Debate | Issue 6 by Debate Magazine

DEBATE ISSUE 06 | APRIL 2016

- BIRTH CONTROL MISHAP - THE DIRTIEST WORD ON TINDER - THE WORD ON SKIN BLEACHING 1

New Zealand Comedy Trust and Auckland Live in association with Buxstock Comedy Management present

FELICITY WARD As seen on the BBC’s John Bishop Show and Russell Howard’s Good News

26 – 30 APR, 8.30PM Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre aucklandlive.co.nz or 0800 111 999

@felicityward

“Moving , hon funny” est and gutbustingly EVENIN G

STANDARD

” “Joyfully funny Photo by Steve Ullathorne

S EDINBURGH EVENING NEW

CREDITS PUBLISHED BY

EDITOR Laurien Barks lbarks@aut.ac.nz SUB - EDITORS Amelia Petrovich Julie Cleaver DESIGNER Ramina Rai rrai@aut.ac.nz CONTRIBUTORS Julie Cleaver, Kieran Bennett, Lara Posa, Amelia Petrovich, Sheetal Samy, Shivan, Niki Chawla, Ethan Sills, Matthew Cattin, Daniel Vernon, Tyler Hinde ADVERTISING Harriet Smythe hsmythe@aut.ac.nz

Contributions can be sent to lbarks@aut.ac.nz

PRINTER Debate is printed lovingly by Soar Print Debate is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUCKLAND STUDENT MOVEMENT AT AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED (“AuSM”). Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly. Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AuSM.

DISCLAIMER

CONTENTS Pg 5 Ed’s Letter

Pg 16 50 Shades of Colour

Pg 32 Gender Dressing

Pg 6 Prez Sez

Pg 18 The Dirtiest Word on Tinder

Pg 34 Reviews

Pg 7 Sustainability Tips Pg 8 Cool Shit

Pg 22 Unfair and Lovely

Pg 37 Comic

Pg 10 Soul Searchers Handbook

Pg 24 Out of Control

Pg 38 Recipe

Pg 12 A Rough Week

Pg 26 Advice

Pg 39 Puzzles

Pg 14 In Short

Pg 28 Unexpected Enlightenment

Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AuSM, its advertisers, contributors, Soar Print or its subsidiaries.

AUSM.ORG.NZ

Pg 36 AUT Sport

Pg 30 Competition Winners

Cover illustration by Tyler Hinde FA C E B O O K . C O M / A U S M D E B AT E

It’s to the point now, that so many comments have been made about other women in Jane’s life, Jane herself, and people in her workplace that my mother’s arsenal of body-shamer weaponry has been near exhausted. And to make matters even more frustrating, Jane has a young daughter. A daughter I’ve never met but am still incredibly worried about. I’ve been thinking about this story for about a week now, and I’ve been trying to figure out why it’s been niggling at me so intensely. I hear cringe-worthy recounts all the time about people slashing holes in the progress society has made in regard to body image, and they bother me, but never to this extent. Maybe it’s because this particular act of unkindness was experienced by a family member, or maybe because that’s just it – it’s such a blatant act of unkindness.

EDITOR’S LETTER Hi All, I was chatting with my mum the other day, and she started telling me about a woman she works with. It’s a woman I’ve heard about in the past – she’s initiated a few awkward value-clashing conversations before, but they’re usually stories that are good for a laugh or an eye roll – nothing major. However, it seems she’s upped her game recently and gone from mildly annoying, to downright enraging. This grown woman, in her forties (we’ll call her Jane), asked Mum to come look at her computer. On it, was a picture of Jane’s friends. “Oh mah gawsh –what a cute photo you guyzz! #nomakeup #naturalgoddesses” said Mum (probably). “Do you think they’re hot? I don’t think they’re that hot,” Jane asked/ stated. Jane then proceeded to bash each of her “friends” one by one. She has fat thighs, she has bad skin, she has this, and she has that. Despite this being the first I’ve heard of these kinds of comments being made at Mum’s workplace, it apparently wasn’t news.

Long-term effects of this behaviour aside, body image issues aside, all things “big picture” aside - it’s hella hard to hear about someone being so intentionally hurtful. And for no gain. I mean, it wouldn’t be much better if it was for a gain, but at least someone would be getting something out of it. With these kinds of exchanges, really all Mum is walking away with is a slightly crappier addition to her day. I know it all ties back into confidence levels, and Jane clearly has some issues – but it irks me, it really irks me when that this lack of confidence erases basic moral values and replaces them with short snippets of negativity. I don’t know, I guess I’m just such a believer in the small things of life. Good, bad, or in between, they really do make such a difference. Whether you’re leaving a coffee on your co-worker’s desk, or pointing out a lack of thigh gap, they’re these little bursts of energy that tweak another person’s day one way or the other. Are these little bursts ever going to make or break the livelihood of a person? Probably not. But, if you’re gonna spend your time putting stuff like that out there, why not go for the energy that hugs instead of bitch slaps. The way I see it, the world’s always going to have enough reasons to bitch slap us. Reasons out of our control, reasons we create accidentally, reasons that just come along with being a living human person – why throw extra opportunities in there just because you can? I’m not saying we’ve all got to be saints, marching around fighting the good fight, turning bad into good like weird highly emotional tree-things. Hell, have your rant, have your complaint sesh, crack a self-deprecating joke, make fun of your friends. But know when that hug-slap line is being crossed, and try your darndest to stay on the right side of it. We don’t all have to attempt to make the world a better place, but I mean, we could at least make the effort to maintain the status quo, amiright? Have a great week, Laurien

SRC

ROSE TEI

Elspeth Carroll

Kia Orana AUT students,

Fellas – hello!

How are we doing so far?

I’m Elspeth Carroll, the DCT Rep for 2016.

Easter has been and gone, and was definitely a satisfying choco fix! Isn’t it just fantastic when you’ve got a giant Easter egg on hand, especially when you’re in need of an overload while writing the essays that still need work? Well I usually have to share my giant bunnies with my children. Yep, I have five of them; a boy, and four girls. But this year, they were bombarded with their own giant delights, and therefore, I lavished every momentous mouthful! Anyways, I know this is usually around the time when students start to “take a break” from studying, well, I want to encourage you to do little bits at a time, little bits eventually make a whole, and you won’t be suffering the long dreaded all nighters. I should know, I’m very experienced. It’s about working smarter, not harder. I am the Rep. for all mature students, I encourage you to say hi when you see me about, and have a chat with me about your experiences. I love soy mochas...just saying. So, good luck for the rest of the year! Rose

Glad to see you are indulging in Debate Magazine. If you are a student in the Design & Creative Technologies Faculty and you want to create, improve or complain about something to do with uni, but need some help, holler my way. I am a second year Business & Communications student and based at the City Campus. I’m passionate about maintaining our reputation that AUT is by far the best uni in town! Also keen to help build opportunities outside of uni life, such as internships and openings for jobs through networking. I dabble in a wee bit of filmmaking and am a frequent purchaser of the walnut brownie from #newsfeed (10/10 recommend). Hope to see you around! Elspeth

FIVE TIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING BROUGHT TO YOU BY SUSTAINABLE AOTEAROA & AuSM

That super cheap top you scored not long ago may have been cheap for a not-so-pretty reason. In reality, the maker of the garment or the environment tends to pay the true cost. The good news however, is that there are ways to minimize your individual impact. Here are five tips to look swish, and help the Earth in the process. 1. Buy less but buy quality. Are you an online window shopper, filling up carts, but never completing purchases? …Just me? Well, it’s actually not all bad, because it means you dodge impulse buying and end up saving cash for the good quality stuff. Try incorporating the French wardrobe philosophy, and curate a wardrobe of solid staple garments, buying no more than five pieces a season. You end up transforming your style in a sensible, sustainable way, with a focus on longevity in quality and aesthetic. It also means you avoid ‘micro trends’ – designed to glean as much money as possible from you – the consumer. 2. Thrift it (or nab your mum’s old threads) Look, if Macklemore didn’t convince you, I don’t know what to tell you. The clothes have withstood one person’s use and still have resale value, so you know they’re durable. Fast fashion’s got nothing on a rad genuine denim jacket from the 80s.

