DEBATE ISSUE 1
O WEEK
FEBRUARY 2020
1
EDITOR Ben Webber ben.webber@aut.ac.nz DESIGNER Ramina Rai ILLUSTRATOR Yi Jong CONTRIBUTORS James Tapp, Abigail Johnson, Meoghan Craig, Sophia Romanos, Nathan Limm, Zoe Holland, Emily Davidson & Jordon Milroy ADVERTISING Jesse Jones jesse.jones@aut.ac.nz PRINTER Nicholson Print Solutions DISCLAIMER Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AUTSA, its advertisers, contributors, Nicholson Print Solutions or its subsidiaries. This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUT STUDENT ASSOCIATION (“AUTSA”). 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 AUTSA. Debate is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA). Follow Debate! debatemag.com debate_mag autsadebate debate@aut.ac.nz
contents 4 5 6 8 10 13 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 30 32 34
Editor’s letter What’s On Fees Free Future ASPA Success Mental Health at Auckland Uni Uni Food Guide How to F**K Up Uni Sport Report O Week Activity Schedule Giveaways Pyjama Movie Experiment Profile on AUTSA’s President OK to be Afraid Join an AUTSA Club Freedom Project Puzzles
3
FROM THE EDITOR Hello! Welcome to AUT if you’re new and welcome back if you’re a returning student. This dinky little mag you’ve picked up is your on-campus student publication. Although we’re affiliated with AUTSA, we’re editorially independent from both AUTSA and AUT, with a primary focus on telling your stories and giving you important information (we think) you need to know. It’s been fun putting this first issue together and we’ve got a range of content for you inside. On page 14, Sophia Romanos has all the tips around what not to do when you’re starting back at uni. Sophia’s got the deets around tertiary concessions and why ignoring the Student Hub won’t do you any favours. On page 26, Zoe Holland talks about how being a little afraid of starting uni is perfectly normal. She talks about holing herself away in the library (not recommended) and how communicating and being
open with your peers is one of the surest ways for university success. On page 24, we profile the new AUTSA President Sisifa Lui and ask what her plans are for her constituents (you guys!). Sisifa talks campus culture, her wild campaign for the presidency and 2020 goals. This issue is also full of all the upcoming O Week happenings and we’ve included a calendar on page 18 where you can find more about all of this. If you like the look of the mag and think you might want to get involved, then flick me an email to debate@aut.ac.nz and we can get the ball rolling. Finally, I wish you all the best in your studies going forward and we’ll see you on stands again in a couple of weeks. Ben
What's on
AUTSA Block Party
I Know What I’m Doing
Where: St Paul Street, Auckland CBD When: Fri 28 February What: Freq music has teamed up with AUTSA to bring you Auckland CBD’s first day and night street party for Orientation week. Experience Saint Paul Street transformed into a massive music festival with top NZ acts including P-MONEY, Flowidus and Savage. How much: $35 tertiary GA (+fees)
Where: Q Theatre, Queen Street When: Tue 25 February – Fri 28 February What: I Know What I’m Doing is a hybrid of performance art, comedy and dance theatre which seeks to investigate human nature. It is a one woman show that merges what’s happening on the inside and tries to make sense of it outside – or, more to the point, on stage. How much: $15 general admission
Dead Legends Where: Studio One Toi Tū, 1 Ponsonby Road When: Wed 19 February – Thurs 19 March What: Five years ago, Gemma Stewart discovered the creative release that crossstitching brought her and was inspired to embark on an ambitious project, an exhibition that would celebrate deceased, golden-era hip-hop artists and their lyrics in cross-stitch. Although faced with the challenge of keeping her vision alive, stitch by stitch she has realised her exhibition. How much: Free
David Correos & Donna Brookbanks Do It Again Where: The Classic, Queen Street When: Wed 4 March – Sat 7 March What: The most notorious duo of NZ comedy are back, delivering their freshest material to kick off a bloody huge 2020. This is comedy that pushes the boundaries and tips the form on its head. A figurative melee and a proper kerfuffle, this is an excellent showcase of two brilliant comics quickly making names for themselves. How much: $16.38 adult
The Infomercial Project Where: The Basement, Auckland CBD When: Fri 6 March What: Created by Jordan Dickson, Georgie Salmon and Jacob Masters, this is an experiment in placing a value on a worthless art form that exists only to place value on worthless objects. How much: $20 adult
Tākiri: An Unfurling Where: NZ Maritime Museum When: Wed 12 February – Sun 7 June What: Seven contemporary artists explore early Māori and European encounters through new work inspired by museum taonga. Historical artefacts meet contemporary art as the national dialogue unfolds 250 years after the first on-shore contact between Māori and the crew of HMS Endeavour—including the Polynesian navigator Tupaia, and Captain James Cook. How much: Free for Aucklanders
5
NEWS
compensation reconsideration What does the future hold for Fees Free? By James Tapp
With national elections coming up in September this year, New Zealand's major political parties will once again be put under pressure to deal with tertiary education. Last year when the 2019 Wellbeing Budget was released, it was announced part of the Fees Free budget would be reallocated to boosting vocational tertiary education over tertiary education in universities, due to a lower number of students taking advantage of the scheme than expected.
