MASSIVE 24: The Halloween Issue

The Halloween Issue

Editor’s letter - The Halloween issue

Meow ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

It’s officially spooky season and the last issue of MASSIVE for 2023, so I am here to bring you black cat magic and see the year out with a sparkle. This issue, the hoomans of MASSIVE take a look at the mystical and occult, in movies, cartoons, books and culture. Our news team also brings you the latest on human antics on campus. I’m here to sit and quietly judge everyone making a muppet of themselves at their end of year dos. Trust me, there are some scenes out there when exams are over, especially Halloween when all the monsters are out. I’m just trying to work out if the humans of Courteney Place at 3am are actual ghouls or dressed up for Halloween.

My advice, for when exams are over and you want to go out, make sure you eat something before... I will never understand why two-legged creatures sip from cans and glasses to celebrate. Personally, my idea of a party is finding extra tasty food outside Tussock, you can keep all your grotty drinks.

I hope you’ve had a good year and that you can keep up to date with all the happenings for Massey students next year with the new team, recruitment of which will be starting soon so watch the socials for more info on how to apply. Hope you have a great summer.

The OG president of the Student Association: Pock.

WEEKLY NEWS

Exhibition against university cuts fights back from the inside

Sammy Carter (she/her) Students rebel against Massey University from within the system in their ‘Off Cuts’ exhibition created for a class.

The exhibition that ran last week, showcased creative responses to the question: If the cuts in education go ahead as planned, what gets ‘Cut Off’?

‘Off Cuts’ was created for the college of creative arts exhibition elective, where fourth year students work in groups to situate their creative practice through exhibition.

At least 23 electives from the college of creative arts were confirmed to be cut for 2024, 18 of which were design electives. Some lecturers were keen on the exhibition idea, while the students felt an equally as strong hesitation from others to engage with it at all.

The ‘Off Cuts’ group first protested against cuts on the Wellington Open Day in August, where they spread posters of Massey’s own marketing with red writing over it, showing the word ‘staff’ crossed out.

Wellington students Julia Kohlhaas, Ruby Christoffel, Tobie Parsons, and Shevana Sammons created the exhibition with help from student Fahsai Chainarong. The artists covered a Massey display case in fabric the night before Open Day, but the morning of, three squares had been cut out to reveal the posters.

The students got around 18 submissions for the exhibition, many being personal to the artists’ experiences.

A paper maché head of Massey’s mascot, Fergus the Ram, was displayed.

The head was used at a Palmerston North protest where a student in a mask of vice chancellor Jan Thomas ‘killed’ Fergus by beating and kicking him.

The exhibition featured some of Massive’s very own articles, photos and designs regarding the job and course cuts.

The students did, however, get the feeling that many people were afraid to talk about the cuts and make submissions.

Ruby Christoffel said with Massey “dribbling” out information, it’s hard for students to know what they are protesting against.

As you entered the exhibition, the sound of typing on a typewriter could be heard, symbolising “activism at work”.

A cake displayed the word “knowledge” in pistachios, but when the knife beside it was picked up to cut through, a screaming sound ignited. As more cuts are proposed and more Massey students protest, Julia Kohlhaas said it’s “just the beginning”.

The students felt it was a shit time for summer to roll around and were concerned the university may make changes during the break when students were away. Tobie Parsons said, “We’re just glad we get to finish now.” She found it difficult to think about what she would do if she wasn’t in her final year at Massey, and sympathised with students whose degrees are being cut back to one campus.

“Moving to a whole different city to finish your degree - that’s crazy.”

Poetry, artwork, and Fergus the Ram were all submitted to the exhibition. Photos / Sammy Carter

Massey famous Wet Denim ready to release latest single

Brett Kerr Laurie (he/him)

Wet Denim is releasing their 6th song, Remedy, next month – and the band is sitting on a vault of unreleased pieces dropping next year.

Comprised of four Massey students or graduates, Wet Denim formed in 2021, recording songs and refining their “rock pop” sound.

“It’s probably our most high energy, modern rock song,” said Nick Goodwin, lead singer and guitarist.

The band had since played over 30 gigs and recently hit 100,000 streams on Spotify.

Goodwin said Remedy is about being trapped in a toxic relationship, and that the interpretive lyrics had taken on a different meaning to him since completing the song.

He described Wet Denim’s genre as “rock instrumental for sure” but with a “modern spin on the production”.

“I’m also quite drawn to writing pop melodies, so the context of having a pop vocal over a rock track - it’s definitely not pop music but it’s definitely not, like, alternative rock.”

Goodwin said the lyrical content changes quite often but is usually about a realisation or new perspective he has discovered,

Massey graduate Luca Crampton, guitarist and producer, said the band members all “draw from different corners and bring that together to make the sound we have”.

Crampton cited Kings of Leon as a shared influence, and said their different styles form a unique sound.

“I quite like to lean into more ambient, shoe-gazey stuff that can fill out the sides.”

Joe Ledword on bass also produces for Wet Denim, often bringing projects into

the studio which form the bones for their next hit.

Ledword, with his brother Jack on drums, always wanted to form a band and said one of his favourite gigs so far was at a Hawke’s Bay festival, Outfield, in February.

The band described their gigs as high, feel-good energy events where everyone can have a good time.

Their first headline gig this year at Meow a few months ago sold 280 tickets, a surreal feeling for lead singer Goodwin.

“Suddenly we were playing to this crowd that had paid money to see us, we weren’t opening for someone … It was so buzzy, I would say that was my favourite show that we’ve done,” said

Goodwin.

Wet Denim has fully committed to turning their dream into a full-time occupation and plans to spend time in Sydney next year to “really give it a nudge”.

Goodwin said some genres are prone to intense, quick growth but they will need to “cultivate and grow an audience and a fan base”.

