Justice | Issue 16

Salient Issue 16

Justice

Vol. 79

Contents Features

14

BROS101: Introduction to Brogressive Politics

18

One in a Hundred: Crime and No Punishment

26

Therapeutic Justice: The case for Mental Health Courts

News

5

Lecturers: They’re just as stressed as us

6

Bar takes sexual harassment seriously

9

Lecturers: They’re just as stressed as us

10

“Let’s go Jo” Coughlan lost her table manners

Regular Content 12

One Ocean

37

Visual Arts

12

Maori Matters

38

Music

13

Gee Mail

40

Film

13

VUWSA Executive

42

Games

30

Single Sad Postgrad

43

TV

31

Women’s Space

44

Books

31

Dr Feelgood

45

Theatre

32

Token Cripple

46

Puzzles

32

Brodie Helps You Figure It Out

33

Being Well

33

Postgraduate Connection

34

Notices

36

Food

Editors: Emma Hurley Jayne Mulligan

Editor's Letter We are all learning, growing people. We each have had moments where our pre-established views and opinions morph and change. We have our perspectives challenged and unsettled. This is healthy and important.

One of our hopes for this year was to provide a platform for as many voices and perspectives as possible. A voice that is poly-formed and multi-faceted is unsettling to those used to normative perspectives.

Thank you to this person, because never have we so vehemently disagreed with someone. Their argument is one that resonates for probably far too many people. It is born out of feeling personally victimised and angry; a sensation people might experience when the problematic behaviours and actions of a group that they identify with are criticised and challenged, rather than listening to and considering those challenges.

This issue features some incredible articles: Eve Kennedy’s brave and unflinching exploration of the legal and medical side of sexual violence prosecution, Sophie Wynn’s piece looking into the state of mental healthcare in prisons, and the piece on ‘Brogressives’—those people who claim to be progressive but their behaviour suggests otherwise.

We put the email in the trash because it was too depressing to look at.

Hey friends.

We’re back with another heavy issue. We left all of them to the second half of the year because it seemed too scary and hard at the start.

We received an email last week and at first we laughed it off, but then it became increasingly concerning.

The email, in its essence, worked from a place of defending those that the sender deemed to be the centre of our criticisms over the last few weeks. The past three or four weeks have been largely dedicated to voices that are underrepresented in the mainstream media. In response the sender was accusing us of victimising white men. Of course.

The letter worked through the different articles that took particular aim at these supposedly victimised people (read: the most privileged group in society). These articles were, coincidentally, some of the best writing we have published this year. They were brave explorations of being Māori, being a woman, being non-binary, and being notwhite.

Obviously no one is saying that white people and men don’t experience pain or suffering. No one said that ever.

What we are saying is that structurally, politically, socially, certain groups are marginalized and we need to talk about it. Power has been in the hands of one group, and it’s time that this power was redistributed.

Emma & Jayne xoxo

03

Going Up

*Interview* with Bill Clinton

•

Michelle Obama.

•

Clubs on campus doing free pizza events.

•

The level of creepiness when watching Gloriavale documentaries.

•

Hype for the new Harry Potter book.

•

The amount of existential crises in your life because you finish your degree in four months.

Tell us who you’re wearing?

A blue Hugo Boss suit because I need to make it extra clear that I’m a democrat. Shoes by Gucci, and my cologne is ‘Infidelity’ by Armani.

Going Down

When will your Vogue cover issue come out?

I’ll be on the Christmas issue, standing in my perfect modern kitchen, ‘preparing’ a five course meal for my family because that’s what a good husband should do.

•

Helen Clark’s chances of being Secretary General of the UN.

What design will you pick for the First Gentleman’s china set?

It will be a lovely all dark blue design with a few little white spots on it.

•

Vinyl Bar.

•

The amount of Russian athletes in the Olympics.

•

Taylor Swift’s career.

•

Hamilton lawyers still trying to argue that being drunk and saying “no” still equals consent.

What will your main role be as First Gentleman?

Chief Party Officer and provider of sick saxophone solos.

Do you have any advice for Hillary from one president to potentially another?

Don’t support a war in the Middle East, don’t support bad trade treaties, don’t do anything illegal… oh wait….

Humdingers

‘Bernie or Bust’ supporters hatched a smelly plot at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to only feed the delegates voting for Sanders baked beans in order to create a “Fart-In” protest. They hoped that delegates would release toots of methane gas in protest over Clinton’s nomination inside the convention hall. Turns out Clinton’s email scandal won’t be the stinkiest thing at the DNC.

A couple in their mid-40s were arrested on Monday night for getting it on in the Timaru Warehouse carpark. The couple were spotted by a member of the public, who wrote online afterwards that they were “disgusting pigs.” Don’t fret, the next hottest hookup spot for your Tinder dates has been found.

04

01.08.16

news@salient.org.nz

Lecturers: They’re just as stressed as us

OUSA needs a timeout

A recent survey by the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) revealed that seven out of ten tertiary workers think their wellbeing is worse than it was ten years ago.

Out of a pool of 1000 people, those working in universities, polytechnics, and wānanga are increasingly stressed about their day-to-day jobs and their futures in the tertiary sector. An average of 70 per cent of those surveyed felt stressed in their job.

Abnormally high stress levels in the tertiary sector have been recorded in previous TEU surveys. In a 2013 survey the mean level of stress felt was 64 per cent, compared to the 2013 national average of 50–55 per cent.

TEU president Sandra Grey says that the result of the survey shows that “people in tertiary education are facing bigger workloads, longer working hours, and larger class sizes.”

She says another reason for stress is that tertiary sector workers have “no influence over the decisions that affect them and their students,” and that teaching and learning is compromised as a result.

When asked about the TEU survey Victoria University’s Director of Human Resources, Annemarie de Castro, said the university run their own annual survey to identify priority areas for the university to work on covering “workload, and diversity and wellness.” de Castro said the survey shows that academic staff in particular “want to see action on workload and ensuring they are well in terms of job stress and other factors.” She added that staff interested in these issues have been invited to join a working group “to investigate the causes of workload and wellness issues, and to make recommendations to address them.” de Castro said the working group will continue through this year and actions would be implemented in early 2017 to address the priority areas.

VUWSA President Jonathan Gee said, in response to the TEU survey, “it’s sad to hear that stress levels for lecturers are increasing. It in part represents the continuing underfunding of the tertiary sector by the government.”

“We need to support lecturers to be excellent teachers, and their working conditions are a key part of that.”

Historical data from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research shows stress levels among academics have been steadily rising since the mid-90s.

Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) has found itself at a crossroads after a fight between President Laura Harris and Vice President Jarred Griffiths.

Their divide has caused a wider degeneration throughout the whole of OUSA Executive, with reports of an internal coup by Griffiths and his faction.

Harris and Griffiths ran on the same ticket during the 2015 election, with six others also billed with them under the slogan “Real Change for OUSA.” They presented a united front against three other presidential candidates.

Seven of the ticketed candidates were elected, with Harris having 35% favour.

Harris and Griffiths decided to run on the same ticket after being friends and reportedly flatting together, using their platform to emphasize their closeness and solidarity.

It is reported that during trimester one the two had a personal falling out which has led to a clean divide between the executive.

Supposedly the two have attempted mediation, but when asked about this Griffiths told Critic it was “unsuccessful.”

Now Harris or Griffiths will not work together, talk to each other, or sponsor each other’s initiatives.

The subsequent stagnancy and division of the executive board has resulted in reports of an attempted internal coup against President Harris.

The person most likely to replace Harris is Griffiths, although he maintains to the press and to Otago University that he supports Harris as president, and has no plans to oust her.

“Although we are no longer friends, Laura has my full support as OUSA President. It is my primary function to support and assist her in the performance of her duties.”

When approached for comment, Griffiths was initially willing to discuss the internal problems that faced the OUSA executive board, telling Salient that he was happy to comment on them. However when sent the questions he was quick to back down, saying it “would be unhelpful for me to comment at the time.”

Such a sudden change in demeanor indicates a problematic stance from Griffiths—if he were truly supportive of Harris wouldn’t he be quick to dispel any myths and clarify his stance on these issues?

The future of the 2016 OUSA Executive Board is still unknown, but the internal strife does not look to be resolved any time soon.

05

Alexa Zelensky

Alex Feinson

News

01.08.16

Jennie Kendrick

Bar takes sexual harassment seriously, due to immense public scrutiny Vinyl bar has been criticized for ignoring claims of sexual harassment made by female patrons.

The incident gained traction on social media after Vinyl deleted a post on their Facebook page that detailed Jay Thompson-Munn’s experience on July 15.

Thompson-Munn said her and another female friend were approached at Vinyl by a man who seemed “intoxicated, or high on something—and should have been removed from the premises.” This man made numerous unwanted sexual advances on them.

The man’s advances persisted despite being refused by the women, and continued after he was pushed away by the women’s male friends.

The women reported the man’s behaviour to a bartender who briefly conferred with another staff member and told them “well, you’re in a bar!”

The bouncer told the women he couldn’t leave his post at the door to help.

“It is deeply concerning to all women in Wellington that our safety isn’t a concern to bar staff,” ThompsonMunn said.

The other patron involved told Salient she was shocked by management’s reaction to their complaint.

“Instead of admitting they made a mistake, they tried to delete evidence of our complaint. I feel we were strongly dismissed and not taken seriously.”

The women—who recorded their experience with Vinyl bar staff through tweets collated on Storify—said they had emailed management privately, but when they received no response decided to post their story to the bar’s public Facebook page.

In response to the negative feedback, it was reported that a staff member “sent a group message asking their contacts to boost good feedback” on the Vinyl page. A move which has been criticized for creating a false sense

of safety, despite the allegations.

According to the woman interviewed, it has changed her perspective of Wellington nightlife and caused her to question the notion that harassment is an acceptable and expected part of a night out.

“You talk to any of your friends about a night out, and there are stories galore of bums being touched, creeps, being followed, and generally being made to feel uncomfortable. I refuse to accept these anymore. We deserve better and we deserve to have our complaints taken seriously. If something like this happens it is so important to speak up.”

New Zealand Police Senior Sergeant Andrew Smith said that, under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, “a licensee or a manager of any licensed premises commits an offence by allowing violent, quarrelsome, insulting, or disorderly conduct to take place on the premises… the licensee needs to create a safe and enjoyable drinking environment for all patrons.”

Vinyl Bar has since uploaded a statement to Facebook expressing their apologies to the women who were “hurt” by the harassment, as well as to the wider community “who are rightfully disappointed in us.”

Bar owners Greig and Leon stated they are “reaching out” to the Wellington sexual violence sector to help them train staff in “ethical bystanding and dealing with sexual harassment”.

VUWSA Equity Officer Chrissy Brown applauded the women for coming forward.

“It put the issue on the agenda and spread within the wider community to those who care about it. It also put pressure on the bar. I was very happy with how they responded. They took full responsibility for the issue, and outlined what they were actively doing to overcome the problem.”

01.08.16

Really good cheats or inefficient examiners?

Tim Manktelow

BAs back on trend One semester into Massey University’s restructure of their Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree the university has found feedback to be “overwhelmingly positive.”

The restructure saw the introduction of an “intellectual kete” of five core papers, aiming to emphasise the social importance of the BA. These include the skill-specific “Tū Kupu: Writing and Inquiry” and “Tū Arohae: Critical Thinking”, as well as three papers that explore global citizenship and cultural diversity, providing graduates a footing from which to examine New Zealand’s heritage.

Of the latter, “Tūrangawaewae: Identity and Belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand” was completed by hundreds of Massey students for the first time this year.

The paper, according to Professor Richard Shaw—director of Massey’s BA program and spearhead of the restructure, explores the “diverse personal and collective identities of New Zealand’s past and present, as well as myths and assumptions about who we are as a nation.”

The leaders of the Bastion Point occupation are placed alongside rugby players in an unpacking of New Zealand’s cultural narrative, and to complement the learned tūrangawaewae Massey has introduced spaces on its Palmerston North and Manawatu campuses for BA students to socialise and study.

The changes to the BA are intended to bring the degree into the 21st century and to provide students with knowledge and skills that translate to a dynamic and increasingly diverse work environment. Richard Shaw argues that a BA “is more relevant today than ever.”

The success of the restructure comes at a time when Victoria has begun to explore papers and majors that include more civic values, and a proposal for a wider range of majors was included in Victoria Provost Wendy Larner’s report to the Academic Board on her first 100 days in office.

The possible majors were described as a way for Victoria to “brand” its undergraduate curriculum as “offering embedded experiential learning,” possibly under the title of “Victoria Values.”

When asked whether or not Massey’s success would speed up the process of having such papers introduced at Victoria, Larner told Salient that “the BA programme is integral to Victoria’s strategic vision of being a worldleading capital city university, and one of the great globalcivic universities.”

“In order to build on our pre-eminent reputation and further enhance the distinctiveness of the BA programme, we are developing stronger international and interdisciplinary relationships, and we also plan to scale up our student civic engagement and employability activities.”

Olly Clifton

Statistics have emerged from an Official Information Act request into the volume of students caught cheating in university exams across New Zealand.

In 2015 AUT took the top place with 24 cheaters, followed closely by Lincoln at 21, Auckland at 14, and Massey at 11.

Victoria sits alongside Otago University with just five people caught cheating.

Waikato were also pretty good, with just six cheaters being busted across the last three years (although they would not release a yearly breakdown).

The most common method of cheating is sneaking notes into an exam on paper, equipment, or sometimes student’s own body.

Students have also been caught stashing notes in the bathrooms to check during the exam (Your guess is as good as mine re: how they were caught).

When asked whether Victoria’s low cheating rates were a positive or negative thing, Vice-Provost Allison Kirkman said “comparing the numbers between universities depends entirely on their methods of recording breaches of their rules, so we cannot comment on what is behind Victoria’s low number of students caught cheating.”

Victoria University seems to be (mostly) breeding non-cheating students, but perhaps we are just better at getting away with it.

Joyce and his “unashamedly elite fund”

07

McKenzie Collins

A new government initiative, billed at $35 million, is set to encourage world-renowned researchers and entrepreneurs to New Zealand.

Entrepreneurial Universities—as the endeavour has been titled—will encourage all of New Zealand’s universities to enter into 50:50 partnerships to acquire the expertise of highly sought-after entrepreneurial academics and their teams.

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister, Steven Joyce, describes it as an “unashamedly elite fund,” saying innovators will need to be highly qualified and to be involved they must have history in innovation and entrepreneurship in a valuable sector, such as biotech or computer science.

