Dream | Issue 03

Salient Issue 3

Dreams

Vol. 79

Contents Features

16

Woman Power with Lizzie Marvelly

18

The Lost Language of Dreaming

22

You are what you dream about

26

Insane in the Freud Brain

5

Suprise, new contracts!

6

Zero hour contracts made redundant

News

8

10

Can we stop talking about it now?

Doing Our Bit

Regular Content

3 Editorial

12 Letters & Notices

14 Māori Matters

14

One Ocean

15 Gee-mail

33

Reaching Out

34 Fiction

35 Digitales

37 Visual Arts

15

VUWSA Exec

38 Music

30

Being Well

42 Games

30

Token Cripple

43 TV

31

Brodie Helps You Figure it Out

44 Books

31

Dr Feelgood

45 Theatre

32

Single Sad Postgrad

46 Puzzles

33

Women’s Space

40 Film

Editors: Emma Hurley Jayne Mulligan

Editors’ Letter J: Last night I dreamt about chopping my hair off. I really enjoyed it, but I also remember waking up relieved that I hadn’t done that.

E: I think that you would look kinda cool with your hair chopped off, but also I really like your curls as they are right now.

J: But like, that’s such a vain dream to have. I was dreaming about my appearance. Did you dream last night?

E: Ella’s Dad says it boring to talk about your dreams, because no one cares.

J: Yeah we probably should stop talking about dreams.

Sorry Ella’s Dad! We probably shouldn’t have planned for a whole issue to be based around it. I bet Ella’s Dad won’t read it.

E: In terms of other dreams, like life goal dreams, or dreams of the things you wish you had. What do you dream about one day having or one day happening to you?

J: I like the idea of owning one of those vintage Smeg fridges, and travelling. I also want to write, but I don’t think that it has to be my job. For the most part, I’m easy about my future. I kind of feel like it’ll just happen on it’s own. Wbu bb?

E: Hmm. I want to be in a good relationship (please see my dating ad below), to always have cool people around me, and maybe be a journalist (or write in some way). But it’s pretty hard to have any definitive answer.

J: I know what you mean. Did you ever have a ‘dream’ for your future when you were a kid?

E: Yes, I knew I wanted to write things, I knew I wanted to go to University, move out of the town I grew up in, and I wanted to live in a cool apartment, preferably in a big city like NYC (who would pay for this was unclear).

Did you?

J: I wanted to write; I spent a lot of time writing stupid stories when I was a kid. But I also wanted to be an actor. I got over that thanks to my first (and only) THEA101 class.

E: I think our little selves would be stoked with what we are both doing now.

E: We’re both unclear about our ‘big dreams’, but do you have any dreams for now, as in in the immediate future?

J: I want to make some killer magazines, and work on my writing, but mostly I really want to go overseas at the end of the year. I don’t really mind where I go tbh, I just want to go. What about you?

E: I want to break some good news stories, see all of us improve in our own writing, and I’m very keen to go to the South Island because I haven’t really seen it properly.

Also maintain a semblance of a life outside this job because it demands a lot of our time.

J: Same. Actually same. Even to the South Island.

E: And I want to meet new people, and maybe see more plays.

J: I couldn’t tell you the last play I saw. That’s a real good dream.

E: At first I felt everything I had to say on this topic was pretty bleak and depressing. But when I think about it I guess I do have dreams I just don’t really label them as that because they aren’t ‘big dreams’.

J: I think big dreams are overrated, too. And it’s all relative. I mean my one of my goals is to own a fridge.

They don’t have to be big to be a dream.

E: I’m sleepy.

J: Wait one more: if you could edit a magazine (your DREAM magazine) which one would it be?

E: I really like Catalogue magazine, and reading things from the School of Life, I also like hard news so maybe I’d make a mashup of all of those, what about you?

J: The gentlewoman. (you haven’t even finished your answer yet, nor asked me the same question, but I’ve already answered (I’ve also never actually read an issue but it looks bloody great and is solely focused on women, how could I go wrong).

E: I think our dream is to start a magazine together...

J: Thanks for visiting the Emma & Jayne Chatroom.

Going Up

Hillary Clinton •

A woman’s right to chose.

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Fresh Sheets on Ur Bed.

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James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke.

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Food Ninja.

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Lemon and Honey Gingers.

Going Down

What’s the best part of your job?

Implying that people aren’t feminist if they don’t vote for me, because I’m a woman.

What’s the worst part of your job?

Not being able to go the dairy in bare feet for a Big Ben pie on a Sunday morning, and not being able to smoke durries in the park.

So what do you actually do?

Post funny memes on my social media accounts and pretend that it was my interns.

Kanye West or Kendrick Lamar?

Kim Kardashian.

•

The dryballs in your life.

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New Shoe Blisters.

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Getting a Pap smear reminder from your doctor.

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Clicking ‘going’ on Facebook but not going.

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Crammed lecture theatres.

What will you do if you lose out to Bernie?

Go the dairy in bare feet for a Big Ben pie, and smoke a lot of durries in the park.

Keen to kōrero Humdingers The ‘world’s most genetically blessed criminal’, and ‘hot convict’ Jeremy Meeks, has just been released from prison after serving his term (for weapons charges). He has been hired by a talent agency and hopes to launch a career in modelling and acting.

Newborn twins in Vietnam have been confirmed to have two different fathers, according to the Centre for Genetic Analysis and Technology lab in Hanoi. A rare phenomenon, this requires the woman to ovulate two eggs at the same time, and have viable sperm from two different men waiting inside her to fertilise the eggs. The official name for the process is heteropaternal superfecundation.

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Hoake tātou ki (te) ______ {Haw-a-keh tah-tow key} Let’s go to (the) ______ Te Whare pukapuka = The library Karahe = Class All together: Hoake tātou ki te whare pukapuka.

Let’s go to the library.

Or Hoake ta tatou ki Liqour King.

14.03.16

news@salient.org.nz

News

Surprise, new contracts!

05

Alex Feinson & Kate Robertson

Victoria’s commitment to lock its workers into a minimum wage goes against campaigns to make the university a Living Wage campus, a movement which the TEU supports.

The new agreement will remove retirement leave for all new or non-union staff. The new individual agreements will however offer staff who have worked for the university for more than five years extended long service leave.

The extension of current working hours to include longer hours on the weekdays and a full working day on Sunday means staff members would lose the right to claim certain overtime hours.

The TEU stated that they “had no prior notice about the offer,” or of the $500 one-off bonus offered to those who sign the agreement, and have called it a “bribe” to pull more members away from the thought of unionising.

Branch organiser for the university, Nicki Wilford stated that many non-union staff have “done the maths” and have unionised with the TEU as a result of the offer.

James told Salient that many people have approached him about joining the TEU, and as a result he believes that the new agreement has “severely backfired” on the university.

Labour Party spokesperson for workplace relations, Iain Lees-Galloway, told Salient the situation was “a classic union-busting tactic and it is disappointing to see a public institution engaging in this type of behaviour.

Their hope will be that union members will be tempted to get the short term sugar hit from these bribes and forego the longer term benefits of being on a collective agreement. I expect that Victoria University staff are too smart to fall for that old trick.”

The TEU has said of the new contracts, “this system is not transparent, fair or equitable and is very unlikely to benefit our members.”

Negotiations between the TEU and the university over an updated collective agreement will commence in May.

On March 1, Victoria University offered general staff who are not members of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) new individual employment agreements which offer pay rises, improvements in long service leave, and a $500 cash incentive. The offer was also extended to new members of staff who had not yet opted to join the TEU.

The new agreement removes time and a half pay on Sundays and the two week notice period—whereby staff need two weeks’ notice before their roster can be changed. Staff transport allowances will also now be at a manager’s discretion. Staff currently receive a transport allowance if they have to work after 10.00pm.

The changes were rejected in 2015 by the TEU, who took issue with the fact that performance-based promotions would be “subject to the whim and budget of the university at the time.” They argued that the new proposed remuneration scale would be less transparent and create an unfair and inconsistent process.

Those most affected by the new remuneration scale are the library shelvers, who would be locked into the first level the new scale. This would mean minimum wage with no opportunity to progress through the pay scale.

Victoria University’s TEU Rainbow Representative Joshua James told Salient, “the initial reaction of the new individual employment agreements was one of confusion and shock... then there was a level of anger and resentment towards the university. Justifiably so when there is a direct attack on unionised staff.”

With regard to the transport allowance, he told us that because the library is open until 10:30pm the lowest paid workers in the library who are locked into minimum wage may not be able to pay for a taxi out of their own salaries.

When asked if the new agreements had created divisions between staff members, he said “there has been a huge demand for non-union staff to seek union advice on the matter. The conflict doesn’t exist between non-unionised staff and union staff, it exists between all staff and the university.”

The new scale puts Victoria University out of line with the rest of the country, as library shelvers at VUW get paid less than their counterparts at other universities.

14.03.16

Know your Mind, on your laptop, at home. a film event by Matthew Barney and Jonathan Bepler

19 March 2016

Emma Hurley

Some lecturers have started taking photos of students sitting on the steps to pass onto the university, calling for bigger theatres or more streams.

Students sitting on the steps in lecture theatres is a breach of the university’s fire safety conduct, which prohibits the obstruction of all stairwells as they are primary exit routes.

When asked for a response, a Victoria University spokesperson told Salient, “PSYC121 is a popular course and to accommodate all students, those enrolled have been allocated one of two streams. This year many students are not attending their allocated stream, preferring the earlier one and putting additional pressure on the room in this stream. We are running an additional overflow room to help.”

It was further noted that LAWS121 is not oversubscribed, and if students attend their allocated stream there will be enough seats for everyone.

The university said it does not condone the overcrowding of lecture theatres, and recommends that students attend their allocated stream to prevent such situations from continuing.

Kate Robertson

6pm–midnight Embassy Theatre, Wellington

100-level law and psychology students who aren’t arriving to lectures on time are having to watch lectures in an overflow room, online, or not at all.

PSYC121 is the worst affected course, with around 980 students being split between just two streams.

Those who don’t arrive in time to get a seat have the option of watching from an “overflow room,” where the lecture is streamed via webcam. These overflow rooms hold approximately 120 people.

First-year student Siobhan O’Connor told Salient that many of her lecturers had been advising students to arrive at class early to get a seat, something which isn’t always possible for those coming in on public transport or straight from another class. She added that some students had been “queuing up outside the lecture theatre 40 minutes before class is due to start to ensure a seat.”

VUWSA President Jonathan Gee said that the advising of students to watch lectures from home was “pretty concerning,” adding “if you’re paying for a quality education at Vic you should expect one, and be able to engage with your lecturers and with your classmates.”

Zero-hour contracts made redundant

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www.adamartgallery.org.nz

Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff said he was “confident that working people will have more security of their hours of work” and, “if the legislation is passed with these amendments, it means zero-hour employment agreements are gone, and working people will be better protected from these kinds of abuse.”

Michael Woodhouse downplayed the amendment, saying, “it’s a good win for compromise, and we’re going to get a good bill out of it, but I knew we had a good bill going in”.

Key continued to stress that the change was minor, telling media, “we’re a minority government, and at the end of the day we have to work with other political parties.”

The bill will be debated in the House on March 15 before progressing to its third reading and final vote.

Kate Robertson

Student discounts available Book at Ticketek

Last week, the Labour party and the Government agreed to abolish zero hour contracts.

Zero-hour contracts gave employers the power to vary employee’s hours, allowing employers to set them anywhere from zero hours right through to full time.

The removal of this “availability clause” comes just weeks after minimum wage was raised $15.25, and a new living wage was set at $19.80.

Labour have described the decision as a “back down” from National, who were under pressure from the Māori Party and United Future to remove zero hour contracts from the Employment Standards Bill.

Prime Minister John Key recognised it was unusual that Workplace Relations Minister Michael Woodhouse and Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway had worked together on a matter of employment law.

McKenzie Collins

Trumped for Cash

Salient Quiz

In late 2014, Victoria University economics major Matt Burgess created an app allowing people to bet on politics, and it’s taking the US election by storm.

With the help of Lou Evans, Professor Neil Quigley, and VicLink, Burgess initiated the development of New Zealand’s first online marketplace for predicting and forecasting political events.

The interactive app—originally called iPredict (now PredictIt)—encourages members to do more than just vote, it encourages them to bet on their expected outcome.

If your predicted event occurs, the trader—the person behind the proposition, will be paid quite simply for having made it public; with the point of the game being to understand and express what everyone else is thinking.

PredictIt is now run from Washington DC and has 17,000 active traders. It is unsurprisingly most popular with highly educated young men.

According to PredictIt’s terms and conditions, to remain legal, there is “a limit of 5000 total traders in any particular contract,” and “a limit on investment by any single participant in any particular contract [of] $850.”

Salient can report that PredictIt’s expansion into the US has allowed debate to finally move away from John Key’s ideal vacation spot.

Joshua James

1. Which British university was founded in 1096?

2. True or false: The above university is only slightly younger than the Aztec Empire.

3. Last week which famous tennis star came out as failing a drug test at the Australian Open?

4. True or false: High School Musical Four is going to be a thing?

5. MA, MD, MI, MS, MN are all acronyms for what?

6. What is Andrew Little’s middle name?

7. What year was the modern state of Israel created?

8. Last week which self-made multimillionaire, mother of two, fashion icon, and celebrity released a hot selfie that the internet went crazy over?