“If we can be doing what we love doing, making music together and performing it to a crowd, without having to work another job - that would be making it for me.”

You can stream Wet Denim on Spotify and keep up to date with any gigs on their Instagram.

Wet Denim, from left: Joe Ledword, Jack Ledword, Nick Goodwin, Luca Crampton. Photo / Supplied

Wet Denim has played over 30 gigs and has 100,000+ streams on Spotify. Photo / Supplied

Proposed science cuts leave

458 students

clueless about their degree last minute

Sammy Carter (she/her)

International science students pay at least $35,000 a year, to now be left stressed about visas and accommodation as Massey proposes cuts to sciences at short notice.

Two weeks ago, the university proposed to cut all offerings in the School of Natural Sciences and the School of Food and Advanced Technology at the Auckland campus, as well as cutting engineering and plant science completely.

If the proposal is confirmed, students currently studying in these areas will not be able to continue their qualifications at Massey next year.

The university forecasted an operating deficit of approximately $53.7 million for 2023.

Engineering students were concerned moving to a different university could push them back a semester or two as some mathematics courses allegedly do not correspond.

The university was asked by Massive if this was a risk, however, it gave no answer.

Khanh Nguyen, food technology international student at the Albany campus, feared it would be difficult to move to Palmerston North and find student accommodation.

The proposal showed 458 full time equivalent students would be affected. Up to 100 jobs could also be cut.

A final decision was set to be announced on the 27th of November, by this time many student accommodation rooms will be taken.

Nguyen had anxiety over getting her student visa for next year so last minute,

as it can be a long process.

According to Massey’s website, international science students pay upwards of $35,000 a year in fees.

“You can imagine the challenges of moving my entire life will not be easy without my family to help me”, Nguyen said.

Students met with deputy pro-vice chancellor of the college of sciences, Simon Hall, last Monday.

International student Daniel said, “Back home people are losing their minds. My parents are worried, so what’s the plan?”

Daniel said he got his student visa through Massey, “I have spent all my life savings to come to New Zealand and to study”.

Simon Hall said the university would work with Immigration New Zealand to assist international students, and more would be known if the proposal was confirmed. The Massey engineering degree is accredited for graduates to be recognised engineers internationally. However, many engineering students were concerned that if the degree is cut, students who aren’t graduating this year won’t have the accreditation.

Professor Ray Geor, pro vice-chancellor of the college of sciences told Massive that the university would make arrangements for students completing engineering qualifications that fulfil Engineering New Zealand’s requirements to maintain accreditation.

However, in the meeting last Monday, Simon Hall told students “I can’t promise it,” regarding the accreditation.

The proposal said the School of Natural Sciences is forecast to miss the required margin by approximately $8.2 million for 2023.

The School of Food and Advanced Technology is forecast to miss the required margin by approximately $4.8 million for 2023.

Engineering student Hannah said it

would be extremely competitive and last minute to enrol into a different engineering degree with an influx of Massey students transferring.

“My degree will be tarnished going into the industry from what Massey has done to us.”

She imagined herself and peers getting pay cuts due to the reputation damage. Hannah said a majority of their assignments are due in the last month of the semester, but with the stress of the proposal, she could see a serious drop in student’s mental health and grades.

The university has continued to push that student services are available; however, students said the counsellor services sometimes has waitlists of a month.

Hannah suggested affected students get a blanket impaired performance on the basis of emotional turmoil.

An allegation circulated that the university was already renting out the newly built Albany Innovation Complex used for science courses, leading students to believe the proposed cuts were a done deal.

However, a Massey University spokesperson said space that is currently rented out had been that way since the building opened.

The School of Veterinary Science is forecast to miss its margin by approximately $2.4 million for 2023. However, it is not being cut as the university expects enrolment and revenue to increase.

Auckland students protested against the cuts on the 5th of October at a staff forum, as well as on Thursday at the Stop the Cuts Rally at the Student Plaza.

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Frankenstein

Male-centric ego-trip or complex feminist criticism?

Frankenstein: male-centric ego-trip or complex feminist criticism?

By Tui Lou Christie

Gothic, a sub-genre of Romantic literature and the base genre that modern horror emerges from, has always thrived on the transgressive. I’ve written about this in issue 2, but it often relies on crossing boundaries of social convention and political ideas for centuries. It delights in the transgressive, the supernatural, and the irrational. Frankenstein (1818) is an early and incredibly influential piece of Gothic fiction, pioneering in horror by effectively inventing a new kind of monster, the Reanimant, that has its roots in science, not folklore. In fact, many consider Frankenstein to be the first work of science fiction ever, and it was dreamed up and written by an 18-year-old woman, Mary Shelley. While the novel has very few female characters, and even fewer that survive until the end of the novel, I thoroughly believe that Shelley effectively wove feminist perspectives and themes through the novel through her deeply flawed protagonist, Frankenstein himself, and his unfortunate creature.

Anne Mellor’s lecture “Mothering Monsters: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” was delivered almost 200 years after the original 1818 novel was published. It draws from decades of Mellor’s study into Romantic literature, including the life and work of Mary Shelley, and I’ll be referencing it heavily for this article for its feminist reading of Frankenstein (it’s a fantastic bit of academia, you should check it out). Mellor states that this novel is all about what happens when a man tries to have a baby without a woman, and succinctly sums up that, “Clearly, it all goes wrong.” Mellor provides significant historic sociocultural context for the publication of the novel, which illuminates Shelley’s transgressive commentary on the position of women in society at the time of publication. Frankenstein is an unconventional birth narrative, which underpins much of Mellor’s remaining lecture as she reads Frankenstein through a feminist lens, illuminating the transgressive commentary the novel makes on the position of women in society at the time of publication.