Wash your clothes less (just wash the really necessary stuff) Seriously, they’ll last way longer and you cut down on laundry time! Many items really only need the odd spot clean and some time in the sun, which is wicked at airing, stain removal and is even antibacterial. Your new strategy = SNIFF test & SUN. 4. Scout the ‘shining beacon brands’ I.e. the guys who make sustainability a priority, through carefully selecting materials, using organic/natural processes and ensuring that all workers up the supply chain are in safe conditions. A couple of cool brands I can suggest are Thunderpants, Sitka, Po-Zu shoes, kowtow and Matter prints. Extra points if they’re local, meaning you avoid the added transport emissions. 5. Think about the materials The production of leather, for example, has involved the clearing of substantial forestland - such forest is vitally needed for storing carbon and stabilizing our climate. Makeshift tanneries where workers labor in knee deep toxic chemicals are not unusual cases, and many such unregulated places emit high levels of pollution. It’s said the industry will need to slaughter 430 million cows annually by 2025 to keep up with demand. Keep an eye out for alternatives wherever possible – they’re out there! ~Go forth and be ethically fresh

COOL SHIT

BALMY DAYS Combining the highest quality pure plant ingredients to soothe, soften and condition all skin types, all over, Trilogy Everything Balm is a powerhouse of pawpaw and Echinacea, marula, jojoba, olive, avocado, coconut and certified organic rosehip oils, and Manuka honey. Sounds good enough to eat, right? Technically you could, but there are definitely better uses. You can pick up this everything balm for $24.90 at selected Farmers, pharmacies, department and health stores nationwide.

TOILET HUMOUR Award-winning Aussie comic, Felicity Ward, delves deep and funny into her depression, anxiety, and her longest running relationship: with the toilet. Debate has a double pass to give away to her performance of What If There’s No Toilet – just email lbarks@aut.ac.nz with your name, campus, and best toilet-related story you’ve got (the more embarrassing, the better).

MOVIE MADNESS Student Card is giving away a double pass to Allegiant this week! All you have to do is Facebook message us your name, campus, and favourite movie treat to be in to win. If you haven’t picked up a Student Card yet, get in there! $20 dollars can save you heaps! facebook.com/ausmdebate

SOUL SISTER Every spiritual journey begins somewhere, and for Emma Mildon, it turned out the internet wasn’t as helpful on the topic as she had hoped. So she travelled the world, gobbling up New Age wisdom wherever she found it. Now Emma has collected all of the teachings, practices, and knowledge she learned along the way, from yoga and crystals to festivals and spirit guides, creating the ultimate guide to finding spiritual goodness, wholeness, and everyday bliss. Debate’s Julie Cleaver interviewed Emma Mildon about her adventures (see page 10), and we’ve also been graciously given two copies of Emma’s book to giveaway to two people who tag #debatemag on Instagram with a picture of their favourite spiritual practice.

One for the Soul Searchers Julie Cleaver

Emma Mildon’s advice was simple: be kind to everyone, as kindness can go a long way. It’s nothing new, but meeting someone with such a pure, generous heart and seeing just how much it has helped her achieve success is definitely eye opening.

Emma’s book The Soul Searcher’s Handbook: A Modern Girl’s Guide to the New Age World was Amazon’s number one up and coming new book and is now a number one best seller. She has been published in the Huffington Post and had Arianna Huffington personally tweet about her. She has been coached by Cheryl Strayed, author of The New York Times best selling book Wild, and has shared an elevator ride with Stephen King in New York. She has spoken at events all over the world, encouraging people to go for their dreams, encompass their own version of spirituality, and once again, be kind. And her amazing journey started right here at AUT. Emma studied a Bachelor of Communications majoring in public relations. During her degree she was offered an internship at an up and coming writing publication, which she didn’t hesitate to jump into. After graduating she then started work at Penguin Publishers. This position taught her the ins and outs of the publishing world – invaluable lessons for someone wanting to write a book.

As an avid dream catcher collector and crystal cleanser, Emma has always been interested in spirituality. She knew this was her passion, but didn’t know how to incorporate it into her life. That is until she met the head of Crazy House Publishers, who told her to follow her spiritual path and write about that.

Emma then started researching and writing about different types of spiritual activities, from yoga and meditation to aromatherapy and numerology. As she tried each practice, she recorded how unusual they were and graded it on a ‘Woo-woo scale’. She also reflected on the experience and marked it on an ‘Explore it scale’. After doing this she started to define herself as a ‘spiritual personal assistant’. “What I do is collect spiritual resources and compile them together so people can incorporate practical, spiritual life hacks into their lives. So I report for service and I organise people spiritually like a PA would.” She shares her research on multiple platforms, including a website, an app, and of course, a book. When writing her book, Emma combined all the research she gathered, wrote a blurb about each activity, added an introduction, and finished relatively quickly. Although she says writing was the easy, ‘sexy’ part...

“I definitely relate writing a book to having a child. I haven’t had a child so I can’t really relate it, but I do.

personal relationships with all her publishers, even though they all lived in The United States.

Sex is writing it. It’s short and sweet, you can starfish it if you want – it just happens. And then editing is the pregnancy. You lose your mind, you go crazy, you’re irrational, you get sensitive about it. You lose connection with it. It gets torn apart. You get morning sickness because you’re sick if you think about it. By then end of the editing process you hate the book, you are so over it because you’ve rewritten it 12 times and you don’t even know how you feel about it anymore.

Don’t get the wrong impression though – Emma isn’t just nice to get ahead. She is a genuinely kind person who offers help and warmth to everyone she encounters. She even promotes her competition, as she believes in the power of supporting others.

Then all of a sudden the book published, or you see it for the first time, or it’s born, then you have to nourish it like a child. You have to market it and do events and keep pushing it, and that’s where so many authors stop and they fail. Because thousands of books get published every month and publishing houses aren’t the most lucrative of businesses, especially in this day and age. They’ve got limited resources to try and promote a mass amount of books. So as an author, or musician or creative person, if you are not your number one marketing or PR person, then I wouldn’t bother. Because it is 90 percent up to you.” To promote herself Emma teamed up with brands that have a similar target audience to her, organised events, and created an online following. She was also nice to every single person she met, which is what she accredits a lot of her success to. This is because when working in a publishing house, Emma was often so busy she would only have time to promote a handful of books. The books she chose to promote were usually always from the authors who were nice to her. Therefore she made a point to have

“Stand for something, and that’s easier said than done. Because it’s easy to say I’m all about spirituality or I’m all about wellbeing, but standing for something is an action. It’s an active thing. I describe it as like that video of a guy dancing by himself at Santa Gold. He’s at a gig and he’s dancing alone and he looks like he’s crazy, then everyone starts to join him. So that guy is the leader, but the first guy who was brave enough to dance with him, that’s a follower, and the first follower is the most powerful person in a movement. So being a follower is sometimes more important than being a leader.” Emma is full of all sorts of great advice, and so is her book. Actually after reading her book then meeting her, upon first introduction it was like reuniting with an old friend. So if you want to get to know this down to earth Kiwi girl and learn a thing or two about spirituality and wellbeing, I’d recommend The Soul Searchers Handbook. It may just get you thinking about dogma, starting a detox, or doing a downward dog.

