sun and you didn’t flinch from the light, trying to hide. And those were good days and I drank them in and spun them out, replaying them over and over to get through the bad times. Then there were the shadowy days, where we drank tea and you recounted in a flat voice all the things that happened since that day long ago when you left, and something inside me died a little because I did not save you. And then there were the black days, the days when history showed on your face, in the shadows in your eyes that even the sun could not touch. And on those days you did not talk at all, I simply told you stories, made castles in the air for you to live in. I gave you everything anyone could ever want, because I could not give you enough once upon a time. One black day, you bent forward to hide yourself from the blows which came over and over in memory, and nothing I did or said or offered would ease you. “Do you want to go to McDonald’s?” I blurted out, because it was the only thing I could think of saying. And you looked up at me and smiled that sad, hopeful smile like one of those bloody Disney animals in Snow White, and my heart shattered when all you said was “Can I have a Happy Meal?”

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“You sick fuck.” And then you were gone.

n the weeks we spent together, the black days faded slowly, leaving only their traces in your eyes. We looked at pictures of the boys we once were and I could pinpoint just when I fell in love with you. And then you wanted to throw a party, and I said yes, and we bought enough supplies to have a dozen parties if you wanted them. You threw streamers everywhere, light fittings draped with pink and yellow crepe,

sending out shafts of coloured light. We had cans of silly string and party poppers, which you detonated in time to Destiny’s Child. I tried to make the cocktail shaker work, to remind myself that this was no kiddies’ birthday party. Then you decided to deck me in streamers, green to match the Midori which stained the side of your mouth. Old friends came bearing cocktail umbrellas and bottles of bright spirits, shaking them together while you played DJ, running tunes from your laptop that brought back memories of high school discos. You were only a child when they came out, and everyone laughed and called it retro. Then you smiled at me and with the click of a button I knew you were playing my song. The night lowered and the drinks flowed and I forgot all about the thousand small ways I had broken you before you left me that first time. All I knew was you had come back to me, all I knew was hope. So when you danced up to me in the garden and sprayed us both with purple silly string, I pressed close to you and cupped your cheek. And right then I should have seen it, or dreamed it, or remembered it – some bitter warning from the past. But instead I bent and kissed you, my little brother, your lips tasting of orange and vodka. And I saw what was in your eyes, that same look that drove you away six years ago. “I thought you had changed,” you whispered, and for a moment I thought we might get away with just pretending I hadn’t messed it all up again. But what was in your eyes turned to hate.

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ou retreated into the room that was now yours, and snuck out at strange hours to eat, and refused to speak to me. You would only look at me when you thought I wouldn’t notice, and whatever it is you saw in me you didn’t like, because you told me you were leaving. So I paid for you to go to the other end of the Earth, to where you couldn’t come back even if you wanted to, even if I begged you. You packed up your life once again and on the drive to the airport you stared straight ahead and didn’t speak, a wall of history between us in the front seat. You turned to me at the departure gate and you shook my hand and said good-bye; and I crossed my fingers behind my back that it would not be the last time I ever touched you. I watched you as you walked through security, slow minutes where I hoped you would look back, just once. Look back. You didn’t.

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bought the Bombay Sapphire even though I’ve never liked gin, because the colour of the bottle reminded me of your eyes, the eyes of the boy who broke my heart again and again. And I hid in the spare room that was no longer yours and I drank to my pain, buried in the sheets that smelled of you, my August, my brother. The gin burned my insides, sparking the tears that flowed down my cheeks at how I had destroyed it all again, this hopeless man with the sick obsession. And with every gulp I wished you back, wished for one more last chance. And I tried to drink until the pain stopped and when it didn’t I fell asleep in that bed which smelled like you, where I would spend night after night until your smell faded and all that was left was the scent of gin and loneliness and me. In the house that is no longer our house there is a dish where I empty out the fragments of my life and I try to find some pattern, some code that tells me you’ll be back, but all I find are the hours I stole with you, and I wonder if I had a fortune to spend if you’d have stayed, but I don’t and you didn’t. So I scoop up the receipts with the old gum wrappers and bin them, trying to rid my heart of you, piece by piece. 29

FEATURE

Emilie Marschner and Olivia Marsden preview an upcoming play, Live @ Six which takes the audience behind the scenes to see how stories are constructed and presented. A must-see for any media student.

THE MAGIC ON STAGE REVEALED

p-and-coming Wellington play Live @ Six puts a new spin on the glamorous world of broadcast journalism in a production that invites the audience behind the scenes and into the newsroom. Do you ever ask yourself how the news came to be on your TV screen? Cut and polished in all the right places. Here’s your chance to witness firsthand the less-than-glamorous news. First, have you ever wondered how a ma-

gician really works? Magic? That white rabbit simply appears in his top hat and we, the excitable audience, just accepts it. Something magicians and news editors have in common is the ability to create their own version of the truth. Live @ Six invites the audience to participate in the process of turning ‘the truth’ into ‘the news’. The play moves beyond merely entertaining to an insightful and thought-provoking black comedy that will

make you think twice about believing what you are seeing. Actor Donogh Rees, who plays Karen Adams from TV One, describes the play as “a satire that exposes how the media manipulates ultimately what we see … the audience see where the cynicism lies, what is the truth, and ultimately what do you as an audience see?” The play is set in an authentic New Zealand broadcast newsroom, equipped with the appropriate news-spinning technology

an audience would never see. Playwrights Leon Wadham and Dean Hewison performed extensive research to make sure it was believable. “The show starts before it starts,” says actor Nick Dunbar. The night

nity to make the show about now. I’m proud of that last season but it’s already so dated – technology moves so fast – and I think in partnership with Downstage we’re able to look at our current climate, at our current

‘Have you ever wondered how a magician really works? That white rabbit simply appears and the audience just accepts it. Something magicians and news editors have in common is the ability to create their own version of the truth.’

begins with a pre-show party where the audience is encouraged to bring their smartphones and iPhones to capture live footage of a ‘scandal’ involving a celebrity news anchor misbehaving. The footage will be uploaded to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter where editors working live on stage will adapt and manipulate the material to shape the news story in accordance with their news agency’s best interests. The play involves the unfolding of the news story as two competing news channels battle it out to gain the most viewers. They have 24 hours to package the story and inform the public. But this time the audience gets to see the preparatory stages leading up to the magic, everything before the bunny being pulled out of the hat will be revealed. Be prepared to get caught up in the adrenaline rush and buzz of the newsroom. “All the way through, different things are revealed so that it makes everyone scurry around and go ‘okay, how we are going to use it?’” says Rees. Live @ Six embodies the developing media landscape present in society today. Each show will have a different outcome based on the material obtained during the show and the editing choices made on stage. The audience will experience and engage with the news making process. “Things are popping up all the way through to alter events,” says Rees. Every staging of the play is unique. No one, not even the actors, will know which news station will come out on top.

technological landscape, and put it into really safe hands.” Massey University Lecturer Emma Willis, who has a background in theatre, says audience involvement and participation, particularly behind-the-scenes access, has been valued since the Shakespearean theatre.

In this sense, Live @ Six is really contemporary both in terms of its subject matter and the form that it’s using to deliver its content.” Live @ Six runs from April 13 until April 28 at Downstage. Students receive a generous discount, with tickets a mere $25 for an experience that will have you “laughing out loud”, according to Downstage’s website (http://www.downstage.co.nz). The NZ Herald described it as “a black comedy with a thriller edge that will change the way you watch the news”. Donogh Rees is excited because it is a good satire that raises serious relevant issues. But really you should go for yourself and decide out of all these ‘truths’ which one you believe. Did you stop to consider the writing process involved in the making of this article? How do you really know that anything that has been said was ‘the truth’? You don’t.

‘Live @ Six embodies the developing media landscape present in society today. Each show will have a different outcome based on the material obtained during the show and the editing choices made on stage.’ “It was much more of an interactive social event than sitting in a darkened auditorium. What has changed now are the technologies available both to theatre and to people generally in their everyday lives.

A magician never reveals his or her tricks – Live @ Six is the exception. So take the opportunity to quench that curiosity. Book now at http://www.downstage.co.nz

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ive @ Six was staged at Bats in 2009 but has since been improved with the help and funding of Downstage. As technology constantly changes and grows Live @ Six embraces the dynamic social media environment and has taken on the challenge of keeping up with the times. Leon Wadham says it couldn’t have been done without the help of Downstage. “Downstage [are] giving us the opportuwww.massivemagazine.org.nz

FEATURE

COCO SOLID AS PARALLEL DANCE ENSEMBLE Kiwi girl Coco Solid has proved her potential on the international stage while remaining a uniquely individual talent. She can rap, sing, and likes to challenge the preconceptions that often come with electronic music. Ahead of performing in Wellington under her Parallel Dance Ensemble banner, Coco kindly answered a few questions via email for Paul Berrington.

Paul Berrington: How did Parallel Dance Ensemble form, given that you are from New Zealand, and Hannibal (Bobbi Soxx), your collaborator, is based in Denmark? Coco Solid: Robin and I met at the Red Bull Music Academy in 2008 which was held in Barcelona. Robin is a lecturer for the academy team. You are living and breathing music 24/7 and we found we had so many creative things in common. We recorded Turtle Pizza Cadillacs on the fly in one of the studios and had lots of fun. Six months later that track came out on vinyl in the UK 32

alongside Weight Watchers and we were already working on our EP Possessions & Obsessions. That finally came out on Permanent Vacation Records (Germany) last year, so these last four years have been quite the ride. PB: How would you describe the Red Bull Music Academy and what can you recommend to local musicians looking to become involved? CS: The experience is game-changing. I think it tested and uplifted me and my work ethic. The academy gets musicians into an arena that is hard to describe – I have felt blessed ever since. Working with Robin was the tip of the iceberg. I met my idols plus I have collaboraters and friends for life. It’s a long-distance posse which means you miss your people a lot. PB: Collaboration seems to be a central part of your creative process. Are there reasons for this? And tell us a little about your different musical outlets. CS: It’s a quest, I think, to find those

different complimentary harmonies and friendships out there in the world. For me it’s about potential, bringing out the creative, lesser-known qualities in myself and in other people. Collaboration is inspiring but it’s also a challenge. It’s powerful and intimate building something with other people. I need different projects because I have so many ideas and parts of me that conflict. Parallel Dance Ensemble is very electric, new-wave and slick, I think – that is very much the Europe influence on me. Badd Energy (Flying Nun) is a celebration of underground punk ideals and local counterculture. There is an outlook and world view that the other three members and I share and you hear it in the music. Coco Solid as a solo-project is an extroverted extension of me really, so I am always pushing her to evolve and experiment. As an alter-ego and project she never fails to elude and surprise me. PB: You’ve just shifted to Wellington, why when you seemingly have the world at

You can catch Parallel Dance Ensemble live at the Becks event on Anzac Eve at San Francisco Bath House.

your feet? CS: I realised a couple of years ago (when I lived in Korea) that my physical geography is pretty irrelevant. The internet completely frees me up to have a life alongside my musical ambitions. I can communicate and collaborate anywhere, plus I have never been too exposure-hungry. Music for me is about having fun. A fan base out of New Zealand is amazing and something I’ve always felt stunned about, but I no longer feel the pressure to be omnipresent or strategic about it. PB: You have several alter egos and have released via cassette-only releases. Explain why you choose these points of difference? CS: Artistic choices like these excite me. I’m a nerd! Everything I do is a creative opportunity. I want to do something that makes the world more interesting, for both myself and the people who dig my stuff. PB: What were your influences in terms of writing songs and becoming a professional musician?