It is hoped that over the next three to five years 15 to 20 entrepreneurs will travel to New Zealand accompanied by their teams.

At $1 million per team per year, the initiative is expected to be worthwhile for start-up companies, commercialisation of intellectual property, and scientific training for young people.

The initiative began as a start-up at the University of Auckland but is by no means a new business model— many currently exist throughout the world, particularly in the US and the UK.

Quiz Disability and barriers to employment 1. True or False: Coconuts kill more people annually than sharks.

2. In what city is the most photographed street in the world located?

3. Which NZ bachelorette has just been announced as the new brand ambassador for Jockey?

4. What substance is controversially pumped into the same water ways that athletes are set to be competing on in the upcoming Rio Olympics?

6. In winter, Antarctica is __________ the size it is in summer.

7. What is the predominant religion of Vietnam?

8. What is the biggest selling album of all time?

9. The ‘Tongue of the Ocean’ is located nearest what set of islands?

10. How many days does “power reading” academic Nick Read estimate it would take a normal person to read the Auckland Unitary Plan?

Charlie Prout

5. Around how much money does the average female in New Zealand spend on menstruation during their lifetime?

Green Party MP Mojo Mathers hosted an event last week to discuss disability and barriers to employment.

The event was hosted by Victoria University Disability Services and the student run disability advocacy group CanDo, with the help of sign language interpreters and live transcribers.

Mathers talked at length of the barriers she had to overcome in order to gain employment. She talked about how she wanted to become a midwife, but as she is profoundly deaf was told she couldn’t.

She went on to discuss her experiences of working at parliament and the work she is doing advocating for practices that aid in the inclusion of people with disabilities into the workforce.

Through events like this, CanDo are hoping to raise awareness around the needs of people with disabilities. The chairperson of CanDo, Beth Noble, told Salient they were “pleased with the turnout and thought that Mojo’s talk was very informative and had some great advice for people with disabilities looking to get into employment.”

She went on to detail the importance of such events promoting disability awareness, saying “personally, I’ve found that most people who maybe make an offensive comment or are unhelpful are not doing so because of genuine malice, but more because they just don’t know what to do or say.”

“Increasing awareness helps everyone get along better and educates people. Given that at any point in time one in four in our population has some kind of disability we’re one of the largest minority groups, but also one of the least understood.”

CanDo are welcoming of any students who are supportive of their goals of support, visibility and recognition. Their aim is to provide a group environment that is both social and supportive of people with disabilities.

The group was formed 25 years ago after CanDo and VUWSA took Victoria University to the Human Rights Commission over their treatment of disabled students.

They plan to launch a disability awareness poster campaign after the mid-trimester break, aimed at educating about disability inclusion and etiquette, and are hoping to hold more social events in the future.

1)True. 2) San Francisco. 3) Matilda Rice. 4) Human faeces. 5) $16,000. 6) Double. 7) Buddhism. 8) Michael Jackson’s Thriller. 9) The Bahamas. 10) 55 days.

01.08.16

“You can’t smoke with us”: Local bars struggling under weight of new legislation Officers who were checking it was being enforced.

This crackdown on bars and cafes comes as the Wellington City Council have announced their goal to reduce smoking in the capital to less than 5 per cent by 2025.

Business owners say this long-term plan is making it impossible to fight the new policies.

“They’re trying to make it impossible for people to smoke, and that’s what you are fighting against—their plan is to get rid of it,” says Rogue and Vagabond owner Gwilym Waldren.

Placing restrictions on smokers has been part of Public Health’s strategy for some time now, but Waldren says, unless it is made illegal, smokers should have areas to smoke.

“The government can’t have it both ways. You either make them illegal or, if they’re going to sell them at every corner store in the whole country, then give people a place to smoke.”

Waldren says business owners will now have no choice but to build new smoking areas that meet specifications.

At the time of print, Smoke-free Enforcement Officers had not respond to requests for comment.

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Meriana Johnson

New legislation has seen a proliferation of ‘no smoking’ signs appear in outdoor areas of Wellington eateries and bars, negatively impacting a number of local businesses.

Popular haunts Rogue and Vagabond, Fidel’s, and Havana Bar are just a few of approximately 60 businesses who have had their outdoor areas reviewed under the Smoke-free Environment Act. Problems have also arisen around what constitutes an outdoor space under the new laws, with one of the criteria being the average person’s perception of what that space is. It is here that Fidel’s co-owner Potti Wagstaff believes the council are over-reaching this definition.

He is also concerned about the effect the legislation has on patron safety, saying “[patrons] can’t go on the footpath because we don’t have a liquor licence there, so it creates a lot more issues including the security of people and meeting my requirements as a liquor licence holder.”

It has also been left up to the cafe and bar owners to inform patrons of the new law.

“Public Health should have notified and educated the public on what they were going to do,” says Wagstaff.

Business owners were notified to make their areas non-smoking immediately via a letter. The letters were then followed by a visit from the Smoke-free Enforcement

01.08.16

Election coverage part III: ‘Let’s go Jo’ Coughlan lost her table manners Alex caught up with mayoral candidate and city councillor Jo Coughlan. She was super into traffic, and the roads, and giving Wellington a concert venue. She wasn’t not rude, and only might have been ambivalent about the student vote.

A: A big issue for students is fair and reasonable fares on public transport. Would you have any plans to implement fairer rates?

J: I think the thing with Wellington is that a lot of people are living in the CBD and so it’s not such a big deal for those students. I’d be working with the university, and putting pressure on them to cut a better deal with the fares. We don’t have the jurisdiction to change the fares, they are set by Greater Wellington. But I think the university has to step up for the students. I see a problem at the moment with not enough beds for students who want to come to Wellington.

Alex Feinson

A: What have you done on Council so far?

J: I’ve led the economic committee portfolio for six years and the economic development strategy in 2011. I came into this role when Wellington was feeling it a bit because we were responding to the financial crisis and the government’s focus was on the Christchurch earthquake and the Auckland super-city, so it was like “what does this mean for Wellington?” But we have seen the whole “Manhattan-ising” of the CBD and the place is really vibrant.

A: Why did you want to get into politics?

J: It’s definitely in the blood. My mother was a professional woman, a pharmacist, and she stood for parliament, was chairman for the local hospital board, and was on the Timaru district council. My grandfather was a city counsellor. I’ve worked in the corporate world, in the public sector, been a press secretary for a number of years for MFAT, and I’ve run my own business for the last 15 years. So I just felt it was time to give something back to the community, and it appealed to me to be able to influence and help grow the capital city of NZ.

A: Yeah, especially with the Katharine Jermyn Hall having to use bunk beds. I knew some people affected by that.

J: Exactly, which is terrible! So what that is telling me is that people want to come to Wellington, and I don’t see student fares as a game breaker, because I think a lot of Wellington students have the benefit of not using a bus.

And it’s only two dollars for one section around town, so it’s not actually that expensive.* But students go on about it, and it is important to them.

A: With the airport runway extension plan there is a lot of criticism around the environmental concerns, like the further eroding of Lyall Bay. Do you think the tourism benefits outweigh the environmental concerns?

J: I’m not an expert in the environmental impacts of the runway, but that process will all be fought out by experts.

Look, no one wants to see the environment harmed any more than it needs to be. But my big concern is that you can’t have more people coming into the city if you haven’t got the right infrastructure.

A: Your campaign format is the ‘roadmap’ and road signs.

How did you come up with that idea?

J: The big thing for me is that I’m all about getting Wellington ready for not just the next three years, but the next hundred. Infrastructure projects are what we need to focus on. We are a growing city and cars are here to stay. I’m going very hard for the double tunnels at Mount Victoria and the Terrace, and four lanes to the airport— “four lanes to the planes.” I’m into social infrastructure as well. I want to add another pool in Kilbirnie and cycleway infrastructure is really important as well, we have a lot of money coming from the government for that, and I don’t want to see it wasted on bitsy projects like the Island Bay cycleway. One that I think would have the biggest impact on our city would be a harbourside cycleway from Miramar to Ngauranga. So, because I was coming out very strong on roading, it made sense to have a roadmap.

A: Another campaign that students are really passionate about at university is the living wage, which Justin Lester supports. Do you have any thoughts on that campaign?

J: I think it is the role of government to be setting the minimum wage, so I didn’t actually support it because I don’t think it is the role of local government to be doing that. Why should my student daughter be getting $19 an hour? A living wage should be about providing a good wage to a mum, a dad, and a family. So I think it is skewed.

I think it is a very politically motivated campaign, and it is not the place of local government to be setting the minimum wage.

A: What other infrastructure projects are you wanting to work on as mayor?

J: I’d like to see a concert venue built for the city—we’re missing out on all sorts of acts who won’t come to Wellington because we don’t have a covered 12,000 seat venue. I also want to promote the IT sector and what’s going on there. Cycleway infrastructure is really important as well, and one that I think would have the biggest impact on our city would be a harbour-side cycleway from Miramar to Ngauranga.

A: You’ve said you want to make a Wellington film festival like Toronto and Cannes. How would you do this?

J: It would be a matter of talking to the sector and see what would work from their point of view. Maybe it’s a youth focused festival, or maybe it’s a women’s film 10

01.08.16 festival. There is a gap that can be filled by something unique and a bit different that we can have here.

The interview resumes a few minutes later…

A: So with your 10,000 seat venue idea. If you had your dream concert on opening night, who would be the top artists that you would put on?

J: Coldplay, definitely. Adele. And I’d do another Elton John concert like the one at the stadium.

A: Because we are the coffee capital, what is your favourite cafe in wellington?

J: I don’t know if I can say a favourite! I’m in Cuba St. so I go to Olive, Floridita’s, Loretta, and Ombra. I love them all, they are beautiful places to hang out and to enjoy. We are incredibly lucky with our cafe scene here, we have so much variety and they are all great.

A: Favourite NZ celebrity?

J: I like the Flight of the Conchords. They’re funny and from Wellington.

A: What do you think the best part of being mayor would be?

J: It would be being able to drive these projects through and knowing that we were doing everything possible to make them happen. I’m really pleased of what we have achieved already, and I want to achieve more as mayor with these new projects.

Alex Feinson

Jo Coughlan is then interrupted by a friend at the next table who asks what she is doing.

J: “I’ve got the unfortunate experience of being interviewed… you’ve just got to shamelessly do these things, once you’ve put your hand up….”

Friend: “Nicola [Young] was there, shamelessly doing her thing too.”

Jo: “I know, I know. That wasn’t the Kaibosh one?”

Friend: “No, it was actually up at Victoria University.”

Jo: “It’s just terrible….”

A: If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, who do you think should be on the Iron Throne at the end?

J: Oh god, I don’t watch it! I don’t have time to watch any TV, unless it’s box sets. I’ve been watching House of Cards recently.

A: Last question, why do you think the students of VUW should vote for you?

J: Well they should vote full stop, and because everything I stand for is about growing the Wellington economy, getting jobs into Wellington, and making sure that you can have a happy, successful, and prosperous career here. I’m invested in the city. * We added up this statement. $2.00 for a trip twice a day, five days a week, for 40 weeks, is $800—so yeah, not that expensive at all!

CLOSED FOR UPGRADE 7 JUNE - 14 AUGUST We apologise for the 2 week extension to the shutdown, but additional work is required on the Cable Car. We will now reopen on 15 August 2016.

The replacement bus service will continue to operate during the shutdown from Lambton Quay, leaving every 20 minutes.

The buses will run every 20 minutes Monday - Friday

7:00am - 7:00pm

Saturday - Sunday 8:40am - 6:00pm The buses will cost $2, cash only. wellingtoncablecar.co.nz

Maori Matters One Ocean

Maizy Te Koha (TRONPprincess) Disclaimer: I’m not a law student, so this piece is more about experience and not fact.

Second disclaimer: I wrote this two hours before sending it to the Salient editors. #offthecuff Natural justice is one of the fundamental tenets of our justice system. Natural justice extends beyond the judicial system to administrative (ie. government) decision making, and even to how we ourselves treat each other when we are involved in a dispute. In its simplest form, natural justice requires fairness, transparency, and an absence of bias. Without natural justice our individual rights would be severly curtailed, much like living in an autocratic society.

80 per cent of the time (these are not real statistics) we are, at least to some extent, biased because we base our opinions on our own experiences. We pick a side of an argument based on the character of a person (about what we ‘think’ we know about them), based on the influences of our friends and family and what they believe, based on what’s happend to us in the past and how that made us feel. There have been many times when we’ve ruled with our hearts and not with our minds—without logic and clarity. And many times we have formed our views without hearing both sides of an argument.

Recently I have been stuck between a rock and a hard place. With many of my loved ones being on different sides of the same argument, while I seemed to be rooted right in the middle—torn between friendships and loyalties. I am known for being direct and a person of action, but never before have I felt so paralysed, so stuck. How do you choose one friendship over another when they both mean so much to you? How do you choose the ‘right side’ when you can’t see which side is right and which side is wrong? How can you choose a ‘right side’ when you haven’t even heard both sides of the argument from the horse’s mouth? I am now realising the challenges of ruling without bias. How being ‘on the fence’ can lead to more issues than making a choice. I’ve come to understand that the road to justice, to the truth, is not as straight forward as I once thought it to be. I am learning that the cost of doing the right thing is a high price to pay, and I’m not sure if we’re always willing to pay it.

But whatever we do, we do need to be sure that all sides of an argument are given the chance to have their say, that we listen, and that we act fairly, transparently, and without bias.

Wiliame Gucake (Pasifika Law Students' Society (PLSS) Co-president) It’s near the end of our law school journeys and we’re still unlikely to give you a great definition. But justice in its application—the application of statutes, acts, and rules—culminates in the question of should justice be equal or equitable? If justice is equal, then that is what you see; the imaginary web of rules that govern our actions. It is created by the rule makers: parliament, local government, university councils. And upheld by its arbiters: courts, tribunals, academic conduct committees. It applies to everyone no matter age, race, gender, or creed.

But that definition operates on the fallacy that people are wholly objective, judicial droids who apply laws strictly; everything equal in application. But where do you account for inequity; for the person who does not speak English but works 80 hour weeks to support their family, or has a history of abuse, poverty and oppression? Why does no one speak of the dawn raids and their flow on effects? Why is it common to be advised to change your name to improve employment prospects? Why do judges (like in R v Kamipeli, establishing that intoxication is not a defence) single out that the offender is Tongan but not that anyone else in the case is New Zealand European or any other ethnicity.

How does the fact that he is Tongan make a difference on the judicial outcome, and if it doesn’t, why did it need to be highlighted?