In a statement, the government said it “initially budgeted for Fees Free at the upper end of potential demand and we are now in a position to re-allocate an estimated $197.1 million of the funding to another part of tertiary education.” When it was first announced, this flagship scheme was set to cost $380m per year to provide one year ‘fees free’, with no outset on costs relating to two or three years of free study.
Only limited public information has been supplied when it comes to the policy’s success. Education Minister, Chris Hipkins, did not respond to questions from Debate, but a spokesperson issued the following statement: “Tertiary Education Organisations claimed $270,803,199 for fees-free enrolments in 2018 and between January and August 2019, Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) paid approximately $279 million for feesfree enrolments.” Hipkins’ spokesperson also added that the government is looking to expand fees free in future terms, however there has been no confirmation or information on how this scheme will be funded. In addition, it is unclear whether students who have already received one year free would receive a second one or if it will remain available only to students new to the scheme. The scheme is aimed at better educating younger generations, with two thirds of jobs this year expected to require qualifications above highschool level.
AUT Vice-Chancellor, Derek McCormack, previously spoke out about the Fees Free policy when it was first announced. He supports the move to provide better education, however believes living costs rather than course fees are a bigger issue.
It is unclear whether students who have already received one year free would receive a second one or if it will remain available only to students new to the scheme.
"While fees are generally covered for students by an interest-free student loan that they don't start paying until they're in work, costs like rent, bus fares, the cost of food, and so on, are often the things that cause students to have to drop out or to not even start university education,” he said. Piper Worboys, a Communications and Business student, agrees this could potentially be more helpful, saying the
fees are not necessarily the barrier, but instead the cost of living and the number of hours of part-time work that is needed to make ends meet. The National Party, on the other hand, proposes completely getting rid of the Fees Free scheme and instead introducing an offshoot of Kiwisaver which they currently call an education saver, which would have a mix of Crown, parent and child contributions from a young age. On the other side, one of Labour’s coalition partners, the Green Party, wants to see a different approach to introducing Fees Free, with an initial maximum amount on fees and then a slow reduction of this to zero. All three parties agree more needs to be done to provide more support around rising living costs. Zeal Gandhi, a third year business student, says simple things such as providing fuel vouchers for those who cannot access public transport would help to relieve financial stress.
7
NEWS
Debate Triumphs at Student Press Awards
JB3869_100x1
The Debate team are pleased to announce that we did well at the 2019 Aotearoa Student Press Awards! The magazine came runner-up in the Best NZ Student Magazine category and won Best Student Politics Reporting, thanks to the wonderful Dan Brunskill. We would like to thank AUTSA’s various disasters in 2019 for giving us the juicy content that helped us to clinch this award. Debate also got mentions in several other categories. We came runner-up for the following: Best Sportswriter (Nathan Limm), Best News Reporter (Dan Brunskill) and Best Opinion Writer (Dan Brunskill). As always, the judges loved Debate’s distinctive look too and we came runner-up for Best Design (Ramina Rai) and runnerup for Best Cover (Leo Walton).
The judges also thought we were kind of funny too and we clinched runner up for Best Humour/Satire (Sophia Romanos). The awards were held in Wellington by Salient, who were gracious hosts, apart from not providing any alcohol at the venue. The evening was enjoyed by all and we look forward to not having our drinks stolen by the other magazines at the awards in 2020. If you want to be part of an award-winning magazine, then get involved with Debate. We’re always on the hunt for people to come and write for us. You can send the editor an email debate@aut.ac.nz or come and knock on the door, WG 704 (City Campus).
SMASHING o-WEEK PRICES! e To show your sTuDenT iD in sTor rFaCe! reCeiVe 10% oFF miCrosoFT su
& heaps more Deals insTore!
• CDs & DVDs • Games • TVs • speakers • Cameras • phones • CompuTers, TableTs & aCCessories • heaDphones • FiTness
132.5_AUT.indd 1
AUCKLAND CITY 280 Queen Street Ph: 984 8070
Want to see your work in Debate? We're forever on the lookout for writers, illustrators and creatives to contribute to the mag. Want to see your work in print? Email us at debate@aut.ac.nz. Too easy!
