COMPETITION Transorm this issue’s cover to your own liking, take a photo of your work and send it to us! check the back for more info
THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
M E E T T H E 2016
STUDENT COUNCIL
PRESIDENT MATALENA O’MARA
VICE PRESIDENT TAOTAFA MATAFEO
WAITAKERE CAMPUS REP SHERREE DAYAL
INTERNATIONAL REP SWATI CHAWLA
MĀORI REP SHERI DOWNS
PACIFIC REP LANI MIKAIO
CONTENTS 3. 2016 O-Week Checklist
9. Orientation Event Guide
4. Editor's Welcome
10. Discover Aotearoa with Experience NZ
5. Goodbye High School, Hello Unitec Cover artwork by Johnmark Reforma
6. Referendum Ramblings
CONTRIBUTORS: Johnmark Reforma, Zanalee Makavani, Abhi Topiwala, Justin Laico, Anevili Fa'alogo, Soana Hodgkinson,
7. Unitec 101: Clubs and Sport
Mohammad Alshammari, Sheri Downs, Kallola Brown, Vedant Namboodiri, Jack Luo EDITOR: Miguel Efondo GRAPHIC DESIGN: Mark Lovatt DELIVERED FOR UNITEC BY
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7. Student For Life?! 8. To GF or Not to GF: What Does Gluten-Free Really Mean?
11. Sheri's Top 3: Services at Unitec 12. Student Showcase: Kallola Brown 13. How Nintendo's Gameboy Became A Man 14. Student Showcase: Jack Luo
WWW.UNITECSTUDENTMEDIA.CO.NZ
2016 O - W E E K
CHECKLIST I have attended: Programme orientation Pōwhiri (Māori welcoming ceremony) Campus tour O-week events International party (international students)
I got myself: Student ID O-pack Class schedule Student log in and password Relevant textbooks and course materials Visa Campus map Clubs and sports Tertiary transport concession sticker Unitec Student app Student Media magazine
I have visited: Student Central Library Te Puna Ako – Learning Centre Copy Centre University Bookshop Student Health Centre Osteopathy Clinic Sports Centre and Gym Disability Liaison Centre
Artwork by Zanalee Makavani
Unitec Student Media
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THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
Hello, students! Whether you’re a freshie, a returning student, or on your last year of study, I bet you that this year will definitely be a year of transformation for you. That sushi you loved eating almost everyday last year? You’ll trade it for a gluten-free salad. That iPhone 6s you spent months saving up to get? You’ll sell it and get its successor as soon as it comes out. Well, yes not exactly but you get the point. Change is inevitable so stop wasting your time running away from it. Just face it, smash it hard, and continue moving forward. You might not have realised it yet but your transformation started even before you were born. Change has always been a part of your life! Unitec Student Media is transforming as well. The magazine has a complete re-design and our website will follow soon. It will be featuring more student work, aiming to make it a hub for students to build their portfolio and audience. However, we need you for this to happen and you can help by sending us your artwork, events, poetry, ideas, articles, or whatever it is in your head to studentmedia@unitec.ac.nz. Feel free to talk to me when you see me around the campus. On the other hand, by now you should’ve noticed that Unitec’s transforming too. The Mt Albert and Waitakere campuses are undergoing redevelopments and refurbishing, so some facilities will not be accessible for a period while this takes place. For a full update of Unitec’s transformation, check out: http://www.unitec.ac.nz/campus-transformation Welcome this year with fun, friendship, food, and free stuff! Try to attend as many events as you can. Make good use of your tuition fee and enjoy the services and the facilities Unitec has to offer. Watch out for our giveaways and competitions, too. Who knows what prizes await you? See you around, Miguel
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Unitec Student Media
Artwork by Abhi Tapiwala
WWW.UNITECSTUDENTMEDIA.CO.NZ
GOODBYE HIGH SCHOOL, HELLO UNITEC BY JUSTIN LAICO
Back in 2010, during my last few days as a high school student at Avondale College, I fondly remember collecting our class shirts, taking selfies and saying goodbye to friends from class, and seeing senior students with their white shirts draped in their peers' signatures and farewell letters. Thinking about what was up ahead, I felt a sense of uncertainty and had a stereotypical perception of what tertiary study would be like based on Hollywood films I have seen. Many high school students have been fooled by these films' portrayal of life after high school. Soon enough though, we would find that these films do not reflect reality. Hollywood has omitted the less glamorous parts of university student life, such as managing your own time, money, and study schedules, and working long hours in front of a computer.
