Debate issue 23

debate ISSUE 23| OCTOBER 2014

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COVER ART photograph by Ramina Rai EDITOR Matthew Cattin matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz SUB EDITORS Laurien Barks | Kieran Bennett DESIGN/ART Ramina Rai ramina.rai@aut.ac.nz CONTRIBUTORS Abigail Johnson | Amelia Petrovich | Carl Ewen | Ethan Sills | Jason Walls | Julie Cleaver | Matt Neary | Nigel Mckenzie-Ryan | Samantha Boston ILLUSTRATION & PHOTOGRAPHY Matthew Cattin | Ramina Rai ADVERTISING CONTACT Kate Lin kate.lin@aut.ac.nz PRINTER PMP Print Ltd. PUBLISHER AuSM all rights reserved 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.

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SUB EDITORIAL A few days ago Nicky Hager, author of the book Dirty Politics, had his home searched by police in pursuit of evidence relating to the WhaleOil hacker, Rawshark. Whether the police have actually found anything is yet to be revealed. Whether Nicky Hager was dumb enough to keep that kind of information in his house is also yet to be revealed. But what isn’t to be revealed is whether or not this current government has just taken a massive dump on the institution of journalism. Because they have.

Dirty Politics, since it came out, has been a divisive book. Published in August, only a month or so before the election, Dirty Politics detailed how WhaleOil blogger Cameron Slater used his blog to attack various members of parliament. This would have hardly raised any interest had Hager not included evidence in his book that some of these attacks were at the request of National party supporters. The book was immediately derided by National and supported by the opposition. This is of course irrelevant as it had no effect on the election whatsoever and the government is hardly going to launch an investigation into themselves. What is relevant however is the search of Hager’s home. Whether or not Hager is telling the truth in his book, he should not have his home raided by police – it is intimidation of the media, plain and simple.

Police told Hager that in the context of the case he was a witness. So why does he get his home searched for evidence by five police officers and his property seized?

Where exactly was this treatment for Slater after Dirty Politics came out? Or even the National Party? I’m not denying that Hager and ‘Rawshark’ were and possibly still are involved in something dubious, but he’s hardly alone here. Slater was accused of taking payment to attack National Party opponents, Judith Collins admitted to leaking the name of a public servant and the National Party also admitted to taking confidential information from the Labour Party website. And yet, none of this was considered to be significant enough to warrant an investigation, let alone a sudden, surprise search? I was under the impression that when journalists were in possession of important information given to them in confidence they had certain protections when it came to that? Perhaps I missed the piece of legislation which removed that.

But what really irks me beyond all belief is the public’s reaction, even the media’s reaction. A journalist’s home is searched and his property seized in a government-related investigation and no one so much as bats an eye (figuratively speaking). A journalist’s job (and feel free to forward this to the New Zealand Herald or even the government) is to act as a kind of watchdog on the government, call their actions into question and keep them honest. I may be some kind of crazy person, but I’m almost certain that if a journalist discovered (or was given) information detailing my governments dodgy dealings, I would want to know about it. I certainly would not relish or ignore them being branded a criminal and celebrate the

precedent that whistle-blowers and journalists will be investigated for fulfilling their function.

It seems that this kind of thing happens more and more, wrongdoing on the part of the government is exposed, it gets no media attention (or biased attention) and the country gives a collective ‘meh’. The fact that the government has refused to investigate Hager’s claims and has completely ignored everything in his book is not an indication of innocence. It’s disturbing. It’s frustrating. It’s not right. And it becomes less right when the main journalist involved in the case has his property seized despite only being a witness.

That doesn’t seem like the actions of an innocent party to me.

But again, all of this is somewhat irrelevant considering that the current government is firmly entrenched in our parliament for the next three years. They’ll continue to lie, deny and investigate who they like. Journalists will become afraid to leak important information, whistle-blowers will stop coming forward and 30 years from now we’ll wonder how on earth we let the media landscape become so anaemic and gave the government so much power. Of course there is something we can do. We can demand our politicians become more accountable. We can demand that our journalists be treated with respect. And we can demand that our media be more impartial. It won’t be easy by any stretch, but something has to be done.

Kieran

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VOX POPS

This week our sub-editors got all up in peoples faces about winning the lottery, Miley Cyrus, first jobs and animal reincarnation... You know, the usual.

Interviews by Laurien Barks and Kieran Bennett NAT DARLING

Full Time at Cosmic K-Road, Part Time Manager at Cupcake Tree.

CASSANDRA NG Part Time at Cupcake Tree.

1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

Donate money to countries that don’t have fresh water.

Buy a cupcake business.

2) Thoughts on Miley?

Buy a cupcake business.

She’s alright. Don’t know why everyone doesn’t like her. She’s an entertainer.

3) What was your first job?

3) What was your first job?

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

Working at my mum’s dairy.

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

2) Thoughts on Miley?

At a United Video.

A leopard, cause they can run really fast.

An eagle. So I could fly

MARIYAM POONWALA Graphic Design

SARA OLIVER Graphic Design

1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

Travel to New York, to see Times Sqaure.

Travel to Venice cause it looks beautiful.

2) Thoughts on Miley?

2) Thoughts on Miley?

Crazy bitch. She’s just a bit weird, poking her tongue out and stuff.

I just ignore her, not really to my taste.

3) What was your first job?

I worked as a receptionist.

I was a casual lab assistant at my dad’s work, inputting data and stuff.

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

A parrot, I love the colours on their wings.

Polar bear, cause they’re my favourite animal.

JAKE SUNDE Bachelor of Business 1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

Probably throw a huge party, gotta do that. Probably try and be a little smart with it, keep the parents happy.

2) Thoughts on Miley?

Don’t mind Miley, she knows how to party 3) What was your first job?

A lifeguard at a school pool.

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

A mountain lion. Cause they’re cool and I love golden pelts.

KAY RICHMOND Activities Coordinator at AUSM 1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

I wouldn’t tell anyone and then pay off my parents’ house.

2) Thoughts on Miley?

Dunno, seems like a bit of a bitch at the moment. Didn’t say hello to the New Zealand fans.

3) What was your first job?

Lawn mowing in a small community. I was maybe 12 or 13 and I could walk to all my lawns. Had maybe five or six at my peak.

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

An eagle, cause then I’d be free.

3) What was your first job?

CAMI RICHARD Fashion Design 1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

Put a lot of it in long term investments, pay off my parent’s mortgage. I’d leave it for a bit before going shopping, so I could decide what I wanted.

2) Thoughts on Miley?

I don’t like her. Her concert would be a good show, even though I don’t like her music.

3) What was your first job?

I worked in a hair salon for three years, washing hair, making tea, that sort of thing.

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

A bird of some sort so I could see things from a different perspective.

ADAM MANGU Bachelor of Business 1) What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?

Throw a massive party, cause you have to.

Then spend it on a bunch of shit I didn’t need.

Afterwards travel for about foyr years and leave the rest to get interest.

2) Thoughts on Miley?

Annoying. Not a fan. Respect for what she does, but I don’t like it at all. Well, respect that she has fans is more accurate.

3) What was your first job?

Cocktail party bartender, for hens parties, 21sts, that sort of thing. Pretty fun.

4) If you could come back as an animal, what would it be and why?

Pygmy marmoset, it’s the cutest animal. They ride on people’s shoulders. Look it up.

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image Robert S. Donovan

The 10 Million Dollar Man Interview by Julie Cleaver

What have you done with your money?

What would you do if you won 10 million dollars? Would you buy your mum a luxury beach house? Start up a whole bunch of charities and donate the lot? Or chase the sun around the world, living in an eternal summer for the rest of your life? It’s a fantasy I’m sure many of us have indulged in. For Gerald Trass, this unlikely dream became a reality when he struck gold and won Powerball last July. I was lucky enough to catch up with him and ask him a few questions about his Lotto-winning experience.

