MASSIVE22august2022MASSIVE 18
Editor - Mason Tangatatai Designer - Marie Bailey News Editor - Elise Cacace Culture Editor - Elena McIntyre-Reet Sub Editor - Jamie Mactaggart Massive is registered under the New Zealand Press Council which allows our readers to reach out to an independent forum for any complaints that can’t be solved by Massive Magazine, or its editorial board. Massive is also a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association. The views, beliefs and opinions reflected in the pages of Massive do not represent Massey University. Please send any queries or complaints to editor@massivemagazine.org.nz News Reporter - Sammy Carter Feature Writer - Mia Faiumu Feature Writer - Lily Petrovich Feature Writer - Aiden Wilson Illustrator - Kimi Moana Illustrator - Sara Moana Photographer - Amelia Radley insideWhat’s 04 News 09 Features The Research TERFS Have Always Needed Why Can’t We Stop Watching Reality TV? Energy Drink Review How the Cost of Living Crisis is Impacting Students THE END IS NEAR! 26 Columns Massey President’sPuzzleSnapchatsHoroscopesTeSolicitedSexcapadesConfessionsAdviceReo&NZSLTimeColumn 3432313029282726222015129
Usually in Massive editorials I like to dissect complicated topics and prove to y’all that I’m smart. This week I’ve taken a different approach, one that may even put my reputation at risk. For the past few months, I’ve been facing the classic seasonal depression vibes, and with this comes an inability to make lunches to bring to mahi. Instead of finding a healthy snack to keep my mind ticking, I’ve indulged in Tussock’s bang average hot chips and spring roll combo, all for the extortionate price of $9.50, every Iday.know, shameful right? But what can a boy do when there are literally no other options on campus. It's bad enough that we are in a cost of living crisis as our university cafe prices are continuously rising, but it's worse that, unless we want to venture off on a thirtyminute walk, there are no other options to stop us spending our precious pūtea.
Victoria Uni: Like, a million.
Otago University: Like 12 food spots within a minute walk from the main library.
Waikato University: One student cafe, three food places, and a student bar.
Also, you’d expect that for me to be buying this each and every day that it must be tasty? WRONG! I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes at dear old Tussock, but not once have I had a crispy batch of chips, and half the time they’re barely lukewarm. As I said, this sounds like a university problem rather than a staffing issue, but some changes need to be made, or more places need to be added.
Canterbury: Roughly 12. Auckland: 54 fucking options. I understand that some of these campuses are larger than Massey, but it’s gotten to a point where this is ridiculous. They tell us that food fuels our brains, but all spring rolls and hot chip fuels is my BMI. I'm hungry, Mason Mason Tangatatai (he/him)
To make you all jealous, I decided to find out how many food options other universities have. The answers just add to the pain.
Why I pay $9.50 for chips and one spring roll, every day
The answer to climate change now seems pretty simple right? Confiscate everybody’s private planes and hey presto, no more global warming. Unfortunately, this is not quite the case. Although banning private planes would help the Earth drastically, wealthy people have more than one toxic trick up their sleeve. If it isn’t planes, it’s boats and mansions and cars and technology and all other things superficial. All of this is to say that, while the lavish lifestyle of rich people is appealing on a surface level, the deeper picture is not so pretty. Modern society has trained us to believe that the ‘jet-set’ lifestyle is something to aspire to, not decry, but by taking a step back and realising that wealthy people are overtly destroying our planet, perhaps we can alter our global perspective on rich people.
Our number one celebrity climate killer is pop princess Taylor Swift, who’s total flight emissions rack up to a whooping 8,293.54 tonnes since January. Just under her is Floyd Mayweather, sitting on 7,076.80 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Then comes Drake, Jay Z, Kim Kardashian… the list goes on.
WHAT’S GOING ON? WEEKLY NEWS UPDATES 22 AUGUST 2022MASSIVE NEWS
Kylieannually.Jenner
Eat the rich – save the world Elise Cacace (she/her) We live in a world where money can buy almost anything, and being rich is generally perceived as something positive. You have more time, freedom, power and, arguably, more happiness. However, we’re missing one crucial point. Rich people are single-handedly annihilating our planet. I’m not just talking about the uberwealthy either. Any inflated spending power (e.g., celebrities, highly successful business owners, and trust-fund babies) automatically translates to an extensive carbon footprint, regardless of the possessors’ intentions. First let’s start by dissecting the filthy rich. I’m talking about the likes of Musk, Bezos, Gates, Bransonthe top one per cent of all wealthy people. Their affluence is excessive to a nauseating degree, and not just because we are all out here struggling to survive whilst they’re sitting on their thrones of billions. More and more frequently we are seeing them 4 • Karere self-funding joyrides to space and back, with a single 11-minute mission emitting at least 75 tonnes of carbon dioxide per passenger. This is larger than the carbon footprint of the poorest billion people, and more than the average person will generate in their entire lifetime. Even without their quick trips into space, almost all of the world’s billionaires own yachts and planes and multiple mansions, which drives up their greenhouse gas emissions immensely. “Flying on a private jet is probably the worst thing you can do for the environment,” says Transport and Environment (T&E) Aviation Director Andrew Murphy; which is why multimillionaires and celebrity icons are not that much greener than those in the top one per cent. Research has shown that the world’s wealthiest 10 per cent are responsible for around half of all global carbon emissions, and that in 2022 so far, celebrities have emitted more than 3376.64 tonnes of CO2 each just through private jet usage. To put that into perspective, the average person emits only seven tonnes of CO2
recently posted a photo on Instagram of her and Travis Scott’s private jets, captioned “you wanna take mine or yours?”. This is a perfect example of the blissfully ignorant lifestyle that wealthy people lead, and resulted in many fans slamming the post for its ‘classless boasting’ amid the climate crisis and the rising costs of living. However, a survey taken by ‘Celebrity Jets’ showed that Kylie Jenner doesn’t even make the top 10 worst celebrity private jet offenders – she actually sits in 19th place.