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CS: Music was a happy accident. I got into it casually with a bunch of my friends about a decade ago. I knew I could rap and I had an intense love for music as a fan. It was always just a gut feeling I had. Not having someone out there who represented girls who looked, felt or thought like me was the motivator, I think. I ended up teaching myself how to make beats and rapping into a home stereo. It was humble beginnings but I loved it and people responded so I just kept on trying to improve. PB: Describe the sound of PDE? CS: It was always an emotional cocktail of what we enjoy – rap, electro, 80s Princesynths, but then stripping it back with leftfield and minimal elements too. Disco-notdisco seems to be the label we get a lot. PB: What can the audience expect from your live show? CS: I am repping PDE down-under, so it’s a mixture of my live set but with Robin’s grandiose production. It is more disco and high energy, I think. I love doing the set live

because people really respond to it on the dance floor – and it’s fun. PB: Your records have been supported by the likes of James Murphy (DFA), Maurice Fulton, Horse Meat Disco, and Metro Area. How much has it helped to have such influential gatekeepers endorsing your music? CS: Having other artists validate our work is always awesome. Our German label works hard internationally so that helped our reputation mutate. I just try to enjoy all the genuine feedback and friendship that music brings. I don’t take that ‘cool co-sign’ mentality too seriously but I appreciate it. PB: You can write, rap, sing, and play keyboards. What aren’t you any good at? CS: HA! Being rich, even-tempered, hungry, or a nice normal Kiwi girl. PB: What does the future hold for you and PDE? CS: A few more tricks up our sleeve perhaps … we will have to see where the changing wind, mood, and wi-fi take us!

FEATURE

Miriam Richdale tracks the rise and rise of a brew called ParrotDog.

FROM BATHTUB TO BEER BARONS

ow do you go from being a student living off the bare minimum, to establishing a new up-and-soonto be running brewery- situated in the heart of Wellington? You chuck some fermenters in the bathtub of your Aro St flat and just get started. Meet the boys from ParrotDog, the three frontmen who all go by the name of Matt and who are on their way to big and better things in terms of brewing craft beer. Matt Kristofski and Matt Warner first started fermenting and brewing small batches of craft beer in their Aro Valley flat, but little did they know it was the start of something big. With the addition of Matt Stevens at a later stage, brewing proved a solid hobby for the lads at ParrotDog. Due to their success at Beervana in 2011, with two out of four sessions won in the People’s Choice Award category, ParrotDog’s first commercial brew with their IPA ‘BitterBitch’ had taken off. With a total sellout on the day, it’s clear they’re making a name for themselves in the world of craft beer. Brewing together for almost two years, the boys concocted mainly at their Aro Valley flat, with the large brews coming together at Mike’s Organic Brewery in New Plymouth. And because there was huge demand and not enough supply, it was time for ParrotDog to spread its wings. In terms of milestones, Beervana was

seen as the launching platform for the guys, and with their win and demand for supply, adding their own brewery to the grist* was an obvious decision. With BitterBitch selling successfully, a few more brews could be added to the line-up. To date, the top three beers come in the form of: • • •

ParrotDog BitterBitch (IPA, 6.3% alcohol by volume) ParrotDog BloodHound (Red / Amber Ale, 6.7% abv) ParrotDog FlaxenFeather (Blonde Ale, 5.5% abv)

Craft beer has taken the capital by storm, with many places looking to brew their own. ParrotDog is one of the lucky ones fortunate enough to secure a permanent brewing spot on Vivian St. The name ParrotDog originally came from a flat parrot by the name of ‘Schmee.’ Although this was a temporary name, with two of the Matts going by the nickname ‘Dog’ it was here to stay. With the name in the works there was only the need for a design to fit the name. They had their logo professionally designed by a friend in London. He was also called Matt. Turning brewing into a fulltime profession is next on the cards for the ParrotDog lads, with the idea to have a fully functioning brewery coming up in the next few

months. In terms of craft beer, their aim is for keen consumers to be able to pop in to the site on Vivian St and sample some beer for themselves. The focus for ParrotDog in the coming months is to establish themselves further in the world of craft beer and get the brewery fully up and running. With that, the boys hope to make it to an array of beer festivals around New Zealand next year and possibly later in 2012 with Beervana. With Wellington said to be the biggest craft beer consuming region, ParrotDog’s advice to would-be brewers is to find that one recipe and refine it down to the last drop. The guys also hope to get an off-licence within the next six months so people can buy direct from the brewery. With the majority of the beer heading out to bars and supermarkets, the support behind ParrotDog has been a huge advantage. The boys say that with the help of social media, the word about craft beer, and more specifically ParrotDog itself, has been spread far further than the guys had thought possible. So if you’re looking for a cheeky brew or two, keep your eyes peeled for the next ParrotDog instalment – it’ll probably blow your socks off. * Brewers’ term for milled grains, or the combination of milled grains to be used in a particular brew.

DOWN

CROSSWORD 1

19 20

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ACROSS

1. Fib 4. Hard to lift 8. Brindled cat 11. Craftsman 16. Art stand 18. Generosity in a game 19. Governing 21. Most furious 23. Raising 26. Latest 28. Doled (out) 30. Required 32. Minuscule 34. Woman’s title 36. Wise saying 38. TV monitor, ... screen 39. Soup-serving spoon 42. Section of intestine 45. Priest’s community 47. Conclusive evidence 49. Communion table 50. Twig homes 53. Birthplace of St Francis 55. Disturbance 56. Expel from country 57. Enlist (4,2)

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139

59. Greek love god 60. Designer, ... Saint Laurent 61. Fool (self) 63. Shadowed 66. Spree 68. Main fin 70. Wily 71. Feathered creature 72. Peanut (sauce) 73. Bank vault 76. Take (exam) 77. Coastal waters 78. Asphalt 79. Video player (1,1,1) 81. Highly excited 83. Bacteria 85. This place 86. Matched group 88. Nuclear weapon, ... bomb 90. Carpentry spikes 91. Soundest of mind 92. Close result, photo ... 93. Solemn vow 95. Angel’s ring 96. Mean & nasty 97. Oak kernels

100. Swing loosely 102. Make beloved 103. Discourage 105. Provide food 106. Equine 108. Embedded (in) 110. Tier 112. Low clouds 114. Inhabit 117. Soldier’s decoration 119. Overly 121. Glowing coal 124. Gradually implant (ideas) 127. Tenant 129. Re-accommodates 130. Clumsy 131. Gripping (tale) 132. Dull 134. Patiently enduring (4-9) 135. Enthusiastic 136. Lives (at) 137. Plush toy, ... bear 138. Automobile body type 139. Downpours

1. Arrogant newcomer 2. Without thinking 3. Removes (spiral cap) 5. Eventuated 6. Covered (face) 7. Yelp 8. Leaf brew 9. US astronaut, Edwin “Buzz” 10. Harbour crossing 12. More with-it 13. Cowardice 14. Every evening 15. Scottish pattern 17. Joined crowd brawl 20. Animal den 22. Use clippers 24. Appliance cord 25. Singer, ... Diamond 27. Modify 29. Man-made fibre 31. Dogs, Great ... 33. NYC landmark, ... State Building 34. Thaw 35. Wound crust 37. Asphyxiated by fumes 40. Frightened 41. Flogs 43. Via the mouth 44. Pungent bulbs 46. Hospital rooms 48. Overthrowing 51. Reticent 52. Slopped over 54. Enticement 58. Quarantine 62. Opt 64. Fire crime 65. Is brave enough 66. Rural properties 67. Garden entries 69. Argentina’s Buenos ... 71. Bleating sound 74. Beyond, ... than 75. Before (poetic) 79. Assess worth of 80. Swaying seats (7,6) 82. Aplenty 83. Quick look 84. Hunting expedition 85. Tallness 86. Achingly comical (4-9) 87. Prickle 89. Golfer’s aide 92. Sheep’s wool 94. Headwear 98. Honeycomb segments 99. Common seasoning 100. Protest march 101. Mislays 104. Actor, ... Murphy 107. Unintoxicated 109. Added up (to) 111. Streak 113. Sighted 115. Roundhead general, Oliver ... 116. Chaser 118. Response 120. Was in debt to 122. Seance go-between 123. Puts behind bars 125. Creep lightly 126. Slanted 127. Pakistani city 128. Mark of discredit 133. Happily carefree 134. Musical, ... Misérables

COLUMNS

COLD BEER AND COLD NIGHTS DON’T MATCH…

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.

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. Winters fingers begin to close around its chilly palm and eventually form into an icy fist. The thing about ‘decent’ beer is that they 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, and often needed. However 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 drinkers new to craft beer get in to. 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. Every Man, Woman and Child 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, been consumed by old seadogs with nicotine stained hair. It’s time to drop this century old attitude that stout or porter is for; old men, ladies with anemia, or Ena Sharples! All this aside, 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 be-

tween 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 handpulls 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.

CHINESE HONEY BEEF & PEPPER STIR-FRY Serves 4, $8.90-ish Ingredients: •

•

FLAT FEEDS

Half a bunch of spring onions: 30c

•

Half a red onion: 20c

•

Half a yellow capsicum: 40c (enjoy these now while they are still cheapish! Winter is a scarce capsicum time).

Sam Bonney shows students how to feed your flat for less than $20 Search $20 Flat Feeds NZ on Facebook for more cheap recipes

400g tenderised beef steak: $5.50 (This is the cheap steak that has cuts all over it. It’s extra chewy which I actually quite like. Mine came premarinated but if you can only get it plain, soak the beef in a bit of soy sauce and honey).

•

Half thumb of ginger: 20c

•

2 cloves garlic: almost nothing

•

½ tsp of chilli flakes (opt): 20c

•

Tsp soy sauce: 10c

•

Tsp honey: 20c

•

¾ of 400g pack of wide (10mm) rice noodles : $1.80

Steps: Grate the ginger. Set aside. Thinly slice the beef steak. Add steak to a very hot frypan. Stir frequently, but let it sit every now and then to get a scorchy brown in places. If your meat isn’t already marinated you should do that a couple of hours beforehand and throw it in the fridge. Before you start on the other ingredients, cover the rice noodles with boiling water. When the rest is ready they will be too. Stir-fry is fast so you need to have all your cooking stuff ready to go. I chop from fastest to slowest and then cook my way back. Slice the spring onions, red onion and the capsicum. Set aside. Mince or finely chop the garlic.

When the meat is browned on the outside, add garlic and ginger (and chilli if using) to pan. Move them around and then let them sit while you add the soy sauce and honey. Stir again. Tip in the onion, capsicum and spring onion. Keep it moving until the spring onion greens just start to wilt. You want stir-fry to be reasonably crunchy. Remove from the heat. Drain the noodles. Divide into bowls. Top with stir-fry mixture. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Boom – simple and fast.

LOOKING TO GET BOYS’ ATTENTION Q: There are two boys walking around uni together. They’re really good looking and we want to get to know them. How can we get their attention and what would be a good conversation starter? From two girls who are in

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

A: Easy. Show some skin. If these boys are heterosexual then showing skin will be all that you need to do. But if you two are the more conservative type, and don’t feel like coming across as sluzzaz, then follow these simple steps: Eye contact. It’s all in the sex eyes. When you see these boys walking past, stare like a tiger stalking its prey, and thanks to the laws of nature, it is an offer they can’t refuse. Once you’ve established eye contact, get rid of the stare, pout and look sexy. Make puppy dog eyes, purr like a kitten and create the smallest duck face possible, and don’t forget to smile. This is a baited hook these boys can’t refuse.

