Issue 21 - Default by Salient

EDITORIAL

SIMPLY SUSTAINABLE

LETTERS & NOTICES

SWAT

NEWS

TOKEN CRIPPLE

SHIT NEWS TWEETS OF THE WEEK

TALKING WITH MY DAD ABOUT SEX

POEM

DIRTY MONEY CLEAN WOMAN

MUSC

DEAR NATHANIEL

FOOD

CENTREFOLD

BOOK

THE SOCIAL LIVES OF GROUP CHATS

SPORT

CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE

AUDIT

NGĀI TAUIRA

THIS WEEK IN NUMBERS

MMP OR WWE?

PROCRASTINATION

Editor Kii Small editor@salient.org.nz

Advertising Josephine Dawson advertising@vuwsa.org.nz

Designer & Illustrator Rachel Salazar designer@salient.org.nz

Feature Writers Kii Small Hannah Powell Shanti Mathias Lofa Totua

News Section Finn Blackwell, Johnny O'Hagan Brebner, Emma Maguire

News Editor Johnny O’Hagan Brebner news@salient.org.nz Sub Editor Janne Song subeditor@salient.org.nz Social Media Callum Turnbull socialmedia@salient.org.nz

FM Station Managers Jazz Kane Navneeth Nair TV Producers Monique Thorp Joseph Coughlan Centrefold Olivia Day oliveday133@gmail.com

Contributors Nohorua Parata, Niva Chittock, Maddi Rowe, Campbell Giddens, Sally Ward, Alice Mander, Anna Hall-Taylor, Reid Wicks, Elena Beets, Tegan, Leteicha Lowry, Felicia Evangelista, Tessa Keenan, Matthew Casey

WE DON'T DO VEGETABLES An issue on the status quo. We wanted to focus on the idea that the current state of things are to be maintained. What has been, will always be. Default is much the same. The grey, the emotionless smile, the pre-existing Player 1 logic. Usually, these editorials throw shots at Massey or Critic, but this week, I’ll be real with you. When I started here, Salient’s status quo was a middle-to-upper class elitist liberal group that liked to scream into the pages at people who didn’t exist. It was cold in this office, and you could tell that through the pages. You had to be a part of the status quo to even get onto the cold pages. I hated every aspect of it, because I couldn’t change it. Forget the regular narrative you’ve heard from this magazine. Before you challenge the status quo, understand it. Getting angry at something you don’t understand is as good as leaving a one-star Google review of Martinborough when all you did was stay in a motel and got goon drunk. The VUWSA elections were two weeks ago. I’ll be honest, these editorials aren’t often on VUWSA, because they don’t need the extra space. Nothing they ever did throughout my time at university really affected my wellbeing, but maybe I didn’t try to get out enough.

inactive on issues they were, in fact, active on. Claiming they were going to start initiatives VUWSA had already been doing, albeit poorly. If they in fact wrote their own blurbs/speeches, I wouldn’t even let them write the obituaries next week. I’d be worried if I cared about the future of VUWSA, but I don’t. I don’t carry a 26K deficit, so I don’t need to feel it. In true slavemaster fashion, Salient will feel every dollar of that deficit, as if it were our fault. I’m not angry at these candidates though, because this is a space I’ve never occupied and will never fully understand. I can’t be mad at the sustainability group at the fact they want a themed issue to guest-edit. You can let them know that if they’d had their shit together in Week 5, they could have worked on the Environment issue. Much like myself in secondyear, and much like your VUWSA candidates for 2020, we encourage you to understand the status quo. Whatever it may be—don’t automatically get angry at it. Pay attention to the spaces you want to change, and study its inner workings. And don’t DM me on Friday night scared I might write an editorial about you. My designer would never let me waste the paper.

The candidates at the forum confused me. Some of them got on stage and lied about who they spoke to in confirming their policies. Some of them called out VUWSA for being

Kii Small

Just curious, where'd your Salient TV presenter spring from? Fkn hilarious. He's like a cross between Jeremy Wells and that comedian in all those memes (like the Why Would You Say Something So Brave Yet So Conteoversial one). We're big fans. When's the next vid coming out???

Send your letters to editor@salient.org.nz

Cheers

I gotta get this off my chest. It’s that time of year where I’m just not giving a fuck anymore. The weather is clear and bright, getting warmer and I’m getting that sunnytime depression. Most days I just want to stay inside, away from that pollen infested wasteland outside my hayfever calls home. I feel bad not making the most of the sun. Work is getting more tiring than ever, I just want to chill and sleep outside without my eyes and nose dying. Thank god for antihistamines. But hey, we can still hang out, play video-games and study (ofc) inside too, so all is good in the end.

Corrections to our Joshua Trlin candidate profile: On Climate Change: "...where policy would be derived from internationally accepted scientific consensus, not out of date numbers. That means we should base policy off of the most recent numbers out of the UN warning of sea level rise as high as 2 metres by 2100, not the out of date Ministry for the Environment's numbers saying 1 metre of sea level rise by 2120." On the Harbour section: "I don't know what all the answers are, but we need to act on the scientific advice we are getting from the experts and prioritise the preservation and restoration of the harbour as much as possible."

Take care of yourselves, Jordan

For the 2020 student executive

Elections

Voting is now open! voting.vuwsa.org.nz Paper ballots can be cast at the VUWSA Kelburn Office between 10am and 4pm.

ember 18

pt Voting closes 11am Se

ISSUE 21

SALIENT

News. MONDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2019

Toitū te Ao

Last week saw VUWSA combine the national Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori with Sustainability Week to create Toitū te Ao. The week included a range of events celebrating Māori, the environment, and the substantial overlap between them. With the Hub packed full of stalls and students, VUWSA President Tamatha Paul said the Toitū te Ao expo (pictured above) was “the apex of the week”. The expo included stalls from the WCC Tip Shop, OpSoc, ZeroBox, Forest and Bird, the Community Garden, Zealandia, and of course, Ngāi Tauira. The electoral commission also made a stall appearance, with the opportunity to vote on whether te reo Māori should be a compulsory subject in schools. The “āe” jar won by a considerable margin. Photo by Yoon Hong.

ISSUE 21

SALIENT

The Last Supper: Responses to KJ Catering FINN BLACKWELL (HE/HIM)

Many following Salient will know of the series of articles written on the substandard quality of food within Victoria University’s halls of residence, especially Katharine Jermyn hall.

“We've had many conversations since this came to our attention, and what we do know is that they had a change of staffing in Katharine Jermyn Hall at the beginning of this year,” Dix explained.

Compass Group is one of the largest food catering companies in the world, with their New Zealand branch being no exception. Along with catering the VUW halls, Compass also caters for other places around the country, such as Dunedin Hospital.

She continued to say that “We did ask them to address that issue, and they have addressed that issue. We've also asked them to address the consistency and quality of food that they've offered.”

The contract that Compass has with Dunedin Hospital is longstanding, however, that hasn’t stopped numerous complaints from both staff and patients from creating a turbulent relationship with the caterers. Not only this, Compass International has a suspension from the United Nations, after one of their board members (a Russian UN official) was arrested for wire fraud and money laundering, as well as bribing other officials in order to secure a contract to cater water and rations to UN peacekeepers. Despite this, VUW recently renewed their contract with Compass to cater its halls. Salient was able to sit down with Rainsforth Dix, Director of Student and Campus Living, to further discuss this issue.

A 2019 article released by Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center showed that students facing food insecurity were more likely to have “lower grades and poorer health”. This, coupled with the already acute stress of academic life, may have a detrimental impact on students’ wellbeing and academic success.

“I'm vaguely aware of those [mistakes] but I think Compass Group is very proud of being a market leader like I am in New Zealand. When you're a market leader, you know, the expectation on you to perform and deliver, as you pointed out, is at a much higher standard.” - Simon Lipscombe, Managing Director of Compass Group NZ

Salient met with Simon Lipscombe, Managing Director of Compass Group NZ, to talk about the issues and complaints. When asked what quality of food he would expect if paying the same amount as a halls resident, Lipscombe remarked “If you're spending a lot of money on food you should expect a high degree of quality and service, which is what we aim to do.”

“We've been engaging the campus on a daily basis, from time to time, and certainly a weekly basis, and been across the board. We meet regularly with them anyway,” stated Dix.

After being shown the same photos of food (a raw pork meatball, a saltencrusted piece of tofu, and a pork chop with a tendon still attached) Lipscombe commented that “we serve 15 million meals a year in New Zealand. Every one of them is our mission to make sure they’re the absolute best for our customers.”

“Aside from that, we've been engaging with them quite strongly.”

These same customers have been previously served mouldy dessert and maggot-filled meals.

After being shown photos of some of the poorer quality food served at KJ, Dix commented that if she was presented with that food, that she would be unhappy with it and that she would “certainly go and complain about it”.

Compass says that they strive to ensure good quality meals through systems such as an app for monitoring and reporting on food quality, yet slip-ups like the ones seen in KJ still occur frequently.

News.

Given Compass International’s past transgressions, Lipscombe was asked if he thought that the company (and the New Zealand branch) had learned from their mistakes.

VUWSA has responded to Salient on the long-standing issues regarding hall food, stating that “it is now a waiting game”.

They say it is time to see whether enough changes and improvements have been made to provide students with the value they deserve, and back up their own comments of reassurance. “We would hope that the university from here on out would supply students in halls not only a meal that they themselves would be happy to eat, but is reflective of the money they pay.”

“I take my accountability really really seriously,” he continued. “That's the core of our business”. The specific changes made by Compass within the halls include precautions such as hiring new managers and chefs, implementing new quality control procedures such as additional reviews of all food served, and re-training of all staff.

Though both parents and students have urged the university to make a drastic change, there are no plans to source catering to a different company for the foreseeable future. Quotes and anecdotes collected by Salient, as well as the numerous hall food Instagram pages, indicate that this issue is one of deep concern for the quality of food being served to the residents at VUW halls.

Talking to VUW and Compass, both were adamant that they received more positive feedback than negative. When asked to provide evidence of this, Compass gave Salient an infographic highlighting the number of positive comments received against negative comments.

“You’re paying that kind of money and you do expect that, because of that, you wouldn’t need to question your food,” commented one KJ resident.

The only evidence VUW provided was referencing the previous information given by Compass Group, and stating that they did not keep a record of comments regarding hall food. However, they commented that “we receive a lot of positive comments on the food but they are anecdotal”.

Commenting on a particular broccoli meal on @kathyjcuisine, another resident stated that “they somehow manage to be simultaneously soggy and raw, they must work really hard to achieve that. It’s a KJ special.”

Many of VUW halls have student-made Instagram accounts dedicated to, amongst other things, recording poor quality meals served by Compass.

While many systems and plans are said to have been put in place, actual change is yet to be reported.

Undercooked meatballs served to KJ residents in Trimester 1 of this year. VUW states that they understand Compass undertook changes to management at the start of the year to improve food standards.

ISSUE 21

SALIENT

Opinion. Left Behind: The Impact of Driverless Vehicles on Lower-Income Countries.

It is rush hour in Ho Chi Minh City and the traffic is chaotic. Cars, motorbikes, and tuk-tuks vie for space, their horns and the shouts of their drivers creating a near-deafening din. Foot traffic, seemingly unaware of the maelstrom of metal and rubber they are walking into, boldly stride out onto the road without a second thought. As a Westerner, I cannot help but cringe at every near miss. This should not work, this cannot work. But, despite me, work it does.

