Issue 02 ✦ Active

13. VC Nic Smith on Community, Capital, and Letting the Dust Settle Maia Ingoe

16. From Student to First Responder: The University’s Emergency Response Team Pippi Jean

22. Sport? We Can Do Better Than That Phoebe Robertson

7

31. Pasifika Students’ Council

32. Dear Aunty Vic

33. Manawa Ora

8

About Us

Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editors, VUWSA, or the University. Complaints

Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the Editors in writing (editor@salient.org.nz). If not satisfied with the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

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E ditoral

Let’s get physical!

Kia ora e hoa mā!

So we’ll be real with you. We can confirm we’re not the sportiest Salient editors. If anything, we might be the two of the least sporty. Does this mean that we’re couch potatoes? We do froth a Love Island night, but we’re definitely active, just in our own way.

Aotearoa is obsessed with sport and fitness. It’s a culture so strong, being unsporty in school could get you bullied; not just by other kids, probably by their mums too. But being active is not exclusive to the sports field or gym. Keeping active might mean your choice of transport to uni—walking, biking, or e-scootering up the hill. Activity is Sunday walks to get coffee with friends, the yoga sessions in your flat living room, or the nights spent dancing up a storm in Circus. Any time you’re moving your body, it’s all active.

Maia: I might feel uncomfortable in activewear, but I still see the value in keeping active. Activity is not just about fitness, but it’s important for mental health, clearing your head, and valuing how amazing and strong your body is. Life as a student is busy; it’s filled with lectures, tutorials, work, clubs, and fitting in a social life around this. Keeping active is the first thing I sacrifice when the going gets tough. This is where finding your ‘chosen sport’ comes in handy: something that you can easily do when you least feel like being active. You might see me riding my bike up and down Kelburn Parade. By bringing activity into my mode of transport, I can trick myself into doing something active everyday, and find fun in it too.

Fran: I personally quite enjoy activewear, especially tennis skirts (so cute), basketball shorts and sneakers (fun and cool), and yoga pants (far out, they make my butt look great). Activity for me has meant roller-blading, netball, a few quick gym memberships, leisurely cycling to tunes while stressed, and my current love: daily yoga. My mum is a big yoga fiend, and since childhood she’s been trying to get me into it. For real, we had multiple ‘kids yoga’ DVDs at home. Naturally, I rebelled, not believing her spiels on yoga’s seemingly magical positive effects. As much as it pains me to admit, she was right. After a brain injury, I can confirm it’s a wellbeing game-changer. At least I can still rebel against my dad's love for Tai Chi but he is 60 so come back to me in 30 years…

This week, we introduce you to the new Vice Chancellor, Nic Smith. Pippi brings you along to emergency responder training with UWERT: the University of Wellington Emergency Response Team. Phoebe explores queerness and activity through burlesque, cabaret, drag, dance, and theatre. The news team unpacks Yung Gravy’s concert, understaffing, campus business security, and Young Act's resurgance. They also asked who tf approved the Nic Smith hot new bombshell TikTok.

This issue is all about making activity your own. We encourage you to make time for movement. It doesn’t have to be the gym. Our key advice: carve out ten minutes in your busy uni week for movement, even if it’s a bedroom dance break.

Arohanui, Maia and Fran xx

Catch us on:

Letters To The Editors

Salient made multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact Stuart Brock for clarity in regards to last week's article, ”University Quietly Scraps Guaranteed Access to Lecture Recordings”. The Salient editors stand by this reporting, and additional coverage in “Unpacking the Law Faculty’s Failed Lecture Recording Logic”, and maintain that all Salient reporting is a fair representation of the university’s lecture recording policy.

University response to lecture recording availability:

How people learn is multifaceted—a position simplified in Salient’s articles on access to lecture recordings. Thoughtful investigation of how students can be best supported in their learning, and addressing their unique needs is central to the University’s approach. Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington does make lecture recordings available to the students who need them, while recognising that stimulating active learning is vital. Active, participatory learning is one of the strongest predictors of academic success. Our support for access to learning also includes provision of devices and wi-fi in the pandemic, and as an ongoing initiative.

In the Faculty of Law, we strongly support interactive, engaged learning to build skills of interpretation and analysis, but how each teacher does that will vary. Some teachers ask questions about cases, others facilitate conversations on legal issues, some use videos, blogs and podcasts. The process around accessing lecture recordings is designed to facilitate student success, giving the University a way to understand and support each student’s individual needs.

We are focused on ensuring we provide students with the best possible learning and teaching to support their success and future careers.

Professor Stuart Brock, Vice-Provost (Academic) Professor Lee Godden, Dean, Faculty of Law

Got an idea for a news article, feature, review, podcast, or column?

This is how you get the editors to publish it:

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Send your pitch into editor@salient.org.nz, with “PITCH” and a working title in the subject line. We welcome new contributors to come and meet us. The Salient office is in the bowels of the Student Union building.

News the

6 March 2023

Staffing Issues Plague Geography School

Words by Zoë Mills (they/she)

Staff at the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences are feeling “burnt out” and “undervalued” after VUW denied staffing requests, following the retirement and resignation of key lecturers and administrative staff late last year.

In late 2022, requests were put to the university by the faculty to hire staff for the replacement of two lecturing roles and two administrative staff. These staffing requests were reportedly denied by the university.

Anna*, a staff member in the faculty, explained that requests for four vacancies of high-priority roles were put on hold by the university until the new Vice Chancellor arrived. However, staff haven’t heard anything from the university since Nic Smith started early this year.

“It’s putting a lot of pressure on us,” Anna explained. “It’s affecting the quality of our work […] We’re really tired. We’re having issues with burnout.”

According to Anna, staff within the faculty are feeling disrespected by the university’s lack of communication. The staffing issues have resulted in cancellations and delays in courses previously offered by the university.

Anna, whose workload is already high, says that staff are now having to take on administrative work to keep up with the backlog. “When it’s technicians that are not being replaced […] it’s just hours and hours of labor that we shouldn’t be doing,” Anna said.

The major understaffing issue is also pushing away current staff at the university, said Anna. “There are a number of people who are planning ways to get out of the university: some [moving to] other universities, others

who are applying to other universities, others who are actively creating opportunities for work to move elsewhere.”

The university denies there is a major understaffing issue in the faculty. In a statement to Salient, a spokesperson for the university said: “Certain roles requested by the School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences in December 2022 were put on hold until the faculty could gain a clearer understanding of student numbers and the university’s financial position in 2023. This is a normal process. The roles requested will be reconsidered for approval in a timely fashion.”

Master’s student Lucy* explained how the understaffing issue has impacted her study. “Getting enrolled, I was massively delayed,” she said.

Due to the lack of administrative staff, Lucy has been “bounced around” the department while she was trying to apply for her research proposal. Because she started late, she doesn’t have a desk at the university. Lucy says that she is “miles behind” on her thesis because of the time spent chasing up the faculty.

“I sent an email off to what was supposed to be the replacement email, and I got an email back saying that it was no longer monitored.”

VUW has confirmed that there was a hiring freeze in 2020, and has since moved into a more “robust recruitment process”. As of 21 January 2023, VUW has 29 advertised vacancies on the official university website, including senior lecturer roles for Software Engineering and multiple administrative roles.

*Names have been changed.

Could More Businesses Follow in the Wake of Vic Books?

Words by Niamh Vaughan (she/her)

The upcoming closure of Vic Books has left many questioning the future of other campus businesses.

Campus businesses rely on students attending university in-person, which has declined in recent years due to Covid-19. The continual rise in the cost of living has made university less accessible to students. Paired with the failure of the university’s new applications system, enrollments are lower than ever, and businesses are unsure where they stand.

A spokesperson for The Lab told Salient that business is down 40% and they are at their “lowest point” since pre-Covid-19 times. Business owners are keeping an eye on the situation. “Everybody’s waiting for things to get busier,” they said, “everybody’s watching everyone else.”

Things may be improving on the first day of Trimester 1, new students returned to campus in strong numbers. A spokesperson for Krishna Food, Tulavati, said, “seeing all of these students back gave us a bit of hope.”

Tulavati says Krishna's business is currently only about 25% of what it has been in the past. Due to renovations, they had to close the Pipitea branch at the start of 2022.

The Lab's spokesperson told Salient that universitybased businesses rely on the “busy season”, the time when courses are running and students are coming up to campus everyday. In-person attendance hasn’t recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both the Lab and Krishna Food confirmed they had received rent relief from the university during lockdown, which helped to “minimise losses”, according to the Lab, during the height of the pandemic, yet neither business was able to make substantial money.

“You have to be able to make use of the busy period in terms of cash flow. Over the quiet period, we are losing money and we have to use savings to cover those losses” says the Lab spokesperson.