On Friday, March 4, a balcony holding 20 people collapsed at a Six60 gig. The balcony, attached to a house on Dunedin’s Castle St., fell from three meters above ground at 7.45pm, injuring 18 people.

Two people were seriously injured but are currently in a stable condition. Polytechnic student George Karamaena has broke both legs as well as his back, and second year university student Bailey Unahi is in a Christchurch hospital with spinal injuries that may prevent her from walking again.

Housing minister Nick Smith has asked for an investigation to be launched to find out why the balcony collapsed. The investigation will look into whether the design, construction, and maintenance of the balcony were up to the required standard. Alternatively, Smith said it is possible that the large number of people on the balcony during the gig exceeded what the building code requires, causing it to fall.

When the balcony collapsed, Six60 stopped playing to ensure everyone was alright, but were advised by police to keep playing to avoid panic. Six60 later tweeted saying, “very upset that people were hurt tonight. Massive thanks to the local police and security who were working with us to help keep people safe.”

9. What is Labiaplasty?

10. How many women around the world suffer from female genital mutilation? (That is the forced cutting of a woman’s vulva, in particular the removal of the labia, often done in non-sterile conditions).

1) Oxford University 2)False, Oxford university is nearly 300 years older than the Aztec Empire 3) Maria Sharapova 4)True—it was announced at the start of March. God bless Zac Efron 5) American states. Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Mississippi 6)James 7)1948 8)Kim K 9)The plastic surgery to make a woman’s labia smaller 10)At least 125 million, according to WHO statistics.

Matthew Collier

Balcony catastrophe leaves two students seriously injured at Six60 gig

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14.03.16

Can we stop talking about it now?

Alex Feinson

What the Hell/Heck/Shit/Fuck is the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement?

We get it. The acronym TPPA makes you want to scream.

It’s on the news, you’ve got one friend who won’t shut up about it, you might have even protested your little heart out walking from Cuba St. all the way to the Beehive.

But with that being said, I doubt there are many of you out there who could conclusively say you know exactly what the TPPA is all about. Allow me to enlighten you in this breakdown of what the TPPA is, how it is going to affect our country, and why it is been so goddamn problematic.

of candidates in the US Presidential primaries have also opposed the deal, including frontrunners Trump and Clinton.

How does it directly affect New Zealand?

The TPPA is the most important free trade agreement in New Zealand’s recent history, and the impact of it will be felt across our society. Below are six areas that will feel the effects, the list isn’t exhaustive, but it demonstrates how far this agreement reaches.

What is the TPPA?

Trade and Industry: With the full implementation of the TPPA, New Zealand will have strong trading relationships with the first and third largest economies in the world—the US and Japan.

We will also save a projected $259 million a year on tariffs, and it will see the elimination of tariffs on fruit, vegetables, sheep meat, forestry products, seafood, wine, and industrial products. It is estimated this will add $2.7 billion to our GDP by 2030, a figure which is actually only 0.9% more than the original projected growth.

If both the US and Canada do not ratify the treaty in the coming years this small financial boost won’t come, something which could be detrimental to a number of our primary industries, as well as our foreign policy relations with North America.

There is also concern about how the TPPA will allow the expansion of free trade with countries that do not currently comply with the basic international standards of labour. The primary concern is Vietnam’s labour laws, as they do not comply with international standards and unionism is still illegal.

The TPPA is a free trade deal between eleven of the Pacific-Rim countries—Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States. It aims to expose more nations to free trade partnerships by eliminating tariffs and allowing multinational corporations more opportunities for domestic business contracts over local companies, in order to create an open international business market. It also covers smaller details such as biosecurity, internet freedom, and copyright/intellectual property laws.

Why so problematic?

The main problem with the TPPA is that the whole process has been secretive. Negotiations for the deal began in 2008, and were finalised in October 2015 when the drafting of the treaty began. It wasn’t until it was signed in Auckland on February 4, 2016 that the text became accessible.

The lack of transparency has been criticised extensively both domestically and internationally.

Domestic concern has been voiced predominantly from left-wing political parties and by groups that were established to exclusively oppose the TPPA like It’s Our Future. On an international scale, the loudest criticism has come from Canada’s new Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has vowed to not ratify the treaty. A number

The Treaty of Waitangi: According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trading’s website, under the TPPA Māori land, taonga, and the Treaty of Waitangi will be upheld by the Crown, and the interpretation of the Treaty will not change. Despite this seemingly explicit statement, It’s Our Future claim that

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the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori rights will be ignored in favour of big business.

Because negotiations took place in private and sought little consultation with iwi before the negotiations, the exclusion of some major Māori rights is a very real possibility. Long term this could mean that iwi may not have to be consulted for land sales and developments, the privatisation of land or assets, or regarding changes in commercial enterprises and regulations for our primary industries. This would be a direct violation of the Treaty and the basic rights deserved by indigenous peoples.

the distribution of medicine overseas as aid or otherwise.

Internet Freedom: A few months ago, Netflix announced they would be cracking down on people using geo-unblockers to access overseas Netflix catalogues. Using one of these extensions is quasi-illegal, but also a no brainer, because New Zealand Netflix is garbage and Canadian Netflix is bomb AF. This sudden change was rumoured to be because of the TPPA. If the rumours are true, and because nothing has been done about it so far, it could mean that these extensions will be shut down. This will be an international travesty for all fuckbois of Tinder, because asking someone to “stream-a-pixelated-episode-of-a-TV-show and chill” is just nasty.

Copyright Laws: Copyright laws will also change under the TPPA. This is because our current copyright period of 50 years is shorter than the 70 year period in other TPPA-affiliated countries. Although print media like books, screenplays, lyrics, and art will continue to be copyrighted for 50 years, digital media will have its copyright extended to 70 years.

There is also a chance that copyright infringement will become a more serious crime, and will be punished more extensively. This is because there will be an international standard to do so. Lol try stop me, fuck the police, torrent till I die.

Where now?

The TPPA is a mind fuck, and it’s pretty clear there are some good and bad aspects of the deal. It is also pretty clear that none of us are going to fully understand the whole thing until it has been ratified in about two years time, and these airy fairy potential changes start coming into effect.

On the bright side, before we’re all potentially screwed, the debate over the TPPA has shown us that the people of New Zealand are actually extremely politically aware. Whether you’ve researched it and decided you support it, or have thrown your favourite dildo at a cabinet minister in protest, speaking up for or against the TPPA has contributed to a valuable national debate.

Even though the Nats have a majority government and are going to ratify this shit anyway, the TPPA debate has contributed to making our democratic process more interesting, participatory, and alive. In my opinion, people of Victoria University, that is a rather extraordinary thing.

Health: This is a tough one, and I’m still not sure what’s true and what’s not. The government has been arguing there will be no changes to the prices of subsidised general prescriptions and that the only changes from the TPPA will be reflected in an administrative change in PHARMAC’s transparency as an entity of the Crown.

Seem legit, however, It’s Our Future are claiming this as untrue, saying that overseas pharmaceutical companies will be able to dictate to PHARMAC the price of medicines. This will come about through the aforementioned changes in copyright laws that would affect the patents on particular medicines to allow pharmaceutical companies to have a monopoly on certain drugs, subsequently causing prices to spike, and/or limit

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Alex Feinson

The Legislative Process: Another toughy, and hold tight because this is where it gets hella complicated.

To improve business relations with foreign investors/ businesses and expand our free trade network, the TPPA makes it acceptable for these investors to sue a government for damages on a major scale through a process called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).

If you’re not already a little suspicious of the TPPA, this is where you might start to be.

If a free trade deal has an ISDS clause, a government could pass a law in the people’s interest which could impact the profits a foreign investor might make. If the investor feels aggrieved because of the loss of profits, they could sue the government for the projected loss in an international arbitration court.

Examples of when this could happen include plain packaging laws on cigarettes, anti-fracking laws, transitioning to alternative clean energy technologies, and not using oil or nuclear power. If the investor is successful, because the government is funded by taxes, it will be Joe and Mary middle class who wind up paying these damages to gigantic corporations… haven’t the middle class suffered enough already?

You’d be naïve to think that businesses don’t already have a massive influence over legislation, but now thanks to the TPPA, it might actually be possible for the government to make its citizens pay reparations to a corporation that might destroy the environment or make money off giving people cancer (IDIOTS!).

14.03.16

Doing Our Bit

Emma Hurley

We are experiencing the world’s biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. More than 60 million people are displaced, and 20 million of these are refugees; that is they are displaced and outside their country of origin. The government is expected to make an announcement regarding their review of New Zealand’s Refugee Quota, and to set the quota for the next three years. Salient spoke to Murdoch Stephens, founder of campaign Doing Our Bit and Victoria University PHD student, about his hopes for the outcome of the review.

seekers are usually accepted in addition to the quota, but Stephens argued that as these numbers have been greatly reduced due to government’s being ‘more cautious’ increasing the quota would serve to counterbalance this.

Stephens commented that Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse knows the issue well, and has “genuine concern for the struggle of refugees,” he felt that the National party were not merely playing politics with the issue but rather that they were being “compassionate conservatives.”

Currently on a speaking tour of New Zealand to publicise the Doing Our Bit campaign, Stephens stressed that “now is a really crucial time to get active,” as the next quota review will not come until 2019.

Amnesty International is also calling for the government to double the quota, and have said in a statement that the crisis requires “an urgent and significant response from a country that currently holds a place on the UN Security Council… doubling our refugee quota is the least we can do after 28 years without an increase.”

Like Doing Our Bit, Amnesty is also calling for a two-fold increase in funding for resources and service providers “to ensure all refugees are supported to settle well here.”

Students who wish to become involved in Doing Our Bit can find out more by following the campaign on Twitter and Facebook. There is also an online petition to raise the quota which can be found on Action Station, with 16,000 signatures at the time of print.

Stephens is currently on a speaking tour of New Zealand, and will be speaking in Wellington on Tuesday, March 15 at St Andrew’s on the Terrace.

Currently the refugee quota allows for 750 refugees to be settled in New Zealand per year and this has not been adjusted since 1987. The review of the quota is a Cabinet decision and does not need to passed in parliament.

Immigration New Zealand have submitted their advice to the government, which was in consultation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Green, Labour, ACT, United Future, and the Māori party have all supported an increase in the quota.

In 2013 Cabinet signed off on the current three-year Refugee Quota Programme, which gives preference to refugees from the Asia-Pacific Region over those from Africa, South America, and the Middle East.

Murdoch Stephens, founder of campaign Doing Our Bit which advocates for a doubling of the refugee quota to 1500, speculates that the announcement of the review could be as early as the next fortnight or as late as July.

“If we know, we can pressure them more,” Stephens said, speculating that the Government will announce it when it suits them, and that if they are choosing not to raise the quota they will “bury it on a Friday afternoon” to avoid media attention.

In addition to doubling the quota, Doing Our Bit recommends doubling the funding for the resources and services which support the integration of refugees into society.

These recommendations are based on population and GDP growth in New Zealand over the last three decades and the need for the quota to be adjusted to reflect this, as well to make up for the decreased intake of asylum seekers since 2001, following 9-11.

Numbers of asylum seekers, that is people who make a claim for protection once they have arrived in New Zealand, have decreased 75% since 2001. Asylum

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Letters

Notices UniQ IGM

Dear Sir/Madam I was mortified to read that you had apologised “unreservedly” to the Chancellor for the item purporting to record his answers to questions in a brief interview with him. I was a keen reader of Salient in the 1980s, and this piece is, to say the least, gentle compared to some of the items I recall reading (and, I venture to say, a lot funnier than many of those I remember).

Unless, of course, the “apology” is itself part of a larger and more subtle satire: in which case may I offer you my congratulations.

Kind regards Simon Kneebone VUW BA/LLB 1989

The two 2016 issues of Salient are great. Well done, I am impressed.

Congratulations.

Vic student 1950s

Letter of the week!

Vic Books is sponsoring letter of the week, If your letter is chosen you will win a $20 Vic Books voucher.

Please send your letters to editor@salient.org.nz.

UniQ is the representative group for queer students at Victoria University of Wellington, run by students and open to everyone.

Uni Q will have its IGM on Thursday 31 March, 6pm in KK204.

Have your say, join the exec, or just come along for the free pizza!

Victoria University TaeKwonDo Club (WTF/Olympic style) Interested in Taekwondo? New to Taekwondo? Learned Taekwondo before?

You are all welcomed! Great way to keep fit and have fun! Come along and join us, we are a friendly bunch.

Training times: Wednesday 6.30 - 8.00pm Saturday 3.30 - 5.00pm Venue: Dance Room, Kelburn Campus, Victoria University Recreation Centre FREE trial for the month of March, come and have a go!