Different countries have different ways of using the road, and safety while driving relies on predictability. Someone could be the safest driver in New Zealand, but place them on the road in Vietnam, and they’re likely to cause a pile-up. Indeed, the number one cause of death among tourists is road traffic crashes. If everyone reacts in the same way to a hazard then everything’s okay, it’s when someone does something unexpected that things go wrong. For human drivers this A quick Google search may not be much of an issue; will return thousands of The tourists who are cautious, who we are intuitive and pick up videos, images, and stories look for gaps in traffic, and try to on these nuances quickly. But of road-related horrors in what if you were something time their movements are the ones Southeast Asia. Watching that cannot—a machine that that seem to miss death by a hair's these videos, you may is driven by a precise and breadth. notice a trend: While the inflexible algorithm? A selflocals’ careless approach to driving car has the potential the dangerous task of jaywalking should by all rights to follow laws better than any person is capable, but it seem suicidal, it is the tourists who seem to have the will do so without regard to its effects on the safety of most near misses. The tourists who are cautious, who other road users. look for gaps in traffic, and try to time their movements are the ones that seem to miss death by a hair's breadth. Switching to a different algorithm, one designed The reason for this is because it is them who are doing for foreign roads, could be as simple as opening a the unexpected. Locals walk across the road at a steady different app on your phone. But for this to work, pace, do not speed up, do not slow down, and do not the car would have to learn how to drive according change directions. The drivers know this, and they will to local norms, and teaching computers how to drive slow down, speed up, and change lanes as needed. is an expensive business. Machine learning is a slow

News.

process and requires data from thousands of trips and interactions with other drivers. Countries like the United States have the infrastructure to allow for such testing, but in lower income countries like Vietnam and India, who is going to be paying for the thousands of hours of controlled tests? It is unlikely to be the tech giants who are creating these vehicles; why invest millions when you are unlikely to see returns? The self-driving car market is far from booming in lower income countries. Furthermore, a large part of the safety self-driving cars offers us relies on interacting with other self-driving cars. With split-second communication they can better predict outcomes than a human ever could and react accordingly. It may take some time for most cars on the roads of higher income countries to have self-driving features, but it will likely take far longer in lower income countries. Currently, self-driving technology is the domain of luxury and commercial vehicles, and while the price of self-driving technology is decreasing it is still a significant cost. In higher-income countries this is unlikely to dissuade consumers; paying a premium for a vehicle that will keep your family safe and relieve you of the stress of driving may be a no brainer. However, for poorer income countries this is much less likely. While travelling through South-East Asia it was not uncommon to see cars held together with duct tape and prayers. Take the infamous tuk-tuks, little more

than a chassis and an extra wheel welded to a motorbike. Cheap, affordable vehicles like this are a requirement in countries where a new car could represent years of wages, and self-driving technology will only add to that price point. Here, human controlled cars will be the norm long after high-income countries have replaced this obsolete technology. When I first learned about self-driving technology, I was excited for the good it could do society. Unfortunately, since then my optimism has been tempered. Traffic related death rates are high in lower income countries the world. Despite Vietnam possessing only 3% of the cars per capita in comparison to the US, Vietnamese people are more than twice as likely to be killed due to road traffic accidents, and in 2016 alone, the country saw an estimated 24,000 traffic related deaths. This is far from the first time lower income countries have missed out like this. Diseases that have been all but eradicated in higher income countries are still one of the leading causes of death in lower income countries. It is not that we lack the technology or the means, it is that there is not enough money in the right places. Self-driving cars may bring us greater safety, but it is sad to see that due to a lack of wealth and infrastructure, those that stand to gain the most from technology may, once again, be the ones that miss out.

Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

ISSUE 21

SALIENT

VUW’s Own Gloria Fraser Develops Queer Mental Health Resources JOHNNY O’HAGAN BREBNER (HE/HIM)

VUW PhD student, Gloria Fraser, recently developed a set of leading queer mental health resources after three years of research.

Figuring out how to describe or present their identities to specialists is also a big issue, as is professionals then either over-focussing on those identities, or ignoring them altogether.

Fraser (Kāi Tahu) developed the resources as part of her PhD research on queer experiences in the mental health sector. Available in both English and te reo Māori, the resources look to help those in the mental health industry better support members of the queer community.

The consequences of these barriers can be significant for the community itself. “A lot of the time, the responsibility for this care falls back onto their community. So people in remote communities end up supporting each other a lot [which] puts stress on people who are already under a lot of stress.”

Salient spoke to Fraser to find out more. The three-year process has its roots in Fraser’s involvement with feminist organisations during her undergrad at the University of Auckland, seeing her queer friends experience mental health services.

Another problem is that the role of mental health professionals in genderaffirming healthcare is unclear in New Zealand. “People end up feeling like they have to prove their gender, prove they’re really trans, trans enough... They’re telling the story they think they need to tell, rather than sharing what they need and then getting what they need,” says Fraser.

The process was made up Gloria Fraser is cooler than you. Photo supplied. of three parts: interviewing members of the queer However, when it comes to queer access in Wellington, Fraser community, creating and undertaking a survey, and then says that while “we’re known as probably one of the most making the resource itself. The survey saw 1600 people queer-friendly places in New Zealand [...] that doesn't mean respond, “which was great.” that we don't have a long way to go.” Fraser was quick to acknowledge the support of queer Finally, Fraser’s advice to those doing their own research? organisations in collaborating and consulting on the resource—especially as she’s not part of the community herself, Other than “cat memes and baking,” she says, “you need to and given the complexity and diversity of communities within immerse yourself in the communities you're working with as the umbrella term of ‘queer’. soon as possible. Don't put it off.” Acknowledge the time it’s going to take, especially for building up relationships and trust. Because of this, she pointed out that one of the main challenges was cutting the booklet down to a mere 54 pages. “It could With the full run of hard copies already sent out around have been as long as a textbook.” the country, you can access Fraser’s resources online (for free) through organisations such as InsideOUT and Part of her research involved a thematic analysis of queer RainbowYOUTH, as well as on the resource’s own website: experiences to mental health services. It was found that http://rainbowmentalhealth.nz/ structural barriers, like long wait times and referral rejections, are a big issue for queer access.

News.

PROBING THE PUNTERS: VUWSA ELECTION ISSUES

WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED THIS VUWSA ELECTION?

WE PUBLISH YOUR ANSWERS

"Preventing and responding to sexual violence on campus"

"For all the services/freebies available at kelburn to spread to Pip and Te Aro"

"That Salient can't pay its writers :("

"Mental Health"

"Rubbish/Recycling Issue!"

"Seating at Pip! The lib gets full by 9am and you canstantly get kicked out of rooms"

CANDIDATE PROFILES Now that you’ve familiarised yourself with some of If any of the candidate policy lists coming up tickle the big issues for students, flip the page and have a your fancy, we’ve included links to their campaign gander at what the candidates are doing about them. pages on Facebook. The next two pages contain short policy lists from some of the candidates running for the VUWSA elections. Not everyone was able to respond in time, so make sure you stay informed by flicking through their campaign material or official bios on the VUWSA page.

Voting closes 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 18. You can vote with a paper ballot at the VUWSA Kelburn offices or online: https://www.vuwsa.org.nz/elections

ACADEMIC VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES Hassan Tariq • Equality • Inclusion • Diversity

*Also running for education officer

CAMPAIGN OFFICER CANDIDATES Regan Gilmour (https://bit.ly/2kFElBv) • Improve sexual wellbeing and consent education • Ensuring a fairer and clearer fees setting process • Improve transport pricing and availability to students • Improve mental health education

Rinaldo Strydom (https://bit.ly/2lPIumz) • Finish work on lecture recordings through a new lecture recording policy • Enhance student consultation and representation through Students' Assembly • Change up the AVP role to relate to today's students and university

• Exam Reform: Exams are faulty and need the bin • Student Communication: We need an improved student voice • Student Support: Improve and increase awareness of available programs

Grace Carr (https://bit.ly/2ke8DeA) • Empower and equip students to run their own campaigns • Advocacy and education on cannabis referendum, housing, student safety and support with sexual assault, student health, student loans, and education • Accessible information, events, participation • Take the charge on addressing sexual assault, racism, and mental health • Collaborate to have Victoria implement a core first year course on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Ao Māori, race, consent, and gender • Put student rights and voices at the forefront of the university

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES OFFICER CANDIDATES Jackson Graham (https:/bit.ly/2lJ4TC8) • More consultation between VUWSA and clubs when creating policy • More accessible spaces for clubs outside of Kelburn • More platforms for clubs to engage students in the 2020 Election year

EDUCATION OFFICER CANDIDATES Taylah Shuker (https://bit.ly/2ktE2Kg) • • • • •

Max Salmon (https://bit.ly/2kfVO3u)

Education should be MULTICULTURAL Education should be INCLUSIVE Education should empower our RANGATIRA Education should be REPRESENTATIVE But most importantly, education should be FOR EVERYONE!

ENGAGEMENT VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES Millie Osborne (https://bit.ly/2lJZXNk) • Getting YOUR Opinion: building the uni/student relationship • Hella Cool Campaigns: letting you know where your student services levy is going with quick videos • 2020 Election Accessibility: know what is going on in next year's election! available (e.g. safe spaces, community pantry)

Tara O'Connor (https://bit. ly/2kE0iRy) • • • •

Inclusion Involvement Immersion Put student rights and voices at the forefront of the university

Sully (Tara O'Sullivan) (https://bit.ly/2kv4tiH) • Regular inter-club networking and socials • Engagement plans for Pipitea and Te Aro • Clubs space at Pipitea, and accessibility at all campuses

EQUITY OFFICER CANDIDATES Adrianne Ramirez • Equitable representation for all students especially the minority groups, international/Maori/Pasifika/ LGBTQIA+ students • Increased scholarship and financial grant allocation for education, welfare funding, and clubs • Increased budgets for respective facilities– buildings, student spaces, lecture theatres, club rooms • More courses incorporating equitable representation of ethnically, sociologically and culturally diverse perspectives.

Alexis Mundy

Joanna Li (https://bit.ly/2ktCIqK)

KEY POLICIES: • Working together as a team • Offering support • Listening to students

• Working together with all clubs and rep groups to increase voter turnout • Supporting first time voters, particularly in halls of residence • Raising awareness as to what services are available (e.g. safe spaces, community pantry) • Bringing attention to initiatives already run by other organisations on campus, and providing support to them when needed • Producing a series of workshops and pamphlets outlining how to organise and participate in a protest, occupation, or march.

PRESIDENT CANDIDATES Richard Beere (https://bit.ly/2lK0dfg)

WELFARE VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES

• Sexual Assault and Prevention Services • Kick-ass 2020 Election Engagement Campaign • Standing up to the University Leadership Team

Brock Stobbs (https://bit.ly/2ke9Gew)

Michael Turnbull (https://bit.ly/2ktsw1v)

•

Mental Health Action Plans tailored for different communities to connect students with relevant services Combat sexually harmful behaviour with an Active Bystander Campaign + Training and Disclosure Training for key people (e.g. RAs, tutors, club execs) Greater Accessibility to Hardship Fund and other Financial-related Services (e.g. Community Pantry, Menstrual Products)

Geo Robrigado (https://bit.ly/2ktssPj) • Main Theme: "All Aboard a VUWSA for All" • More accessible education through empowering student reps • Pushing for student-focused and equitable academic policies and programmes • A university focused on student rights and welfare by amplifying student voice • Ensuring that the university is a safe learning environment free from discrimination • An engaged and civic-oriented student body by strengthening our clubs, groups, and initiatives • Ensuring there’s something for everyone and that no one gets

•

Spreading VUWSA services such as community pantry and free menstrual products more evenly to Pipitea and Te Aro. Reforming the Hall Committee and working with Thursdays in Black and SWAT to educate Hall Residents on issues such as sexual assault and mental health. Pushing for tutors in subjects such as criminology and criminal law to have university funded sexual disclosure training and mental support.