Supporting campus businesses is more important than ever—one Uber Eats order is the equivalent of three Krishna plates. As Krishna food told Salient, “We understand the importance of having really good food. It helps students with anxiety and focus. We are here to help students.”

Love Island and TikTok: Two Things You Didn’t Realise Were Relevant to VUW

Words by Niamh Vaughan (she/her)

Ascroll through your TikTok For You page will likely pull up the usual and expected videos: Family Guy clips, dancing children, fake anecdotes about celebrities, witch spells, or full episodes of the popular Australian kids show Bluey.

But, most recently, a hot new bombshell has entered the villa. Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington has created a TikTok account under the handle @wellingtonuni.

As of the end of February, the account has only four TikToks. The most popular is a video of new Vice Chancellor Nic Smith walking through a pair of doors to a sound bite cut from reality TV series Love Island, announcing his entrance as a “hot new bombshell”.

According to VUW’s Social Media Manager Lessi Riccio, we can expect to see an increase of TikToks like this. “We wouldn’t be doing our jobs properly if we didn’t give you more!” says Riccio.

According to Laura Sissons, Social Media Communications Adviser, “TikTok has been in the works for a long time, but we finally got it over the line when Lessi came on board.”

VUW’s Social Media Team will also be joined by a group of student content creators, who will begin this month, to aid in creating content that students will want to engage with. “[They] will not only make awesome content for us, but also act as a sounding board for ideas we’re unsure about,” says Sissons.

Student response to the new TikTok page has been mostly positive, with one user commenting, “I will apply for postgrad with you now because of this TikTok!” Another said, “whoever is currently doing VUW marketing needs a raise.” A response as to whether a pay rise for the Social Media Team has occurred is still pending.

Young ACT Makes a Shaky Return to VUW Campus

Words by Ethan Manera (he/him)

CW: Sexual Harm

The youth wing of the ACT Party are reinstating their Wellington branch. They have re-appeared on Kelburn campus, attending the Clubs Expo for the first time since 2020.

Young ACT was previously active on campus until allegations of sexual harassment and a culture of misogyny saw the youth wing embroiled in an explosive controversy, which caused many members to publically resign in 2020. The ACT Party announced an investigation into the branch, the findings of which were never publicly released. Young ACT then vanished from social media and public view for over two years.

The youth wing’s website has been updated with new policies and a new executive for Young ACT, which includes five representatives from across the country, all of whom are men.

The apparent resurgence of Young ACT has former members concerned, raising questions of whether the organisation has faced accountability and changed its ways since 2020.

In 2020, Ali Gammeter was the Vice President of Young ACT until they publicly resigned, citing numerous experiences of sexual harassment within the branch. Gammeter has concerns about the return of Young ACT at VUW, and says the organisation needs to be “transparent about how and what they have changed over the past years.”

“How will Young ACT make itself unwelcoming to the types of people who made it such a vitriolic mess back then, while simultaneously being the youth wing of a political party that does the same?” Gammeter said.

Gammeter says Young ACT and the ACT Party are “actively court the alt-right” and are “home to some of the worst people”.

Another former Young ACT member, who Salient has agreed not to name, was contacted about rejoining the new Wellington branch. They are concerned about the youth wing’s return to campus, saying that they

“want nothing to do with it”. The student said they “hope this time they have proper safeguards in place to prevent what happened last time happening again". They told Salient they were not confident about this.

James Sales is the new president of Young ACT’s returning Wellington branch, and was the only member present at the Clubs Expo last Tuesday.

Sales said that, for the past three years, ACT voters on campus “haven’t had a voice”, and he believes it’s important for the youth wing to return so they can represent “the student body at the university that’s sympathetic to ACT.”

Sales said the branch’s constitution, while still in the draft stage, will include “multiple mechanisms” to prevent a repeat of what happened in 2020.

“When there are allegations laid, one very important thing is to hear both sides of the story, and that’s what our constitution allows.”

When asked how the youth wing has faced accountability or changed following the investigation into allegations sexual harassment in 2020, Sales said, “As far as I’m concerned, they remain allegations because I havent seen [the report] myself.”

He said it was “a dreadful situation for many members, and we’ve moved on. It was years in the past.”

Sales said he hadn’t discussed the 2020 investigation into Young ACT with the ACT Party before reinstating the youth wing.

Attendees Slam Yung Gravy Concert As “Dangerous” and “Scary”

Words

by Zoë Mills (they/she)

CW: Assault

Attendees of the Yung Gravy concert on the fourth night of VUWSA O-Week have taken to social media, saying the event was “unorganised”, “unsafe”, and “dangerous”.

Summer Jade, sister of attendee described the event as “downright dangerous”. Sharing her experience on Vic Deals, Jade said that she was placing a complaint in with the university about the poor management. Jade claimed concert goers were, allegedly, urinating in the crowd due to a lack of bathroom facilities, and “people were getting assaulted by others taking advantage of the density of the crowd”. These claims have not yet been confirmed.

*Lucy, a first-year student and attendee of the concert, said that she found the concert unsafe due to the crushing crowd. “I haven’t talked to a single person who had a good experience.”

“There were moments where the crowd would totally fall over, like, the middle would just collapse,” Lucy said.

Concertgoers Grace and Keely shared a similar experience, describing the security hired by the university as “terrible”, and claiming security staff were vaping during sets on the smoke-free campus. Red Badge security was hired for external security outside the venue. General university security were also there, as well as an unnamed specialist security company for bar, barrier, and crowd control. VUWSA has confirmed that at least 24 security guards were hired for this event.

Grace and Keely bought tickets for the concert and were both able to get into the venue “without any security checks”, which Grace alleged led to overcrowding. “There was nobody at the entrance [checking tickets]. People were just walking in, walking out, doing whatever.”

Concert goers became increasingly frustrated at the lack of communication about set times for Gravy’s performance. People were unable to remove themselves

from the crowd due to constant pushing and shoving. “Everyone got super aggressive […] almost immediately, it was like, ‘Oh, we’re getting crushed’,” they both agreed.

In one incident, Grace was elbowed in the eye by a person trying to push her way to the front of the crowd. “I flagged down security. He just looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know what you expect me to do,’” Grace said.

Although security was allegedly little help, Grace and Keely described the VUWSA staff as “really helpful”. Moving forward, Grace implored the organisers of the event to “organise better”, and for the promoters to communicate with concertgoers. “From the get go, they weren’t clear, [about] when Gravy was coming on, how many people were going to perform before him, and how long those performances were going to be.”

A spokesperson from VUWSA defends their decision to host the venue at The Hub, and says that, although they did not receive any complaints or issues in the designated safe room during the evening, they know that “incidents can still occur, no matter how much safety is in place.” Salient understands that VUWSA had coordinated a staff and volunteer presence larger than any other of the O-Week nights for the concert.

VUWSA told Salient that a total of 16 people were assisted over the barrier throughout the night, none of whom required medical treatment and were “happy to rejoin the crowd”. No persons were evicted from this area, and people were mostly compliant, but the area required “constant management”, VUWSA stated.

“We encourage anyone who felt unsafe during Yung Gravy’s concert to contact us. At VUWSA, we thoroughly review all events and are always looking to make improvements.”

*Names have been changed.

OPINION: New PM Chris Hipkins Has Forgotten His Student Roots

Words by Ethan Manera (he/him)

When Chippy was sworn in as Aotearoa’s new PM, you would've been forgiven for thinking the former VUWSA President's promotion would be a victory for students. Yet Hipkins’ track record shows he is more of a sell-out than a student saviour when it comes to supporting students.

As the first ex-student union president to make it to the Beehive’s 9th floor, Hipkins started off as a radical at an institution renowned for it’s history of progressive activism.

While a fresher, he was arrested at the grounds of Parliament for protesting against the commercialisation of universities. He then served as VUWSA President in 2000 and 2001, fiercely advocating for free tertiary education and higher student allowances.

In 2001, Hipkins said “fees must come down and access to living allowances will have to increase.” He demanded the government make education a higher priority, accusing politicians of “mortgaging the future of our country”.

But Chippy’s days of pushing for radical change for students are, unfortunately, long gone. The man who built his career on fighting for our interests seems to have abandoned his principles at the Beehive door.

When Labour won the election in 2017, Hipkins became Education Minister under Jacinda Ardern. Despite this, students were still crying out for help under Hipkins’ leadership. As the cost of living and student debt rose, he neglected to implement targeted relief for students. Things got harder for students, but Hipkins wouldn’t budge.

Then Covid-19 hit, and students were doing it tougher than ever. Yet student support was the first on the list

to be scrapped in the name of financial belt-tightening. Hipkins announced that the free fees program would be cut back and the reinstatement of postgrad student loans was to be scrapped, breaking Labour’s 2017 campaign promise and doing exactly the opposite of what he fought so strongly for in his youth.