“The app has no advertising and influencer sponsorship, so I am worried that it is making its money through harvesting and selling people’s data, such as facial recognition,” says student Thomas TheLittman.age
“I don’t think it’s totally unsafe, but I don’t think it has as many privacy and security settings as other social media apps do. I think if you have your location sharing features turned off and you are only friends with the people you know, then it is quite safe to use,” Littman says. For now, BeReal doesn’t pose any dangers that are not already associated with social media use, and it is arguably a far healthier alternative to other apps due to its filter free authenticity. However, it is still important to remain vigilant as the app progresses, as it still has a long way to go before it catches up with the popularity of Facebook and Instagram.
Elise Cacace (she/her) For so long, photo-sharing social media apps have begged the promise of perfectionism. Filters and photoshop present us with an impossible world; a world where everybody has clear skin, white teeth and a flat stomach, and everybody is constantly on holiday or enjoying nights out. Now, the new photo-sharing app ‘BeReal’ is abolishing these notions and asking people to show their authentic, unfiltered selves.
limit for the app is 13 years old and as a way of monitoring accounts and photos, the BeReal operators encourage everybody to report any inappropriate content.
BeReal has also received a large amount of concern and criticism regarding the safety of the app. “By posting a time-stamped photo of yourself every day, the app is essentially building a profile on you and determining a pretty accurate routine consisting of where you are, who you’re with and what you’re doing. It can also allow people to see exactly where you took the photo, down to the very house you took it in. To me, this is quite scary,” says an online “Becausecommenter.there [are] no filters and no monitoring of the photos posted, it is quite easy for children and adolescents to be exposed to inappropriate content. There are also no parental controls, which means that even I can’t monitor what my kids see,” says parent Katherine Jenson.
The concept of the app is simple. At a random time, every day, you will get a prompt notification to ‘BeReal’. You then have two minutes to snap a picture, which is taken with the front and back camera simultaneously. After you’ve taken your BeReal, you then get to see all of your friends’ ones.
The app launched in 2020, yet in 2022 it has increased in popularity by over 315 per cent, and has become one of the top ten most downloaded free social networking apps. It has received praise for bringing the authenticity back to social media, removing the pressures and reality distortions that are often associated with other “Iplatforms.lovethe whole concept of it. No filters. No planning. It actually gives me motivation to try and make the most of my day,” says Design student Tyler “IBrasell.lovehow it isn’t a ‘doom scroll,’ type of app. It’s fun and engaging but it isn’t addictive like most other social media platforms are. I also love that it is slowly improving everybody’s confidence. A year ago, there was no way I’d be posting a photo of myself in my pajamas without makeup on, but somehow BeReal makes it totally fun and non-threatening,” says student Lena Kaful. “I like how it has thrown away the aggressive algorithms and the ‘you might like this most’ sort of thing that you get with other apps, and that content I see on it is fully controlled by myself, because I swear, I see more ‘personalized posts’ on Facebook and Instagram than the people/groups I actually follow,” says Massey graduate, Jack AmidWarren.allthepraises,
Viral app BeReal dubbed the ‘anti-Instagram.’
22 AUGUST 2022MASSIVE NEWS 5 • Karere
Not only is the current space far away, but many students have fallen on the slippery path. Riyaz has complained that it is very dark with trees covering it. “It's got a lot of issues, there's no lighting.” The walkway to the room is always wet from the trees and moss. With over 100 members, the temporary space is not big enough for the Congregational Prayer held on Fridays with students and their families. It was also too small for the month of Ramadan, when students break fast at school. “That means food and drinks for about 60 people every evening. So that means we need a bigger space because we sit on the floor and eat,” Riyaz said. Since 2020, the association has been relocated from a prayer space in the recreation centre, a storage room, a classroom in the Atrium building constantly being used by others, and now mainly use a ‘temporary’ room on the OR campus. Riyaz said, “I tried my best to get something on the main campus but they didn’t have a place and they were waiting for the new building … All we needed was a bigger Aspace.”Massey University spokesperson confirmed that work on the multi-faith space is yet to start. “The work on the multi-faith space is yet to commence due to delays in the resource consent process with the local council. As soon as consent is received work will Jakecommence.”Law,Auckland Student Association President said, “I do think it would be good for those groups to actually have a dedicated space purpose built for them.” However, he has not been given any timeline of when the building will be ready. “If you walk past the space, you can see that it doesn’t look like it's going to be open this year.” He understood the multi-faith space will provide some offices for chaplaincy and a prayer space for the Muslim Students Association.
6 • Karere @splendid.nz 85 Ghuznee St, Te Aro, Wellington www.splendid.nz FRIENDS
The current ‘temporary’ space for Muslim students is a 25-minute uphill Muslim students tossed around by University walk away from main campus on the Ōtehā Rohe (OR) campus. Muslims pray five times a day, at least two are within university hours. Riyaz said, “It's not that easy for students to go to the OR campus in the middle of the day.” He felt neglected by the university, “For students to have to walk 25 minutes one way and then pray for maybe 10 minutes and walk back 25 minutes. That’s too long.”