30/1/19 2:45 pm
9
OPINION
Opinion:
Auckland Uni kicks out student over mental health – what happened? words Abigail Johnson • illustration Yi Jong
CONTENT WARNING: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment
The Situation An international student was expelled from Auckland University this summer, ostensibly over her deteriorating mental health. This student was studying a conjoint degree with the university and had two semesters to go before graduating. When she arrived in New Zealand at the age of 16, she alleges that she met an older man, with whom she developed a sexual relationship. She claims this man later threatened to publish her intimate photos. This was the ordeal that she says led her to develop a mental health condition, for which she sought treatment. In July of 2016, an agreement was apparently drafted by Auckland University, which required this student to “promptly inform the university of any changes to the state of her mental health,” which it is understood that she signed, at the age of 17. In October of 2019, this same student alleges she
was raped by a patient in an Auckland mental health unit. This is currently under investigation by the NZ Police. It was after this alleged incident that the student, who had never failed a paper up until this point, began struggling with her grades. In a rather shocking move, Auckland University responded by cancelling her enrolment. In a letter which has since been made public, Deputy ViceChancellor Adrienne Cleland, wrote, “It is clear that there has been a change to the state of your mental health leading up to these events, and you did not promptly inform the International Office about this change as you were required to do […]” The letter ends, “The University has cancelled your Student Agreement for your breach of enrolment conditions, thereby terminating your enrolment at the University.” No longer enrolled in Auckland University, the student was informed by Immigration New Zealand that her visa was no longer valid and that she would be issued with a Deportation Liability Notice within five days. It is understood that this was delayed so that she could seek legal representation.
11
“With an issue as deeply nuanced and broad as mental health, it’s unbelievable that such strict
“Auckland University is an organisation that rests on its laurels, they are aware that because they rank as one of New Zealand’s best, students will come to them regardless,” they said.
guidelines exist in the first place.”
My Take
The Reaction After this case became public knowledge, I spoke to an NZ mental health expert who wished to remain anonymous. They told me that incidents of sexual assault are not uncommon within Auckland mental health units, particularly between patients. They also said that there has long been advocacy for gendered wards and a strict separation of men and women within these centres. Furthermore, women and traditionally female-bodied patients often have lower capacity during periods of ill mental health and may not comprehend what they are consenting to (if they do in fact consent). An Auckland University student I reached out to told me they were disgusted and ashamed to be affiliated with an institution that had acted so cruelly and without care toward one of its students.
It defies comprehension that a university would require a mentally unwell student to "promptly inform the International Office of a change to the state of their mental health.” With an issue as deeply nuanced and broad as mental health, it’s unbelievable that such strict guidelines exist in the first place. Even more so when you add the context of sexual assault. It is well understood that victims of sexual assault often suffer shame and denial, so far as to not report their experience to the authorities for a long time after the fact (if ever). Any institution that expects a student would take this opportunity to come to them, much less immediately come to them, to provide a mental health update, is fooling itself. Time and time again, Auckland Uni has shown itself to make the convenient choice in place of the right one. I sincerely hope they change.
Uni food guide Around campus there’s always a lot going on and with all these choices it can be hard to figure out where to eat. Here’s Meoghan Craig's Uni Food Guide to get you through.
Sensational Chicken
U curry
If you're moving into the student accommodation, staying late at uni to study, or just want some late-night fried chicken, then this is the place. Grab yourself a lunch box and you seriously won’t regret it. The vast majority of us students are well acquainted with the kind hospitality of Sensational Chicken.
I have never seen such generous portions for the prices! It’s seriously ridiculous and in the past year I can’t count the number of times I headed along with my friends to get a super cheap and delicious lunch. You’ll never leave there hungry. Open 11am-8pm
Panda
This is another Lorne St gem! Nice Dumpling will give you some solid stodge for a fraction of a normal lunch price. It’s yummy, filling and service with a smile. Best for the person who needs to grab a quick bite between classes.
The cutest kind of modern Chinese food. Dumplings (even panda shaped ones), all kinds of fried seafood, meats, noodles and rice dishes.
Dante’s Italian wood fire pizzas, pasta, risotto, salads and desserts. These are all delicious and Dante’s is a real good show of traditional Italian food.
Poke Bar This place does an exceptionally good lunch deal during the week: Poke of the day, $11.90. There’s also always the option to design your own as well as the regular poke of choice from $13.90.
Nice Dumpling
Mexican cafe Free chips and salsa on entry! Only $10 for lunch meals or $15 for a lunch combo with a virgin margarita. I think it’s safe to say that in this Auckland summer you’d be a fool to not get a fresh and fruity icy drink with your meal. Great for meat eaters as well as vegetarians.
13
How To F**k up Uni The do’s and don’t’s of how to start your academic year words Sophia Romanos • illustration Yi Jong Starting a new year at uni, you’ll find that the haircuts, kicks and browser histories are all fresh and the slate is wiped clean. Sleeping in a bedroom you pay too much money for, you can’t afford to screw this degree up – so follow my trusty advice around how to not shit the bed within the first few weeks back on the grind.
Don’t get a Tertiary Concession
Boycott the Medical Centre
Think you’re better than the loser-cruiser? You’re not. A seat on the bus is an emperor’s chair in Auckland, so you better get used to it. With your concession validated you can ride for $3.45 instead of $5.00. Be smart, save those dollars for Friday drinks when (if) you make it through the week.
If you go to WSA, then you’re going to get sick (or a mad UTI) at least seven times this year. The Medical Centre is free for domestic students, so stop being an asswipe and book in as soon as you get the sniffle.