to learn, and very interactive. I have noticed that they tend to deal with their studies and their interaction with other people very differently to us millennial students. However, they are very much in touch with and active on social media. I highly recommend that you get to know your fellow classmates because in all likelihood, you will spend a lot of that time studying alongside them. And yes, just like our high school selves, we will have the freedom to occasionally go to clubs and parties but trust me, this is not something you will be able to do every single night (or at least, not for very long). Partying and clubbing costs money and with all your new priorities, you will have little to no cash left over. But student life should also be fun. Going back to those Hollywood movies, we have been set up to expect
H O L LY W O O D O M I T T E D T H E L E S S GLAMOROUS PARTS OF STUDENT LIFE, SUCH AS MANAGING YOUR OWN TIME, M O N E Y, S T U D Y S C H E D U L E S , A S W E L L AS WORKING LONG HOURS IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER.
At high school, our classes and schedules are structured for us by our schools. Here at Unitec, we become responsible for choosing our own courses, managing our own time, creating our own timetables, and hoping our classes don’t clash with each other (especially with compulsory classes, an issue that I have experienced recently when re-enrolling). We even find ourselves responsible for our own finances, possibly for the first time for some. Chances are we spend all we have (generally from student allowances, cost of living and/or parttime jobs) on food, stationary, rent/student accommodation and other study-related expenses. Gone are the days of spending our money on our wants! Also, in high school we have free time during the weekends and term breaks but now, we would spend our free time (if ever we have any) working on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as having to stay late nights for classes and/or doing assignments in the computer labs or library. It is best to remember that while attending your classes is not mandatory, you have paid for them (through student loan) and that they are expensive! You also need to learn to interact with people from a range of different age groups. Many students are mature adults, some in their 30s and many older, with jobs, children, spouses/partners and more life experiences than most of us. From my experience, they are friendly, keen
partying and frivolity as the norm for every student. Here at Unitec, there are heaps of free events organised just for us students, especially during the first six weeks of every semester. We do not have to be wasted to have fun, and we do not have to spend much to spend time with our friends. Our life here at Unitec is all about balance. High school is over and now we must learn to budget our money, try to manage our time effectively, make time to look after ourselves, and be with our friends and family whenever we can. The next time you are up late at night typing up essays on your computer, I assure you that you, have something better to look forward to at the end of your stressful assessment. Unitec Student Media
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THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
White lines, red lines, red stars and a blue background. This is what flies on the current New Zealand flag. The debate is everywhere. The questions, the arguments - they’re almost always the same. Either it has something to do with the TPPA, the flag being flown during the World Wars, or New Zealand needing to be represented as the clean, green Kiwi nation it is. For many people, indigenous and immigrant, the flag is a symbol of forced assimilation. Designed and inspired by the British flags that flew before it, it is a celebration of oppression and colonialism, masked under the guise of integration and friendly social melting pots. Under this flag and Crown, we’ve achieved a lot. We’re rugby champions, we’ve fought wars, taxed Chinese gold miners, invaded the Pacific, authorised racial profiling and persecution, supported and protested the Springbok Tour, protested Te Reo in schools - the list goes on. In a nation that supposedly celebrates its ‘multiethnic/multicultural’ identity, we proudly wave a flag that celebrates the attempted elimination of the people and cultures that contribute to this status.