The way that Shelley portrayed nature and transgressions against it pushed boundaries of gendered expectations. Frankenstein is often read as a cautionary tale about science going too far, or a man playing God. Frankenstein

is motivated by power, seeking to master nature and transgress her natural order to restore life to lifeless matter and create a new species. In return, he is persecuted, Mother Nature fights back. He is stricken by illness, weather, and misfortune wherever he goes. His wife is killed, and eventually dies himself of natural causes at a young age. It is clear by the treatment of the creature that to Shelley, transgressing nature is not the issue, it is doing so without compassion, which is coded as a feminine trait by both Shelley in the novel and Mellor in her lecture. Frankenstein has no compassion for his creature, as Mellor says, “never once during the nine months in which he’s been putting it together has he ever stopped to ask himself, ‘would this thing want to be created? Would it want to be born?’” In creating new life, he has taken the role of mother, but without any of the associated nurturing qualities. When the nurturing love of a mother is absent, “that’s when monsters get made” (Mellor). The women of Frankenstein are overlooked in the plot of the novel, but in their absence their importance to the family unit is felt.

Mellor argues that Shelley is also pushing the boundaries of gender that were prevalent in her contemporary society by presenting male-coded ways of knowing as inherently problematic. Shelley, she explains, was highly informed on the cutting-edge science of her day, including the work of Sir Humphrey Davey. His 1802 publication of a pamphlet on the newly created field of chemical physiology, which Shelley had read, follows delineated boundaries of sex. The scientist is presented as masculine and nature, dominated by science, is presented as feminine. Mellor uses Davey’s text to describe two kinds of science; ‘interventionist’ science, the active, which seeks to change nature; and ‘descriptive’ science, the passive, which only seeks to analyse how nature works. Frankenstein, like Davey, is a firm interventionist scientist, which is coded as masculine, and his experiment fails spectacularly. A similar dichotomy is presented in the critical framework of Peter Brooks in his 1993 article “What is a Monster? (According to Frankenstein)”. In this interpretation, different ways of knowing are also gendered- knowing by seeing, which can be interpreted as analogous to the scientific method,

being masculine, and knowing by speaking and hearing as feminine (241). Shelley leans in to this sexual politics of science, as Frankenstein’s highly gendered way of knowing fails him.

Peter Brooks’ work is relevant yet again when he defines a monster as potentially being “that which eludes gender definition” (241). Crossing these boundaries of gender, invisible social standards, is affecting within the gothic, and would have been even more so under the stricter social settings of the regency period, when the novel was written. Susan Stryker’s 1994 publication, “My Words to Victor Frankenstein above the village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage”, is an emotive reading of Frankenstein as a transgender narrative. Stryker posits that transgenderism is threatening because of its potential to destabilise the foundational fixed gender binary, arguing that crossing gender boundaries threatens a base component of social order, no matter the century in question. This could be in Shelley’s day, when strict gender definitions made the suggestion of the inherent importance of women to society or the inherent problems of malecoded ways of knowing a threat to social order. Or, this could be in Stryker’s day, eluding and radically challenging gender definition altogether.

Both Shelley, according to Mellor, and Stryker embrace this upset in social order to some degree, but Stryker revels in it, taking it to its extremes and embracing the unnaturalness of her means of embodiment. While Shelley suggests modifications to her patriarchal systems, Stryker says she defies them entirely by her “refusal to abide by its original decree of my gender”. Her work is foundational to the field of trans studies, and Stryker and Mellor’s work together presents a transfeminist view that highlights the ways women have been challenging gender for centuries, as well as the importance of continuing to do so for the betterment of society. Both Mellor and Stryker explore expectations and definitions of ‘woman’, both at the time the novel was written and almost 200 years later, highlighting the complex feminist themes hidden within Frankenstein, waiting for you to look a little deeper.

Illustration by Annick Harvey

Spooky Spirit: Tricks and Treats from the Resident Vampire.

By Molly Richards (she/her)

It will come as no surprise that Halloween is my time to shine, or sparkle if you will. As your resident vampire here at Massive, I know a little about getting in the spooky spirit. Having been obsessed with Halloween and all that spirited stuff since my youth and based on the way my joints scream, that was at least 200 years ago. I know that others may not share my passion for the season or celebrate it with as much enthusiasm as I (or at all). However, if you are going to celebrate, please for my sake do it right. How can you do Halloween right? Good question, not sure I have a divinatory meaning for that, but I can be sure as hell tell you how to do it wrong. I’ll help you get in the spirit, fear not, I won’t bite— much.

I don’t want to be seeing any of that jolly holiday season bullshit anywhere near Halloween, at least until way into December thank you very much. For the love of everything bad and dreadful, All I Want is for Mariah’s sinfully jolly song to remain silent as the grave for the time being. It goes without saying but keep that tinsel crap out of my sight, you don’t need it.

Now that’s out of the way, let’s get into the good (or rather) bad stuff.

First and foremost; dress up. This is not the time to be boring, or basic, or worried if “it’s too much.” Fuck that, have no fear when you get ready this year, it’s others that should be afraid of your horrifyingly good costume. It’s not too late to get organised and it’s never too early to get thinking. There are so many good costume ideas out there. I’ve been a witch and a vampire for at least five Halloweens, obviously aside from my full-time spookiness. So, explain to me why you’re wearing jeans and a T-Shirt? I will judge you harshly if laziness shows, Pocket will too. She has her black cat costume rocking all year round, what’s your excuse? It’s not too hard to paint rings of black eyeshadow and go as a skeleton. On that note, makeup tip, if all else fails eyeliner can make you look dreadful. Honestly, for all I care get a white sheet, cut out eyeholes and go as a bloody ghost. You can’t beat the classics.