Pack lunch on a Thursday You wanna waste your last portion of pesto pasta on lunch? Go for it, but you were warned. Saturday may be “for the boys”, however, Thursday is for free lunch in the plaza. Save your dollars and stack up on snags.
Accumulate so much debt on your library card you can’t get out any textbooks No, no one is going to let you borrow their library card if you use and abuse yours. This is how trust issues are born.
Never check your grades on Arion
Ignore the Student Hub They have the answers to everything. They are Mum 2.0.
Don’t check your emails Hot tip: Microsoft Office sucks. Get your uni emails redirected to your personal email and you’ll be able to check these babies a whole lot more often. Now you’ll be up-to-date on class changes, AUTSA events and maybe even hot single girls in your area if you check the spam!
Miss all the O Week Activities If you think you’re better than the O Week activities AUTSA puts on...well, then you probably are. Everyone else, get your ass to Vesbar for a bevvy and a comedy night.
Just because you didn’t look doesn’t mean you didn’t fail :--)
15
Sport Report 2019 was a massive sporting year for New Zealand. Three world cups. Two finals. One winner. Agony and ecstasy. Heroics and heartbreak. Super overs. By Nathan Limm
Cricket While the Blackcaps had some brilliant wins and memorable performances over the past year, there have been some painful results to swallow. Where else to begin with than the utter heartbreak that was the Cricket World Cup final? A denied LBW shout off Trent Boult’s very first delivery to Jason Roy which was destined for the stumps seemed an omen of what was to come. With England needing nine from three balls, an outfield throw from Martin Guptill ricocheted off Ben Stokes’ bat, running away to the boundary for a freakish six runs. Never in your life will you ever again see that happen in a game with such high stakes. Even a gut-wrenching super over couldn’t separate the two sides and when Jonny Bairstow knocked poor Guppy’s stumps over, England celebrated the draw as if they’d just won the World Cup. Oh, wait. England were crowned champions based on a ruling that the side who had hit more boundaries would win. So, despite having scored the same amount of runs and lost less wickets, the Blackcaps became the first side in cricketing history to not lose the final, yet still not lift the World Cup. Typical. Unfortunately, New Zealand have also had a horror start to 2020. It began with a dismal 0-3 test series drubbing in Australia. The Blackcaps melted under
the harsh Aussie sun, losing all three tests by more than 240 runs. The Kiwis went on to lose five T20’s in a row to India, including two super over defeats. They managed to somewhat vindicate themselves with an ODI series win against the visitors and further opportunities for redemption lie in two tests against India and the Chappell-Hadlee series against Australia in March. The White Ferns will compete in their T20 World Cup over February and March, while the men’s T20 World Cup will take place in October.
Netball
Rugby
2019 saw the Silver Ferns effectuate possibly the most remarkable comeback in their history. After their dreadful 60-55 bronze medal defeat to Jamaica in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Silver Ferns were completely written off. Enter Noeline Taurua, juggling her coaching role with the Sunshine Coast Lightning. Taurua had just 10 months to perform the impossible and she timed it to perfection. After a comprehensive World Cup semi-final performance against England (47-45), the Silver Ferns downed the Aussie Diamonds 52-51 in the final to claim their first title in 16 years.
The All Blacks had it all to lose in 2019, with two world cups and three consecutive Rugby Championship titles under their belts. There were worrying signs early on; a heavy defeat to the Wallabies and the loss of the Rugby Championship to the Springboks showed the gap between the All Blacks and the rest of the world was closing. New Zealand possibly peaked early, with an emphatic 46-14 quarterfinal win over Ireland, but they had no answer to England’s tactical masterpiece one week later. They were completely outclassed by Eddie Jones and the England outfit, who put Kiwi fans into a state of agony with their 19-7 upset win over the All Blacks.
The Silver Ferns have started 2020 strongly, already claiming the Vitality Netball Nations Cup. They also have another shot at winning the elusive Constellation Cup from Australia, who have won 9 of the 10 previous tournaments between the two sides.
A 40-17 thumping of Wales secured an underwhelming bronze medal for New Zealand. Meanwhile, the Springboks went on to win their third world cup title, beating England 32-12 in the final.
The 2019 ANZ Premiership saw the Central Pulse finally crowned champions after a third final appearance in three years. After topping the table with 15 wins and just two losses, they beat the Northern Stars 52-48 in the final.
2019 has set up a series of exciting challenges for the All Blacks in 2020. The Investec Rugby Championship brings the first opportunity to challenge the Springboks, while a mouth-watering grudge-match with England at Twickenham on November 7 exudes an undertone of revenge.
With the growing provincial strength in New Zealand netball, another competitive ANZ Premiership is also on the cards later this year.
Unfortunately, Super Rugby looks to offer little more than it has in recent times. The only real question mark hangs over the impact of star first-five Beauden Barrett on the Blues, who haven’t made the Super Rugby finals since 2011.
17
AUTSA O WEEK AC city campus monday 24 feb
chill zone
tuesday 25 feb
chill zone
wednesday 26 feb
chill zone
thursday 27 feb
chill zone
friday 28 feb
chill zone
AUTSA Balcony, 10am-5pm Grab a drink, play games and chill out!