A ROUGH WEEK

It has been a rough week. I don’t mean that in the sense of missing a bus or getting a B minus. I mean it’s probably been the most trying week of my life. On Friday afternoon, I took a personal call at work. Surgery complications. Can you get here ASAP? I arrived to some bad news and an unresponsive father. The surgery to remove his brain tumour five days prior had been, for the most part, a success. But the surgery site was bleeding, and this was very bad news. Standing by his bed, I stroked his arm hairs and cried. I realised in that moment I hadn’t explored that thick forest of arm hairs since I was an inquisitive child, and I felt unfathomably old, and somehow like a child all at once. The extended family arrived. And with the arrival of each new face in the corridor, the gravity of the situation sunk its claws in my chest. I said “amen” with the minister and hoped I was wrong about religion. Shit was getting very real, very quickly. More surgery to relieve the pressure was an option, but not a good one. The last thing a bleeding brain needs is additional poking and prodding. So they went with the safer option, drugs. A plan was in place. The stopwatch beeped. The waiting game began.

I drove myself home, which on hindsight was a terrible decision. Months of stress blurred my vision as I pictured life without dad. Despite my racing mind, I fell quickly to sleep. After 1am, I got another phone call. More bad news. His condition had deteriorated and surgery was now a necessity. Cool. Great. I showered to wash off the cold sweat and waited for my ride. I arrived in a daze, and in shock and exhaustion, I crashed on the floor of a whanau room, and awaited news. The surgeon arrived hours later. The surgery was a success, but they had no idea how things would turn out. He apologised for the outcome, and left us to wait. I struggle to put the next few days in chronological order. There were moments so exciting it felt like the birth of a child; a squeeze of his hand, small nods, short monosyllable sentences. These are the high points you cling to. Because recovery isn’t a walk in the park, and blood clots, temperatures, tube blockages, and days of unresponsiveness are all part of the fun.

And still I spend most of my time in a messed up place of denial. I tell myself it isn’t happening, it won’t happen, it can’t happen, because the alternative is something I can’t consider. Instead I keep it together for the most part. I’ve discovered I have an almost bulletproof sense of optimism that most definitely stems from the aforementioned delusion. But it beats the alternative. In fact the only times I tend to really lose it is when I get a decent hug. As comforting as they are, they also ground you in the reality of everything. You realise the reason your hug is so damn warm and comforting is because, well, things are pretty grim. I don’t know which way the wind will swing, but sweet baby Jesus, I am over adulting for a good long while. Writing has always been a form of therapy for me, so perhaps this article is largely of selfish intentions. But also I don’t want you to make the mistake I made. The last time I told dad I loved him, he was in a coma. I don’t remember the last time before that. Don’t be that guy. Look after your friends and family, tell them you love them, don’t listen to shit music, and stay in school.

As I write this, he’s still in the hospital bed in the Intensive Care Unit, tubes poking out of his shaved head, wires all over his body and an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

IN SHORT

Dunne Wants Some Dank Kush Kieran Bennett

After 45 years of emulating failed and scientifically disproven drug policy, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has released a statement saying he would indeed like a cut of that dank kush. New Zealand has always followed a prohibition model when it comes to drugs, emulating many other countries. However despite years of effort, New Zealanders still remain some of the most blazed people around and drug crime has not dropped significantly. Over the years many social scientists and health experts have released reports and studies supporting the idea of treating hard drugs as a health issue rather than a criminal one. The first of which was penned in Maryland in the United States entitled ‘Maybe We Should Stop Arresting People With Obvious Health Problems: A Report’. The latest document, and one that some argue has influenced Mr Dunne, is simply entitled ‘How Do You Still Not Understand This?’ and was in fact only a single page long.

Mr Dunne has denied that years of scientific consensus and ballooning drug task force costs have influenced him in any way, rather, he just wanted to “grab some of that sweet Mary-Jane”. Speaking to media he said that in the coming year, the government would attempt to look at hard drugs place in New Zealand society and how we could all “rip a fat one”. Prime Minister John Key has come out in support of Mr Dunne, saying that as people were reacting positively to the idea and seemed to like it, it was his idea anyway and he had thought of it ages ago. The minister was congratulated on being so forward thinking. Opposition leader Andrew Little has also supported the announcement saying that he relished the opportunity to not only come to parliament relaxed, but to also consume an entire cake by himself whilst debating. Mr Dunne hopes that New Zealand will see law change by 2018 at which point he said there would be “a chicken in every pot and a tinnie in every cupboard”.

Last year the government announced it would be setting fire to a large pile of money whilst vigorously stroking themselves. However, after several focus groups and a rise in the price of tissues, the government instead opted for a flag change. After careful consideration as to what would annoy the greatest number of New Zealanders, the two referendum system was announced and the process begun. While the country was initially on board with the process, using it as a platform to discuss national identity, opinion soon soured. What many New Zealanders did not realise was that an aspect of the process was having said process continuously slammed into their faces like a 600 pound dump truck. The nation was quickly overcome with lethargy, then apathy, and finally desperation.

‘Thank Christ That’s Over’ Nation Breathes Sigh of Relief Kieran Bennett After a several-month-long process, 26 million dollars and two referendums no one in particular had asked for, New Zealand has voted to keep the current flag. The nation as a whole has now expressed feelings of relief that the whole thing has gone away and reportedly can’t wait to “get the fuck on with (their) lives”.

Kicking Butts

Many politicians pointed to a two million voter turnout as proof that the nation engaged well in the process. However New Zealand as a whole has confessed that many of them voted simply so the whole thing would fuck right off. “I understood what we needed to do, but after a while the constant barrage of flag news wore me down” said one voter. He then went on to say that he could genuinely not recall what flag he voted for as he was so consumed by white hot apathy towards the entire process. The nation is looking forward to focusing on different issues in the months to come, though are reportedly filled with dread at the idea of a debate around becoming a republic.

Since 2012, AUT’s three campuses have been smoke-free but you wouldn’t think so judging from the amount of cigarette butt litter being picked up in and around campus. The Smokefree designation provides a healthier environment for students, staff and visitors and makes sense given our position as a leading university in health science education and research. All buildings and outdoor areas on campus as well as AUT-controlled carparks are smokefree. Please remember to dispose of cigarette butts properly and make sure they are extinguished! Cigarette butts dropped on the ground, in storm water drains and in gardens make up a large proportion of the litter AUT collects each week. If you are trying to quit smoking and using e-cigarettes, remember they also emit smoke. The World Health Organisation suggests that the smoke emitted from them is not just water vapour as the labelling may suggest. The Ministry of Health encourages people to avoid using e-cigarettes in areas where smoking is not permitted. See www.health.govt.nz for more information. If you would like help to quit smoking, AUT offers a range of support services to staff and students. Students can book to see a nurse for smoking cessation support at no cost. They can phone 09 921 9992 (City and South Campus) or 09 99219998 ( North Shore) or call into a Health, Counselling and Wellbeing Centre to make an appointment.