So far I’ve purchased a couple of apartments. I bought a nice car and now I’m starting up a racing business. I’ve also travelled a lot. I went to the states and entered the World Series of Poker Tournament, which was awesome. I went all around Europe with my wife and visited my son, who’s currently living in Japan. I went to the Football World Cup in Brazil with my brother, which was very good. Most of my money is now invested into the bank. It’s low risk but low return, and I’m living off the interest.

Can you describe the moment when your numbers came up?

I went to the Lotto store where I originally purchased the ticket. I had three tickets because I bought a triple dip. I put my first two tickets into the machine and was unlucky. I put the third one in and began to walk away, thinking that nothing would happen, and the machine made a very unusual sound. I looked at it and it said, ‘Congratulations, you have won first division’. I was pretty calm at this point, even though I knew first division meant that I had won a large amount. I turned to the owner and he put the ticket into the big machine. He looked at me in shock and said, “No, you haven’t won first division… You have just won Power ball.”

Describe your life before you won?

It was extremely hard working. I worked around 80 hours every week selling and distributing flowers. I was under a lot of stress and money was really tight.

Who was the first person you told?

I called my wife up straight away and said, “honey, you don’t have to worry about money anymore.” She didn’t ask any questions. She just said “that’s good” and hung up *laughs*.

Tell me about the winning ticket? One off purchase? Same numbers every week?

It was a one off purchase; totally random numbers with no significance.

I just went into my local Four Square, saw they were advertising a triple dip, and said to the owner “I’ll have one of those.”

Had you ever won anything before?

Yes I have. I once won ten thousand dollars on Lotto. When I was younger I used to win a lot of things. People always called me lucky.

What were the first few months after you won like?

Well for the first month, I couldn’t sleep. I slept on average one to two hours a night. The adrenalin rush was unbelievable. I tried to take sleeping pills but after taking them I’d lie in bed for three hours, then I’d just get up because it was a waste of time. Nothing could make me sleep. After that first month it calmed down a bit. But still the first few months were very intense.

Take us through an ordinary day in your life now?

Each day is different. The good thing is I don’t have to go to work. I don’t have to go out in rush hour. I can pretty much do whatever I want to do. It’s a big change. Now that I’m retired, I don’t need to make too many plans. I just think about things I want to do and see.

Have you felt compelled to give anything back?

Yes, I’ve given away a substantial amount of that money to other people. Friends, family and people I know. But before I won Lotto, in August 2012, I made a very conscious decision to start serving others and attending my church again. I often went to Queen Street to hand out food to homeless people. I just did what I could to help people.

My church leader would ring up sometimes and ask me to do things.

Even if I was busy or tired, I would always say yes. I had a year and a half of doing things for other people. It was very fulfilling. So I started giving back before I won. Then the money felt like a massive reward for all my effort. But still I continue to live with the same giving mentality and always help out. After I explained this to others, I noticed some of them being more generous and helpful. Maybe they thought that they could win something as well. It worked for me!

Did your friends/family/acquaintances see you differently after you won? Did relationships change?

I think the answer is yes. The majority of the change was positive, but some was a little bit negative. When I say negative, nothing terrible happened. Just a few people have gone quiet and kind of shut off from me. So I’m only assuming that they are feeling some negative feelings towards me. Also, some of my friends were very jealous and found it hard to accept my good fortune. But over all I have shared my wealth with my family and friends, so people have been extremely happy.

The old mantra – money can’t buy happiness. After stepping into so much money, what do you think of this saying?

It is not true. Absolutely not true. I mean, money itself can’t make you happy, but it allows you to do the things that you want to do and that you’ve always dreamed of doing. Money enables you to fulfill your dreams, which is why I believe money can bring you happiness.

THE BIG BADASS WOLF

By Samantha Boston The first time I seriously considered what I actually wanted to do with my life, I was 11-years-old and someone at a veterinary clinic I used to clean kennels for asked me what I would be when I “grow up”. At that point I was totally unaware of the greater world, and replied with absolute certainty that I would be a cat breeder. I received a severe look of disdain, and to this day I shamefully hang my head at the response (although it turns out I did become a crazy cat lady after all).

In high school I finally began to open my eyes to different possibilities, and my delusions of grandeur manifested themselves. Wild fantasies of tracking poachers through the golden plains of Africa; racing through deforested jungles with orphaned monkeys tucked under each arm; busting Black Market wildlife traders.

New Zealand’s ecosystems are extremely unique, fascinating and delicate. But I found myself most interested in larger land mammals – species we don’t indigenously possess. Most of all, despite never owning a canine species as a pet, I seemed to have an obscure obsession for wolves (even though I had never actually seen one with my own eyes). Thus, shortly after I graduated, I found myself heading for a summer internship at a wolf sanctuary on the west coast of the USA. Before I got to my final destination, I spent some time in small-town Montana. I was 22 at the time and had never travelled alone before, so I was super chuffed that I was finally doing something I felt passionate about. Wolves stir up a lot of controversy in parts of the United States where many people feel they threaten agriculture and other industries, but I had no idea about this at first – instead I skipped around opening my big mouth when anyone asked why I was so far from home; “Oh, I’m doing an internship at a rescue wolf sanctuary!” like it was some universally good thing people would commend. I finally started to get the picture when one particular owner of a ranching bar told me to leave before they got the shotgun out.

pick-up truck to use, and on my first day of work I headed up the wild forestry road that twisted and wound its way towards the Sanctuary.

I had worked in different animal establishments before, but all of them were set up in the heart of human civilisation with trees and tricks to imitate natural habitats; this was real. Tall, wolf-proof fences strategically bordered sections of forest alongside the dirt vehicle track. As I came closer and closer to these fences, I spotted a white flash that seemed to fly between the thick pines – a huge Arctic wolf.

WWS was started over 25 years ago by a woman named Lois Tulleners after she rescued a couple of Arctic wolves that had been used as pets. She sold her house, bought some land up this mountain surrounded by national forest, and lived in a tent for over two years while she dedicated the rest of her funds to setting up acres and acres of secured wolf habitat. The Sanctuary now holds over 60 acres, and the enclosures encompass natural elements of the mountain; forest, ponds, meadows and slopes. All of the wolves cared for by the sanctuary had been rescued from some far-from-ideal situation or other; the wildlife pet trade, illegal fur farms, entertainment facilities, etc. – they were all captive-bred, but get to live their lives out in an environment as close to natural as possible.

These animals have taught me an incredible amount. Perhaps, most of all, it has been the importance of following a passion no matter how whimsical it may seem (edit: maybe nothing illegal or profane). I have spent time with the wolves more than once, now, and each time is an eye-opening adventure. I find myself drawn to people who aspire to dedicate themselves to at least one “good” venture; something that will have some kind of positive impact on the natural world. It sounds so corny, but I really believe this; if every person did one extra good deed, our world would be a better place. So if you’ve been thinking about getting involved in a positive project, as out-of-the-ordinary as it may seem, do it! Make an experience out of it. Embrace a real-world lesson.

It doesn’t have to be far from home, either. It just so happens that I fell in love with these giant fluffy beasties on the other side of the planet, but our individual quirks and passions are what keeps the world colourful.

Yep, I’ve definitely learnt a lot since then.

The White Wolf Sanctuary lies two miles up a natural mountain in a beautiful spot near the Oregon coast. I had been given a little white

If you want to learn more about Sam's travels, visit her blog at http://blameitonmywildheartblog.wordpress.com 9

Leap Of Faith

by Matthew Cattin

New Zealand is famous for some pretty bizarre things... Sheep, pavlova, hobbits, Lorde, and leaping from platforms with rubber bands around our ankles.