Students are now facing a cost of living crisis, juggling study alongside working multiple shifts each week, and paying unaffordable rents for mouldy flats, all while going into tens of thousands of dollars of debt. A 2022 report found two-thirds of students regularly can’t afford food, bills, and health care. A leg up from Chippy is still nowhere to be seen.

Things are objectively worse than when Hipkins was a student, but since reaching a position where he has every power to change things, he’s simply decided not to.

Hipkins has ruled out universal allowances, refused to wipe student debt, and only coughed up miniscule increases to weekly student loan payments, giving students the immense privilege of going into more debt each week. Thanks Chippy.

It seems our once-loved ex-student union president would rather play to the centre he’s too scared to lose votes. Chippy has played us, using student issues to launch his career, but then abandoning us when we really need help.

In Hipkins’ welcome letter last week, he addressed students, writing, “I want to ensure you can focus on your education without stressing about power bills or the price of groceries.” This empty and meaningless assurance represents Hipkins’ approach to students: signalling all the right things, but refusing to actually implement policy that helps.

HEAD LICE

SALIENT OFFICE OVERRUN BY HEAD LICE INFESTATION

Any poor soul who wandered into the Salient office last Tuesday would’ve wandered into pandemonium. The culprit? Nits. The nearlyinvisible blood suckers sent workers into a panicked spiral, after it was discovered there was an infested team member. “I’ve been in so much itch,” said a Salient staff member, who wished to remain anonymous. Suspicion regarding a communal head scratcher followed in the wake of the head lice infestation. “It just appeared one day. I’m not suggesting foul play, but I’m also not ruling it out,” said Chief Reporter Niamh. Ethan, News Co-Editor, wants the public to be assured he is not one of the infected. “My scalp remains Co-Editors Maia and

TE MATATINI = MĀORI EXCELLENCE

Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival was held at Ngā Ana Wai Eden Park from 22-25 February, attended by at least 18,000 people. Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau a Apanui won the overall competition, with Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue (who had never reached the national finals before) and Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti tying second place. Many rōpū remembered those who made a great impact to kapa haka and Te Ao Māori in their lifetime; the waiata-ā-ringa of Te Whānau a Apanui was in memory of the influential tikanga, Te Tiriti, and decolonisation scholar and advocate (and Ngā Rangahautira alum) Dr Moana Jackson. Te Paati Māori also took the occasion as an opportunity to highlight the inequity of yearly funding for Te Matatini compared to the NZ Symphony Orchestra and the Royal NZ Ballet, an issue which PM Chris Hipkins says the government is considering.

HOT TAKES

What are your thoughts on lecture recordings no longer being mandatory ?

Hamish (he/they)

Film and Politics

I usually try to make it to my lectures, but if I can’t, they’re such a helpful backup to have online. Even to go back to your lectures and look at them again. The one thing I can’t stand are the recordings that are just MP3s and no video. I wanna see the slides and my lecturer getting passionate about their hot takes!

Seth (he/him)

Media and Theatre

If a student were to get sick, that can arise into a major problem. Sometimes you’re lucky and you have a friend in the lecture. But especially first-years, they don’t have many friends in lectures. If they get covid and have to take a week off, there’s no way they could really catch up on a lecture without a recording. We’re paying the fees, why shouldn’t we be able to go to uni however we prefer?

Nigel (he/him)

Master’s

of Climate Change Science

I can’t always make classes, so it’s really important that I’m able to get [recordings]. Plus if we’re sick and don’t want to attend because we don’t want to infect other people, we should be able to get access to it afterwards. It doesn’t make any sense to me.

Anna (she/her)

Law, Spanish, Politics

It’s kind of a good thing, because I’m really bad at going [to class], and if [lecture recordings] aren’t there, I kind of have to go. I’m in law school, so if you’re away for a week, they’re just like, just ask friends. What if you don’t have any friends?

Tempest and All: Wellington’s Summer Shakespeare is a Triumph.

Words by Jamie Clumpas

Wellington’s Summer Shakespeare has returned to the Botanic Gardens for another season after two years of Covid-19 disruption. Just their luck: Cyclone Gabrielle arrived in the midst of their 2023 season. While Pōneke avoided the worst, the performers had to cancel four straight days of shows.

Despite the disruption from a real-life tempest, when they finally got on stage, Summer Shakespeare’s The Tempest, directed by Megan Evans, was an absolute triumph.

An aptly storm-swept Botanic Gardens Dell stage provided a perfect stage for the play, set on a recently storm-ravaged island. Trees rustling, birds chirping, and a characteristically-cool Wellington breeze brought every member of the audience into the setting, with little suspension of disbelief required.

It was ultimately the performances of the wonderful Summer Shakespeare actors that pulled the whole thing together. In the first few scenes, some cobwebs from the five-day hiatus definitely showed in the actors’ performances. But by the end of Act One, the company had found a groove, and they told a brilliant, hilarious story.

The chemistry between all of the actors was clear and brought the audience right into the centre of the unfolding story. In particular, the drunken trio of Trinculo, Stephano, and Caliban (Anna Kate Sutherland, Philip Nordt, and Sean Farrell) were highlights at every moment. This was easily the most I can recall ever laughing at two sailors and a fish-demon.

Anna Secker’s Miranda was also effortlessly hilarious, and she had perfect chemistry with both her father Prospero (India Worsnop) and husband Ferdinand (Sebastian Kerebs).

Susan Williams’ performance as Gonzalo both stood out—and didn’t—for all the right reasons. Susan is vision-impaired, but they performed to the same excellent standard as every other member of the cast. While their performance was inspiring, their mere presence on stage doesn’t need to be. They were simply a good actor in a good play. I was left questioning why they are one of the only disabled people I have seen on stage, as it was evidently no obstacle to a great performance. Susan’s performance sent a clear message that theatre directors need to wake up and realise that vision impairments or disabilities are not a disqualifier to a great cast member.

Excellent uses of song and dance brought the whole spectacle together, with a joyous dance number ending the night on a triumphant note. Though Summer Shakespeare will be over by the time this article is published, these actors don’t live in hibernation summer-to-summer. They’re in the local productions and Fringe shows that we see posters for every day.

I cannot urge readers more to get out and see theatre like this throughout this year, especially in Fringe season. It’s only with people filling seats that Wellington’s art scene can continue to be as diverse and high-quality as The Tempest was.

Drive To Survive, But Tennis

Words by Takuma Ohashi (he/him)

Where To Watch Break Point: Part 1 (5 episodes) released January 2023 on Netflix. Part 2 expected in June 2023.

Recommended Viewing Method: Have it playing in the background while cleaning the bathroom in your flat (yes, someone needs to clean it).

Like many, my interest in formula 1 (F1) began after watching the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive Tennis, a similarly global sport, recognised the spike in popularity that Drive to Survive created for F1 and decided to do their own imitation: Break Point.

Break Point doesn’t follow tennis superstars like Serena Williams or Novak Djokovic. Rather, it introduces us to Nick Kyrgios, Ajla Tomljanović, Matteo Berrettini, Ons Jabeur, Paula Badosa, Maria Sakkari, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, and Félix Auger-Aliassime. The powers-that-be in tennis are betting on these players to bring new fans to the sport.

If you’re looking for a behind-the-scenes peek into a wholesome Italian family’s life, refer to episode two. You’ll find heartwarming scenes of Matteo Berrettini with his family; sharing a family meal on his balcony in Rome, discussing parmesan cheese in his kitchen, facetiming his grandmother while he’s in an ice bath after winning a match.

In episode four, Paula Badosa enters a tournament and loses earlier than expected. We see her in tears, discussing her battle with depression. Hearing professional athletes discuss mental struggles is surprising and refreshing. It’s a reminder that humans can be proud of how far we have come in de-stigmatising mental health challenges.

Similarly, episode one gives us insight into Nick Kyrgios’ struggles with mental health. Fun fact, I have played a doubles match against Kyrgios. It was in a junior tournament in Auckland in 2008, and Kyrgios and his partner were up against myself and my partner Chester Espie. Thanks to Kyrgios (and many others before and since), I’ve experienced the pain of losing a match.

While watching Break Point, you may find yourself feeling a bit of jealousy. Not necessarily for the players’ lavish lifestyles, but for the opportunity they have to push themselves to the limit every week, discovering what they can achieve when they give their all. Rather than testing our limits day in, day out, some of us settle for safer options, rationalising a decision to study business instead of philosophy.

Lastly, you should follow Cameron Norrie. He doesn’t feature in the show (yet). But he grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau, was ranked 8th in the world, and made the Wimbledon semi-finals last year. He represents Great Britain, but is a Kiwi player you can be incredibly proud of.

If you haven’t been hit by Netflix’s password sharing crackdown, perhaps multitask Break Point with a bathroom clean. Follow Norrie on Instagram and ring your mate who quit tennis at age 16 to let them know you now understand the struggles they went through. Then, dust off your racket and go hit a few yellow fuzzy balls.

a hot new bombshell enters the villa...