You have laid down the groundwork. From this step, you need to start talking to them otherwise all this ‘looking hot for the boys’ will go to waste. After the third time you see them, and do that whole smiling duck puppy kitten face thing, then grow some big-girl balls and go talk to them. Don’t be boring. Don’t ask them how they are, but instead ask them who they are, what they do, where they live, who is their daddy and what does he do. This isn’t stalkerish, it’s showing you are confident, like Beyonce, my girlfriend, and that’s what us males love. Confidence is hawt. If you pull this off successfully, then the conversation should just flow. However, if this doesn’t work, the boys are either loners who watch the History Channel and masturbate to it, or they are just not interested because they are either gay, or already in a relation-

ship with another fly honey. If it is the latter, then snap yo fingerz gurl, and remember that you are independent black women who don’t need no man, and come find me, I’ll talk to you and love you … forever. Five steps to kissing a girl properly • Make sure she actually wants to kiss you. If she doesn’t, you are a rapist. •When the moment arrives, and you will both know it, stare deeply into her eyes and caress her head with your hand. If she is kinky, pull her hair a bit. • Ensure your lips are moist, breath is fresh, and you have nothing in your mouth. • Go in for the kiss. I don’t mean a fullon tongue-in-the-mouth, salvia-goingeverywhere, gobby-noises-being-made type of kiss. Put your lips on her lips, gently opening your mouth, no tongue as of yet. • Take short breaks from kissing, admiring her beauty when not. After five minutes of this ‘I love you’ kissing, now is the time to unleash the beast. Slip your tongue in ever so slightly, brushing her tongue with yours, and if you are lucky, she’ll receprocate by offering you sex.

PREPARING FOR BLOCKBUSTER SEASON

FILM BUFFED

Paul Berrington seems to know everything in the world about film, and wants you to as wel

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It is almost here, that time of year when blockbusters take over the cinema, and 2012 is no different, with a huge number of films on the horizon. In New Zealand we have seen a few attempts to beat the oncoming wave of event cinema in May and June, Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games has been well received by critics and fans, yet another autumn release, Wrath of the Titans, continues Hollywood’s inability to bring Greek mythology to life successfully. The director of that film, Jonathan Liebesman is currently in pre-production for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, due for release in early 2013. Perhaps the most impressive looking blockbuster of the new season looks to be Ridley Scott’s science fiction epic Prometheus, featuring an incredible cast – Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce – and a trailer that suggests it may be a prequel to his original Alien

film, as a group of scientists explore the origins of mankind in a distant solar system. Extensive hype also surrounds Christopher Nolan’s third Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, which looks like taking the series to new heights in terms of special effects and intensity, with Tom Hardy’s masked villain Bane looking ferociously evil, a new Catwoman in Anne Hathaway, and a trailer that leaves you rattled by devastating action sequences. Nolan regulars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard star alongside big names Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, and Michael Caine. Expect the film to set new box office records on its release in July. I’m probably risking life and limb by saying this, but the trailer to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey left me a little underwhelmed. Still Martin Freeman looks born to play Bilbo Baggins, and all of the cast from the Lord

of the Rings Trilogy have returned. No doubt it will be a cut above the usual blockbuster, yet with the novel being split in two and of another six hours of elves and wizards to add to the nine hours that already exist. I have to admit I’m slightly skeptical. Due in May, Men in Black III looks to thrill and amuse with Will Smith travelling back to the 60s to prevent the assassination of partner Agent K, Tommy Lee Jones, and played as a younger man in black by Josh Brolin. The most promising feature though is the casting of Jermaine Clement as the villain, Boris. Also exciting is the fact that Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon is at the helm of The Avengers, the story of S.H.I.E.L.D., a peacekeeping agency made up of Marvel Comics superheroes Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey JR., and Scarlett Johansson lead another strong cast.

REVIEWS

THE HUNGER GAMES Paul Berrington

FILM

2012

Directed by Gary Ross Produced by Nina Jacobson, John Kilik Staring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, and Lenny Kravitz

Despite the occasionally illogical plotting and overly detailed back story, this film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is a surprisingly accomplished affair, with the lead performance of Jennifer Lawrence raising the film above the mediocrity of the much-compared Twilight series. Set in a dystopian world where an apocalyptic event has left society in ruins, one powerful state, the Capitol, controls another twelve districts through the use of power and force. The title of the film relates to a competition in which two children - one male and one female - are taken from each district once a year to fight to the death until a single winner is found. The event is the most popular source of entertainment in the wealthy Capitol, mirroring

our own fascination with reality television, yet is seen as way to control by the ruling class and feared by those in the districts. When her sister is chosen, Katniss Everdean (Lawrence) becomes the first-ever volunteer from District 12, and is whisked away to a world of glamour and grotesque. Soon intense training and grand ceremony turn Katniss from naïve teenager into a formidably popular heroine, and with the help of mentor, former winner Haymitch Abernathy (an excellent Woody Harrelson), she is sent into battle. The opening scenes in District 12 are brilliantly filmed, creating a setting that looks a lot like America during the great depression. Indeed the first section of the film is powerful and claustrophobic, positioning the viewer very close to Katniss and her

overwhelming experiences. While another strength is the refusal by director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) to tone down the violence of the books for the big screen, which is often intense and shocking, without being overly explicit. The problem is that once the games start, the film becomes messy, with too much going on in terms of detail, and an ignorance of structural logic. Author Collins developed the script, and you get the feeling that a treatment might have tightened these flawed elements. Despite these structural faults The Hunger Games is both a compelling and ironic film. The totalitarian world of Panem is brought to life successfully and the costume design is particularly outstanding. The mood throughout is a suitably grim, if only the pacing could have matched it.

tars and the New Musical Express I must admit does raise all manor of red flags today. But In 1986 a time when Freddy Mercury was blowing minds by the thousand across the world, C86 was about as reactionary as possible and truly served as the birth of modern Indie music. The NME had been releasing mail order compilations for some time. As a follow up to the popular C81 cassette C86, was an encapsulation of a group of musical forbears that have, for the most part since, been either marginalised or forgotten. The compilation comprises of a few widely remembered bands although musically from start to finish you are met with a strong feeling of familiarity. This is where an interesting idea arises; these songs that seem often so immediately familiar

were uttered over a decade before their innovations reached the masses. Popular bands such as the Artic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand have a lot to thank these bands for as well as the birth of some great record labels such as rough trade and creation records. The album as a whole does not fit a tight categorisation of a movement greatly sharing limited influences. It, in fact, resembles an often shambolic collection of raw ideas. But what they do share is an ethos of anti-glam rock and gritty low-fi punk influenced recordings. The fact that this record remains primarily overlooked by the masses is true to the attitudes of the bands at the time and their lack of ambition for ever making the musical discovery as authentic now as it ever has been.

NME - C86 Tim Cederwall

ALBUM 1986 Label Rough Trade, New Musical Express Compiled by Neil Taylor, Adrian Thrills, Roy Carr

The year was 1986. The United Nations proclaimed it to be the international year of peace, the Oprah Winfrey show premiered and Tina Turner received a Star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Your humble narrator had only recently been a twinkle in his father’s eye and Don Johnston hysteria was gripping the civilized world. In spite of this, and in the far reaches of the United Kingdom, a musical movement was choking into life. British musical history often reads as if all Sony Walkmans fell silent between the rise of the Smiths in the early ‘80s and the emergence of the Stone Roses in the early ‘90s. The C86 scene is increasingly being viewed as the long forgotten footsteps between these two landmarks. Now the concept of jangly gui-

MASS EFFECT 3 Allan Werner

GAME 2012 Platform Playstation 3, X-Box 360, PC

The sci-fi epic of its time in gaming concluded last month with the release of Mass Effect 3. The games appeal comes from its incredibly deep and developed lore and the capacity for the decisions the player makes throughout the series to impact upon the direction the narrative takes. Set in the future with themes of deep space exploration, inter-species relations and synthetic (Artificial Intelligence) – organic cohabitation, the game has been very popular, boasting 3.2 million sold as of March 24 (according to VGChartz). Unfortunately, the ending sucked. In the last ten minutes players are funnelled into one of three options, all of which lead to an almost identical conclusion: one with gigantic plot holes. A vocal minority has been very loud on the internet fuelling what has

now turned into quite the controversy. The Retake Mass Effect online petition is an effort now winding down which garnered a lot of attention. Its goal was to petition Bioware, the company behind Mass Effect, to provide changed or additional end game content in the light that those who felt unfulfilled by the games ending(s) desired something more. The petition presented arguments for the change and specified about a few key areas those in support would have liked resolved. The claims were not unsolicited. Fills for plot holes, explanations of untouched outcomes and a more decisive, epic conclusion for the protagonist were requested. It’s clear that the notion of the petition may have touched on a sense of entitlement amongst

gamers. IGN’s Colin Moriarty, Playstation editor and prominent podcast personality has touted his opinion about the petition and wider controversy receiving mixed reactions from the internet. Moriarty argues fiction is an artistic expression of somebody’s vision and to ask someone to change THEIR vision because YOU didn’t like it is selfish and wrong and I agree. Imagine a blockbuster movie being re-released with a new ending because some people didn’t like the original conclusion. Its understandable fans may feel ripped off; I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the ending. But there’s a right and wrong way to go about it and asking someone to change THEIR vision is a front to the creative artistic process.

Valuable Goods At Allpress it’s all about flavour... This fanatical obsession involves choosing the best possible beans, using innovative roasting technology, training baristas and the expertise of our people. For those who truly value flavour.

Brewing at Tussock and Museum Cafés

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COMIC

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad You are Enjoying the Sandwiches that I have made, But keep your eyes open... i have the eeriest sensation that were being watched.

ah! see there! a small horde of multi eyed and hungry looking warriors!

GuT these bastards and steal their delicious looking sandwiches!

ALUMNI@MASSEY WELCOME When you graduate from Massey, you will join a network of over a hundred thousand past students (alumni) in 143 different countries around the world. So you never really leave Massey. Our alumni work in a diverse range of areas, in public service, finance, banking, the arts, business, politics and education. Our alumni are valued across the world for their creativity, their ability to innovate and adapt to a variety of situations and circumstances. And our alumni are very good at helping each other in business and in life. Get connected today by joining one of our virtual networks Online Community alumnionline.massey.ac.nz Facebook facebook.com/pages/Massey-University-Alumni/151727098173821 LinkedIn linkedin.com/groups?gid=121382&trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

MASSEY GRADUATION GIFT IDEAS Looking for a graduation momento, 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

’CLASS OF 2012’ T-SHIRT ONLY $15 BEFORE 31 MAY 2012

Does not include P&H on online orders. Usually $25RRP

WILLIAM BEAR OR FERGUS RAM FROM $40 BACK PACK ONLY $25 (black or blue)

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 UniMart & Pharmacy @ Student Amenities

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APRIL 2012 - ISSUE 03

ALBANY EDITORIAL Albany was the only Massey University Campus to send a team down to the Uni-Games taking place in Wellington this year. I caught up with the Ultimate Frisbee team, MUFF during the competition and was impressed with their attitude to the sport. Although they suffered defeat in the first day of competition after coming up against such top teams such as Victoria University (who are famous for their Ultimate team) the players played very well despite their inexperience. The team also had to contend with Wellington weather which brought its notorious wind, and sideways rain, to the pitch. The windy conditions made throwing a Frisbee difficult, even for experienced players. At one point it was suggested that the matches be moved to an indoor stadium. Rival teams also noted that MUFF was playing with a fun and friendly spirit so they are looking like solid contenders for the coveted ultimate Frisbee prize, the spirit award. As ultimate is a self refereed game it is up to players to exhibit fair play into each game and not ‘cheat’ by making erroneous foul calls. Something the MUFF team was doing exceptionally well. So here’s hoping that they have brought back some spoils from Wellington. Other competitors at Uni-Games also did well. Unfortunately, being a monthly publication (and with the results still to come) we are unable to bring you any victory stories in this edition. But we will follow it up for May.