Now, I consider myself to be a fairly typical Kiwi. I grew up on Weet-Bix, I wear jandals all year round, I own The Exponents Greatest Hits and I can whip up a pav, but the one thing I have never been able to claim (until now) is doing a bungy jump. It’s always been on my to-do list, but for some reason I’ve never made the commitment to actually do it. I received a bungy voucher for my birthday in August, and I must say it seemed like such a good idea at the time. It was way the heck down in Taupo so we made a bit of a road trip out of it and invited a bunch of friends (yes, I have those!).

Come the morning of the jump, I was terrified. Driving out to the bungy site, I was cranking the Queen in an effort to keep myself amped and brave, but upon hopping out of the car and looking at the platform suspended 50 or so metres above the Waikato river, I was scared shitless.

The worst part is the waiting, mulling around in the icy Taupo breeze, watching other people jump and waiting for your number to come up. When they finally did, I was called up with three others onto the platform, fitted with a harness, and given a bit of a lowdown by the staff. I volunteered to go first, half out of fake-courage, and half out of not wanting to freeze to death on the platform much longer. They hooked the bungy cord onto my legs and led me to the edge. With every tiny step, I felt my fear grow, and I’m not ashamed to admit I was petrified. I believe my words were “oh good lawdy”.

Standing with the tips of my toes over the edge was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I wouldn’t say I have a fear of heights, but to be so close to a drop which in normal circumstances would certainly be the end of me, and to have no safety barrier to cling to, well I reckon that’s enough to put a fear of heights into anybody. Add to that the weight of the bungy hanging below, pulling my feet towards the edge like a doomsday magnet, and it’s a pretty damn uncomfortable feeling.

To take that leap is to overcome every self-preservation instinct in your body – that’s pretty much what it boils down to. Life is behind you, on the safety of the platform, and before you is a drop that should mean death. The only thing that gives you the strength to make the leap is faith in the equipment, and in that way, it’s like a religion – believe and you will be saved. The bungy strapped to your feet allows you a rare opportunity to defiantly stroll right up to the line in the sand between life and death. It sounds dramatic, but I suppose that’s the very essence of the appeal – you get the chance to safely cheat the black robe and scythe.

The staff pointed out a camera behind my right shoulder, suggesting I turn around and flash a winning smile. I awkwardly glanced at it and tried my best to look calm and collected. I turned back to the canyon and the river below and the fellas behind me told me to raise my arms above my head. Reluctantly I conformed, feeling incredibly uncomfortable about the whole thing. You’ll never know until you try just how vulnerable you feel standing there, arms above your head, feet on the edge, the river nearly 50 metres below. Every instinct screamed for me to lean back or flail desperately for a handhold but before I knew it, the countdown began from three, and as silly as it sounds, I felt I had no alternative to adhering to it. I took a breath, leaned forward, and let Jesus take the wheel.

The first thing that struck me (yes, there was a brief sequence of thoughts) was just how quickly I was accelerating. My stomach plummeted, the breath was sucked out of me, and even if I wanted to scream, I don’t think I could have. It was all a bit of a blur on the way down, eyes streaming in the cold air, the river rushing up to meet me, and then all of a sudden, I felt the bungy pick up the slack. I suppose the bungy concept does seem rather violent, and pre-bungy, the word whiplash was passed around by spectators, but it couldn’t have been more gentle. I was taken by surprise at how soft the whole thing was, like being lowered to the ground by a mother. I felt like my body was slowly being stretched, but not in a discomforting way… it was more gentle than that.

Being whipped back up was my favourite part of the bungy. On the way down, I think I was too damn terrified to really enjoy the sensation, but the way back up, that was the sigh of relief. You reach a moment there where you are completely weightless, neither going up or down, simply suspended in the middle of nothingness. It felt a lot longer than it probably was, but I had time to appreciate feeling like a beach ball at the top of its bounce, and let out a whoop of exhilaration.

From here on in, I felt a little bit like a ball bouncing its way to a halt, waiting for somebody to pick me back up for another round. Full of adrenaline and with wind-swept tears being sucked from my eye sockets, I was lowered down slowly to the retrieval boat and escorted to the banks of the river.

I was surprised at how able my legs were upon stepping off the boat, and even more surprised to discover my hands were steady and my underwear was clean. The fear had completely dissipated and I was left with an odd feeling which was simultaneously relaxed and amped. I hustled back up to the top feeling a million dollars, already setting my sights on a higher bungy in future. I think I’m hooked.

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image flickr.com/photos/snorkel

ISIS: What You Need to Know

by Jason Walls Do you remember where you were when you first heard about 9/11? It’s weird, but people tend to remember the exact spot they were standing when they heard about the terror attacks on the World Trade Centres in New York.

I was playing soccer in the park with my friends when my mum told me to come home because “something awful had happened.” Despite being just eight-years-old, I was able to gain a sense of the gravity of the situation. I saw on TV the carnage and chaos; the people crying and the vacant expressions on the faces of witnesses.

It was hard for me to wrap my head around the situation, but even harder for me to comprehend why people would do this? It was an act of terror, by evil people. I grew up with this idea in my mind; the people responsible for this horrific act, were evil. Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the terror attacks and the brutal slaying of more than 3,000 lives on September 11th, as well as countless others in the years to come.

When Bin Laden was killed in 2011, much of the western world rejoiced. There was even a large ‘mosh-pit’ type gathering outside the White House with patriots chanting “USA! USA!” To many people, the death of Bin Laden symbolised the fall of Al-Qaeda and thus the end of organised terror attacks against the west.

But lying next to the former tyrant’s lifeless corps in the shelter he used to hide from the world, was a precise and carefully worded 21-page letter.

Within the pages of this letter, according to The Daily Mail, the infamous terrorist leader issued a warning to his followers. He urged Al-Qaeda to sever ties with a group called the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria; the group the world has come to know as ISIS.

He claimed ISIS had “such complete disregard for civilian life that it could damage the reputation of Al-Qaeda.” This sentence in its self is a chilling piece of irony. The architect of the most devastating coordinated massacre of innocent lives in recent history labelled ISIS as too extreme.

ISIS has emerged as a credible threat not just in the Middle East, but across the entire globe. And, as many reports suggest, the group is growing stronger by the day.

WHO IS ISIS?

According to the BBC, “The ISIS mission was established back in 2004 to create a hard-line Islamic state crossing over the borders of Syria and Iraq.” As well as this, they claim to be running a ‘Caliphate’ (an Islamic state ruled by one leader) and aim to enforce their views of Islamic conservative traditions.

Although it seems ISIS has just recently surfaced, the group has been around for many years.

Shortly after the 2003 US lead invasion of Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a once street thug turned “jihadist” led waves of attacks in Iraq and received endorsements from Osama Bin Laden himself. Zarqawi joined his group with Bin Laden’s and rebranded his branch Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Zarqawi and Al-Qaeda in Iraq were brutal; executing those who did not submit to his interpretation of Sharia law. Despite his growing reputation within the Middle East, Zarqawi was killed in mid-2006 by a US air strike leading to many Iraqi’s fighting back against Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Some of whom had previously fought against the US now joined with their forces in a bid to defeat the terrorist group. This was known as the ‘Awakening”.

The Awakening helped to drive back Al-Qaeda in Iraq forces, however problems arose when the US started withdrawing their forces.

In Iraq, there has been years of tension between the Iraqi Shias and Iraqi Sunnis, two Muslim groups who spilt when the Prophet Mohammed died over a disagreement as to whom should lead them in 632AD. Iraq’s newly elected government was predominantly lead by Shias, and the Sunni population were reportedly widely mistreated. The new government appointed many Shias within the military and police, some of whom had previously killed Sunni’s. As such, there was a lot of unrest and this helped to set the stage for the return of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

By 2011, Al-Qaeda in Iraq had grown and was becoming stronger by the day; they eventually “rebranded” and became better known as the Islamic State of Iraq, ISI. When violence erupted in Syria, ISI took advantage of the situation and began moving into the war torn country and became ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

The seemingly endless civil war in Syria allowed ISIS to gain hundreds of square miles of territory; ranging from the Iraq boarder, to the Mediterranean coast. In the meantime, Iraq’s Shia government had been ruling on sectarian lines and had been continuing to oppress Iraq’s Sunni population.