The recreation centre, a storage room, a used classroom and now a dark far away space. Muslim students are thrown around Albany campus with no idea when the multi-faith building they were promised will be ready. “At least gives us a roadmap,” Naomaan Riyaz, President of the Muslim Students Association said. He expected to have already moved to a multi-faith space, said to be ready by June this year. However, since mid-last year Riyaz has had no updates from the university, not even to say that construction hasn’t started.
22 AUGUST 2022MASSIVE NEWS
Sammy Carter (she/her)
With Massey University being host to a large cohort of migrants, and international students, Julian believes Culture week also allows people to reconnect with their cultures while living in Aotearoa. “Being away from home can suck, we hope Culture Week helps students reconnect with their cultures, or even find some people to be friends with.”
22 AUGUST 2022MASSIVE NEWS Diversity on full display at MAWSA culture week Mason Tangatatai (he/him) Last week, Massey at Wellington Students’ Association hosted Culture Week, an initiative to encourage Wellington students to share aspects of their culture to other tauira on campus. This week-long event saw students performing cultural dances, indulging in different types of kai and watching cultural films. Prior to the event, MAWSA called out to students to take part in culture week, providing funding and venues to Onperform.Wednesday
“We hope Culture week takes away some of that pressure for students, and allows them to widen their cultural knowledge,” Julian continues.
Jastika performed an Indian Bhangra dance at the Campus Co-lab, accompanied with traditional Indian snacks. This was followed by MAPS and Kōkiri Ngātahi serving lunch at the whare kai. The week rounded off with a Polish film screening, a South African lunch and a Vietnamese Film. “It’s great to be able to accommodate and host our student’s culture. In Aotearoa we are so diverse, this is great, but it adds the pressure of needing to know enough to accommodate for each and every culture,” says Julian Tanaka, Team Leader at MAWSA.
With three physical campuses, and a large Distance community, Massey boasts one of the most diverse cohorts across the country. Due to this, the university needs to have systems in place to encourage the celebration of culture, while also showing the support needed to ensure different cultures are accommodated for. Julian believes Massey can be doing more at the Wellington campus.
7 • Karere
“At Massey Wellington at least, I don't think the University is doing enough. If Massey we’re keen to collaborate and grow on Culture Week next year, we would be happy to do so.”
For visits on any Wednesday PRICE ENTRY * 1 2 WINTER WEDNESDAYS
Illustration: Kimi Moana Whiting (she/her)
Hormones and surgery are considered physical transitioning, trans youth only transition socially. This means generally changing your name and pronouns, dressing in different clothes, and changing your hair – but it looks different for everyone.
Regardless of how you might socially transition, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from reversing all of this down the line. What this means is that even IF youth detransitioning (the process where one transitions a second time back to their ‘original gender’) was a common phenomenon (which it’s not), the only thing holding someone back is social perceptions.
The Research TERFS Have Always Needed
Lily Petrovich (she/they)
Trans youth do not get put on hormones. They can be prescribed puberty blockers which stop the process of puberty from beginning or advancing any further. These effects are completely reversable – if you stop taking the blockers, you will begin going through puberty as you would have before.
For starters, trans youth can’t and don’t get surgery. In Aotearoa, and pretty much any other country, you need to be over 18 to have any gender affirming surgery. Children can’t get this, even teenagers can't get this (unless they’re 18 or 19).
9 • Aronui pressing’.... yeah nah, not really, or at all. That shit’s weird. Unfortunately, that’s not the way a lot of people think, and people have long been particularly concerned about trans youth (transgender children). We all remember when trans youth became a contested topic, stories started popping up in the media. I remember when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s child came out as trans, and they fully supported the transition: the media went crazy. Everyone was asking questions. Should children be allowed to transition? How young is too young to let children explore their identity? Is allowing trans youth to begin transitioning a way we can prevent transphobia in adulthood? Or are adults enabling silly kid behavior with long-lasting consequences? I’m here to help answer some of these questions for you. Before we get into the science of things, I’m going to explain what children ‘transitioning’ looks like, because there’s a lot of misconceptions about it. People assume that a child transitioning looks the same as an adult, which leads to people passionately against processes that children don’t even go through!
10 • Aronui
The study has over 300 trans children aged three to 12 and is aiming to follow them for 20 years: they’re really doing the work the world needs. Just over a month ago, they published a study that broke through to the news and had a really significant finding that only 2 per cent of trans children in their study ended up detransitioning. Now it is important to note that this study has only been measured over a five-year timespan, but it’s because that is all the time they’ve had to study so far. It’s the first published piece that looks into trans youth detransitioning, which has forever been generally the biggest argument against trans youth. It’s always been made out as something that will happen, and we didn’t really have the research to argue whether this was true or not, regardless of anecdotal experiences. Maybe, if you’re super extreme in your beliefs, you might think this is still a concerning number. Being generous we can account the further 4 per cent of trans youth which the study found didn’t detransition, but went on to come out as nonbinary. So, let’s pretend that the number of trans youth who detransition is 6 per cent, while we’re evaluating if this risk is worth it for the other 94 per cent of kids who remain aligned with their identity. Car insurance companies (in America) found that drivers will file a claim every 17.9 years on average: over the span of a lifetime, the average person will get into a car crash three to four times in their life. But we don’t question driving, we do it because
2. Trans kids would generally answer questionnaires the exact same as cisgender kids of their identity (i.e., trans girls answered questions the same as cis girls, and vice versa).