Judge Becroft noted, at the 2016 Law and Culture Conference, that Pasifika youth offending isn’t as bad as it is popularised in society. But there is a disproportion in violent crimes by young offenders. The Pasifika Youth Courts in Auckland have been an intervention, adapting the court process to include cultural practices for young Pasifika offenders. This is the initiative of Victoria alumna Judge Ida Malosi, however the courts are arguably unsustainable due to the lack of Pasifika judges being appointed to support them. Why, then, are there not more Pasifika Judges? And where are our Pasifika QCs and Supreme Court Justices? What is this glass ceiling that holds us at bay? Many have the same if not better qualifications, so then where is justice? Is this justice?

In the end for there to be Justice, Justice must be equitable to be equal by definition.

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Gee-mail

VUWSA Exec

Jonathan Gee VUWSA President

Jacinta Gulasekharam Academic Vice President

Last week I was really excited to launch our campaign for a Student Friendly Wellington. Along with our studentfriendlywellington.nz campaign site, we emailed regional and city council candidates and called on them to make a commitment to a 50% tertiary discount on public transport (regional council) and a rental housing warrant of fitness (city council). We’ve already had a fantastic response so far. Candidates have been in and out of my office, and we will be publishing the photos of candidates who support us on our website.

I’ve received an overwhelming student response about our Student Friendly Wellington campaign— mostly, that our commitments are common sense. In order for students to succeed at Vic we need warm and dry flats that don’t make us sick and we need fairer fares so we can afford the bus to get to the university we already pay so much for. Our commitments aren’t about political grandstanding. They’re about making genuine change in the lives of students, so that students can thrive and continue to make a significant contribution to Wellington and its economy.

We’ve also had a great response from a range of other student groups. We’re partnering with the Politics Society to organise a Mayoral debate in September, and have had messages of support from a range of other student groups including the Wellington Medical Students’ Association. The media are also picking up stories on the realities of substandard student flats as we come to the thick of the bitter winter months.

But we also need one more thing. We need you.

Head over to elections.org.nz and make sure you’re enrolled with your current address. If a quarter of students voted, collectively, we could swing the election in September.

A student friendly Wellington? What a great thing that would be!

This week I thought I would compare VUWSA’s Model of Tertiary Education to rugby.

I have been leading some research and consultation around the Productivity Commission’s investigation into the tertiary sector. This is what I told them and the people at the TEU Voices of Tertiary Education Symposium: •

•

•

•

Binding is important. Before we engage and push forward with our scrum together, there’s no point trying unless we are all working together (looking at you, Universities New Zealand).

It’s a game of two halves, fair enough going full brunt, exhausting your resources, and benching before half time. I’m sure it’ll get you to the top of the table (see: Auckland Uni), but is it worth it if your team is tired and underperforming in the second half and worst of all injured for the next game? This is currently how the tertiary funding model works: make sure you win (grow your EFTS) or you’re out of the game We need to referee a game that’s fair. The rules of the game (ie. the funding model, StudyLink) dictate the degree to which people will be able to enjoy and play the game.

The game is only at its best when the players, audience, coaches, bench warmers, touch judges, referees, water carriers, and commentators are all being constructive to the purpose of the game and leading it to a better outcome. Each person from the groundskeeper to the captain of the team has a responsibility to lead the game to its best level. Even the two teams in opposition are ultimately competing for the same purpose—to be the best at the game.

While the game is still being played let’s all look after each other (and make sure we catch all the Pokémon our timetables allow us).

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BROS101: Introduction to Brogressive Politics When we first met a dude who could tell us the difference between equity and equality we were like “wait, what?” We’d just clawed our way out of Christchurch, where there remains a grimey layer of ENSOC bros shrouding the city in “get back in the kitchen” memes and culturally appropriative Undie 500 costumes. We were literally picking the last fragments of dudes yelling “get your tits out” at us at 11am on a Tuesday from under our nails and entering into a new life in Wellington, where dudes seemed to get it. It seemed like it was absolutely, positively time to develop some friendships with these men (and to also probably make out with them—fire emoji, hundred emoji, winky tongue out emoji).

Four years later, armed with some seriously well cultivated cynicism, a bunch of work done on our basic af “pay equality here we come” feminism, and a plethora of extremely confusing relationships founded on some deep cognitive dissonance, we figured a lil somethin’ out. These dudes with their extremely vocal “I’m ready for Hillary!” progressive politics aren’t always exactly what they seem. You can vote for the Green Party, find a reason to talk about Helen Clark’s snap story, and fave my tweet about obnoxious bros at gigs all you want, but that doesn’t stop you from reproducing these harms that you’re so emphatically not for or about.This can honestly be a really difficult zone to navigate.

We’re not talking about an easily distinguishable binaristic zone of people with “good politics” and “bad politics,” we’re talking about somewhere in between. These are the people you come across in all areas of your life who you might share any type of relationship with. They’re often people you love, trust, and admire, people you work with, or who are coordinating your courses. We’re calling them brogressives. Dudes who actively flaunt their progressive politics, their opposition to oppression along lines of race, ethnicity, class, gender identity, sexuality, ability, and age. They advocate for shifting power dynamics to more equitable forms, yet these dudes are still perpetrators and reproducers of these harms.

We’ve put together a starters’ kit for identifying these dudes in your life to save you some time.

You’ll find six profiles detailing the shapes and forms of brogressives you might come across out in the wild: that guy from your PHIL 106 tutorial, that dude from three tinder dates ago, your ex, your colleague, the known and beloved lecturer, and, the hardest and most heartbreaking of all, your very good friend.

Who: That guy from your PHIL106 tutorial Natural Habitat: Class once a week, your lectures, the occasional house party.

Call: “I may not be a woman, but…”

Characteristics: Seen often interrupting and talking over women in class, will only take a woman’s opinion seriously if immediately echoed by another man.

You guys sat next to each other on your first lecture and he almost seemed like your next friend target. He’s mildly well dressed, doesn’t immediately seem to carry himself with arrogance, and you saw him use a keepcup the other day at Vic Books. You end up in a tute together and you’re discussing gender. He seems to be getting it, to be on the level so to speak. On closer inspection, you hear him explaining to two women the difference between an opinion and a fact. But like really explaining it, with a privilege forcefield so strong that the nonverbal cues radiating from the women around him don’t even flicker on his radar. This is the type of dude who’ll talk to a woman when she’s clearly reading a book or listening to a podcast. He seems to genuinely believe in equity, but doesn’t seem to believe that women can truly know or learn things without the assistance of a dude—one time he congratulated you for using a big word in a tutorial.

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Self described Cool Guy Ashton-Martyn and Tough Guy Mills are best mates and have written this piece about recognising progressive dudes with problematic behaviours, aka brogressives.

Who: Dude from three tinder dates ago Natural Habitat: Three grey dots in a text convo, sitting across from you at a bar, your suggested friends list.

Call: “I basically majored in feminism for how many gender studies papers I took.”

Characteristics: Talks about how much he doesn’t like the way men treat women.

Likely to be sweet apple pie on your date, but will ignore you when he runs into you.

Who: Your Ex Natural habitat: Random 10pm Facebook chat messages, still hanging out with a bunch of your mates, parties you both end up at.

Call: “You don’t actually think that, you’re just saying it so that you can disagree with me.”

Characteristics: Links you an article about Brexit / the death of Taylor Swift / emotional labour asking for your hot take, immediately dismisses you in order to voice his own opinion.

Your tinder date went pretty well, considering. He seemed smart and onto it, you guys had some pretty good banter, and he smoothly suggested that since the Tinder chat app was so bad could he add you on Facebook? Nice. His photos don’t involve him posing with dead animals, you have a couple of mutual friends, and he’s liked The Spinoff and Metiria Turei on Facebook.

Nice. But his interest in social justice and your feminism seems suspiciously shallow, and you soon realize his understanding is about the equivalent of seeing the headline but not reading the article. You also realize that you let your blind belief in the unicorn of Tinder dudes (the one who is genuinely committed to progressive politics and personal growth, does he exist, or has he just been made up to sell us the idea of heterosexual monogamy?) dull your senses to fill in the gaps of what he was saying to seem remotely sensible or interesting.

Later, he messages you asking for nudes.

This whole friendship kinda feels like when someone asks you what grade you got, but only because they wanna tell you theirs. A classic move for making anyone feel undervalued, whether intentional or not, and your ex is pretty good at it. These guys are tricky. Your current friendship feels totally loaded with your old relationship despite the fact you broke up like two years ago, and it makes it hard to call him out on the problematic shit he says. Especially when he seems to think everything you have to say to him is some reference to when you were dating or a manifestation of your long lasting bitterness towards him. The ex is great at touting how good your friendship is without ever really letting you transcend the ‘ex’ box into the ‘full and autonomous human’ box. It’s not really a box, it’s more like a societal construct.

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Who: Your Workmate Natural Habitat: Consistently one rung up from you in the ladder of opportunities, comfortably nestled into the public side of your achievements.

Call: “Hey, do you think you can help me with something real quick?”

Characteristics: Understands that being a white man might afford him a bunch of privilege but that won’t stop him from putting you in support roles for everything.

Who: Your lecturer Natural Habitat: 150 students away from you, comfortably within a sick professorship, a couple steps up the ladder of abstraction.

Call: “I know some of you would prefer me to use gender neutral pronouns, but it’s not very grammatically correct.”

Characteristics: Devotes a third of a single lecture on feminist perspectives, but seems to otherwise forget that oppression exists out there in the real world.

You guys probably started out all good. You’re team players, you bonded over how all your superiors were old white dudes, but little did you know he was an old white dude of tomorrow. It starts small, he has worked this job longer than you, so maybe it makes sense that he gets listened to more, right? But soon he’s saying the same thing as you straight after you said it, getting the credit and not correcting anyone. This is when it all goes south. You find out he got a $1.50 pay hike when you only got $0.50, for doing the same job. You’re both angry and weirded out but he’s not prepared to approach your boss with you to address it. Ouch. A couple of weeks later you realize he only talks about the men head honchos in management with respect and occasionally refers to your women colleagues ‘bitching’ about work problems. Double ouch. You wonder if he’ll notice if you unshare the Google doc with your and his startup ideas on it.

Lecturers are pretty smart and this tends to make their brogressive traits a lil difficult to spot. Sometimes it’s tucked away, buried deep within their lecture material, manifesting itself as an obscure snarky remarky. Most commonly though, it comes out with the everyday behaviours that slide past you because it’s 1:48 and you wanna get a cheese scone from Vic Books. But sometimes you’re like hang on, why does Professor Smart Dude only call on men when he takes questions?

Why he only use male pronouns when talking in hypotheticals? Why he only talk about other Professor Smart Dudes and why no Professor Smart Ladies?

Eventually one micro aggression leads to another and he just straight up admits that the reason they haven’t included any texts by women in the course is because, well, frankly they just weren’t as good as the others, and we’re over that gender politics bullshit from the 80s. Yikes.

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We’ve tried to make this article funny and relatable, because in reality this whole situation is pretty sad.

If this article has hit a little too close to home, and you’re halfway through typing up an angry stuff. co.nz comment, maybe think about how if the shoe fits. Becoming an adult and growing as a person involves realising that you aren’t always right, your way of doing things isn’t always the best one, and in this case maybe you aren’t always doing your best to uphold the values and politics that you believe in. Sometimes you just have to admit you’re wrong.

We get it, we totally do—your fave is problematic because we’re all problematic. There’s pretty much only one way to learn, and that’s to listen to the people that surround you, and listen to the way they hurt. And it’s going to be worth it. Doing our best to work through these uncomfortable conversations is going to help us cultivate and strengthen our relationships with each other in ways we can’t even imagine without doing it. Trust us and try it. You’ll feel closer to understanding the people you love and you care about than you ever have before.

Activism and progressive politics are at a funny point at the moment, with the feeling that a lot has been accomplished and put to bed, but also that there is an ever growing list of new and important things that need to be tackled with the same energy and vigour as the old. It’s tiring and hard, and sometimes you wanna drop out of it like that 100 level interest paper that was really of no interest at all. And there is something to be said about recognising how far you’ve come—you’re no longer writing “dick is abundant and low in value” on strangers’ fences at 4am—but that doesn’t mean there’s a stop point. Just because you’ve got the fundamentals down, doesn’t mean there aren’t more fundamentals to work on. This is all pretty bleak but in a way it’s uplifting, because it shows that there is always further to go, and there are always ways to make the world around you better and bigger for yourself and others (yellow heart emoji, grass in the wind emoji, triple star emoji).

Who: Your Very Good Friend Natural Habitat: Most places you are, your Facebook memories from six years ago, close to your heart.

Call: “This doesn’t have to be an argument.”

Characteristics: Insists that he is just trying to learn, but will do none of the learning independently.

Honestly, this is the hardest of them all. The Very Good Friend (VGF) is close to your heart and you love him heaps. After being surrounded by all these other brogressives in almost all aspects of your life, sometimes you just wanna sit down with your old mate from high school and talk shit. But like actually talk shit. You want to be able to say things like “dudes are garbage” without getting stuck into a “Not All Men” debate. You want to just once talk about the constant, exhausting battle that is living within a patriarchal society that insidiously belittles and demeans you on an institutional level without a pair of puppy dog eyes looking at you saying, “but what about me?” The VGF is likely keen to learn and genuinely a good person (you guys are mates) but he doesn’t want to do much of the learning himself. When you try confront him, he remains defensive and instead of listening to what you are trying to say he brings up that time when you were 17 and drunkenly wrote “dick is abundant and low in value” on his friends fence. The VGF is one of the most exhausting brogressives because you care enough about your relationship to want to keep believing that the hurt you feel from him not understanding isn’t going to eventually push you apart.

The biggest ouch of them all.

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SEXUAL ASSAULT EVIDENCE COLLECTION KIT MEDICAL PERSONNEL AFFIX BIOHAZARD SEAL HERE

VICTIM'S NAME: CASE NUMBER: ATTENDING PHYSICAN/NURSE: HOSPITAL/CLINIC: KIT SEALED BY: PLACED SEALED KIT AND CLOTHING BAGS IN SECURE AND REFRIGERATED STORAGE AREA AFTER EVIDENCE COLLECTION

PLACED BY: DATE: TIME: AM/PM

POLICE PERSONNEL RECEIVED FROM: DATE: TIME: AM/PM RECEIVED FROM: DATE: TIME: AM/PM RECEIVED FROM: DATE: TIME: AM/PM RECEIVED FROM: DATE: TIME: AM/PM DELIVER SEALED KIT AND CLOTHING BAGS TO THE CRIME LABORATORY IMMEDIATELY

FORENSIC LABORATORY PERSONNEL LABORATORY NUMBER: POLICE CASE NUMBER:

One in a Hundred: Crime and No Punishment Eve Kennedy

Eve tackles the myriad problems that underpin the sexual violence justice system. She looks into the role of an M.E.K (Medical Examination Kit), and how the evidence gathered can be both useful, and problematic. Content Warning: this feature contains distressing descriptions of medical and legal aspects of rape and sexual violence.