VC Nic Smith

on Community, Capital, and Letting the Dust Settle

Words by Maia Ingoe (she/her)

Freshers aren’t the only newbies on the scene at VUW. A hot new bombshell has entered the villa: Vice Chancellor Nic Smith. He has busted into his new job as of January, telling Salient, “I’m in the listening phase.” In fact, he appeared to be a big fan of “letting the dust settle” (he used the phrase three times, twice in the same sentence), “understanding” (ten times), “capital” (six times), and “community” (ten times). As for action, this wasn’t mentioned much.

In his first interview with Salient in June last year, the VC was unable to give estimates towards the cost of catered halls. He suggested that we come back to him with these questions the next year.

We started off by asking Nic if he knew the average cost of a catered hall at VUW and the cost of rent in Wellington City. He was very unwilling to answer quick-fire questions. “I mean, what you’re really saying is, do I understand how difficult it is for students in the current cost of living crisis? And I think it’s a massive issue.” When pushed, the VC was able to give us a figure of $25,000 per person, per year for the average price of a catered hall, overestimating from the actual average of $16,131.

After clarifying what the limits of 'average cost of rent in Wellington City' were, Nic answered $650 per week. As of November 2022, it was $590. When we moved onto the average StudyLink payments students receive per week, Nic refused to answer, saying, “We’re done with the questions where you’re asking me things.”

“These are figures that I know because I’ve looked at them, but I don’t think it really advances any other issues… I don’t think that gets us both into the kind of dialogue I want to participate in.”

Moving onto specific problems, we asked Nic about the bungled enrolment system. Students have run into problems with admissions and enrollments for 2023, causing a downturn in this year’s student numbers. Nic acknowledged the enrollment difficulties for students, but said it’s “over now”. Rather than investing in user testing with students, the likes of which VUWSA has repeatedly called for, Nic has enrolled himself. He’s set up to study a “Bachelor of History” to see the issues first-hand. He couldn’t confirm any figures about reductions in enrollment numbers for 2023. “The dust is still settling, it’s very much a moving target.”

In the wake of the Vic Books closure, Nic said that it was “devastating” to see. But he was quick to assert that the closure happened three weeks into his new job, having arrived “far too late in the piece” to have any impact. He said the closure was a symptom of wider issues around the university community. “We have to find a way of bringing staff and students back to campus,” Nic said.

Creating community and bringing people back to campus were recurring theme throughout our interview. Considering this, we asked him about access to lecture recordings, an imminent issue for many students. He acknowledged that lecture recordings were an important “augmented learning” tool, and that accessibility concerns were front of mind for many in a cost of living crisis. But his final stance was clear: “We are not going to become an online university.”

“We also have to acknowledge the university is not just an information dissemination exercise, it’s a community,” the VC asserted, despite students leaving university with thousands of dollars in student debt for said information dissemination. “We have to find a way to bring people back to campus, otherwise, it won’t just be Vic Books, but it will be the entire infrastructure of what we’re doing,” he said.

When asked if he had spoken to Ngāi Tauira about creating opportunities for Māori students, the VC appeared to not recognise the name. He first assured us that he had spoken to tangata whenua about the university’s partnership. When prompted again about Ngāi Tauira specifically, he said, “ahhh…” Only once we clarified that Ngāi Tauira are the Māori students’ association did recognition cross his face.

The VC said that he met many of the rep groups, including Ngāi Tauira, at a VUWSA-organised meet-up last year. Ngāi Tauira confirmed to Salient they did have a meeting with him, and that he appeared at Āwhina during O-Week.

Nic said that he spent a lot of time “providing manaakitanga” and “sharing whanaungatanga”, and that as a long-term institution, “kaitiakitanga” is critical. For him, learning and listening were the main priorities. “But it’s also to acknowledge that, as a non-Māori, I’m as much a student as I am a leader at those exercises.” Nic is the latest of a long line of white, male, straight, cis Vice Chancellors.

Nic agreed that tutors are the “lifeblood” of the university, but wouldn’t commit to increasing their pay rates. Last year, tutors striked alongside other VUW staff, asking for an 8% pay increase in line with cost of living pressures. Nic said he was instead “going to seek to create more stability” and, once again, “part of that is listening”.

“Yes, students would like more investment. Yes, students would like cheaper halls. Yes, staff would like more salary. Yes, tutors would like more salary. But we have to balance that within the constraints that we have, which are largely driven by the government,” he said.

This might explain why the Gordon Wilson flats, purchased by the university for $6 million in 2014, remain in a decrepit state along The Terrace. Nic said the flats are “certainly an opportunity”, but that “we’re not really investigating any ideas”. He confirmed that they are not planning to do anything with the building in the near future, as it “requires significant capital”.

Considering these financial constraints, we asked the VC his thoughts on the Living Pā project, which the University Council committed an investment of $45 million to in December 2021. He called the Living Pā an “amazing project”, a “remarkable building”, and a new “focal point” for the entire VUW community. When this multi-million dollar project was compared to the unused Gordon Wilson flats, Nic responded by saying he’s “inherited these projects”, in which “a significant proportion of capital has already been spent”.

“In hindsight, would we have done [these projects, looking at] where we are now from where we started? Possibly not, but none of us have a time machine.”

Many student advocates have pointed to the Gordon Wilson flats as opportunities for the creation of new student housing, something the capital city is in desperate need of. Issues like creating more student houses were “certainly one of the higher priorities” for Nic, although he couldn’t provide any details about what that might look like. Nic pointed to problems with “capital costs”.

“You know, everyone thinks there’s some sort of magic Vice Chancellor pot of money, and you just kind of dish it out.” Nic assured us that, in the real world, there is a lot of balancing. His ability to do anything at all is very unclear.

Student housing, like many issues, came back to the community. “The major issue is: what are we as a community? And how do we interact in a world that has been disrupted?” Nic said.

“If this university doesn’t become a place of belonging and connection, physically and metaphorically and academically for our students, it will die.”

Dark words from our new Vice Chancellor. When Salient first talked to him nine months ago, it was up to the next year to see whether his words would lead to actions. It seems that VUW students will once again be waiting until the dust has settled to see if the VC’s words will pay off.

“You know, everyone thinks there’s some sort of magic Vice Chancellor pot of money, and you just kind of dish it out.”

From Student to First Responder: The University’s Emergency Response Team

Words by Pippi Jean (she/her)

If you asked me three years ago what I’d be doing at university, it would not be boosting it up five flights of stairs in the Alan McDiarmid building and then down again, twice, with an oxygen tank and a med kit on my back, in full overalls, a safety helmet, and steel-caps. At 17, I had never done a first aid course in my life. At 7, I’d been lastingly scarred by the Volcano House in Auckland Museum. Emergency was something I wanted to avoid as an entire concept.

But like…shit happens?

Enter UWERT (University of Wellington Emergency Response Team). We are made up of current and ex-VUW students, undergraduate and postgraduate, as well as staff members. We train every Monday, and on the occasional weekend, to respond to major incidents affecting the university and the wider community. Our functions include: reconnaissance and survey, first aid, mass casualty triage, welfare, liaison with and assistance to other emergency services, and surface search and rescue.

“I love the fact that I learn skills I can use to help people, rather than stand on the side when something happens,” says Andrew Simpkin, who is the current co-leader of UWERT and has been a member of the team since 2016. “That’s why I do it.”

In the event of the bat-signal (a callout from the National Emergency Management Agency, or NEMA for short), UWERT can deploy off-campus, out-of-region, and nationally to aid Civil Defence groups in an emergency. This is because we are alternately known as NZRT-7, short for New Zealand Response Team 7. Which helps to know when you’re dragging a 70kg model of a man with badly broken legs across the Boyd-Wilson field, people staring down from the windows of Te Puni like a squad of vaguely confused exam supervisors. At those times, there is sort of an element of, like, what the fuck am I up to?

“Our team members put in a lot of time and effort to make sure they keep their skills sharp,” says Amy May, the other co-leader of UWERT. Amy is also the Emergency Management Coordinator at Wellington Hospital. “It will be great to see this officially recognised.”

‘Officially recognised’ means accredited. In October this year, NZRT-7 will be assessed under the newly-launched National Accreditation Process for New Zealand Response Team (NZRT) volunteers. ‘Operational’ members, or those being both internally trained and externally certified enough to deploy, will make up the assessed NZRT-7.

Xanthia Coombe, 21, is now in her third year with the team as an operational member. She regularly wears a rainbow unicorn backpack to campus, has half her bedroom covered in squishmallows, and once found me panicking over a fully-impaled casualty in a drill scenario (so much fake blood) and said “Chill.”