Decorating, now that is my favourite thing to do. It is the one time of year where it is socially acceptable for your house to look haunted. You could have it properly haunted if you want to go all out, see ghost costume. Or you could try a séance but that requires some advanced learning

and a lot of sage post party. Anyway, when decorating ask yourself: would the Addams family live here and be happy?

If that’s a no, you need more spider webs, a skeleton (fake, no DIY please unless it’s paper mache) and some ‘creepy’ paper. Very macabre. If you plan, you could let the spiders in your flat do their thing for the year and come October the place will look absolutely dreadful! Another pro tip, get some black card and cut out some little bats. There is no such thing as too many bats. More bats the better, give the spiders some fiends. Be mindful that though candles look great, fire is a no no. Especially at a gathering of the undead, a rogue candle can un-kill the mood faster than you can scream. Seriously, when the mummy gets their bandages caught on one and burns the house down, you’ll regret it. If you insist on candles, those battery powered tea lights work wonders. The best part is all this stuff is reusable, no need to throw it away. Or keep it up all year, go nuts. We may be monsters but we don’t want to hurt the planet.

Now even the supernatural get hungry, so give your guests a bite or two. I do enjoy the odd spider cup cake, or coffin cookie. Not to mention the severed jelly hand. Relatively simple and quite self-explanatory, you just need a glove and red jelly. Fill that bad boy up, set it, and enjoy your tasty, raspberry-flavoured centre piece. You can also make little mummy sausage rolls with some strategic pastry placements and red drinks all round. I have my special red beverage of choice (vodka cran – I’m not crazy) but you could make red wine sangria. Chuck in some gummy eyeballs and you’ve got a terrifyingly tasty punch. If you’re feeling fancy, go for a Bloody Mary— this pairs nicely with scream cheese.

You can’t do a spooktacular without mood music. Sorry TSwift fans, we need the Monster Mash. Hocus Pocus is the move as well, we mustn’t forget our “Sistahhhhs!!” I hope this has been helpful, I will not entertain excuses for poor preparation this Halloween. Unlike any other holiday, Halloween doesn’t require gifts or dinners or obligations aside from some spirit or spirits if you’re feeling haunted. Go nuts, be safe, be spooky and prepare for another glorious morning, (makes me sick!) and a terrifying night. Please don’t hesitate to “scream if you need anything.”

Illustration by Annick Harvey

Illustration by Eden Laing

Celebrating Mid-AutumntheFestival

By Elizabeth Chan

Fun fact: I’ve never celebrated Halloween. I’ve also never had candy corn.

As much as I dreamed of dressing up as a vampire for Halloween and indulging in the gazillions of Halloween activities as advertised in American movies-- like trickor-treating, carving pumpkins, decorating the house with skeletons (my ideal Halloween decoration), and stuffing my face with candy corn-- that dream never came true.

That’s because I celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival instead of Halloween.

‘The Mooncake Festival’

It’s officially called the ‘Mid-Autumn Festival’ since the festival takes place in the middle of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. But in Malaysia, no one really cares that the festival is more of a “seasonal thing”, since it’s a tropical country. We’re only in it for the food, and we call it the ‘Mooncake Festival’ instead. I guess some of my readers who celebrate it in Aotearoa follow the same line of thought since New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere where the festival is celebrated in the spring.

Unlike Halloween, the Mid-Autumn Festival doesn’t have a fixed date every year since it follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar. For example, it was celebrated on 29th September this year, 2023, and will be celebrated 17th September next year. It’s also celebrated whenever there’s a full moon on that specific day. After all, what’s a mooncake festival if the moon isn’t even full?

The Legend Behind It

So, why do we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival instead of Halloween? “Food and lanterns, of course,” would be the simple answer. But, how did we actually come to celebrate it?

While the reason why we celebrate the festival today is to have family reunions over food and lanterns, the celebration stems from the legend revolving around the archer Hou Yi and his wife Chang’e.

During that time, ten suns rose to the sky, creating a drought that caused crops to die and people to suffer, according to LTL. One day, Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns with his bow and arrows, leaving just one sun to warm the earth. As a reward, he was awarded the elixir

of Immortality by the goddess Xiwangmu, according to Mythopedia.

There are many variations around what happened to the elixir, but there is one variation that many accepted, according to China Highlights and Time Out. Hou Yi gave the elixir to his wife, Chang’e, to keep it safe since he was unwilling to take it.

Hou Yi became the talk of the town for obvious reasons (because how often will you meet a man who can shoot down not just one sun, but nine?) and many lined up to be his students. As he had a good heart, he accepted them and taught them archery. There was one student, however, who became greedy. While Hou Yi went hunting with his other students, Pang Meng pretended to be ill and stayed at home. When the coast was clear, Meng went to Hou Yi’s house and tried to force Chang’e to give him the elixir. Chang’e knew she could not defeat Meng and drank the elixir instead.

She then became immortal and rose to the moon, unable to see her husband again because immortals could not stay in the mortal realm.

After Hou Yi found out the news, he was heartbroken. On that very night, he noticed that the full moon was unusually bright and he faintly saw Chang’e’s figure as she peered down onto Earth from the moon.

Hou Yi then offered mooncakes and other food to the moon from then on, hoping that his wife, Chang’e, could notice him and see that he missed her deeply. And that was how the Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Mooncake Festival, came about.

Interestingly, there is a famous Chinese love song sung by Teresa Teng in 1977 that is still sung today from China and still played in Malaysia. The song expresses how deep the love the singer had for their lover that even time itself couldn’t move their love. The song’s title? ‘The Moon Represents My Heart’.

Coincidence? I think not.

Not Just Mooncakes

Other than mooncakes, there is another part of the Mooncake Festival that I enjoyed celebrating that was

arguably similar to Halloween, now that I think about it. It’s the part where we gather together and stroll around our neighbourhood as we hold our lanterns.