TREASURER-SECRETARY CANDIDATES Ralph Zambrano • •

Alexis Mundy • • • •

Emotional and physical support Financial support Academic support Helping student's to feel supported and heard

• • • • • •

Push for a paperless administration Maintain and expand crucial academic services Subsidised printing, morning-after pill delivery, VUWSA mental health hotline Conduct regular election promise reporting Review the work reports system for effective spending Prioritise mental health and wellbeing in policy Review investments and asset use Make the VUWSA website accessible and up to date

WELLBEING AND SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER CANDIDATES Sophie Simons (https://bit.ly/2lHvJuy) • •

• • •

Putting my salary into VUWSA health initiatives More Representation, more resources and more support for wellbeing and pysical health Getting the most out of your student levy Students communicating to VUWSA, providing fortnightly reports Continue to work to get lecture recordings for all classes

Maddison Rowe • • •

•

Mental illness awareness and destigmatisation Abolition of a wait-time for mental health and wellbeing services Sexual assault prevention: facilitate on-campus support networks and emphasise sexual health education in halls Kaitiakitanga: inclusion of indigenous student representatives in sustainability frameworks should be FOR EVERYONE!

Anthony Servuts-Harrison (https://bit.ly/2lHbRYv) • • • •

Helping with good nutrition and protecting sleep. Building mental health services between crises and first appointments Inviting the community into policy making around wellbeing Creating resources and campaigns to impact wellbeing beyond VUWstatistics surrounding youth suicide, harm, and sexual violence.

Luke Redward (https://bit.ly/2ktssPj • • • • •

•

Fiscal relief Free breakfasts VUWSA hardship fund Committal to living wage Look into expansion of mental health support Releasing budget every exec meeting and making it easer to access.

Nat ional DESTROYS Labour Wit h Damning New Graph

J ON OTH AN K E Y

The National Party recently released a new graph that may well have the Labour Government quaking in its boots. Released last week, the graph (shown below) follows a long line of other graphs made by the National Party in its role as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Thoughtfully constructed data visualisations have been a staple of the party’s campaigns, be they about a contracting manufacturing sector, or declining preferred PM ratings. The new graph, however, leaves those in the Descartesian dust. The graph obviously speaks for itself, with even Labour supporters conceding to the simple truths it presents.

National’s newest groundbreaking graph (top left), alongside genuine, actually, no-bullshit graphs they published this year, and Newshub/ Reid Research preferred PM polling results from June (bottom right).

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declined to comment, no doubt weeping with fear alongside her StatsNZ cronies. There may be no coming back from this one.

Graph.

TĪH

“"I’m sad to announce that Pennywise is not gay, or even an ally" is my favourite ever quote from an honest to god serious article criticising the lack of LGBT allyship from a child-eating monster in the sewers disguised as a filthy razor-toothed clown.” - @teaforpterosaur

“the greatest trick the joker ever played was convincing the world he was a character with any depth” - @melstonemusic

E TĪHAU ANA I TE WIKI O TE REO MĀORI (ME NGĀ MEA KATOA...)

“Love reading racists getting all mad every Māori language week on FB - I go & look at where they work & make a note to never give them $” - @HuhanaDuncan

TWEETS L O V INGLY HAND-CURAT ED BY EM M A M AGUIRE

@em_ma_maguire “Apparently it is Maori language week in New Zealand and it makes me wish we had a week (or longer) in Canada set aside to celebrate our aboriginal languages” - @melzyrose90 “Ok so it's almost Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, nē? Here's my words of encouragement to my fellow Pākehā who are learning or keen to step up: NAU MAI TE HAPA. By making mistakes we learn heaps more. Don't be scared of it. Give it a go. Karawhiua!” - @fuck_lupus

“My contribution to Māori language week was breaking out “whakarongo mai” with a vengeance on my classes today.” - @rrrrrhett

“Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is great for many reasons: celebrate our indigenous people! Learn new kupu! Sing a lot! Filter out which of your colleagues is actually a racist!” - @barbarikkizzle ”Teachers love saying 'If Shakespeare was alive today he'd be a rapper'. Wrong. If Shakespeare was alive today he'd be a 460year old freak and people would fear him.” - @bea_ker

“*White newsreaders using Te Reo phrases during Māori Language Week* Some white viewers:"What did they say? That person just called me a white pig didn't they?"” - @spat106

“is he.... ya know... ‘a friend of Ed Sheeran’?” -me asking if someone’s straight” - @OrangePaulp

WELLINGTON FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SHAPE YOUR FUTURE WITH TECHNOLOGY Do you want to make the next major breakthrough in technology, graduate with a doctorate, create devices that save lives, or help build the next blockbuster film? Are you someone who thrived on the challenge of undergraduate study? Do you want to push yourself to become an expert in your field? If so, welcome to the Wellington Faculty of Engineering, where we have a range

of postgraduate opportunities for you. Victoria University of Wellington is New Zealand’s number-one-ranked research university, and our professors lead world-class research. Postgraduate research in the Wellington Faculty of Engineering allows you to work with, and learn from, experts in the field who are constantly extending the boundaries of modern engineering knowledge.

“The University has provided me with some excellent opportunities to learn, including interacting with real-world clients as part of our study, excellent technical courses, and solid infrastructure facilities.” Sharan Prasad Student, Master of Engineering Practice

Kii Small, Hannah Powell

Sydney turns the light off in the bathroom and walks into her dimly lit bedroom. She grabs the knob and turns it anticlockwise, making the room candle-lit, yet flameless. Draws the curtains to sundown; the yellow and baby blues of the framed childhood photographs on her wall become gold and navy blue; reminiscent yet haunting. Jumps onto the bed and unlocks her iPhone 6S, plugged into the socket behind her headboard. She logs onto her ASB Money app and checks in on her chequing account balance. As the statement loads, night mode activates the screen to turn orange, letting Sydney’s eyes rest for the first time today. The payment has been made with the reference ‘snaps’ into her account, and she hastily switches apps to send off six photographs to a recent Snapchat friend. She sets her phone to airplane mode and promptly skips out of bed to turn off the light. It’s only 9:14 p.m., but an early night makes for a better day. After all, Sydney has her Level 3 English mock exam tomorrow. Sydney has just sold six nudes to a man she has never met, and does not plan to meet, for $15. Sydney is one of many young women in her city who are selling nudes over Snapchat. Creating new accounts similar to private Instagrams, with pseudonyms or dream aliases. Sharing faceless photos and fake posts that lead to the fraudulent yet fruitful pathway to making money. Cash rules; who are we to disobey it?

It was originally difficult to get in contact with her and convince her that I wasn’t a customer or snitch. Similar to meeting your ex’s boyfriend—even if you’re not uncomfortable with it, there is very little you can say to convince them otherwise. The only thing I had to go off for their contact was a screenshot of a Google Doc explaining their product packages, prices, and their bank account number—or email for the PayPal option. Sign up fee of $10, custom nude photos and videos, advertised the concise little menu. Her email address was her alias, along with ‘2000’ after it, which indicates she’s at least 18. We stopped that leg of the investigation immediately. No one is coincidentally 18. Linked accounts on Instagram showed that she wasn’t the only one advertising a private and premium Snapchat account. Private Instagrams have been used to share embarrassing photos, screenshots of the egregious, and anything you wouldn’t show your own grandparents. But what’s a Premium Snapchat? Premium Snapchat is an industry frequented by those who seek easy money, and those with money who seek a bit of soft porn. Hosting 18+ material and coming off the vein of webcam modeling and sugar daddies/mamas, girls and guys set up accounts selling nudes or videos that are accessible to their customers after the swift completion of a bank transfer. One has the choice of recurring payment plans, or one-off payments—it all depends on the account and what they are selling.

Kii Small, Hannah Powell

With the popularity of Premium Snapchats among girls and guys at uni, it’s fair to say that aspects of the sugar daddy complex are tied up within it. A relationship between a sugar daddy and a sugar baby can consist of an allowance, or a pay-per-visit, and for those who use it as a main source of income to supplement full-time study, it’s a power move in controlling your own financial future. Like with the consistency of sugar daddy availability, Premium Snapchat is always active.

and distributors when it came to pornography? Or were they exercising their freedom to express their sexual personalities?

There are single or couples accounts; some niche, some for the kinks, and some for the masses. Some people start one just to get by, and others for a cheeky side hustle. As each snap has an expiration date, the lust for leaving no trace is as convenient for the owner as it is for the customer. Premium Snapchat is low-maintenance cash flow from the comfort of one’s bedroom, and with an absence of tax, the premium account owner gets to keep every cent. With Snapchat only advising users to not “distribute sexually explicit content” on public stories, it’s anyone’s business.

Pornography is the shameless, contactless, quick-and-easy path to arousal for many people. It’s not often that you need help from anybody going through your transaction—which is often free, anyways.

Eloura Wild, a well-known Australian Premium Snapchat account owner, is fairly open about her own account. Having recently released an eBook with a gender-neutral stepby-step guide on how to navigate the Premium Snapchat industry, she describes Premium Snapchat as a place to post nude or semi-nude photos and videos of yourself. “You have freedom of expression,” she says. She doesn’t personally post sex or sexual acts, nor does she have sexual conversations or allow reciprocation from her customers, but she knows of others who allow it. “Everyone is different and can make their own rules,” she says, “it depends what you post and how you use it”. For Eloura, her account contributes significantly to her selfcare and the way she accepts her body. It was her own husband that encouraged her to start Premium, explaining that he “understands that it’s my body, my choice and he’s confident within our relationship”. She explains that she wanted to express herself fully, in her natural state, without censorship from platforms that prohibit nudity. Female empowerment? “Yes!” she replied. Eloura thinks that people judge what they don’t understand; women should be able to be themselves without censorship. For her, Premium Snapchat helped her family financially, and proved to herself that she doesn’t need to hide her body away like it’s a “bad thing”. At the end of it, “freedom of expression is a beautiful thing”.

Or was there something we were missing? The correlation between people who watch porn and go into strip clubs is not high. Similar to the supermarket checkout versus the automatic checkout kiosk, these are vastly different demographics.

Meanwhile, strip clubs cost money and are often shameful to enjoy. Socially taxing, as you see your old mate from three years ago in the halls and you make eye contact but there’s no way you’re going to bond over the fact that there are naked women around you, so you just stay on opposite sides of the room. Socially awkward and honestly confusing about the etiquette. Most strip clubs charge between $10 and $20 for entry; Sydney charges $10 as a sign-up fee. Market prices for lap dances and other activities vary depending on where you are. Sydney sells six photographs for $20. Videos are double, and custom shoots are $5 extra. There don't appear to be any rules or guidelines about whether you can redistribute it or who can buy. I’m not calling this an amateur set-up, but I’m worried she is underselling herself. I think back to the nude photographs we talked about in secondary school. There was often a lot of shame given to the girls who distributed them, and trusted its unworthy recipients. Bullying and exclusion followed that act, and the only thing you could do without risking your own reputation was to watch from a distance. Reflecting on that, there was more we could do, but we were just kids. So is Sydney. I’ll be honest, I can’t confirm her whereabouts or what her occupation is. Sadly, I can’t even confirm her age and wouldn’t trust it without seeing ID. I don’t know what she looks like, and frankly have no intention of doing so.