Matt Shand, MASSIVE Albany editor

EDITOR-IN-CHEIF Matt SHAND editor@massivemagazine.org.nz 04 801 5799 ext 62068 DESIGN & LAYOUT Cameron Cornelius allstylenotalent@gmail.com 04 801 5799 ext 62064 ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP MANAGER Jacob Webb advertising@mawsa.org.nz 04 801 5799 ext 62069

CONTRIBUTORS

Matt Shand, David Suk, Krysten Mcleod, Noel Hutchinson, Jessica Frank

www.massivemagazine.org.nz/albany

Wendy Jessup (left) with her ballet dancer daughter Eden Jessup using a device to test arm muscle strength with Massey nutrition researcher Sarah Mitchell for the Sunflower study.

THE SUNFLOWER STUDY Krysten McLeod

he summer season is not something ballerinas normally get excited over. That’s because their trainings are usually done indoors. This, combined with the fact that many young ballerinas have restricted diets, has led to Massey student Sarah Mitchell’s ‘Sunflower Study’ into how this then affects a ballerina’s vitamin D levels. Setting up the study began by way of Mitchell’s research as part of her post-graduate studies last year. What she found was that there was a considerable lack of knowledge in the relationship between vitamin D and younger people. This became clear when compared to the vast amount of research available on elderly people, where various investigations looked into the effects of vitamin

D on bone structure and muscle strength. After discussing this finding with her supervisor, Pam von Hurst, both Mitchell and von Hurst decided to conduct a vitamin D study of their own. They decided the focus would be on a certain group of younger athletes because they aim to improve their growing body structure mainly through continuous training, which can take place out of the sun, and so away from a main source of vitamin D. The Sunflower Study focuses on young ballerinas, aged between 13 and 18 years. Mitchell hopes to find 100 ballerinas within this age group to help her carry out this study, which began on April 12. The ballerinas will be given either a vitamin D tablet or a placebo to take over a certain period of time. Mitchell expects to find that the vitamin D levels of those taking the placebo will be considerably lower than those taking the

vitamin tablet. There will be other tests to help prove her theory, including the main test for muscle strength, a Dexa scan, and blood tests for iron, vitamin D and calcium. These will be performed at the Nutrition Department at Massey’s Albany campus. Vitamin D is what aids in the healthy development of the body. It assists calcium absorption, and that’s why too little vitamin D can lead to a calcium deficiency. Calcium is what helps build bone mass and heal fractures. Mitchell’s study will be of particular help to the ballerinas’ themselves because even identifying this deficiency would be hard as a dancer’s everyday soreness can easily be confused with either of the two major symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency – bone pain and muscle weakness. More information can be found at www.facebook.com/sunflowerstudy. 01

Port of Auckland not an isolated case MASSIVE

Dr Jane Parker, Associate Professor of Human Resources Management and Employment Relations

he Ports of Auckland’s push for increased labour flexibility is “not taking place in isolation”, according to a Massey University employment relations specialist. Associate Professor Jane Parker points to protracted industrial unrest at Affco, Oceania, and more recently at Radius residential care homes, as other examples of industrial unrest. “The next release of annual work stoppages data is due out later this month and promises to show an upward curve,” she says. Contracting out, particularly to non-union labour, is seen by many companies as a way to increase workplace flexibility and generate greater productivity in a business environment fuelled by global competition and financial crisis. In the Ports of Auckland case, additional pressure has come from the Auckland Council, which has given the port a target of a 12 per cent return within five years – double its current return. “Employers sometimes justify the use of contract labour by the nature of the business, which may involve various operational segments,” Parker says. “But overseas research shows that the contracting out and casualising of workforces does not necessarily improve productivity long-term. “For example, workplace tensions can develop when a system of recruitment is used that gives permanent employment status to one set of workers and contract status to another. The latter may be used to provide cheaper, less trained and less committed workers, and to reduce union presence in companies. “There is also concern that such new forms of work arrangements will lead to a race to the bottom in labour standards, not least because most contract workers – as they would be in the Ports of Auckland case – are denied the right to organise and benefit from collective agreements.” 02

WELCOME TO ALBANY BRAVES You may not be aware that there is a lot of baseball history on the Albany campus. The Albany Braves, your local baseball team, were, in fact, the first university baseball team in New Zealand and are still going strong. The first team was started back in 2005 with generous and much appreciated help from Massey University and the Albany Students Association membership fee. Currently, the team is run by Stephanie Randall, the team’s first female president. The Albany Braves have had a rich history during their eightyear existence, almost making it into the championship game four years ago, and winning another on a grand slam home run (most runs scored off one effort) in another game. They have also gained a reputation as a ‘feared dark horse’ team in the Auckland Baseball Association. The team also strives to be environmentally friendly team, conducting car pools for practices and games.

The use of contract workers by the Ports of Auckland also reflects a growth in the use of external labour in the public sector. “This is taking place within an intensifying programme of public sector restructuring in New Zealand and beyond. “The dispute also highlights corporate ownership issues, with some concerned that the use of external labour and closed board decision-making is a step towards privatisation.” The Government also wants to extend a programme of employment law changes begun during its first term in office. “The proposed measures have a particular resonance for the Ports of Auckland case and what could follow in other sectors,” Parker says. “This could include the removal of the requirement for parties bargaining for a collective employment agreement to continue negotiations until a col-

lective is concluded. “If the changes go ahead, employers will also be allowed to opt out of multi-employer collective agreement negotiations, and be able to reduce workers’ pay where they engage in partial strike industrial action.” Parker believes the Ports of Auckland dispute has reached a critical stage because of economic, social, and political pressures on it, its unionised workers, and other stakeholders, and because of the Employment Court’s involvement in the case from midMarch. With the court due to determine the legality of the port’s mass dismissal of workers in midMay, the coming weeks will “test the mettle of the port and the union to genuinely act in good faith, restore normalcy to the port and find a solid premise for win-win bargaining arrangements”, Parker says.

They’re also proud to have a wide cultural mix, with players hailing from Samoa, US, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, New Zealand, India, Fiji, and even Tanzania. “We’ve had girls on our team in most years, and they have played exceptionally well compared to 25% of the boys on our team,” says Stephanie Randall. “We’ve always provided equal opportunity on our team, regardless of gender, race, religion, gender orientation, socio-economic situation, student budgets, or degree.” The Albany Braves are about to enter into the winter league, competing against 15 Auckland Baseball Association divisional teams and three premier teams. Go the Braves! The Albany Braves are based on the Albany campus and are looking for more students to join and support them. Email Stephanie Randall @ albanybraveschick@ gmail.com for more information on New Zealand’s first university baseball team.

MUFF AT UNI-GAMES

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Future shaky as Albany’s income plummets Matt Shand

lbany Students Association President Stephan van Herdeen has painted a bleak picture for the future of his association, with just 18 full paid members on their books at present. Although more than 2,100 students have signed on as ‘ordinary’ members to ASA, which involves joining a mailing list, just 18 out the 7,000-plus student population have registered as fully paid members. The fee for full membership is $100. This puts the current income for ASA at a paltry $1800 – almost $734,000 (99.75%) short of last year’s income. In fact, given previous years’ expenditure, it would require more students than are currently enrolled at Albany to become full members to cover last year’s operating costs. 04

A number of motions were passed at the latest Special General Meeting, including a motion to remove the obligation to pay executives and the president their honoraria. Honoraria are essentially the wages the executive and the president earn, meaning it is possible ASA executives will not paid for their services. This may have a huge impact on whether student governance is possible. “If the association runs out of money, and business students will understand this, then the staff don’t get paid,” says van Herdeen. “We [executive members] went into this year knowing that this was a real possibility and have made this change to our constitution because of this new environment. “Our priority is paying staff, not executives. Without staff nothing happens. No advocacy. No orientation. No events. No fun, really.

Just a campus without fun.” This move is noble as it shows that the student executive understands the financial pressures being put on student associations. However, the student president should not be working for free. In many cases it is a full-time position and it would take a person with very big cash reserves, or an insane amount of passion, to work the position for no wages. The current state of affairs appears to be an unseen symptom of the Voluntary Student Membership environment that student associations are now part of. Previously, students associations received a lump sum of student fees collected automatically by the university. This made sense from a governance perspective. All students bought into the association – though some were not happy about it – but they had voting rights to dictate where that money was spent, and how. Under the new environment,

the associations are reliant on negotiating service-level agreements with the university to provide funding for key services. This is happening at almost every university in New Zealand and the funding levels have been a mixed bag. The associations are now surviving on service-level agreements tendered through themselves and the university to provide services. At the time of writing, ASA and other Massey student associations were still in negotiation with their universities with regard to these service contracts. It’s predicted that money will be allocated for clubs, advocacy, administrations and office facilities but nothing is confirmed. Now, associations have to fulfil their contractual obligations in order for money to be allocated. This does provide a greater level of control for the university at the cost of students being able to do what they want. Before this year, students were in charge of how money was spent and, for better or worse, it was a democratic decision. If the majority of students wanted to invest all student association money into a giant water park on the outskirts of town then they could put the motion to an AGM (or call a special meeting) and if the motion passed it would then be the association’s responsibility to deliver it. Now it will go against the contract with the university. This is not to say student money should be spent on giant water parks, but the freedom for students to decide how they spend the money has been removed. The new environment has resulted in the decision by the Albany association to having ordinary and full members as a means of an additional revenue stream. It is a means to assess services demanded by students and to give greater power to those who have joined the membership. While all students will have access to the core group of ASA services, most of them intangible services such as advocacy and representation, full members will enjoy other, more tangible, benefits. Stephan Van Heerden says it is

still being determined what full members will receive, but the executive is looking at free printing, use of the ASA van for club activities, and voting rights. The current list of benefits received by full members of ASA is on their website and it includes: event discounts, orientation, Annual Ball, Uni-Games, Summer Games and voting rights. It is the right of ‘full’ members to vote does seem out of place when taking in what the entire list of services which students associations try to provide for members. It appears that an ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ class of student is almost being created, with one being able to make strategic, and financial decisions that affect the other group of ‘ordinary’ members. Because the student president is the ‘boss’ of the association, all staff member activity stems from the strategic direction put forth

revenue streams are spent, especially when that funding is a result of contracts tendered with the university. However, given that the new membership system is still in its fledgling stage, the voting rights may be something to change. Just before MASSIVE’s deadline, Stephan Van Herdeen and Vice-President Nick Lovett were representing Albany at the UniGames but Stephan did say (in between points) that they are looking at all facets of the new structure. It appears that ASA, along with other student associations, have been handed a kitset missing most of the key screws. It looks good on the box but is impossible to build without serious juryrigging, and even then it will be unstable. It will be up to the student executive to piece this puzzle together otherwise it may be the last year