Detransitioning is only a problem because people make it a problem. What harm can a kid experimenting with their style, name and pronouns really do? Kids go through so many different phases when it comes to style, and so many teenagers and young adults change their sexuality through life. We don’t seem to have problems with this. So why is something as sensitive as children’s gender identity not embraced, wherever their journey takes them? Alright, now that we’ve established all this, let’s get into what the studies say. For too long, there has been no formal research around trans youth.
A different study by TYP had really interesting results. Participants were sorted into three groups. There were trans youth, cisgender youth and the (also cisgender) siblings of trans youth. While there’s a whole network of noteworthy findings, the ones that stuck out to me the most were: 1. Throughout different locations, trans youth across the study showed signs of being trans before age three.
3. When it came to gender stereotypes however, trans youth and their siblings answered differently to the cisgender group, showing less support for gender stereotypes. Another crucial finding from a different study found that parents’ views on gender stereotypes correlated with their children’s. This brings us to another key point. All research by TYP has been done with voluntary parents and their children.
Today, there’s awesome work being done by the TransYouth Project, started at a Princeton lab, which they describe as their “largest project and is the first large-scale, national, longitudinal study of socially-transitioned transgender children to date”.
Over 75 per cent of trans youth have some form of anxiety disorder, and 50 per cent have considered suicide. These are our children, and your transphobic views are the reason this statistic is so high. The evidence we have so far proves that there is absolutely no reason to be transphobic and yet somehow there’s still a shit ton of transphobia in the world. Just a couple of weeks ago, Florida’s Medical Board voted to begin the process of completely banning all gender-affirming healthcare for minors (hormone blockers, for example, which we’ve established is entirely harmless and reversible) and have entirely banned Medicaid from covering any gender-affirming care for any trans patient. How are we still running in circles? We need to all actively work together to destigmatize trans youth.
TYP of course acknowledges this in all of their studies, because there isn’t really any other way to get participants. If they aren’t accepting, they’re probably not going to want their kid to join a 20year study on trans youth. What this means is that the effects of trans youth raised in transphobic households isn’t being measured, and really can’t be measured until they leave home. But I think it also reflects how crucial having accepting guardians are to a smooth transition. We can assume that parents accepting of a trans child would likely raise them without forcing them into gender roles. They let their kids choose the want. We can assume that transphobic parents police their children's identity to an extent, leading to far more confusion in gender identity, and a lower chance of realising their identity at a young age. This of course is me coming to conclusions based on ‘common sense’, but I really doubt that I’m wrong here. about ‘passing’ (when someone trans passes as the gender they identify with without ‘evidence’ or being trans), it is every trans person’s right to not feel dysphoric (unease felt as a result of body not ‘matching’ their gender) and a completed puberty cycle can make dysphoria far worse. At the end of the day, trans youth are just children, and usually children at risk of bullying and mental illness, which means we need to be far more careful in debating these issues than we have been. To my dear conservatives, if you don’t support abortion in the name of saving children's lives, why are you so passionately against something harmless to the point where you’re fucking over the mental health of these children?
While yes; it’s an issue of social justice and identity, it’s beyond that. This is about the safety of our kids. Until we all learn to love those who might look or be different from ourselves, we will continue hurting children. So, this parting line is for any transphobe who thinks they’re concerned with their children's safety: You are the most dangerous thing in their lives.
NO CHILD SHOULD EVER WANT TO KILL THEMSELVES
12 • Aronui
To be perfectly frank, though, it is apparent that a large sense of the appeal of reality television is the way we critique contestants’ actions, believing we would never act in the same manner ourselves. In this sense, reality television makes us feel better about our own lives through the knowledge that there are people out there making even stupider decisions than we’ve made ourselves, not only in the privacy of our own lives but broadcast to the entire world. It was also acknowledged within our kōrero that reality television also offers often needed representation to marginalised groups – such as the LGBTQIA+ community that has very much found space within this genre. The representation that these shows, such as Queer Eye or RuPaul’s Drag Race, offers is pivotal in a world that pigeonholes individuals into certain categories or identities.
Mia Faiumu (she/her) Illustrated by Marie Bailey (she/her)
Why Can’t We StopRealityWatchingTV?
Like many other children of the 2000s, reality television was a forbidden treat growing up, barred from my viewing whenever my mother was in the house. In the precious moments where I had the lounge to myself, I would steal the remote and turn the channel to MTV – eyes glued to the likes of Pimp My Ride or Parental Control.
It is true that many will find themselves divided on favourite contestants and who should win, but this is overshadowed by the sense of comradery that is fulfilled through sitting down together every night to listen to the angelic voice of Iain Stirling protruding through your speakers.
13 • Aronui appearing as an extension of fictional drama, driving positive feelings such as empathy and compassion in viewers. We all acknowledged in our kōrero that we are drawn to this genre based on a sense of relatability; finding comfort in the shared experiences of ourselves and the Whilecontestants.mostly functioning as an distraction from our personal lives, reality shows also function to connect with our own experiences, pulling us in through the ability to observe and critique situations that many of us have experienced in our own lives.