What you need: Drink bottle, comfy trousers/shorts, t-shirt (or Taekwondo Uniform if you have got one) Contact us: vuwtkd@outlook.com We are affiliated to the TaeKwonDo Union of NZ (TUNZ)

Careers and Employment: 2016-17 Internships and 2017 Graduate Jobs See Graduate Recruitment Application Closing Dates for details: http://bit. ly/1zGNacY Currently recruiting: Major Accounting and Law firms, Countdown & Woolworths, Staples Rodway, BDO, Fonterra, Reserve Bank, The Treasury, Optiver… and many more.

Connect with employers via Recruitment events: http://bit.ly/1DOS0WK Upcoming employer events: EY, Duncan Cotterill, Google, Crowe Horwath, The Treasury, Institute of Finance Professionals NZ… Check in with a Careers Consultant during our daily drop-in sessions! http://bit.ly/1A1ORgv For more info, login to www.victoria.ac.nz/careerhub with your Student Computing login!

Students for Sensible Drug Policy AGM 6pm Wednesday 16 March | Student Union Building Room 217 SSDP believes that drug use is a health and human rights issue. If you agree that we need to reform our 40 year old drug law, you should attend our Annual General Meeting. Sign-up to be a member (it’s free), vote for an executive, and find out how to get involved in projects we are planning for the year. Bring a friend, like us on FB: fb.com/vic.ssdp 12

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Try it for FREE From beginners to advanced students, Seido Karate has something for you.

New students welcome to join any time, and your first two sessions are absolutely free.

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Maori Matters

One Ocean

Rakaitemania Parata Gardiner

All I have to do is DREAM

Māori believe that when we sleep, our wairua leave our bodies to go on adventures. This is dreaming. My wairua tends to favour dream-time jaunts that occur where lunacy meets the impossible. One night I’ll find myself battling giant worms on mini monster trucks with only fruit as a weapon. However, the next dream might bring me a reunion with my late Nan. These are always tinged with melancholy and a desperate longing to hear her voice again. Some are just a confusing kaleidoscope of colours and feelings. Others dredge up horrors I’ve only read about, distorting real life experiences I’ve actually had. Regardless of their content, dreams have always played an integral part in my life. They’ve acted as a reprieve from the monotony of waking reality, as a portal through which fragments of inspiration slip into real life.

Most importantly, they offer a chance, however brief, to see people I miss everyday.

E ai ki a Ngai Māori, i te tangata e moe ana ka wehe te wairua i te tinana, kia haere i tōna haere, koia ko te moemoeā. Ko tōku wairua, he mea tipi haere ki tua o tāwauwau, ki tua o te pae whakaaro. I ētahi wā, ko au tēra e whawhai ana ki ētahi pīki noke, e eke taraka ana, ā, kua kore aku rauemi atu i ētahi huarākau hei kaupare i a rātou. Heoi, i te pō whai muri ka tau mai ko te mamae o te aroha i taku tūtakitanga ki taku kuia. Na enei o ngā huinga a maua ko taku nan ka rangona ko te pouri me te mokemoke ki tōna reo mārire. Ko ētahi moemoeā, kaore ōna hanga, heoi ko ngā tae me ngā kare-ā-roto e huri kōraha noa ana. Ko ētahi, he mea whakamataku, he mea whakarangirua i te ao hurihuri me te ao moemoeā.

Ahakoa tōna momo, he nui ngā hua kua puta i aku moemoeā. I ētahi wā, he waka hei kawe atu I au mai I ngā raruraru, I ngā aupēhitanga o te ao hurihuri. I wā kē, he waka kawe i au kia tata ki ōku pae tawhiti. Heoi, ki au, ko ōna tino painga he whakatuwhera i te ao wairua, kia āhei taku kite, taku tūtahi I a rātou mā e moe ana I te moenga roa.

Grace Faletutulu Dreams can be interpreted as anything and everything.

When this word arises in conversation there must always be clarification between the type of dream you’re talking about—sleeping dreams or aspirational dreams. When people are asked about their dreams, they often don’t consider challenges like financial difficulties or lack of educational qualifications. Everyone loves talking about their dream, you can see people light up thinking about the endless possibilities of what they could achieve.

Then they snap back with an all too common saying, “what a dream” or “dreams are free,” shutting themselves down and settling back into their realities, becoming what companies love; life-long employees.

The intention of this piece is not to be all doom and gloom, or that being an employee is horrible. Rather, we hope it inspires you to reach higher and go further, surpassing the boundaries others have set you or the ones you have sub-consciously set yourself. As Pasifika people who are fortunate enough to be born and raised in the land of milk and honey, our great-grandparents and grandparents could only imagine the benefits such a place would bring their families. Soooo, let’s live our lives to the fullest, taking every opportunity that arises and give it our best so when we look back there will be no regrets.

Now that those feels are out, let’s end this with a very inspirational quote from a movie that Leo received an Oscar nomination for but didn’t win. And though it looked like he may never win, 2016 was his year because persistence is key. Persistence is key! Your dreams and aspirations are important!

“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” (Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street).

Upcoming Event There is Ngai Tauira SGM at 5:30pm on Thursday, March 17, at Te Herenga Waka marae.

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Gee-mail

VUWSA Exec

Jonathan Gee VUWSA President

Jacinta Gulasekharam Academic Vice President Hey pals, I recognise that drinking on antibiotics in first year was not a good thing to do. However looking back (apart from that shaky night), I know I have no regrets about where I am today: in my final year at university, working 20 hours a week to make sure your voice is represented. I have no doubt that at the end of this year that the dream of strong student representation will have gotten closer.

Imagine how different your university experience would be without a student voice. Think of the things the university could get away with. They could add more assignments, change assessment dates, not provide lecture slides, not listen or care about what you have to say. Student representation like the class reps, faculty delegates, and other VUWSA functions are here because if we aren’t, no one else will be.

Class reps provide the first point of contact for other students in their class. They are at hand to resolve basic problems, and offer support and guidance. Class reps are, most importantly, the ears and voice of the students at Victoria. They provide an important link between students, academic staff, and the university’s Academic Office.

Being a class rep is an opportunity to know yourself beyond your degree. People say there are opportunities everywhere to get involved without telling you what these opportunities actually are. My friend’s mum once told me that opportunities are things you say yes to, which is completely true. I put my hand up to stand for VUWSA in my first year and haven’t looked back, so I would encourage you to say yes more often to new opportunities.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the recent media attention gained by Wellington students; that Wellington is becoming the new Dunedin. I’m worried about how this is impacting on our reputation. As students, we’re getting a reputation that we party all the time, have streets that rival Dunedin’s Castle St., and we aren’t considerate of neighbours who live near us.

I think that this negative perception of student culture here is far from the truth. At high school in Auckland (yes, I’m a JAFA, pls don’t h8 me!), I didn’t dream about moving to Wellington for its drinking culture, rather because it’s a beautiful city that I want to call home.

Otago students have been under a lot of pressure lately (in light of reports about couch burnings and the recent balcony collapse—amongst other things) to change their behaviour. Their university, and the city council, are concerned about this reputation, and are taking invasive and punitive measures to address it.

One example is the installation of CCTV cameras in the student areas of the city. The university and city council say this is for the safety of those in the area. But the reality is that cameras give them evidence to target the individuals. You may think that’s fine, but consider this: you’re a good, law-abiding student who likes to party on a Friday night, being watched 24/7 by your university as you’re going to and from your flat, out for a coffee, or just having a few drinks. It’s a bit creepy having big brother watching you isn’t it? Even the Privacy Commissioner has raised concerns around the hush-hush of it all.

If Wellington was the new Dunedin, measures like that would be the norm. Responding to the problem in a punitive is popular, because it looks like they’re getting the job done. But the reality is they’re not. If we delve deeper into the reputation of Vic students, we see a great bunch of future grads who are already contributing nearly a billion dollars to the local economy each year. But that doesn’t get a headline. Bad news, like binge-drinking and partying does.

Contrary to popular belief, we are not becoming the new Dunedin. We won’t tolerate punitive measures against us because we know it doesn’t solve the problem. At Vic, we have academics who know that restorative justice is the best way forward to target the problem. It might take time, it might be less visible, but it’s actually targeting and solving the real problem. It’s treating students like adults.

To do this you need to: • • •

Learn for more than just your grades Be curious Share your knowledge

Know your bloody mind.

15

Kate Robertson

14.03.16

Woman Power with Lizzie Marvelly Almost a year ago, Lizzie Marvelly launched a website that would come to produce one of the most successful social awareness campaigns of the year—My Body My Terms. Kate Robertson caught up with Lizzie during her time in the capital to talk girl power, consent, and trippy as dreams.

going to come and take their place. I think that in the long term it’s counter intuitive because if you love music and you love media then you want it to continue and succeed, and have great people in it.

K: As the founder and editor of Villainesse, how would you describe the website for people who haven’t heard about it before?

L: In broad terms, it’s an online media project for young women. It’s a whole lot of young people spread all around the world, contributing to Villainesse. We’ve kind of got this motto, “badass do-gooding.” It’s basically what people are passionate about and having that reflected in the media. I started it because I wasn’t seeing young people represented in the media space. It’s not just featuring them within a broader agenda, but actually having them set the agenda.

K: Ten months on from the launch, is Villainesse where you hoped it would be?

L: I had no idea what to expect when I launched it, so it has surpassed all of my wildest thoughts. My Body My Terms [campaign raising awareness about consent and victim blaming] blew my mind. I had never experienced anything like that. It was really cool because we created a platform to talk about something that’s so important, and to have so many different voices involved in it was just this incredibly fulfilling thing. It’s something we can build and develop on. One of the reasons Villainesse exists is to try and magnify these important ideas and galvanise people, bring them together. I’ve just had an amazing, wild ride and it’s been so cool.

K: I think young people can all too often be drowned out by baby boomers who are scared of losing their place.

Where are the cool adults!?

L: Media and music, where I came from, are contracting at the moment. There’s that real defensive viewpoint where some older generations are worried that young people are

K: I think the My Body My Terms message is so important on campus because there’s a lot of talk at the moment about how involved universities should be and whether they do enough around consent and sexual violence.

L: It’s such a big issue. I run up against so many adults

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14.03.16

it’s that we’re not actually going to solve all of these problems if we exclude them from the population. There are so many dudes who are actually starting to really get it and it’s really important to have those conversations, especially with high school guys. What is the single sex male high school environment even like?

K: So what do you hope for Villainesse for the future?

L: Over the next few months, we’ve got a few projects going. We’re making another campaign not related to My Body My Terms. From there I want to build on My Body my Terms and keep broadening the network. I have a business partner now who brings me back down to reality a bit. I’ve got so many ideas about what I’d like to do and become, but it just becomes bigger than Ben Hurr, so part of my learning process of the last year has just been to pace myself. I’d love to do some stuff around schools, to create these events for young people to share their ideas.

Basically just to create these networks and communities among young people, but also connecting them to older people. What I’ve found out by accident is that I’m kind of becoming this bridge point between old people and young people. I want more young people in that space with me because I feel like there are so many awesome viewpoints out there. I want to see that translated more to a broader audience. Young people have been in their own space doing amazing things for such a long time, but older people have ignored that. I think we need to break that down.

K: That’s a bit like the first time I saw Miss Representation and I just wanted every woman in the world to see it because everything suddenly made sense—the low self esteem in high school right through to the pressure to look a certain way.

L: Totally! Social media has just made everything exponentially bigger, but where’s the actual conversation to say to young people: hey, this is about how you feel, you don’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations, you don’t have to pose naked because Demi Lovato is, you just have to figure out what makes you feel good and then just live it.

K: So this will be going in our dreams issue, do you have dreams?

L: I am a lucid dreamer. I will quite often be very aware that I’m dreaming and know that it’s not real. But if I was having a nightmare, I would know that it was a nightmare, but I’d try to force myself to wake up, and I would dream that I had woken up, and then a monster would come out of the wall so clearly I hadn’t woken up. I’d try again and then half the house would fall away. Trying to come out of a lucid dream as a kid was very traumatic.

K: It’s that empowered thing. Once you feel that way it’s like, “oh my gosh, I’m never going to stop doing what makes me feel like this.”

L: Yeah, and I think that’s why I struggle with The Bachelor! I’m just like, “wow.” How many 15/16 year old girls are watching this? I mean, it’s entertaining and it’s cool, but fuck I hope there are some serious conversations going on around it. You don’t need a man to be whole, you are a whole and complete being just as you are. If you end up with a dude, awesome, relationships are great, but that drive for self worth through a relationship shouldn’t be the end game.

K: That sounds terrifying!

L: It was! And it happened to me for the first time since I was a kid to just two nights ago. I haven’t sleep very well the past couple of nights at all!

K: Feeling very grateful I don’t have dreams right now L: It’s so bizarre! I know it’s not real, but the way to wake yourself up is to move. It’s so hard to force yourself to move in a dream. I’ll dream that I’ve moved my arm when actually I haven’t, but then because I’m dreaming that I’ve woken up, it’s just the most meta fucking different realm thing ever.

K: So how do you get men on board?

L: Their involvement is so important. I know that second wave feminists would have huge issues with this, but I feel like we really need men in our ranks. It’s not that women can’t do everything, because they can and they do, but

17

Kate Robertson

and they’re like, “we can’t talk to them about this because they’re too young,” but from a university perspective they say “oh, it’s not really our place cause they’re adults.”