doesn’t just belong to Māori. It belongs to all of us (but we don’t want the language (or the people), we just want the haka). The flag and its position, its status, the way it operates - is very similar to the haka. It first flew during the Boer War, a symbol of patriotism that belonged to a New Zealand proud to fight. A settler New Zealand. It has its European origins, but it’s come to be accepted by all - belonging to all. From primary school, we’re to be proud of this wonderful nation. We’re taught to be proud of ‘our’ flag. And yet, in census forms, ‘European’ is the only ethnicity attached to ‘NZ’. There’s rarely ever ‘NZ Indian’, ‘NZ Chinese’, ‘NZ Samoan’. You can’t directly identify as a ‘New Zealander’, unless you identify as a NZ European. The current flag is a symbol of this Eurocentricity and its relationship to ‘otherness’. Non-NZ-European people can still wave the flag - we can love the flag, but it doesn’t actually represent us. Its sentimental value is what applies to us. It doesn’t represent anybody outside the NZ European settler - the norm, everybody else is an ‘other’. We’ve been taught to love and fight for a flag (and government) that doesn’t really want to be attached to us. We’re the proverbial ugly friend.
[...] I HATE THE FLAG. I’VE ALWAYS H A T E D I T. I H A T E T H E N O T I O N T H A T ONE FLAG WILL REPRESENT THE ONE PEOPLE WE PRETEND TO BE. WE’RE NOT UNITED.
Kiwi culture has been shaped by generations of indigenous and immigrant people. Although the social structures we live in are inherently Western, this diversity informs our cultural customs. This doesn’t mean the relationship between the two is clean or easy (it isn’t). New Zealand’s culture is one of appropriation - a Eurocentric society shaped by the diversity of the group. In a really weird way, we manage to claim multicultural acceptance, while disregarding the peoples whose cultures we steal. Kiwi culture really is a big, hot melting pot - cultures melted into the quintessential Kiwi bloke, but not allowed to be practised by anybody outside this new, white ‘hybridised’ identity. No. The haka is not a Māori thing anymore. It’s a Kiwi thing. It embodies the All Blacks, who embody white New Zealand. This doesn’t mean Māori can’t or don’t practise the custom. It simply means the perception of the haka is no longer an inherently Māori one. New Zealand views it as a sacred practice - not because of the indigenous ties it has, but for the ties it has with Kiwi pride. The original worldview is not the strongest. Ask anybody - it
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Unitec Student Media
Twenty-six million dollars. $26,000,000.00. $26m. It’s a lot of money - a lot of zeros. The first referendum cost over $10m; the second will cost around $16m. With or without your votes, the money has been and will be spent. Honestly. New Zealanders have the worst timing. The biggest protest to elections comes after not voting, the biggest TPPA protest took place a week before it was signed, the biggest protests to this entire referendum take place during the referendum. Personally, I think the flag should be changed - we’re losing $26m anyway. And I hate the flag. I’ve always hated it. I hate the notion that one flag will represent the one people we pretend to be. We’re not united. It was only five or six years ago the Tino Rangatiratanga flag was allowed to fly as an official one (only in New Zealand). New Zealand isn’t united. We need at least three official and recognised flags to represent New Zealand. Or we can fly the Studylink logo. A representation of Kiwi economy, history, and people. Lovely.
WWW.UNITECSTUDENTMEDIA.CO.NZ
UNITEC 101
CLUBS & SPORTS Make your study at Unitec fun and proactive by joining numerous student clubs and sports run by fellow students for students and, for some, staff as well. You can start your own club too if you can’t find any to join. Send your interest to Unitec Student Clubs and Sports at clubsandsport@unitec.ac.nz or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/clubsandsport. Here are some of the clubs and sports we have for you this year:
Unitec Student Media www.facebook.com/groups/UnitecStudentMedia/
Unitec Christian Fellowship www.facebook.com/tscfunitec
Unitec Chinese Student Community
Matthew Farry Equity and Diversity Manager 09 815 4321 ext 7793 mfarry@unitec.ac.nz