“You do have to be able to carry big ladders and big stretchers with people in them. And the uni’s a pretty big place to respond to. There’s a lot of stairs,” Xanthia says. We both call UWERT ‘responders’ or ‘respondies’, a habit we picked up in first year when we’d walk home together in the dark on Mondays to missed hall dinners. “You know, at the gym you lift weights. At respondies, you lift…” she finger-guns, “weight.”

As well as the NZRTs, there are 60 other land search and rescue groups around Aotearoa, numbering more than 3500 volunteer members in total. That’s not to mention Coastguard NZ, with over 2000 members, and Surf Lifesaving NZ (SLSNZ), with over 5000 members. Both of these organisations are currently made up of

less than 3% paid staff and 97% volunteers. According to New Zealand Geographic, this gives our country one of the world’s highest rates of volunteer involvement in search and rescue operations.

Despite the numbers, the demographic makeup of search and rescue (SAR) volunteers does not reflect the diversity of Aotearoa’s overall population. Who runs the SAR world? Old dudes! The New Zealand SAR sector is heavily reliant (76% reliant, in fact) on males, two thirds of whom are aged over 40. In the eight years between the 2010 and 2019 Volunteering NZ surveys, there has been almost zero statistical change to this demographic makeup. It’s worth mentioning that dedicated youth programmes at SLSNZ actually skew the data. Minus SLSNZ, the wider SAR volunteer population averages even older, with most volunteers in the 60 years and older category. Meanwhile, based on my research, UWERT is the only university-based NZRT with intentions to seek NEMA accreditation this year in Aotearoa. Our team is entirely made up of Gen-Z and Millennials.

“The uniforms looked cool,” says Róisín Kenny, 20. A second-year Whitireia Bachelor of Health Science (Paramedic) student, she decided on her current degree the day after her first external training with UWERT. The exercise in particular involved a line-and-hail search and casualty extraction on a rubble pile, which Róisín attests “flicked a switch in my brain”, turning her to a career in emergency services.

Alongside her professional training, Róisín remains with UWERT. She’s recently stepped up to the role of Lead Medical Officer in the team’s leadership committee. Having completed field ambulance placements already, and with 7 years of surf lifesaving under her belt,

I asked her if UWERT stands out among her experiences in the emergency services sector. “Yeah! Our team is so accommodating of everyone’s backgrounds and capabilities. Sure, certain skills might take a certain amount of physical ability, but if that’s not possible for you, that doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of the team. It just means you might specialise in different things.” Said Róisín.

Xanthia seconds this. “Us being a younger response team… we’re unique. We’re really creative.” Everyone in the team is encouraged to have a say on how the team is run. As well as every training being capped off by an open debrief—wherein everyone shares how they thought the training went—team members are encouraged to join leadership committees, both as experienced and newer recruits. Anyone’s input is valued in designing trainings.

Being mostly a Gen-Z team, you can imagine how this goes. Recent ideas have included mass casualty triage speed-dating, a slideshow on bandages including MS Paint pictures of snails, and a soon-to-be-had zombieapocalypse response scenario.

“Response should be accessible to everyone, because you never know in an emergency who’s going to be able to respond and who’s not,” Xanthia says.

Two of my granddads have spent decades in fire rescue, so you’d think we’d be all buddy-buddy, bonding over fires and stuff. But mentioning my joining UWERT was more like I’d told them I like girls or I’m thinking of dyeing my hair blue. In their chill, supportive, old-blokey way they went, “Oh, that’s nice… nice, nice.”

It’s not just that I’m more prepared for the work role, it’s that I’m more prepared for life. Preserving life.

Which makes total sense. For these guys, rescue is chucking someone over your shoulder and boosting it out of a burning building. It’s refuelling helicopters. Sandbagging. Shovelling. Putting out peat fires up north for weeks on end. I’m just some kid who wandered into the Clubs Expo and went, “Whoa! Cool!’’ Also, I am built like Spiderman if the spider bite didn’t give him powers and instead turned him into an actual spider. So there’s that to consider.

Our recruitment process at UWERT isn’t based on physical ability. It’s based on attendance, enthusiasm, and the willingness to learn and to help others learn. We have a new intake every year (including this one, wink wink) and run beginner-friendly sessions (think: how to tie knots, lash stretchers, care for casualties, use radios, operate in squads, complete basic recon) every Monday for a couple of months. This is capped off by a physical fitness test, which, in the last three years, nobody has failed! This test isn’t designed to tire you out as much as teach you how to operate in a team, and to see if you’ve remembered the skills taught over the Trimester.

The test marks the end of the intake. Those still attending become capital-R Recruits. Which means you get a locker in our super-secret, campus-based, six-foot-of-concrete, underground bunker, a locker’s worth of random rescue, high-vis raincoats, maybe a St John’s branded pen, and the pleasure of my company, every Monday, until you die.

“My favourite memory… probably our flood response deployment,” says Róisín. In 2021, UWERT was called on to respond to minor flooding in a VUW hall of residence. “I mean, it was miserable. It’s freezing out. So I’m in jeans, thermals,

our wet gear … when I got home everything was just wet from sweat. Disgusting! And that kitchen! The water! I’d clean a spot and then it’d flood back in,” Róisín said.

After we cleared the water out, I remember sitting on the streaky linoleum floor, listening to the rain outside. “It all smelled so bad. We smelled bad,” Róisín recalled. “But it was like, look! We cleared all of this out.” We ordered pizza to celebrate. But that wasn’t the best part, my teammate says. “Nothing is more satisfying than learning something in training and successfully using it,” she explains. “Once you get it you’re like, ‘oh my god, finally.’”

I asked Xanthia why she joined the team. She tells me about training for a summer retail job. Herself and colleagues were asked how confident they felt about responding to an emergency in the workplace. Everyone had to stand on a scale to opposite sides of the room, with one side being 0/10, and the other side being 10/10: total confidence. She went straight for the 10/10 wall.

“I was like, no, if anything happens to my customers, I can save them,” Xanthia tells me. “If anyone on the street drops down and has a cardiac arrest, I know what to do. It’s not just that I’m more prepared for the work role, it’s that I’m more prepared for life. Preserving life.”

If you’re interested in joining up or hearing more, our first information evening for new recruits will be held on Monday March 13th, 5:30PM, in AM106. Feel free to contact us for more info at safety@vuw.ac.nz.

Sport? We Can Do Better Than That

Words by Phoebe Robertson (she/her)

Traditionally, Salient has had a “Sports” issue, following sports narratives. Previous Salient writers have done their best to get students moving, from women in weightlifting to walking tracks recommendations around the city. However, for this year’s more fluid “Active” issue, I would like to revisit the traditional definition of activity.

To be active, by definition, means “engaging or [being] ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits.”

For me, the term “active” refers to much more than your work’s indoor football matches they’re always begging you to join. Being active is more than being terrified to walk around the Te Puni field because the rugby boys are practising. It also refers to my flatmate Bibi’s pole sessions at Body Electric Pole, dancing at 4 a.m. in clubs that are about to close, and drag I used to perform. It refers to my identity, my movement, and the way I express myself.

In a discussion with Bibi, she described pole as “challenging but joyful”. We chatted, in a very professional interviewing setting, on the floor of her room. Bibi got into pole because of her background in martial arts. After moving to Wellington, she wanted to find a sport that would challenge her in a similar way to martial arts, but would also offer a new set of skills. Bibi explained that “pole builds up a lot of strength, as well as being a halfway point between physical strength training [and] cardio or dance.”

Bibi expressed that pole is a fantastic way to build community. It’s an exceptionally challenging and vulnerable sport, which means you create indepth connections with other people in class. Pole is a way to connect to a wider performance community as it intersects with burlesque, cabaret, and other performance scenes. Bibi mentioned that it’s “only natural” to create bonds with classmates, and in turn, get more involved in further performance scenes.

I couldn’t write about cabaret and performance-based scenes without speaking to Niko Walford: a powerhouse in the Wellington drag, burlesque and cabaret scene under their explosive stage names Robin YaBlind and Ultra Violet.

They discussed the exploration and freedom that came with these art forms, as they exist outside the heteronormative gaze. Burlesque and drag have become a way for Niko to express different parts of their identity that they wouldn’t have otherwise. Their favourite aspect of drag and burlesque are the elements that allow the performer to “romanticise, glamourise, or sexualise” traits, in either themselves or other people, that “conventional, cishet society tries to either not look at or pretend it doesn’t exist.”

To Niko, performance is not only about being active, it is a way of exploring themselves whether it’s their gender, sexuality, or just playing around with their appearance in a way that they would be unable to do outside of the performance space.

Niko also works as a burlesque teacher at Studio L’amour. They noted that in their classes they’ll have shy individuals who don’t know much about burlesque and are selfconscious about their individual movement. Niko explained that the most rewarding thing for them as a teacher is watching people come out of their shells, warming up as classes continue, gaining confidence in themselves and their bodies, and becoming more comfortable being active in the burlesque space.