AUTSA Balcony, 10am-5pm Grab a drink, play games and chill out!
AUTSA Balcony, 10am-5pm Grab a drink, play games and chill out!
AUTSA Balcony, 10am-5pm Grab a drink, play games and chill out!
AUTSA Balcony, 10am-5pm Grab a drink, play games and chill out!
gamers’ zone
gamers’ zone
gamers’ zone
gamers’ zone
create zone
create zone
create zone
create zone
create zone
Vesbar, 12-6pm Come along and play some arcade machine games!
Hikuwai Plaza, 10am-2pm Studio 55's Escape Room
pub quiz Vesbar, 6pm Free entry, R18
Vesbar, 12-6pm Come along and play some arcade machine games!
Vesbar, 12-6pm Come along and play some arcade machine games!
Hikuwai Plaza, 10am-2pm Studio 55's Escape Room
10am-2pm Studio 55's Escape Room
bitchin' bingo
beats by bingo
Hosted by Mistress Viv, Vesbar, 6pm Free entry, R18
Hikuwai Plaza,
Hosted by DJ Tido, Vesbar, 6pm Free entry
Vesbar, 12-6pm Come along and play some arcade machine games!
Hikuwai Plaza, 10am-2pm Studio 55's Escape Room
art zone
ST PAUL St Gallery, 5:30-7:30pm Speaking Surfaces Exhibition Opening
clubs expo Hikuwai Plaza, 11am-4pm Clubs Info, Recruitment, & Performances
fun zone
Hikuwai Plaza, 11am-2pm Photobooth, carnival and giant games, loo races, and more! 12pm-1pm Campus Kai Free food
casino night Vesbar, 6pm, Free Entry R18
Hikuwai Plaza, 10am-2pm Studio 55's Escape Room
art zone
ST PAUL St Gallery, 10am-4pm Speaking Surfaces Exhibition
block party
St Paul Street, from 4pm, tickets from Eventbrite
CTIVITY SCHEDULE north campus chill zone | mon 24-28 february | AS Level 1 10am-3pm | Grab a drink, play games and chill out!
gamers’ zone
tues 25 feb - thu 27 feb AS Level 1, 10am-3pm Arcade games, pinball machine, foozeball
clubs day clubs Hikuwaiexpo Plaza,
tues 25 feb 10am-2pm Awataha Plaza Clubs Info & 11am-3pm Recruitment Clubs recruitment From 12pm Clubs Performances
fun zone
tues 25 feb, Awataha Plaza, 10am-3pm
Carnival games, obstacle course, pineapple hutt, photobooth and more! 12-1pm Campus Kai - free food
south campus chill zone | mon 24-28 february | AUTSA office ME109 10am-3pm | Grab a drink, play games and chill out!
gamers’ zone
clubs day clubs Hikuwaiexpo Plaza,
MH Foyer, 11am-3pm Xbox, PS4, Sega Mega Drive, Atarai Flashback, Nintendo mini, photobooth
Clubs Info & Outside MH116 Recruitment 11am-3pm Clubs info & From 12pm recruitment Clubs Performances
wed 26 feb
10am-2pm wed 26 feb
fun zone
wed 26 feb
Outside MH116 10am-3pm Games, pineapple hutt, photobooth and more! 12-1pm Campus Kai Free food
twilight zone wed 26 feb
Outside MH116 3-5pm Social sports + extra Campus Kai
HEAD TO AUTSA.ORG.NZ FOR MORE INFO! 19
giveaw Hydro flask Iko Iko Bags These cute rainbow tote bags are great for a quick dash to the shops or even a trip to the beach. Debate has a couple of these little guys to give away.
Whatever adventure you’re planning, your hydro flask will be your best friend. From cross-country skiing to stories by the campfire. From morning meetings to sunsets in the park. Hydro Flasks have wall vacuum insulation that protects the temperature of your drink for hours. Debate has one Hydro Flask to give away to a lucky winner!
ways choccies Sarsaparilla, the thirst quenching, slightly spicy tonic, not so
Student life can be tough, which is why we search the city for the snazziest stuff to give away. Like the look of something? Head to our Facebook page (/autsadebate) and fill out the survey pinned to the top of our timeline titled ‘Giveaways - Issue 1’
AUTSA BLOCK PARTY
common these days… until now!
MOVIE NIGHT
Hogarth Chocolate Makers have
Experience Saint Paul Street
re-created a classic Sarsaparilla
transformed into a massive music
Take some time out from
flavour by combining three
festival with top NZ acts and street
procrastinating and enjoy a night
spices: sarsaparilla, licorice and
performers. It’s an event not to
at the movies with a couple of
ginger with cacao and orange.
be missed, featuring P-MONEY,
Event Cinema vouchers. Debate
Debate has a couple of blocks to
Flowidus, Savage and more. Kicking
has two double passes to give
give away.
off on Friday 28 Feb from 5pm.
away!