Reporting statistics that do not accurately reflect the real prevalence of sexual violence results in further isolation for survivors. Given that only a small percentage of sexual violence cases proceed through the courts, it appears that the default setting for survivors is to not make a complaint, either because they don’t want to or they don’t think it will achieve anything. This creates a perpetuating cycle within the justice system; it continues the huge discord between the prevalence of sexual violence and the realities of achieving justice for survivors.

The possibility that a conviction is not the only type of justice for survivors has been discussed more and more in recent years. Given that Help Auckland reports that 90% of all rapes are done by someone known to the survivor, it is likely that not all complainants will want to see their rapist incarcerated for years (the starting point for sentences for rape convictions was held to be eight years in the 1994 case of R v A).

Research, funded by the Law Commission and conducted by Yvette Tinsley, Elisabeth McDonald, and Jeremy Finn in 2011, suggested that where appropriate alternative restorative justice processes could be feasible.

Restorative justice does not result in imprisonment for offenders and does not involve a typical court process. At present restorative justice processes for sexual violence are not formalised and the only option for formal justice involving the police is to proceed through the court system.

For those who have endured sexual assaults, the processes after reporting are frightening and can feel unsupportive. The idea of going to visit a doctor to endure

The sexual assault support agency Help Auckland reports that “only about ten out of 100 sexual abuse crimes are reported and three of those get to court [...and] only one of those is likely to get a conviction.” The reasons why only one of every hundred sexual abuse crimes result in a prosecution are complex and debated. In recent years there has been a marked increase in discussion about the prevalence of sexual violence in New Zealand. There have been several cases of horrific violence that have reached mainstream media headlines, becoming a catalyst for the public denouncing rape and decrying the inaction of institutions that are expected to achieve justice. This was crystallised in the public psyche by the police’s failure to charge those involved in the roast busters case.

Although the actual prevalence of sexual violence remains underestimated and often unreported, either to media or police, perhaps sexual violence activists can take some solace in the fact that at least now we’re talking about it.

What hasn’t been talked about, though, is what the process is like for survivors who make a complaint of sexual assault. The police provide some information on their website about the process but it is minimal: “We understand that reporting a rape or sexual assault is very difficult, but we will make sure that you get the support you need to help you through.” They then tell people to call or visit police stations to arrange making a statement, or to call 111 if the assault has just happened. It’s interesting that the police continue to assert that they will “help [complainants] get through” in light of the extensive research that highlights how few people feel safe to report a sexual assault.

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a lengthy and invasive medical examination soon after an assault occurs is off putting at best. Rape kits, or MEKs (Medical Examination Kits) have historically been referred to by numerous acronyms and initialisms: e.g. a sexual assault kit (SAK), a sexual assault forensic evidence (SAFE) kit, a sexual assault evidence collection kit (SAECK), a sexual offense evidence collection (SOEC) kit, or a physical evidence recovery kit (PERK). However in recent years it has become known to doctors and those working in the justice system as an MEK. Basically, an MEK is the name of the collection of medical tests done to someone who is referred to a sexual assault specialist doctor. The results of these tests are compiled into one physical “kit,” an MEK. I interviewed Associate Professor Elisabeth McDonald, from the VUW law school and a driving force in the legal scholarship of sexual violence, and Dr Cathy Stephenson, a GP at VUW student health as well as a member of Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care Inc (DSAC), to demystify the process of making a complaint, and discuss the medical examination process. I talked to Elisabeth about the legal issues the survivors face when a medical exam is entered as evidence in a rape exam.

Following an assault, a survivor can either make a complaint directly to the police, where they will then be referred on for a medical examination if the assault was recent, or they can present to a medical centre first, get a medical examination done (if they so desire), and then decide whether or not to go to the police. Survivors are not obligated to make a complaint to the police after having an MEK. Rape kits were first introduced in the 1970s in America, during the height of second wave feminists’ work to propel sexual violence as a societal issue into the public psyche. They were intended to formalise the procedures surrounding the collection of evidence following a rape, to ensure that best evidence could be collected for a possible prosecution.

Some evidence can disappear within a couple of hours (e.g. date rape drugs are metabolised within a couple of hours), so the best evidence will be collected as soon as possible after the assault. Dr Stephenson is clear that the patient’s health, safety, and comfort are prioritised, and in some instances, due to the patient being too distressed, or not consenting to all of it, it is not possible for a full MEK to be done, either at all or immediately following the assault. Considering that patients have generally just undergone traumatic experiences, the patient’s consent to MEKs is extremely important: “the paramount aim is to empower the patient, and enable them to control the whole process.”

There are six doctors within the Wellington region that are trained to do an MEK. They operate on a roster so that all complainants wanting to have a MEK are able to have one done by a trained sexual assault care doctor. A kit can take anywhere from one hour to several hours, depending on how much the patient is comfortable with and how much support they need.

MEKs can include a detailed look at the patient’s skin, looking for injuries or “trace evidence” such as grass or

fabric fibres that might help locate a scene. The doctor may also take samples under their fingernails to look for mud, dirt, etc., or the assailant’s DNA if the patient has scratched them for example. Hair samples will match up with hairs that might be found at the scene, but are also important for toxicology as a range of drugs can be tracked using hair growth. This is really useful when there are instances of suspected date rape or drugs being used without the patient’s consent.

Blood samples are taken to check for alcohol levels, drugs, patient’s DNA, plus if requested a “baseline” test for STIs such as HIV and hepatitis. Urine testing for drugs is also done.

Swabs (like a cotton bud) are rolled on the skin or tissue to try and retrieve foreign DNA—found in saliva, blood, and semen. Swabs may be taken from the mouth, anywhere the patient had been touched / licked / kissed etc., any sites of injury, plus the genital and possibly anal area.

Forensic doctors will also look around and inside the genital area, primarily for any small injuries that might be there and that will help in terms of evidence. Ideally this will be done with a speculum (the instrument used for smear tests) and a good light, but in instances where patients are too distressed or sore it can be done without a speculum.

All the samples taken are collated with information written in a MEK “booklet”: a basic outline of the alleged assault, any relevant past medical information, any medications they are on, what contraception they use etc..

They also need to ask about recent sexual partners (so that their DNA can be ruled out from any sampling) as well as recent alcohol and drug use (so that voluntary intake can be eliminated from toxicology and alcohol samples).

In the booklet, the doctors draw and measure in detail any examination findings—this might be scratches, bruises, grazes etc., although often there are no injuries as such to find. This is then sealed within the kit and handed to the police who then hand it to ESR, the forensic laboratory.

The good, the bad, and the ugly: the intersection of MEKs and the justice system Although the interview with Dr Stephenson clarified that MEKs are empowering experiences for most of the people who undergo them, the success of the MEK in the criminal justice system is still limited by the restrictions of the sexual assault legislation.

The Problem with Evidence In the bulk of sexual violence cases that proceed to court, the key issue that the lawyers will be arguing is whether or not the complainant was consenting. An issue within the law is that the prosecution must show not only that the complainant did not consent to the rape but also that the defendant did not “reasonably believe” that the complainant was consenting. The idea of “reasonable belief” is where many rape trials fail. It allows juries to believe (or not believe) a defendant when they say that they believed the complainant was consenting because 20

Rape kits were first introduced in the 1970s in America, during the height of second wave feminists’ work to propel sexual violence as a societal issue into the public psyche. They were intended to formalise the procedures surrounding the collection of evidence following a rape, to ensure that best evidence could be collected for a possible prosecution.

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they had previously consented, or because they had “seemed keen” earlier in the evening. This perpetuates the continuance of rape myths around complainants “asking for it” if they are intoxicated.

The potential for lawyers of the defendant to raise doubts about the complainant’s credibility as a witness is compounded by the admittance of evidence contained within the MEK of the levels of alcohol/drugs found in the complainant’s blood at the time they presented to the DSAC doctor. Lawyers will try and get the jury to draw the inferences that the complainant was “asking for it,” either because they seemed keen / had previously consented, or that the complainant is probably not telling the truth or can’t remember the truth because they were drinking and are an unreliable witness.

In theory, according to Dr Stephenson, this information is gathered in the MEK to determine whether or not the complainant ingested substances to which they did not consent: “so that voluntary intake can be eliminated from our toxicology and alcohol samples.”

However the entire MEK report tends to be admitted into evidence, including information about the levels of alcohol or drugs that the complainant willingly consumed.

The fact that the complainant had been drinking should not impact the jury’s view of the purported guilt of the defendant. Rather, the law states that intoxication does not equate to consent. It’s not a consensual event if the complainant had previously consented to sexual activity but then got too intoxicated to consent at this instance.

Although this all-too-common scenario has previously been disregarded as “real rape,” the law is relatively clear on this issue:

the minds of the jury than to prove innocence.

Due to recent decisions in the higher courts of New Zealand section 44 of the Evidence Act, which is the sexual experience rule, is working much better than it used to in terms of excluding evidence from being admissible when it concerns the complainant’s sexual history. Elisabeth McDonald argues that the same rule should apply to information contained within MEKs about STDs. A sexually transmitted disease is clearly evidence of sexual history and hence should be excluded from being evidence in a sexual assault trial because it is covered by the sexual experience rule in section 44.

The strength of the MEK evidence will depend on the facts of the case: if the identity of the perpetrator is at issue then a positive DNA identification could be crucial.

However, as noted above, in many rape cases the issue is whether the complainant consented to the assault. Prior to a series of relatively recent cases in the higher New Zealand appeal courts, evidence of blunt force trauma / other injury could be used to show rape. The current position is different: the Court of Appeal held in the 2010 Tuhura v R case that doctors should not be asked for their opinions of whether or not the complainant was likely consenting, based on the injuries that were presented during an MEK. Dr Stephenson adds: “in our ‘forensic’ or evidentiary role, it is really important that we are objective and unbiased—so we do need to step back for that part—and analyse exactly what findings we see… not in the context of the story that we have just heard [from the complainant]. So our formal statements for court and our expert witness roles should be the same, whether we are providing them for the prosecution or the defence.”

Likewise, lack of injuries should not be considered evidence that the activity was consensual. Despite the position about complainant’s injuries being clarified in law, whether or not juries take into account injuries when making their decision about the guilt of the defendant is uncertain. The judge may direct the jury not to draw an inference from the information that there was / was not blunt force trauma present, but what happens in the jury deliberation room is kept private. Perhaps this shift away from injury = rape is in part due to a greater understanding of the bounds of consensual sex. People can consensually engage in violent sexual activity and then be raped and have no more injuries than normal, and it is not unusual for complainants to have no physical injuries at all.

S 128A: (3) “A person does not consent to sexual activity if the activity occurs while he or she is asleep or unconscious. A person does not consent to sexual activity if the activity occurs while he or she is so affected by alcohol or some other drug that he or she cannot consent or refuse to consent to the activity.”

Despite this unequivocal statement of law, there have been plenty of cases where the defendant could not be found guilty because (or in large part due to) the complainant was so drunk that they were incapable of giving consent. Moreover, the evidence of willing consumption of drugs and alcohol by the complainant can be used by the defence to invoke the idea that the complainant has bad character. This is a common way for the defence to subtly encourage the jury to assume things about the assailant, making the success of prosecution less likely. Similar information in MEKs, such as the presence of pre-existing sexually transmitted diseases, can be used by defence to further sully the reputation of the complainant, as though their character is on trial. Thus is the nature of a rape case in many instances: it is easier to sling mud against the complainant and raise doubt in

Rape myths The perpetuation of rape myths by individuals and institutions involved in the investigation, prosecution, and defence of sexual violence crimes also affects the chances of justice for survivors of sexual violence. In New Zealand police are given high levels of discretion to decide whether or not to pursue a criminal case.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that in Wellington, in this year alone, police have failed to pursue numerous cases of known rapists (one a serial rapist) due to “insufficient

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assault, there is some hope of improvements: the office of the Auditor-General has conducted two investigations into how police handle sexual assaults and gave instructions for improvement. Further, those who do undergo MEKs in New Zealand appear to be mostly happy with the process.

It doesn’t appear that New Zealand has the same issue of a backlog of rape kits as exists in other countries, and the work done by DSAC has helped to make the process as comfortable as possible for survivors.

evidence,” despite not even interviewing the alleged assailant. Yvette Tinsley, Elisabeth McDonald’s colleague at VUW Law School, released a paper in a 2011 edition of the Canterbury Law Review that said that “numerous studies have also shown that police decisions to charge or ‘no crime’ / ‘no further action’ a complaint are linked to conceptions of ‘real rape’.” It is more likely that a charge will be pursued where there is physical injury and where the rape was done by someone unknown to the complainant. Tinsley continues: “These findings often relate to the perceived credibility and responsibility of the victim. For example, police officers have been found to view victims as less credible and attribute responsibility to the victim where she was intoxicated at the time of the offence.” Research suggests that police view complainants as more credible when crying or appearing severely upset, which does not take into account the multiplicity of reactions that people have when they go through traumatic situations. Tinsley cautions the possibility that it is difficult to assess the results of the studies she cites, as they may stem from the police officer’s own beliefs, or their understanding of the likelihood of conviction, given societal rape stereotypes. Or, perhaps, a combination of the two.

Despite this, it is clear that our laws and our institutions were not predicated on the notion that those complaining of sexual assault should be believed, and the harsh penalties of a so-called-justice by virtue of a long prison sentence appear to be few and far between.

Given the prevalence of sexual assault and rape in New Zealand, incarceration of all of the assailants is an impossible and arguably meritless goal: a reformulation of justice for survivors of sexual violence remains crucial.

This is a messy and complicated system, with various possibilities for human error or a linguistic misinterpretation to drastically alter the course of a trial—this is so often the case when law intersects with human experience and behavioural myths. It’s further complicated when we examine the broader narrative of those who experience sexual assault. Research done in Australia in 2005 suggested that complainants’ decisions about proceeding with a sexual assault complaint were “heavily mediated by the police’s response” in almost one third of cases. And that a quarter of all complainants who withdraw complaints do so due to a negative perception of the criminal justice process. But change does happen; recently the “previously consistent statement rule” contained within section 43 of the Evidence Act was altered. It has enabled previously inadmissible evidence of a complainant detailing the assault / rape to someone other than a police officer soon after the event. This means that a complainant who calls a friend and tells them they’ve been raped before they go to the police can now offer that evidence to prove that they have been raped, as they had made a previously consistent statement. Before the law change, consistent statements could often not be admitted as it was deemed they would not add anything to the case.