Teine & Tama Samoa Unitec Club www.facebook.com/teinematamalaumuaunitec Fale Tumanu coriander161@hotmail.com 021 236 3979
Saudi Students Association www.facebook.com/sscunitec
www.facebook.com/groups/1407569576124601/
www.facebook.com/groups/ Unitecchinesestudentcommunity/ Eric Guo
Unitec Student Touch Rugby Club www.facebook.com/groups/209800972518074
erickjw@msn.com or
Ally Network
Unitec Student Football Club
021 188 6807
Unitec Student Netball Club
Mātātupu- Unitec Māori Association www.facebook.com/groups/matatupu/ wairaka.matatupu@gmail.com
Laione Ko A.T.U www.facebook.com/laioneko.atu Loketi Toutai loketi_t@hotmail.com 021 0225 0621 or
www.facebook.com/groups/372407879553126
Unitec Student Volleyball Club www.facebook.com/groups/448679968644214
Unitec Student Basketball Club www.facebook.com/groups/267956566632405 For a complete list of clubs and sport, visit www.unitec.ac.nz/clubs
Mele Teaumalolo meletaumalolo@hotmail.com
SaudisinUnitec@gmail.com 021 0859 1506
STUDENT FOR LIFE?! You won't be studying here at Unitec forever. Some might find that sentence a relief or a disappointment but in case you’re wondering how long your stay is going to be, have a look at the table on the right:
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Qualification
Levels
Full Time Duration
Certificate
1-7
One semester
Diploma
5-7
One year
Graduate Certificate/Diploma
6-7
One year
Bachelors Degree
7
Three years
Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma
8
One to two years
Bachelors Degree with Honours
8
One to four years
Masters Degree
9
One to two years
Doctorate/PhD
10
Three years Unitec Student Media
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THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
TO GF OR NOT TO GF: WHAT DOES GLUTEN-FREE R E A L LY M E A N ? BY SOANA HODGKINSON
We’ve seen and heard it all before -- the skinny lady in front of you in the queue asking the server, “Is that gluten-free?” and we’ve thought to ourselves, “Uhm… You’re skinny enough, lady.” But is that what gluten-free means? A diet to keep you slim? I, myself, didn’t know what it was and so I decided I needed to know more about this whole gluten-free fad and share my findings with you all. My nominal understanding that gluten has no nutritional value proved to be a correct piece of information. Gluten, as it turns out, is what gives bread its elasticity. It is a protein and again, has very little to no nutritional value at all. It is found in wheat, barley and rye, making the number one food to stay away from - what Jesus and his disciples shared at the last supper - is yup, bread. Now, we need to know that being gluten-free is not always a choice. For some of us, reactions to gluten can be deadly. One can be so allergic to it that he or she becomes gluten-intolerant, gluten-sensitive or have coeliac disease, an auto-immune illness where gluten causes inflammation in the small intestine and a common driver for “gluten-free” diets. And now that we know gluten-free (GF) people exist, and if you're one of them, you may be asking what can you eat and where, within a student budget? I travelled far and wide to give you answers, ok… I actually just wondered around Mt Albert campus (for now), in search of GF food that not only tasted good, but are suitable on a student budget. Here is what I found, in no particular order:
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Unitec Student Media
EXTRA TIP LONG BLACK CAFE
On campus, glued to the side of Building 1, is Long Black Cafe. It is filled with a huge range of appetising gluten-free options such as salads, “balls”, cookies, and sandwiches.
Here's more for you. You want a free cuppa?
REFUEL
This black container-shop located close to Building 180 holds suitable salads and sandwiches. It also saves us students from the other side of the campus time from travelling to Long Black Cafe. Another bonus point is that you can even make your own salad here for $6 (small) or $8 (large)!
Next to the Wharekai is Puukenga (Building 171) that invites students to stop in for a cuppa. A free cuppa! You want coffee? Tea? Herbal tea? Just drop by the building for zero dollars and if you're lucky enough like me, you might also find some gluten-free Weetbix! Oh, Unitec. You just made my day – my gluten-free day.