50 shades of happiness Julie Cleaver Let me just get this off my chest – I’m not a good runner. In fact I’m probably the worst runner I know. So I was pretty hesitant about signing up for a 5km event. However, the thought of becoming a human canvas lured me into entering The Colour Run, and I am extremely grateful it did. The morning of the run was crisp. When I arrived at North Harbor Stadium, thousands of people were roaming around in clean, white shirts. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. People of all ages and ethnicities were laughing, dancing to upbeat music, and admiring each other’s ridiculous costumes (two dollar shop wigs and tutus were definitely in hot demand). I followed the mob of people as they moved to the start of the race. It was a crowded event so I had to wait for a little while before beginning, but it was a fun delay filled with free stuff and a crazy emcee who had definitely had his coffee that morning. When I made it to the beginning of the line, a giant party popper exploded and I shot off down the road. I began with a fast paced run, which quickly turned into “my back hurts” jog, which then dissolved into a “fuck this” walk. But most people around me were walking too, so I didn’t feel like a complete failure. The run/walk was split into five different colour sections that were all about a kilometer apart. After travelling for a little while you would arrive at a station, then volunteers would throw bright, chalky paint at you as you jogged through. The helpers would also give you encouragement in the form of high-fives and “you can do it”s full on Tony Robbins style. It was cheesy but awesome, and it definitely got everyone pumped. Skipping through a crowd full of people who are all biffing paint at you was so ridiculously fun I couldn’t quite believe it. I’m sure there’s some sort of primal reason as to why we love beautiful colours – maybe

because it symbolises berries or something, I don’t know – but seriously, it was such a deeply enjoyable experience I get giddy just thinking about it. At the end of the walk I was given a participation medal – which my mum always said is the best one to get – and a few packs of powder paint. I then joined the euphoric mass of people partaking in the end of run rave. Even though there was no alcohol or drugs at this dance party, people were getting absolutely shit-faced off colour. They were unselfconsciously jumping up and down, grooving to the beat, and releasing packets of paint into the wind.

There sure is something therapeutic about colour, and that day it definitely worked its magical healing powers on me. Just in case anyone wasn’t completely covered with colour at that stage, during the rave there were massive explosions of paint. The best way to picture them would be to imagine what a rainbow would look like if someone blew it up. When these colourful attacks happened everyone would cheer and choke and scream with glee. The air would become completely clouded with an orangey tint, making you lose visibility in the best possible way. At the Colour Run I experienced an insanely pure feeling of happiness. For a few hours my world turned into a multicolored mess of smiles and bliss, reminding me that this place isn’t so bad after all. There sure is something therapeutic about colour, and that day it definitely worked its magical healing powers on me. The run happened on March 20, International Happiness Day. Whether this was coincidental or not, it sure was fitting.

The Dirtiest Word on Tinder Amelia Petrovich “If your left leg was breakfast and your right leg was lunch, I couldn’t resist snacking between meals.” I read the message with a numbed sort of dismay. This was a man who I had only just met, a man who wanted my attention, and he’d chosen to approach me like that. Did this guy think I’d just willingly contribute what was between my thighs to his unsolicited snack-fest? I closed my eyes and tried to breathe. This message wasn’t the first of its kind and probably wouldn’t be the last either. At that stage, I didn’t quite know just how embroiled I’d become in the whole thing… but I did take a quick, quiet moment to ask myself just how the fuck I came to be option number one in this loser’s nutrition plan.

It started with an Instagram account,

Just like Nowak, for the first few

young women on Tinder. I was lucky

‘feminist_tinder’. This account is

matches I was met by a barrage of

enough to be able to run some of my

run by Laura Nowak, a 24-year-old

stupid (‘snacking between meals’ guy

own swiping experiences by her and

waitress from Toronto and was set up

is of course a prime example). It didn’t

get a bit of insight into why the men

to “document the young, single-and-

really matter what kind of human

of Tinder are so confused about the

looking-for-something male’s reaction

I really was, that wasn’t really ever

dirtiest f-word of all.

to everything feminist”. The young

addressed or alluded to, the quality

Canadian simply changed her Tinder

of conversation hinged on whether or

bio to “hello I am a feminist” and away

not people had read my bio and how

she went. The Instagram account tracks

they chose to react. For some I guess I

just about every sassy exchange Nowak

was the enemy, the judge and jury, the

has had with men on Tinder about

prosecutor… for others maybe I was

feminism, responses ranging from “a

just a joke.

woman’s body is hers to do or not to do what she wants with” to “lol you’re too ugly to have those kinds of opinions, go make me some bacon.”

But as I spoke to more Auckland guys about feminism and what it meant for them, two things eventually occurred to me. Firstly and unsurprisingly, there

Swipe-Right #1: “[Feminism is] equality across the board, no exceptions. Guess your opinion is different lol.” Feminism is a complex concept and everyone’s definition varies slightly, but for me feminism has always been about a little more than just “being equal.” It’s about “being as good as”, which is why there’s a focus on raising

I’d followed ‘feminist_tinder’ for a

was a hell of a lot of misunderstanding

long time. To me, Nowak’s experiment

about what it is and how it works…

looked really, really fun. She was

but more importantly I felt an

roasting misogynistic idiots on a

overwhelming urge to set things

dating app and getting thousands

straight. With the exception of the

of Instagram likes for it, it was every

notorious McSnacky, I genuinely didn’t

For Dr Farvid, feminism is “the

social media loving, lippy feminist’s

believe that these guys were terrible

understanding that men and women

dream (and my god, if I had to describe

people.

are treated differently based on their

myself in a sentence, that would be it).

The disconnect occurred because

So I decided it was time to put the

they didn’t see the world like I did,

young bachelors of Auckland city

and what’s life (or dating) without an

through their equality paces as well. I

attempt to connect?

copied Nowak’s blunt phrasing and off I went too, swiping right to just about everyone for three weeks.

I’m still at uni though, and although I reckon simply being a feminist makes me qualified to comment on

Who knew that the dirtiest word on

feminism, I felt like my arguments and

Tinder was actually “feminism”?

explanations were in desperate need

Who’d have thought that dismantling the patriarchy was the strangest kink I could have?

of citation. Dr Pani Farvid is AUT’s own feminism and gender/sexuality expert, with a PhD in psychology and pilot research into the tendencies of

women and femininity up rather than tearing men down (because, in a perverse way, that would be equality too).

socially ascribed gender roles and then a political commitment to rectifying this and reach for equality or equity on either a personal, political or social level.” Dr Farvid uses words like “equity” and “equality” for sure, but the reason the word ‘feminism’ is so clearly female-centric is because it’s those who identify as female who lose out the most within a system that’s all “masculine traits are basically what’s up.”

“The gender system does a dis-service to

“One of the long-standing stereotypes

ARE LAME”, there’s still literally nothing

both men and women,” says Farvid.

is that feminsts are not interested in

stopping me from picking up one of those

equality,” Farvid says.

toys and loving it until the end of time.

politically, economically and socially,

“[People think] they’re interested in

I know that competitiveness is a trait that

women are the ones that lose out.”

becoming better than men and of

society deems masculine. I don’t care

course that’s not the goal… Matriarchy

though, I’m fucking competitive.

“Men are also disadvantaged but

Swipe-Right #2: “So how extreme are your beliefs on a scale of 1 – hate all men?” Laura Nowak got hurled this one too during her foray into the Tinder-verse, to which she responded “almost everyone asks me if I’m a ‘real’ feminist or an ‘extreme’ feminist who hates men and thinks we’re superior, which I think is funny because I never ask men if they’re a ‘real’ man or one who rapes women and thinks they’re superior.” Man-hating is extreme and is often extremely incorrect just like the assumption that someone might be a literal rapist. Feminism indicates a critique of a patriarchal system, not individuals themselves. “Whenever you have ideologies or systems that want to rock or question the status quo you’re going to get backlash,”

is unrealistic and we’re nowhere near women taking over.”

For some I guess I was the enemy, the judge and jury, the prosecutor… for others maybe I was just a joke.