“Our priority is paying staff, not executives. Without staff nothing happens. No advocacy. No orientation. No events. No fun, really. Just a campus without fun.” – Stephan van Herdeen, ASA President

by the association. Staff members are employees of the president so their actions, including the management of SLA contracts are activities of the democratically elected President. What rights do students have who cannot afford to pay, or simply do not know that they can pay to join up? And what happens to fees paid by full members? Will it go towards wages, events, hardship, class grants, rent? It is impossible for all funding to be raised through this form of membership so what will be cut, and who will decide this? As the financial contributors to the association, it would make sense for full members to vote and decide where their $100 is being spent, but it’s unfair to allow them to decide where other www.massivemagazine.org.nz/albany

of the Albany Students Association. Despite the bleak outlook, ASA is in a position of some strength, having had their SGM and implemented steps to try to exist in the new environment. It’s good to see that change is being made, and now it’s up to the executive to iron out the wrinkles of the new membership fee. Currently, other Massey University Student Associations are almost carrying on as normal. Time will tell if ASA is ahead of the game or not. What do you think about full and ordinary membership? Would you pay to be part of your student association? Why/Why Not? Send your comments to: letters@massivemagazine.org.nz

BOMBS AWAY! A MUSICAL Noel Hutchinson

rom the guys who brought you Comedy Festival hits Space Race and The Irrefutable Truth About Pet Food, comes BOMBS AWAY - an explosive, brand new comedy-musical where no New Zealand icon is safe (from bombs). It’s 2012 in the island nation of New Zealand, and when a bombterrorist starts targeting the some of the country’s most beloved landmarks, the Prime Minister calls upon the only guys qualified for the job. A.D, Matt and Ben are Bombs Away™, 3 bomb disposal “experts” who couldn’t defuse a bomb if their lives depended on it (often the case when it comes to bombs). Armed with courage, teamwork, and song, our unlikely heroes venture on a nationwide journey that takes them everywhere from Kelly Tarlton’s to the Waitomo Caves. From Ohakune’s giant carrot to the world famous “Hobbit Film Set” itself. With the country facing a threat to it’s identity and tourist viability unlike any it has ever known, it’s up to the three least qualified techs in all of the Commonwealth to put aside their differences and sort it out. With a hilarious script from Nic Sampson, Ryan Richards and Barnaby Fredric, complemented by an exciting full length musical score from Joseph Moore, BOMBS AWAY is an absurd and uplifting show that promises to me one of the most unique of the 2012 New Zealand Comedy Festival.

BOMBS AWAY is based on the award winning short musical, A Stitch in Time, which competed in and took out the lion’s share of the awards at the Short + Sweet Theatre festivals in Auckland and Melbourne. No strangers to the stage or screen, Nic, Ryan, Barnaby and Joseph have written, devised and performed 13 original comedy works for Auckland and Wellington theatres – as well as having performed in and written for numerous NZ Television productions. With impossibly catchy songs, an innovative set and elaborate stage-explosions - BOMBS AWAY is a likely sell-out, and an absolute must see. “A cleverly crass and hilarious musical…” – The New Zealand Herald “Unashamed fun; pure talent in performance, production and writing… I want to see more.” – Theatreview. As part of the NZ International Comedy Festival 2012 BOMBS AWAY! - A MUSICAL AUCKLAND Dates: Tue 15 – Sat 19 May, 7.15pm Venue: Loft at Q, 305 Queen St Tickets: Adults $25, Conc. $20, Group 6+ $20 Bookings: 09 309 9771 www.qtheatre.co.nz Duration: 1 hour WELLINGTON Dates: Tues 1 May – Sat 5 May, 6.30pm Venue: BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce CBD Tickets: Adults $20, Conc. $15, Groups 6+ $15 Bookings: 04 802 4175 www.bats.co.nz Duration: 50 mins 05

THE MEGAFLOP Jessica Frank

Jessica Frank looks at the ramifications on free downloads of Kim Dotcom’s megaflop and decides it’s still a pirate’s world

ince the removal of Megaupload from the World Wide Web, stories have erupted in the media dictating the exploits of the self-entitled “Dr Evil” of internet file sharing. Kim Dotcom’s mega monopoly on internet piracy found him swimming in counts of distributing copyrighted material and aiding and abetting criminal acts. However, it seems that Dotcom’s affluent lifestyle, high-end automobiles, and fondness towards models far out of his league have been confused with the real issue regarding internet piracy and the arising problems with 06

them ye ol’ pirates. In New Zealand, we have the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill. So if we’re being a bit naughty on the internet and download some infringing files, a copyright holder can contact the particular internet service provider and request that a warning be sent to us scallywags. We all get a maximum of three warnings, much like you would get from your parents or your primary school teacher. However, after the third strike, no mercy is given to the defendant, who is denied the right to legal assistance. And with a “guilty upon accusation” ruling hanging over your head, it seems likely you would be walking the plank. So, on our soil, Dotcom is not in violation of our laws because he is not charged with an infringement himself. He was the enabler, a devil on your shoulder just begging you to partake in evil-doing.

Through his “Mega Conspiracy” servers, which are based all over the globe, in countries including America (which is why the FBI were in such a tiff with the big guy), he enabled the distribution of files over the internet. And, like many other internet services such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, Wikipedia, and YouTube, the chain of Megasites simply gave us swords to swing with. However, the now heavily disputed and heavily protested AntiCounterfeiting Trade Act (ACTA) may change this. This Act was signed on the October 1, 2011 by the European Union along with 10 other countries, including New Zealand. It could possibly hold access providers liable for what users do online, threatening their existence. Criminal sanctions would be imposed to cease online file sharing – criminal or otherwise – making accessing and sharing of information over the net very difficult. The case of Kim Dotcom would no longer be a rarity. But while this is happening, the

removal of Megaupload and similar services has been only a small hurdle for downloaders. If laws and retaliation aren’t enough to slow down the booming business, then what is the harm? Matt, the drummer and producer for Auckland-based band Skylar, sums it up: “As a musician, piracy does not bother me. Whether it’s lending someone your cd/dvd, or downloading from the internet, there are always going to be ways to steal entertainment. Sometimes there isn’t an alternative, and I’m cool with that. “Although piracy won’t see us making as much money, and that sucks, we all know that. But if our product can reach a wider audience, then that can’t be a bad thing.” Of course, it still could be better. But what is better? Spending a hell of a lot of cash, practising an unreasonable amount of patience, or going without. It’s because of the current distribution system, which is controlled by corporate companies and patent holders,

that much of the content we pirates risk our IP’s for is not available to us. Or it won’t be. Piracy is so prevalent because, from a global perspective, many people cannot afford to pay for what they can download for nothing.

ter of availability and cost. When asked what a good alternative would be, Matt says: “Spodify seems like a really cool idea and I think a lot artists are going to be releasing more albums for free, or for just a donation on sites such as Bandcamp.

‘Swimming all over internet is software designed to mask your dodgy dealings. These programmes will either ship your IP off to a far and distant land, or they’ll simply block anyone from viewing your activity.’

Here in little old New Zealand we are seasons behind the most popular TV shows, and months behind in movie and music releases. Some will not even make it down here! It is this distribution system that is provoking the use of illegal file sharing – it is a matwww.massivemagazine.org.nz/albany

And if you want to watch a video or movie right there and then, you don’t want to walk down to the video store or fork out for a movie ticket, you want it for a good price, so the international availability of Netflix would be awesome.” When asked about the effects of piracy on industry and economy,

he says: “Of course a lot of people are feeling the ache of copyright infringement, but the future shouldn’t be harsh laws but for companies and artists alike to realise what they can do to counter it.” But until this is possible, there are still ways for students to save some coin – illegally or not. First, if you want to beat the system but still pay for what you download, then there is a way to access the legal American servers (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime). By using VPN (virtual private network) you can hold a “valid” American IP address. This, however, is a little tricky and could take a few online tutorials to get your head around it. You could also try out a DNS (domain name system) service which will gain you access into those annoying “American only” sites. The only downfall of these options is cost and it’s less than 100% legal. But it does save you a sail to Pirate Bay and landing in a port of trouble. But if trouble is your middle name, you think you would be still feeling the burn in your wallet, and you have exhausted your costs for the year then there is a way around the law. Swimming all over internet is software designed to mask your dodgy dealings. These programmes will either ship your IP off to a far and distant land, or they’ll simply block anyone from viewing your activity. You will find that some of these will be free, which is great, but piracy is like sex – (unless it’s planned) you don’t want any growing proof that you’ve done it. It’s worth the moola to cover it up. However, with mounting pressure being put on pirates, a coverup may not even be available on the horizon. Until then, and until a more cost-effective way for consumers to buy their entertainment is available, folks like Kim Dotcom and services like Megaupload will dominate the market. Because, let’s face it, we would rather download a free episode of The Mentalist to accompany the food we bought than the other way around.

GO! INNOVATE

Last year, the Business Students Group (BSG) held the Go! Innovate competition. The competition asked contestants to create a product or business idea that they could develop and sell with the best winning a $5000 bursary and a start-up package courtesy of the ecentre. The top 8 entrants were selected for the semi-finals where Auckland tourism, events and economic development (ATEED) gave them a crash course on presentation, development and business planning. Five contestants were then chosen to present their ideas at the Go! finals night to an expert panel of judges and an audience of Massey students, staff and local business people. This year, Go! is back with over $20,000 in prizes along with the opportunity to get advice on how to turn your business idea into reality. If you have a great business idea come to the information session on April 27 and register your interest at: go.competition@ gmail.com. Check out bsg.massey.ac.nz or the BSG facebook page for more information. Entries close 18th of May with finals in July.

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11:38 AM

APRIL 2012 - ISSUE 03

PALMERSTON NORTH EDITORIAL Welcome to the third issue of MASSIVE. I’m your brand spanking new campus reporter who will be bringing you all the latest events, news, and gossip from around the Palmerston North campus. This month we have more partial nudity (is it just me, or do students in Palmy like taking their clothes off?!) from the Mr Vet 2012 beauty pageant, an interview with the Red Bull paper wings winner, and a preview of the Lords and Ladies show that is hitting the stage in May. The op-shop challenge returns, and we showcase some of our very own students’ creative writing. I hope you’re enjoying the magazine as much as I am, and remember that MASSIVE is the voice of Massey University students, so if you have an issue, an event, or an idea that needs reporting, let me know. MASSIVE is always looking for contributors, so if this interests you, feel free to flick me an email: yvette@massivemagazine.org.nz Have a great month!

Yvette Morrisy, MASSIVE Palmerston North editor

AND THE WINNER IS... Yvette Morrisey

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 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

CONTRIBUTORS

Yvette Morrisey, Nicole Canning, Genevieve Lowcay, Amelia Jenkinson , Peter Aim

hen I grow up I want to be...? A question many of us ponder at a young

age. And upon seeing the talent featured in the Massey Mr Vet 2012 pageant, I kicked myself for not pursuing a career in veterinary science. The event was held at the Massey Events Centre on March the 30th, with eight contestants vying for the title of Mr Vet 2012. The show opened up with an interesting rendition of ‘Sexy and

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I know it’ with the contestants wearing tight and bright male thongs to warm up the audience for what would be an hysterical evening. My companion, who gladly agreed to come with me, muttered under her breath ‘I hope my animals never get sick’ and looked on in amazement as the boys wiggled their stuff. The competition had three sections: formal wear, swim wear and a talent round. Angus Gibb was the first contestant to get the ball rolling (literally) with his stumbling striptease, stunning the 500 plus audience by dropping his pants.