Despite our parents’ constant warnings that reality shows will turn our brains to mush, these shows have simply become ingrained in modern culture and consequently our own consciousness. This week, as my friends and I unpack the final episodes of Love Island UK, we discussed what draws us to continue watching reality television. Is it really the mindless, thought-dulling content that keeps us returning? Or is it the commentary on social and romantic relationships that allows viewers to find a sense of relatability and comfortability in the content? Reality television is considered across scholarship to intrigue viewers through their voyeuristic desires to observe other people’s lives and personal moments. It is also considered that reality shows gain appeal through As we watch contestants engage in fights or drama, we observe and compare these to our own lives. Viewers are therefore able to debate with their friends how they would have handled the situation if placed in it themselves and critique the actions of contestants they don’t agree with. This gives reality television a sense of analysis, whereby flatmates will sit around their lounge debating the latest questionable antics of their least favourite Love Island Whilecontestants.notonly bringing forth a sense of critical thinking and analysis to reality television, this also provides bonding opportunities for friends, flatmates and families.
Reality television also affords viewers to become invested in characters and drama, with the knowledge that the outcomes of the character’s development on the show will not materialise in knock-on impacts for the viewer themselves. This therefore offers a unique opportunity for marginalised viewers to engage without sacrificing their emotional energy that is so often required from other media content.
Realistically, it serves a much needed function
14 • Aronui
In this sense, reality television can be an accessible way for many to cope with the stress of everyday life, and relax the mind after a long day or week of dealing with real issues. It’s therefore time to break the notion that reality TV is a ‘guilty pleasure’ reserved only for those of low-intelligence and lack of taste.
It is noted across research that marginalised groups are more drawn to reality television because of the low intensity content shown within this genre. Where marginalised groups are constantly barraged with media onslaughts depicting their people or other minority groups in negative ways, reality television offers an escape from these real issues, letting viewers mindfully and positively engage in content.
In situations such as this, reality television is meeting the media needs of marginalised communities and offering positive representation for specific groups or individuals. As mainstream media or news outlets so often depict minority groups based on problematic prejudice and bias, it becomes increasingly important for minority groups to define their representation for themselves.
But when you approach that vending machine and are faced with a sea of energy filled options…. WHICH ONE DO YOU CHOSE.
Massive’s expert tasting panel (me and Jamie lol) bought six of the most popular energy drinks and did a blind taste test, ranking each energy drink on a scale from 1-10 in the taste and energy criteria. The results may shock you.
15 • Aronui
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But when life gives you four assignments, countless readings, flatting drama, and an insurmountable student loan, you take a step back from the chaos and crack open an ice-cold energy drink. This age-old method has been helping tauira across Aotearoa find the motivation, the energy to power through a hard days mahi. And while the health effects may catch up to you later in life, no one can dispute the sheer beautiful feeling of caffeine coursing through your veins, giving you a midafternoon energy boost, or a sustained burn through the early hours of the morning.
Mason Tangatatai (he/him) and Jamie MacTaggart (she/her)
Taste: 2ndEnergy:10/1010/10-Rockstar
The smooth tasting notes of pine and oak wood, mixed with the aroma of your favourite nightclub at 2am. Red Bull is a student classic that has lasted the test of time. Red Bull is reliable. It isn’t the best tasting, it isn’t the best smelling, but boy, does it give you wings. Red bull is a no-nonsense drink that gets the job done.
Taste: Energy:6.5/108/10
16 • Aronui 1st - Blue V
Although this was a blind taste test, as soon as that sweet sweet smell of Blue V hit our nostrils, we all knew we were in for a lifealtering experience. Blue V is nostalgic, Blue V is fun times with your whānau, Blue V is the friend that hypes you up before going out. There isn’t a waking moment Blue V isn’t at the forefront of our minds. If you disagree with this, you are wrong.
When I was in the supermarket buying energy drinks, I was ashamed to be seen in public with Rockstar. But, to my surprise, the drink that I wouldn’t dare to touch my teenage years held a simple, yet pleasant fruity taste. Rockstar transported me to the Hawkes Bay vineyards. Its delicate flavour, matched with the subtle aroma had me questioning whether an energy drink, or a fine pinot gris was in my cup. Big ups Rockstar, I’ll never doubt you again
Taste: 3rdEnergy:8/106/10-RedBull
Unlike its namesake, Mother has zero paternal qualities. Mother is brutal. The iron fist of energy drinks. Mother has no time for your problems and will put you on your ass quicker than you can get any mahi done. Its taste doesn’t do much for the sophisticated palates of the world either, its tasting notes of blood, sweat and tears left us all wishing we included Musashi in this energy drink review instead. Taste: 4/10 Energy: 9/10 6th - Live +
Possibly the biggest disappointment of the list, Live + finds itself in dead last. This was a shock. For generations Live + has found itself in Red Bull’s shadows, but little did we know it would end up behind all the other energy drinks in the field. I don’t want to bag on this drink too much as I know it holds a place in the hearts of kiwi kids. Instead, I ask you all to pour one out for Live +. Taste: 2/10 Energy: 3/10 4th - Monster
That concludes Massive Magazines’ LUCRATIVE energy drink review. We sincerely hope this list gives you all the knowledge to make an informed decision when you’re hunting for a burst of energy. An honourable mention to those that didn’t make our list. Especially the sugar free versions, god speed to you.
17 • Aronui 5th - Mother
Similar to its trashy looking counterpart, Monster was a pleasant surprise. It felt fresh, a new exciting flavour that piqued our curiosity. But, after approximately two sips' our mouths were lined with a sugar content enough to make a diabetic faint. Monster is your loud friend. A good time at the start of the night, but soon enough a sour taste is left in your mouth. Brush your teeth kids. Taste: 6/10 Energy: 8/10
@ritakimillustrationsKimRita
Elena McIntrye-Reet (she/her)
Sam, a third-year student at Massey, says that managing limited student loan funds is becoming harder as prices continue to rise.