After we spoke to Eloura and Sydney, we realised how simple it was for a young woman to demand value for her body. Low-maintenance, from the comfort of your own bedroom. I became conflicted.

But I’m proud of Sydney. While it definitely isn’t the cleanest and most honest way of changing the stereotype, actions like this single-handedly flip how we see these exchanges. The times that saw our classmates mercilessly bullied, teased, and pushed to move schools for having their nudes get into the wrong hands? They’re gone.

Is this is easy as chips, being able to take photos of your naked body and sustain an income off that? Were there no privacy issues? Were young women their own producers

Young girls like Sydney are game-changers.

Features

POSTGRADUATE

INFORMATION EVENING Discover your postgraduate study options at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number one university for research quality.*

6 PM, THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 2019 Rutherford House, Pipitea Campus 23 Lambton Quay, Wellington Register at victoria.ac.nz/postgraduate

* 2018 Performance Based Research Fund

Lofa Totua

Before the storm, the voice in his head owned him in quiet times. Weak. The same way D would fold when offers for “just a jug” were made. Or when D chose to skip class and fuck around at home instead. Temptation. Temptation, temptation. Alluring and flirtatious, like the snake who tricked Eve. “Come thru!” What he found in the first stages of failure was the comfort of his favourite hoodie. Warm, yes, but it was important that these early stages were easy to adapt, too. It was familiar. The ease of a light switch flicking off. The same convenience as ordering and receiving UberEats. Wake up, naturally, without the need for an alarm. No clothes picked out or lunch already packed. Preparation for tutorials were scrambled, readings were Googled for a brief Sparknotes summary, and all the while, his motivation tank sat on E while he told his dad, his brothers, his best mates the same thing: He knew what he was doing. The truth was, he didn’t know shit. Nathaniel had folded and given into failure. The territory of bare minimum was new for a time, but soon settled and became habitual. The pursuit of success and essentially being ‘the best’ began in Year 4, when he held the money bag for the Daffodil Day fundraiser. He felt so grown-up. That morning, he had seen the notes and coins collected by his teacher. He waited eagerly, his back straighter than a ruler, arms folded intensely tight, ready to take on responsibility as Money Bag Holder. He spent many years seeking approval and recognition from any and every authoritative figure. Growing up, he was cool and smart, unlike the other kids. PE monitor, Class Captain, Assembly MC—in every role, the example of a model student. He carried the title of—not teacher’s pet—but the People’s Favourite. Being the People’s Favourite meant he had to remain composed— control like Dominic Toretto; the king, even when life was fast and furious. Nathaniel was perfection, because he only accepted the good stuff about himself, things people didn’t mind fuelling because he was what they were not—as close to perfection as one could get. Crashing? Failure? Foreign concepts that, for so long, had no place in his world. With the first failure arrived shame. The pair came as warnings before the storm hit. Opposites: Where failure was comfortable, shame threatened to expose. To reveal to the world the failure he truly was. A fraud. Shame saw Nathaniel measure his breathing, carefully, constantly; it was a requirement to at least appear to be in tune with his environment. His heart would beat, challenging the speed limits, and in response the room around him would close in. In moments like these, the air seemed to evaporate, the palms of his hands and the nape of his neck grew moisture. Shame brought self-torture. Daily analysis that involved highlighting everything that proved he was at fault. Questions always started with ‘why’. Comparison robbed him again and again. Far from control, far from Dominic Toretto, swerving and dodging the bad guys—far from the People’s Favourite. For a while, Nathaniel greeted failure every morning and walked beside it like a friend. Now, when he doesn't have to think about it, it's a good day. He gets scared, the cloud comes and he thinks—fuck! No one cares. What’s the point? Nothing. Empty. For a while, the cloud does everything it shouldn’t. Like all those times the weatherman lies—rain, hail, or even snow. For a while, Nathaniel’s life is drenched in failure.

Empty. Like his pathetic Android phone's battery when he needs it most. What a loser. Cuffing season right? It wasn't even 1 a.m. on Saturday before his phone died and he had to tell himself he wasn't even trying for Mia's number anyways. It was his first Saturday off in forever and he blew it. She was it. Her cheeky grin was the best thing he had seen all week. Chat was beyond average. She could dance, too. They talked for what seemed like the whole night and just as he was ready to offer her a ride home, he pulled out a dead device. No better than his dad's brick. Pathetic. Like his bank account. Never the one to shout the Ola. Or the third round of tequila shots. "Yeah nah oi I'm gonna have to skip tonight's feed aye." D drops an easy 50 and he drops them often. When he's with D, he's calculating his balance, the prices on the menu, the bus fare home, potentially the bus fare to work tomorrow if the weather's shit, the 20 he owes Dad... smokes? His mind works faster and harder than it ever did in Level 3 Calculus. D and him came from different worlds: One where D's mother had real, fresh-out-ofthe-oven baking ready for when guests like him came over. Where the lights and TV were always on and where things like platters and candle holders had a purpose. In comparison, his own father thought Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was the only type of decoration their unit needed. Stark and cold or simplistic and humble? It doesn't matter how hard he tries, he knows ‘paycheck to paycheck’ is in his DNA. And it feels like shit. Like the bins after 6 a.m. First shift starts at 4 p.m.—and if he's lucky and that slow motherfucker Greg isn't rostered on, too, he's out by 5:30 a.m. Unfortunately, boss seems to think having Greg around appeals to the demographic of racist, six figure-earning men who come to the bar to play up on their wives. Too smiley for his own good. Lickass has been working with him for six months and he still doesn't know how to do the dishes, how to mop, or how to transfer the kegs. It’s like every second week, he has to clean up the spilled kegs on top of everything else for closing. At least during closing he can blast whatever he wants, drowning out Greg’s pointless babble. At least the bar is empty. Failing feels like being robbed of your dignity and everything you’ve worked hard to maintain. Nathaniel drifts between scrambling for cover and sinking into it. The worst times have been when the storm begins inside his head and somehow claims his soul. The storm? Actually perfection in disguise. With the storm comes peace. New territory. Clarity, and a kind state of mind. And then he remembers. Each fact surfaces slowly, but it arrives nonetheless. His true nature refuses to settle. He has the capacity to be tough and tender. He doesn’t actually like being toxic or engaging in the same empty search for validation. For approval. He thinks about how he was the People’s Favourite, and thinks about what he likes about himself that isn’t shaped by the input of others. He thinks about the word ‘value’. The word ‘control’. He thinks about how long he thought he was drowning in his mistakes. Now they are natural, saying ‘no’ is natural, taking time out is all good, and… so is he. For Nathaniel, a failure.

Olivia Day, Subjective Sensibility, Vid

deo Installation, 297 x 420mm, 2019

Shanti Mathias

Three of my friends’ phones dinged in concert. They picked them up and stared at the screens. I looked at the nearest friend, askance.

Summer began. We were hundreds of kilometres apart. The chat grew more fraught. It was distracting—the constant buzzing—when I was trying to catch up with other friends and see my family, so I muted it, only perusing it when I was free.

“It’s just the group chat,” he told me. Addled, I leaned over to look at his screen. “Depressing Memes for Suffering Single Teens,” it read. Memes about communism, mental health, faith. A meme every minute.

The group chat plays a largely unheralded role in my social life. It is useful for organising events, sharing photos, and telling my flatmates to please sort out the dishes, please, it has been three days of this. Yet it is host to its own species of conversations and peculiar social dynamics.

I was drunk enough to ask outright. “I’m single. I’m suffering,” I said, although only one of these things was true. “Can I be in the group chat?”

I asked Kathleen Kuehn, a Media Studies senior lecturer specialising in social and digital media, about group chats, in the hopes that she could give me some language to articulate their nature. Kathleen studies the sociological aspects of media, in terms of interpersonal relationships and power dynamics.

“Can I add Shanti to the group chat?” the nearest of the friends asked. Three glances; an assent, and my phone was chiming too. The next morning, I scrolled back in the group chat. There were about ten members. I knew these people, but it was almost summer, and I hadn’t quite figured out their strands of connection’ how they wove around each other when I wasn’t there. It was the kind of relationship—the kind of close-knit group—where I felt privileged to be included, not remotely upset about not being added in the first place.

I told Kathleen about my experience with the meme group chat, the sense that an entire ecosystem of friends was crystallised in my screen. “There’s no archive of live conversation,” she pointed out, noting that this is one of the chief axes of differentiation between group chats and in-person conversation. “So, online, you can do your own mini textual analysis of what you're seeing, and start making connections that you might miss in the moment.”

I saw which members sent which sorts of memes, when they were awake, who reacted, who was always online, who knew others well enough to change their nicknames. I started to figure out the lingo of the group chat; I started to send memes of my own.

Brianna Nichol, 20, is a University of Otago student who has developed a reputation among her friends for constant involvement in group chats. “I’m big on reacts,” she tells

Features

me. “As the reacts come in, I’ll check on them and I’ll see who’s seen it and what time they’ve seen it.” This is certainly voyeuristic, but is it any more so than observing body language in a group conversation? In New Zealand, at least anecdotally, the biggest platform for group chats is Messenger, owned by Facebook. Internationally, WhatsApp is more popular (also owned by Facebook). By conducting our conversations on Facebook, we are giving one of the world’s most powerful corporations nuanced data about our social lives; Facebook has confirmed that it monitors content on Messenger. “Facebook is really good at capitalising on its network effect,” Kuehn says. The ‘network effect’ refers to business models where the product is more desirable when it has more users (as opposed to operating strictly on supply/demand). As I message someone I’m interviewing next week, send someone else my bank account details, and commiserate with my flatmates about the dishes problem—my attention and time are being directed into Facebook’s system—and I can’t help but agree. I need Messenger to make my life work, even if I’m uncomfortable with Facebook’s relentless appropriation of data. As Bri suggests, much of the meaning contained in group chats goes beyond the text, and is held in polls, nicknames, and reactions. Kuehn calls these features ‘affordances’. “[Non-text features] afford or enable [Facebook] users to not just talk, but to create social events to create a sense of community. It’s like an elevated form of socialising where you’re performing multiple roles.” I asked Bri how many active group chats she is in. She scrolled through her phone, counting: 14 active group chats and more that she has made for events or photos or meet-ups, and not kept up with. As we talked, her eyes sparkled with fervour. “I’m addicted to Messenger in general… I get very distracted by Messenger, which is fun, and I love it.” Her phone kept dinging with more messages, more distractions. She sent a message to a group chat earlier, an in-joke with her friends about a blind date, and I watch her analyse the response. “I’ve made everyone’s day and I can see the reactions, Tania [name changed] didn’t react, but she’s seen it, why did she not react? She called me like ten times last night…” It takes a moment for her attention to return to the interview.