So ISIS returned to Iraq, selling themselves as the Shia champions against an oppressive Sunni government. Their numbers and resources grew and were eventually large enough to challenge the Iraqi government.

Although only a small number of Shias support their cause, they allowed ISIS to operate in their territory because they saw it as an alternative to the Shia government.

Al-Qaeda made attempts to distance itself from ISIS and in early 2014, the two factions officially divorced. Senior political scientist at Haverford College, Barack Mendelsohn, said the two groups had always been more a matter of mutual interest than shared ideology and this was one reason for the split.

“Over the years, there have been many signs that the relationship between Al-Qaeda and the group’s strongest, most unruly franchise was strained.”

Today, ISIS controls an area of land in Iraq and Syria which is geographically almost as large as New Zealand. They have established strict Sharia law in the towns and cities they occupy and mass executions have been reported, even glorified by ISIS members, across their territories.

A NEW BRAND OF TERRORISM

ISIS has established itself as a creditable threat in the Middle East and is responsible for a death toll in the thousands. But what sets them apart from other terrorist groups is their use of the internet and social media. Not only do they butcher innocent men, woman and children; but they post the videos online for the world to watch.

Their videos are chilling. They depict literal truckloads of humans being lead to their slaughter.

Men dressed in militant clothing with black ski masks herding dozens of people like cattle as they scream for help. Eerie music plays as a backing track while the trademark ISIS black flag is waved with pride by militants. Hostages are spread out on the ground and shot in the head almost mechanically with no remorse or emotion.

The videos are made for one reason and one reason only; to strike fear into the hearts of the opposition.

In August, ISIS released a “warning” to the US to cease airstrikes on Iraq in the form of the beheading of journalist James Foley. The graphic video surfaced online and sparked international rage. Weeks later, an almost identical video emerged showing another US journalist, Steven Sotloff, suffering the same gruesome fate as Foley.

The militant depicted in the video said Sotloff was “paying the price” for US military intervention.

On October 3rd, British aid worker Alan Henning became the third victim of ISIS’s warnings to the west, sparking outrage within the UK .

There is something alarmingly sinister about the primitive practice of public beheadings, coupled with new media of social networks. It demonstrates an inter-aged connection between old and new tactics of terrorism.

The videos had little effect on halting drone strikes in the Middle East. US President Barack Obama has ramped up strikes on ISIS strong holds, declaring “if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.”

Make no mistake; ISIS is well resourced and has recruited a small army to fight to establish their vision of an Islamic state. Reports show they have a fighting force of 30,000 militants and are raising

up to $2 million (USD) a day through means of extortion, smuggling and oil sales. There have even been reports of ISIS selling electricity to the Syrian government; a force they are currently at war with.

As ISIS grows and as the US continues drone strikes, there is no doubt more graphic videos of beheadings will surface online.

President Obama has launched a campaign to destroy ISIS, announcing a ‘comprehensive strategy’ to eliminate the ISIS threat in the Middle East. Obama has said there will be “no boots on the ground” and the campaign will centre around expanded “air war”, targeting ISIS forces in both Iraq and Syria.

This comes after wide spread criticism of the US’ drone attacks in the Middle East in the midst of accusations of thousands of civilian deaths.

However many argue if the US simply does nothing, there will be far more civilian deaths to come.

ISIS has emerged as a credible threat not just in the Middle East, but across the entire globe.

And, as many reports suggest, the group is growing stronger by the day.

THE WORLD REACTS

The Muslim world has been quick to denounce ISIS. After the first beheading video emerged online, Twitter exploded with criticism of the group from Muslims, and non-Muslims alike.

Despite the militant in the video claiming “…we are an Islamic army, and a state that has been accepted by large number of Muslims worldwide, so effectively, any aggression towards the Islamic State, is aggression towards Muslims from all walks of life…”, ISIS does not have the support of the majority of Muslims living in Iraq and Syria.

Furthermore, Muslim leaders worldwide have spoken out against the extremist group.

The US Council of Muslim Organisation, a coalition which leads national and local Muslim organisations, openly condemned ISIS’ actions, announcing they “reject its ideology and actions.”

They added ISIS does not speak or act on behalf of the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims. “[ISIS] have killed so many Muslims indiscriminately.

Their actions are reprehensible, inhuman and completely contravene all aspects and tenets of Islam.”

The Muslim Council of Britain also weighed in on the ISIS issue by calling for united action by Muslims to stop the “poison of extremism” from entering their communities.

Despite international condemnation of ISIS by influential Muslim leaders, islamophobia still prevails in some area of the media.

Host of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill Maher said on his show: “If the vast number of Muslims across the world believe, and they do, that humans deserve to die for merely holding a different idea, or drawing a cartoon, or writing a book, or eloping with the wrong person, not only does the Muslim World have something in common with ISIS; it has too much in common with ISIS.” Maher said later in the interview that Islam is the only religion that’s “like the mafia because it will f**king kill you if you say the wrong thing, draw the wrong picture, write the wrong book.”

His comments sparked outrage and lead to even Hollywood ‘A-lister’ Ben Affleck passionately speaking out against Maher’s remarks.

Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed writer and scholar of religions and author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, was asked to respond to Maher’s comments by CNN hosts Alisyn Camerota and Don Lemon.

Aslan was upset by the comments and responded by firing back saying: “Did you hear what you just said? You said in Muslim countries. I just told you that in Indonesia, women are absolutely 100 per cent equal to men. In Turkey, they have more female representatives, more female heads of state in Turkey than we have in the US.” The CNN hosts added more fuel to the flame by saying Aslan’s “tone was very angry” and he was “…demonstrating what people are fearful about when they think of the faith in the first place, which is the hostility of it.”

Although it has been argued this ignorant way of thinking is a minority, these conversations even taking place in front of an audience that totals in the millions, only helps to perpetuate the stereotype that “violence is inherently in Islam.”

ISIS claims to be Islamic; but there are many who have relegated them to extremists and not followers of Islam at all.

US President Barack Obama unambiguously declared “ISIS is not Islamic… ISIS is a terrorist organisation, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all whom stand in its way.”

The future of ISIS in the Middle East is unclear.

As the debate rages on over how much military intervention the west should provide in the fight against ISIS, I cast my mind back to that sunny afternoon in the park where my world was rocked for the first time. That feeling of confusion and fear which wrapped me is something thousands of families in the Middle East have experienced time and time again.

ISIS has threatened to take their war overseas, claiming to have members in countries across the world. The legitimacy of these threats have been questioned however as ISIS grow, the threat of an international terror attack becomes increasingly more realistic.

13

Comics for Non-Comics Readers (And Not a Single Leotard in Sight)

by Kieran Bennett

I would happily admit to anyone I met that I love comic books. I’ve read them for many years and own in excess of 250 comics, not including collections of series and hardback editions. I think they’re just frickin’ dandy. Some people, however, don’t agree with me, which is a shame. But I think that part of the problem is that when you say ‘comics’ they instantly think of Superman, Batman and a bunch of other grown men running around in their tights. This isn’t to say that superhero comics are lame, they’re amazing, but they’re just not for everyone, and the fact is, there are a whole heap of interesting comics out there that anyone can enjoy. Using my disturbingly large knowledge of comics, I have put together a list of what I consider to be the best comics for non-comics readers.