Students are being hit especially hard by the cost of living, supermarket prices are hitting the roof and are making huge profits as a result. Earlier this year, Countdown announced that they were freezing the prices of ‘essential items’ to help with rising costs. However, the essential items are not things you’d expect a struggling household to include on their shopping lists. Toilet paper
20 • Aronui
The cost of living crisis is one that’s been brought up constantly in the post-lockdown world. Inflation is at an all-time high, with the UK expected to go into fullon recession within the next year. The solution to this crisis has been debated heavily, with the Opposition suggesting tax cuts that would do nothing to help poor people and instead help out the people at the top. Part of the Government's solution was to put money directly into the pockets of those that need it. Over the course of three months, most people that earn under $70,000 a year will be paid $350 to help ease the pressure caused by rising Thecosts.rising costs countries all over the world are seeing are from a perfect storm of economic issues. Inflation globally is high as a result of Covid-19, supply chain issues, and, of course, the invasion of Ukraine.
How the Cost of Living Crisis is Impacting Students
“Budgeting for food shopping, transport costs and rent is a challenge, even if you’re doing all the right things. I try to buy in bulk, keep the freezer stocked and plan out my meals; but if anything unexpected comes up that week you’re basically fucked. I’ve had to ask my parents for money a few times, and saving for anything is completely out of the question.”
isn’t included, but fresh salmon is. This bit of performative assistance doesn’t do much to help people that are trying to find ways to put food on the table for themselves and their families. Food prices rose nearly 7 per cent in a year, and freezing the price of desserts does nothing to help.
“There is no easy fix for the cost of living, as we cannot control global inflation, but we do see it as our job to provide targeted and meaningful support to help take the hard edges off for Kiwis feeling the pressure through the worst of it,” Jacinda Ardern said in her press release about the payments. $350 could be used effectively in lots of places. It could get you one week of rent in Mount Victoria, three and a half full tanks of petrol, or one head of lettuce at New World. I put my first payment straight into my savings account, which I immediately transferred to spend on getting drunk. I’m aware of my privilege, and I know the cost of living payment will be a relief for many people who are struggling to keep up with rising costs.
“It’s dehumanising, even though we’re exhausting ourselves to work and study it’s still not enough to be comfortable. I sometimes skip lectures so I can go to work because I don’t have a choice.”
StudyLink has increased their living cost loan to $281.96 a week to reflect how expensive it is to be alive. During my last year of uni it was $242. This extra amount will be helpful in the short term, but it means students will have an even heavier student loan to work through when they graduate. First-years who take maximum living costs out and are doing a three-year degree will have roughly $4,500 more loan to pay off than people who graduated in 2021.
First-year Daniel used his payment to buy two 50 bags and a double cheeseburger.
Fourth year student Eloise decided to spend hers on Wellington on a Plate burgers. Ash, a recent graduate, used hers to pay off her Afterpay.
Inflation supposedly peaked in June, so fingers crossed prices start to fall shortly and we can all take a breath and be able to afford a block of cheese again.
On a lighter note, I have some examples of what some people spent their first cost of living payments on.
21 • Aronui
Obviously, the cost of living crisis is not going to be solved by me furiously doing inaccurate maths equations. However, it’s also pretty obvious that more needs to be done to help the people who are really struggling.
Sam says he knows people who are choosing to skip meals, or not turn on the heater in order to save money.
The next cost of living payment will arrive on 1 September, and should hopefully provide some more relief for those that need it, and buy Mason some more Uber Eats.
Mason, Massive Editor, doesn't remember what it went towards. “I haven’t spent mine on anything specific. I imagine it probably covered the four nights I got Uber Eats last week.”
Illustratied by Sara Moana (she/her)
22 • Aronui
THE END ISthere,OhNEAR!God.We’realmostthird-years.
I feel like if we could roll back the clock, many of us would’ve chosen to start either the year prior or post when we actually began, but at the same time I think we all know we wouldn’t change a damn thing. Sure, it’s been stressful, but it’s also been… unique? And now we’re reaching the end. We be running up that road, be running up that hill, be running up that building (ye-yo).
And now that we are so close to the end, it just feels wrong. Like, three years have flown by, we’re more in debt than we were but also have a shit tonne more knowledge and life experience? Overall, it can be very easy to look back on the last three years and just feel jaded about it all.
Here’s a hot take – us mad-lads who started in 2020, be it in person or distance learners, have not had an easy run as the “Covid class” or whatever they’re calling us at the moment. Surprisingly, viruses running amok and causing us to adapt every few weeks is NOT an ideal situation for
It’s hard not to feel a sense of doubt, or wonder if we did the right thing by even attending uni in the first It’s like being in a constant state of “what did I forget this morning?”, except the thing you forgot was to go to class almost six months ago and now you’re wondering if that one class you missed is going to be the one to cost you your job or postgrad down the line.
But that’s why we all just gotta keep on pushing. Being so close to the end makes us question if anything was worth it and if we should just stop before the finish line. It would be so easy to just pack up now, say “I’m done”, reintegrate into a semi natural routine, and actually sleep in without feeling guilty for once. But if we did, then those bright-eyed youngsters were worn down for nothing. We gotta keep pushing. For them. Oh, the Exhaustion!