The nickname feature is also frequently used. “It’s easy to make fun of [people] using it. In one [group chat] I’m “edgy teen” because I listen to Billie Eilish,” says Éimhín O’Shea, 19, a barista. He doesn’t customise memes or group colours because he “doesn’t really care,” and tends not to create events as “you can just put it on Facebook” where it’s open to everyone. There are several layers to group chats: Firstly, the convenience for organising logistical things. For some people, it doesn’t go beyond this. “Group chats are just for organising shit [otherwise] it’s easier to oneon-one message,” says Caitlin, a BCom/LLB student. Zeina Ibrahim, an International Relations and Media Studies student, says that she mostly creates group chats because “I can’t be bothered to message people separately.” For others, it’s a manifestation of their relationships. “I’ve got my work friends, my flatmates, people from [last year’s hostel]. It’s a tangible way of seeing friendships in different groups,” says Éimhín. Bri notices that “there’s different levels of group chats as well, one group chat just has real close friends. Then there’s wider friends and then even wider.” Clearly, not all group chats are made equal. As Bri and Éimhín talk, group chats unfold as Venn diagrams, loops of friends and flatmates and sometimes total strangers, building something together. Kuehn calls this ‘context collapse’. “In what world would you have your parents, grandparents, your best friends, the random kid you met as a first-year then forgot about… right on the same space?” Kuehn is keen to emphasise that, at least for media studies scholars, “the digital world is part of the real world... it’s all still part of your embodied lived experience.” Group chats, for the most part, spill between reality and pale glass screens. Events organised on a group chat become real. Conversations begun in-person are supplemented by articles on the group chat. In some ways, group chats are fundamentally the same as talking face-to-face: words are exchanged and responded to. People are remarkable at adapting to new means of communication, from telegraphs to walkie-talkies, to the internet—but for the most part, people say the same things to each other. Letters, for instance, can contain archives of entire relationships, and it was not uncommon in the past to copy out pieces of other people’s letters into private correspondence to share news, just as we might forward or screenshot messages today. Tapped-out, abbreviated

Shanti Mathias

telegraph messages carried just as much potential for misunderstanding as tapped-out, abbreviated Facebook messages, both devoid of the context of vocal inflections and facial expressions. Group chats are just a more recent iteration of how people have always communicated in groups. In a group chat “you’re willing to say stuff you wouldn’t in real life,” Bri says, because there is less immediate feedback of how what you say is recieved. Sometimes this is good, because what Bri calls “strong” conversations need to be hashed out between friends. “In a [face-to-face] conversation we try not to talk over one another [as] that's considered impolite, and you need to hear what the person is saying,” Kuehn notes wryly. In a group chat, everyone can talk at once. “In person, you can keep up with people… online, several people [can] message at the same time,” Zeina says. Tsunamis of notifications mean she keeps most of her group chats muted, as do Caitlin, Éimhín, and I. “[Group chats] are like trying to catch up with a race, trying to understand what everyone has to say and not answering questions,” Bri says. “Sometimes I do turn [notifications] off but not often at all, as usually I’m the one making all the notifications.” Group chats are different from private messages, just as one-on-one conversations are different to conversations with big groups of people. “Like being in big groups of people [in person], I feel less confident to speak out, compared to when I’m messaging a group of close friends,” Éimhín says. As in all social groups, there are rules and norms in group chats, which are usually unspoken (compared to, say, Facebook groups, which often have guidelines). To ask about the rules is to risk exposure as an outsider. In one group chat I’m in, someone asked “What’s the nickname policy?” when several others had received new monikers. Swiftly—brutally—I christened him Nickname Policy. I could easily have asked the same question: I too, would like to be known well enough by the people in that group chat to have earned a nickname. Simply to acknowledge this, that I have noticed the rules of the group chat, feels intimate— like by acknowledging my role in a social order, I will cement it. In a group chat, you also have to discern what to say to everyone and what to say privately. In my flat group chat, for instance, I have to determine when to ask

someone in private, to do the dishes (please! I love you! I hate plates!), and when to @ them in the group chat. As for my memes group chat, it met its demise. Slowly, as the new term started and people disappeared into different flats and classes and work, the memes petered out. I could see it happening and I mourned it. I sent one last effort at revival on March 19, more than ten days after the previous message. No one reacted to the message, and I am left forever with a line of profile picture bubbles telling me that I had been seen and ignored; a long ellipsis, a shelf added to the archive of my digital life. I worry that the people from that group chat left to form another one without me, but I don’t want to ask. Group chats are hidden and private. I’m only actively friends with a few of those people now. In the group chat, everyone was my friend. Beyond the relationships I’ve kept up, my social orbit still intersects with the others, and out of my screen they look more like acquaintances. I wonder, in a moment of eye contact, what the emoji reaction to the presence of Shanti would be, if I were contained in smooth glass and not three messy dimensions. Press, hold down; do I merit a reaction any more interesting than a passive thumbsup? But I’m trying to worry less about how other people respond to me, and group chats don’t help. So I smile— genuine, if wry—and walk on.

FAST-TRACK YOUR DEGREE THIS SUMMER Explore the inspiring range of Trimester 3 courses offered by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Start in either November or January. Online options are available.

www.victoria.ac.nz/fhss-summer

DIXIE NORMOUS

“Stop watching Edward Penishands, Mark, you’ll kill us all,” is something you may or may not have said in your life. Based on current affairs, however, this simple phrase could soon become an important part of your vernacular. You may associate softcore porn with people rolling over each other weirdly and the word “quivering member”, but perhaps not the word “epidemic”. If you have been living under a rock, or in New Zealand (same difference), you may be unaware that the UK has had an R18 restriction on porn since April, meaning meat-beating maestros have to provide proof of their age before incognito-ing onto Pornhub. With the grip tightening, many have been sliding towards the more accessible “soft porn” approach, which is basically just your favourite Game of Thrones sex scene (but with even less penetration). The consequences have been dire. One VUW correspondent on an exchange to London told us: “I’m surrounded by softbois. My last hook-up said he could only get turned on if I lay on my back in a pinafore as morning light trickles in, drinking limoncello and reading J D Salinger.“ Another male told us about a recent traumatic experience: “I just wanted to bust a nut to an orgy, but I ended up watching and reviewing a two-hour-long noir about a housewife,” he reported regretfully to Salient.

sure they knew how to have sex: Two tall friends said “huh” and “what the fuck” simultaneously. A medium-height librarian dropped his flat white and crossed to the other side of the Hub. Could his awkward walk indicate a severe misuse of a butt plug? Only time will tell. But their confusion was answer enough. The youth clearly don’t know how to fuck. We asked a nurse at Student Health what consequences this could have on future generations. “This is actually quite important, because sex and national birthrates seem to be highly correlated,” she sighed. “Besides, many important life lessons can be learned from Pornhub content, like how to get a free taxi, and not to stick your arm too far down the sink.” After brainstorming with some other sexually experienced colleagues, we decided the only real solution would be to play hardcore porn on one half of the screen during lectures. It might also get them to look up from buying playsuits on Princess Polly and watching PewDiePie’s Minecraft videos. For the dropkicks who never turn up to lectures, we’re planning to include it in compulsory tutorials for terms requirements.

The UK’s lack of hardcore porn of is clearly having a damaging effect on young minds. Since parents and schools have long since passed the responsibility of sex ed onto Pornhub, some teens might even be forgetting how to have sex altogether.

With some coercion, we managed to get one Physics lecturer to comment on the approach. “I don’t think I’d be comfortable teaching applied physics while some weirdos engaged in gland-to-gland combat behind me,” he said, stupidly. The rest of this interview was accidentally lost in an office fire, but we’ve been informed he’s a bit of a twat anyway.

I decided to see if the softcore porn trend had spread to Victoria University by hanging out in the Hub for a few minutes, asking random first-years if they were completely

Whatever...Listen to the experts (except the Physics lecturer). Campaign. Protest. Have your voice heard. Sex is most likely the answer to the future of humanity.

NĀ NOHORUA PARATA “ WHAT DOES WHITE PRIVILEGE LOOK LIKE?” It is true, you can’t help everyone. But I want to be able to share aroha with every single soul that has blessed the land of our tūpuna—by giving them opportunities that a lot of rangatahi, the same age, are receiving. We need to do more. We need to do A LOT MORE for our people. I woke up to an interesting post a couple of months ago by someone who identifies himself as a “privileged white boy” on Vic Deals, who asked, “Does anyone have some good examples of white privilege in New Zealand?” It was deeply upsetting to see the comments and replies that members within our Wellington community were making. Their lack of remorse and lack of understanding of what white privilege is, how it came about, and the impact it had/has on Māori, continues to shatter my mana motuhake and my Tino Rangatiratanga. The intergenerational trauma that has accumulated for almost 180 years seems to be irrelevant every time I am confronted by racial comments similar to the ones I saw under this post. On March 15, 2019, the city of Christchurch experienced a horrifying act of white supremacy. Engari, the country banded together to support this whakaaro of “They are us” and standing up against racism in Aotearoa—however I ask today, what has happened since then? For a split second, perhaps, we believed that changing our profile pictures would somehow solve acts of racism in this country? I urge you to step into the skin of the victims and their families, and properly think about the impact racism has. Days/weeks/months of continuous grieving over the loss of whānau, so what have we really done to implement this whakaaro of “standing up to racism”? Being a young, Māori male myself, I am confronted with racism on a daily basis. But I don’t expect Pākehā to fully understand, because you will never know until you are confronted by ignorant behaviour—not just for a moment but EVERY DAY.

Earlier this year in Dunedin, a mate of mine, Zaine AkuhataHuntington, wrote an informative post on Facebook exposing racial profiling by police officers at a party of less than 50 people, that resulted in the confiscation of a speaker (which wasn’t even in use) and an acoustic instrument. He says: “I don't expect everyone to understand why this event has upset me so much, some of you are on paths very different to mine. But for me, this is a nearly daily occurrence. Nearly every day I am judged by the colour of my skin or the words that I speak, but never by the person I am, or the deeds I do.” Moana Jackson best sums up white privilege in his 1983 interview on Marae. “The fact is that under the Treaty there are […] pre-existing rights which were reaffirmed. The need which Māori now have, often arose out of the breach of those rights—so to address Māori need, you’re actually recognising that certain rights have been breached; It's also wrong because it misinterprets our history, where the taking of power, the taking of land from Māori actually resulted in the privileging of Pākehā—that the establishment of Pākehā institutions of power and Pākehā wealth was a privileging done at the expense of Māori.” – Moana Jackson on Marae (1983). So, I continue to ask myself: Why now? Well to be honest, it’s the realisation that change starts now. Not waiting for the right moment, or the right time, but to not let another day fly by where we’re not doing the best we can do. So, I challenge YOU to challenge the system, challenge your peers around you, be that leader, be that voice for our people because there’s a bigger picture, e hoa mā… you just gotta see it. Nāku noa, Nohorua

MATTHEW CASEY

ANDREW JOHNS GOT ME INTO POLITICS

We all have a reason to get a little interested in politics for the first time. Maybe it was an election year and you thought “sheesh that *insert name* is really ‘bout it”. Or maybe you had an experience which made you realised the need for your voice and effort; WINZ may have mucked family around. I can accredit my first interest to a bunch of things: My favorite NZ rapper circa 2014 had a line “I’m voting Winston and I’m chilling with some [redacted]”. I was into WWE at a concerning age and saw a great parallel in the theatrics of both (see my last column) and just liked the idea of politics, not the implications. Then, when really looking into it, I’d accredit it to Patrick Gower and Andrew Johns—I’ll tell you, if they wouldn’t be the best duo to have on some sort of panel, I don’t know who is. It’s the 2015 NRL Nines; my mate Harry and I are down the bottom, trying to get photos with any- and everyone. That guy who only ever played in one game at the Nines? Got a photo with him. Shaun Johnson? Got like three separate photos with him over the tournament. You know how it is for a 14-year-old boy: Rugby league and Instagram posts go hand in hand. After hours of waiting specifically for New South Wales great, the Immortal, Andrew Johns, there was a period of down time. No one was really coming out, there were just a few random news blokes standing there. They must’ve overheard us trying to pinpoint who they were, because some bloke called Pat Gower comes over. I can’t declare the exact words he used, because to be frank, I froze. I was star struck; that guy from the news came over to us! Something like, “G’day boys, where are you from?”

which lead to a three-minute-long conversation between some awkward rugby league fanboys and the man himself, Pat Gower. About an hour later, Andrew Johns came out; I got a handshake and a rushed selfie. Pat Gower had become a legend of the day. It sent me fizzing. I tried to tell my dad that yarn, he thought it was pretty tops. After this all, that next week or so, I was watching 3 News with my family. “Oi Mum, I actually met Pat Gower the other day at the Nines, he was a legend.” What was actually happening here was my first time completely focusing on 3 News—or the politics section, at least. Soon enough I was watching it most nights; come the elections, I was even lecturing my mum on her political opinions. Pat Gower’s coverage of politics down at Parliament was beyond good; I really liked that he was a proud non-voter. Good political commentary which helped me understand enough of what was going on. See, you don’t have to have a huge reason to get into politics. Just have a look, pick some stuff up, and I’ll tell ya, things can engage you. If you give politics a go, try to understand it, it’ll do you wonders. That rapper I was talking about before? Before the 2017 election, he actually told me—he literally said—“Yeah bro, Winston was crackup but to be honest we gotta be wise with our votes this election.. You may still not see yourself becoming ‘someone who is interested in politics’, safe as, but hopefully this piece can nudge you in that direction. Being aware is a good start, being engaged is better, and being involved? Well that wouldn’t be too bad, would it.