If you can’t talk to them when they’re too young and at university it’s too late, when are young people supposed to have these conversations? It’s also a wider conversation.

I was talking to Richie Hardcore yesterday because he had a thing that blew up on Twitter, and he wanted to know what went wrong and how he could learn from it.

It really just spurred me into thinking about the way we view sexuality as a very important and empowering thing.

As long as it doesn’t hurt someone else, people should be able to do whatever makes them feel good, but at the same time, we live in such a highly sexualised world that I think there is some pressure, be it subliminal or overt, to be super sexy. That pressure to seek validation from a sexual way. And great, if you feel good that’s cool, but I do worry about what kind of messages hyper-sexualised media is sending to young women about how they should derive their self worth? It’s this really fine line because I would never slam anyone for owning their sexuality, but for young people there needs to be some conversation about how it’s making them feel. Does it make you feel good? If it does, cool, if it doesn’t, you don’t have to do it.

Faith Wilson

The Lost Language of Dreams

and can be used as helpful spiritual and practical guides if you choose to listen to them. It comes down to feeling it out, definitely, but there are a few dream-reading tropes that whilst are certainly not applicable to everyone in any situation, serve as a useful rubric for dream interpretation.

Firstly, remember that everything in your dream is you or about you (unless it’s prophetic and I can’t explain the difference between prophetic dreams and non-prophetic ones, but I think you probably know if you’re a Cassandra cos shit just comes true in your life). It can be helpful to think of the dream as a play. Don’t worry, I am not going to sing the praises of Jungian archetypes (although this certainly comes into it, and as much as Jung is a total whack job phallocentric pseudo-scientist, the archetypes serve their purpose), but thinking about the dream as a play allows us to think more about what everything might mean. What matters when staging a play? The characters, yes, but also think about setting, props, lighting, sound.

All of these things come together to make a cohesive (somewhat) narrative—the play’s ambience, mood, or whatever comes across when all of these things are put together and connote something. The overall narrative or plot is always central to the play of course, but what are the individual facets doing (or what is your brain doing to them) to contribute to the play’s greater meaning (if any—not all dreams have meaning, as not all plays have meaning).

So when thinking about a dream, apply the same principle of staging a play to interpreting it. Who are the characters? Where is the dream set? What props are being used/are of significance? Is it light? Dark? In black and white, or colour? Is there music? Silence? What

My childhood mornings consisted of rolling out of bed and straight to the table where all eight of us in the family would sit for breakfast. I would narrate my dreams of the night before and then mum would interpret them for me.

As I got older, I learned to do the same, and so it became a shared ritual—we all spoke about our dreams, and found ways to acknowledge their resonance in everyday life.

Now I’m the go-to dream guru for my friends and family— even strangers have shared dreams with me. I know it sounds really hippie, but I think everyone has the ability to decode their own dreaming. It’s just an art or a language that has been lost in the West, in favour of scientific reason. In my own words, dream interpretation has been colonised. I’m sure that if I had a strong premonition from a dream, and wanted to use that as a legitimate excuse not to go to work, I think that I would probably get fired, or at least a warning and a few bizarre looks.

But I’m totally not joking when I say I have prophetic dreams—only a few weeks ago I dreamed about Prince and then the very next day it was announced that Prince was coming to town. Ikr?!

People have found significance in dreams for a long time. Most human mythologies involve some sort of dream prophesy. Famous dreamers are Joseph (the dude in the Bible with the technicolour dreamcoat), Jesus, Edgar Allen Poe, a load of Ancient Gods and Goddesses, Martin Luther King, and Homer Simpson. And whilst the majority of that list aren’t even real people, there’s gotta be something to be said for this ancient behaviour. David Lynch basically owes all of his genius to dreaming.

It’s a lot easier to interpret the dreams of somebody you know, for obvious reasons. Dreams can be prophetic

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If you’re dreaming of holidaying in the sunny Caribbean, you’re in the water, sipping on pina coladas, and actually you’re in a Wham! video clip—it’s probably not about any deep emotional issues.

So water, drowning, emotion, issues, Wham!, it all makes sense (right?!)

can you hear? Once you’ve got this concept down, start thinking about what some dream symbols might mean.

Although everyone’s psyche is different, and as I said, I’m not Jung’s devotee, there are certain symbols that have sort of come to have a communal meaning (in mainstream narrative culture, imo; and that have generated inherent properties even though lol… sorry I digress), that we can draw on.

I’ll go through a few of these, then I will create a fake dream scenario for you to test your new skills out on. Remember that there’s no one dream language, each culture will have its own cultural symbols that have significance or meaning only within that shared code.

Dreaming is personal and if someone tells you something about your dream and you’re like… wtf? Then I’d say trust your intuition and realise that person doesn’t know shit.

Allow yourself to be open to what dreams are saying, and don’t feel weird taking advice from a dream. Call it divine, call it human, the messages your brain is telling itself through dreaming are pretty damn cool when you really think about it, and even if you’re not gonna give up the microscope for the dream diary, have some fun and allow your brain to give into intuition.

~Water~ Is often your subconscious. And while you could argue that dreaming is in its entirety your subconscious, in your dream narrative it is the deep deep depths of that, the concerns that your subconscious is having that you haven’t addressed and are perhaps overwhelming. I often dream about being out at sea, or in a big body of water when I have a lot of shit going on that I ignore. Think about it as drowning in your issues. Your dream is bringing them up perhaps because it needs you to deal with it. I know it’s really weird that I talk like these things have agency, but you know what I mean. Also just general feelings of being lost in your life. If you’re lacking direction it’s likely you’ll dream of being in water at some stage. And also remember, mood is really important. If you’re dreaming of holidaying in the sunny Caribbean, you’re in the water, sipping on pina coladas, and actually you’re in a Wham! video clip—it’s probably not about any deep emotional issues. So water, drowning, emotion, issues, Wham!, it all makes sense (right?!)

~Nudity~ Heaps of possible answers, but I always go for dreaming of being naked as a symbol of vulnerability, or unwanted revelations. I’ll dream of being nude in public when I’m feeling particularly self-conscious (either in general or about a particular situation). Where you’re nude

20

You are on a boat with your classmates from 6th form.

You’re all having a pretty good time, getting rowdy, pretty drunk etc. But you’ve got that weird feeling, almost like you haven’t seen these people in a long time and you don’t know what is holding you together? You carry on drinking with them anyway. Partying on, the weather takes a turn for the worst and then you all of a sudden find yourself on a storm out at sea. You fall off into the ocean, and are yelling up for someone else on the boat to save you but they can’t hear you—in fact they’re all still partying. You’re slowly drowning, drowning, when an old man in a dinghy comes floating towards you, takes you to land and then in his house, laying you to rest in a cool, crisp room with white linen. You wake up, feeling refreshed, new.

counts of course. Finding yourself nude at school might mean that you’re feeling uneasy about a situation in which your role is student-like, I don’t mean strictly in a learning environment, but there could be a situation in your life in which your role is to learn. If you’re nude on stage, it might mean you’re worried about your public appearance.

This one for me is fairly obvious, unless you’re a naturist or dgaf, most people are pretty self-conscious about their naked bodies so apply this same principle to the dream sitch and you might find some answers.

~Old people or children~ Or parental figures etc., basically just people. Think about what these people symbolise in your everyday life.

For instance, an old person might be wisdom. A young child might symbolise naïveté or lessons to be learned. If the people in your dream are people you know—friends, siblings etc.—think about what these people mean for you in everyday life and apply that to the dream situation.

Jungian archetypes (there are twelve of them) can be useful here if you don’t take them too seriously. The wise old man/woman, trickster (and so on), are characters that Jung claimed to be apparent in all dreams, and that they all symbolise different areas of the subconscious. Not one to promote a blanket statement myself, all I can say is that when used judiciously they can be quite useful. If you’re interested in seeing them put to use cleverly, watch David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive—also prepare to be tripped out.

Okay, so I’m sure y’all could have come up with something way more OG than that, but it should be pretty easy. If your answer looks a little something like: you’ve outgrown your friends/you’re maturing/you are unsure what path to take in your life right now/feeling a little lost/feel like your past is holding you back/feel like you’re overwhelmed with decisions and the past is really appealing cos you know it, and it’s easy, and going forward, leaving it all behind, seems like the ‘right’ thing to do but you don’t know how etc. etc. then yay! The most salient points are setting: on the water; that you are surrounded by people from your past, and note that they’re from school (a learning environment); feelings of being lost, drowning; that an old man comes to find you and saves you (wisdom, a guiding light); and the white room at the end (could be a clean slate/contrition etc). If you’re way off, or none of these are relevant to you, well, who am I to tell you that you can’t interpret dreams?

So that was the ABC of dreaming, but if you didn’t read that and only skipped to the end, remember three things. 1). Everything in your dream is you. 2). Your dream is like a play (everything counts). 3). Go with your intuition, feelings, feelings, feelings people! Get in touch with them.

Practise on your friends and family, on yourself. And if you’re really keen: 4). Keep a dream journal. If you’re serious about this bizz, keeping a dream journal actually helps you to remember your dreams more, and things become more apparent in writing. The more you are in touch with your dreamself, the more you are in touch with you and your base emotions. Spiritual health is as important as physical, mental. Dare to dream!

~House~ Or building. This is one of my favourite things to consider in dream interpretation because it’s got so many layers and can be directly linked to different areas of your life. If your dream is set in a basement, there’s some deep sludge you need to sort out man. Not necessarily dark, but very much to do with those Plutonic emotions that can be hard to deal with on the daily. If your dream is set in a bathroom, I often relate this back to water—emotion, but also cleanliness. Is there something that you feel dirty or bad about that you need to cleanse? Bedroom? Could be to do with sex, or your personal everyday life. Attic and upper levels are to do with higher thoughts and self. Just work your way up from the bottom and again, come back to the feeling of those rooms in everyday life. What goes on in there? What do they make you think of?

Love, I wish that I could go through every single damn symbol with you, but these are just a handful of (I think) pretty common ones that can be used as a starting point.

I’ll test you now with my fake dream scenario.

Faith Dreamy Wilson

21

hell yea

no

Did you have a dream about yourself?

yes

hell yea

hell no

You had a public nudity dream.

Did you use

hell no

no

Did you feel a

hell yea

hell yea

You had a pregnancy dream.

hell no

Do you like children?

no too scary

Did you enjoy the dream? no too embarrassing

Do you like being naked?

yes

Was it a sex dream?

Do you enjoy spending too much $$ on food?

oh i wish

You had a sex dream about a Moore Wilson’s employee.

Did it feature someone you know personally?

yes

Are you often left wondering what your dreams mean, and if they could provide guidance in your real life? Use the following chart to see which archetypal dream yours fits into, and unlock the secrets hidden in your REM sleep cycles:

You are what you dream about

Loss of Body Part(s)

The meaning of such a dream varies with the body part that is lost. Loss of teeth indicates a surprise visit from your grandparents.

Loss of hair signals that your flatmates are getting very annoyed at you for not unclogging the shower drain.

If you are losing fingers, you should be more careful when chopping vegetables while simultaneously drooling over Masterchef contestants on TV; while the loss of complete limbs signals that you are really messed up and you should question the sort of movies you’ve been getting into recently.

YYou would think that dreaming of making love to yourself symbolises narcissism, self-indulgence, and vanity. You are right.

After all, you are always right since you are just so insightful and observant.

Not to mention really hot, hilarious, charming, and you always smell good. You are truly too good for anyone else. If dreams could become reality, you would have married yourself by now.

hell no

The aftereffects of dreaming of sex with an unidentifiable figure are much like real sex with an unidentifiable figure—completely dependent on whether or not the sex was good. If you had a good time with your mysterious dream lover, you will continue to seek them out in future dreams, dream texting them only to be dream ghosted. If the sex was bad, then the regret will hang over you for several more dreams, and you will receive several dream texts from them like, “hey, had fun last night what are you doing tomorrow,” “sorry I think my phone’s broken? Anyway what’s up” and “I think I left my Snapper card at yours?”

Faceless Sex

You had a faceless sex dream.

hell yea

Sex Dream About Yourself

You had a sex dream about yourself. yes, physically

To dream of being naked in a public setting—be it at school, an important event or just going outside—has a twofold interpretation.

A phrase to keep in mind after having such a dream is “scared shitless.” The dream indicates that you are currently going through a time of anxiety, and also of constipation. You have been denying that there is something in your life that is causing you great stress— perhaps a toxic relationship or lack of professional progress. It is important you accept this and move towards change. You should also look into laxative teas, and upping your fibre intake.

Public Nudity Dream

You can only live so long in Wellington before you inevitably have a sex dream about a Moore Wilson’s employee. To dream about having coitus with an aproned staff member at everyone’s favourite fancypants supermarket should signal to you that your efforts at replacing lack of sex with overpriced food is going very well and that you should keep it up. The dream may also suggest you need to get more soy milk.

Sharon Lam

To dream that you are with child signals destruction, chaos, and insane depression. Every single aspect of your life is going to go very, very wrong very, very quickly and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Much like your dream infant, you are going to be crying, soiling your pants, and sitting in your own poo for long periods of time. The uglier your dream baby is, the worse things will be for you. Sorry.