Kitty K, a dancer at one of Wellington’s gentlemen’s clubs, presents a different experience to the exploration of activity in such a queer-centred and accepting space. To Kitty, pole is not just an art form, but also a means of income. Dancing at the club, alongside the money they gain from tips and private bookings, pays their rent and pays off their student loan.

Similarly to Niko's experience, Kitty found that through this job, their relationship with activity has further developed their perception of self. After two years of working at a gentlemen’s club, Kitty noted that they have a much stronger understanding of themselves. They explained that through sex work, they “learned how to alter their femininity and extend it beyond themselves”. Kitty has also learned how to fully embrace a caricature of the “femme fatale” in order to do this. They feel like more of an actor playing a character when working this job, instead of themselves.

Another form of unconventional activity is theatre. In the theatre space, actors are required to project their voices whilst dancing and moving across the stage under heavy lights. I’ve gotten more sweaty on theatre stages than on the hockey turf in high school.

Recently, I was involved in the Fringe season of Hell School: The Musical, a fully devised, campy, and queer musical. It was a story of a school reunion gone to hell (and then back again).

During the year-long production process, choreographer and VUW alum Elora Battah devised the choreography for the two-and-a-half-hour musical from the ground up. This included more group numbers than I could count, and a ‘sweethearts dance’ in which she and fellow actor Caleb O’Halloran performed a duet to signify the breaking-up of a lifelong relationship.

Elora described choreographing Hell School as a “whirlwind experience, but a rewarding one”. She acknowledged that dancing can be a daunting process for a lot of people, especially those without a dancing background. It was Elora’s aim to show that dancing can be fun and enjoyable when it’s designed with all skill sets in mind. She expressed that the best part of the choreography process was “creating a product that we could all be proud of, [and] instilling confidence in the cast ".

Hell School director Katherine Keane echoed these thoughts, saying that “activity within the theatre is incredibly important, as it’s both fulfilling for the self and inspiring for others.” They noted that their favourite part of the rehearsal and performance process was watching the cast grow together throughout the show’s development.

I hate conclusions in articles. If it was up to me, I would simply forego them. However, I believe the gods (Maia and Fran) at Salient would get mad at me if I did this. But if anything I hope this piece leaves you with a wider perception of what it means to be active. Activity does not have to come from the gym or a rugby pitch. Instead, it can be used to create community and identity, and for sheer fun and learning.

If you’re reading this and are interested in trying out burlesque as an alternative form of activity, you can find Niko at Studio L’amour or on Instagram as @robin_yablind and @altra_violette. You can also try out pole classes at Body Electric Pole.

Activity within the theatre is incredibly important, as it’s both fulfilling for the self and inspiring for others.

WHAT KIND OF ACTIVE TRANSPORT ARE YOU?

Words by the Salient Quizzard (quiz/quizzle)

1. What time do you get up for uni?

A. Bright and early for a matcha and intellectual chat with my favourite lecturer.

B. Roll out of bed, throw on a pair of jeans, pop in a piece of toast, arrive ten minutes late.

C. I have to have at least 2 hours before I leave the house for green tea and pilates.

D. I forgot I had a tutorial today! I’ll make the last 15 minutes, maybe…

E. I wanna head to Les Mills and Swimsuit first before class, but I’ve got my Suzuki and my mum pays for parking, so I’m sweet.

2. What’s your go-to uni fit?

A. Lululemon leggings and my Harry Styles sweater.

B. Denim, old man sweater, and chunky jewellery.

C. Jeans, baggy t-shirt and sweater, and always a rain jacket.

D. Immaculately put together locally thrifted clothes, tats from Wellington artists, and too many rings to count.

E. Tank and pinstripe pants with a designer bag or shoes.

3. What’s your opinion on utes?

A. Only frog shoes for me. I want my toes to feel the earth, not increase my carbon footprint.

B. They're always driven by hot tradies, so I like them.

C. Why the fuck do people who live in Wellington drive utes? They’ve never got a spot of dirt on them.

D. They always try to run me over.

E. I love them, and now that I’ve got my Frank Green cup holder my ute’s even better!

4. What are your weekend plans?

A. Go on a hike up Mount Vic or to the Brooklyn Wind Turbine and get stuck into Tri 2 readings (I’ve already done all the Tri 1 ones).

B. Make music with the bros. Drop a tab mayhaps? Watch an indie 70s film and write a poem.

C. Go to a film at Lighthouse before heading to karaoke and drinks.

D. On the rark. A nang or three with my favourite homeslice.

E. Three day bender. Dusty Sunday Bunnings trip (Lyall Bay). Browse the isles, buy plants you don’t need, and get a sausage on the way out.

5. You have an assignment due at 5 p.m. tomorrow. What’s your game plan?

A. Call my study friend and ask them if they’ve started. If they haven’t, we’ll watch Love Island to procrastinate.

B. I’ve done a third of it and have highlighted notes ready. I’ll do some more after this cone.

C. I finished it last week and have been anxiously reading it over ever since.

D. I’ll go to San Fran tonight and start it when I wake up at 12 p.m. tomorrow.

E. Do an all-nighter in the library.

Mostly C’s: Cycling

You are the slayest of the group. You know how to put together a great fit that works around your bicycle and you always check the weather ahead of time. You’ve got a bit of disrespect for the rules, thinking you are above them all because you’re saving the planet. Turn down your superiority complex down a notch...

Mostly A’s: Walking

You absolute power house. I have no idea how you do it! You always look mysterious with your headphones on, but you're probably just listening to Salient Podcasts. You’ve always got the hottest takes, developed on your hot girl walks, and your friends always know who to turn to for advice. But please, my guy, put the dogs away; at least make a profit off those babies!

Mostly B’s: E-Scooters

You’re chill. You are often late, but you get shit done and, honestly, you do it very well! You’re saving the planet by not owning your own vehicle (but let’s face it, you only have your learners). You always look cool, which is confusing because scooting looks kind of lame lol. But damn, you make it suave in your fluffy hat and sunglasses.

Mostly D’s: Skateboarding

I’m a bit worried for you, with the amount of times you’ve broken bones or inhaled suspicious substances, but you’re always fun to hang with. You could do with taking life a bit more seriously, attending a lecture or tutorial every once in a while. But to be fair, you’re right, you don’t have to do all your readings.

Mostly E’s: Car

You're disorganised. You're tired. Fuel prices are causing your financial stress levels to go through the roof. Your car floor is littered with Maccas takeaway bags and makeup wipes from taking friends on late-night mental health drives. But you probably have rich parents and don’t mind dropping 1k on festival tickets, Jordans, and WOFs.

Salient Team Sports

Here at Salient, we decided to reminisce on our school sports days, dragging ourselves through the mud for your entertainment.

Maia - Co-Editor - Hockey

For years, I slogged myself out of bed on a Saturday morning, dragged my heels as I put on shin guards, socks, and a mouthguard to get to the damp grass field to play hockey. In intermediate, the game changed when my town built a brand-new Astroturf. Hockey was suddenly faster, stronger, and more intense. I continued playing through high school, and even played in a B team tournament on our home turf, in which our team scored one entire goal. I was never a good player, but the determination, focus, and defence of the game grasped me. 3/5

Fran - Co-Editor - Netball

Neither of my parents were that fussed about whether I did sports or not. I was pressured into it by other people’s mums. The tiger mums of Seatoun School were something else, man. I don’t think I’ve been bullied more than by 40-year-old blonde women in athleisure, living vicariously through their kids. My netball career started with numerous balls smacked to the face. It was like at least four times per practice. A couple of years down the track, I was hot shit. During the game, I took out my anger about overhearing the ‘popular girlies’ shittalking my skills in the bathroom. As a wing defence, I popped off with my intercepts between the opposing wing attack and centre, and scored some player of the days. I love netball for this reason.

5/5 balls to the face.

- Football

Football was my life for the better part of ten years, owing to the fact my family is Italian and is obsessed with the Italian football team. One time, my team trained with the Phoenix. They all signed my football, but one of my friends got jealous and threw it onto the road. It got hit by a bus. My dad was my coach a few times, and I was always worried my teammates hated me because he was kinda mean. My illustrious football career ended when I was training with my dad, and he kicked the ball too hard and hurt my toe.

1.5/5 Sorry for throwing you under the bus like a football, Dad.

Ethan - News Co-Editor - Swimming

At school, sport was compulsory—a rule I very much disapproved of. I tried out almost every sport on offer to discover which required the least commitment. The list included badminton, basketball, tennis, tramping, squash, and finally, swimming. All were awful. I hated swimming the least because you could simply put your head under the water and block out the sound of your aggressive coach's disapproval over your lack of effort. I remember reluctantly ploughing through the pool until I reached the shallow end, where I would walk across the pool, halfhunched over, in an awkward attempt to make it look like I was still swimming while I caught my breath.