Hi I’m Elena. My dad is a sex therapist and I’m studying to be a sex educator—we’re here to talk relationships and sex, so send your queries and worries our way (sex@salient.org.nz)

“I’ve been feeling kind of crappy about my porn use for a while now. Anytime I’m alone I just end up watching it, sometimes for hours on end. I’m not doing other stuff I used to enjoy and am even avoiding uni work by watching it. I don’t know if it’s bad enough to call it an addiction but I’m struggling to stop or handle it on my own.”

Lena says:

Dad says:

Firstly, I wanna say that I’m sorry that you’re in a place where you feel like your behaviours are controlling you and not the other way round—I’ve been there and it’s shit. A really important part of being able to move forward is breaking the cycle of shame and feeling shit about yourself. So many people find themselves trapped in these patterns, whether it be porn, food, work, gaming, etc. Try to have compassion and know that what you’re going through is hard and that it’s probably gonna take time to get to a place that you feel is healthy. When you’re feeling crappy about yourself, it’s hard to access the motivation to do things that make you feel better

When we can see a destructive pattern but don’t know how to stop it, usually that means there’s more going on than is obvious. We often get into those patterns because there is some emotional pain that we are unconsciously trying to deal with (maybe anxiety about your studies, grief over a loss, shame from abuse—it could be anything). Sadly, our upbringing has trained many of us to believe that admitting to or talking about emotional pain or vulnerability is wrong or weak, or that our problems don’t matter.

Try to organise with your friends to hang out more often or study together, if you’re feeling worried about your uni work. Minimising your alone time, especially at the start, can be a helpful way to slowly break the pattern. If you do go home and watch porn after working at the library with your mates, you’re less likely to feel shame about it—given you aren’t using it as a distraction, since you’ve done what you needed for the day. On that note, I’d encourage you to at least tell your mates you’re feeling pretty down and struggling with being alone. Although it might feel slightly too vulnerable to disclose that it’s porn use you’re dealing with, disclosing that you’re not doing great at least lets them know that you asking to do work together or hang out is more important than usual, and that they need to prioritise being there for you at the moment. Otherwise you might have a lot of people saying they cbf going to the library today, cause they don’t understand you’re actually reaching out for help.

So instead of addressing it directly, we do things that, in the short term, give us relief or distraction from emotional pain. It might be working hard or being really helpful to others. Some people can get quite compulsive about those things, which brings its own set of problems. However, where it gets really tricky is when the thing we are doing to cover over emotional pain causes us guilt, embarrassment, or shame. Watching porn or shopping or eating or drinking or gambling are examples. If they cause guilt or shame, that’s more emotional pain. And if our only way of coping is to distract with porn (or shopping, eating, drinking, or gambling), our behaviour can get really compulsive. It’s a vicious cycle that spins faster and faster. At this point, worrying about your porn use obscures the original pain. My suggestions are: First, find someone you can trust to talk about what you’re doing, and how you feel—exposure kills shame. Secondly, try to work out what the original pain was, and attend to that. Accepting and sharing pain won’t make it go away, but it can stop you from compulsively covering it over.

ALICE MANDER

For those of you who don’t know, one of my only personality traits is that I’m a film major. Being a film student means I’m naturally obligated to talk about the media, pretend I know more than other people about ~films~ , and just generally be as arrogant as possible (even though the only movie I have watched in the last month is Falling Inn Love). When it comes to disability representation, people just don’t seem to get the problem. Like a lot of things, it’s not prejudice, it’s ignorance. But it is important we hold media creators accountable and generally become more responsible consumers. At the end of the day, it’s really not hard to do the research and find out for yourself why a certain stereotype is harmful, or why a certain film is offensive. And yet, we still rely on the emotional labour of minorities to spell things out for us. Well, lucky for you, I’m going to exert emotional labour and spell things out for you! So, here’s some of the worst and most irritating stereotypes of disabled people in TV/films (IMO, of course). Glee Okay, I’ll be honest, I like Glee. I can sing the musical interludes, remember all the bizarre storylines, and I know all the off-camera drama. But the handling of just about every minority on it is fucking terrible. Artie Abrams is one of the main characters, and he uses a wheelchair. The show already loses points because the actor is not disabled himself but regardless, Artie is a mopey dickhead. The most cringe Artie episode was when his fellow Glee friends used wheelchairs to understand how good their lives are and how bad Artie really has it. Newsflash: Being sad is not a symptom of being disabled. Newsflash: Disabled people don’t spend their lives wishing their disability away. Newsflash: Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever tell a disabled person that their life makes you appreciate yours. Wonder Wonder is a children’s book/movie about a little boy with

Treacher Collins syndrome which gives him facial differences around the eyes, ears, nose, and jawbone. I’ll start by saying that I do appreciate the magnitude of representation of this type in children’s media and, on the surface, it seems like a heart-warming story about someone facing aversion. But it’s important to stop and ask: Who is this heart-warming aimed at and who is it made for? I would classify this film in the “disability porn” section. It’s about a disabled person going about their daily life while being overly praised for it and teaching every able-bodied person around them a “lesson” about courage. It leaves all able-bodied people feeling warm and fuzzy, and repeating shitty clichés like “the only disability in life is a bad attitude”. Long story short: You can’t exploit disabled people to fulfil your own weird needs, and we aren’t exceptional just for existing. Again, casting an actor with the same condition as the character could have gone a long way. Films I haven’t seen, don’t plan on seeing, and don’t care about: Me Before You Yeah nah. The Greatest Showman I, too, would like to thank this white man for saving marginalised groups by exploiting and profiting off them. In hindsight, the film I probably most related to as a disabled child was Finding Nemo. Finding Fucking Nemo—a film about FISH with disabilities—was more relatable to me than those listed above (The Disability Studies Quarterly agrees with me there—read their essay which includes the line, “various eccentric aquatic bodies and personalities flow in and out of the screen in harmonies of difference,” lol). Think about that. Here’s to the disabled eccentric aquatic bodies flowing in our lives.

35 35

S U S TA IN A B LY S I MPLE

SWAT

MADDI ROWE

TEGAN

In this Anthropocene we’ve seen a rise of the VSCO girl and the Zero-Waste Mum. Stainless steel water bottles in hand and a stick-and-poke tattoo of a bee. Screaming at people about buying reusable metal straws. And it makes me wonder how sustainability has transformed in the climate crisis we live in.

In 2018, I learnt that rest is productive.

There’s like, a fuck tonne of gatekeeping. Gates which are melting. Because of global warming, get it? So, ineffective gates in general.

At first this was really difficult, just resting. I felt like I wasn’t doing anything. In a society which measures our worth by material production and profit, I felt utterly unproductive, worthless, and valueless.

Due to an injury, I had days where I could exert very little energy. On those days, even sitting at the table doing kids’ colouring was too exhausting for me, so I ended up lying in bed all day.

Yeah, Becky, cutting down on plastic is essential, but you’re also eating quinoa and quinoa’s over-farmed.

Then one day while resting and wrestling with these emotions, I thought of it differently. I told myself that I was learning, healing, and growing with every moment that passed. Through this I began to learn that every moment of rest was important—it was powerful, and it was productive. For in rest I was healing, recharging, processing.

Yeah, Karen, Toothy Tabs from Lush changed your life but you’re also having grass-fed beef for dinner when animal agriculture is the penultimate polluter on the planet. I’m seeing lots of division in all the wrong places. Instead of eating the rich, we’re watching the Pacific Islands drown.

Since then, I have been fine-tuning this learning through the ideas and campaigns of others (I highly recommend @thenapministry on Instagram for more on this). The circumstances through which I began to learn that rest is productive were not ideal, but the lesson has been so empowering and liberating. Conceptualising rest as productive has empowered me to better manage and prioritise my wellbeing, and feel no guilt or shame in doing so. I encourage you all to hold it with you, that rest is productive.

Instead of pushing corporations to GET THEIR FUCKING SHIT TOGETHER, we’re alienating each other through exclusionary, inaccessible forms of action. Metal straws can be health hazards for disabled folx. Not everyone can afford to avoid palm oil; a bitch has to eat, and sometimes that means instant noodles because I’m poor!! Let’s not do this! The universe was created from unity and cohabitation and if we keep attacking sustainability with partisanship and bullshit white saviour narratives and the like, we’re all gonna end up drowning while simultaneously on fire together.

When assignments are overwhelming you, when you are stressed and exhausted, remind yourself to rest. It is one of the most productive things you could do. Because being productive doesn’t have to mean being exhausted, and because the value of rest is immeasurable—as is the value of you. So close your eyes for a minute, or ten, or 30, or more—you’ll know what’s right for you. It might take some practice; it isn’t always easy at first, but it will be so worth it.

Please, for the love of Papatūānuku, let tangata whenua lead the charge. Be an ally. Learn the kaupapa with love and admiration, not to chase clout. The only way through this is intersectionality.

Rest up. And for fuck’s sake, if you can learn to pronounce Wingardium LeviOsa, you can learn to pronounce Kiribati (kih-ree-bas).

tweety little tweety bird is stunned there is nothing holding her exposure feathers without the flight and the night has got no live music facilitating a bop with abandon hoping any second now he wants to help mend her wings there are twenty hawks in this place and they all shake their things remembering double dutch at primary school you must know so and so unfortunately theirs was a firm tĹ?tara scratched by the sirens when the police came and oh no with feet in the air and wings not flapping our birdie is upside down in a freeze she wants to swing those rickety barrels up round upside down there is a way she remembers the claw all smitten when the last ten seconds were shit but curious rolled into a sausage garden in which she waters it ugly but brunch side forgettable the hawk embraces embarks he wants to discover his new best neck nest as if she is but what she is a little bullseye board with her darts accidentally knocking things Tessa Keenan

Send your limericks, elegies, and odes to poetry@salient.org.nz

MUS I C WAGUA N - VI B RAT I O N S

R EVIEW: NIVA CHIT TO C K

This album screams mixtape in every way. Zimbabwe-born, Wellington-raised Waguan kicks off this patchwork sound with his influences, which include Kanye, Russell Brand, NCEA, and God. The whole album discusses how no one can “fully grasp the human experience". Pretty tough stuff for the 19-year-old, some doddery music reviewer might say, but I, being a similar age and all, actually found it refreshing to have my thoughts laid out in song.

rap over what could be a Zimbabwean folk song. It has distinct upbeat vibes, though they don’t hang around.