I don’t think many of us are going to miss those Monday 9ams, be it distance or on campus. Even when you have the option to stay in bed and watch your class on Zoom, it’s just so damn difficult bringing yourself to pull out the laptop and watch Ialong.guess there’s the whole “it’s hard because it’s worth it” argument, but honestly, fuck that noise! Who cares if it’s worth it, it’s painful at times! Especially when we find ourselves in the penultimate moments of the semester, it’s a mission to just do the work. Almost feels like as soon as our breaks start, they end, and then we’re
Honestly, it’s so hard to be hopeful when everything is so uncertain. Who would’ve known that we’d be at this point when the decade started? We don’t even know where we’re going to be in the next week, let alone next year. Ultimately, the future is shrouded in fog, but at least we know we’ve made it through three to four years of study, grown the fuck up along the way, and become new versions of ourselves that those youngins would be absolutely stoked with. So, to end this rant or whatever you want to call it –You’re doing well, we ain’t got long left. It’s all going to be so worth it. Only a few more weeks, and then we can finally get that well deserved sleep in. But let’s be honest, we’re not sleeping in. When this is done it’s just gonna be pissups without the consequence of Stream telling us we have overdue work in the middle of a party.
24 • Aronui
SWEET REALMERCY!MOTHERIT’STHEWORLD!
And what comes next for those of us finishing degrees in the next few weeks? That’s right! Actually having to go out into the world and… I don’t know… pay taxes? What the heck even is being a functioning adult? Anyway, this point in uni life brings out some bad feelings. I want to look at one in particular however – the whole idea of “what am I if not a student?”. For the past three to four years, so many of us have been doing uni. Like, that’s our thing. We might have the odd job here and there, maybe we play in a band, perform in a theatre group, or play sports; but at the center of it all is our studies. The past years have seen us slowly and steadily becoming who we want to be, building our identities around the study we do and the fields we aim to go into. The idea of doing anything other than uni is just plain scary. Like, how do we go from this to doing a nine to five, or a placement, or just a job to bide time till we figure out how we’re going to use the degree and skills we’ve Reallearnt?world shit! It’s awful to think about! But I guess it’ll all be worth it? Very much probably?
Everyone loves a scandalous confessions page. You’re never sure if what people saying is fake or not, but that’s what make these pages great. Massey Confessions is a facebook page based from the mighty Manawatū. These legends anonymously post unfiltered content from the very students you see in your classes every day. Below are a selection of some of the finest confessions over the summer, with a sprinkle of Massive commentary. Go and give the page a follow, you won’t regret it. CONFESSIONS PSA Wellington and Albany students, submit some confessions you losers Never thought I'd see the day MUSA gets some love Palmy kids complaining about costs of living?!!?!? Just throw it out and watch his life turn to shit
It’s not my fault I'm a homewrecker Fast forward three months and I’m still seeing James. I think we’re dating but nothing is official yet. I haven’t really been over to his house either. Everytime I ask him to have me around he makes an excuse about his flatmates being really horrible about having guests, I tolerate this, but keep pushing the point. After nearly 5 months of great sex and a few lovey dovey moments I pop the question and ask to be his girlfriend. Instead of saying yes and leaping into my arms, he hesitantly says he needs time to think about things as his life is pretty turbulent. Next thing you know, my numbers are blocked and I never hear from James again. I was really starting to like this guy, so like any jealous ex would do, I hired an online investigator to stalk him and dig up some information. After one week, and about $15 dollars I'm shocked to find he’s been married for three years and has two kids. Needless to say, I messaged his wife and told her everything. This is a wild one guys, so lock in! About a year ago I was browsing through tinder for a suitable suitor. Times were rough for me, and honestly my standards weren’t too high. Anyways, after a good few days of scrolling, dead chats and a lack of interest I was feeling as horny as ever and just needed some relief.
SE XCAPADES
Along comes James, we will call him James for the purpose of anonymity. James was a solid 6/10. He had a normal face, nice facial hair and what looked like a standard dad bod. After going back and forth over text for a few hours, and realising he was actually quite funny (the average ones are always the funniest), we decided to meet at my place ‘to watch a movie’. He comes over, we have steamy sex, and I end the night cuddled up against his hairy chest. This man was good, you could tell he’s had a lot of experience pleasing women, the way he moved his tongue, the thoughtful nature of his tempo, everything was perfect and I wanted more. 27 • Rangitaki
There comes a point where there isn't any point, hun. Flat earthers, by virtue of being flat earthers, don't really care about evidence so there's no evidence that you could present that could change that. Rather than trying to prove them wrong, my suggestion would be to emphasize how stupid the point of view is by asking if they think other absurd opinions are true, ie that birds are all robots and pointing out that they are aligning themselves with the likes of Alex Jones (who thinks that the parkland shooting was a hoax) and BOB (who thinks that we can pretend that airplanes in the night sky like shooting stars).
Solicited advice is a weekly column where an underqualified anonymous guru answers the questions you want answered. This won’t include the stock-standard, sugar-coated advice you’re used to hearing – we’re talking about the truths that are REALLY on your mind. Do you have a question you’re dying to have answered? DM Massive Magazine on Instagram and look out for next week’s issue. Also, follow us while you’re at it x Um yes. I've lived with randos, I've lived with friends. If flatting shows cracks in a friendship, they were there all along. Living with your friends can be one of the coolest things ever - just make sure you are all on the same page, have lots of chats about expectations, how much support and space people need or don't need, what could annoy you about each other etc. Lay it all out and you'll be fine. I have lost one friend while flatting and it was nothing to do with flatting itself - he was a horrible selfish cunt x 28 • Rangitaki
How do I prove my flat earth flat mate wrong?