Overall, the issues within the criminal justice system outline a bleak and murky picture of the realities that those reporting sexual assault face. These are the same issues that make it near impossible for rapists to be convicted of the crimes they have committed. Despite it being an arduous process for many survivors of sexual

For more information and where to get help The Community Law centre have a comprehensive guide on making a complaint: http://communitylaw.org.nz/ wp-content/uploads//2015/06/Rape-Survivors-LegalGuide-2011.pdf Help Wellington: http://www.wellingtonhelp.org.nz/ and their crisis number, (04) 499 7532.

Help Auckland: http://helpauckland.org.nz/ Wellington Rape Crisis: http://wellingtonrapecrisis.org.nz/ and (04) 801 8973.

Rape Prevention Education: http://rpe.co.nz/find-a-sexualassault-support-centre-near-you/ The university provides support for students who have survived sexual violence. Contact details for staff who can help is available here: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/students/ campus/health/sexual-violence

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Send your art submission to designer@salient.org.nz and be in to win a $100 Gordon Harris voucher.

Harry Culy | www.harryculy.net

Therapeutic Justice: The case for Mental Health Courts Sophie Wynn

4050%

In 2013 Amanda Bynes was accused of drunk driving whilst in the middle of a somewhat public mental breakdown. Her erratic behavior, which included throwing a bong out of a 36th floor window and tweeting that she wanted Drake to “murder my vagina,” were all symptoms of untreated bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Since she was being tried on the DUI charge in California and she was referred to the mental health division of the Los Angeles Superior Court, where it was up to a judge to decide whether or not she was fit to stand trial.

What would have happened to Bynes had she been in New Zealand? Not being a lawyer, I can only speculate.

She would have gone to the District Court. If she pleaded not guilty there is a chance she could have escaped conviction. If she had been found—or pleaded—guilty, she would be sentenced to disqualification from driving or a short prison sentence. What is missing from the hypothetical New Zealand approach to Amanda Bynes’ drunk driving escapades is any formal acknowledgement, prior to sentencing, from the Court that she is mentally ill and that this may have affected her decisions. As it stands, this goes for all offences unless there is a plea of insanity.

Does New Zealand do enough to address the role of mental illness in offending? A Radio New Zealand report in 2015 said no, New Zealand does not. The Bar Association was quoted as saying that New Zealand’s current justice system “recycles” the mentally ill through it. They offend, they get punished, the punishment ends, and then they go right back to committing another crime.

New Zealand does have some support for the mentally ill going through the justice system. There are nurses placed in police stations to assess anyone who appears to be experiencing mental health problems. In Auckland around two people per day are taken to Auckland Hospital and treated for mental health issues, rather than being detained in a jail cell. Most courts have forensic nurses in house. It is their job to establish if someone going through the court system has a mental health issue, and to refer them on to appropriate mental health services. There is also the forensic mental health units, where people already convicted and sentenced go to receive specialized care. But is this enough?

Judging by the estimated amount of mentally ill people who currently interact with the justice system on a daily basis, it is not enough. In 2012, the Mental Health Commission released Blueprint II: Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing for All New Zealanders. The report identified the prevalence of mental disorders among prisoners. 40–50 per cent of prisoners have depression.

15 per cent of male prisoners have schizophrenia. 45 per cent of prisoners have post-traumatic stress disorder.

90 per cent of prisoners are dealing with some kind of substance abuse or addiction. A 2010 report by the National Health Commission indicated that 20 per cent of inmates had “thought a lot about suicide.” In 2008, the Auditor General identified that prisoners were not getting timely access to mental health services. Last year Radio New Zealand reported that some prisoners are unable to get antipsychotic medication while in prison, with doctors being unavailable to give them the doses they need.

of prisoners in NZ have depression.

15% of male prisoners have schizophrenia

45% of prisoners have post-traumatic stress disorder

90% of prisoners are dealing with substance abuse or addiction.

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65%

Auckland University law lecturer Khylee Quince said that lawyers had shared stories over a number of years about clients who were unable to obtain medicine. It seems mentally ill people in prison are viewed as criminals, rather than criminals and patients, though Corrections would try to deny this.

There is a particular problem with mental health among young people. 65 per cent of the young people seen by Child, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) have a diagnosable mental condition. Only seven per cent have used mental health services. People who have been dealt with by CYFS at some stage in their lives make up 80 per cent of the prison population under 20. While it cannot be denied that the Youth Court is stepping in to help young people, perhaps they would benefit from more specialized mental health care.

In 2013, JustSpeak published an article in 2013 claiming that New Zealand prisons are not up the the standard outlined by the United Nations Minimum Standard Rule for the Treatment of Prisoners (1990). This standard is reflected in section 75 of the Corrections Act 2004, which states that all prisoners are entitled to receive all “reasonably necessary” medical treatment.

The Act also states that medical treatment in prison must be “reasonably equivalent to the standard of healthcare available to the general public.” This standard is not being met when it comes to mental healthcare, as shown in the Ombudsman's 2011 report on mental healthcare in prisons.

JustSpeak’s article identifies the problematic way that at-risk prisoners are dealt with. Currently, if a prisoner is seen to be at risk of suicide they are placed in an “at-risk unit.” These units are camera monitored 24/7, the cell has limited fixtures, and the prisoner is given limited clothing and bedsheets to minimise the risk of them harming themselves. People are only meant to stay in them for up to a week. A National Health Commission report found that some prisoners were kept there for months at a time. Prisoners in the unit are not allowed shoes and are given a single square of fabric for their clothing. They are isolated, not allowed fresh air, and do not receive human contact. Ti Lamusse, No Pride in Prisons spokesperson, said that based on the statistics the group received from the Department of Corrections, it appeared that people in prison commit suicide at a rate six times higher than the general population.

All of this paints an incredibly concerning picture.

People do not just go into prison and stay there forever, forgotten about. There will come a time in which the majority of people in prison will be released and have to reintegrate into society.

What would mental health courts do to support people going through the prison system? In their essence, mental health courts focus on bringing the offender out of the cycle of the justice system. Currently the role mental health plays in a person’s offending is dealt with at sentencing. A person’s mental health can be taken into

of the young people Child, Youth and Family Services see have a diagnosable mental condition.

only

7%

have used mental health services.

80% of the prison population under 20, have dealt with CYFS at some stage in their lives.

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with mental illness than to keep them in jail for three and a half years, because people were far less likely to reoffend after completing a mental health court program.

This model is being called “therapeutic justice.� Around 95 per cent of people in this study became compliant and continued to take their medication after their treatment was over.

There are plenty of other specialist courts in the country. There is no reason why a mental health court cannot be as successful in dealing with the mentally ill as the Youth Court has been in dealing with young people.

Possibly the biggest hurdle towards establishing anything like this in New Zealand would be funding. With suicide rates at a record high last year, there is frankly not enough money going into mental health as it is. It is unclear whether our government would be willing to foot the bill to get a mental health court up and running.

Thanks to court ordered mental health treatment Amanda Bynes is now doing much better. There are many other people in New Zealand, however, that are not.

While the mental health system within the criminal justice system may not yet be failing, it seems to be pretty close.

Prisoners across the country are not getting the help they need. The fact that some of them are even prisoners in the first place indicates that we may have left it too late, and these people are now destined to go in and out of the system. Mental health courts have the power to make a real difference and the Government has to be willing to put some money into it. There are many people in New Zealand like Amanda Bynes who will not receive the help they need. New Zealand does a little to help the mentally ill in prison, but not nearly enough.

account by a judge, resulting in them receiving a lesser sentence or receiving compulsory treatment instead of a sentence. At this point, however, the damage is already done. The mentally ill person is taken into the criminal justice system, where they are likely to experience a long waiting period before being seen by mental health services.

A mental health court would identify people with mental health issues at the beginning of the justice process. They would be dealt with in a separate court to regular offenders. This would ensure they were dealing with mental heath services from the outset, rather than waiting until they are already imprisoned before they can get access to help. Several jurisdictions in the US, such as Florida and California, have established mental health courts. They aim to reduce the number of people with mental health issues in the criminal justice system, stopping them from becoming further stigmatized by having a criminal conviction. Many people enter a treatment program as a result of being in the mental health court, which lasts for about a year. A judge can impose legal punishments if a person failed to comply, making the person more accountable if they do not follow the program. Instead of being punished, a person learns to deal with their illness while being monitored by people within corrections.

In the US there are criteria as to who can be seen by such a court. Usually it is people charged with misdemeanor crimes (which are usually punishable by up to one year in prison). They must have no history of violent crimes and be diagnosed with an illness under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders V. People who commit more severe crime can be seen as beyond help. However some of the more recent mental health courts, such as that in Brooklyn, NY, have started to accept people charged with felonies (punishable by more than one year in prison) into their system.

There is the obvious question as to whether or not a mental health court would actually work. Some may argue that this is just shifting the blame off of a person who has committed a crime, that it’s providing them with an excuse to escape conviction. But mental illness can be seen as a root cause, the symptom being offending. What is the point of treating only the symptom, when the root cause can be addressed at the same time? If a more holistic approach is taken to address why someone committed a crime, and then supporting that person to overcome the why, it seems logical that they are less likely to reoffend.

There is also the criticism that the reason so many mentally ill people appear in the justice system is a result of underfunding in the mental health system.

Unfortunately, this may be true.

Across the US,mental health courts seem to have had positive effects. Wasatch Mental Health, a facility in Utah, conducted a study into mental health courts. They found that it cost around $60,000 USD less to treat a person

2

people per day are taken to Auckland Hospital and treated for mental health issues rather than being detained in a jail cell.

Source for statistics: Blueprint II: Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing for All New Zealanders.

Mental Health Commission 2012.

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Single Sad Postgrad Sharon Lam

The Coldest Man In All Of Sweden uncontrollable rental bike. As her last day in Copenhagen came around, she contacted the Ice King. “Hello, I’m coming back to Stockholm tomorrow! It would be great to catch up with you before I leave,” she sent. Poor Sharon, she had no idea that the Ice King was about to reveal his frozen, lifeless heart to her! “That would’ve been great, but I’m actually on the train to Gothenburg now.”

Gothenburg! On the train! Sharon could not believe it. Her ex was fleeing Stockholm. She had flown 18,000km and he couldn’t stay put for one more day. He had Benjamin Button-ed into a big baby and was now crawling away from her at 200km per hour.

Sharon was shocked at the extremity and returned to Stockholm jaded and confused. Her memories of him as Prince Cool Guy now seemed imaginary. At least the never-ending Scandinavian dusk made for a very scenic place to sob. Picking herself up, she sought solace in nonmanchild friends, cured salmon, and modern art.

In a final message to him, Sharon eloquently and reasonably told off the Ice King for his rudeness and childishness. She then left the kingdom of Stockholm for that of Budapest, where cheap cocktails, thermal baths, and cheese-filled pastries restored her to her usual cool, fun self. She went on to live happily ever after. And as for the Ice King, he started balding and never, ever experienced true love again.

Once upon a time there was a faraway kingdom called Stockholm. Within Stockholm lived an Ice King, who was the coldest man in all the land. Long ago, before his heart froze over, he dated a super cool princess from a less faraway kingdom called Wellington. We will call her “Sharon.” Now, Sharon was planning a trip to visit several faraway places near Stockholm, and thought it would be nice to say hello to him. After all it wasn’t every day she flew halfway around the world. However, Sharon did not know that he was now the Ice King, she had only known him in his past life, as the warm-blooded Prince Cool Guy. So she got on the plane, oblivious to what lay ahead.

Upon landing Sharon felt nervous, but ready to see the Ice King after so long. They arranged to meet for dinner with a few of their other Stockholm-based friends. When Sharon arrived, the others were already there and warmly greeted her. Everyone was happy to see each other. The Ice King was the last to arrive, and acknowledged her as much as a used tissue. His new identity as the Ice King was beginning to show. He explained that he was handing in his thesis soon, hence his stress. The beautiful, kind, and understanding Sharon gave him the benefit of the doubt and told him she’d visit the kingdom of Copenhagen until he handed it in.

Sharon had a wonderful time in the Danish kingdom, eating more than her fair share of danishes and narrowly escaped death as she terrorised the streets on an

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Women's Space

Dr Feelgood

Kahu Kutia One day I decided that I should probably stop fucking my ex. But when you stop fucking your ex you stop fucking in general, and this is when the sexual void in my life emerged. I no longer had my quite regular bonking opportunities.

In order to fill this new void, I decided to install some dating apps. Of course, I started with Tinder—the classic, the comforting, Tinder. Tinder has been there for me since 2015, coming through with some successful casual dating and a few bonks in between.

I acquired my first post-relationship bonk via Tinder.

It was okay. The main issue being that ~whiskey dick~ is a thing when it shouldn’t be. They did go down on me though, called me a naughty girl, spanked my butt, and didn’t mind my hairy legs. I never saw them again.

Bonk rating: 6/10

I’m sure many of you saw the recent Vice article that said that New Zealand is the most ignorant country in the world. Our own perceptions are dramatically different to the actual reality of life in New Zealand. We believe we have achieved justice, that we have ascended to a rank of superiority over other ‘less developed’ countries.

This misguided belief tells us that as an entity, we are at that level; that our citizens are all great, and free, and healthy. Sure, if you are a middle/upper-class cis able-bodied white person in New Zealand chances are that you have it pretty good. The system benefits you, and in most respects, you have experienced justice. But this misguided belief creates passive citizens.

It is a very ‘white feminist’ thing to perpetuate this kind of celebration of justice. I definitely think discussions around things like gender pay gaps in Western countries are good to talk about. These are the kinds of things ur #fave white feminists Taylor Swift and Lena Dunham etc. are pushing. But I worry that in making these issues a point of dominance, we are ignoring other issues. For women of colour, trans women, disabled women, and many others, there are problems that are so much more pressing. We’ve all heard of the ‘He for She’ campaign, but how many of us have heard of the work of activist group ‘No Pride in Prisons’?

As a brown girl, it’s frustrating to have white women tell me how ‘great’ Māori have it—how it’s so good that my culture has achieved justice in New Zealand. If you are not affected by a particular kind of oppression, chances are that you are completely ignorant of how it affects and disadvantages others. When you are talking with someone about a kind of oppression that affects them and not you, it’s so important that you take the time to listen, and try to understand their own experience. If we want Vice to stop writing articles ridiculing us, this seems like a great first step.