Fables

By Bill Willingham Fables is, at first glance, a fairly uninspired idea. What would happen if fairy tale characters had to live in the modern world? Modern New York, no less. But Bill Willingham manages to take this story and turn it into a master class on how to write characters. Don’t get me wrong, the arcs that Willingham creates are some of the most compelling, epic and heart-breaking storytelling to ever be set to paper; but the characters are where the story truly shines. Willingham looks at the stock fairy story characters and twists them into something a little more cynical, but also more real. Prince Charming is now a foul womaniser while Pinocchio is a 300 year old man stuck in a small boy’s body; it’s interesting, it’s at times dark, but above all, it makes Fables one of the best comics in years.

American Born Chinese

By Gene Leung Yang When the argument is made for comics to be considered a valid form of literature, American Born Chinese is often cited as an example and with good reason. Broken into three parts, American Born Chinese focuses on racial stereotypes, dealing with prejudice and that all important question, ‘who am I?’ Yang crafts a tale rooted in classic Chinese literature about a (spoilers) American born Chinese boy and his struggle for acceptance in a new high school. The story is perhaps an old one, but way it intersperses with Chinese folk tales (and completely changes main character half way through) manages to breathe some new life into the tired formula. Funny, well written and thought provoking; American Born Chinese is an excellent introduction to the world of comics.

Level Up

By Gene Luen Yang Another one from Gene Leung Yang, but no less excellent. Level Up, like American Born Chinese deals with questions of identity and selfdiscovery, but with an interesting theme: video games. The story centres around Dennis, a young man who tries to become a gastroenterologist like his father always wanted, despite only really wanting to play video games. When he fails, he’s visited by four tiny angels who promise to help him complete his studies. What follows is a mildly bizarre, but still a heart-warming story about personal identity. Yang, much like American Born Chinese, raises an important question with his tale; namely, how much does family define who you are? Yang doesn’t really answer this question and, arguably, loses the answer in the story’s conclusion, but Level Up is still one of the better comics about video games and family.

The Stuff of Legends

By Mike Raicht and Brian Smith I have to admit that I still have not finished The Stuff of Legends.

Course, I haven’t finished Fables either. But the thing about The Stuff of Legends is, I have only read one issue. Yet here I am recommending it, it’s just that good. When a young boy is kidnapped by the bogeyman, his toys rally forth and descend into his toy-box to rescue him. Yes, really. The toys then become real versions of themselves and are thrust into a surreal world of magic, danger, cast aside toys and mystery.

There isn’t too much of a strong moral here or any great questions, (other than being loyal and brave) but that’s not a bad thing. The Stuff of Legends is just a really good story, and a gorgeous one at that. I’m not one to talk about comic book art but The Stuff of Legends really is something else with every panel a mini work of art. There is a real sense of actual care being taken with this book and it makes the story that much better to read.

Amulet

By Kazu Kibuishi

Will Eisner’s New York

By Will Eisner

I think of Amulet in the same way that I think of Stuff of Legends.

A great story told in an even greater way. The premise is fairly standard, and really so is the world that Kibuishi has created. A young girl, her brother and her single mother move to a new town and into a creepy house. The house is, of course, a gateway to another world, and the mother is, of course, kidnapped while the young girl comes into possession of a magic amulet. Shenanigans ensue. The story is a little clichéd, I’ll admit that. But there’s a real sense of fun and drama in Amulet, the stakes get raised, the main characters face hardships, there’s comic relief and the whole thing never takes itself too seriously. In a time when more and more comics are looking to be gritty or hard hitting, it’s nice to have a series that’s nothing more than a light, entertaining read about a robot house, evil elves, a talking fox and the quest to unlock a bunch of crazy magic powers.

I feel a little hesitant recommending this one, simply because New York is so hard to describe in terms of plot. Mainly because there isn’t really one. New York is instead a collection of short comic stories based around Eisner’s own experiences growing up in The Bronx, and life as a young Jewish man in 1970’s New York. It’s a fascinating book, every story is a slice of life, and it just proves that Eisner was something of a total master when it came to storytelling and drawing. I can’t really give this one higher praise to be honest.

For me, this was the comic book that made me realise that comics could be about more than just Batman and Superman. They could be about actual people.

Chew

By John Layman

The TV show has received something of a bad rap which, to be honest, is totally deserved. The TV show is a slow paced whinge fest with the occasional zombie. The comic, on the other hand, is a tense, well-written post-apocalyptic drama. With zombies. And very little whining. The Walking Dead is an interesting concept in that author Robert Kirkman wanted to tell a zombie movie story beyond the movie. He was frustrated that movies would often end as the characters found a safe place to hide and then leave the story there. He asks the question, what happens next? Where do they get food from? How do they survive? What practical problems do zombies pose? The Walking Dead answers (or attempts to answer) these questions while maintaining character driven story arcs that, 16 volumes in, are still quite excellent.

Perhaps a little different from Amulet and The Stuff of Legends, Chew is a detective story with a twist. Possibly one of the strangest, yet most interesting twists I have ever read. Tony Chu is a detective. He solves crimes and does other detectivey things. However, he can also absorb memories by eating things. One little bite of a murder victim’s finger and Tony Chu can see the actual murder. Chew’s main strength here, is its unique premise. It starts off as a classic detective series, with each set of issues devoted to a crime of some sort, but it quickly escalates into something wonderfully weirder. John Layman develops this whole world full of (of all things) food based powers.

It is truly one of the odder things I have read in my life, and it would be off putting if Layman wasn’t such a good writer. The stories are succinct and exciting without sacrificing any character development or neglecting to add anything to the overall story. Chew is, without a doubt, one of the most interesting comics ever published.

Tintin

By Herge Well, why not? Tintin remains one of the most influential and well known comics of all time, and for good reason. Published from 1929-1976, Tintin centres around Belgian journalist, Tintin, and his many adventures. How Tintin ever manages to make a living I’ll never know, such is his propensity for getting into trouble and getting caught up in a variety of plots and capers. Tintin is a great comic because it isn’t really a comic; it’s a story that just happens to have pictures. That’s not to say the pictures aren’t essential, it’s just that the stories are so exciting, you start to forget you’re reading a comic and you become swept up in these swashbuckling adventures that far eclipse anything Indiana Jones went on. In addition to that, however, is the fact that under these heroic adventures are mysteries, fleshed out characters and the occasional political allegory. Tintin simply has to be recommended because it’s exciting, it’s smart and it’s been proven over and over again that it's a timeless collection of adventure.

The Walking Dead

By Robert Kirkman

Batman: No Man’s Land

By Various Authors Well now, how did this end up in here? I promise no superheroes and then just pop one in anyway? For shame. But I don’t feel the least bit guilty as No Man’s Land is not only one of the best Batman stories ever written, but one of the best comic stories ever written.

No Man’s Land tells the story of what happens to Gotham city when it’s struck by a massive earthquake and cut off from the rest of the United States. The story is like a post-apocalyptic crime thriller mystery superhero action adventure. It should be really bogged down and boring, but it just isn’t. Often the problem with superhero comics is that there are no normal people in the stories; robots and planet destroying aliens are cool and all, but they’re not relatable.

Not so with No Man’s Land (and Batman in general). There’s something refreshing and vastly entertaining about Batman and Robin seriously considering how to provide fresh fruit to a starving populace while simultaneously trying to solve the mystery of who sparked a brutal gang war. The story is well paced, exciting and the finale is made of some real breath-holding stuff; read immediately.

15

C ATABL ANCA: SIX YEARS, TWO MONTHS OF LITTLE THINGS

by Laurien Barks Early last week, I ended the longest relationship I’ve had since coming to New Zealand. I said goodbye to a wise and comforting provider who took me under their wing when I was but a wee angsty teenager, encouraging me to grow and explore my dreams. A relationship that grew with me and changed with me, but unfortunately didn’t change in the same way…we grew apart.

It’s initially hard to accept, but I know deep-down that it’s for the best, I’ll find a stronger love in the future…one better suited for my needs. Though, let’s face it, having that knowledge isn’t making this initial grieving period any easier. Because quitting a job you love is hard.