In reverse, my brother might know that being a good listener is a trait typically deemed feminine. He doesn’t care though, he’s a fucking good listener. “A lot of the popular understanding around gender differences and sex differences revolve around the notion that men and women are really, really different and that’s just not true,” Dr Farvid says. “There’s so much research coming out showing that we’re more similar than we are different.” Dr Farvid also points out that in societies

Swipe-Right #3: “Why can’t women focus on what makes them special instead of copying men now?” I wrote down a bunch of immediate responses to these messages and my

where gender differences are reduced for people during their upbringing, more similarities emerge in terms of cognitive abilities and tendencies- this means gender difference is mainly perpetuated by us.

says Dr Farvid.

remark for this particular one was ‘lol,

“People say ‘guys are just better at maths’.

you do know that any human can possess

That’s actually not true, it’s because our

Not unlike issues of race, Dr Farvid says

a human attribute right?’ Like, if the

society finds it more acceptable for them

that the “man-hating” stereotype is a

human experience was a toy shop and

to be mathematical and it’s encouraged, ”

demonisation of an outside group, which

there were certain toys that someone one

says Dr Farvid.

stems from fear of being eclipsed.

day decided to label “BOYZ ONLY, GIRLS

SHANA GRACE

Swipe-Right #4: “Why would someone treat a self-proclaimed feminist any differently? I mean, any decent human being would be following the basic principals of feminism whether they know it or not.” Praise-be for responses like this one. <3 My Swipe-Right #4 is bang on the money, feminism is a concept that can justifiably include all ‘decent human beings.’ Believe it or not, men also can be feminists and can play a goddamn important role in fixing the pesky, gender-rigid parts of Kiwi society. Dr Farvid explains that, while men are often framed as perpetrators of a lot of issues that women face (domestic violence, sexual abuse and family violence to name a few), it’s also time to talk about these issues as a product of “toxic masculinity” (in which ways of asserting dominance

themselves from other men as well as the

“As opposed to having to mutually interact

backwards notion that no man should be

with this other human it becomes this

too emotional.

war of the sexes ideology and that’s

“To be psychologically well adjusted people need to come to terms with their

This one proud, acid-playing guy won my

emotions and personality,” Dr Farvid says.

genuine respect because instead of talking

Gents, being a feminist is physiologically beneficial for you, it’s as simple as that. But to be completely, unwaveringly honest with you, my favourite Swipe-Right of all was hardly anything like these cherrypicked examples of feminist/anti-feminist discourse. The best approach I ended up having was from this guy…

and women would benefit both peoples, men wouldn’t have to engage in these problematic and really archaic behaviors that then affect women badly.” Dr Farvid also mentions that the bolstering of macho-masculinity does men no favours either, some suffering assault

‘as a man to a woman’, he simply talked to me. It was a conversation starter void of gender, implied roles, and even ‘feminism’ as a word entirely… and yet, isn’t this the exact kind of thing the movement aims to achieve? To Acid Guy I was a human on the same page as he was, which is funny because

Who knew that the dirtiest word on Tinder was actually “feminism”?

and control become harmful). “Unlearning [toxic masculinity] for men

problematic.”

that’s exactly who I am to me as well. He stepped up to the plate, asked me how my night was, and boldly told me about his experience with drugs and gardens. I loved it. This kind of experiment is probably not one I’d repeat, but if there was a next time

Swipe-Right #5: “Hey! What’s up? Killer Tuesday night? I took acid and played in a garden all day.”

it would probably go a little like this-

“I think its unfortunate, because instead

But mostly, I’m a person like you, and

of just looking at each other as people

hopefully we can both agree that’s the

this gender dynamic comes in about how

most important thing.

Hello, I am a feminist. Yes I am a woman.

supposedly it is a game and somebody has to win,” concludes Dr Farvid.

UNFAIR AND LOVELY

Sheetal Samy In South Asian countries, women and men with “fair complexions” are considered more attractive than men and women with darker skin. In fact, in India it is believed that people with lighter skin get better jobs, better spouses and having lighter skin is said to improve the quality of your life. The tone of your skin also determines the way you are seen in society. In some parts of India people believe that if you have lighter skin you are wealthy, whereas if you have darker skin, you are seen as poor. Which is completely fucked up but unfortunately very much the truth. As someone who is of South Asian descent and has darker skin, when I was younger I was told many times that I was not beautiful due to that fact that I had darker skin. “She has nice features… for a girl with her skin colour”. It made me feel very self-conscious about the way I looked. I remember there were times were I would refuse to go outside because I didn’t want my skin to get any darker than it already was. The hashtag #unfairandlovely is a campaign were women with dark skin are fighting societies pressure to lighten their skin by posting and sharing photos and situations that relate to them being dark skinned. The hashtag #unfairandlovely was created to ridicule the brand ‘Fair and Lovely’ which is a type of skin whitening cream that is very popular with women who wish to lighten their skin if it is “too dark”. Earlier this year, a Thai beauty company was forced to apologise

for using the slogan “being white makes you a winner”. This was an advert for its Snowz whitening pills. Just hearing that slogan alone makes me question media, and why they would even think to publish a slogan so ridiculously stupid. A 21-year-old African American female student from The University of Texas, Austin inspired the hashtag by creating a photo series displaying images of South Asian sisters Mirusha and Yanusha Yogarajah. The aim for the hashtag according to Jones was to combat colourism and the underrepresentation of people of colour in the media.

Earlier this year, a Thai beauty company was forced to apologise for using the slogan “being white makes you a winner”. The hashtag was made for women to encourage darker skinned women of all backgrounds to embrace and celebrate their complexions. The best thing about this hashtag is not only was it viral in the U.S., it has become a global phenomenon. Women around the world are fearless and feel more accepting of the way they look by using the hashtag to embrace the colour of their skin. Women are encouraging other women that are self-conscious of

their skin. It is amazing to see how far it has come in terms of it just starting off as three women that were fed up with society’s pressure to be lighter skinned. The hashtag has hundreds of woman standing up to the concept of colourism in society. The idea of colourism is rampant; women are literally bleaching their skin to fulfil society’s desires and expectations. There have been many movements over the years attempting to bring light on bias beauty ideals that have become more and more prominent. #Unfairandlovely is not the only movement about beauty standards. Another movement that is similar is the hashtag #Darkisbeatufiful. However, even after the movements and their success, including the hundreds of women that support it, fair skin still remains an ideal in many countries. It doesn’t help that companies are playing on the insecurities of many dark skinned girls and women. Advertising for whitening creams and products to this day, insinuates the idea that having lighter skin not only makes you more attractive, but a better person. It is inspiring for me, as someone who is dark skinned, to see women from around the world that relate to the harsh effects of colourism come together and break the shackles of age-old biases. Movements like these really emphasise and help me be proud of who I am and what I look like. At the end of the day, it’s not what you look like; it’s who you are on the inside that really counts. Beauty is more than skin-deep.

OUT OF CONTROL Laurien Barks “My IUD was put in completely wrong so this entire year I’ve been living on the #edge” The Facebook status smashed through my zoned-out scrolling haze and a million questions were already fighting their way to my fingertips and onto the keyboard. Lucky for me, my unbirthcontrolled pal (we’ll call her J) was available for an interview, and she kept up with the bombardment of questions like an absolute champ. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what exactly and IUD is, it stands for intrauterine device. It’s a, usually ‘T’ shaped device that contains copper or levonorgestrel, that acts as a contraceptive when it’s place in the uterus (correctly, that is). It act as a long term birth control, and is often chosen by women who have issues with the pill, either health or convenience wise. I’d heard only good things about them up until this status crossed my feed. Though while J admits “Family Planning weren’t actually too bad,” it seems brushing off her reports of pain, and a potentially rushed job were the magic mix for this painful and risky mishap. “Oh man, (the pain) was like awful. I talked to other girls who had it and some had an equally bad experience and some felt nothing. But for me, it was in the top three worst pains I’ve ever experienced. It kinda feels like someone is snipping something in your uterus.” When asked about the other top two pains she was comparing this to, she stated she once had an aerosinusitus attack on a plane “where my eye felt like it was about to explode from the pressure,” and another time when she fell off a horse and got kicked in the head. With such extreme amounts of pain, one would think a second trip to the clinic would be the clear solution. However, J endured the pain on her own because “honestly, I didn’t go back because I was still a bit traumatised, which sounds so stupid, but I couldn’t help but feel like weirdly violated.” “I couldn’t tell you technically (about the procedure), but it feels like they clip onto your cervix and pull it down.”