My second bonk was with another dude from Tinder. I invited him over to my place at 3am. I was hoping that I could get some actual bonk this time. They were quite yummy, had a nice daddy-esque chest and big arms to hold me down. This has probably been the best bonk so far, their beautiful eggplant really knew how to hit it and I came while on top. I am yet to meet this dude again for another bonk but I’m growing impatient.

Bonk rating: 7.2/10 Another dating app I have recently discovered is Bumble.

Bumble is very cute and it only lets the women message the dudes first. This gave me power, I ran that shit. From Bumble, I encountered my third bonk. The guy lived in a studio apartment (which sounds much more glamorous than it really was). He paid for my uber over at 1am. The bonk was ehhh. The only position that could make him cum was the position that made me feel like he might as well be fucking my armpit. He did know how to foreplay though. The main downside was that he had the exact same voice as a friend I know, so that was a bit of a turn-off.

Bonk rating: 3.7/10 I’m always on the hunt for new bonking opportunities.

Contact the Salient editors to make an appointment with me.

Sincerely, Kim K’s biggest Wellington Fan. xoxo.

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Postgraduate Connection

Being Well

Marta Simonetti

Catherine Nelson

If you ask postgraduates, within the relatively small context of our university, about the broad theme of justice you will get a very diverse tangle of issues and perspectives. While I had this in mind, I could not help but wander off from the small context of Victoria, and also New Zealand, to the brutal reality of the ‘outer world’.

The recent terrorist attacks, and the innumerable events that seem to threaten ‘justice’ and human rights, have made me think about how beautiful this place is. It is ‘beautiful’ in the sense of locus amoenus: an immaculate place, isolated from a corrupt world. Well, in some aspects—to someone who has travelled —this holds true. This stresses that our perception of justice and injustice can always be scaled accordingly to context.

By digressing I did not mean to diminish the importance of our postgraduate experience. As a matter of fact, I read a sentence on the dreadful international news columns that can be transferred to postgraduates: when something bad happens, more than despair, one should avoid fatalism.

I believe it is essential to always report, both minor and major, individual and collective, experiences of unfair treatment. From my survey, dissatisfaction has been expressed with a variety of issues. Here’s a sample: for some of you it is the lack of transparency of the services offered—hidden fees for international students; for others it is the crowded office space which affects the quality of research and supervision. I would have liked to be in charge of a project that assesses how much of these negative experiences are reported and how much has been done by the university to fix these problems. But in the meantime, I’d like to invite you to get in touch with the relevant offices of the university, or get in touch with the PGSA as a starting point. We are always keen to help you improve your experience at Victoria.

(You can contact the PGSA at pgsa@vuw.ac.nz)

After the United States and Mexico, New Zealand has the highest rate of obesity in the OECD. Of the ten countries in the world with the highest proportion of people classified as obese, nine are located in the Pacific. When I started nursing in the 1980s the obesity rate in New Zealand was 11%. The current obesity rate for people aged 15 and older is 31%.

The health impacts of obesity include the early onset of heart disease, the development of some types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. These diseases are life altering not just for the person who develops them but also for their family and friends. Unfortunately these diseases can cause serious health complications including premature death.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are strongly linked.

There are more than 257,000 people living with type 2 diabetes in New Zealand. Dr Robyn Toomath, Endocrinologist and Clinical Director of General Medicine at Auckland Hospital, has encouraged the development of environments that make it easier to remain healthy. In a recent interview in North and South, Dr Toomath said she was motivated to do this because she was “…was enraged and driven especially seeing teenagers with type 2 diabetes.”

In my nursing role at Student Health I have worked with students as young as 18 who have type 2 diabetes.

This is hard to believe - when I started nursing, type 2 diabetes was a condition people developed towards the end of their lives, not when they were still at school or studying at university.

What has happened in New Zealand since the 1980s leading to the increase in obesity rates? We’ve seen an increased availability of energy dense, but nutrient poor, foods and drinks, aggressive targeted advertising, an increase in the consumption of sugary drinks, and people leading more sedentary lives. It is not fair that people are suffering poor health and dying earlier due to obesity.

Many institutions advocate for policy and environmental change rather than individual change.

This is because it is difficult to make healthy choices when we are surrounded by unhealthy options. What changes would you like see to assist you, your friends, and your family to live longer and healthier lives?

Student Health is keen to hear ideas about ways of improving food and drink environments and would welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Please email them to student-health@vuw.ac.nz.

Upcoming events Watch the 3-Minute Thesis Competition Faculty Rounds at 12pm from August 8–12 , and the Finals at 12pm on Friday, August 19, in the Hunter Council Chambers. More info here: http://bit.ly/3MThesis2016.

Registrations for the Research Excellence Awards close September 23. Enter to win funding for your research: http://bit.ly/VUWREA. 32

Brodie Helps You Figure It Out Token Cripple

Brodie Fraser Welcome back to the second trimester I hope you all had wonderful relaxing breaks. If you’re like me, you might be optimistic coming into trimester two: planning to stay on top of readings and assignments, and generally just being a bit organised. Without fail, I go through this process every single trimester. So here’s a few study habits I’ve picked up that help me stay organised.

Henrietta Bollinger Over the break we had a win. Kiwi Robert Martin became the first person with a learning (intellectual) disability to be appointed to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, saying “people with a learning disability can do anything if they have the opportunities.” About time! My happiness was tempered by the fact that in 2016 there are two worlds for people with disabilities. Disabilities Rights Commissioner, Paul Gibson, celebrated the appointment: “[Robert] smashed through the ceilings and walls of the institutions that kept him locked away for most of his early years.”

However morale raising this is, Gibson also knows the fight is not over as the commission has been awarded funding by the UN High Commission to investigate the use of restraint and seclusion, (read solitary confinement), in New Zealand.

One of the cases prompting this is that of Ashley Peacock, a man with autism and mental illness who spends around 22 hours a day in seclusion. He has experienced similar treatment for the past five years— conditions have only served to make things worse for him. The result of two parallel life-long struggles, Robert Martin takes up his post and Ashley Peacock will finally have his case heard in the High Court. It occurs to me that their marked difference in circumstance is rooted in the recognition of their personhood.

When Sam Lotu-Ilga responded to Kevin Hague in parliament about Ashley’s mistreatment he characterized Ashley as violent and a danger to others, without fully acknowledging the complexity of his needs. The suggestion of danger seems to be a convenient way to disengage with the way the system has failed a man described by his parents as gentle and sensitive in a context where he is not experiencing sensory overload.

Ashley himself has, reportedly, been overcome at the rare opportunities he is given to do “what normal people do.”

If we are truly striving for the social inclusion of all people with disabilities it seems a wonder that we only include those for whom the social world is unthreatening and simple to navigate and we find this acceptable.

Go to lectures and tutorials.

This is pretty self-explanatory, going to classes helps you know the content better.

Learn how to do your readings.

You don’t need to read every single word of all your readings! Learn to skim read. Start by reading the abstract and headings, then the intro and conclusion, and skim the main points. If there’s anything particularly relevant to your assignments or classes, read those parts in full. It also helps stay on top of things if you find some friends in your classes and divvy up the readings, then meet each week to share what you’ve read.

Start assignments early.

Throughout undergrad I started most assignments at least two weeks early. I work out how many days I have to write the essay and how much I have to write each day to get it written in time. This makes staring at an empty word document a lot less daunting! Also, nothing good gets written after 10pm. Just get some sleep, and start afresh the next day—coherent essays are likely to do a lot better than a whole lotta bullshit written at 3am.

Utilise the library.

The library is the bee’s knees, y’all. They have so many great resources that can help you. Whether it’s help with research from your subject librarian, booking study rooms to work on assignments with friends, or simply utilising the massive array of books and journals—the library has your back.

Seek help when you need it.

This is so important! The uni has a lot of support systems in place that can help you out. Lecturers and tutors are always willing to assist you, student support services and mentoring programmes can help with assignments, and student health’s doctors and counsellors look after your wellbeing. We all want you to succeed!

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Notices Notice of VUWSA AGM Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association Te Rōpū Tauira o te Kura Wānanga o te Upoko ō te Ika a Maui Inc will hold its 2016 Annual General Meeting at 1pm on Wednesday 10 August in the Hub. Notice of proposed amendment to the Executive Membership Statute At the Executive meeting on the 22nd of July 2016 the VUWSA Executive passed a resolution proposing an amendment to the Executive Membership Statute.

As per Part IX, Section 3, Clause 4(a) of the VUWSA Constitution, this is notice the proposed change be made: Clause 2.2(b) be changed to read "Four quarterly reports;" Any feedback on this proposed amendment can be submitted to associationsecretary@vuwsa.org. nz and will be circulated to the Executive prior to the next Executive meeting where a confirming resolution will be voted upon.

Delicious, organic herbal tea tasting Sample the range of Libertine Blends at Vic Books Kelburn: 2.30pm - 3.30pm Thursday 4th August Pipitea: 2.00pm - 3.30pm Monday 8th August

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Careers and Employment present Careers in Focus. Wednesday 10 August KK 303 & Foyer 5.30 – 7.30pm Victoria graduates share their experiences working in the private and public sector. Meet and talk with a wide range of employers.

- What makes Humanities and Social Sciences graduates so employable?

- What are employers looking for?

- How can I prepare for work?

Refreshments provided. Don’t miss out on this great chance to network.

Book now on CareerHub careerhub.vuw.ac.nz .

Letters Sorry Dear Editor, I am frankly disgusted by the comment in the issue of Salient on the 18th of July that Cops are "going down."

Only eleven days after the horrific attack in Dallas wherein five officers were murdered while trying to do their duty, and protect their community, you have the total lack of respect to publish this comment. I would like to see an apology for this disgusting comment published in your next issue, and in line with any honest and accountable media outlet, you should give the retraction equal standing to the original comment.

Regards, Police Fangirl

The Arts Section 36 Food 37

Visual Arts

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Music

39 Music 40 Film 41 Film 42

Games

43 TV 44

Books

45 Theatre

The Arts Section is sponsored by:

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Kate Morten

Food

Toasted coconut & mustard seed slaw

If you’ve ever felt the need for an accompaniment to your Rick Stein’s India inspired curry night that isn’t brown, beige, yellow, or orange, this is the salad for you. The final instalment of the recipes created in my own kitchen (from here on out it’s going to be a series of recipes for whatever I can dubiously cobble together in an ill-equipped Airbnb kitchen while I fanny around Europe), this salad is the business. It knocks all of those sad three cherry tomato / dry cucumber slivers / massive bits of raw onion numbers out of the park, so your beige curry meal guilt can be assuaged in mad delicious style.

½ red cabbage, shredded finely ½ white cabbage, shredded finely 1 red onion, sliced thin & soaked in the juice of two limes for 30 minutes 2 red peppers, sliced thinly 1 handful fresh coriander 2 fresh red chillis, sliced thinly

¼ cup dried curry leaves 2 tbsp black mustard seeds 1 tbsp ground turmeric 1 cup coconut chips Zest and juice of two lemons Salt & pepper, to taste

Toss the cabbage, lime-pickled onion, peppers, chilli and coriander together in a bowl. Heat some neutral oil in a frying pan and add the mustard seeds, turmeric, and curry leaves, and fry gently until fragrant. Add the coconut chips and fry until golden. Leave to cool, then toss through the salad (though save a little for garnish) with some salt, pepper, and the zest and juice of the lemons.

Serve garnished with extra coriander and coconut chips.

Perfect with a curry!

36

Social Justice in the Justice System— Art as a catalyst for change

communities. This is people-centric art. Art that mutually benefits the maker and the audience. The work is both beautiful and inclusive, social and aesthetic. It is not one art object, but the sum total of its parts: the people, the events, the social initiatives, and the community engagement. One whole social artwork. I propose that it is more art than any art I could find in a gallery in Wellington.

Although you don’t have to look too far elsewhere in Wellington to find projects working for social justice.

Like I say, you just probably won’t find it in the galleries is all. Peoples Coffee’s Arohata Project is one near and dear to me. The Arohata Project was initiated by Peoples Coffee owner Matt Lamason and it started in 2013 with a comprehensive barista training course at the Arohata Women’s Prison. The vision being that there would be the capacity to grow the project to the point where prisoners being released would leave with the means to be able to find meaningful employment with the hopes of aiding rehabilitation and reintegration. Three years later and they are still working hard at it, with Lauren Tennent on the ground training at Arohata, as well as working closely with Matt to build the project and grow its impact.

Imagine a program that could train prisoners whilst in prison, then on release be able to offer further training, support, and the potential for meaningful employment and reintegration. Not just with coffee, but with anything! I have been thinking about all sorts of industries that could use this model in a way that would be mutually beneficial for the industry and our society. The quicker we kick the prejudices towards prisoners, the quicker and easier reintegration becomes.

I think that art—and I do think about these projects as art—can be a real catalyst for change. Especially when it is taking real-world steps to making a difference on both an individual and a public level. Certainly these projects are not specifically artworks, but they do operate in all of the ways that art intends to. They engage and improve the audience’s quality of life, they bring people together, they educate, they encourage community, and they challenge and / or reflect our society. Where there is art for art’s sake, I say this is art for people’s sake. Social justice for the win.

Visual Arts

There are some radical things going on around the world.

People, artists, communities, and organisations seem to produce some of the best work when they are stuck staring at the face of adversity. I wonder if the social projects that come out of this adversity are more art than art?

One such radical thing is a project that was established the year I was born—serendipitous I reckon, 1993— in Houston’s North Ward district called Project Row Houses (PRH). This project was founded by artist and community activist Rick Lowe. They sought to establish a positive, creative, and transformative presence in this historic community. Inspired by American artist Dr John Biggers and the German artist Josef Beuys, PRH is a unique experiment in activating the intersections between art, historic preservation, affordable and innovative housing, community relations and development, neighborhood revitalization, and human empowerment.

PRH was conceptualised and realised as the community was on the verge of demolition. The City of Houston had slated an entire row of housing for demolition with no plan to re-house the residents. Artist Rick Lowe managed to purchase the row of housing before demolition began, convincing an over 500 strong group of volunteers to immediately start work on the houses and neighbourhood. The vision was to restore the houses to retain the architecture as part of the social fabric of that neighbourhood’s African-American history and culture.

As a physical asset, the row has played a crucial role in the revitalisation of the community, all before taking into account the individual projects that have been undertaken within the active, creative, and community spaces. They cleaned streets, painted facades, renovated interiors. The volunteers of this project re-established a foundation on which a strong and sustainable community could be built.