“FIRST THOUGHTS”, the opening track, eases you into it, with some acoustic guitar and swelling synthetic singing. It’s a short instrumental which becomes a hallmark of this album.

From here, we’re on the home stretch: It begins with “WUD”, my favourite track by far. It struck me smack in the heart while I was staring at a bag I wish I owned emblazoned ‘Love ya mama’. This track is simply a conversation. It’s very relaxing and gets to the heart of what begins as a high school dilemma: careers counsellors who try to tell you what to do with your life, when they’re not even sure of what to do with their own. You then get out of school and realise that it’s actually a lifelong problem and you just gotta get used to it.

The next few tracks don’t stray too far from this initial sound— however, after a bit, you have not a shadow of a doubt that this is a rap album. I had a particular affinity to “CURIOUS GEORGE”, though maybe that’s just due to my life currently being centred in a Curious George-themed space. “CBK” (‘could be keen’) feels like bare bones at the beginning with just voice and drum beat. In comes some fuzzed-out bass, faster verse rap, and again a more traditional sound of the genre. “BACKPACK” starts with more of the same, when suddenly, it changes pace halfway through to something semi-translucent— perhaps done intentionally with the lyric: “I don’t know what just happened”. From here, the album moves into deeper waters, and you can sense Waguan getting into the swing of things. “SEIZE” shows the first true-love track, and sets the scene well for “HERSHEYS” later. Like a lot of rappers I have listened to, there’s a solid connection with his roots, and the next chunk of album deals to this nicely. I especially enjoyed “ANCESTRY” which showcases almost lilting

The title track is another cute snippet that aids a change-up of themes within the collection. It’s beautiful, though not my favourite in the collection. Following on are “GOD” and “SUCCULENT”, which give off distinct American rapper moods, and highlight Waguan’s Yeezy influence for me.

The final few tracks felt a little insignificant compared to this and I don’t think “ANYTHING” should’ve been the ending track, because “WUD” seems like a more powerful note to leave the album on. “ANYTHING” wasn’t how I wanted to leave Waguan or this album. It’s also quite an abrupt ending; akin to someone pulling the plug out of the wall. It’s a pretty darn polished product for a beginning. Personally, I felt that his style jumped around a little too much, though I also get that this is a debut release and Waguan wants to showcase just what he is capable of. Overall, VIBRATIONS has my seal of approval. With lyrics about peanut butter, backpacking, and hearts burning with happiness; hidden feelings, hidden meanings, and parental pressures—it’s right up any student’s alley.

F OOD MID N I GH T E SP RE SS O

R EVIEW: S AL LY WA RD

Midnight Espresso is a bastion against the commercial conglomerates seeping up Cuba Street. The lower end is being colonised by white fluorescent lights and polished floors; we’re watching Lambton Quay bleed into new territory. Outside Midnight, the pavement is a garden of chewing gum splats and cigarette butts; the dimly lit interior is painted with mustards and maroons, posters of local theatres and bands drip down the right-hand wall. It’s not crisp or clean. It’s grungy and worn with use, the lean-to tables forever grafted onto the wall. It’s narrow, like drinking coffee in the elbow of the street, where the light gets strangled. My teenage eyes saw Midnight as an alternative sanctuary, patronised by the blue-haired and tattoo-webbed. You could drink coffee, be vegan in safety, smoke until 2 a.m. and contemplate dropping out to start a commune. I wanted a piece of it. I was excited by the mere fact cafés were open after 2 p.m., coming from a small town where you can still get a latte bowl. (A bowl. At that point, you might as well drink a litre of milk from the bottle.) The first time I went was for the famed hot chocolate—the whipped cream and marshmallows knocked my socks right off. When I moved to Wellington a year later, I frequented for the nachos. A big plate of spicy beans and corn chips to share with half an avocado, jalapeños and sour cream. Unreal. Tasted like a hug at the end of my Sunday work shift. Now, I avoid Midnight like you might avoid a first-year ex on the street. Everything I liked about it is just not that cute anymore. I find myself having to ask for the water jugs to be topped up, and grabbing napkins to wipe up the table before I sit down; I’ve had my meal forgotten a few times. They don’t bring the coffee over, which is fine, because they’ve kept the price low. $2.50 long blacks and $3.50 flat whites. You do your best to take a seat without spilling it all over the saucer and/or your shoes. The

music is properly loud and it’s difficult to have those conversations about communes or whatever else might be on your mind. These little things individually are excusable, but together, it’s lacking in care and service. There is a lot going on in the cabinet: stuffed kūmara, “vege dog roll” (questionable), feta-and-tomato savoury muffins, and choc bubble slice. Take a trip back to when all of New Zealand’s cooking came from the Edmonds cookbook and paninis were the most fashionable menu item. (A panini is no more than a pseudo-Italian toastie, get over it). If you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can judge a café by its cheese scone. It’s simple, it’s a bestseller, and if it’s not being made with care—be sceptical. The scone on offer here is drier than most of New Zealand’s comedy, leaving you awfully thirsty and showered in crumbs. Reserve only for moments of desperation. Part of the allure is knowing it stays the same, a relic of punk and degeneration. Relics, by definition, are things of the past. Change doesn’t need to be a ‘brand refresh’, in this case. It could be as simple as turning the music down a bit, adding a tad more milk to the scone mix, ditching the dog roll, providing friendlier hospitality, and making sure the dishes are clean. I want to love it, for all that it represents. And yet, Midnight is the rockstar playing the same hits from 30 years ago, refusing to try anything new. Songs that I find myself skipping automatically unless I’m feeling sentimental.

B OOK INV I SI B L E W OM E N : E X P O S I N G D ATA BI AS I N A WO RL D D ES IG NED FO R MEN

R EVIEW: R EID W IC KS

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for I’ve had many conversations with female friends about them not Men by Caroline Criado Perez is a book about, well, data bias being taken seriously by doctors, and about how useless some in a world designed for men. painkillers have been for them. Part IV: “Going to the Doctor” backs those conversations up with evidence—highlighting how The main thesis of this book is that a lot of assumptions we make many drug trials do not include women (meaning drugs may about people as a whole are only accurate when it comes to have differing effects on women, or none at all), and how men, because men are seen as the default for all humans. These assumptions based on how men’s bodies work contribute to assumptions are enforced by the “data gap”—a term Criado doctors failing to correctly diagnose—or to outright dismiss— Perez uses to refer to a gap in our knowledge about women and women’s health issues. their needs. The book discusses how this data gap affects women and society as a whole—in everything from bathroom queues, to The book isn’t all doom and gloom, however. Criado Perez city design, to medicine. provides many examples of when the data gap is taken into consideration to positive effect—from getting pregnancy parking Criado Perez notes that these assumptions aren’t necessarily put in at Google, to developing cleaner-burning (and therefore conscious ones—which makes highlighting the data gap even safer) stoves for use in developing countries. She highlights more important in challenging these assumptions. The book is initiatives like the UN-backed organisation Data2X, whose well-written, and easy to read. It covers many areas of expertise, mission is to “improve the quality, availability, and use of gender from city planning, to software, to medicine, and explains how data in order to make a practical difference in the lives of women the data gap affects these fields. Criado Perez provides ample and girls worldwide”. statistics and references, with good use of anecdotes to help the reader understand what the consequences of this data gap can I think getting this book into as many hands as possible would look like. make a positive difference. While I already agreed with the author that gender inequality is an issue (wow what a hot take), One of the early examples in the book is how cities are often reading Invisible Women gave me an insight into, and made designed around car use and work commutes—failing to account me aware of, experiences I could never have myself. It got me for the different transport needs of women, who are more likely thinking about solutions, and made me re-examine my own to use public transport, and more likely to make many small views with a more critical and better-informed eye. interconnected trips rather than twice-daily commutes to and from work. I’m worried that I may not be doing the book and its themes justice, as I can’t possibly cover all its points in a 600-word Throughout the book, it’s discussed how “one size fits all” review. Not only is it interesting—it’s important. I’d recommend usually means “One-Size-Fits-Men”. Examples range from it to anyone, but especially to anyone who makes decisions that phone screens being too big for most women’s hands, to voice affect other people. recognition software not working properly with women’s voices, to tools designed for male hands that reduce women’s ability to work.

SPORT R EVIEW: CAMP B EL L G IDDENS

WEI R H OUSE V TE P U N I V I L L AG E

As the dusk set on another typical Wellington evening, the bright lights of Boyd-Wilson Field played host to another installment of the ever-growing inter-hall footballing rivalry between Weir House and Te Puni Village. With last year's contest resulting in a hotly contested 4–3 victory to Weir House, TPV were out for vengeance against a Weir side strongly tipped to repeat the preceding result. A respectable turnout filling the stands with supporters of both halls, expectation weighed heavy over both sides leading into kick-off. The first half was a very cagey affair. Each side was shaky on the ball, unable to create any real early chances. Like a game of force back, both sides looked for territorial supremacy with long balls, unable to find anything but the touchline. Halfway through the first period, Weir House started showing signs of attacking promise through a lengthy stint of possession in the TPV half. This was capped off through a strike from Weir House’s talismanic forward UkHlei Cinzah. Weir’s striker became an essential part of their attacking strength, thanks to his speed and agility. TPV’s defense, meanwhile, struggled to find an answer. In the latter stages, the game opened up through strong counterattacking football from both sides. Match official Patrick MillsMunday struggled to keep up with the growing tempo of the game. Tempers began to flare through some rash challenges, which led the referee to deal out a number of yellow cards to players on both sides—foreshadowing a menacing second period. The second half commenced with some strong attacking promise shown by TPV. Considerable pace from the flanks left the opposing fullbacks scrambling. TPV continued to create inroads into the Weir third, culminating in a narrow save by keeper James Ross, who showcased some sharp reflexes with his feet. Despite the missed opportunity, TPV continued to show their attacking

resilience, eventually finding an equaliser through Sam Mead. TPV’s set piece dominance paying off through corner gleefully headed in by Mead, brought the sides level, promptly followed by a cheeky shush celebration to the Weir House supporters. The equaliser unlocked a new sense of urgency for the TPV side. In contrast, the equaliser left Weir without the same animation with the ball they showed in the first period. This lack of tenacity allowed TPV to consolidate their midfield. With a goal imminent, a perfectly weighted ball by Jake Nicholson split the Weir House centre-backs and allowed Konan Hey through to send TPV ahead. Despite the shakiness at the back, Weir House weren’t for the lack of trying, with UkHlei Cinzah continuing to cause issues upfront. With around 15 minutes to the final whistle, his determined solo effort (though unable to beat the TPV keeper Aofie GallagherForbes), displayed the creativity and individual brilliance that Weir were lacking. With Weir’s midfield continuing to show no desire to win the ball, space opened up for Konan Hey, who sent darting strike from outside the penalty area, high into the net— sealing himself a brace and a victory for TPV. As the skies began to open, referee Mills-Munday blew the whistle, ending the game 3–1 to TPV. TPV midfielder Jake Nicholson, who was yellow-carded in the first half, spoke highly of the contest, stating the game had “a great level of spirit which led to a great contest”. Gracious in defeat, the Weir House manager echoed that sentiment, voicing support for the game’s “good intensity”. The score between the two halls may be settled for the time being, but there’s no telling how next year's installment of this captivating rivalry will play out.