Besides being at risk of an unplanned pregnancy, for months after, J continued to suffer symptoms of the displaced IUD. J did bring attention to the pain she was in, but states she was made to feel like she was overreacting to the pain. “I don’t know if what I felt was just the usual, but I definitely think I had a worse experience than most other people for whatever reason, which makes me feel like they might’ve done a bit of a rushed job.” Besides being at risk of an unplanned pregnancy, for months after, J continued to suffer symptoms of the displaced IUD. “The reason I got it checked out finally was that every month (and in between my periods too by the end of it), I’d get the worst cramps ever. Not even like period cramps, but it literally felt like my uterus was clamping around the IUD, so like a stabbing pain. The last time it happened I passed out and vomited, and I went into what the doctor call ‘cervical shock’.” She took a moment mid-story to point out that “Cervical Shock” would also make a great band name. She did her research, went to a different doctor, but nothing helped her out because it was generalised that all women feel discomfort. “It’s nothing, I’m probably overreacting, etc. But when I got the ultrasound today, I got told it was amazing I’d only just come in to get it checked out considering how much pain I was probably experiencing due to its displacement.” The IUD was sitting about an inch lower than it should have been, with the only course of action being to take it out and replace it should J decide to give things another try. “I liked the idea of an IUD because hormonal birth control makes my other medication way less effective for me personally, but I don’t know if I can bring myself to go through the whole procedure again. My boyfriend is really annoyed because male birth control pills have been sort of half-heartedly studied since the early 2000s, but they don’t look to be being developed any time soon!” If she had to advise change to avoid experiences like this happening to other girls, J would say more information about the level of pain that’s normal needs to be available. So when it isn’t normal, it’s easier to spot, and can be taken more seriously by doctors.

AS K

S KY TH E S T U DENT Sky is a fellow student who really seems to have uni figured out. She’s kind, real, and has first hand experience is a lot of issues y’all are facing, yourselves.

Hey Sky, I’m a really confident dude. I have heaps of friends, a social job where I’m always talking to people and have no problem talking to strangers. But when it comes to girls, I seize up, get all nervous and can’t talk to them properly. It’s really embarrassing and because of it I can’t find a girlfriend. How do I get confidence when talking to girls? Signed,

incident we become hesitant to let new bees into our lives or nervous to even let them fly around us. Of course there is a large chance that none of that applies to you. However, there is a reason for your lack of confidence with girls, and I urge you to figure out what that is. Does it stem from your parents? A primary school teacher? Whatever the reason, you must completely understand it. As once you know the root of these feelings you will be able to rip them out of the ground and burn them in a fire.

Hopeless

You will do this by realising why you have said feelings, then rationalizing them away. For example you could say, “getting my heart broken ten years ago is not an indication of how cool I am as a person,

Dear Hopeless,

therefore logically, it is an irrational reason to have unconfident interactions with girls”.

I’m going to take a stab in the dark here and say that when you were at a vulnerable age (maybe 13? 14?) a girl broke your heart. Why do I guess this? Because firstly, you say you are a “really confident dude” which implies that you don’t have social anxiety in general, but only in relation to girls you are attracted to. To me this implies that there is something in your past that has made you feel unconfident when it comes to romantic love, but not other forms of social interaction. Secondly, I guess this because it’s pretty much happened to everyone. We all start off as confident little sunflowers ready to give love to the first bee who comes our way, but of course, those motherfuckers sting. And after our first painful

You see what I’m doing there? Understanding, comprehending, then overcoming. You sound like a really friendly person as you’re great at talking to strangers and interacting with people at work. Draw confidence from those things, as they reflect who you are much more than that one stinging bee back in primary school. With love, Sky P.S. From what you wrote, I think you are extremely far from being hopeless. Kia kaha brother.

AS K

SASS-QUATC H Sass-quatch truly does have your best interests in mind, but they’ll tell it like it is and won’t give a shit about crushing your precious little feelings in the process. Sometimes tough love is the only way you’ll learn.

Dear Sass-quatch, What’s the best way to cram? I’m a chronic procrastinator, and to be honest, I didn’t suffer too many consequences in my first year. But now that I’ve hit second year, my grades are taking a hit. It’s easy enough to tell me to stop waiting til my only option is to cram, but I’ve tried before and it’s just not me - I can’t find my motivation until the day before a test. Maybe three days before an exam. So don’t waste your time telling me to get my act together, just help me pass this year the only way I know how. Sincerely, Last Minute

I’m going to guess that you’re not really a student, and you’re actually some kind of foot licking hobo. Because clearly you have time to waste. Time to waste on dumb ass fucking questions like this. You say you have difficulty studying, I feel for you, I really do. But then you turn straight around and say you don’t normally start til three days before the exam and, surprise surprise, your grades are taking a hit. Mate, what the fuck did you think was going to happen? That you could put in a tenth of the work as everyone else and get the same result? I’m not going to tell you how to cram, because you already know what the answer is. Actually studying. You tell me not to tell you to start studying earlier, to me that just means you already know you need to start studying earlier. University, weirdly enough, is all about the studying. And at the end, hopefully, you’ll have a job. But, if you’re so unmotivated that you can’t even study,

why would anyone hire your lazy ass? When you’re in the real, nine to five world, people expect you to do things. Like, fairly urgently, not whenever you damn well please. No employer is going to look at your complete lack of work and say “oh hey buddy, I get it, you just don’t have the motivation. Tell you what, wait three days before we need it and then get to it”. Instead, they’re going to fire your lazy, unmotivated ass. If the idea that no one in the real world cares if your motivated or not doesn’t do it, what will? How about the satisfaction of a job well done? Or, more importantly, how about the thousands of fucking dollars you’re spending for the privilege of, apparently, sitting on your hands and failing? Let’s look at it like this, you’re trying to cram for shit right now, and failing. So why are you still trying to do it? Move on, try another tactic. But, I can already, from the past, hear your petulant whinge reaching ear splitting volumes. Shut the fuck up for once why don’t you? Start small in your study if you find it so damn hard. Maybe, just maybe, the reason you find studying so fucking difficult is because you try and cram it all in like some kind of academically minded Peruvian drug mule in the space of three days. Newsflash cupcake, that’s not how study is supposed to work. Read one page. Do one problem. Do half an hour on that assignment. Then do more. Perhaps over a period of time that’s longer than, say, a week. Reward yourself, and yes I do mean sexually. Or, don’t. Ignore my advice, don’t study, don’t pleasure yourself and keep trying to cram and fail. I give no fucks, not my money, not my time and not my grades. It’s all yours mate. Love and Bubbles, Sass-quatch 27

unexpected enlightenment Julie Cleaver | Illustration by Tyler Hinde In an attempt to get in touch with my spiritual side, during the holidays I decided to start meditating. On my first endeavor I lit a candle, sat on my floor cross-legged and ‘focused on my breathing’. Two-minutes and 200 thoughts later, I realised this was going to be a lot harder than I thought. So I scrolled the internet, found a little meditation class near my house and rocked up early one Saturday morning. I wanted to look extra spiritual-chic so I chucked on my craziest pair of hippy pants, a half top, and placed a crystal around my neck. I walked into the community centre where the class was, dodged rooms full of old people doing Zumba, and then found a room with an A4 piece of paper taped to the door that said ‘Meditation class here’. I opened the door and immediately knew I had the wrong room. Ten moderately dressed, middle-aged people were sitting on plastic chairs in a semi circle. “Hi!” a friendly man wearing a stripy dress shirt said to me. He was standing in front of the group fiddling with the projector lens. “Hi, sorry I think I have the wrong place. I’m looking for the meditation group?” I said tentatively. “Nope you’ve come to the right place, we’re the only meditators here! Grab a seat.” I looked at the presentation he was trying to put in focus. The title of his power point was called “Anger management – how mediation can help.” Shit.