Pregnancy

yes, mentally/ emotionally/socially

Moore Wilson’s Sex Dream

sense of loss in your dream?

You had a loss of body part(s) dream.

protection?

“Painfully Aware at the Moment of Salvation” Mixed media 2015 Georgette Brown georgettebrown.tumblr.com

Joshua James

Insane in the Freud Brain

erogenous zones. First, the oral stage where a baby learns to suckle from the teat. Then the anal phase where a baby learns how to control their bowel movements. The phallic stage follows this, and is hallmarked when a child is curious and won’t stop playing with their genitals. A person then enters the latent phase—a period where their libido is dormant. After this, at puberty, a person enters into the genital stage where they are sexually mature adults. From this development theory Freud said that if a person was stuck in the anal stage then it could be a sign that they were a psychopath as they hadn’t mentally developed. Freud was also fundamental in creating the idea of narcissism. He said that one becomes a narcissist when their libido is turned on by themselves. Freud’s legacy is almost impossible to quantify.

Freud said that dreams can be understood at two levels, at a latent level and at a manifest level. The manifest level is the tip of the metaphorical iceberg of the dream, whilst the latent level is the rest of the iceberg— hidden amongst our unconscious. The manifest level of the dream is all of the things we remember upon waking up. Whilst dreams may appear to be nonsensical, and to not make sense, one can undertake analysis to reveal their underlying meanings. However what is observed at the manifest level is only a slight representation of what is hidden at the latent level.

Sigmund Freud was an Austrian psychologist, neurologist, and professional dream interpreter. He was born on May 3, 1856 (he’s a Taurus) and died in 1939. Freud lived a varied and interesting life: he was involved in a ménage à trois with his wife and her sister, he pioneered an entire field of academia, escaped the Nazis, and died in exile in Great Britain.

One of Freud’s most popular phrases is the Freudian slip. If one experiences a Freudian slip they accidentally let slip their true desires when trying to say something else.

Consider, you are wait staff at a restaurant and you get a very attractive customer. A thigh wettening, lip reddening, eyes dilating customer. You go to ask him if he wants food, but all that comes out is “do you want to fuck?” This is a freudian slip—a case where the true desires that you were suppressing arise.

Freud introduced many words to the vocabulary of western academia. Libido, denial, cathartic, repression, neurotic, and describing someone as anal, are all Freudian words or phrases. Freud is also the father of the idea of the existence of one’s libido. A person’s libido is not just their desire for sex, it is a combination of thoughts and feelings that are combined, which he broadly described as coming under the term ‘love’.

Freud believed that humans go through phases of development where our libido focuses on different

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The latent level is the suppressed desires, thoughts, and motives which our unconscious mind actively suppresses in order to protect our feelings against what we really think. It is a form of protection from our unconscious.

The latent level is the suppressed desires, thoughts, and motives which our unconscious mind actively suppresses in order to protect our feelings against what we really think. It is a form of protection from our unconscious. The conscious mind being unable to handle the unconscious feelings when awake, so instead they are illustrated whilst we are asleep. Being able to remember and interpret the latent content of your dreams would, Freud believed, enable an individual to resolve a lot of conflict and tension that they may have in their life.

Whilst his work on psychoanalysis is held in high regard, and many of his methods are still used, his work regarding dreams and their interpretations is subject to a lot of criticism. Fundamentally, Freud believes that what we experience in our dreams is our repressed desires, fears, and obsessions. With this in mind, let’s explore some common, and not so common, dream themes. I have taken some comedic license with these dream interpretations, however the aforementioned biography of Freud is accurate and truthful. I promise.

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If the toilets in your dreams are filthy, unsanitary, or otherwise blocked this could mean that you’re unable to ‘flush’ away your emotions and negative feelings. The blockage is representative of your inability to let go. Queue the emotional laxatives.

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If you’re dreaming about slandering the chancellor in a student magazine article, I would wake up from that dream. Bad idea.

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Are your teeth falling out in your dreams? This is often a sign that when you’re awake you’ve been either gossiping about people, or passing on secret or confidential items. Or, you’ve been snacking on too many lollies.

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If you’re having wet dreams about some of your professors this could be a repressed desire to do well in your courses at any cost. Alternatively, you could just have a babin’ lecturer and you wanna get back to that anal stage of development.

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Are your dreams of concrete feet or the feeling of being unable to move? You most likely have sexual frustration that you just can’t get rid of.

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Being naked in a public space? Surprisingly, this isn’t anything sexual. This is your inner-self expressing body confidence, and your unrequited love for one’s self.

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Dreaming of your partner cheating on you is a very common dream to have. This is quite easy to interpret—you subliminally have suspicions that they are cheating on you OR you feel like you’re the third wheel in your own relationship.

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If you’ve ever woken up from a dream about being late to something this likely means that your subconscious is nervous that you’re over committing, and doesn’t want you to miss one of your engagements.

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Dreaming of smoking a cigar? This is your suppressed desire for oral sex.

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Dreaming of your $40,000 student loan? This dream is quite easy to read. It speaks of a kind of intergenerational theft that the baby boomers have thrust onto the millennials. Whilst they got free tuition, they would hate for anyone else to get the same kind of treatment.

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Dreaming of incest with your cousin? A reader suggested this, and I must suggest they and their cousin go seek professional help. Alternatively, do what you want with your own body. #YourPussyYourVoice

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Being Well

Token Cripple

Mark Bernard

Henrietta Bollinger

Martin Luther King said, “take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

We all need dreams. They motivate us, and may propel us onto great things. However dreams can also restrict or distract us if they are too rigid. The power of an idealized future self and all the success we feel we need to achieve, can often prevent us from taking the next steps in our real life, in the here and now. Whilst we are busy dreaming about our destination, we forget to look around and enjoy the journey.

Many students can experience periods of real distress when they feel that they are not achieving their dreams, or when they realize that the dreams they held are no longer valuable to them; but either way, you are still on the journey.

What if you don’t have dreams? Don’t put pressure on yourself to get one! Just remember, you do not need to know the destination to go on the journey.

You have come to university to experience all that it has to offer, not just to gain a good degree and job at the end. Remember that it is now that you have control over.

If you get the best out of now then your dreams should take care of themselves, whether it is achieving those of your childhood, or pursuing the dreams that you have developed along the way.

So pursue your dreams, but hold them lightly, be flexible, and have faith in yourself. Many things will happen in the next few years, and having the courage to change direction, to let go of old dreams and to make space for new ones is a challenge, but a valuable one.

Don’t be wedded to your dreams. Be free to respond to the person you are now, and the person you will become—not just the person you have been in the past, or the person you thought you should become.

Dreams. Well, funnily enough as a wheelchair user, one of them is that every set of stairs I rock up to would magically turn into a ramp. But as comedian Stella Young once illuminated in a TED talk, no amount of radiating a can-do attitude is ever gonna do that for me. My dream is not, as mainstream media and classic literature would have you believe, to wake up and magically be a ‘real-girl’ who can walk, thanks to any range of things including, but not limited to, a fairy godmother, Jesus, exorcism, fresh mountain air, a blue Avatar body, medical advances, sunlight, friendship, and self belief.

People have equally attempted to haul some of these things out of fiction and apply them to my actual life and body. No, thank you. But these people’s perceptions of disability are understandable considering the limited types of stories we choose to tell about disability in society and art.

Recently I’ve seen some shining examples in film and television where disability is not treated as something a person must transcend to enjoy the good life, rather just a fact of it. Both Deadwood and Breaking Bad do this successfully, with The Sessions walking a fine line between both.

However, as I grew up (and even now) I found there is very little media that expresses the complexity of having a disability. One way the experience of disability is undermined (which particularly annoys me) is the use of the dream sequence in film. Plots where a disabled person’s character arch is centered around their experience of disability frequently feature a moment of hope or melancholy where the disabled person imagines themselves out of their body. Examples include: The Theory of Everything, Archie’s dream sequence from Glee.

Bodily transcendence like this may be used to represent some contradictory aspect of the human condition—our inability to be happy with what we have perhaps? But given a dearth of diverse disability stories, it reads as the disabled body being undesirable and able-bodiedness being aspirational. It also cuts disabled actors out of opportunities to tell their own stories. As comedian Maysoon Zayid put it, “if I can’t do the stunts then a character with my disability can’t do the stunts.”

For some of us a stunt is walking in a straight line.

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Brodie helps you figure it out

Doctor Feelgood

Adulthood

Virginity: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Bumpin’

Brodie Fraser So, the secrets to adulthood. Let’s talk. First point: there are none. There we go, column done. You don’t need me.

In all seriousness though, growing up and pretending to be part of the real world can be terrifying. Why are you telling me to follow my dreams, as long as they provide a secure job? What am I doing with my life?

What do grown-ups even wear? Why do I have to make phone calls? Do I have to turn into a yo-pro? Honestly though, most of us are just making it up as we go along, looking more composed than we actually feel. You don’t have to be perfectly put together at all times though. It’s okay to sometimes have a gin while you listen to your favourite album in the dark. It’s okay to cry on the phone to a ‘real adult’ when you’re confused and scared.

There’s so much pressure to be perfect, when perfect doesn’t even exist (OOOH CLICHÉ ALERT!).

I’ve had countless conversations with my Mum about how neither of us know what we’re doing with our lives.

Sometimes I lay on our lounge floor and groan for no apparent reason, sometimes I stress about possible events that are two years away. To quote Tina Belcher, “I’m no hero.” It’s okay to watch TV shows about confused twenty-somethings tryna figure out life and realise with a panic that you’re one of them.

Here’s my issue though: adulthood is pretending to adult-ier adults that you’ve got your shit together.

Repeating the same lines about your degree to anyone who asks. I want to stop pretending and just tell people that I’ve got no fucking clue what I want to do with my life. People keep asking my about my dream job and it has got to stop. Do dream jobs even exist under capitalism? I highly doubt it. Either way, I would like to stop agreeing with people when they hear me say I study politics and they come up with the oh-so-clever joke that I’m going to be the next Helen Clark or Julia Gillard (depending on which country I’m in). At this stage I can’t imagine anything worse than the stress of being PM. And that’s okay, there’s no rush for me to figure things out. So for the love of all that is sacred, stop asking me what my dream job is. Please.

Popping your cherry, losing your v-card, going all the way, sliding into home base. Regardless of the slang, having sex for the first time is a hurdle pretty much everyone has to jump. I won’t patronise you by saying you have to lose it to someone you love, or wait until marriage, because for most people, that shit’s not realistic. Instead, just remember the three C’s: connection, consent, and contraception.

Losing your v’s is essentially showing a part of yourself that’s never been seen before. Never again will sex be such uncharted territory, so ideally do it with someone who won’t emotionally sink your ship. A brief survey of my flatmates showed that the first time is unforgettable, drunk or not, so make it a good memory by not sleeping with a shithead.

Secondly, and most importantly, consent is key. This goes far beyond a simple yes or no, and applies to every sexual experience you have. Drinking and sex coincide A LOT (I mean, how fine was that guy from town last night, right?) and things can get out of control scarily quick. In a perfect world you’d never have to worry about people with shitty motives, but it’s not, and the last thing you need as a beautiful virgin flower is to have an awful experience that taints your view of sex. Make sure you’re both in a good position to clearly say and show (body language etc.) yes. Plus, the sex will be SO much better.

Lastly, always protect yourself kids. Nothing ruins fun time with your new fuck buddy like chlamydia.

While it’s not that big a deal medically, it can add a gross dynamic and bring about all kinds of icky questions.

Condoms are a must, but it’s worthwhile (seriously) to look into more reliable contraception, like the pill, an implant, or Depo-Provera shots.

Losing your virginity is a big deal. Some people may disagree, but it is. It’s your introduction to your sexuality, and sets the stage for how you perceive sex. Put a bit of thought into how you want it to go and make your first ugly bumpin’ a humpin’ thumpin’ good time ;).

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Single Sad Postgrad Sharon Lam

Crying Underneath A Giant Gollum of Gollum himself, as we spent our last moments together, we too knew that something mucus-like had embittered our love. Nothing survives a Wellington winter. Just two broken hearts and Gollum.

Like that Graham Greene short story where the protagonist’s dad is killed by a falling pig, there is something belittling about having a very large, bald, ugly, slimy, cave-dwelling goblin-thing as the great motif of an impossible romance. So although the pang I feel when passing through that fateful spot should feel poetic, that smug half-toothed face peering across the food court quickly replaces poetry with patheticness. Oh, of all the things that occasion could have imprinted upon instead—a passing orchestra playing Mendelssohn’s Symphony no. 3, a pop-up florist, the smell of a fresh batch of Donut King donuts.

But no, of course it’s a 1.2 tonne Smeagol. Worse, Gollum has not only belittled such a pivotal moment in my life, but has come to predict the future. That is, my love life today has come to be very Gollum-like—a lot of talking to myself, living alone in a cave, infrequent bathing. Gollum obsessed over a magical ring, I constantly hiss about failed relationships. Potato, potato. Oh well. I suppose it is better to have loved and to have lost and to be reminded of it by a giant Gollum, than to have not.