21
I went to the movies in my pyjamas to assert my rights as a New Zealander How did Hawera, a town of under 12,000 people with one cinema, dictate the first movie-dresscode in the country? Sophia Romanos took to the movies of Auckland to see what you can get away with
Queen Street
Rialto
The smell of three-day-old buttery goodness in a hive of tourists told me it was peak hour on a Friday night. You know that kid at high school who wore the brown roman sandals when everyone else had black? Yeah, I felt like that. I didn’t spot any other pjs or slob clothes. Even people in the nearby Carl's Jr were dressed like Jacinda on a surprise tour.
I had imagined that this Newmarket cinema would have an artsy-fartsy older demographic. I was right. Three-quarter white pants and Birkenstocks were in full swing and I was gawked at by everyone over 50.
Eye contact was expected and received: “Nice costume, bud.” If I wasn’t dressed like I was in Donnie Darko I might have felt good about this level of attention. Cruising to my seat, I slid past two guys and received a “Nice onesie by the way,” as I passed. If this chat is what it’s like wearing pyjamas in public then I’m sorry Taranaki, but I’d like to do this more often. If New Zealand was a person, they’d have a broken jandal held together by a bread clip and $10 Warehouse trackies as their pjs. I was essentially paying tribute to this cultural norm and asserting my rights - I just happened to be comfy while doing it.
Ticket seller response: Either a silent scream for help or a yawn. Nope, that was definitely a yawn. Either we’re a more passive bunch than we care to admit, or no one actually gives a toss. Like in Fight Club when Brad Pitt’s cruising for a bruising, I was hanging out for someone to say ANYTHING. Speak! I dare you. Everyone walked past with little interest. Unless of course you count eyebrows that raised the roof higher than Bar 101’s disco raves.
Westgate After missing the bus (twice) for the sake of a half-priced Starbucks and a taco, I arrived at Westgate Event cinemas. As a born Wellingtonian, I don’t know much
about Auckland, but I was promised this was the more relaxed of the three. In true Kiwi spirit, I spied trackies and jandals in high supply but sadly no pyjamas to answer my mating call. I began to forget I looked slightly feral. No one was fazed. I approached the ticket stand and received an “Excuse me but,” This was it! I was going to be turned away. Wetting my onesie watching Annabelle 3 didn’t really appeal to me anyway. Now I’d be able to unleash my spiel on why this is the equivalent of the Free the Nipple movement to New Zealand pyjama culture. “You can’t take food in here.” Oh wait. Okay. I introduced my taco to the bin and bought my ticket. New Zealand priorities man.
Overall Response: Total negative comments? None. Total direct comments? Two. Total eyebrow-raises, laughs, smiles and side-eyes? Trillions.
23
PROFILE
AUTSA's New President
By Ben Webber AUTSA’s new president, Sisifa Lui, practically falls through the door to my office in a flurry of Subway packaging and sweet apologies for not having bought myself and the designer anything to eat. She’s beaming beyond belief, seemingly far too excited to be in our funny little shoebox space and without a skerrick of concern about being interviewed. Within minutes she’s in full swing, talking gleefully about her “crazy” campaign for the AUTSA presidency last year, alongside her friend Mariner Fagaiava-Muller, who’s now the vice-president of the association. She exudes positivity, even though at times the campaign must have been tough, all with their posters being ripped up and NZ Herald articles
accusing the pair of various ghastly and unwarranted things. “A lot of the time we did feel anger in terms of the response we were getting,” she says about the articles. The pair ended up releasing a statement in the midst of all of the negative attention. Sisifa says for herself and Mariner, that period for them was all about being “kind, open and honest” about who they were. I suspect it’s this authenticity that’s got them to where they are now; being positioned as two of AUT’s most influential students. I quickly discover that Sisifa is a real open book as she darts around from one memory to the next, touching briefly, but thoughtfully, on her upbringing in Tonga and a grandmother with whom she shares the same name and who I can tell means a great deal to her.
“I need to live up to my namesake, not so much as to shadow her, but to sort of walk in her footsteps, but to walk with my own two feet,” she tells me. It’s not the first time I’ve spoken with Sisifa, in fact I met her at a Student Representative Council (SRC) meeting last year, where a vacancy had arisen for the Pasifika Affairs Officer role. She spoke passionately at this meeting, I can’t remember what about, but I recall that people listened and took note. I noticed that she listened to people too.
She speaks pretty well about her upcoming position on the AUT Council, telling me it’s “sort of like an action point” for her, making it sound casual but I can tell she gets what she is there to achieve. Soon, she plans to “go out to the students and grab from them a collation of what they want me to achieve for them.”
I wonder out loud to her whether she thinks a lot about the weight of the students she’s carrying in this role. After all, this is a university with 29,000 odd students, and she’ll have a seat at the table on the AUT Council, which is AUT’s governing body.
She says she quite likes “meeting people face to face, rather than hearing from ear to ear.”