That’s right, last week I called the boss of the vet clinic that has employed me for six years and two months, and awkwardly tried to arrange the ‘I’m resigning’ words in a way that would soften the blow for both of us. It didn’t. There were mushy sentiments, ‘thanks for everything’s and a weird, unexpected lump in the back of my throat…probably allergies. I wasn’t expecting to feel so upset about leaving. I’m not talking dramatic, tearful emotions; just a panging in my heart when my mind wanders to the fact that the clinic will no longer be a part of my life. No more cuddles with the animals, no more fascinating surgeries, no more chit chats with the kind staff and strangers to keep me socially competent.

I mean, sure, I was just a cleaner. My job description included wiping out cages and mopping floors, and if you had asked me about my job a couple months ago, that’s exactly what I would have described to you. The literal component; I sanitize surfaces, wash dishes, and do laundry. But low and behold, my graduation goggles have most definitely made me sentimental and reminiscent of the aspects of the job that went beyond my sponge and rubber gloves.

I’ve come to realize that you’re never ‘just a cleaner’ at a vet clinic. You’re an extra set of hands, you’re an extra pair of ears, and you’re the inbetweener of vets and clients. You’re more vet-educated and experienced than the clients, but you’re a lot more approachable than the strictly scheduled veterinarians.

This role places you in a highly privileged position when it comes to the part of the job that gives you the warm, fuzzy, ‘I’m making a difference’ feels. Over the years I’ve taken animals home with me so they can be warm and snuggled instead of spending the night in a cage, I’ve walked around and cleaned with kittens in my pocket because they were lonely in their kennel, and I’ve held sick animals in my arms while they died so their last sensation wouldn’t be of a hard steel table. It’s an absolute roller coaster when you throw yourself into the job, but upsetting or endearing, you never question the positivity that lies in the role. Because it’s pretty hard to question something that’s so consistently present.

The clients who spend time in the vet clinic, like real time…not just popping in and out for vaccinations, are the people I liked to talk to the most. The people who would come and sit on the floor by their dog’s kennel for two hours because he had a routine operation the next day, the family who would visit their cat recovering from a car-induced injury every day for two weeks, bringing treats and cuddles every time…those are the people who know empathy. Those are the people who you want to get to know, and who make the job a learning experience beyond the resume requirements of ‘cash handling’ and ‘communication skills.’ Over the years I’ve compiled enough cutesy interactions with strangers to make my own cheesy, heartfelt film montage. But, in a way, the cheesiness is lost in the reality of it all. Just a bunch of ordinary people, bonding over a mutual love of animals, and gaining a unique sense of respect for each other in the process.

The vet clinic provided me with the one-of-a-kind interactions that, while not profound, still hold a special place in my memory bank.

A few weeks ago I sat on the floor of the kennels with a middleaged woman whose cat had been hit by a car. He was going to be okay, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave him until we closed.

So we sat there for a good 45 minutes talking about her cat and the mischief he got up to.

Another time, a boy my age brought his dog in to be treated for cancer. He was living on his own and was, justifiably upset and vulnerable about the fact that his bud was in the hospital. So we hung out while I cleaned, chit chatting and making the best of a less-than-ideal situation.

It’s little ‘nothings’ like this that make all the difference in any aspect of life. They add an unexpectedly lively spark to an otherwise mundane job and turn it from a way to earn some extra cash for the summer, into a six year commitment that hurts to let go of. I don’t know what my point is in all of this. I guess my downers feelings about the breakup have opened my eyes to the whole cliché of not knowing what you have until you can’t have it anymore. All in all, the whole six years and two months have reconfirmed my belief in the little things. The nothings, the whatevers, the one-time encounters that add up to make life sweeter. The kitten that licked my nose, or the toddler who asked me to hug his dog goodnight for him weren’t defining moments in my life. I like to think of them as embers…the little bits that glow and keep you warm when the fire goes out. The little smiles that turned a grungy cleaning job into a relationship that I felt I needed to dedicate an article to in order to honour our parting. And I think that’s pretty neat. So here’s looking at you, kid, thanks for the laughs, friends, and snuggles… we’ll always have Pakuranga.

17

Crash Bandicoot Wordfind

CRASH DRNEOCORTEX TNT PLAYSTATION BONUSROUND

Name:

HOGWILD DRNITRUSBRIO WITCHDOCTORSMASK BEARIT TEAMRACING

SPIN WUMPAFRUIT LIGHTSOUT CHECKPOINT TAWNA

PAPUPAPU GEM ORIENTEXPRESS COCO OOGABOOGA

Email:

Circle all the words in the Crash Bandicoot Wordfind, tear this page out & pop it into the box on the side of the red debate stands, and you could win this motherflippin’ sweet prize:

A 10$ gift voucher to be redeemed at any of these uni cafes:

And two free cheeseburger vouchers for Burger King [222 Queen Street]

GET AMONGST!

VIDEO GAME CROSSWORD

By Kieran Crossword Bennett Across 5) Canine in a German mug 7) The grandfather of horror based shooters 9) Ripping em a new one since 1991 11) Petty distinctions about time 12) Undercover agent, paddling 14) Self driven impressive larceny Down 1) The sound of collecting golden rings 2) Shoot and loot on the edges of countries 3) Iron cog in the second stage of mass 4) An organic, underwater surprise 6) Hushed town on a slope 8) Only 50 percent of your total existence 10) It’s a-him!

13) Sci-fi angelic headpiece

HERE'S YOUR FLIPPIN' SUDOKUS.

PS - Don't forget about our Harry Potter Fan Art competition, ending Oct 16th, 3pm! Send us your drawings, to rrai@aut.ac.nz First prize will win a $100 Gordon Harris voucher, Second prize wins a $50 voucher. Wooooohoooo!

19

UPDATES JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER! North Shore Campus – Tuesday 21st October AuSM are teaming up with NZBF and want staff & students to get baking!

Get a team together, bake a themed cake (or baked good) and help raise funds – with 100% of the raised funds being donated to NZBF. Get a team of 4-5 people together ($2 per team member) and get baking.

The cakes will be judged in three categories: 1. Best themed cake 2. Most original cake 3. Best team effort.

The top three will be raffled off after the judging.

NOMINATE YOUR FAVOURITE AUT STAFF FOR AUSM AWARD 2014!

It’s time to show your appreciation to your favourite AUT Staff and lecturers who you think have gone the extra mile!

You have the opportunity to nominate them in the following categories: • Best Lecturer • Best Academic Support Staff • Best Postgraduate Supervisor • Best Librarian • Best Non-Academic Support Staff Nominate at www.ausm.org.nz or follow the quick link: http://bit.ly/ AuSMAwardNominate Nominations close 13th November

MOBILE PHONE TOP UPS Get $0.50 off discount per top up when you top up $20 or more!

Phone top ups services available at any AuSM@AUT offices on Campus!

Head on in to grab a top up for Vodafone, Telecom, 2 Degrees or Skinny! *Discount applies to students only. ID may be requested to gain discount.

Free phone charging!

Phone running out of battery? AuSM have a recharge pod at each campus available for you to charge your phone for FREE. Head to any of the AuSM offices to try it out! We even have one at the Vesbar!

If you have any suggests about the recharge pod – let us know at the AuSM reception.

Please email Vinay vinay.gobindlal@aut.ac.nz for the guidelines and entry form.

PREZ SEZ

Hi guys, It’s crunch time! STUDY STUDY STUDY. It’s almost the end of the year and you are finally in your last preparations before your exams.

Here are some study tips that might help you relieve the stress during your examination prep: - Always keep coffee, candy and chocolate on hand for emotional relief.

- Start planning your time from next week onwards.

It might seem like it’s the end of the world but it’s one of the last milestones to pass before your holidays begin. Students are becoming unmotivated, we are seeing less students on campus so you don’t want to add to that statistic do you?