LAW REVUE RACISM

I went to the Law Revue on Friday night, and what I witnessed felt like a slap in the face. My least favourite part was when two white girls, dressed in kimonos, shuffled and bowed their way onto the stage, and then attempted to speak Japanese—right after they said they needed help from ALSA (the Asian Law Students’ Association) because”‘everyone in ALSA speaks Chinese”. Law Revue is an annual show put on by law students, poking fun at the law school in general. It’s satire, it’s un-PC, it’s supposed to be slightly controversial. What it’s not supposed to do is make fun of minority groups to the point where audience members (and I’m talking quite a few people here) feel othered and marginalised. People aren’t supposed to watch comedy shows and wind up crying and messaging people about why racism sucks. As ‘woke’ as Wellington pretends to be, people do not and cannot understand racism unless they’ve experienced it. Getting genuine laughter for racist jokes isn’t proof that we’ve ‘made it’ as a society. Nor is putting three Asian people on stage during the skits proof that all Asians are okay with what’s being said. The jokes might have been funny if they were written and made by the Asians onstage, but they weren’t. You can’t hide behind an anti-climactic moment where your character realises that she is racist and then proceeds to do nothing about it, and still have them be likable. That’s exactly the problem—plenty of likable people are racist, and because they’re likable and otherwise ‘woke,’ nobody is allowed to get offended. But fighting racism isn’t about being PC or woke, it’s a moral imperative to allow all people to live without fear. The subtle racism that perpetuates our daily lives cannot be the core of your jokes.

At the end of the show, the cast gave us a ‘Don’t like it? Don’t watch it, it’s a law revue, what do you expect?’type overview song. Like, hey, this is all a joke, you can’t be offended. I felt sick about the whole thing. I felt like I didn’t have a right to be upset because “it was just a joke”. I felt alone and alienated. It’s a shame, because I genuinely did appreciate many aspects of the show. I was really impressed by the talented and well-rehearsed cast; some of the jokes were truly clever. But that doesn’t mean I was prepared to overlook the problematic parts of the plot, the fact that racism was once again exploited for an easy gasplaugh. It’s 2019. It’s past time to learn some new humour. It’s true, this wasn’t like University of Canterbury’s Lawsoc revue which prompted walk-outs. Most people loved this show, found it really funny. I appreciate that the majority of the white audience were probably fine with how the show went down. And even some Asians might have brushed the whole thing off. That’s not really the point though. Just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Furthermore, if you’re white, and you didn’t see the racism—maybe there’s a reason. The fact that I’m even afraid to speak up, afraid to be an ‘angry POC’, is part of the problem. We want to seem cool, not draw attention to our differences—even though the jokes do. But the truth is, a comedy show shouldn’t have made us feel othered. I’m disappointed. I didn’t expect to be hurt by Wellington law students. They’re the supposed pillars of society. If these are the future pillars of our society—God help us all.

HOT: • Stuff's “Out of my Mind” podcast addressing mental health. • An arrest has been made in relation to the 2016 murder of Lois Tolley. • Art and Matilda from the first season of The Bachelor NZ welcomed a baby boy. • Drax Project's album launch will be in Wellington on September 27. • The government will be boosting funding for existing mental health services by $30 million. LETEICHA LOWRY

NOT:

3 out

of four teams from The Block NZ: Firehouse went home with no proﬁt after 12 weeks of work.

• Fonterra employees face job losses as the company announces they expect an annual loss between $590–675 million.

8.99

the monthly cost of Apple TV's new streaming service that will launch in NZ on November 1.

• Bad plumbing led to exposure to noxious sewer gases in a Lower Hutt retirement complex.

3.95

million dollars was the price of Post Malone's Utah home.

25,000

• Victoria University's cafés and food establishments remain full of singleuse plastics.

260

• Labour has been criticised over the poor handling of sexual assault allegations, and the party's president, Nigel Haworth, has resigned.

he proposed cost to remove 100–200 chickens from the Auckland suburb of Titirangi, as they have contributed to a rat infestation. mm of rain fell on the Coromandel Peninsula in 24 hours on Tuesday, causing ﬂooding and landslides. This was more than double the predicted rainfall of 110 mm.

• New Zealand's drinking culture.

CURRENTLY SEEK I N G CRO S S WO RD C O NT RIBUT O RS

VERY VERY FRIGHTENING GRID

THIS OR THAT BROCKHAMPTON EDITION

1. SUGAR or GINGER? 2. SWEET or SUNNY? 3. STAR or GOLD? 4. BLEACH or SISTER NATION? 5. J'OUVERT or SAN MARCOS?

GOOD NEWS POP QUIZ

1. What is the name of China’s first genetically cloned cat? 2. A woman in India recently broke the record for the oldest person to give birth. How old was she?

DOWN

1. Titular artifact in a classic mystery 7. Thurman of Kill Bill 8. Greatest quantity possible 11. Cut into cubes 13. It's between la and do 14. The best of both worlds in men's undergarments 17. Marie Saint 18. The chemical element selenium, for short 19. Swimmer with nine Olympic gold medals 23. Wong of Law & Order: SVU 24. Little devil 26. 1950s fashion 29. Duo at the top of the roulette board 30. Right under our 31. Nomadic insect 34. Soap ingredient 35. Singer Ruth,Anita, or June

1. Mutter 2. Physicians' organization, in brief 3. Loose about rules 4. Street where Freddy wreaked havoc 5. Passion 6. Birthday suit lover 9. O.J. trial judge 10. Get-together 12. Orange snack square 14. Fast-growing grasses 15. Pitfalls 16. Suffix 20. Recipe instruction 21. Peculiar expression 22. Share one's feelings 25. Tinker 27. Composer Franz 28. Rogers or Orbison 31. _Lingus 32. Ctrl + + Del 33. Science guy Bill

3. What did a New Zealander do while at a theme park in Barcelona? 1. Garlic 2.0 2. 74 years old 3.Barcelona? He caught a phone which fell out of a rollercoaster in mid-air.

ACROSS

WORD OF THE WEEK: "STANDARD" TE REO MĀORI

aro whānui NEW ZEALAND SIGN LANGUAGE

SUDOKU MEANS ONLY SINGLE DIGITS EASY PEASY

F*CK YA LIFE UP

Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.37)

Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.72)

2 8 3

9 7

6 1

4 7

6 5

2 1

4 7

9 6

1 8

A PRESENTATION BY DEVAMRITA SWAMI

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Sep 12 04:56:48 2019 GMT. Enjoy!

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Thu Sep 12 04:56:44 2019 GMT. Enjoy!

Chasing Sustainable Happiness Mirage & reality

Wednesday October 2nd, 5:15pm. Memorial Theatre, Student Union Building, Vic University. Free online registration required.

A PRESENTATION BY DEVAMRITA SWAMI

FREE EVENT. FREE VEGAN DINNER & DESSERT. REGISTER ONLINE: VIC.EVENTHAPPINESS.COM

Devamrita Swami is an internationally renowned author, Yale graduate, and monk. He has been sharing sustainable, spiritually based solutions for the upliftment of individual well-being, society and the environment for over forty years.

EUROPE 2020 ON SALE STA TRAVEL VIC UNI KELBURN PARADE

victoriauni@statravel,com 04 499 5032 Terms and conditions apply.

NOTES:

Bachelor of Communication (BC)

Study what you love

BC Majors at Wellington & via Distance Study: • • • • • • •

Communication Management Expressive Arts (theatre, creative writing, making films) Journalism Linguistics Marketing Media Studies Public Relations.

These offer you choices in practice-based and creative studies in media and communication.

Join a communication degree with an excellent full-time employment record For a comprehensive report on Massey BC graduates’ employment, salaries, etc., email F.Sligo@massey.ac.nz Massey University’s communication degree is recognised internationally

Massey has Asia-Pacific’s only communication degree accredited by the US-based ACEJMC

Find out more: http://www.massey.ac.nz/communication Enquire now: contact@massey.ac.nz

Study Marketing in a degree that builds your critical and creative strengths

Exclusive Student Discounts! 20% OFF your monthly rent + 20% OFF packaging + FREE vehicle hire* Visit www.nationalstorage.nz/uni or call for a quote today Hutt City - 04 589 1300 | Kenepuru - 04 238 4308 | Newtown - 04 385 6957 Ngauranga - 04 473 4831 |Paremata - 04 233 8818 | Taita - 04 473 4800 |Tawa - 04 232 4393 *T&Cs apply, vehicle hire subject to availability, selected centres only. Valid student ID must be presented to obtain discount.

SL IGHTLY L ESS OBNO XIO US T HAN YO UR T IN DER APP

ARIES

LIBRA The fog will persist for another week, so wrap yourself up in a blanket cocoon and be wary of energy vampires. And that thing that’s been bugging you? It’s time to cut the crap and take care of it once and for all, boo. It’ll be better for you in the end.

The devil’s in the details, and this week you don’t want to piss him off. Get organised, re-read the assignment question, see if you can feel exactly which muscles are being activated. Relationships with SOs are also starting to heat up, so be extra-attentive and enjoy the ride.

TAURUS

SCORPIO

You’re turning heads, kicking ass, and taking names this week, Taurus! Impress them with your charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent—but be careful what you share with people on Saturday; there’s a delicate balance to be had here.

As the days get longer, you may be feeling yourself slow to a halt. Against your friends’ better advice, feed that impulse. Buy the cat. Call the number. Tell your parents about your secret lifelong ambition to be a possum taxidermist. Life is short and you’re at uni—fuck it.

GEMINI

SAGITTARIUS

This is a time of change for you, dear Gemini. There is hustle and bustle in all your domains—uni, at home, in your relationships, and career. When you inevitably get sick of giving and giving without ever receiving, take a step back and pull yourself together before you stretch yourself too thin.

You are in GRAVE DANGER, seriously forget about reading the rest of this horoscope and tell the person you want to be with the truth, it’s now or never. In failing that, think for yourself and don’t listen to haters.

CANCER

CAPRICORN

I have one thing to say to you and that is: TALL, CURLY-HAIRED CANTABRIAN. They may not seem like the person you tend to go for, but this is a sure-fire bet, trust me. Life is about these moments, don’t think about it, just go and ask them for gelato. Believe me when I say this could be the best hour of your life. *

Hell yes Capricorn! You’ve had a goal, and you’re finally beginning to see the blood, sweat, and tears pay off. Just don’t get into a fight. Seriously. Saturn’s telling us you’ll get pummelled. Also you should listen to Coldplay more.

LEO

AQUARIUS

Heyooooo if you take MARK301 and MARK316, have I got news for you: Your future partner is sitting in the same lecture theatre as you. They’re tall, from Christchurch, have curly hair, and like gelato. By the way, the planets are telling me that the next person you see wearing a pink-and-blue floral shirt could quite possibly be the second coming of Christ.

This is the week of sex and money. If you have sex you will lose all your money. One word, kids: Abstinence. Let's do this!

VIRGO

PISCES

Listen here, get some sleep. The days are getting longer, and you need to be onto it. The planets are telling me that you need to go down to Oriental Bay and start your day with a swim. And if a tall, obnoxiously loud person wearing a pink-and-blue floral shirt comes up to you, drop everything and take him out to get a popular frozen dessert of Italian origin. *

As Saturn moves into Capricorn this week, you may feel unhappy with some of your relationships. Cut people who don’t deserve to be in your circle, make room for people you wouldn’t usually speak to. This isn’t The Lobster—you don’t both need to wear glasses to be friends. Speak to your 62-year-old neighbour or that questionable Tinder match. There is much to learn.

* 0 2 0 4 0 7 5 6 33 8

VUWSA

Annual General Meeting ‘19 Wednesday 18 September 12pm in The Hub

Come along to our AGM and keep VUWSA accountable to the students they serve!

We’ll also be announcing the results of the 2020 VUWSA Student Executive election plus giving out FREE Pizza!