“I do have governance experience,” she tells me, “but not to the full extent that I should have because I didn’t receive proper training [for the AUTSA Governance Board], so I was still going into it quite clueless…I was scared and intimidated.
I tell her I imagine it must be a nightmare trying to gather so much feedback from students and then having to report back to AUT, but she says she quite likes “meeting people face to face, rather than hearing from ear to ear.”
“It was more so knowing that I had a really valuable and significant position that I wasn’t exactly maximizing.” I think this answers my question and in hindsight I suspect she probably does think about all of this a great deal.
I ask her about the pressing issues that AUT students are facing and she launches into a spiel about campus culture, telling me “...other universities have this college sorority culture, I sort of want that but with more of an AUT feel,” she says.
I’m not sure I’m sold on this, but then it’s early days for Sisifa and her team may surprise us all with a renewed and gleaming student culture on campus. She says that “AUT has its own unique culture.” I nod, but I’m secretly not sure if either of us can pinpoint exactly what that is. I don’t think she loves me poking around asking questions about if the SRC will all get along this year, but I persist, nonetheless. She admits that she can’t predict whether it will be a harmonious year for the council but does smile relatively confidently and tells me that she’s “not expecting airy fairy bubbles and joy.” She says though that she would certainly like harmony and that she wants everyone to be “on the same board” and that she’s looking into organising some team building for the council. As we wrap up our conversation, I ask her what her message is for her students. Almost out of nowhere she blurts out “Have fun!”, followed by a panicked “Oh my gosh that sounds like such a lame thing to say.” It’s not a totally irrelevant sentiment though and if I was an AUT student I certainly wouldn’t think it to be lame if the student president told me university was about having fun.
25
It's OK to be afraid Debate’s Zoe Holland looks at what works and what doesn’t when it comes to uni life
University can be scary. Whether you’ve come straight from school or taken some time to yourself, scary is oftentimes the word that pops up for people new to the uni game. To be fair, I’d be worried if someone didn’t have a little fear in them. Believe it or not, fear can sometimes be a good thing. My first semester was horrible because I became too scared to do anything as I thought that I had to study 24/7. I thought that my tutors were aliens from a different planet and that I was the only person in my course who hadn’t made any friends. But what I didn’t initially realise was that a lot of people were feeling just like me. So, to save you all the sad and depressing times that I went through, here’s a few of my mistakes that you might want to take note of:
Friends: If you’re that lucky person who’s studying the same thing as all your friends, good for you. However, many of us aren’t and will be starting from scratch in the friend department. I’m not going to lie and say that meeting people at uni is easy. With every different class, you’re generally with a whole new group of people and each lecture it’s you and a hundred others. I spent my whole first semester alone thinking that it would be good for myself and my grades as there wouldn’t be any distractions. But trust me – this isn’t for the best. I hid away in the library between classes and I forced myself to study. And let’s be real, it wasn’t productive at all. It might take time, but trust me, after a group assignment or a familiar face in a few tutorials, it’ll be nice to have a friend who’ll understand the pains of your individual course. So don’t do what I did. I recommend you put yourself out there, because a friendly face or a person to sit next to will make studying a whole lot easier.
27
“My first semester was horrible because I became too scared to do anything as I thought that I had to study 24/7.” Timetables: It took me a week to build up the courage and ask someone how the room codes worked, so I’ll save you the hassle and explain it to you here. First we have the building code e.g. WG, then we have the floor which the class/lecture hall is on e.g. level 6. Then we have the room number e.g. 08. And there you have it: WG608.
Tutors: Talk to your tutors. They might seem scary to start off with, but they’re there for you to learn. Try to get on a first-name basis with them as they’ll have hundreds of other
students they’re dealing with and you don’t want to just be a face in the background. Tutors are honestly a wealth of knowledge for information and industry questions and connections. So, use them to your advantage and don’t be afraid to email them and get the simple one sentence reply with a “Sent from my iPhone” signature. They’re the ones who mark your assessments and exams so you might as well grab some wisdom from them while you’re at it.
Time management: In high school, your teachers would remind you about assignments. But at university, you’ll be lucky if your tutor even knows the right due date. Your tutors won’t be on your ass if you don’t hand in an assessment on time or don’t show up. It’s going to have to be you that stays responsible for this. So there you go. I made a lot of mistakes in my first semester all because of my crippling fear of university. Just remember that you’re not the only one who’s going through it, so take a deep breath and try to make the most of your university experience.