ORIENTATION 2016 EVENT GUIDE WK 1 – TAHI WK 2 – RUA
ORIENTATION FUN FOR YOU
DATES Mon 29 Feb
NORTHERN CAMPUS ALBANY Speed Table Tennis 12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
BUILDING ONE MT ALBERT Mini Golf
WAITĀKERE CAMPUS HENDERSON
THE HUB MT ALBERT
Walk Down Hollywood Boulevard
Unitec Fair
Photo Booth Day
Cupcake Day
Mini Golf
Food Scramble
12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
11am – 2pm
12pm – 1pm
Tue 1 Mar
3 on 3 Basketball
Wed 2 Mar
Mini Golf
Unitec Fair
Minute To Win It
Thu 3 Mar
Unitec Fair
Minute To Win It
Mini Golf
Mon 7 Mar
Paintball
Clubs Day + Giant Tenpin Bowling
Photo Booth Day
Food Scramble
Clubs Day
Graffiti Art
Catch a Dollar
12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
11am – 2pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
12pm – 1pm FREE LUNCH
Water Slide 11am – 2pm
FREE LUNCH
Car Graffiti
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
Tue 8 Mar
Arcade Day
Wed 9 Mar
Food Scramble
FREE LUNCH
12pm – 1pm 12pm – 1pm
11am – 2pm
12pm – 1pm
12pm –1pm
FREE LUNCH
Movie Night 7pm – 10pm
Clubs Day
12pm – 1pm
12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
Cultural Festival + International Food Stalls
Thu 10 Mar
11am – 2pm
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WK 3 – TORU
Mon 14 Mar
Pasifika Festival
Student Support 12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
Student Support
Tue 15 Mar
12pm –1pm
FREE LUNCH
Student Support Pamper Day
Wed 16 Mar
11am – 2pm
Student Support WOF
Thu 17 Mar
FREE LUNCH
WK 4 – WHA
11am – 2pm
Mon 21 Mar
Study Success 12pm – 1pm
Tue 22 Mar
FREE LUNCH
Study Success
12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
Study Success
Wed 23 Mar
12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
Study Success
Thu 24 Mar
WK 5 – RIMA
Fri 25 Mar – Tue 29 Mar Wed 30 Mar
WK 6 – ONO
SERVICES & SUCCESS LUNCHES FREE FOR YOU
Sat 12 Mar & Sun 13 Mar
Wed 6 Apr
12pm – 1pm
FREE LUNCH
Easter Weekend Waiata Mai with Maia and Kai
FREE LUNCH
12pm – 1pm
Thu 31 Mar
Waiata Mai with Maia and Kai
FREE LUNCH
Pacific Centre Lunch
FREE LUNCH
12pm – 1pm Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae
Pacific Centre Lunch
FREE LUNCH
12pm – 1pm
Thu 7 Apr
Unitec Student Media
12pm – 1pm
THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
BY MOHAMMAD ALSHAMMARI
I have been a Unitec student since 2013 and to be honest with you, it never crossed my mind to attend any Experience NZ trips until a friend of mine strongly recommended it to me and asked me to sign up. He said that it was one of the most organised local trips he has ever been on and so I was convinced and registered for The Great Kiwi Road Trip in Rotorua and the Under the Stars Island Cruise in the Bay of Islands. We arrived in Rotorua at night and then went for water rafting the next day. We had an amazing experience rafting through steep rapids and I was even able to drink pure water during the journey. Later that day we went to a Māori village, which is the life force of New Zealand's indigenous people. We took the opportunity to engage in an evening of local customs including a traditional Māori dinner feast and traditional dance performance. Meanwhile, in the Bay of Islands, our group had a great day and night appreciating the amazing scenery and wildlife of the sub-tropical islands via cruise. We did target shooting, fishing, kayaking and snorkeling. I take this opportunity to say an enormous thank you to everyone who organized these trips. They are two of the most amazing trips I have ever been on and can definitely say they were truly a trip of a lifetime! Everything went like clockwork, especially from departure to arrival at the biggest NZ houseboat. A big thank you to Matalena, Carolina and Candice for making it such a memorable experience for us all. I will definitely sign up next year and join all of the trips available. I will be recommending you to all my friends and will do so with the readers of this article as well. Thank you very much for everything you did for us! The attention to detail and the kindness shown to us are highly appreciated. Looking forward to next year’s trips! For more information, visit www.unitec.ac.nz/experiencenz
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WWW.UNITECSTUDENTMEDIA.CO.NZ
S H E R I ’ S TO P 3 :
SERVICES AT UNITEC BY SHERI DOWNS
Want to know what Unitec has to offer or where to go to get some extra help during your study? Here are my top three picks for you:
Maia Māori Centre Need additional academic support, a friendly ear to listen, or just a space to chill out? Maia is the place to go! Especially if you are interested in learning more about Māori culture or want to reconnect with your roots.