I am reaching out to anyone else who has the most emotionally intense moment of their life inextricably tied to the giant Gollum suspended above the cafes in Wellington airport. I refuse to believe that I am alone in this. Perhaps someone asked you to take a photo of them with Gollum, only for that someone to later rip your heart out and destroy your belief in love forever.

Or just as tragic, maybe it was while waiting for a flight underneath Gollum that you heard that fateful email-ding noise, to discover that your online shopping was to be delayed another two weeks. Or slightly less worse—perhaps being the romantic soul that you are, you proposed to who you thought was The One beneath Gollum, only to be rejected, the whole thing filmed and added to a YouTube compilation of marriage fail videos. So friends, while we wait for Wellington airport to burn down that wretched thing, let us make a club—we can all get together and share the terrifying ordeals that continue to be triggered by that oversized Gollum and his stupid fish.

My own ordeal began when I saw my thenboyfriend for the first time in nine months underneath Gollum. Yes, for a brief moment in time Gollum was an icon of happiness. But soon my lover had to return to his Scandinavian motherland and together we cried underneath the ever so omnipresent epoxy-skinned, polystyrene-hearted creature. Like the slimy sheen

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Women’s Space

Reaching Out

Chrissy Brown

V-ISA

The world graciously gifted us an amazingly beautiful, semi-nude, image of Kim Kardashian last week. It is important to note that it was a selfie, taken by her, of her. She was nude except black bars that covered her nipples and area below. The image shows her curves, her blonde hair (which looks great), and her pout; all together contribute to the absolute perfection of this image. The caption—“when you feel like you have nothing to wear LOL”—accompanied her selfie very well too.

To me it spoke to something we all may or may not feel when we are getting ready: having too much fun being nude that you don’t even want put clothes on.

I think it is a feeling which not enough of us feel but should have permission to feel. It was something Kim felt and wanted to share. She held the camera, she was in power over that photo, and therefore it was liberating for her to share it.

What was cringe worthy was the reaction that some people had towards her amazing selfie. People on twitter were probably trying to come across as being ‘feminist’, but slut-shamed her by telling her that she was attention seeking, and that she is a “bad role model” for girls because she felt comfortable in her own body. Why did people even try? Did they expect her not take any seminude selfies any more? Please stop and go away.

The response from Kim to the negative comments about her selfie, was featured on her app. I wanted to quote one of the things she had said because it’s powerful and feminist, and almost made me shed a tear: “I am empowered by my body. I am empowered by my sexuality. I am empowered feeling comfortable in my own skin. [...] it’s 2016. The body-shaming and slutshaming—it’s like, enough is enough. I will not live my life dictated by the issues you have with my sexuality.

You be you and let me be me.”

I think that this is something that we all can take away. Enough is enough, stop trying to police women and their bodies. Let Kim take amazing selfies. Let women be proud of their bodies no matter their size, shape, or how much hair they have on it. Kim felt liberated and I thought that the selfie was amazing.

Not only did she look incredibly beautiful, she looked confident, and was having fun. I love that. That is dreamy as fuck.

I love you Kim and please continue to do you. #goals

Hola! Clubs week concluded with a bang for V-ISA! We have approximately 100 new sign-ups and we thank all members for supporting us! Throughout the week, the team has seen a diverse bunch of fresh-faced first years hailing from Thailand, China, Europe, and even Saudi Arabia.

A recurring question that many people asked is, “how do you cope in your first year?” Here’s our tips: 1. Food parcels at VUWSA VUWSA gives out food parcels containing items like spaghetti, rice, rolled oats—at zero cost! All you have to do is to fill in a form with your personal details.

2. Affordable food Most sushi places in Wellington will slash prices in the evening to get rid of any leftovers, including Maki Mono.

Krishna’s $5.00 vegan lunches and The Lab’s noodle salads are real steals too.

3. Student learning services If you are unsure of the requirements for an essay, check out student learning services. They even offer to proof-read your written work, and have tips on time management and exam revision.

4. VUW Book Trade Type in VUW Book Trade on Facebook and you will discover a treasure trove of discounted pre-loved textbooks! If you really need a new copy, check out bookdepository.com. They have cheaper titles (sometimes) and free delivery!

“Staying at home” is the most common response given by international students when they were asked what they did during their free time. This brings me to my next point.

5. Join V-ISA’s meet-and-greet, movie night, ski trip, and other great activities That’s right! We have an exciting lineup of events for all students this year. Regular updates will be posted on our Facebook page—V-ISA, VUWSA International Students’ Association. We welcome all students, domestic or international, to take part in our activities and mingle with the rest of us!

If you missed V-ISA’s booth during clubs week, you can still sign up with us by dropping us an email at vuwvisa@gmail.com.

Coming up: Women’s Group AGM on March 16, from 12.15pm onwards in SU217 (snacks provided) 33

Dropping (pre Nov. 2011 drug bust) Orange Chopper, Blue V, Pink Mercedes, Green Rocket, Red Dove, Blue Dove, Yellow Wii, Orange Blank, Red Maserati, Green Mickey Mouse.

The pale ones tasted sweet or had no taste; the dark ones tasted like the sherbet I made as a child that gave me watery eyes and a sore nose.

Considerations One Has When Deciding Between Postgraduate Study in Wellington or Auckland People in Wellington paint their walls yellow for the sake of having yellow walls; people in Auckland paint their walls white for resale value.

Social Anxieties I wish I knew what to say after “Good? Good. I’m good, too.”

Tim Grgec

Salient wants your words to fill this page. Email your submission to editor@salient.org.nz Word limit - 800 words 34

Digitales Matt Plummer with this wealth of digital information, it’s worth asking, are we accessing it efficiently in the first place?

Ever googled something, got a hit on a likely looking page, gone to that page, and found no trace of the relevant excerpt included in the search summary? Or got lost in a long pdf or word document and not been able to navigate to the section you’re after? Chances are, you’re among the majority of internet users who don’t routinely use the CTRL+F (CMND+F on Mac) shortcut to locate a word, phrase, or number in almost any web page or digital document.

Research conducted by Google search anthropologist Dan Russell in 2011 found a surprising 90% of people didn’t know this shortcut and those that did were 14% faster in all their search behaviours. It’s apparently the single biggest indicator of search competence there is, so if you’re not already on the right side of the CTRL+F divide, make sure you add it to your digital vocabulary (while you’re at it, there are a heap of other super-useful search operators like wildcards and dashes worth looking up).

As Hooper and Herath remind us though, getting to the fact isn’t even half the battle. We need to be able to comprehend, collate, and analyse information. We need to understand it in order to make it meaningful, and to demonstrate that understanding in a way that matters to a target audience, be it comprised of markers, employers, readers, or otherwise. If you spend less time searching, you can spend more time thinking. We can all do a search for the Google Deep Dream project, or Dreams of Dali, the latest Salvador Dali exhibition which incorporates virtual reality—but so what? What do these things mean? How do they work? And why do they matter?

Challenge yourself to ask the tough questions, develop the digital skills to get where you need to go efficiently, and who knows where your research might end up. Hooper’s and Herath’s findings were referenced in a New York Times article by no-less a social commentator than the late, great David Carr. Now, if only I could get online to find out the title.

I’m sitting in a refurbished cottage in rural Wairarapa.

For a secluded getaway spot it’s idyllic: tree-lined valley, rolling hills, friendly farm animals. The perfect place to get a bit of writing done, right? However there’s a catch—no 4G, no 3G, in fact no G of any kind. There’s My Sky, but no internet. How the heck am I supposed to research and write a tech column?

There’s nothing like being disconnected from the grid to make you appreciate how easily we can access information, to be reminded that what we now take for granted was a fanciful dream a few decades ago. I can’t help thinking though; does the internet actually make us smarter, or does an over-reliance on it create a crutch which leads to laziness and complacency? Are we turning from disciplined information hunter-gatherers into overweight cruise-ship tourists happy to stay in arm’s reach of the all-you-can-eat knowledge buffet?

The internet’s impact on reading behaviour was explored by Victoria researchers Val Hooper and Channa Herath in their 2014 study Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Findings: concentration, comprehension, and recall rates are all notably lower when information is encountered online (as opposed to in print). Distractions ranging from hyper-link detours to near-constant alerts mean that the way we take information in online is shallow rather than deep. Too often we skim the surface and don’t pause long enough to ponder the big picture and finer details, and don’t allow information to seep into our synapses and stay there.

So on one hand we have quick, easy access to a wider range of information than ever before (excepting when on isolated retreat), but on the other there’s evidence that we don’t always understand, recall, or decipher text as well as we used to. It’s a classic example of a Pyrrhic victory, right? The losses suffered are as great as the gains won.

Perhaps a way to turn this Pyrrhic victory into an uncontested one is to acknowledge that the internet is a tool just like any other—ultimately, it’s how it’s used that counts. Before we even get to the question of what to do 35

The Arts Section 37

Visual Arts

38

Music

39 Music 40 Film 41 Film 42

Games

43 TV 44

Books

45 Theatre

The Arts Section is sponsored by:

Conversations of Fragility

Lucy Wardle

Regular Fragile (2003) Porcelain

What’s on: Have a beer at the opening of Rupture/capture at Enjoy Public Art Gallery. Celebrating the work of artist in residence, Johanna Mechen.

March, 16 at 5:30pm, 1/147 Cuba Street.

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Visual Arts

Liu’s work has been interpreted in relation to China’s rapid economic development and industrialisation. Many consumerist goods that are produced in the world today originate in China, due primarily to low labour costs. The concept of value is evident through his work, as he has transformed mass produced items and abstracted them with a material that is highly regarded in the world. Value is also enhanced through their insertion into a gallery context. Where once these objects were produced and sold within a consumerist society, they are now valued through the art system, and consumed instead for cultural reasons.

Spectacular and subtle at the same time, Liu Jianhua has produced a work that provides a platform for viewers to connect to the things that surround them in their day to day lives. Things that generally go unnoticed, or are taken for granted, are highlighted, their vulnerability made apparent. They may be simple, banal objects that we see on the kitchen bench or in the living room, but they take on a greater importance through Liu’s work.

Transfer is open until July 10 at the Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt.

Cauliflowers, stiletto heels, handbags, teddy bears, and telephones are only some of the hundreds of cast objects that dangle from the walls inside the Dowse Art Museum.

Chinese contemporary artist Liu Jianhua paid a visit to New Zealand to exhibit Transfer, which includes his most recent installation Square (2015), and Regular Fragile (2002) which was exhibited at the 2003 Venice Biennale.

Trained as a ceramicist in Jingdezhen, China, Liu’s best known work is in porcelain; creating a link between his personal history and the medium’s significance in China. The way he employs ceramics and porcelain challenges the traditional techniques of Chinese ceramic production. The history of porcelain production goes back nearly 2000 years and became a symbol of China’s technical and industrial superiority.

Regular Fragile is composed of 1500 porcelain replicas of banal, daily items, that privilege appearance and symbolism over function. Objects are selected by Liu at random, each object supplying a connection with the viewers through their familiarity and/or emotional attachment.

When entering the gallery, you are first drawn into the corner of the room where the objects almost touch.

They then disperse outward creating a more breathable composition. Hanging from almost invisible threads, on examining the objects more intimately, you notice their fragility. The delicate nature of the ceramic material elevates their being into something precious, worthy of holding on to. But their fragility highlights our tenuous attachment to the things in our lives; and by cluttering the installation through the use of repetition, the work begins to represent the amount of stuff we accumulate— sometimes without even noticing.

Music

Shakey Graves Interview

Kate Robertson

You’re here for Auckland City Limits and a couple of sideshows. Do you find touring enjoyable or is it quite laborious?

It’s a horribly taxing experience and there’s a thousand ways to do it. I’ve been touring for going on three or four years now and have a certain love/hate relationship for it in ways I manage on my own. The worst parts of it are being away from your family. I think for every day you’re on tour you need a day to not be on tour.

I mean, I think it’s just paralleled by culture. Ten years ago you couldn’t find quinoa anywhere and now it’s in most food stores. Now it’s like, “what kind do you want?”

That seems fair, but probably very hard to manage? *laughs* I mean, that’s the sane way to do it. That would be the most ideal.

Number one—football is life?

That’s not too far off base. I’m not a huge football fan, but I watched some of the Super Bowl. It’s just like how we don’t play cricket here, but the last time I was in New Zealand the Cricket World Cup was on and I loved it. You might be totally tired of it by now, but I was like “fuck yeah cricket, this is awesome.”

Most New Zealanders haven’t made it to your part of the world [Austin, Texas], so I’ve got some stereotypes I’d like to run past you to confirm or deny their validity.

Yeah, yeah, hook me up

It’s been 18 months since you released your sophomore album And The War Came, has there been a lot of momentum building in the time since?

It’s really been building since its inception. It’s just been one step at a time for the last ten years.

Ooh yeah the most recent tests with Australia weren’t so flash.

Well at least you’ve still got the All Blacks

And I guess that’s reflected in the fact that the industry is so hard to break into. How did you chip away at it?

Y’know, a nice blend of idiocy and confidence. My family’s all performance based people so it’s not uncommon to take stuff like this seriously. I’ve always tried to find a nice blend of how to monetise it enough to where I can focus on it and take it seriously. I think everyone also gets into the mentality of if you wanna do something like this you wanna be at the top. The top can mean a thousand different things, and sometimes the top can be too far from what you want. I think when you make music you want people to listen to it to do it justice.