Second on stage was Malcolm Gibson who awed the audience with his sheep shagging skills, followed by snake charmer Eddy Goldwater. Matthew Buckley graced the stage dressed in drag, while Timothy Batchelor went the extra mile with a short film showing his preparation for the competition. Marcus Taylor flexed his muscles dressed as a Spartan warrior, and James Wickham made the ladies swoon, showing us his soft side. The final contestant Nathan Broerse, looked as though he was trying to entice female members of the audience with his impressive tongue flick. 01

The judges were all lecturers of the vet school: Ian Scott, Jenny Weston, Anne Ridler and Anna Kendall. The MC was the loquacious Nick Cave. This was the fourth year the event has been held as a fundraiser for ‘Half Way Day’, an outing for third-year vet students to celebrate making it half-way through their studies. The students pile onto buses and head to Taupo, where they partake in 02

activities such as sky-diving and river-rafting. Some 10% of all the funds raised are also donated to a charity of the vet school’s choosing. This year the New Zealand Wildlife Health Center was chosen. For the first time in Mr Vet History, a tie was announced between 4th year students Timothy Batchelor and Marcus Taylor. “It’s an honor [to be named Mr Vet 2012]!” both students agree.

The runner up was Eddy Goldwater. Marcus and Timothy were both forced into the competition by pressure from their classmates. Both impressed the judges with their originality, good looks and singing talents. When asked what the hardest part of the competition was, Timothy replied: “Learning to sew pants that you could rip off in one go.”

The winners didn’t receive a prize, except the pride and glory of being named Mr Vet and a very cheaply made sash. “And a few ladies,” Marcus jokes. Marcus gives advice for any blokes considering entering next year: “You need to be able to laugh at yourself, not take yourself too seriously. Also be original, choose a theme and stick to it.”

STUDENTS ON SLAVE AUCTION BLOCK

Yvette Morrisey

assey students will put themselves up for auction to the public at the end of April in order to raise money for Half Way Day. Half Way Day is a trip to Taupo where third-year vet students celebrate two-and-a-half years of hard study by taking part in activities such as sky-diving and

rafting. The BVSc (Bachelor of Veterinary Science) Slave Auction will be held at the Events Centre on April 27. There’s a $2 entry fee. The doors open at 7.30pm and the auction kicks off at 8pm. There will be a sausage sizzle and the bar will be open for spectators (and the auctioned students) to have a drink (or five). Entertainment will be provided by the students up for auction be-

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fore they are sold off to unrelenting bidders. There will also be a raffle, where bar vouchers, text books, and all sorts of goodies will be up for grabs. Maddie Jardine and Sacha Pike are organising the event. “We are co-ordinating a dedicated committee who will be the cogs of this well-oiled machine,” says Maddie. “This year we have an official auctioneer from PGG Wrightson selling off the groups, so hopefully the event will bring in plenty of dollars.” In previous years, groups have been bought to clean up after social events, complete extreme garden make-overs, and serve drinks at parties. Some 10% of money raised from the auctions will go directly towards the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre.Last year more than $3000 was raised for the Canterbury SPCA, including money raised from other events such as the Mr Vet competition, calendars, and a quiz night.

STUDENTCARD A MUST-HAVE The hard and trying times of student life can bring a person down. Beneath the ‘living life’ image we portray so well is the nightmare of lecturers plotting together to have all your assignments due at the same time, the long weekend shifts to cover the extra costs that StudyLink can’t stretch to, and the continuous diet of toast, rice, and two-minute noodles. Fortunately, as a student, those little luxuries that you have gone without since you started studying may now be closer to your reach. Available for $20 from any Bennetts Bookstores store or online at www.studentcard.co.nz, StudentCard is a tertiary loyalty card that gives you access student deals.The range of discounts include meal deals at Burger King, 10% off alcohol from Liquor King, $50 travel vouchers when you spend over $750 at Student Flights, and specials at Pascoes, Jeans West, and Specsavers.

CHOCOLATE EGG’S RISE TO EASTER TREASURE Chocolate eggs are part of an Easter tradition for many New Zealanders, but the Easter egg has a long history dating back at least 2,500 years, says Massey University historian Professor Susan Mumm. The painted or dyed egg goes back at least 2,500 years into the pre-Christian era. Eggs were used to celebrate fertility, the arrival of spring, and to symbolise new life.

DISCWORLD COMES TO TOWN MASSIVE

itches, fantasy, and action with a hint of romance. Terry Pratchett’s Lords and Ladies is set to hit the stage in May. The play is based on the 14th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, originally published in 1992. The story revolves around a land called Discworld, where there is a town called Lancre ruled by King Verence. Lancre is protected by three witches: Granny, Nanny and Magrat. Lancre comes under attack from the Queen of the Elves and her minions, and the witches have to find a way to repel the invasion and stop the evil Queen. The play also includes an unlikely marriage. It is the first show that Massey University Drama Society (MUDS) is putting on this semester. It involves a cast of 17 (18 if you include a director’s cameo), all of whom are Massey students, ranging from first-year BA students, to those studying health science, business, engineering and veterinary science. Director Div Collins believes Lords and Ladies was a good 04

choice for their first show of the year. “Choosing the first-semester show has to involve a level of pragmatism in that we want something with a larger cast to accommodate as many new members of the club as possible. It also needs to be of a lighter tone so the cast and audience have a good time,” says Div. Some changes have been made to the play, including stripping down the adaptation and adding more comedic elements to give the audience a few good laughs. The producer is Trent Pedley, who is known for his roles as The Watch and The Messenger in Much Ado About Nothing, which was performed as a part of Summer Shakespeare last year. This is his first time as a producer. “The best thing [about producing] is that I get to meet a range of people that I wouldn’t normally have the chance to socialise with.” Trent is studying a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing and Communication Management. “Producing is more like the business side of things, and very similar to event planning and organisation which is what I want to

end up doing in the future.” When asked what the audience can expect from Lord and Ladies, Trent says: “We want the audience to have a good time, and to laugh as much as we do. Support the club by coming and watching our shows – or even better, be a part of them.” Lords and Ladies is set to hit the stage on May 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 at the Hokowhitu Drama Workshop, with the time to be confirmed. Tickets are $15 waged and $10 for students. Refreshments will be served during the interval. For more information on the play, or about joining MUDS, contact Div Collins at D.P.Collins@ massey.ac.nz Another student play hitting the stage in May is Marc Tamargo’s The Deciker. Marc is also the director, while Steph Witton is the producer. Entry is free, but with an optional gold coin donation. It is being performed at the Arts on Edge Festival at the Library on April 28, with the time to be confirmed. For more information on the play, or joining MUDS, contact Div Collins at: D.P.Collins@massey.ac.nz

By the Middle Ages coloured eggs were found in a wide range of countries and customs rapidly developed around them which continue today, she says. Professor Mumm says many people will remember childhood traditions of colouring hen’s eggs, hunting for eggs or even egg-rolling competitions. Today, beeping eggs are designed for visually impaired children to hunt. But now children associate the Easter egg with a foil-wrapped chocolate rather than a poultry product. Professor Mumm, Pro ViceChancellor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, says the transformation began slowly, probably in the 18th Century in France, Germany and Belgium with sporadic production of small hand-made chocolates shaped like eggs, designed as luxury Easter gifts. But in 1873 this all began to change. “The chocolate egg began its journey to global phenomenon when the British chocolate manufacturer Cadbury’s began mass-producing chocolate Easter eggs as a way of expanding their product line,” Professor Mumm says. The development of food technologies that made chocolate a more stable product made this possible and the new eggs were extremely popular. “Within a few years a wide range of eggs were being advertised and competitors were entering the field. In 1897 milk chocolate was developed, allowing an even wider range of choice.”

MOVEMENT By Genevieve Lowcay

You’re not here anymore To eat those cheap egg sandwiches On the sunny Waterfront. Remember we used to wonder how much treasure Was buried under the sea bed? Diamond rings and shiny gold coins Gleaming up at us through sapphire skin.

MAX’S HANG TIME MUCH BETTER Yvette Morrisey

he Palmerston North campus finally had a turn to be proud when our very own Max Betteridge flew a paper plane for 6.82 seconds, taking out the title of overall best airtime in the Red Bull Paper Wings qualifier. Betteridge has now become one of three Kiwis to represent our country at the Paper Wings world final in Austria. The win was a huge surprise to Betteridge, who just went along to the unique event for him and his friends to have a bit of fun, after attending the pre-event in the atrium at Massey. “I wasn’t too worried,” he said. “I was trying not to take it too seriously.” He did not think he would end up taking out any title, especially after watching the action from his

competition. “Other guys had some really impressive techniques and planes.” Betteridge claimed to have practised for only a few hours on the morning of the event after researching techniques on YouTube. “I had all these plans to go home and research and practise but I guess I did the student thing and put it to the last minute.” After finding a technique he found that worked for him, he practised for about three hours, but apparently that was all that was required – his flight time was nearly a full second ahead of the New Zealand second placegetter, Sateki Tameifuna of AUT. The three winners each receive a year’s supply of Red Bull. Betteridge says his will all go to his friends – he doesn’t drink energy drinks. “I’m not a huge drinker of Red

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Bull – I’m not really into energy drinks that much.” So though this prize may not be a huge advantage to him, his friends are bound be very excited that he won. Betteridge will be flying to Auckland on May 2 to meet up with the other qualifiers and then will be heading to Austria to represent New Zealand in the Paper Wings final, where he will have a chance to perhaps make the Guiness Book of World Records. How fantastic – an all-expensespaid trip overseas for being able to skillfully fly a paper airplane. Betteridge also placed second on the Palmerston North Massey University campus for furthest distance, reaching 27.94 metres, while first place went to Jerram Tuck with 28.83 metres. Second and third place for best airtime went to Charlotte Berghofer with 5.25 seconds and Anlya Putra with 5.03 seconds.

Today, the salted water Laps calmly down Lambon Quay. I lean over and all I see in that diarrheal liquid Are scrunches of rubbish. Coke bottles, plastic wrap and paper Digging into the sludge on the bottom Trying to bio-degrade. The water sounds like an asthmatic Swelling with energy and then Stuttering, wheezing. But if the water didn’t move And was still We’d think something was wrong Or something bad was about to happen. But you know that’s nonsense Because when you drowned in the polluted mud-salt The water continued to lap casually That entire Friday night. It tugged your bristly orange hair And stroked your freckled face. The salt stripped you clean in your swirling tomb Surrounded by jewels; Those emerald V bottles and diamond sprinkles. You were the buried treasure Until they took you out on Tuesday 05

Linda (second from the left) with her WOW work associates

THE POWER OF ONE KIWI Amelia Jenkinson

Linda Jenkinson is arguably one of Massey University’s most successful female exports, building two international, multimillion-dollar companies since leaving New Zealand nearly 25 years ago. Her niece Amelia Jenkinson tells her story of success.