This week is breast cancer awareness week so donate or volunteer to show your support for the people who have been victims of breast cancer.

Also remember to enter the VicePresident’s competition every week there’s plenty of prizes up for grabs so enter for your chance to win.

- Mind maps are visually appealing and can help with the recollection of main ideas.

Enjoy your time at uni and remember AuSM is always here to support you!

- Sleep is better than surviving on energy drinks.

April

Your prez,

SCENARIO 2: ALTERNATIVE/FURTHER ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITY This is one form of what we call a “General Application to the Exam Board”. It may be granted in situations where you had difficulty in submitting your assessment on time or done so but in poor quality. You must have a really good reason as to why you haven’t applied for an extension before the due date. eg you were admitted to the hospital due to injury/ illness.

Make sure that you advise your lecturer and paper/program leader of this application also. They may ask you to hand your assessment in ASAP to review even before a decision is made by the Exam Board.

AuSM's ADVOCACY Q&A grades & marking

N.B. – Exam Board meets at the end of each semester and they won’t have a decision for you until after they’ve met.

SCENARIO 3: AEGROTAT/CONCEDED PASS

Hope you are enjoying our column so far and getting something out of it as well.

This is another form of a “General Application to the Exam Board”.

Aegrotat Pass in short is a special pass granted on compassionate grounds due to illness or other exceptional circumstances beyond your control meaning you were unable to attend test/exam, hand in your assessment, OR had your performance impaired AND failed the paper as a result. They will look at how you’ve done in other assessments for this paper.

In this issue, (let’s put behind us all the stuff around the terrible “P” word – Hunt down a copy of our previous issues if you haven’t read them!) we’ll talk about what you can do when you are unhappy with your grades/marks.

Conceded Pass in short is a special pass granted to students that can’t graduate because of failing a paper in their final semester. Some Schools don’t allow this at all, so check with your School or Program Leader.

RULE OF THUMB:

N.B. – These are NOT an easy escape route! Don’t rely on these!! They are granted very sparingly!

Hi AuSM AUT students!

Unfortunately…Being UNHAPPY is NOT enough. There will only be a very SMALL number of people in your class that is actually happy with their mark.

Q: Then when can I do something with my unhappy mark?

SCENARIO 4: GRADE APPEAL

You can apply to have your assessment reconsidered/remarked if you think there was an error in marking. It is NOT enough for you to say that you feel you deserve better. There are different forms for each Faculty but they should be available on AUT Online or through your paper or program leader.

Once your grade is released through Arion, you have 14 DAYS to appeal it. It is YOUR obligation to check Arion regularly once the semester winds down to make sure that you can check your grade and take action ASAP if you’ve got any problems. Emailing us saying “I was away on holiday and could not check my grades but I want to appeal it!” at the end of January is NOT going to help. You will be out of time! So make sure you check Arion and your AUT emails regularly even when you’re away on holiday!

DEADLINES are tight with this application, some three working days from the time you get your mark, some five working days. CHECK with your School.

You MUST understand that this is NOT a re-submission. You’re simply being re-marked on your assessment you’ve already submitted. See SCENARIO 2 for a “re-submission” situation.

If you get a STC (Still to Complete) grade, it might well be because you had submitted a General Application to the Exam Board (see Scenarios 2-3) and that you need to complete further requirements (e.g. re-submit your assessment) for the Exam Board to rubber stamp your final grade.

Keep an eye out for this also as there are DEADLINES to complete these “further requirements”.

You can’t take for granted that you’ll get a higher mark. Your mark can go ↑ or ↓. This is a major risk if you’ve already passed the assessment but just wanting a higher grade. Make sure you check with us and/or your paper/ program leader before you hand in your application as to whether if it’s worth taking the risk.

If you think you are genuinely eligible for a General Application to the Exam Board or an Appeal for their decision, e.g. your final grade, CONTACT US. We are here to help you with these!

SCENARIO 1: RECONSIDERATION/REMARK

The second marker who will be remarking your assessment will be doing so on a clean copy. I.e. s/he is not going to see what your complaint is. This is to safeguard you so that the new marker is not biased in their decision.

Once you put in your application (the form will tell you WHO to submit it to), that person will assess whether there’s merit to your application and grant/decline it. They will let you know of the outcome and new mark if granted. If you are unhappy with the new mark as well, for example, if you see a massive irregularity between the first and second marker and you have now failed after the reconsideration, then CONTACT US! We need to talk!

Email us on advocacy@aut.ac.nz with your details and concerns.

Also, please forward any correspondence from AUT, if any, so that we can give you an informed advice on your situation.

In the next issue of the debate we will look into legal issues students may face at work.

Until then… Good luck with all the bombarding assessments.

21

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT, WHY SHOULD I GIVE A SHIT?

by Kieran Bennett

by Kieran Bennett

I have to 100 per cent honest here. I haven’t ever built a house. I’ve never applied to do any landscaping work. I have no interest in cutting down any trees or even planting a bunch of new ones that aren’t native. And, again with the honesty, I probably never will. With the way the house market in Auckland is shaping up, I will never own my own home and therefore I’m never going to be in the market to be throwing around any add-ons or changing the landscape in any great way. All of these things have been and will most likely continue to be utterly out of reach for me. So why then, would I give two tosses about the proposed changes to the Resource Management Act that National proposed in 2013, had rejected, and are now trying to put through again?

Well dear reader, to understand that we need to step back a wee bit. We need to do what my teachers call ‘looking at the big picture’.

So how about we start with the big one? What is the Resource Management Act, and if I aint owning property anytime soon, why should I give a damn? Well the Resource Management Act (or, RMA for the sake of my typing fingers) is an important bill. Basically what it does is provide groundwork for how people, businesses and everything in between can alter the environment and gives guidelines on how to manage the environment. If you (by some miracle) end up owning your own home and want to slap a second story on it to make room for your extensive collection of kitten sculptures, then you’ll need to go through the RMA because that second story is going to affect the environment. I mean, firstly, it’s ugly as sin, but also it's going to affect the birds that live around your house. And the same thing happens anytime someone wants to build something new or do something that will affect the environment. The RMA makes sure the environment doesn’t get screwed with and that it's being protected. Most of the time what happens is someone wants to do something and they need to get what is called resource consent. Resource consent essentially says ‘what you want to do will affect the environment, but we thought about it and reckon it’s all okay’. Sometimes there has to be consultation with the public, or the neighbours or maybe it just takes a while because the thing that’s being applied for is pretty significant. In any case, the RMA is important because it helps protect the environment. Even if you’re not actively involved in it, isn’t protecting the environment a good thing?

Well, yes of course it is. But that doesn’t mean that the RMA is a bastion of environmental protection and goodness. Sometimes the RMA can become a bastion of that wonderful thing that invades all good government departments in New Zealand; bureaucracy.

The RMA is, undeniably, an utterly enormous piece of legislation. As such it often has its fingers in many pies. And in some people’s eyes it doesn’t really have its fingers in those pies so much as its entire, sweaty ballsack. The RMA ruins those pies with lengthy application processes, inconsistent decision making and sometimes just being a massive blockade to things actually happening. The RMA is criticised by environmental groups because it is seen as reducing public consultation and the actual number of proposals that get rejected is fairly low. Then on the other end of the spectrum (sort of) business groups criticise it because the RMA is seen as an expensive and bloated bill that blocks any kind of reasonable progress. They think that because of the whole stress of applying for resource consent, it can really deter some investments. Arguably both sides have a point.

Yet arguably both sides don’t have a leg to stand on. The RMA does serve a point, but it also could do with some cleaning up.

Well now, that was something. I think we can all agree that we learned something. What’s important to remember though is that isn’t everything about the RMA. The thing is huge. But for now let’s step in a bit closer and look at those changes the National Party is trying to push through in the context of what the RMA is supposed to do.