Best first date activity? NOT THE MOVIES. If you are going on a date, ffs go and have a nice ol' kōrero. I'm a big fan of an old-fashioned meal. It gives a good opportunity to see how they treat wait staff (better be well or walk out) and see how they handle the payment scenario too. From there maybe go for a nice walk or do something sweet like bowling if the mood is right. I think it's good to plan for short and if things are good extend tho, in case they are a madman/ madwoman/madlad (gender nonspecific). Should I flat with my friends next year?
SOLICITED ADVICE
Te Reo and NZSL Words of the week Revitalising Te Reo Māori and NZSL is of paramount importance. Take a few minutes out of your dat to learn and memorise these words. It’s the least we can do. Panui Announce Huihui MaramaGatherMoon 29 • Rangitaki
scorPio Come downs bringing you down? 10/10 doctors recommend not going out this weekend and giving your mind (and liver) some time to heal. It can be fun being sober! Your Sunday morning will be so lit.
Pisces cAPricorn
Gemini
Use the mid sem break to really let loose, Gemini! I can feel the tension in your shoulders from here. Have some wine with dinner tonight. Buy your fave treats. Wind down the windows and pump the music. Be free! Leo The last few weeks have been hectic, Leo! Take some time to figure out what kind of self-care works best for you over the mid sem break so you are able to go into your final weeks of uni like the girlboss you are!
VirGo Spring is just around the corner and with it comes Virgo season! Go pick some daffodils and buy a lotto ticket – the stars tell me this Virgo season will be the most abundant yet.
You need to put your pride aside this week, Aries, and open up with how you really feel. People need to know where they stand with you and you’re going to end up pushing them away if you can’t be honest. Ily x
Horoscopes
TAurus
Loves it! cAncer I would highly recommend having a social media cleanse, Cancer. Too many bad vibes on the Internet, way better vibes IRL. Have a chat with the dairy owner, take your headphones out more. Be present.
Aries
sAGiTTArius
30 • Rangitaki
You’re giving way too much weight to other people’s opinions, Taurus. Stop overthinking what other people are doing and focus on yourself. This is your bad bitch era and you’re letting bad vibes get in the way. Stop. Take a step back this week and evaluate what is really worth your energy. Learn to know when to pick your battles and when to just let things go. Take the weight off your shoulders and stand tall.
AquArius Showers: Perfect for singing your heart out and crying. Take advantage of that! Have three showers a day if you need. Invest in a waterproof UE Boom. Your shower is your safe haven this week <3
Cap you are oozing some serious sexy vibes at the moment! Whatever you’re doing keep doing it. People are crushing, your assignment is A-range, and your boss told me she’s giving you a pay raise.
LibrA Going to sleep overthinking and crying is fun and all, but why let’s change it up. Your flatmates can hear you crying and it’s getting a bit sad. Try watching an Adam Sandler movie before bed rather than a sad romance? Idk lol x Have you pissed someone off lately? Not cleaned your dishes? Hogged the Netflix account? These things are small, but they add up. If you’ve sensed a vibe shift in your flat, make reparations. ASAP.
MASSIVE_MAG TODAY MASSIVEMASSIVESendus snaps to get featured in next weeks edition 31 • Rangitaki
Puzzle Ptime uzzle time Across 1. Coconut flavoured liqour (6) 4. Palmy north bar (3,5) 7. Hagrid'd dog (4) 10. How many miles id 90 mile beach? (5,4) 12. Whittaker's new te reo block (12) 13. Taika Waititi's wife (4,3) 14. Animal known as ship of the desert (5) 16. Canada;s national animal (6) 17. Fear of load noises (11) 18. Cats lives (4) 19. What sport take place in a Velodrome? (7) Down 2. Fastest growing sport in Aotearoa (10) 3. AUT magazine (6) 5. Supervises exams (11) 6. Homer's beer (4) 8. What style would you dance 'en pointe' (6) 9. MP who brutally assaulted student during his time at King's college (9) 17.15.11. 32 • Rangitaki 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
The target is to create as many words as possible from the letters within the Word Wheel. Word Wheel sudoku 33 • Rangitaki ANSWERSCROSSWORDWEEKSLAST TREATY18TWENTY,17ODDS,16UNIVERSITY,15OASIS,11KĀKĀRIKI,9CHLOE,6HAIL,5WOK,4SPURT,2ACROSS: TV18OTTAWA,16MISCHIEF,14IDENTITY,13AQUATIC,12ALGORITHM,10EKINSU,8ORNAMENT,7SLAM,5FLASK,3BARK,1DOWN:mazeorthogonal20by20 https://www.mazegenerator.net/AB,Alance2022©Copyright
34 • Rangitaki
Presidents Column
Josh M@D 3/4 of this year is goneeeee! we still have some goodies coming for you so keep an eye out at @mawsagram on insta :) Fiona & Lizzo MAWSA
I’ve recently re-discovered the joys of the academic pre-reading service. If you’ve never tried it before, in the Massey Stream Site, if you click on the ‘Academic Writing and Learning Support’ tab and just scroll down a little; there’s a few links to the pre-reading service. What you can do here is submit an assignment you’re working on – even an unfinished one – and within three days, someone will come back to you with recommendations on how to improve it. It’s such a simple tool to boost your grades. Try it out!