29
Join an AUTSA Club By Emily Davidson Welcome to AUT and for returning students, welcome back. University is about more than a certificate and wearing a robe at a ceremony, it’s also about the people you meet and the opportunities that open up for you. The community you get to be a part of and the clubs and societies available at AUT can be a huge part of this. Our range of clubs is as broad and diverse as our students, bringing together students of shared interests, culture and identity. From hiking with OffGrid Outdoors Club to dancing with Horizon.ADP (AUT Dance & Performance), celebrating your heritage with our cultural clubs or challenging yourself to public speaking with AUT Toastmasters, we’ve got it all. Clubs are a great opportunity to find friends outside of your usual circles. Often the community becomes more important than the activities that brought you together. Every semester, AUTSA runs a clubs
expo on each campus to introduce AUT’s clubs to the student body. We’ll also have an information booth at each expo where students can find out how to start their own club. This semester, we’ll be running the expos as follows: North Campus: Tuesday 25th 11am-3pm South Campus: Wednesday 26th 11am-3pm City Campus: Thursday 27th 11am-4pm If your ideal club doesn’t already exist, you can start a club of your own at any time and we’ll be here to help. You can find us at the info stand at the Clubs Expo or come see us at the AUTSA offices at any point throughout the year to get started. Personally, I’m extremely passionate about the positive benefits for students that clubs can have, in no small part because of my own journey. I dropped out of school early and had very little confidence when starting my Certificate in
Communications – a pathway that didn’t bode well for someone with a lack of confidence and fear of public speaking. In my first few years of university, I got involved with an acting club and an improv group. Those experiences massively improved my confidence, personal growth and started many friendships. I ended up switching over to a law degree and got involved with the several law clubs here at AUT. Through the club’s mooting competition, I had the opportunity to travel and compete, both nationally and internationally. I also had the honour of speaking at events held at top law firms and not-for-profit organisations. These achievements were huge for me and I attribute this growth to my involvement in clubs and the support of the community I found there. I encourage you to challenge yourself and try something new with a club of your choice!
Grab your SIM today
FREE
DATA NIGHTS 2GB FREE DATA EVERY NIGHT between 5pm and midnight limited time only
Only on Vodafone MyFlex Prepay vodafone.co.nz/nights Free Data Nights: Limited time only, terms apply vodafone.co.nz/nights. MyFlex: Your MyFlex plan needs to consist of minutes, TXT and data totalling $13 or more. MyFlex plans renew every 28 days and auto renew if you have enough credit. See vodafone.co.nz/myflex for terms.
31
Freedoms! The Anthem for Students with Disabilities
By Jordon Milroy Firstly, and frankly, rolling into class for an 8am lecture is somewhat of an uninspiring activity. The sheer fact that I was able to stumble out of bed, make a strong coffee and get dressed correctly doesn’t warrant the terminology ‘inspirational’. The use of a wheelchair (a mobility device) to access different areas of university can be compared to walking in new shoes and this ridiculous and somewhat humorous comparison also doesn’t warrant the word ‘inspirational’. This collective vision held by youth with cerebral palsy of just “getting on with the job” drives the momentum towards a collaborative video series in conjunction with the cerebral palsy Society of New Zealand and the CP Youth Alliance. The Freedoms campaign is made up of ten bold declarations of a world where youth voices are heard and respected. This multimedia campaign, released through a mini documentary, showcases what it’s like to be a young person living with cerebral palsy and the real-life testimonials about life with cerebral palsy.
The honourable position of being able to co-chair the cerebral palsy Youth Alliance at the same time as studying within the field of human rights has provided me with a front-row seat of the Freedoms campaign and the exciting endless possibilities that this campaign will cover. My personal favourites out of the ten Freedoms as they relate best to attaining an academic qualification are: The Freedom to Pursue a Dream: As a postgraduate student studying towards a Master of Human Rights at AUT, I live with a dream of shaping the way society views individuals with cerebral palsy, through the skills and knowledge I’ve gained at a postgraduate level. Dreams are deeply embedded in the core desire to succeed. The Freedom to Be Heard: This is another bold statement that resonates with life at university. To be heard is to be understood clearly, despite having slurred speech or taking several attempts to express the true definition of what the point-of-view is that you are trying to portray. To be heard is to constantly redefine one’s comfort and
to move the boundaries and speak up on behalf of those who are not able or haven’t reached a point of confidence yet. Students with disabilities don’t need to be qualified or be seasoned activists to create change within our society. Being heard is vitally important for change. As a student, I’ve had the opportunity to suggest practical changes around accessible parking spaces, door entry sizes and the language used surrounding disability. In short, power to the people – it’s time to be heard. Lastly, but still as important is the Freedom to Have Fun. Our academic journey at AUT will come and go as the milestones of due dates tick by. At the same time, we all need to enjoy our time at university, drink overpriced coffee and have a good laugh with fellow colleagues, friends and smile at strangers. Fun is the centre point of any journey in life and it’s a driving force for self-motivation and the enjoyable experience of research in one’s chosen field. The Freedoms campaign is a liveable and forever changing way of life for young people with cerebral palsy. Now, where’s my coffee?
33
CLUBS EXPO
Keen to join a club or start one? Come along to our expo and find out more about our clubs!
TUE 25 •NORTH CAMPUS WED 26 •SOUTH CAMPUS THU 27 •CITY CAMPUS
Head to autsa.org.nz/clubs or email clubs@aut.ac.nz for more info! 35
ENROL NOW TO VOTE IN THIS YEAR’S ELECTION AND REFERENDUMS Visit us at O-Week or enrol online at vote.nz