Now, I don’t really partake in the lantern-holding part when I’m in Malaysia because it’s too hot and the mosquitos love my blood. When I’m in Auckland, not many people here celebrate this part either and everyone just goes to the nearest Asian market to buy some mooncakes to share with their families back home.

Although, there was a time when I was a kid that I was absolutely crazy about these lanterns. I actually got to buy a neon plastic one that glowed at night and I was the coolest kid on the block because it was neon red and pink in the shape of an animal that I now have no memory of. As a kid, we also celebrated it by making paper lanterns in school and Sunday school.

I guess the lantern aspect of the festival wasn’t really the highlight of the event because it was an activity for children. Although the malls back home are draped with massive Mooncake Festival décor, I expect that the festival and lanterns are much grander and on a larger scale in China. So, that’s my experience of a festival that I celebrate instead of Halloween. If someone asked me whether I would celebrate Halloween instead, I would say yes, because I love dressing up and I always wondered what it’s like to carve pumpkins instead of making them into soups. But it’s difficult to let go of something, like buying and sharing scrumptious mooncakes, that has been a part of my life up until now.

Illustration

Karere ō Kehua: A Short Story

By Cameron McCausland-Taylor

At first, I thought nothing of the tapping.

Lying in bed with remnants of sand between my toes, my nightgown was sure to smell in the morning from the ocean salt I couldn’t wash off, just in case the bath woke up my parents. My cheeks were still flushed from kissing Huia on the beach, sending me into fits of giggles just thinking about it again. My darling, my first love, my forbidden romance. Harsh winds whipped around the whare, rattling our roof, tree branches tapping on our windows. I didn’t take any notice of it, used to these gusts from our moana, until the wind stopped but the tapping didn’t, getting louder and more aggressive.

Clambering out of bed, I marched to the window, ready to growl the kura boys who liked to tutu around in the middle of the night. Poking my head out, a sole figure lingered on the porch. As they moved closer, I couldn’t hold back my screams. Head floating above the rest of her body, I saw a girl who looked the same age as me, her face was contorted into a terrifying expression. It seemed as if she was shrieking, but no sound was leaving her mouth. Layers of cuts blended into each other, blood oozing from the wounds, spaces where her eyes were meant to be left completely hollow. Her skinny frame was deeply bruised and battered, with tiny patches of unscathed skin amongst the heavy swelling. Lumps for fingers and toes, she couldn’t possibly use her hands or feet for anything.

Boom! My pāpā rushed through my bedroom door, scooping me into his arms. “My baby,” he cried, holding me tight to his chest. “Are you okay? Why were you screaming?” I shakily pointed to the window, speechless from what I just saw. Sputtering air out of my barren throat, I pushed out the words with all my might. “I s-saw a girl,” I stuttered, tears flooding down my face. “Her head, it… it wasn’t attached to her body. She was bleeding and b-bruised, she had no eyes. Pāpā, I’m s-so scared. Why did I see her?”

Pāpā gulped, running a hand through his hair and looking out the window. He pops his head back inside, standing beside me and rubbing my back. “I don’t want to frighten you, darling, but if you really believe what you saw, it could be a kehua,” he whispered. “Might have unfinished business on this island, or they’re here to give you a message. Sometimes it’s a nice message, or sometimes… No, I’m sure that can’t be it, darling. You’re a good girl. Come sleep with me and Māmā tonight.”

Nestled in between Māmā and Pāpā, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Pāpā said, me being a good girl. I’d seen how the others like me around here had been treated, punished physically and mentally, if not banished from the whānau entirely. I’d learnt about sin in kura, in church, in my home all my life. I was starting to think maybe they were right. Maybe that was the kehua’s message.

The next night, I didn’t go to meet Huia. My heart ached thinking about her walking along the shore on her own, earnestly looking for me amongst the moonlight, before eventually realising I wasn’t coming. I was too frozen with fear to run down to the beach and fulfil my heart’s desires, trying to prove to the kehua that I was miraculously changed. Papa pleaded with me to stay in his and Māmā’s room again, but I refused, needing to see if my theory would work.

After what felt like hours, my eyelids began fluttering with fatigue, sending me into slumber. Huia plagued my dreams as usual, but the terror of the kehua even made its way into those innermost thoughts, my dreamlike figure bolting from any sight of her to protect myself. Then, I heard that noise again. Tap, tap, tap. My eyes flung open, and I sat upright in bed, trying to catch my breath.

Tap, tap, tap. “Roha,” a familiar voice whispered amongst the tapping. My eyes darted to the window, expecting to see the kehua, but it wasn’t her. It was my darling Huia. Walking over, I opened the window a fraction, as to not invite her in, leaving her kneeling on the porch.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed at her. “Haere atu. I don’t want you here.”

“Why didn’t you come and meet me?” she asked, tears in her eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”

I anxiously glanced over my shoulder to the mirror, my heart beginning to race. “Huia, I don’t have time to explain everything,” I replied. “Please, just go. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

She wrapped her fingers under the bottom of the window, trying to hoist it up. I used my arm strength to try and shut her out, but she was always stronger than me, creating enough of a gap to climb into my room. As soon as she did— tap, tap, tap.

“You need to leave NOW,” I snapped at her, keeping my distance.

Tap, tap, tap.

“I’m not leaving here until you tell me the truth,” she cried. “I thought you loved me. I thought we were leaving the island together!”

SMASH. Shards of glass shattered across the floor, narrowly missing our feet. The kehua floated into my bedroom, her painful wailing echoing around my bedroom walls. She left a trail of blood as she moved around, slowly inching in closer to me. Huia and I screamed in unison, backing into opposite corners of the room.