Feeling too awkward to turn around, I walked across the lino floor, my bare feet squeaking with every step. I peeled off a chair from a tall stack near the wall and carried it over to the half circle of strangers.

was my turn, I stood up and said something random about my boyfriend or university or some totally jumbled up version of the two.

I sat down and wrapped my arms around my extremely bare stomach. The group looked disjointed, like a train carriage full of strangers and my “dude, let’s go to Burning Man” outfit definitely added to the randomness.

leader started clicking through his power point. “People get angry when they have no control over a situation and it doesn’t go how they want it to.” He said the only way to let go of anger was to accept that things cannot and will not always be in your control. “People will not always do what you want and situations won’t always turn out how you want them to. But if you let go of your expectations and accept that things will just be how they are, regardless of whether you get mad about it or not, you will be able to remain calm.”

The title of his power point was called “Anger management - how mediation can help.” After the leader was finished fiddling with his laptop, the presentation began. He introduced himself and talked about how he used to be a really angry person and how meditation and other skills helped him to overcome it. He then asked us to stand up and talk about what makes us angry. I felt like Marla from Fight Club; attending a support group meeting I wasn’t really part of. One man talked about how he always got angry at his wife. Another lady, who looked like she was in her sixties, said it was the Auckland traffic that grinded her gears. She got all worked up just talking about it. A younger lady around thirty said it was her friends. She was always there for them and they were never there for her. When it

When everyone had finished sharing the

He had a point. Of everything people complained about – their wife, traffic, my boyfriend – it was all things out of our control. It was such a simple point, but it hit me right in the crystal hanging over my heart. “The only thing in your control is yourself and the way you react,” he said, “So you can choose to never be angry again. Literally, you can just make the decision. Anger is a choice made by you and no one else.” He also said letting go of expectations and controlling yourself can be hard, which is why you need to meditate to find inner peace. We ended the lecture with a fifteenminute meditation session, which was amazingly peaceful. After that class I never tried meditating again, but maybe that session full of strangers was all I really needed.

Heated protest calling for “climate action now” Julie Cleaver

Their voices sung loud and clear. Even the large number of police picking them up and dragging them away from the door didn’t make them tremble. “Climate action now,” they chanted with vigor. One woman could be heard harmonizing above the rest. She had dreadlocks tied on top of her head and a deep passion in her song. As the police pulled more people away, their tones

The Greenpeace organised demonstration had gathered a large and diverse crowd. It wasn’t just filled with students and radicals, but also doctors, health professionals, and scientists. University professor and business owner Dr. Pete Mazany said temperatures in New Zealand are rising.

escalated. The heat was rising.

doesn’t work anymore. We had the hottest February ever. It’s above the 2 degree mark that we all said is catastrophic,” said Dr. Mazany.

The New Zealand Petroleum Conference 2016 was held at SkyCity on March 20-22. There, some of the world’s leading oil delegates discussed drilling in four different regions in New Zealand: Reinga-Northland Basin, Taranaki Basin, Pegasus and East Coast Basins, and Great South-Canterbury Basin. The outcome of this conference will likely be announced in December. The Chief Executive of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association, Cameron Madgwick, told NewsHub oil makes the country a couple billion dollars a year. However, the resistance against drilling is strong. Over fifty protesters sat in front of SkyCity’s doorways in Auckland on Monday, March 21. Siana Fitzgohn, a team-leader at the protest, said the group was blocking entranceways to prevent delegates from entering the building. She said their efforts had gone well. “This morning has been really, really good. We’ve successfully disrupted the oil conference because we believe that holding a petroleum summit in the current status of climate change is an act of violence against humanity,” said Fitzgohn.

“What we’re trying to show people is that oil

Although the sheer number of police was intimidating, protester Perry Wilton said the force were respectful. Another protestor working as a health professional said that from her point of view, a hotter climate affects the most vulnerable people in society, including the elderly. “They dehydrate and they fill up our hospitals, and our hospitals are just so understaffed. We’ve actually had the busiest summer,” said the professional who did not wish to be named. “We’re facing a crisis in the health sector and climate change is directly linked with health,” she said. SkyCity had issued a trespass warning to the protesters, but the group stood their ground. Because of this, at 9:30am over twenty police officers marched in and ordered the group to move. When they didn’t flinch once

again, the force physically pulled them away from the door. “Police were dragging them out of the way to clear an entrance for oil delegates to access the conference,” said Fitzgohn. The group did not resist when they were being moved, as the aim of the protest was to remain peaceful. “People were basically going limp and not assisting police. They weren’t moving actively out of the way so police were having to pick people up and drag them out of the way to clear a path for oil delegates,” said Fitzgohn. The force then lined up in two rows and created a human barricade for delegates and SkyCity customers to walk through. Protesters sat on either side of the police and chanted. Although the sheer number of police was intimidating, protester Perry Wilton said the force were respectful. “I thought the police were respectful and handled it really well. But it was really scary sitting there, you felt quite intimidated I think just by the quantities of the police force. But I think they did really well and we did really well I think we got our message across,” said Wilton. Even though the conference still took place, the group felt optimistic about their demonstration. National media covered the protest, meaning their message had defiantly been heard, but by who is the question that still remains.

Gender Dressing Shivan

Who defines gender boundaries? Who says that women cannot show up to a black tie event wearing a suit? From a very young age we are brought up to clearly draw lines between what is acceptable for women to wear and what is acceptable for men to wear. The television, social media and brands, in a way, assist in our upbringing, trying to mould you with their perception of gender dressing. However, I guess especially within the past year, designers have forgotten this perception of gender dressing and have looked at fashion from a new perspective, and women’s fashion is at the forefront of this. It’s not very often that you get to see a woman in a suit and when you do, it definitely makes for a statement. This year, designers like Marc Jacobs, Delpozo and more have introduced masculine elements into women’s fashion, by incorporating clean tailored lines, broader shoulders and masculine tailoring to break this perception of gender dressing. However what about for men? I still don’t think fashion has done enough to break the perception of gender dressing when it comes to men’s fashion. Unfortunately for men there is still a big way to go before gender dressing perceptions are broken. The perception of men having to dress in masculine attire has long come from the military days, which required men’s clothing to be tailorfitted to give the impression of strength and dominance. However now, we still loosely follow these masculine silhouettes given to us nearly a century ago.