PRH gained funding, and with an initial 20 houses built a vibrant campus of galleries, artist residencies, commercial spaces, gardens, and subsidised housing and childcare for young mothers looking to advantage themselves. The project continues to grow as it receives more and more funding, already having doubled the number of houses owned to 40+. This is all I want my art to do! To take arts funding and use it for good! To propose alternative ideas, histories, and ways of sustaining

Robbie Whyte

Who’s covering who?

Plastic EP Release NZ Tour

Review by Jazz Kane

Interview by Harri Robinson

Melbourne based band Plastic will be hitting our shores for three shows in Auckland and Wellington. The boys are no strangers to New Zealand, and in fact the majority of them can call Auckland their hometown. We caught up with them ahead of their tour to chat about butter chicken pies and what to expect since they’ve been across the ditch.

Music

I know ¾ of you are originally from Auckland, what has the biggest change been for you moving to Melbourne?

Our tolerance for 40 degree days.

You started out as a more folk-based group called Five Mile Town. What was the basis for changing your project?

To put it briefly, I guess we just started a new band because we weren’t Five Mile Town anymore, and none of the music we wanted to write reflected anything (we felt) we had done before. A new band needs a new band name right?

Drax Project, a Wellington based four piece, started off with just two members: Shaan Singh on saxophone and Matt Beachen on drums. Add Sam Thomson (bass) and Ben O’leary (guitar), a Universal label sign, and handfuls of gigs around the country (including opening for Gorillaz, SBTRKT, and a crazy EP release gig at Te Papa) and you’ll understand why I had to go and see what’s so intoxicating about them.

On one level, Drax Project play indie pop with hip hop backbeats. But the complexity of their music sonically and harmonically and the level of finesse required to create such a balance comes from professional musicians and producers who possess incredible textural understanding.

Though Drax Project started out as a covers band, their original music stood out from what they cover, and had the crowd repeating the lyrics throughout the entire night. Undoubtedly the best part was their ability to break down their songs into their constituent parts to create a build-up, and every member had an opportunity to display their ability. The audience screamed and shouted as soon as Shaan picked up his saxophone, and Drax Project knew exactly when to work the crowd, each musician performed solos at the peak of the song.

Moments when the music was devoid of lyrics were naturally when Drax Project was most free and the crowd loved to lose themselves not in the complex musical material, with a well balanced mix of danceable beats, hip hop, pop, jazz, and alternative music. This unconventional blend translates incredibly well live and Drax have curated a career of live performances from it.

Drax have established their recorded music and they successfully translate live. That they played yet another new song in their encore shows they aren’t going away anytime soon.

This is your first time back in New Zealand since you moved to Melbourne, how do you think Melbourne has influenced your live sound?

I’d say almost not at all. The bigger influence has just been growing as musicians and people. Melbourne is just where we’ve been while that’s been happening.

Tell us about any projects on the horizon, can we expect an album after this tour?

Our next album is going to be 3D printed. Expect a pop up gallery tour in the sea-scout halls of NZ coastal towns maybe. Either way I’m sure something plastic is next right?

What’s the best thing been about playing live for you guys?

Packing down our equipment and being too tired to party afterwards, we’re getting really good at that.

What are you all most excited for on this tour?

In alphabetical order: Almost breaking even.

Butter chicken pies from Wild Bean Cafes down State Highway One. Everything else If you could curate your own music festival line-up, who would you want to play and why?

Deerhoof playing their entire 14 album discography.

That’s the full line up; no other bands.

Be sure to check out Plastic’s EP Release tour date at MOON on August 4.

38

Everybody Looking Gucci Mane 5/5 Review by Ravenous Man

There aren’t many artists out there who command as much respect, as much reverence, as Gucci Mane. Miraculously dodging a murder charge in 2005 due to insufficient evidence, and with twelve other charges to his name he is an unlikely role model. Perhaps one of the only things more impressive than the length of his rap sheet (see what I did there) is his absolutely massive discography. His nine studio albums, 18 digital albums (a slightly higher quality mixtape that is often charged for), 49 mixtapes, and a soundtrack speak volumes for his work ethic. One legend claims on the day of his release Gucci travelled straight to the studio where he recorded six songs, before attending a party that evening.

This work ethic has been reflected in his latest release.

Since Gucci has been out of jail he’s managed to record an entirely new album that reflects how, maybe this time, he really has no intention of returning ever again. Everybody Looking is a turning point for Gucci. For the first time in his life, he looks healthy. The first time I saw his video for “Guwop Home”, I wouldn’t have recognized him if it wasn’t for his distinctive facial tattoo. He’s lost so much weight, he sounds different, and yet his trademark flourishes; his uncommon flow, remains.

More than anything else his new verses are filled with a hunger, a mad desperation to get his message across.

With sparse but huge features from Kanye, Drake, and Young Thug, Gucci flexes his influence and helps deliver some incredibly potent verses.

Before we can even begin to discuss why this is such an important album for the southern rap scene, it’s important to discuss just how influential Gucci is to the scene and that rap genre as a whole. His style, something he’s cultivated since 2005, has been a huge factor in the way other artists rap. Without Gucci people like Young Thug and Waka Flocka wouldn’t exist. His incredibly early adoption of producers Zaytoven and Mike Will Made It has helped propel them into successful positions and played a part in the way trap-style beats are used in modern rap. He helped shape the Atlanta sound of the 39

Music

early 2000s, a sound that has been entering the wider pop scene in recent years.

It is this sense of deification that’s been kept in mind with this album. Gucci recognizes his influence not only towards other musicians but to the wider community as a whole. “1st Day Out Tha Feds” muses on his prior actions, and the influence they have had on those close to him: “I did some things to some people that was down right evil / Is it karma coming back to me, so much drama / My own mama turned her back on me, and that’s my mama / I lost three people close to me in one summer.”

Yet despite this subtle shift in subject matter and heightened awareness of his own actions, Gucci manages to create an album that those in the wider Atlanta community can relate to. He speaks to the young, urbanized, downtrodden, and marginalized African American inhabitants of the South: those who see drug dealing as a legitimate escape from the unfair situation they have been dealt by society.

Now that Gucci is not glorifying his drug selling past as heavily as he used to, it would be fair to assume that the quality of his output has degraded. Intoxication and art have gone hand in hand for a long time, with artists like Bowie, Winehouse, and Cobain producing some of their best work under the influence. It’s a staple subject matter for a huge number of artists, and some have commented that the glorification of dealing in rap is a social issue.

It’s important to note that they exist as some use it as an excuse to delegitimize the genre.

But this is by far the best Gucci album I have ever heard. There’s a fervent respect for the empire that he has helped to create, but a determined attempt to make something that helps point out the downsides of the lifestyle it glorifies without sounding condescending or fake.

This is not something I will ever be able to accurately comment on. While I can speculate, this is not an album that was made for me. I’m a white guy who grew up in New Zealand. Our life experiences, our situations, are worlds apart. It’s a situation that very, very few reading this review—shit, this magazine—will ever be able to relate to, and that’s perhaps what makes it so important.

Instead of trying to change the world, he’s trying to make music that speaks to those who need it most, and he makes it sound fucking good while he’s at it.

Unlike my usual style of linking food to music, I chose not to do so for this review after hearing multiple commentators dismiss this album. I believe it denotes a subtle turning point in the Atlanta rap scene, and the wider rap industry as a whole, and so I will do my best to comment on why I believe it to be the case.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

The Purge: Election Year Director: James DeMonaco 3/5

Director: Jake Szymanski 2.5/5

Review by Benjamin Lister

Film

Review by James Keane

While mostly watchable, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates neglects basic elements of plot in favour of inconsistent jokes and familiar ‘comedic’ routines, resulting in a flat, un-progressive, and un-funny story. The set-up is that Zac Efron and Adam DeVine play brothers (and partners in finance) who become the embarrassment of their immediate family because they effectively ruin every social gathering through heavy partying. On the condition that they must bring dates to their sister’s wedding so they can attend, they cross paths with two women arguably more destructive than they are (Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick), both of whom play it coy so that they get a free trip to Hawaii, where the plot can then spend the rest of its time indulging in shenanigans, misunderstandings, and fuck-ups.

The movie does subvert some expectations and the duration of the film is not spent waiting for the two leads to find the ‘ideal dates’ before the wedding. This brings a sort of farcical quality to the events, seeing as the two dates are effectively lying to the main characters about themselves. Both sets of leads actually work well with each other, and the better moments in the film come from their interactions, which seem improvised and natural. In comparison, the main jokes just seem to fall flat when they occur: for example, watching someone getting hurt or finding them in a compromising situation just feels cringeworthy. Also like most other American comedies, there is a pervading sense of the film’s setting being used as a contributing factor in its creation. When Jurassic Park’s filming location is both explicitly mentioned and factored into the plot, expect seeing a written cheque to Universal Pictures rather than a dinosaur.

Overall, it’s a mixed bag in its results. It shows that at times even DeVine’s exasperated, shrieking performance can make or break a scene.

The Purge series owes its success to one central and abused concept: one night a year all crime, including murder, is legal, making viewers consider what they might do in a similar situation. The first film, the cinematic equivalent of untapped potential, did little to explore this concept, opting for a fairly standard home ­invasion thriller. Its sequel is widely considered an improvement, expanding the world in which these films take place and peppering it with social commentary, but still left much to be desired. All this brings us to The Purge: Election Year.

In an attempt to be relevant in our current political and social landscape (the tagline is “Keep America Great,” sound familiar?), franchise director James DeMonaco doubles down on the social commentary of the previous film, centering the story on independent presidential hopeful Charlie Roan who is determined to end the violent ‘holiday’ that is Purge. When her opposition attempts to target her, it is up to returning character Leo Barnes to help her survive the purge night. While the heavy­handed political allegory is an interesting element in the story, it is never fully effective, instead often feeling like little more than a set-up for more of the violence and mayhem the franchise is known for.

The main place where Election Year excels in the franchise is its characters. Unlike past Purge films, Election Year gives us characters that we actually root for, and dare I say, at times actually give the story emotional weight.

Most of this success is attributed to the newest cast members, specifically the always-entertaining Elizabeth Mitchell, who manages to create a solid sympathetic character out of what little she is given to work with. It’s a shame the same can’t be said for Frank Grillo’s Leo Barnes, one of the highlights of the previous films, but this can be attributed to a perceived lack of motivation for his character.

The point here is that Election Year isn’t going to bring in much of a new audience to the franchise but if you are looking to indulge in some of the violence and mayhem purge night is known for, you’ve come to the right place.

40

Director: Paul Feig 2.5/5 Review by Livné Ore

The last sentence in my previous article about Ghostbusters (2016) is haunting my ass.

Ghostbusters, directed by Paul Feig, stars SNL comedy actresses Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, comedian Melissa McCarthy, as well as Chris Hemsworth in the re-incarnation of the 1984 cult classic Ghostbusters.

The characters take the form of a Dr Erin Gilbert of Columbia University, Patty Tolan, an MTA worker, Dr Jillian Holtzmann, an eccentric engineer, and paranormal scientist Abby Yates. And of course, Kevin, the secretary.

The film is also replete with cameos from multiple cast members from the original Ghostbusters—Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts, Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson.

The film starts with Dr Gilbert up for academic tenure, however this is suddenly implicated by the re-print of a ‘paranormal’ book written years earlier by herself and childhood friend Abby Yates. The event reluctantly draws Dr Gilbert back into paranormal research and investigation once more. Following a jump in ghost activity due to occultist Rowan North (Neil Casey), the Ghostbusters (including Dr Gilbert) soon band together to stop the imminent paranormal invasion of Manhattan.

There were moments like the Ghostbusters’ logo being spray-painted on a train-station wall, or the way that Patty joined the team, that were predictable and you could see coming, but were just as enjoyable to watch being realised. There were some cool effects, some fancy gadgets, some neat music, some nice call-backs to the original. But overall, the film was entirely uninspiring.

41

Film

The plot was just… lacking. The motivations driving the behaviour of Rowan, an off-beat occulist who falsely recognises a spike in paranormal activity, were never properly explained—beyond a clichéd need for revenge due to perceived mistreatment. They didn’t seem legitimate to me. Additionally, he completely changed personality as soon as he got into Kevin’s body, in a way that was neither justified nor executed plausibly. It wasn’t that Kevin’s personality was slowly infecting him, which could’ve been an interesting and potentially comical struggle to watch. And it wasn’t that he was just showing a different facet of his nature; instead it was an abrupt, unexplained, and complete shift in temperament.

It would have been more accurate to have more ethnic diversity in the cast, among the scientists and otherwise.

However, I don’t think that in order to do so Paul Feig should sacrifice Leslie Jones’ character, because she was fantastic. The problem is that by reducing representation to only a few roles, characters have to somehow be emblematic of an entire race, which resorts to basic stereotyping and ignores their individual complexity. We should be able to have more than one character of colour, you know? And they should be seen in jobs as various as air traffic controller to president, because that is a true reflection of reality.

Just because objectifying women is off the table doesn’t mean we need to introduce an appealing and dumb male secretary for the women to ogle. While some of the gags were amusing, in my opinion it was taken too far: there’s subverting the male gaze, and then there’s undermining your position by disregarding that men are also dehumanised as sex-objects enough already.

If doing justice to the original meant a film with a washed-out plot, and a call back to the original tech with a shiny modernised twist, then Ghostbusters achieved its purpose. But there wasn’t any bold storytelling, but in the end the film didn’t deserve all the controversy it has received (and the actresses certainly don’t deserve hate for taking the job).

Ghostbusters (2016)

Skins

Games

Review by Cameron Gray

The real controversy over skin gambling began in early July when it was revealed two YouTubers, Tom “ProSyndicate” Cassell and Trevor “TmarTn” Martin, were the co-owners of a skin gambling website, one which they had used and promoted to their audience with absolutely no disclosure. I cannot begin to tell you how angry this makes me. These guys were admired by millions of impressionable young people, which places them in a position of trust. These scumbags were more than willing to betray that trust to squeeze a bit more money out of their fans, and in doing so crossed numerous boundaries.

They used their knowledge of the site’s backend to manipulate their winnings. They outright lied and said they were just sponsored by the site. They got young people to think gambling skins was not only okay, but it was a fun and easy way to make money!

Excuse me while I prepare to spit some bile.

Fuck these guys. Fuck them and their lying, manipulative, money-grubbing, criminal arses. I hope the law comes down hard on these gutless fucks, making it crystal clear that if you manipulate your audience like them you’ll get what’s coming to you.