hen you see Linda Jenkinson at work you are instantly drawn to her through the law of attraction. She has the ability to make something small into something seem so rewarding and great. It’s something about her stare, her power of positivity and constant probing for action that makes Linda Jenkinson successful. She is always the first to the office, and the last to leave. By the time of her second Macchiato run, her employees arrive for their day of work. She feels her office must reflect the person inside; hers is filled with Bouncy Balls and African Bongo drums – items that help induce creativity and relieve stress. Kiwiana adorn the walls of her office 06

to remind her of her homeland after being absent from New Zealand for 25 years. She could never live in New Zealand after chasing the rat-race dream, but misses the character, humour, food, and culture. “It’s important to keep in touch with your roots, so I always keep my Six60 CD handy, when I drive home with the top of my Porsche down, and just sing,” says Linda. For a good 12 hours of the day, she is behind her desk. Her office is in the penthouse suite, a block off Union Square overlooking Prada and Chanel stores. The matriarchs’ office is cream with a dark shade of aubergine to add a feminine touch. She has a long white table for deals, but she sits at a separate desk, making her orders to her colleagues. She sips from her antique tea set filled with infused health teas. Linda finds decaffeinating and staying hydrated is a good way to continue feeling fresh; feeding her body constant liquid is a good way to diminish her hunger because she does not have much time to keep gym appointments. When you look at Linda Jenkinson, the first thing you notice is her eyes. You see her soul and wisdom, complimented with smile lines winged off the side – the only hint of her age. Her hair was a shade

of strawberry blonde, but 15 years of Californian sun has transformed it blonde. You see her love for cuisine through her curvy, womanly frame, dressed in black and always wearing a scarf draped around her neck. But the one thing you can’t miss is her ability to hold the attention of a room, and hold the power to emasculate a man within seconds. Linda Margret Jenkinson’s reason to be put into this realm is to “conquer the world”, and make the world a better place for all cultures, socio-groups, and genders. She started her quest when she was bought into this world on July 25, 1962, born under the watchful eye of Leo – ambitious, courageous, dominant, strong-willed, positive, independent, self-confident. And there is no such a word as doubt in their vocabularies. They are self-controlled. Linda certainly encapsulates all the attributes of her star sign. She was born into a family where a hierarchy was natural, where competition and high expectations always drove the family to ‘one-up the other’. She was the eldest and born leader into the middle-class family with two little brothers, Stuart and James. One of her favourite memories from New Zealand are dinner times at the

Jenkinson’s farm: the competition to see who could steal food off other’s plate, then the thief would run away and hide in a cupboard, indulging on their prize. Linda started at Massey University, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Studies, which introduced her to the world of management and consulting. She worked for PriceWaterHouseCoopers in Wellington before moving internally within the firm to the United States where she got the opportunity to do her Masters of Business Studies at Wharton Business School. This is when Linda’s natural ability and Jenkinson survival kicked in. From Massey University, her resume is incredibly impressive. She has a three-phase path that has given her the wings to do whatever she pleases in life. She has built several global companies, and was the first woman from New Zealand to take a company public on the American Stock Exchange. Linda incubated and encouraged teams of people who have now gone on to successful global entrepreneur, such as Greg Kidd, a consultant and investor of Skype. Linda rubs shoulders with founders of Yahoo, business mentors from around Silicon Valley, and around the globe. Within the success and hype of Linda’s career her world was turned upside down. During a business trip in London 1997, she was hit by a

Bill Clinton speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative

Linda and Muhammad Yunus, inventor of micro finance

London taxi while crossing the road and sent 20 metres through the air. She was rushed to hospital within minutes of death, breaking her back and pelvis, and with her insides so damaged it would have serious repercussions for the rest of her life. Linda was only physically made to slow down, but mentally she would never let her fingers off the pulse of her growing empire. It was a slow recovery, and even interrupted her ability to fall pregnant for years to come. Finally,

change. She concentrated on her start of philanthropy and the love of humanity in three key areas: disaster relief, education, and woman’s empowerment. ‘WOW’ was born in 2000 and is a non-profit social enterprise fund investing in women-owned businesses in West Africa. The name WOW for Africa was chosen, because WOW means “yes” in Wolof (a language of Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania),.and because the 14 global businesswomen who

“But what strikes you most about her is not so much her experience and no-nonsense approach, it’s that she seems totally fearless. She has no intention of failing but is not freaked out at the prospect.” – Unlimited magazine

in 2001 she gave birth to Tristram, and in 2004 Isabella arrived. This decade was a turning point for Linda where she did a lot of reflection and started to grow and adjust her focus on how to make change in other people’s lives. In her final phase of ‘conquering the world’, Linda started a nonprofit organisation with a handful of other woman wanting to make

first visited wanted to state their strong support for growing African business. WOW for Africa is ‘Yes for Africa’. Linda and her team flew to Africa for long periods, investing $20,000 to $100,000 per company in both small and medium-size businesses and their expertise and training in the low-income countries. This is where Linda’s love for social

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venture started to take over. She didn’t do your usual investor approach when trying to help these businesses. She used her Kiwi ingenuity to get the best out of her money for these women. She took time off from her busy life in America and lived in Dakar for months on end, living and breathing African culture and life so she could understand what the key problems were. “Having a vision and then seeing the vision executed is what gets my pulse racing,” she says. She found that just donating money was not solving the problem. The women Linda was working with had limited education and knowledge, let alone the proper training and experience when it came to planning, executing, and maintaining a business. “What does work is ‘searching’ – looking for one problem that needs to be solved, experimenting with what works, and evaluating its success. So what the women really needed was access to capital, markets and business advisory services. “When you see these ladies putting all the time and money you have donated to them into real time, that’s what’s so fascinating and highly rewarding.” Linda loves to be able to empower these women with knowledge or, as the Senegalese woman prefer, “to be taught how to fish”. The force WOW created within Africa was huge – so huge that WOW was recognised by Bill Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative, which convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, focusing mostly to alleviate poverty, create a cleaner environment, and increase access to healthcare and education. At the annual meeting, CGI members discuss major global issues, share ideas and knowledge about effective solutions, and form partnerships that enable them to enhance their work. Linda is now a walking case study and is recognized by Stanford University, Berkley Business School, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Cambridge University, where she makes appearances to help out budding entrepreneurs with her amazing story and journey. I have been able to appreciate this master at work, inspiring a room full of people who would give their limbs to be in my position. But the one thing she never fails to tell anyone is: “If you dream it, you can have it, and you can be it.”

BACK YARD IN SUMMER By Peter Aim

All I can say is that you are green, not even a “special” green like Jade, or Emerald you never even made it as far as Olive, just the dull tarnished copper of a dull wasted summer, in a dull wasted summer lifetime. The only time you were worth anything was during spring rains, your bladed fingers cut the humidity like sickles. You were mown then, the double blades trimming you into exact proportions, and you smelled so delicious, the perfect mix of childhood come to fruition, and the promise of picnics, and barbeques, and back yard cricket. Now you lie there in the miasma of summer, with thick veins of kikuyu, content to let the dog shit lie where it falls, daisy and dandelion sprouting wherever they can. Peter is a second year student studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and History, with a minor in Philosophy.

Many claim to be the best at finding a bargain, but who really is the op-shop king or queen? Every month MASSIVE will send out three writers from different parts of New Zealand to find a ‘new’ outfit for less than $25. Points are awarded for overall style, money saved, accessories, and of course ‘coolness’. This month, Nicole Canning takes up the challenge.

OP-SHOP CHALLENGE

n every wardrobe are those compulsory items that go with everything. For me, they are my two shade blue jeans, a black skirt, and black boots. These items dictate my shopping experience so that every time I search for clothes I picture items that will match. This op-shopping challenge was no different. My task was to find an everyday outfit that I would wear around Massey. New to the op-shopping experience, I sought the advice of my friend Larissa who is an op-shop fanatic. According to her, the Arohanui Hospice next to McDonald’s on Rangitikei St is the best place to start. Though the range may not be as big, the prices are low. Rummaging through the tops I found an oversized blue checker shirt. Thinking back to my key pieces, I imagined this shirt

pinned in at the back and worn loose over my black skirt. I purchased if for a mere $3. For something to wear on the bottom, I had a high-waisted skirt in mind. For a larger range I went to Save Mart on West Street. The store was like a mini warehouse stocked full of potential pieces. I found three skirts to try, but before the changing room I detoured to a section labelled ‘retro’. I had doubts that I would find anything among this rack that I could wear to uni ... and then I found the shirt. Its bold red and white stripes resembled a clown’s shirt, but I tried it on with one of the black skirts and fell in love. But though the top suited, all the skirts were ill-fitting. Keeping the high-waisted idea, Larissa suggested tying the shirt in the front and pairing it with high-waisted

shorts. Though we couldn’t find any shorts, we did find some awkward-cut black jeans which I later attacked with some scissors and turned into shorts. The shirt and pants were $8 each, bringing my total to $19. Despite not finding any accessories that I liked, finding two shirts and a pair of shorts that I would wear on a daily basis made my 45-minute op-shopping experience a success. Nicole Blue checker shirt White stripped shirt Black Shorts Total

$3.00 $8.00 $8.00 $19.00

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APRIL 2012 - ISSUE 03

WELLINGTON EDITORIAL Another month, another bout of assignments. As students, things remain the same from year to year . Firstly we say “this year will be different, I’m going to manage my time heaps better”, and secondly we never follow through. As this edition goes to press we’re in the midst of that awful pre-semester break stress. If you’re anything like me you’ve just got over a change of season cold, but you’ve now moved from Coldrex to Nurofen to cope with the late night stress migraines. I literally found myself the other night wishing that the library opened later than 11pm… sad. Thank goodness by the time this is published I’ll hopeful still be drowning myself in post-Easter chocolate as I await the results of my hastily written assignments. So what’s in this edition of super important Wellington news? Well, it’s essentially full of Massey kids from our campus who are doing awesome stuff both in New Zealand and around the world. There’s a couple of cool interviews and Josh Dey goes to the Red Bull Paper Wings events So log off Facebook for a second, have a read as procrastination, and remember that if you’re keen to write for us or have an issue you think we should write about then let us know. Cheers,

Jessica Faye Roden, MASSIVE Wellington Campus Reporter

CONTRIBUTORS

Emma Edwards, Josh Dey, Montess Hughes, Isabeau Brimeau

EXCHANGES A VERY EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

Emma Edwards

ith several trips to New York City, a holiday in California, and tramping through the forests of North and South Carolina, this overseas exchange to Cornell University has been the experience of a lifetime for Katherine Patterson. The second-year communications student from Nelson has spent the last semester at Cornell University – an Ivy League college situated in the small town of Ithaca, New York. Cornell University, established in 1865, has a student role of more than 20,000 students and is a partner university with Massey. “There are so many opportunities here,” says Katherine, “Cornell is very supportive of helping you get what you need and what you want … it’s very encouraging”. Katherine is studying a mix of papers at Cornell, from horticulture to media and marketing, as well as working as the new Editor-in-Chief of Cornell’s fashion magazine, Thread. “The highlight has been working on Thread. I got into writing

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and advertising and working with local businesses.” This is not Katherine’s first big adventure. After finishing high school she went to Jaipur, India, to volunteer at an orphanage before returning to New Zealand to begin her communications degree at Massey. But when she saw the exchange programmes offered at Massey, she jumped at the chance and began the application process in her first semester. “I love travelling. I wanted to go somewhere as soon as I started. I couldn’t sit still.” This is not the only exchange opportunity offered to Massey students. In fact, Massey is partnered with 44 universities and two student exchange consortia – creating a grand total of 220 universities available to students from 25 countries. “About half of Massey exchange students go to the United States” says Jenny Loveday, Massey’s student exchange co-ordinator. “But we do have students going to all kinds of exciting places like Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Costa Rice, Spain and Chile – and all exchange destinations have courses taught in

English.”Nearly 60 students went on an overseas exchange last year, the biggest number so far, and Massey is continuing its commitment to increasing the size of the exchange programme. “It’s a fantastic way of adding value to your university experience” says Jenny Loveday. “You can still complete your degree in the same amount of time but you get to have an overseas experience as part of your Massey degree. “It’s going to greatly expand your world view and it gives students really valuable experience. The whole experience is quite motivating for students.” This is true for Katherine as she completes her final semester at Cornell and prepares for her summer internship in New York City. Her final words of advice to others are to take the leap and embark on their own overseas experience. “Definitely do it. It’s a great opportunity and it’s worth the experience.” For more information about the student exchange programme go: to https://studentexchange. massey.ac.nz