There are some designers pushing these boundaries like Marc Jacobs who introduced the dress/shirt for men. Yes I do get that most of us aren’t really prepared to see men in skirts just yet, however who says masculinity is defined in a pair of pants. Men wearing skirts is considered the norm in certain cultural attire like Scottish and Tongan - who says we can’t extend these cultural outfits into daily wear. I believe some men would be grateful for a little breeze on those warm summer days. All jokes aside, I believe fashion is already moving in that direction, gender dressing is slowing but surely a changing perspective. In light of gender dressing we decided to style our own shoot, borrowing clothes from this talented designer Jack Jai. His collection was a men’s wear collection showcased at last year’s AUT Rookie Show; however we decided to dress our model Bianca in his men’s wear collection. The tailoring was impeccable, it brought a feeling of effortless strength to the editorial. I urge you when shopping to try and take risks, feel free to pick up certain statement pieces from the opposite gender rack of where you usually shop and change your perception of gender dressing.

Shot & Styled by: Yours Truly @gathum (www.gathum.co.nz) Model: Bianca @Red11 H & M by: @MadebyRuth Clothes by: Jack Jai (Jack X) Jewellery by: @sans_pareil_blog

REVIEWS

WILDERNESS Explosions In The Sky | Album Reviewed by Matthew Cattin

S T PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES Auckland City Limits | Live performance Reviewed by Laurien Barks

There is a moment in track opener, Wilderness, that hits you like the first wave of a summer surf. The ripples begin with minute drops of sound, more electronic than the band’s previous work, and as they spread and build, they pick up more sounds in their wake. Fragmented guitars and ticking drums pause for a small breath before the plunge, a hit of strings that sucker punches the feels. Explosions in the Sky are a Texan four piece of consistently brilliant instrumental wonders. It’s been a long time since their last output, 2011’s Take Care Take Care Take Care, but The Wilderness is undoubtedly worth the wait. Unpredictable, intricate, and with more emotional weight than a fat widow, it’s a welcome addition to the band’s discography. The album feels like the logical next step for a band which so mastered its genre. A dash of electronic atmosphere distances them from guitar-driven predecessors, pointing the band in an exciting new direction. With nine tracks, it’s the band’s busiest to date. The compositions are shorter in length, and don’t always reach the same energy punch as previous albums, but as an album, it’s probably their most relaxing so far.

Perhaps one of the biggest pleasant surprises I experienced at Auckland City Limits, was this performance. I knew I liked the style of St Paul and the Broken Bones, but I definitely hadn’t listened to enough of it as wholeheartedly as I should have been. Holy shite, my mind was blown. Lead singer, Paul Janeway, was an absolute champ. I never thought I’d be able to compare any vocals to that of Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard without sacrificing my credibility – but here we are. That sweet face and hilarious performance style is a refreshing parcel for the complete badassery that lies within. Working the crowd from head to two, and belting out arguably the most impressive notes of the day, I was a fan five seconds in. The band is incredibly talented and their ‘Bama stylings are simultaneously charming and pumping. Definitely in my top three acts of Auckland City Limits. Come back soon, guys.

BAT M A N V SU PE RM AN: DAWN OF JU S T I CE Directed by Zack Snyder Starring Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill Reviewed by Ethan Sills

First thing’s first: the movie is not totally awful. Performance wise, Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot are great as Batman and Wonder Woman, and the supporting cast works sufficiently enough to keep the movie going. There are several great scenes and some that came close to working, and if you want a silly, mindless blockbuster, the over the top final battle is sure to be sufficient. Unfortunately, the negatives clearly outshine the positives. Batman v Superman is less about the two heroes fighting and more about setting up the rest of DC’s cinematic universe, set up that is so forced it is actually embarrassing. The promised showdown between the two heroes ends up making very little sense as to why they are actually fighting, and after waiting two hours for it to start, ends up disappointing – much like the rest of the movie. Unless you are a die-hard superhero fan, there is little to enjoy with BvS – it’s even too boring and self-serious to watch as a laugh. The pieces for a good film were all there, but somehow they managed to spectacularly stuff it up.

WAIHEKE ISL AND Auckland City | New Zealand Reviewed by Nika Chawla

Waiheke Island is the perfect place to have a day away from Auckland! Being only a 35 minute ferry from Auckland CBD, you can easily access the island and have a blast of a day. Being a tiny island, you aren’t disadvantaged from the activities or things to do at Waiheke. To make the most of your day you should catch a ferry around 10 am and head to festival or event that takes place at Waiheke (depending on the council calendar), and then head to a winery and dining for an experience never to be forgotten. I would recommend doing a Vineyard Hopper tour for a visit of the best vineyards in Waiheke, and then enjoy a meal at the local cafés or restauraunts for a fine dining experience. To add the adventure streak to your day out, there are serveral activities such as kayaking, flying fox zip-lining, and archery; something for all levels of adventure. To end your day, head to a beach to relax after your long day, and experience the beautiful sunset from the popular Oneroa beach or Onetangi beach. Definitely a place to go with friends, family, or even solo!

Inter Faculty Touch The first of the AUT Sport Inter Faculty Tournaments kicked off with IFS Touch on April 1 at Hato Petera College. All the faculty teams looked strong, the Business and Communication teams had something to prove, along with Law, DCT, Culture & Society teams, and AUT South. Sport & Rec were looking to defend their title they have held since 2013, and returning Health & Environmental Sciences Captain, Gareth Fraser wanted topple the reigning champions as his last hoorah! The first round saw Sport & Rec start strong with an 11-3 win over Culture & Society, and a close match up between 4-5 win for Business over Communications. On the other side of the draw Health & Environmental Sciences won 6-1 over DCT, and AUT South with an 11-1 over Law. Teams fought hard throughout pool play and faculty pride was running rampant. The Business team put up a massive fight but it was the Communications team who progressed through to the Semi Finals by count back, along with Sport & Rec. Health & Environmental Sciences and AUT South also progressed and booked their place the finals. In the semi-finals Health & Environmental Sciences were too strong winning 7-3 over a weary Communications team, and Sport & Rec pulled out all the stops against AUT South winning 6-3, booking their spot in the final against old foe Health & Environmental Sciences. The final was set and Health & Environmental Sciences were not going down without a fight. It was neck and neck throughout the game, and despite a massive effort by Health & Environmental Sciences it was Sport & Rec who took out the final and their fourth consecutive title.

MVPs for the day were Sport & Recreation player, Sammi Stanton, and Health & Environmental Science player, Daniel Kenny. The next Inter-Faculty Tournament are the IFS Basketball series beginning on May 5, and the IFS Volleyball Tournament on May 10 at the AUT Sport + Fitness Centre. AUT Sport AUT Sport delivers a range of activities for Students, staff, and alumni. From recreational games and on campus activities, through to international competitions, AUT Sport provides opportunities for everyone to be involved. To find out more contact AUT Sport sport@aut.ac.nz or pop into WB119 for more information. www.aut.ac.nz/being-a-student/sport-at-aut www.facebook.com/autsport/ Coming up with AUT Sport NZ Tertiary Futsal Championships April 15-17 | Wellington NZ University Rowing Championships April 23-24 | Twizel NZ University Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sevens Tournament April 24 | Hamilton Inter Faculty Basketball Series Starts May 5 Inter Faculty Volleyball May 10

One Dish Chicken, Rice, and Parmesan Skillet • • • • • • • • •

2 teaspoons olive oil

1) Heat a large skillet over medium-high

5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized

heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add

pieces

chicken; cook five minutes or until browned,

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

stirring occasionally. Add bell pepper and

¾ cup uncooked quick-cooking basmati rice (like Uncle

rice; cook two minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ben’s)

2) Add 1 ½ cups water, black pepper, and salt

1 ½ cups water

to pan; bring to a boil.

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer five

¼ teaspoon salt

minutes. Add broccoli; cook five minutes or

3 cups broccoli florets

until broccoli is crisp-tender and rice is done.

½ cup shaved parmesan cheese

Sprinkle with Parmesan.

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Nightcaps

Rahotu

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