“Baby, I’m coming!” I heard Papa yelling, his heavy footsteps running down the hall. Before he could reach us, one of the kehua’s bulging hands grabbed mine, lifting me up into the air. She hovered over to Huia, clutching her too, before launching all three of us through the window. We soared with her above our whenua, our sobs drowned out by her wails.

Reaching the edge of the beach, the kehua lowered us into an urupa, her wails softening. She loosened her grip on us, but we were too petrified to run away. We stood stiffly in the sand, our fingers brushing each other’s for comfort. As the kehua knelt before an unkept grave covered in moss and weeds, I deciphered a name on the gravestone, ever so slightly hidden underneath the green grime. Roha Nuku, 20 years old.

Choking back sobs, my body began uncontrollably shaking. The kehua was my grandmother, my namesake, tortured and murdered when my pāpā was a baby. But I remembered the story all too well; she wasn’t the only one who was murdered. I read the grave next to hers. Manaia Ranapia, 20 years old. Roha’s best friend. I fixed my gaze to Huia, filled with gratitude.

Rising from the whenua, the kehua of Manaia formed in front of us. Her long obsidian hair cascaded down her back, her forest green eyes glimmering in the moonlight. She was wrapped in a flowing korowai that rustled in the breeze, her pounamu pendant gently bouncing on her chest. Watching her glide towards Roha was other-worldly, radiating a shimmering glow as she moved. Manaia took Roha’s hands in hers, and instantly, Roha’s silent shrieks came to a stop, closing her mouth.

Piece by piece, Roha’s tinana began to heal. Her head and body clicked into each other, wounds closing up, the gushing blood stopping its flow. The ghastly bruises disappeared, her fingers and toes returning to their normal

shape. Shutting her eyelids, she let out a sigh of relief, her eyes finally back in their sockets as she opened them up. Their lips collided in an all-consuming kiss, grasping each other in a heated embrace, becoming lost in the passion they had yearned for decades.

Immediately, I ran to Huia, wrapping her in my arms as we both cried. “She’s warning us,” I sobbed. “Telling us to leave before we get caught. I don’t want us to only love each other in death. I want this life with you.”

I looked to my grandmother, staring at me lovingly. “Look after Pāpa and Māmā for me, please,” I wept, wishing it could have been different but knowing they wouldn’t understand. She nodded at me with a comforting smile, laying her head on Manaia’s shoulder. Huia cradled my face in her hands, bringing my lips to hers. “What are we waiting for?”

Sexcapades

All smurfed out

Halloween is pretty much tomorrow and thank God for that because I have a Sexcapades that I’ve been dying to talk about.

Last year, me and my girls dressed up in our slinkiest little Victoria’s Secret model outfits for a Halloween party. The goal was to look hot, gorgeous, and desirable to the point where our delulu and insane personalities were completely masked. What else is Halloween for if not catfishing?

One almond and a bunch of vodka later (that was a joke, we obviously had two almonds), we trotted on to the flat of the lads we knew from biz class, and it was popping to the point where even Dom Dolla would be thriving.

Then, Papa Smurf appeared.

Underneath all the blue paint, I realised it was the guy I’d been shagging for a couple of weeks and had promised the gals I would never do again due to toxic reasons. I gazed at him a little longer from across the room, drooled over his veiny arms and thought ‘f*ck it, I’m going to do you again.”

Maybe it was for the plot, maybe it was because I wanted attention, but he got

handsy. I really took advantage of my teeny tiny costume, and we had a naughty rendezvous before heading back to the party which is where everything turned to shit.

Instant karma hit me quicker than Will hit Chris at the Oscars and the gals pointed out I had blue patches all over my bodyparticularly on my face.

I laughed it off at the time but three days later I was praying for a Covid outbreak so we all had to wear face masks outdoors again.

For 6 days, I repped a mix of a blue beard and exfoliation rash before the stain finally disappeared and while I thought I had successfully blocked it out, this week’s Snap mems resurfaced the trauma.

Safe to say, I’ll be avoiding Papa Smurf this year.

Happy vibes always, Girls Get Off

This

Solicited Advice

From Pocket

Solicited advice is a weekly column where Massive’s own four-legged Agony Aunty, Pocket, shares her wisdom and experience with you all. She speaks only truths.

Dear Pocket. I’m looking for a summer job for some extra cash this year and I’m having trouble. I’ve been on a few work trials and haven’t managed to get the job. What do I do?

My advice to you hooman: Become Ungovernable. Who wants to wash dishes in a dingy café for a lousy boss anyway? If you seek (food) you will find. There’s plenty of freebies to be had around town over summer, you just have to know where to look. The only work I’ve ever done is Whiskas taste testing and let me tell you, I’ve never had to apply for a job in my life. It always amazes me that hoomans have to impress each other through qualifications and credentials. The most impressive thing on my CV is my rat-catching score. I earn my keep stalking campus at night and ensuring it is rat-free. Maybe you could try some sort of exchange with, say, your grandparents, mowing their lawn for a few buckies over summer? Be creative, be open and most of all, become ungovernable and you will invite success (and treats) into your life.

Do you have a question you’re dying to have answered?

Massive Magazine on Instagram or editor@massivemagazine.org.nz and look out for next week’s issue - no question is too difficult for Pocket.

Aquarius

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Fairy: Another name for a fairy is a Sprite, so make sure you order yours with a double shot of vodka on the big night.

Pisces Aries

Feb 19 - Mar 20

Mermaid: duh! Got to be aquatic, Pisces. This is a sign to get your tits out this spooky season. Mermaids don’t wear bras.

Mar 21 - Apr 19

Witch: which witch? Whichever you wish! Your witch, your way, so cackle all the way to the 31st.