Alex - Podcast Manager - Squash

I thought I was doomed to never find a sport that resonated with me. But then I started working at a squash gym and decided to hop on the court. My years of failure playing football were now eclipsed by struggling to hit a fast-moving, tiny ball with a strange racket. And I loved it! It’s the perfect game for my habits. I can practise by myself and with my friends. Even though I know I’ve got a great deal to learn, I never feel like an idiot (mostly).

4/5 broken rackets.

Niamh - Chief Reporter - Athletics

Dad made sport compulsory in my household. Unfortunately, I was drawn to dance and gymnastics. Dad refused to let me become a gymnast, and though I was allowed to do ballet, dance wasn’t a ‘real sport’. I was forced to do something of his choice as well. Athletics was fine. It was mostly just waiting around for your turn to throw a heavy ball or jump over a stick (things I was too short and small to enjoy). Ironically, what I remember most fondly were the cartwheels I did with the other girls while we waited for events.

2/5 Should’ve done gym instead.

PODCASTS

Fitness FOR REAL?

Words by FOR REAL? Podcast Gabrielle Reyes (she/her) and Olivia Dykes (she/her)

Kia ora! We’re Liv and Gabi, the hosts of FOR REAL? the Podcast. We’ve been recording with Salient Podcasts for the past year, and will be continuing to extend your weekends with episodes released every second Monday.

FOR REAL? takes you into our lives as third-year uni students and besties. We get real about friendships and relationships, uni life and dramas, and all the other things that might be on a Gen-Z mind. When we’re not chatting shit on the poddy, we love going for coffee, spending time with the girls, and trying to find time to be active…

POV: It’s a Saturday morning. Your head hurts, your mouth is dry, and your stomach is turning. Are Saturday Scaries a thing? You open your phone just to flick through your own Instagram story five times, and it does nothing but rub in the embarrassment. You get an alert that your account is now in overdraft, and discover that before a box of Seltzers were consumed last night, you’d planned to go for a run. Does leftover Camel Grill count as a pre-workout snack?

Here at FOR REAL?, we’re not ashamed to say that the above scenario is a regular occurrence in our lives, and we’re the first to admit that maintaining a balanced life as a 20-yearold uni student is pretty fucking hard. With uni, part-time jobs, extra-curricular activities, going out with friends, cooking dinner, and simply surviving, being active often get put on the back burner. Finding the time to be active can be difficult and expensive, and it can require a shit-ton of resources. Trust us we’ve been there (and still kind of are).

But there’s something so out the gate about that endorphin rush. We reckon that, as stupid as it sounds, there’s some value in the quote “the only workout you regret is the one you didn’t do.” At FOR REAL?, we often talk about the idea of romanticising tasks, such as a workout. How hot would a walk at the waterfront in your workout gear make you feel?! Find a form of being active that makes you feel like you’re winning. Try to imagine that after-workout feeling. Or if that doesn’t do it for you, promise yourself a treat afterwards. A common one for us is a coffee at Customs. ;)

It’s been said time and time again, but finding a form of exercise that you truly love is so important. Some of our FOR REAL? favs are yoga, running, and of course the classic HGW (”hot girl walk”, for the uninformed). To get you inspired, we’ve put together a list of FOR REAL? fitness must-haves. We hope to see you HGW-ing along the waterfront soon!

Keep in touch with us on Instagram and TikTok: @forrealthepodcast. We’d love you to stick around and have a listen!

Lots of love, Liv and Gabi xox

FOR REAL? Fitness Must-Haves

Yoga mat

Good pair of leggings (We love Stax and Lulu)

Supportive sports bra

Headband

Your FOR REAL? trucker hat

Headphones

A good podcast (in an effort to not plug ourselves, we rec The Inspired Unemployed and Happy Hour with Lucy and Nikki)

Water bottle (Kmart is just as good as HydroFlask or Frank Green)

Post workout treat ;)

SALIENT GAINS

212

Azealia Banks, Lazy Jay

Physical

Olivia Newton-John

Treat Me Like A Slut

Kim Petras 24k

Tkay Maidza Plan B

Megan Thee Stallion

GOOD PUSS

COBRAH BANG BANG BANG

BIGBANG Get Into It (Yuh)

Doja Cat

Fake ID

Riton, Kah-Lo

Paper Planes

M.I.A

I.Crawl

Childish Gambino Push It

Salt-N-Peppa

It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)

The 1975 Anklebiters

Paramore

Pumped Up Kicks

Foster The People Quiet On Set

Remi Wolf

Pasifika Students’ Council

People of the Sea

Words by Porita Fruean (she/her)

Vigorous, energetic, and mobile. That is Pasifika people. We were born with the strength to be active on our lands and in our oceans; to harvest for our families, for our communities, and our villages. The people of the Pasifika are people born with a sense of activeness. Our paradise, our green mountains, and our blue seas offer us the chance to strengthen this sense of activeness. For even before we came to be the Pasifika, we have always been active in our canoes, with the hopes of finding our forever homes. In that journey, our ancestors earned our people the title of being the 'People of the Sea’.

Many may ask how we carry with us today the stories of how we came to be. The answer is that we may be people that work our lands and oceans, but we are also storytellers. We tell stories that define us, stories of who we are, stories of our ancestors, and the stories of the People of the Sea.

Storytelling became something much more than just stories, it became the way for our people to pass down their culture from one generation to another. It was not limited to just word of mouth, but our storytelling was carried through dance, song, traditional games, and artefacts. Each activity carries its own meaning

for each respective island. There is one that brings us all together, one that connects, one that brought us to be the People of the Sea: canoeing. Canoeing is a sign of togetherness for the Pasifika community. We sailed in search of a paradise, through the rough seas and the burning sun, and realised in the depths of that hard journey that we are on. In this togetherness, our Mana Pasifika was born.

Today, canoeing has become a sport.

We use canoeing to celebrate the success of our ancestors. It is an activity that we enjoy on a good sunny day and take pride in. Though it may seem easy, it is challenging. It trains the mind to control the strength of your body, for when the currents are strong we cannot stop paddling, we must keep going until we reach the finish line. Not only does it require teamwork, it also trains and disciplines our bodies and minds.

Before this summer comes to a halt, we the Pasifika community at VUW, encourage you, your friends, and your flatmates to try out the Pasifika way of having fun. Put your mind and body to the test, but at the same time, have fun. Take time out this summer to enjoy, explore, and put your canoeing skills to the test.

Dear Aunty Vic

Since I started flatting, I’ve been feeling anxious about having sex because I’m loud. I care a lot about my flatties, who are quiet people, and the thought of them overhearing me is mortifying. My sex life is going downhill as a consequence. Any advice?

Welcome to the anxiety-ridden hell of navigating sex in communal living. In my first flat, I had a room below me, plus a creaky floor, bed, and door. All of my flatmates heard me doing the deed. Once I also received a text saying, “Jesus Christ, I think I just heard [name] orgasm…” My. Fucking. Sneaky-link. MORTIFYING.

The anxiety of having your flatmates hear you have sex is linked to a sense of slut shaming that society thrusts upon us with its huge fucking dick. We are taught to fear our sexuality from the moment we learn what it is. Sex is deemed taboo; not spoken about until you’re in a safe, comfortable, and non-judgemental environment. That’s usually while you’re at drinks with your closest mates. I mean, fair enough right? It’s the most intimate and vulnerable act in our lives.

Reaching a point of feeling sexually empowered and becoming a sex god is difficult. I can reassure you, your anxiety is normal! Remember that sex is always loudest to the people partaking. Your senses are literally heightened. 99% of the time, nobody hears anything. Unless your flatmates are outside with their ears pressed against the wall, they will only hear an occasional moan, spank, or bed creak.

.QWithout context, it’ll probably blend into the sounds of the Love Island episode they’re watching.

.AIf you’re in a relationship, it’s expected that you’ll be sexually active on the reg. Your flatmates weren’t born yesterday. They will be aware that at some point they’ll hear the odd murmur. However, if they are respecting your sex life, you should also respect their peace and quiet. Put simply: don’t have a super-loud shag at 9 a.m. when everyone’s having breakfast.

If you’re single and you bring someone home once in a while, go off. Be as loud as you want. If your flatties kick up a fuss, they can actually get rekt. I don’t think I have ever come across a flatmate who isn’t stoked that their single friend is getting some ass. However, to be polite, I would recommend flicking your flatties a message. Something like, “Hey FYI sexgod69 is coming over!”

As with many things in communal living, communication is key. If you’re confused about where you stand, think about this from your flatmates’ perspective. How would you feel if you overheard your flat bestie getting some action? You’d think “ah, great stuff champ” and maybe chuck some headphones on. If it was loud enough, like indistinguishable from listening to audio-porn, you’d flick them a text and say, “Sup b, glad you’re getting some, but could you lower the volume, we’re having a study sesh.”

I’ve got three words to say you, Kim: communication, respect, and empowerment. Have fun, just keep it reasonable.