Valve has since issued numerous cease-and-desist notices to most skin gambling sites, hopefully ending this black market for good, but it’s too late. This whole economy should never have been allowed to happen, let alone become a series of successful enterprises. Who knows how many poor kids have wasted their money on it.

I think it’s appropriate to end on the words of former Napier Boys’ High headmaster Ross Brown, who once told me, “I never make promises I can't keep and bets I can't pay” Damn straight.

Valve Corporation is a company that seems to be almost universally admired in spite of all the mistakes they make.

Making consistently high quality games and offering incredible discounts on a store filled with almost every game imaginable is certainly a good way to get in the good books of gamers, but trust is not easily gained and is very easily lost. The latest controversy involving a Valve product is starting to make me wonder whether Gabe Newell really knows what’s happening at his company, or if he’s so high up the ivory tower that he simply doesn’t care.

So, for the uninitiated: Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a massively popular competitive FPS by Valve.

The game has a loot drop system, where during gameplay a crate containing a skin for an in-game weapon of varying rarity will drop randomly. After paying a micro-transaction (boo) to unlock the crate, you can then use the Steam Marketplace to trade skins with other users for Steam store credit, with some worth the equivalent thousands of dollars. The virtual economy surrounding skins led to them being used as currency, with third party sites using Steam’s API enabling players to cash out skins for real money or, most famously, gamble with them. Just put up some skins into a pot and if your number comes up you win the lot.

The thing is, CS:GO is quite popular with kids and teenagers: when it comes to gambling having kids involved is not only illegal, it is abhorrent. There may be those out there that say skin gambling is OK because there’s no real money involved, but if some kid uses mummy’s credit card to buy skins and gambles away all of them, there’s a real loss there.

42

Stranger Things, Season One 5/5

Review by Katie Meadows

43

TV

with an underlying sense of uneasiness as reality is blurred with the sinister world of the Upside-Down. Beautifully atmospheric, one of the most gripping scenes sees a distraught Joyce set up a ouija board of fairy lights across her wall in an attempt to communicate with her lost son, creating an instantly iconic image for science fiction to come.

If I’m being honest, there is not a single thing I don’t love about this show. I know I give a lot of pretty positive reviews, but that’s because I’m obsessed with television and familiar enough with my own tastes that I know when something is going to be worth my time watching.

Stranger Things is a perfect show. The acting is amazing, assembling the best youth cast since Freaks and Geeks, with the standout being Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven who will blow your mind harder than her mind can blow up trucks. Seeing Winona Ryder again is wonderful after what seemed like her semi-blacklisting for a little bit of shoplifting and she is very compelling if a little one-note as Will’s frantic mother. The soundtrack is phenomenal, from the eerie synth-y opening theme to the heartbreaking uses of Joy Division's “Atmosphere” and a Peter Gabriel cover of “Heroes” by Bowie. For a show that is so upfront about being an homage to particular 80s classics it never seems like it is rehashing anything or trying too hard. Best of all, Stranger Things reminds you of being young and being curious and staying up really late getting lost in a fantasy book. I want to get lost in the world of Stranger Things and for a moment there I did, and I promise you will find yourself craving even more strange happenings at the end of this brilliant first season.

In small town Indiana, 1983, twelve year old Will Byers mysteriously vanishes into thin air. His mother Joyce and brother Jonathan seek help from the town’s pill-popping chief of police, Jim Hopper—jaded since the death of his own young daughter. Will’s best friends, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, desperate to find their friend and spurred on by a love of comic books and mystery novels, set out on their own to find Will and come across a young girl alone in the woods, dressed in a bedraggled hospital gown with her head shaved. After the boys take her home to Mike’s basement, she recognizes a photo of Will and though near-mute indicates to knowing where he is. Known only as Eleven after the number tattooed on her wrist, the boys discover that she possesses amazing supernatural powers and that someone or something is out to get her, and it is a race against time for everyone to find Will before whatever it is gets them too.

While watching Stranger Things you can tell its creators, the Duffer Brothers, are genuinely passionate about what they’re doing and intend it to be a love letter to the films they grew up with—the references are plentiful, to E.T., The Goonies, Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind, and Stephen King novels among others. In interviews they talk fondly of wanting to inspire all the emotions that come with 80s adventure and paranormal classics, and I feel like they hit the nail on the head with everything that they sought to achieve. Stranger Things is defined by its warmth and its willingness to believe in incredible things, instilling a sense of childlike wonder and awe in the viewer as we watch and learn through the eyes of a group of Dungeons and Dragons obsessed tweens,

Ruins

deleted scenes for lovers

Review by Kimberley McIvor

Review by Cassie Richards

Books

Author: Rajith Savanadasa Publisher: Hachette 3/5

Author: Tracey Slaughter Publisher: Victoria University Press 4/5

Domestic, contemporary New Zealand is bleak and gritty in this collection of short stories from Tracey Slaughter.

With a keen eye for detail, she observes and dissects places that we will all be able to recognise.

Consider the opening scene of the story “the next stop”: “There were maybe five vinyl chairs, or seven, to wait on between the counter and the corner. Orange, with black metal legs, and if you sat down on them you’d feel fish and chip grease suck up to your thighs… You wouldn’t want to even pick up those thin, oily mags, but you’d probably get desperate not to stare into space at some point.” Sound familiar?

These stories are not lovely. In “note left on a window” a young woman camps out in the ramshackle caravan where her boyfriend took his life. In “consent” a young girl is groomed and abused by an older man. “go home, stay home” observes the adult world of a house party, filled with sleazy men and desperate women. Throughout the collection lurks the problem of class—how we are restrained by it, how we cannot truly leave our pasts behind. Children are mingled in with these adult worlds, taken places they shouldn’t be. Slaughter is drawn to scenes of discontent, even misery, and reading more than one at a time is a hard slog. You’ll need to take a break, sit back, and let the quiet tragedy sink in.

It would be easy to feel depressed by these stories, as largely they deal with fraught relationships and the ways in which people can be ugly towards one another. That’s not to say, however, that they are not worth your time.

These are the realities of ‘middling’ middle New Zealand, and while Slaughter does not hold back on the bleakness, there are moments of hopefulness and heart, too. Her command of language is impressive—it will leave these stories and characters seared into your memory.

I didn’t want to like this book. It seemed boring and ‘realistic’—a personal red flag. Begrudgingly, however, I am forced to concede that I was impressed by this first offering from young Australian author Rajith Savanadasa.

The book begins with familial chaos. We are introduced to an average Sri Lankan family through the eyes of their uncomplicated and indefensibly sweet maid, Latha. While figuring out which character is which is difficult at first (Savanadasa uses a multitude of nicknames and honorifics), it’s made easier by him changing the narrator, chapter by chapter, to bring us into the minds of all five members of the Herath household.

What won me over, though, was Savanadasa’s exquisite observation of the personalities of each family member. Each was so distinct and perfectly captured that I couldn’t help thinking, “dang, this writer knows his stuff.”

There was no concealment of ugly traits, no black and white arguments; everything was complex and frustrating and real. Reflective, I suppose, of the reality of the Sri Lankan politics that formed a background to the narrative.

The Sinhala vs. Tamil conflict intrudes into the very core of this family. With a Tamil mother and a Sinhala father, the division that cuts through their country also cuts through their home. The mother can’t seem to escape her past, a pain manifested in her quest to find what happened to a Tamil boy she used to see on her street.

The father resents this, just as he resents the control that the government has on his newspaper business, but in his powerlessness, the potential good in his character bows down. Their son is also—let’s just say it—a douche, and their daughter wallows in the private throes of unrequited love. Crazy all round.

If you want to be faced with the truth that all families are equally tragic, no matter where they are, or appreciate multilinguality in your novels, then read this book.

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Young and Hungry: Festival of New Theatre Review by Ophelia Wass and Adeline Shaddick

For 22 brilliant years the Young and Hungry Festival has been inspiring young people to engage in everything from acting, stagemanagement, playwriting, and more. This year the festival produced three plays, shown in succession (from 6.30–10.30pm) for a two-week season at BATS Theatre.

Like Sex Writer: Nathan Joe Director: Samuel Phillips (VUW Alumni)

Bloody Hell Jesus (Get Your Own Friends) Writer: Lucy Craig Director: Jane Yonge (VUW Alumni) Assistant Director: Ruby Hansen (VUW student) Plot: Bloody Hell Jesus follows a journey of four best friends from kindy to high school. Through confronting their shallowness, joining a metal band, and meeting Hipster Jesus, the four friends realise they have their own lives to live.

Themes: The play explores friendships and religion, but more specifically the idea of letting go of friendships and of the people in your life who are holding you back.

Set / Lighting: The set by Talei Timakata consisted of two skate ramps creating a U-shape at the center of the stage.

Actors used these ramps in creative ways, highlighting the element of fun that Young and Hungry brings to the stage. The skate ramp becomes a metaphor for being on the cusp of something exciting and potentially dangerous.

And as you slide down the ramp with a rush of adrenaline you enter new and unknown territories—particularly relevant to young people.

Sound: With original work from Andy Gartrell and his foot pedal, sound was a highlight of Bloody Hell Jesus. Each scene was suitably matched with a back track, played by Gartrell and creating everything from funky to heavymetal tones for each scene.

What we thought: The three-piece band was a massive highlight. There was great playfulness on stage!

Dead Days Writer: Owen Baxendale (VUW Alumni) Director: Debra Mulholland Plot: The play begins with apprentice-mortician Max (Morgan Hopkins) celebrating his 21st birthday alone. The show becomes increasingly dark from this point onwards as dead people awaken and start challenging the living.

Themes: The play is about catharsis, not taking your life for granted and speaking up for yourself.

Set / Lighting: The set is in a funeral parlour and is sympathetically macabre, with shelves of embalming fluid and dead bodies covered by white sheets that are illuminated by clinically bright lighting. The space is cold and ominous.

Sound: Eerie transition music is reminiscent of a mix between child-like nursery rhymes and horror films.

What we thought: This show should not have been put at the late-night slot of the Young and Hungry season as it discusses disturbing issues which probably shouldn’t be considered at 10pm.

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Theatre

Plot: The play starts with a bang. Literally. Through a series of interlocking scenes, the audience follows the private lives of seven high school students who are all connected by one act—sex.

Themes: The play explores all things sexual—from cheating scandals, to coming out, to losing virginity. It deals with all the gritty stuff head on.

Set / Lighting: Performed in a traverse-stage, it’s like watching a tennis match as your head swivels backwards and forwards to soak in all of the action. The lighting allows you to watch the reactions of the audience members sitting opposite you—a daring decision when considering the nature of the subject matter involved.

Sound: All of your favourite chart-topping hits but without the lyrics bring a decidedly edgy vibe to the play.

What we thought: It’s a complex and thought-provoking exploration of sex and intimacy. The portrayal of sex scenes (creative props were used such as a desk lamp to represent a blow-job) and the physical engagement of all of the actors brought an energetic presence to the show.

However there are a few moments—such as the school ‘slut’ being redeemed because a male decides to befriend her, and the word lesbian being whispered like a dirty secret—that made one feel slightly uncomfortable.

Puzzles

Crossword: 'The Magnificent Seven'

Made by Puck

Crossword answers from issue 15

Target goals Good: 8 words Great: 10 words Impressive: 12 words

ACROSS 2. Theme displayed by seven special squares in this puzzle (8) 6. Stuff that's kinda pornographic-ish (4) 9. Yasujiro whose 'Tokyo Story' is in the NZIFF this year (3) 11. Desperate to get laid (3-7) 12. Trio with the 1994 hit 'Waterfalls' (3) 13. Like something to get your teeth into (5) 14. Place for ejection in 'Alien' or 'Gravity' (7) 15. Bare-arse naked (8) 16. Franchise whose 'Beyond' was just released (4,4) 17. Item to turn you into a snuggly burrito this winter (7) 19. Like some gases or quests (5) 21. Jewel given to Aragorn in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy (8) 24. Small group for teaching or studying (7) 26. Mosaics in an unusual medium by New Zealander Maurice Bennett (5,3) 27. "I didn't need to hear that!", for short (3) 28. Country whose capital is Windhoek (7) 30. "You're it!" (3) 31. Ramsay Bolton or Joffrey Baratheon, in 'Game of Thrones' (7) 32. Once was (4,2,2) DOWN 1. Polaris, usually (5,4) 2. Brawn (6) 3. You have to declare a code for it (3) 4. The Orinoco or the Tocantins, for example (5) 5. Pamela Anderson's middle husband (3,4) 7. It might be seen in a shower (6) 8. Iron Man's alter ego (4,5) 10. Crowdfunding platform that gave us the Veronica Mars movie (11) 14. Mineral used for fireproofing that was later found to be toxic (8) 18. Bitter foods whose scent may indicate the presence of cyanide (7) 19. Total wacko (3,3) 20. Final David Bowie album (9) 22. Grounds in a will, sometimes (6) 23. Black birds (9) 25. Wanderer (5) 29. Halloween shout, maybe (3)

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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.

Salient is printed on environmentally sustainable paper, and with vegetable ink, and is completely FSC approved.

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 Bronwyn Curtis Georgia Smith Distributor Joe Morris News Reporters Charlie Prout Alex Feinson Jennie Kendrick Siobhan O’Connor Alexa Zelensky Olly Clifton McKenzie Collins Meriana Johnson

Feature Writers Eve Kennedy Madeleine Ashton-Martyn Margot Mills Sophie Wynn 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) Contributors Jacinta Gulasekharam, Jonathan Gee, Brodie Fraser, Dr Feelgood, Kahu Kutia, Catherine Nelson, Sharon Lam, Kate Morten, Marta Simonetti, Ravenous Man, Jazz Kane, Adeline Shaddick, Henrietta Bollinger, Wiliame Gucake, Maizy Te Koha, Kimberley McIvor, Livné Ore, Benjamin Lister, James Keane Cover Photo by Keith Ng

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Read Salient online at salient.org.nz Contact Level 2 Student Union Building Victoria University PO Box 600, Wellington 04 463 6766 Printed by SMP, Wellington.

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WALKER EVANS The Magazine Work, Curated by David Campany; SHERRIE LEVINE African Masks After Walker Evans; PATRICK POUND Documentary Intersect; SONYA LACEY Newspaper for Vignelli.

30 July–18 September 2016

FREE ENTRY Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–5pm Gate 3, Kelburn Parade Victoria University of Wellington adamartgallery.org.nz

Image: Walker Evans ‘Beauties of the Common Tool’, Fortune, July 1955