Taurus Gemini Cancer

Apr 20 - May 20

Loch Ness monster: swim away from the haters. Even if no one else does, we believe in you!

May 21 - June 21

Clown: creepy or cutesy? It’s up to you, so think about how much you really like the children that visit your drain.

Leo Virgo

July 23 - Aug 22

Mothman: Take a backseat to let others shine. You might find yourself oddly attracted to them...

Aug 23 - Sep 22

Creature from the Black Lagoon: with enough Rexona, you’ll only smell a little bit like low tide at your spooky bash.

June 22 - July 22

Unicorn: Start off Halloween with a canter, you horny bastard!

Libra

Sep 23 - Oct 23

Bigfoot: you know what they say about monsters with big feet... Big legacies!

Scorpio Sagittarius

Oct 24 - Nov 21

Wizard: ‘tis the season for an old man with a white beard, robes, and a pointy hat to come down your chimney and cast Fireball.

Nov 22 - Dec 21

Cupid: The archer of love, make sure you bring the correct arrows to avoid any bloody incidents this Halloween.

Capricorn

Dec 22 - Jan 19

Demon: You can count on those magic words to bring you to the party. Daemon esto subjecto voluntati meae...

You're in for a Scare!

By Aiden Wilson

Let me take you back a few years.

It’s a Tuesday in October of 2007, you’ve just got home from school. You’ve got some maths homework to get through, just revision for your basic facts quiz, nothing major.

You can afford the sit down. After your day, you NEED the sit down.

So, you jump on the couch and grab the remote, tuning into TV2. It’s 3:30, so you know what that means: SpongeBob SquarePants.

It’s amazing, you’re having a delightful time! And then –

Imagery like this can leave an impression onthe mind of a child’s mind, especially when they’re not expecting it. Even for an adult it can be a little disturbing. Why is it here, in SpongeBob of all places? If I’m being honest, the inclusion of these harrowingly real-looking images adds to the buffoonery of the show. It doesn’t make sense to begin with, so is it really a surprise when they suddenly appear? I wouldn’t necessarily call it horror. It’s more the art stylebeing s shift away from the show, partnered with the unexpectedness of it, which makes it scary. I will admit though, some of these images are pretty gnarly when viewed on their own.

It’s not a genre you expect to be aimed towards younger audiences. When I think horror, I think of Jason Vorhees’ blood-soaked hockey mask, the Alien bursting through

John Hurt’s chest, Leon getting gruesomely beheaded by Salvador in Resi 4. I think of gore and extreme violence, jump scares, screetching and the like. But children’s horror has been around for seemingly ever. Growing up we had Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Are you Afraid of the Dark? and others media like them.

Children’s horror was very much present, and it’s still around today. It’s not just some macabre part of our youth that’s been dialled back or coddled. There’s a new Goosebumps series coming to Disney+ in the very near future, IPs like Adventure Time and Gravity Falls contained vast amounts of horror and thriller elements, and they were airing up until most of us were in high school. Each generation of youth has had something to be afraid of. Media constantly gives children content with the intention of making them wonder if there’s a monster in their closet. Even things not initially intended for the young’uns has found itself catering more and more to that crowd, leaning into their newfound audience instead of trying to alienate them. Five Nights at Freddy’s had an exceptionally dark premise when the franchise first launched. Nearly a decade on, the latest release bills itself as being “family friendly survival horror”. Having played it myself, it literally feels like the latest Resident Evil games viewed through a kaleidoscope. Children enjoy being scared, that’s why they flock to CreepyPastas, books, and games which really aren’t intended for them. Thanks to fellow Massive staffer, Tui, I was informed about the concept of ‘risky play’ – a playstyle where children are given the freedom to leave their comfort zone, engaging in thrilling activities in an adult-supported environment. While the child risks being hurt or spooked, they learn to push through these feelings to get the sense of achievement. Tui posed that a great story can serve as a similar motivator for a child to reach the end of a potentially frightening piece of media. It helps to develop self-regulation further, allowing them to feel that fear in a safe environment and push through anyway.

The unexpected nature of the hyper-real jump scares in SpongeBob episodes could be seen as micro doses of horror. Purely me theorising here: what if these images had been placed in the show at their intervals to ignite some sort of anxiety response from the viewer? They’re gone as quickly as they arrive, giving the audience a small jump but then allowing them to return to the usually jovial nature of the episode.

Tui dropped some further wisdom which really resonated with me –

“Gothic influenced and frightening texts can also be great for the empowerment of young people. It’s empowering to select and choose to engage with media that pushes you. I’m sure you would’ve watched an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog or something that freaked you out completely, but you were still brave enough to watch the next one. That’s courage.”

These images are similar, to a lesser extent than Courage, but still in the same vein. Not changing the channel, getting past the initial scare, it’s empowering. Again, me theorising – it shows a younger audience member that sometimes the world will have random, scary occurrences. Even when things are great, they might be unsettled for a second, but the status quo WILL be reestablished if you allow yourself to push through.

Aside from empowerment and development for an adolescent, children’s horror serves as a gateway to the medium.

When I was wee, one of my favourite books was The Most Haunted Places in The World; a compilation of "true” ghostly encounters and haunted places across the globe. It made me feel so anxious that I needed to hide it every night before bed. The tales it held, dubious in their truthfulness, drew me in like nothing else. It inspired a lifelong love of the supernatural, which has only grown as the years have gone on. Baby’s first ghost book led to me actively seeking out more grotesque and cosmic horror (side note – listen to The Magnus Archives please, it’s so good), further leading me to write my own horror and thriller stories. Because of the experiences I had in my youth, I have discovered my calling and started creating my own fiction. Without the R.L. Stine and Anthony Horowitz books I issued from the library, the scares catered to a person the age of twelve, I doubt I would be where I am today.