They’ll be dominating for a very long time.

That’s what they’re saying. I didn’t know any of this shit until I went to New Zealand for a week and I was like “ohhh, it’s all about the All Blacks” You assimilated immediately.

I’d just sit around and drink wine for nine hours and watch sport. It was great.

Stereotype number two—do you drive a pickup?

I own a pickup truck, but I don’t drive it all the time.

Do you exclusively drink iced tea and beer?

Uhh no. Iced tea is great, it’s very much a Texan institution, but there’s different types of tea. In parts of the South like Georgia and Louisiana it’s a lot more of a sweet tea which I hate, but unsweetened iced tea is definitely a classic.

It’s plenty caffeinated, you can drink a whole bunch of it.

There’s also so much beer to be consumed. People make fun of Americans for their beer choices cause it’s all so light, but the last thing I wanna drink is a Guinness in the middle of summer. You drink stuff that’s kind of like carbonated water and you drink it all day long, forever.

And then you get fat and you die, it’s great.

So how did you fall into the Americana genre?

It’s just what happens when I play music. When I started playing guitar the people I really focused on were singer/ songwriters. People that had a lot of influence on how I play guitar are folks like George Thorogood, John Prine, Tom Waits, Neil Young. I feel like this is a golden age if you can treat it right. The old mindset of the way music was bought and sold in the industry—record labels and everything—is in flux right now. It’s been a long time since there has been such a self-opportunistic, prosperous time to create your own content.

That’s really cool to hear because a lot of people are super down about that—about being able to build your own brand through the internet.

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Robert Barratt

Ravenous Man goes to Sufjan

Music was shock. I came to the gig expecting to be weeping (as the tissues in my pocket will attest to), but instead I was treated to a powerful, electronic, experimental performance. While it was still a moving experience, it felt as though it had lost some of it’s personal touch, and it didn’t feel quite as impactful as I was expecting.

But I wasn’t disappointed. After the initial shock wore off, it became clear that this was the best way to present the album in a live format. It gave the audience something to move to, something to listen to. It was moving that Sufjan was willing to change something that no doubt caused him a lot of pain to make, to help make this concert a more enjoyable experience for those who had decided to come and see him.

Sufjan’s performance was like a burger with bacon on it. Sure, the burger doesn’t necessarily need the bacon, and its inclusion definitely changes the taste. Some will think this change is good, some will think it’s bad. The truth is it’s objectively neither, it’s just different. And change is something we shouldn’t be afraid of or reject.

We should appreciate it for what it’s worth. If you came into this concert without knowing anything about Sufjan, you would undeniably have had a great time listening to the performance. If you came wanting to listen to Carrie and Lowell, you might have felt slightly disappointed, but I implore you to think otherwise. Sufjan’s offering was one of the most heartfelt, honest, and enjoyable performances I’ve seen from an artist in a very long time.

Sufjan Stevens has made a mixed bag of albums. He’s not your cookie cutter artist; instead each album is loving crafted with it’s own unique flavour and texture. It was with this in mind that I was so interested to attend his recent performance at the Michael Fowler center.

Carrie and Lowell, his most recent dish, is not one I’d expected him to tour with. It’s so personal, almost rustic in comparison to his previous works, with a subject matter so emotional that I figured it would have been too difficult to perform live.

Boy, was I wrong. I wasn’t expecting him to drastically alter his base ingredients to a degree that achieved such a fulfilling performance. With a scant five member band (comprised of the members who I lovingly named the hermit, egg, cutie patootie, James Blake-ish, and Suffy), each with a vast array of talents (switching seamlessly between piano, guitar, drums, synths and horns), they managed to create a large wall of sound—at moments I almost forgot that this was originally an acoustic-guitar based album. With free jazz breakdowns, a ten minute synth-based noise segment, it was made very clear, very fast that Sufjan had added some special sauce to this set that was definitely not on the album.

The initial question I asked myself though: did his set need to be this way, or was it simply adding erroneous sauce to an already amazing dish? I found Carrie and Lowell to be so moving on a personal level that initially I was put off by how drastic the alteration was. It was not at all what I was expecting, and my initial reaction 39

Dreams in Film

Isaac Brodie

“I know you said dreams sequences are for f**s, but I think it could work, don’t you?”

Film

Although the above quote is offensive, Martin McDonagh’s film Seven Psychopaths provocatively points out that the presence of dream sequences in films has been played out. They stretch back to Dorothy discovering that, actually, she was still in Kansas (anymore).

However, the reason people still talk about The Wizard of Oz isn’t because of the impact the revelation that it was all just a dream had, but rather because it is remembered as the first feature film to be released in full colour. This pivotal technological development was echoed through the narrative structure of the film; the dream sequence became the vehicle for featuring a groundbreaking development. The creative freedom offered by the world of dreams has lead to the kind of filmmaking that would go on to leave a lasting impact on both viewers and even cinema itself. So here now are some examples of dreams in films, and films about dreams, that we most appreciate, because:

“We all gotta dream, don’t we?

…Oh [and] by the way, I don’t think they like being called

f**s anymore” —Christopher Walken, Seven Psychopaths (2012)

sequence showcasing asphyxiation on Mars’s surface.

That’s not to say that the movie is overly clever; these ridiculous aspects only make it more memorable.

Inarguably, it’s the strength of Total Recall’s ludicrous premise that gives it its charm. Schwarzenegger is a sort of average Joe in a future where life has become tedious to the point where people feel the need to implant memories of trips/vacations/fantasies they might never have had.

After Quaid (Schwarzenegger) goes to the company Rekall to have the memories of a secret agent implanted in his mind, he discovers that he actually is one, and consequently a corporation on Mars is out to get him.

The movie’s absurdity can be justified by the suggestion that it is all just a memory, or perhaps a dream.

It’s possible to ask; was Quaid really a secret agent the whole time with amnesia who was compromised when he went to Rekall, or is the rest of the film the implanted memories in his head? The film doesn’t give us any indication of it being one or the other, and in this way it is much more compelling.

Total Recall (1990) Directed by Paul Verhoeven 4/5 Review by James Keane

Total Recall is probably one of the more ridiculous entries in Schwarzenegger’s oeuvre. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating film that encapsulates director Paul Verhoeven’s over the top violence and dry, macabre sense of humour.

It’s full of goofy acting and elements (some of which are more backwards looking in hindsight—the three breasted sex worker), and also a pretty funny dream

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Inception (2010)

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Directed by Christopher Nolan 4/5

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki 5/5

Review by Jack Bonnor and Nick Sinclair

Review by Livné Ore

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Film

Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 film interpretation of Dianna Wynne Jones’ novel of the same name contains an excellent example of a well-executed pseudo-dream sequence, that is both surreal and operates as a moment of reveal.

When used well, dream-sequences can enhance a movie-going experience. However, if done without subtlety, lacking in proper dream-like atmosphere and tone, or too on-the-nose, this narrative device can really ruin a film. It’s interesting to note that when they’re in books, dreams usually impart information to readers in a (supposedly) veiled manner to further the plot.

Set the night after Howl has flown into battle, the dream sequence firmly establishes Sophie’s acceptance of her feelings for Howl. During the scene, she dreams that Howl returns home, having turned himself into a monstrous bird. Sophie, reverted to her younger self, tries desperately to find out how she can help, only to be cruelly turned away by Howl, who exclaims, “you, can’t even break your own spell!” This is the first (and only) time in the film that viewers hear him acknowledge Sophie’s curse. When Sophie tells him that she loves him (also for the first and only time), Howl claims that she’s too late and flies off. As the dream ends Sophie is isolated in the darkness, old once again.

Not only are important declarations made in the dream, Miyazaki skillfully employs tone to create an excellent pinch, that reminds the audience of characters’ motivations and flaws. Howl is vain and prideful, unwilling to receive help from what he determines to be an ineffective source; while Sophie, though filled with desires, is too late to act upon them. These are Sophie’s fears, that her love for Howl will never be realized, and that he is in grave danger. As we see later in the film, the dream is a catalyst for Sophie’s action, she becomes a strong motivator.

Released in 2010, the movie was destined to be a box office success with a blockbuster cast including Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Caine. It was directed by Christopher Nolan, and had music composed by one of the greatest cinematic composers of all time, Hans Zimmer.

The movie focuses on Dom Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio), who has the ability to enter people’s dreams using military hardware. An ability that leads him into corporate espionage where its application in stealing secrets is invaluable.

Cinematically this movie is outstanding. Nolan utilizes every available tool at his disposal to keep the viewer transfixed and constantly guessing as to what is a dream and what is reality. For example, in all the early dream sequences Nolan uses a disproportionate number of medium and close up shots compared to establishing and long shots. While this does not seem strange at the time, it is only when Cobb and Arthur (Joseph GordonLevitt) return to the real world that we understand as only then we see the first panoramic shot, the train crossing the bridge. While this seems like a fairly straightforward concept to differentiate between dream and reality, Nolan utilises it so well that the viewer may not even realise it is happening.

Throughout the movie Nolan pushes one main idea— what is reality? Due to the constant switches between different layers of dreams and reality, the viewer is kept on their toes trying to decipher the mental state of Cobb, the movies chronological timeline, and, as shown in the infamous final scene, whether any of the movie was real in the first place.

Only a director such as Nolan is able to take a viewer’s perception of reality and warp it in such a way that they are left questioning not only whether the characters are dreaming, but whether reality itself is nothing more than a dream.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia Developer/Publisher: Climax Studios/Ubisoft Platform: PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One

4/5

Games

Review by Wellington Tremayne

emphasizing the need for stealth. Some might call it stupid, but the Chronicles hinge on this artistic revamp of old video game techniques. 2.5D allows you to switch plains, but that’s about it. It’s resulted in some awkward gameplay, and as most note, that isn’t good enough.

One lamentation is that the Chronicles make assassination tedious. But I have to ask: were you paying attention in Assassin’s Creed I? It’s exactly that. Aside from climactic moments in cutscenes, that’s really all Assassin’s Creed (A.C.) 3D plots amount to: one assassination after another, a few interrogations, perhaps a rescue. Yet, many loved it. The issue is that Russia lacks peripheral plot, it isn’t easily accessible. You start the game in medias res.

There are no fancy movie-cuts apart from the propaganda art-styled opening, which gives us little on the story.

Instead, emphasis is on the visual spectrum; and it just so happens to overwhelm immediate plot.

Given this, it seems that Ubisoft’s A.C. team, which is composed of individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and beliefs, tried to underline the concept of culture as the basic thematic structure of the A.C. world. Bifurcating difficulty throughout the Chronicles generates surprises that are actually more realistic than pre-set difficulty levels. The scrolling screen puts cultural and social aspects on exhibit, and the sheer fact that Chronicles highlights three non-Western cultures stipulates that setting is of utmost importance here. Chronicles was the A.C. team’s attempt to emphasize the point of the animus and its powers of synchronization. I think they did a fair job. It’s not the most rounded thing ever, but how much better can you get than Black Flag or Unity? It may be the only A.C. game to be released for a while, so I think it’s time that fans cool off and be happy with what they have.

Bolshevik Russia, 1918. The Tsars are held captive by the Bolsheviks, and the country is in turmoil. Nikolai Orelov participates in the Order of Assassins, which has been playing cat and mouse with the Templars for centuries. But for no longer! Orelov is determined to leave Russia, which means giving up the creed. Of course, the Order isn’t happy about this. Consequently, he must complete one last task or his family will not escape. As we accompany Nikolai on this mission, we are enveloped by a magnificent and symbolically charged environment.

Russia is designed with artistic flare, adopting a 2.5D appearance with careful rendering of character physiognomy. The Russian setting portrays Western archetypal associations of the country to get us familiarized; 1900s style trains remind us of the importance of the Trans-Siberian rail. The Russian cityscape is ornate architecturally but coloured a drab grey. Communist red bursts from the landscape behind, illustrating tensions between individual and state, freedom and oppression, wealth and poverty—dichotomies that really were evident in the aftermath of the October Revolution.

Maneuverability is limited due to the 2.5 scheme.

Navigation through the cityscape requires a deliberate problem-solving but also the ability to adapt reflexes to fit moments of insane difficulty. In addition to Nikolai, one has the opportunity to play as princess Anastasia.

She possesses the additional ability to utilize helix powers, which are fabled to be possessed only by some assassins—according to many reviews, this is one of the few positive features of Russia.

The 2.5D Chronicles partially follow 2D aspects of Nintendo games. Kind of like the Goombas in Mario, the sight range of guards is delineated for the player,

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Catfish: the TV Show Review by Katie Meadows

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TV

Jeanette has been talking to 27 year old Derick, a forklift driver from Atlanta who just so happens to look like your average Instagram fuckboy. They’ve been talking every day on the phone for a year and Derick expressed a desire to start a family with Jeanette… but his webcam is constantly broken and they’ve never actually met. Shuntay, a mother herself, enlists Max and Nev to help her mom meet and find happiness with Derick; but the chances seem slim, and even slimmer when a quick reverse Google image search reveals the person in Derick’s photos to be a seventeen year old high school senior. This is revealed to a horrified Jeanette as copies of her text conversations are superimposed over her crying—“I love you baby.” “Went to the mall today and saw the perfect ring ;).” Sickly sweet guitar pop with very literal lyrics about broken dreams plays in the background.