Manawa Ora

Being on Top of Your Well-Being From the Get-Go

Words by Cileme Venkateswar (she/her)

The start of uni—whether you’re in first or fifth year—can be overwhelming. With a million things going on and bucketloads of information to take in, the determination to be on top of it from the get-go can be easier said than done. While you find your way through the first weeks of uni, make sure you’re also thinking about looking after your wellbeing.

While Mauri Ora acts as a medical and counselling service (which you can access through their website), Manawa Ora—Student Wellbeing takes a preventative and holistic approach to your wellbeing. We know uni isn’t just about burying yourself in assignments and readings. Manawa Ora offers peer support groups to facilitate connections between students in environments outside of classes and halls.

In 2023, these services are:

The Bubble: a hangout space in the Student Union Building (furnished with far more comfortable seating options than The Hub) with free tea, coffee, fruit, and a kitchen on offer. There are Bubble student leaders milling around between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. who can refer or take you to other services you might need.

Storycraft: a student-run writing group that brings creative minds together in a safe, uncompetitive, and supportive environment.

Canine Friends: last but not even remotely least, the Canine Friends Pet Therapy dogs regularly visit The Bubble. Keep your eyes on our social media pages for info about when our pup pals will be hanging out at The Bubble!

Manawa Ora is here and (some of us are) queer. We have a Rainbow and Inclusion service to answer questions about the rainbow community or help with issues affecting study, such as updating legal and preferred names. Our Rainbow Student Leaders run a weekly Rainbow Peer Group in SU209 (Rainbow Room). To stay up to date with these services, sign up for the rainbow mailing list at rainbow@vuw.ac.nz.

Manawa Ora is also the home of the RefugeeBackground Student services. Our adviser Kodrean Eashae is here to assist any difficulties or issues refugee-background students may face while studying at Te Herenga Waka.

From Weeks 2-6 of Trimester 1 and 2, Manawa Ora runs Wellbeing Workshops, facilitated by trained students. These cover a range of issues and situations students encounter. This year, we have six topics: Workload, Assertive, Imposter Syndrome, Burnout, Resilient, and Procrastinate. Book now for any of the Trimester 1 workshops on Careerhub.

If you’re looking for resources to access from home, check out our Online Wellbeing Resources via our website.

Nobody expects you to have it all together. Not in week two, not in week eleven, not even third-year. Uni is always equal parts rewarding and challenging, but everyone deserves every opportunity to thrive. So come on down to Student Union and say hi, whether you need help, just want to see what we’re about, or of course, want some puppy cuddles. We’ll be here all year!

Website: wgtn.ac.nz/wellbeing

Instagram: @manawaorastudentwellbeing

Facebook: Manawa Ora Wgtn Uni

Life, Forces

Words by Sibel Atalay (she/they)

Life forces, like intuition and trying to find yourself. When the room remains dark does existence stop altogether?

Life forces us to move on.

But how do you do that when memories exist?

Cardboard box houses and nothing but dreams. Only dreams. And it's a feeling!

It’s all just a feeling all of it. Zip your jacket all the way up and embrace the wind.

Life forces instigate an arrival your arrival. Initiation in the loosest of terms.

Do you wanna come to this thing with me?

I’m seeing major developments in your internal world. It’s exciting to see all the typically-immature Aries starting to take themselves and their emotional health seriously for once. Yay for character development!

Don’t freak out…yet. There’s a friendship fallout for you this week. It’ll probably be suuuper uncomfy at first, but when hindsight starts to kick in, you’ll feel more at peace. Unfortunately, something had to change.

Aww, Gemini is growing up and becoming a big kid this week! Big changes are coming for your career and life path. This has quitting-your-dayjob-to-pursue-your-dreamof-becoming-the-nextMarie-Kondo energy.

You might feel like everything’s happening at once this week. An expectation may not be met regarding your study, while a big change is coming up in your personal life. I’m praying for you, my dear.

So are the stars.

Not Leo suddenly being cut off from their parents… No, I shouldn’t say that. That’s a bit misleading. What’s more likely is that you don’t need outside support anymore because you’re staking a claim for your independence.

The Virgos are suddenly becoming celibate this week. Maybe you’re calling off your dating life, or separating from a long-term partner. But the takeaway is that what you’re craving right now is some true alone time.

Oh, Libra. When will you learn the connection between physical and mental health? You can’t expect to live off two-minute noodles and caffeine whilst also having the energy and happy disposition of a golden retriever. Get it together.

It seems Virgo isn’t the only sign choosing celibacy this week. I’m not going to lie to you, Scorpio, since I know you can handle the truth. It looks like you’re getting rejected this time and not doing the rejecting yourself.

I see you’re being a bit of a heartbreaker this week. You’re definitely in your hot-gal era and absolutely thriving. Amazing, but remember there can be consequences to a trail of broken hearts.

Thank the Lord. You’re finally moving away from the constant money problems that have been plaguing you. I’m talking about a steady income stream, a juicy bank account, and savings beyond your wildest dreams. Hallelujah!

So it looks like you’re inheriting Capricorn’s past financial woes. How upsetting. This is actually not as bad as it sounds, it just means you’re going to have to make more of a conscious effort when it comes to money.

Remember how boring your horoscope was last week? Well, buckle the fuck up. Shit’s about to get wild. Expect good things leading to bad things, bad things leading to good things, chaos, identity crises, horror, and pure ecstasy!

And I went online. And by the way I don’t watch porn. But I went on there, [typed] ‘Porn in New Zealand’, and it gave me Pornhub. I was shocked by what I found.

Brain Tamaki, via The Spinoff, blames porn use in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay for Cyclone Gabrielle.

Within Limits

ACROSS

1. Name bestowed upon Gandhi (7)

5. Upset; push to the ground (3,4)

9. The 'Academy' one is 1.371:1 (6,5)

10. Gift given to Waikiki tourists (3)

11. Assistant sometimes woken by hearing the name Jerry’ (4)

12. Layout plans that used to be called ‘cyanotypes’ (10)

14. It might have an amoeba on it (10,5)

16. Mason, more commonly (10)

18. ‘Do’ or ‘go’, for example (4)

21. ___ chi (meditative art) (3)

22. Fanta and the like (6,5)

23. Poets who don’t work in free verse, probably (7)

24. Went off course (7)

DOWN

1. Hobbits famously have seven every day (5)

2. The H in ADHD (13)

3. Food that is better when soft-shelled (4)

4. Word that can precede ‘paint’ or ‘nails’ (7)

5. ‘Within Limits’, for this crossword (5)

6. Further development (8)

7. Birth occasion for Simon Pegg and Danai Gurira (10,3)

8. Put out another copy of, as a book (7)

13. 2020 Swift album regarded as the first ‘great work’ of the pandemic (8)

14. Any main character of The Godfather films (7)

15. Donates to a Kickstarter campaign (7)

17. Pile up (and a word that means ‘pile up’ if you take off the first letter) (5)

19. Founded (upon) (5)

20. One who might consult a manual (4)

Let’s clear the air Pōneke!

Let’s clear the air Pōneke!

From 1 March 2023, hospitality venues with outdoor dining on council land will be smokefree and vapefree.

Find out more at wellington.govt.nz/smokefree

THE TEAM

CO-EDITOR

CO-EDITOR

DESIGNER

SUB-EDITOR

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

CHIEF REPORTER

VIDEO

SOCIAL

STAFF WRITER

ARTS & CULTURE WRITER

STAFF WRITER

EDITORIAL SUPPORT

CONTRIBUTORS

Jamie Clumpas

Takuma Ohashi (he/him)

Porita Fruean (she/her)

Ella Hoogerbrug (she/her)

Cileme Venkateswar (she/her)

Sibel Atalay (she/they)

COVER MODEL: James Tweddle (he/they)

CENTREFOLD ARTIST

Galena Ilg (she/her)

instagram: @mercuramarie

DESIGN

WRITING

POETRY & PODCAST EDITING INTERN

Francesca Pietkiewicz (she/they)

Maia Ingoe (she/her)

Bella Maresca (they/them)

Willem Koller (he/they)

CONTENT CREATOR Seren Ashmore (he/him)

MEDIA MANAGER

Alex Marinkovich-Josey (he/him)

PODCAST MANAGER

Ethan Manera (he/him)

NEWS EDITOR Zoë Mills (they/she)

NEWS EDITOR

Niamh Vaughan (she/her)

Bridget Scott (she/her)

Tessa Keenan (she/her)

Pippi Jean (she/her)

Phoebe Robertson (she/her)

Jessica Arndt (she/her)

& VIDEO INTERN Lauren Pemberton (she/her)

INTERN

Georgia Wearing any pronouns

NEWS & PODCAST INTERN Maia Armistead (she/her)

Kiran Patel (he/they)

Joanna Fan (she/her)