Children’s horror needs to be embraced; this audience needs to be catered to and encouraged to engage with scary texts. Older audience members should welcome the younger fans of their franchises, maybe usher them towards more age-appropriate spooks so they can foster their own love of the stuff. I’m not saying that we should show children Silence of the Lambs. What I am saying is that we shouldn’t push away those viewers outright. They need to be given their own media to discover this genre in a safe and constructive manner.

Basic Witch

Halloween hall of fame

By Tui Lou Christie

The big day is coming up. The time when witches truly begin to access their highest power, the time to cross the delicate threshold to the beyond, the time to connect to those who have gone before us and build upon their legacy. It’s also the time when we get stared at less because other people are dressed up, too: All Hallow’s Eve. It’s a common human tradition to watch spooky movies at this time of year, and there are plenty of favourites out there that highlight beautiful spooky ladies. Here are a few of my favourite films featuring #girlbosses who are witches, demons, and even a reanimated corpse thrown in there for good measure!

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

If you’re in the mood for a comedy with your horror, this is the one for your movie night. Jennifer’s Body presents Jennifer Check’s monstrous transformation as a direct consequence of social violence. After being sacrificed to the devil, the teen girl is reborn as a succubus and extends her life by chewing her way through the guts of the young men at her school (Yep, this one’s pretty graphic, skip it if you don’t like entrails). Jennifer is a constant subject of the male gaze and her gory sacrifice is framed as a kind of sexual assault. As the monstrous central protagonist/antagonist, she has a new level of supernatural power and total autonomy over her own sexual and gastronomic choices. She represents an abject feminine rage which I believe that we can strive for and nurture within ourselves. She’s a bisexual man-eating succubus icon and I do think of her as a sort of mother figure to me, personally.

The Addams Family & The Addams Family Values (1991 & 1993)

Ah, the original spooky family. The Addamses have been in homes since their original comic strip debuted in the ‘30s and haven’t lost relevance once since then. They became the black & white TV show that I grew up with, several movies, and most recently another TV show, the Netflix smash hit Wednesday. These two films from the ‘90s were the introduction to the family for many people, mostly likely any of you readers who are university aged. The Addams family are dysfunctional in a societal sense, as an eccentric bunch of black-clad weirdoes with strange, spooky hobbies and a proclivity for the dark and macabre. However, as a family they are the opposite of dysfunctional; they adore one another’s uniqueness and form a strong family unit. They embrace honesty and love without judgement, and I think that’s something we can all strive for in our own covens and families.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

This was old school even when I was a young witchling, but has a sturdy, horrific timelessness that I just adore. This is in no part due to the bride herself, and although her appearance is brief, I believe she has influenced many witches, a true inspiration in the world of undead beauty. It is important to mention how abhorrently this film and its predecessor Frankenstein (1931), misrepresents their source material. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s original novel, Frankenstein (1818), had no clambering in and out of graves, no bolt of lightning in a mountain laboratory, no Igor pulling a lever. The creature was eloquent and well-read, unlike Boris Karloff’s hulking, grunting figure. Frankenstein wasn’t even a doctor; he was a vain, moping med-school dropout who couldn’t take responsibility for a single thing if his life depended on it. This is a hill I will die on.

The Craft (1996)

This is a great cautionary tale for young witchlings. It introduces an important concept in witchcraft, the rule of three; the idea that what you put out into the universe comes back to you threefold. Sarah, new to the high school, becomes the essential fourth member of a coven of socially outcast teen witches. Soon, the coven’s powers begin to grow, and, against the warnings of Sarah and a local witch, they begin to abuse their gifts with disastrous consequences. Fairuza Balk is fantastic as Nancy Downs and delivers such a realistic performance as a witch slowly losing her sanity and grip on reality, crippled by her growing abilities and her desire for power. Ugh, I wanted to be her so bad! Fair warning, there are mentions of heavy topics like self-harm and suicide, but this is generally not a very scary film, just good and spooky vibes for October.

So, there you go, my colleagues and disciples. Hopefully one of these films brings a little extra spook to your Halloween season. I have so enjoyed writing this column for you this year. Each of us have an incredible amount of inherent power; we are multitudinous, extra-dimensional beings with enormous potential stuffed inside our fleshy meat bodies. Whether you are a human, human-adjacent, or something else entirely, you are enormously capable, creative, and valuable; thank you for reading.

Ghoul Bye and goodluck

My highlight of MASSIVE this year is Pocket’s zoomies around the office.

I’ve loved writing a regular column, pushing my feature writing skills, and creating crosswords this year. Thanks for reading!

I have been so grateful to be Massive’s designer this year! My favourite part as been being apart of our amazing team.

"Get in loser, we're going shopping" - Mol's last Mean Girls quote for the year.

Tui - Sub Editor

Molly - Featurer Editor

Emily - Designer

Leila - Editor

My fave thing this year has been Tui’s Basic Witch column!! Hilarious but actually great recs. I’m here for it.

My favourite part of Massive this year was the opportunity to curate our Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori issue. Any chance to showcase our Māori talent is an absolute

This year I’ve loved reading all of the TikTok comments, they make me laugh and cry simultaneously

I‘ve loved being kept up to date on Massey’s behind-the-scenes decisions this year through Sammy’s relentless articles!

“I can’t believe they let me do this a second time”

Collaboration is the heart of Massive, and my favourite part of it <3

Brett - News Writer

Cameron - Te Ao Māori Editor

Annick - Illustrator

Sammy - News Editor

Eden - Illustrator

Aiden - Feature Writer

That’s it folks! We hope you’ve keeping up with Massive this and an amazing Summer - love

you’ve enjoyed reading and this year! Have a fabulous break love from the Massive Team