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Maia Māori Centre’s services are located across all three Unitec Campuses, with Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae at the heart of the Mt Albert Campus. The friendly staff at Maia will welcome you with open arms and help you to succeed during your journey at Unitec. The team can help you with:
•
Academic Support Proof-reading an assignment, needing to talk to your lecturer about your assignment to decoding that tricky essay question. Peer Writing Assistants are also available; they are students just like you who are happy to help share with other students.
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Māori Scholarships In addition to helping you with scholarship applications, Maia also coordinates the Whai Ake I te Ara Tika Mentoring Scholarship Programme for Unitec Māori students. This is awesome for first year students as you get $2,000 credit toward your course fees plus the direct support of a mentor (a final year Unitec student).
Personal/Cultural Support Maia can also help with personal matters that impact your studies. They’re happy to provide guidance and connect you to other Unitec services that might be more appropriate to get you through the tough times. Work/Chill Space Maia Hub and Puukenga (Mt Albert campus) are equipped with workspaces and computers students can use. There are also kitchen facilities available so you can prepare and eat your lunch in a comfortable, relaxed environment that feels like home.
Student Wellbeing (Pou Aroha)
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Chaplaincy and Multi-faith Team Connect with other students and staff for friendship and fellowship, no matter your faith or beliefs.
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Disabilities Liaison Centre The team here can provide support to help learners with writing/reading or sign-language interpreters during your classes, and more. A range of disabilities catered to.
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Career Centre CV and job search tips and advice, interview workshops, building your online brand, one-on-one help and more to prepare you for the world of work.
Unitec Library Website
Being a student can be stressful and sometimes we all can do with some help to stay healthy and on track with our studies. Pou Aroha offers these services and more which you can access free by calling 0800 10 85 10.
Pulling an all-nighter on that assignment and Google isn’t giving you what you want? Go straight to the Unitec Library Website to find out how to APA reference, get past exam papers to practice on, tips for effective study habits and much, much more – www.unitec.ac.nz/library. You’ll also be able to:
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Student Health Centre Go in and see the team at Building 28 (Mt Albert) to sign up with them, so you’ll get discounted appointments to see a doctor when you’re not well. You can also book to see a nurse or a counsellor through the centre. Take your Community Services Card for discounts on your appointments and any prescriptions you might need.
• • • •
access thousands of books, journals and articles online for free; book study rooms; access the Study Tool Box for pointers on how to do an assignment; register for free access to over 25,000 local and international TV programmes and series as online resources via eTV; and chat live to a librarian online. Unitec Student Media
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THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
STUDENT SHOWCASE: KALLOLA BROWN DEGREE: BACHELOR OF DESIGN AND VISUAL ARTS SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: http://kallolabrown.tumblr.com/
What's your creative process like? Sometimes I'll start a drawing with an idea or a word in mind that will dictate the overall theme. But to be honest, most of the time, I'll just put pen to paper and draw sort of aimlessly until the idea or theme starts to take shape on the page. Who, or what, inspires your work? I'm inspired by lots of different things really... I follow a lot of street style blogs and get inspiration from how people are so creative in expressing themselves through the way they dress. Music is also a big part of my creative process. I love listening to artists such as Cat Power, Little Dragon, James Blake (the list goes on!) while I'm drawing. Little things like knick knacks and pottery I see at charity shops also spark my interest, and often end up featuring in my drawings! Five things you like and dislike. I like: - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', a good takeaway coffee cup design (Three Beans Roasters have some awesome ones!), otters, Grand Designs NZ (for releasing my inner home DIY geek), and kumara fries. I dislike: I wouldn't really say that I hate anything, but some things I don't enjoy too much are being cold, and loose socks... Any question you want the next student to answer? Where is your favourite place to get inspired in Auckland?