As Jeanette weeps in her garage, it hits you how messed up this whole situation is and makes you wonder why anyone would manipulate a stranger like that. It’s important to note a lot of catfish are the first to contact the show because they think being on the show gives them a second chance to explain themselves, and maybe, just maybe, they can keep the relationship they’ve established. Most are genuinely remorseful, have zero self esteem, and thought that they had to lie to find love. But as Jeanette laments after finally meeting the real Derick (no spoilers), “didn’t I deserve to know [who you were]?”

It’s true, real love can conquer all, but there’s no real love in sending a forty year old grandmother pics of a teenager and saying it’s you.

I wasn’t allowed the internet until high school but when I was 11 my friend showed me how to make a Hotmail account. It was 2003, and being 11 I used my email address to leave comments on Linkin Park fan-sites. One week I got an email from someone claiming to be the cousin of Chester Bennington, lead singer of the band. He said he saw one of my comments online and could tell I was smart and he wanted to get to know me. I was thrilled!

I told my mum and she thought that was “so neat.” Fast forward three emails and he’s sending me detailed graphic personal massage fantasies, and all the photos he had sent me of Chester came up on the first page of Google. He was a stranger, and I had been catfished.

In 2010 the documentary Catfish was released, and it coined the name of something so many have experienced since the birth of the internet—being tricked online into thinking you are talking to someone you are not. While the validity of the original film is questionable, it’s entertaining and intriguing, and is a full exploration of what catfishes are, and it has spawned an incredible MTV reality series of the same name. Original Catfish-ee Nev Schulman is joined by co-host/cameraman/silver-fox Max Joseph (director of last year’s ill-fated EDM drama We Are Your Friends), and the show is now in its 5th season of crazy batshit drama. As is the nature of catfishing most of the stories do not have happy endings, but the show never outright wills for a negative outcome, and more often than not you get caught up in Nev and Max’s lovelorn optimism.

The most recent episode focuses on 40 year old single grandmother Jeanette—a show first!—whose story had been submitted by her concerned daughter, Shuntay.

Books

The Portable Veblen

A History of New Zealand Women

Elizabeth McKenzie Fourth Estate 3.5/5

Barbara Brookes Bridget Williams Books 5/5

Review by Cassie Richards

Review by Cassie Richards

The Portable Veblen is one of the more curious novels that I’ve read of late, and one that I went into with utterly no idea what to expect. It’s certainly an anomaly, covering a hodgepodge of topics such as: squirrels, mental illness, the medical industry, marriage, and post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans.

The setting is Palo Alto, California, part of the tech frontier known as “Silicon Valley”. At the heart of the novel is Veblen Amundsen-Hovda, a nature-loving and anti-materialistic hospital administrator (named for the Norwegian-American economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen), and her fiancé Paul Vreeland, a neurologist.

Paul is developing a medical device for use in battle zones that will help to decrease brain trauma in soldiers, and is running as far as he can from his upbringing with hippie parents and his mentally-handicapped brother, who he believes is out to ruin his life. Veblen, meanwhile, is distrustful of anything to do with consumerism, stressed from a lifetime of dealing with her needy and hypochondriac mother, and believes that a squirrel in her neighbourhood is communicating with her. When Paul secures a deal for his device with a large pharmaceutical company, their relationship is thrown into disarray.

If that sounds like a lot to process, you wouldn’t be wrong. There is a lot going on in this book, which has been described as a “Silicon Valley novel”. McKenzie is commenting on the clash between the old world and the new, played out in Paul’s desire for wealth and notoriety, and Veblen’s emotional crisis caused by trying to align her simpler values with her fiancé’s. Veblen idolises her namesake, and there are repeated references throughout the story to the anti-capitalist ideas of Thorstein Veblen.

Although educational, this does slow down the pace of the novel, but there were enough sparks of wit and poignancy to keep me reading. Ultimately, this is a surprising and ambitious story about 21st-century dilemmas that will get you thinking.

What better time to take a look at this groundbreaking book than during Women’s History Month. Barbara Brookes’s much anticipated volume charts the lives of New Zealand women in all stages from Polynesian settlement, through colonisation and the World Wars, to modernity.

Through all the significant developments and events of our nation women have not just stood on the sidelines, but have acted and influenced, although though they have not necessarily been recognised. For the first time our history is told through the lens of women, and there is much to be discovered and inspired by.

The years of research that Brookes has poured into her work is immediately evident. At nearly 500 pages, peppered throughout with photographs, illustrations, and artwork, the production of such a volume is no small feat. While analysing the social and economic progress of women through New Zealand’s history, individual stories have been brought to the fore. Some of these stories, such as Kate Sheppard’s and Jean Batten’s, we know well; others, such as Lady Mildred Amelia Tapapa Woodbine Pomare, who established a Māori soldiers fund in 1915, and Arapera Kaa, one of New Zealand’s first bilingual poets, will be new discoveries for many readers. One of the most apparent features of this book is the equal attention paid to women of both European and Māori heritage—despite enormous differences in culture and tradition, the desire for equality for women is a unifying cause.

What also stands out, after looking at how far we have come since first gaining the vote in 1893, is what is still left to be achieved. Issues such as equal pay, female representation in Parliament, the treatment of rape victims, and changes to abortion laws, all feature in later parts of the book and ask the question of how we can alter the course of history. It’s up to both men and women to look at these issues and to enact change. Encouragingly, there is already traction. All in all, A History of New Zealand Women is an important book that we can all take something from, it deserves a prominent place on our bookshelves.

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Sail away with the Owl and the Pussycat

Sweet Child of Mine Review by Ruby Hansen & Adeline Shaddick

Review by Ophelia Wass

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Theatre

Sweet Child of Mine was performed as part of the Fringe Festival this February. It was a returning hit from the Melbourne Fringe that playfully and earnestly asked, what is the point of art?

Performed by Bron Batten and her father James, Sweet Child of Mine explored the perils of being an artist, and the cross-generational judgement and cultural stigma associated with creative industries such as theatre.

It was brimming with classic Fringe elements: dance, comedy, audience interaction, a messy set and raw, and honest dialogue. The performance also contained improvisation and scripted pieces; all refreshingly uncontrived.

The show opened with documentary footage of Bron’s family, sitting on the home sofa. They shared their honest and amusing thoughts on Bron’s work as a theatre practitioner. Her mother Linda echoed a common perspective toward contemporary theatre, asking “what does it all mean?” Through imaginative dramatic conventions, Bron challenged and embraced this view.

We were impressed by the pair’s bravery throughout the show. Bron danced through the space in white underwear. She rippled and surged to the ground, with curly red hair strewn across her face; an enchanting dancer to watch. Any questions of the dramaturgical purpose were later clarified, when the dance was later revisited. This time it featured a fantastic spillage of bright blue paint, which Batten drenched herself in.

From the dry dad jokes to the hilarious unscripted tangents, James was uncannily similar to every father out there. He even allowed the audience to question him after a spiel on Bron’s growing up. The audience interaction with James and Bron had the audience in fits, and perhaps more importantly, feeling comfortable. The audience were almost treated as friends in the Batten’s family home.

It was a night of warm romance at BATS theatre when Whangarei’s Company of Giants, under the direction of Laurel Devenie, presented a whimsical rendition of the classic poem by Edward Lear. As we entered the theatre space and took our seats, we were serenaded by original love songs arranged by musician, Adam Ogle. The actors were dressed in an eclectic hotchpotch of olden time clothing.

Ogle’s abilities on guitar, mandolin, and double bass were the perfect ignition for magic, and the sounds reflected the mood. The detailed set was strewn with suitcases and fairy-lights; a glowing atmosphere of warmth and happiness. It prepared the audience for the participatory nature of the pantomime-esque style of the piece.

The poem was set in Whangarei which made for effective satire, easy comedy, and created familiarity with the New Zealand audience. Devenie produced an incredibly grounded yet fun rendition of a classic child’s tale.It was encouraging to see young children and their grandparent’s being simultaneously engaged by the piece.

The animal characters are performed in a physical, enigmatic, and thoroughly committed. Mataara Stokes as the Pussycat, prowls between the audience and performers, offering a sensuous and thoroughly selfabsorbed feline figure. Tomasin Fisher-Johnson’s as the Owl flitted about earnestly, and offered a sweet harmony against the predominantly male voices. Lutz Hamm pulled incredible facial expressions and commanded a strong presence from start to finish as the narrator. Finally, Anthony Crumm as Piggy-Wiggy was bashful in both an endearing and humorous manner.

There is always the temptation to fall into overexplained silliness when dealing with a younger audience; Company of Giants did no such thing. The Owl and the Pussycat was an eloquent yet adorable piece, and it left my heart smiling.

Puzzles

Made by Puck Target Make as many words from the nine letters below as you can. Each word should be three or more letters, and contain the letter in the middle of the grid. There is at least one nineletter word.

Good: 23 Great: 28 Impressive: 34

Medium

Solution for Issue 2

‘Filing Suit’ ACROSS 1. * The final book in the Hunger Games series (10) 6. Place where most people live (4) 10. The old man (3) 11. * According to Freddie Mercury, “she spoke just like a baroness” (6,5) 12. Cyclops or Rogue, for two (6) 16. American legislators (8) 18. * Only Tarantino film that’s an adaptation (6,5) 19. Some CSI evidence (3) 22. Pokemon #151, who I’ve never managed to catch :( (3) 24. * Lorde single with the line “Everything’s cool when we’re all in line for the throne” (6,5) 25. Baseball fields (8) 28. Biblical book about a woman who becomes ruler of Persia (6) 33. * Actress who played Lisbeth Salander in three films (5,6) 34. Old-style pub (3) 35. It might be kissed or kicked (4) 36. What the words hidden in the answers to the starred clues make together, if they’re all 25-Across (5,5) DOWN 1. Title for a noted woman (5) 2. Military enlistee (5) 3. Finish a comic book page, maybe (3,2) 4. ___ monster, large lizard (4) 5. Singer of the only Bond theme to win the Oscar for Best Original Song (5) 7. Performance-enhancer, maybe (7) 8. Common soap opera plot device (7) 9. Light blue shade (4) 13. Grammar concern (5) 14. Egyptian cross commonly associated with goths (4) 15. “Feel _____” (2016 presidential campaign slogan) (3,4) 16. Pogo stick bases (7) 17. “Ohhhhhh, got it.” (3,1,3) 20. Body part that could be replaced with ‘guts’ or ‘backbone’ (5) 21. Basho or Issa (4) 22. Figure in most pieta artwork (7) 23. Armoury contents (7) 26. American state whose three biggest cities all start with C (4) 27. Ivan who is Balboa’s opponent in ‘Rocky IV’ (5) 29. Place for knickknacks (5) 30. Work by Basho or Issa (5) 31. Home in many Western films (5) 32. Org. who owns the John H. Glenn Research Center in 26-Down (4)

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Contributors

About Us Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA). Salient is funded in part by Victoria University of Wellington students through the Student Services Levy. The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, VUWSA, or the University.

Complaints People with a complaint against the magazine should complain in writing to the Editor at editor@salient.org.nz and then, if not satisfied with the response, to VUWSA.

Editors Emma Hurley and Jayne Mulligan editor@salient.org.nz Design and Illustration Ella Bates-Hermans designer@salient.org.nz News Editor Kate Robertson news@salient.org.nz Chief Sub Editor Tim Manktelow Sub-Editors Ali Kaye Tom Danby Distributor Joe Morris News Reporters Joshua James Alex Feinson, Mckenzie Collins, Matthew Collier

Section Editors Cassie Richards (Books) Dana Williams and Isaac Brodie (Film) Harri Robinson (Music) Ophelia Wass (Theatre) Ruby Joy Eade, Lucy Wardle, Louise Rutledge, Robbie Whyte (Visual Arts) Cameron Gray (Games) Katie Meadows (TV) Other contributors Alex Feinson, Mckenzie Collins, Matthew Collier, Joshua James, Grace Faletutulu, Jacinta Gulasekharam, Faith Wilson, Georgette Brown, Mark Bernard, Henrietta Bollinger, Brodie Fraser, Dr Feelgood, Chrissy Brown, V-ISA, Tim Grgec, Matt Plumber, Robert Barratt, James Keane, Jack Bonnor, Nick Sinclair, Livné Ore, Wellington Tremayne, Ruby Hansen, Adeline Shaddick, Rakaitemania Parata Gardiner, Jonathan Gee, Sharon Lam, Puck Contributor of The Week Cassie Richards—because her reviews are clean, sharp, and informative.

Feature Writers Faith Wilson Joshua James Sharon Lam 47

Read Salient online at salient.org.nz Contact Level 2 Student Union Building Victoria University PO Box 600, Wellington 04 463 6766 Printed by Inkwise, Ashburton Advertising Jason Sutton jason.sutton@vuwsa.org.nz 04 463 6982 Social Media fb.com/salientmagazine @salientmagazine @salientgram

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