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BOOK PUTS ACID ON JOURNO STUDENTS Natasha Judson

ne Massey paper’s newest requirement has generated a stir in its opening weeks on bookshelves. The first of its kind in 10 years, the book was co-edited by Massey Senior Lecturer Sean Phelan, and examines critical issues surrounding New Zealand journalism. According to Scooped: The politics and power of journalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, “this book is a response to the need for new theoretical and analytical perspectives on the condition of journalism and the public sphere in Aotearoa New Zealand”. Co-editor and author Sean says it is simply a sensible response to the last academic book on New Zealand journalism looking to engage with New Zealand journalism in an academic way. The book has two objectives from a general perspective. First, it wants to signal the emergence of more theoretically sophisticated and critically engaged journalism studies in New Zealand. Secondly, it wants to explicitly situate journalism itself as a form of cultural practice, politics, and power. Although its authors recognise that New Zealandrelated journalism research has determined a stronger, institutionally secure, academic identity, there is still a long way to go. “There’s a repressive dimension in the New Zealand journalism culture, which we mention in the introduction. The book challenges that and is unapologetic about it,” says Sean. Different features of New Zealand journalism, both in terms of its historical formation and current condition, are explored in Scooped. “It’s not a pretentious way of using big terms but an

understanding of the world in a larger way,” says Sean. The book has made a reasonable attempt at including a range of voices, from an academic as well as an industry perspective. “We made sure those industry voices were heard as well.” Those who feature in the book include Wellington-based investigative journalist Nicky Hager, Massey University ViceChancellor Steve Maharey, and former international journalists Verica Rupar and Slavko Gajevic. Scooped has been appointed a course requirement in 219.204 News Media Processes, which Sean is the senior lecturer for. He says there would always be two ways that students would see the introduction of a course text by the coordinator. First, there are those who see it as an indulgent act on the part of the coordinator, and secondly, the relief that finally there’s a course text that students can engage with. Student feedback suggests some students are having trouble grasping the book’s terminology. When asked about this, Sean says that as a teacher you’re always concerned about student reactions. Students should find it hard because the “things you find easy are not the basis of education”. “The process of education should be one of toil and struggle to find the meaning and understanding of concepts that you don’t originally understand.” He says the book is on a 500 print run, and whatever royalties there may be will be small.

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Many claim to be the best at finding a bargain, but who really is the op-shop king or queen? Every month Massive will send out three writers from different parts of New Zealand to find a ‘new’ outfit for less than $25. Points are awarded for overall style, money saved, accessories, and of course ‘coolness’. This month, Montess Hughes takes up the challenge.

OP-SHOP CHALLENGE

ith the credit crunch occurring It’s surprisingly squeezing out a new epidemic in fashion secondhand shopping. With a surge across the board secondhand clothing has become increasingly poplar amongst students with a high demand to score a bargain without breaking the budget. Though we all going through hardships of being a student the real test was how I was going to navigate my way through Wellingtons Op-Shops and become a savvy shopper on the hunt for a complete outfit under $25.00 by completing the Op-Shop Challenge in Wellington For trends on the cheap I was immediately drawn Wellington’s Cuba Street and the store called Recycle Boutique with a large range of second-hand clothing retailing at higher price-point almost unbeatable so I was excited to dive in and see what I could pull out of my hat with just $25.00 04

Needless to say, it was hard putting together a head-to-toe look for just $25.00. Don’t get me wrong, they had amazing things and with all the designer options staring around $20.00, giving me little room to move. Instead, I looked for classic basics, aiming to achieve the causal chic look. The Tie-Dye Peplum top was the most expensive piece coming in at a whooping ($12.00) from Recycle Boutique a regular in-store promotion where If an item has red sticker on It this gives an instant 50% discount off the item purchased. This would have to be my favorite purchase, an investment piece I could transfer to my summer wardrobe. I made my way to the accessories cabinet and made out big with a chain bracelet and vintage clutch with a $6 clearance for both items I made my way down to Paper Bag Princess also on Cuba Street (a steal with ‘Not-

ing Over $20.00’) Dotti pleather leggings ($7.00) from may not be an everyday go-to for a lot of people, but it turns out the fabric is just enough to pump up a look and make it feel more high-end than you’d think. Confession: I ended up adding a couple items of my own to complete the outfit. The Vintage grey cardie and Tony Bianco wedges were given to me by my fashionable friend Siara Lewis, who couldn’t fit them in her suitcase on her ventures to London! So sue me!” Montess Pleather Leggings Tie-Dye Peplum Top Clutch Bracelet Total

$7.00 $12.00 $6.00 $6.00 $25.00

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CLASSIFIEDS Vacating your flat for the holiday? Don’t know what to do with your stuff?

www. robinson-express.co.nz

SEVEN MAGNIFICENT COMEDIANS IN WELLINGTON Gearing up for a laugh, comedy. co.nz productions is pleased to present seven magnificent comedians in Wellington this April and May as part of the 2012 NZ International Comedy Festival. The seven stunning acts are: Janey Godley the Queen of Scottish comedy ‘In The Godley Hour’; Gordon Southern from England with his freewheeling ‘A Brief History of History’; Andrew O’Neil a cross-dressing, steam-punk vegan and occultist comedian in ‘Alternative’; ‘Terry Alderton’ a big gun English act back by popular demand; Chris Cox a mind reader who can’t actually read minds in ‘Fatal Distraction’; New Zealand’s own The Boy with Tape On His Face with a brand new show ‘MORE TAPE!’; and Craig Campbell an ‘outdoor adventurer’ of comedy and regular visitor to the festival returns for another shot. Commenting on the stellar line up, Scott Blanks from comedy. co.nz productions said, “producing live comedy is just about the best job in the world because everybody loves a good laugh. And, in this year’s festival, I have the pleasure of bringing a diverse range of acts to Wellington including the new show from ‘The Boy With Tape on His Face’, a bit of classic mind reading with a fresh twist from Chris Cox, and the return of some favourites, Janey Godley, Craig Campbell and last year’s big hit, Terry Alderton.”

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IN PAPER-PLANE HEAVEN Josh Dey Classroom aerobatics hero Josh Dey joins the throngs seduced by the lure of fame and caffeine in Red Bull’s latest creation

hina, 500 BC. With the ancient Chinese becoming tired of the inconvenient size and shape of the dated scrolls in use, they decided to fold their messages into a more easily transportable device, and so came a new phenomenon: paper-plane building. These creations have been an integral part of everyone’s lives. Whether consciously or not, everyone has come across the flying machines at some point in their lives. For some, it was a chance to experiment with physics, show off to your mates, or gossip in class without the teacher’s knowledge. For me, it was a perfect chance to ask that Amanda chick out from the year above in primary school. However, the eraser said no and that was that. Along with my romantic hopes, my paper-plane 06

building enthusiasm was crushed. But the craft left me behind and today it has developed into a fully funded sport with an international competition, namely Red Bull Paper Wings. That’s right, Red Bull, who seem to sponsor every sport you can think of, have jumped on board to support aspiring pilots in 86 countries around the world in their endeavours to a paper-plane Heaven of sorts. On the March 29, Massey University’s very own Great Hall was

the event was a great score for Massey, and she was especially excited because this year was the first time it had come to New Zealand. Personally, I am no paperplane enthusiast, but with a little inspiration in the form of kick-ass prizes, I headed along to join the action. So, with good ol’ Matt Crawford as my wing-man, we rocked up to the Great Hall, camera and boom pole in hand, to get some of the fun on camera. While I spent time

‘It was clear from the outset that there were some very dedicated competitors. Many had turned up to get a few (hundred) practice throws in before the final judgment’

taken over by hundreds of individual paper creations, with each competitor eyeing a potential trip to Austria, or at least a free case of Red Bull. For organiser Isabelle Truman,

adjusting the white balance on my camera, others slaved over the A4 pieces of paper provided, trying to create the paper plane that would fly them all the way to Austria. It was clear from the outset that

there were some very dedicated competitors. Many had turned up to get a few (hundred) practice throws in before the final judgment. Some, like Matt Shand, looked strong from the beginning, throwing his paper planes further than 13 years of rugby has taught me to throw an oval ball. However, for most, the farthest they have thrown a paper plane is from their seat in the back corner of their maths classroom all the way to the whiteboard. This was reflected in the majority of practice throws, especially the odd one I had thrown. So, with my longest throw unspectacularly crashing on the 10-metre mark, I went back to my corner, deciding the best thing to do was watch the action unfold from behind the safety of the camera. I had not planned to enter the competition because it’s a bit hard holding a camera in one hand and a paper plane in the other, but the draw factor was too much. The idea of travelling all the way across the world to see one of the world’s more iconic buildings and compete in perhaps the easiestgoing competition was just too much to resist. So, with the camera safely perched on its tripod, I signed up for the distance section. First up was the distance section. Competitors needed a well-

designed plane, a strong arm, and a bucket-load of enthusiasm. Ben Thorpe rated his performance: “My performance was awesome in the practice round … then, when the push came to shove, I must have drank my Red Bull too fast because I choked pretty hard.” This was the reality shared by many of the morning’s distance competitors who had built up confidence throwing well, only to fail when it came to the crunch. Such is the drawcard of this competition. All it takes is a bit of luck and an alright throw and you could capitalise on other people’s mistakes. But, as the distance competitors who had dedicated most of the morning to constructing the perfect flying machine only to watch their paper-aviation dreams crash to the ground, soon learned, “the throw is just as important as the plane.” Matt Shand knew this all along and blew away the competition with an impressive 21.46 metre throw Up next was the air-time section, the part of the competition where it doesn’t matter where it lands, as long as it doesn’t. The throwing technique in this section is a lot different to the others, with competitors wanting to throw the plane as high as they can and hope it doesn’t come

down any time soon. With Nick Robertson and John Chen throwing 4.28 and 4.78seconds respectively, I had no intention of winning, but in the heat of the moment, with my mind racing from the copious amounts of Red Bull I had consumed, I thought I had better give it a go. I folded my plane into something that resembled a square with wings and let it fly. Exactly 5.38 seconds later it touched the ground and I celebrated inside with the knowledge I had just won a year’s supply of Red Bull! The aerobatics section that followed takes on a different approach to paper-plane throwing. Competitors are judged on the construction and design of their plane, along with their flight performance. The term “flight performance” was left to each competitor’s own interpretation, with some leaving the performing to their beautifully crafted aircraft, while others, such as Matt Crawford and Nicholas Robertson, throwing in dive rolls, dancing, and even a high-five with the cameraman to win over the judges. In the end, Matt Crawford took home first place with an impressive mix of crowd interaction and the robot that left the judges satisfied. I walked away from the day with a case of Red Bull and a feeling that the day had gone spectacularly with full credit, of course, going to the fantastic organisers. You don’t have to be a paperplane enthusiast to take part, but with a contagiously enthusiastic atmosphere and prizes that can’t be overlooked, it is something everyone should mark on the calendar for next year. Red Bull Paper Wings is proof that the smallest of things can take you around the world, and it did for one Massey engineering student. Max Betteridge, from Palmerston North, took away the national title for airtime by keeping his plane in the air for an amazing 6.82 seconds. Max, like a lot of other competitors around the country, “just went to have fun and give it a go”, and walked away with an all-expenses-paid trip to Austria to give his best attempt at the world title.

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