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Unitec Student Media
WWW.UNITECSTUDENTMEDIA.CO.NZ
HOW NINTENDO’S GAMEBOY BECAME A MAN BY VEDANT NAMBOODIRI
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is a console that many of us hold dear. I mean, we all remember the hours we wasted, glued to our TV screens, controller in hand, frantically guiding that pudgy Italian plumber through a number of dangerous worlds only to be met with the phrase “Thank you Mario but our Princess is in another castle”. Well what if I told you that the NES was not even Nintendo’s greatest triumph? What if I told you that the console Nintendo, used to revolutionise gaming, was released as nothing but a sidekick to the NES? This is the story of how Nintendo’s Gameboy became a man.
games were tailored specifically for the Gameboy. The idea of carrying your personally trained set of monsters in your pocket and pit them against those of your friends probably wouldn’t have had the same feel if it wasn’t on a handheld device. The Gameboy only grew wiser with age. After the release and success of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Nintendo released the Game Boy Advanced. This time, it was not a sidekick. It was basically a portable version of the SNES with a little more kick. It flew off the shelves despite its unimpressive release in 2001. In 2003, the Gameboy adapted to the trends of flip phones and morphed into the Game Boy Advanced
EVERY KID ON THE BLOCK WHO DIDN’T HAVE A GAMEBOY RUSHED OUT TO GET ONE SO THAT HE/SHE COULD TRADE AND BATTLE WITH FRIENDS.
The name “Game Boy” was intended as a connotation to its status as the NES’s right hand man. Upon release in 1989, it was a bland, bricklike handheld device, with a black and green LCD screen. Its control scheme resembled that of the NES with an eight directional D-Pad, the A and B buttons and the Select and Start buttons. This portable sidekick to the NES may not have had fancy graphics but it had a trump card. It came bundled with a copy of Tetris, which was the 1989 equivalent of Candy Crush or Angry Birds. The Gameboy was flying off the shelves. The sidekick had surpassed the hero. Suddenly, kids wanted a Gameboy instead of the NES because they could take Mario to school with them and not worry about Dad getting in the way of a Tetris high score because he wanted to watch the news. But Nintendo wasn’t done. Even though the Atari LYNX (released in the same year as the Game Boy) trumped the specs of the Gameboy in every single aspect, Nintendo had something Atari never would – Pokémon. With the release of Pokémon Red and Blue, the sales of the Gameboy skyrocketed once again and all other competition was left in the dust. Every kid on the block who didn’t have a Gameboy rushed out to get one so that he/she could trade and battle with friends. In a way, the Pokémon
SP, which now had a backlit screen and a cool clamshell design to match the “hip” new mobile devices. The Gameboy and its variants put together have sold over 200 million units world-wide, making it the highest selling handheld console till date. And why wouldn’t it? It took gaming outside your living room and into the playgrounds. Even today, almost 25 years since its release, we still reminisce fondly about the good times we had. All our adventures in the Mushroom kingdom, the elusive Tetris high score set by that one friend and that feeling of invincibility when Charizard hit level 100. When I look at my old Gameboys today, I realise that in all these years, it may not have been the only thing that went from being a boy to a man.
Unitec Student Media
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THE TRANSFORMATION ISSUE
STUDENT SHOWCASE: JACK LUO DEGREE: BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: http://jackxyz.deviantart.com/ https://www.facebook.com/kirinlars
What's your creative process like? I was taught how to draw in a very structured fashion. There were inherent ‘rules’ when it came to drawing and sometimes it requires a little study before putting the pencil down. i.e. anatomy, colour values, foreground, background, focus etc. Who, or what, inspires your work? My teacher, who has taught me how to draw since I was 13 years old. He is a very kind-hearted and respectable man and I owe a lot to him. Five things you like and dislike. I like: cats, ramen, anime, listening to soft music, and sleeping in with no alarm. I dislike: waking up, exams, dogs (sorry dog lovers!), spicy food, and Mondays. Kallola wants to know, where is your favourite place to get inspired in Auckland? The city! There’s always something for someone there. Any question you want the next student to answer? Which came first - the egg or the chicken?
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Unitec Student Media
#UNITECNZ Make this issue’s cover your own by adding colour and any other additional elements (doodles, cutouts, etc.) to it and then take a photo of your work, send it to us at studentmedia@unitec.ac.nz or upload it to our Facebook group or your Instagram account with the hashtag #unitecnz and tag @unitecstudentmedia and be in to win cool prizes!