In 2013 the National Party announced that it would change the RMA under the banner of addressing the problem of housing. They felt that there was a distinct shortage of housing in New Zealand (which is true) and that changes to the RMA would solve this problem (debateable, providing housing (and poverty in general) is a complex issue). The National Party at the time wanted to condense sections six and seven of the act, the main environmental sections, in order to make the RMA more streamlined. These changes would no doubt have done so, but the opposition argued that it would be unsustainable. They were worried that these changes would have undermined the environmental duty of the RMA and countered that the changes National proposed were against the spirit of the RMA. However this was all irrelevant at the time as National did not have a majority and missed out on pushing them through by one vote as only ACT was interested.

So now we’re another year later and National has a majority, what does this mean for the RMA? Well, depending on how you look at it, nothing good. National have proposed changes to section six of the RMA which looks over (mostly) giving concessions to the environment.

National would change this section so that any pieces of land with environmental significance would have to be specified, they would not receive automatic protection. In addition to this, when it comes to historic heritage the heritage only has to be recognised, not actively protected. So, in terms of section six, what does this mean?

THESE CHANGES TO THE RMA WILL HAVE LASTING EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT IF PUT THROUGH AND SADLY THEY’RE EXACTLY THE KIND OF REFORMS WE WERE PROMISED, AND THEN VOTED IN. Well, it could very well mean that development of areas could go ahead with a lot less fuss and hassle. But, and this is an important but, there would be less environmental protection. Recognising historical heritage literally only involves acknowledging that there is indeed an 18th century building front there, and then knocking it down anyway.

Equally, having to specify every piece of land that needs to be protected would just create more work. The argument can be made that not all developers and regular people would abuse these changes, but the law is supposed to keep you honest, not give you the option.

Section seven of the act is also getting an overhaul and these changes are perhaps more concerning. National wish to remove the need to ‘give regard’ to a number of things; bear with me as there’s quite a few. Firstly, ‘the maintenance and enhancement of amenity values’, meaning that the actual visual appearance of a place does not need to be taken into account. ‘The intrinsic values of ecosystems’, which means that the pre-existing value that a natural place has (such as clean water ways or a group of trees) does not need to be taken into account. ‘Maintenance and enhancement of the quality of the environment’ is one that should cause particular concern as it gives licence for almost anything and everything to be done to the environment, provided you have resource consent. The final change is described as ‘any finite characteristics of natural and physical resources’ which strikes me as plain foolish. When I’m building something I don’t have to take into account that one day our natural resources will run out? I don’t have to consider the fact that nothing lasts forever?

I may not have any pressing need to apply for resource consent or really get involved in the RMA at all, but I’m still mightily concerned.

The National government has a history of backing legislation like this, environmentally short-sighted bills that are supposed to promote short term growth. And this is what the proposed changes will do. It will make it easier to build, to develop and otherwise change things.

But, at the cost of fundamentally altering a bill designed to protect the environment. What will we do when this growth has reached its peak? The environment will be in poor shape, or least worse off than it is now, and then where will we be? These changes were already rejected in 2013 and criticised by environmental groups, why would the government try and push them through again? Because, the bill promotes development and growth, which are important concepts for the National party and now that they have a majority, they can promote those concepts. In 2013 Eugenie Sage from the Green Party summed it up well when she said “This bill is about the Government's ideological agenda to promote development at the expense of the environment”. These changes to the RMA will have lasting effects on the environment if put through and sadly they’re exactly the kind of reforms we were promised, and then voted in.

23

the top of the middle of the world by matt neary

In the darkness of the pre-dawn was when the jeep first broke down - and we hadn’t even made it out of the village. The jeep had done the rounds to different hostels and was now full; a Finnish couple, a girl from Argentina, and a guy from the south of Colombia. If it could talk, the jeep would probably have more tales than all of us combined. It looked like a crumpled soda can that had been tossed in a swamp, and when combined with its driver, who was engulfed with hot anger, assaulting the engine while simultaneously conducting a yelling fit with his equally pissed off wife, there would be enough to draft up a pitch for a reality show.

I had been warned that the journey to the northernmost point of South America in Punta Gallinas, Colombia, was not the smoothest of journeys. This land is governed by the indigenous Wayuu tribe, a culture which successfully fought off Spanish colonisation and has preserved their culture but remains in relative exclusion from the rest of Colombian society. There is little tourist infrastructure here, the only visitors feeling their way along the La Guajira desert peninsula with multiple buses and shuttle jeeps. Trips are launched from Cabo de la Vela, a small desert settlement that I had arrived in two days prior while it was drenched in the warm maternal glow of the slipping sun. The glow radiated from the beach where sand merged with that of the desert and lined the long calm crescent bay.

Alongside the chaotic rabble of a children’s beach football game, a young kitesurfer would skip along the water’s edge before surrendering to the wind and allowing it to whisk him several metres into the air. I stayed in a beach hut, little more than three timber walls and a roof where a hammock dangles facing the sea. This was a place where wifi is a dirty word, where electricity is as scarce as pillows, where if you want to order dinner you tell the chef that morning. That first night I fell asleep to a strobing tropical storm far out in the Caribbean, its restless lightning exploding in silence miles behind the stormy mist, illuminating the blended grey canvas of sky and ocean every couple of seconds for hours on end.

Somewhere in the prodding of the cars inner workings in that first breakdown it sprung into life, and with not another thought wasted for the consequences of the same thing happening in the desert. It was a full three hours of jarring tail bone assault through mud filled trenches and gaping potholes before that exact thing happened. The problem began when the engine was switched off, as it was with an inevitable toilet break. Queue the hissing and spluttering of the driver for 15 minutes, a language he by some miracle shared with the jeep, because somehow he resurrected her. His strategy, after assaulting the engine under the bonnet, was to take the front wheel off and stab at the steel intestines beneath with a metal pole.

Despite the serenity of this already isolated village, I was determined to kick on to Punta Gallinas as soon as possible. Finding a ride to Punta Gallinas proved impossible for that first morning, and I was told there is only one car in the village that goes to Punta Gallinas, so asking around the town at different places will appear only as inflated interest.

In the afternoon I saw some signs advertising trips to Punta Gallinas and almost enquired, if not for a plump man in the shadows of the beach hut chuckling with such aggression at his amigo that wielding my uncertain Spanish I mind-blanked on how to even interrupt the situation. Later I would organise a 5am pickup for the following morning with a driver I would later click, was this very same man.

After passing through countless Wayuu settlements, complete with checkpoints stationed by children, we eventually stopped at the base of a mammoth sand dune. As soon as you exited the car you could feel it, a force, a bubbling excitement at what lay on the other side that made you forget the dull ache in your legs and hips and want to sprint up the dune like a hyperactive puppy. The ocean whistled at us somewhere from the other side, its gale howling and whipping hot sand at our legs. It forced you to counter-act your weight, trudging against it through the loose particles of the steep dune, the wind gaining in strength as we came over the gentle smoothness of a majestic yellow dome and basked in the sight before us.

No it wasn’t THE northernmost point, that was still to come, but it was close, and ever so magnificent. An unrecognisable white capped Caribbean ocean, which hurled itself from beyond the earth’s curve to slam its beautiful blue on the stark beige of the desert mainland. In front of me the dune dipped sharply a hundred metres down to a small cove beach, but along the coast to the left, it merged with tall rocky outcrops where small tufts of green clawed their way through the surface and small reefs nestled in the harsh confines of the cliff’s jaws.

Standing there, after FIVE months away from home, not knowing when next I’ll see my family or hometown, using an imaginary compass to picture all the world’s continents relative to my sand submerged feet and above all, the two tiny islands tucked into the bottom corner of the world, the islands I call home.

The wind, the embodiment of the place’s power, ripped through my hair and scratched at my skin; it shouted, no screamed, the intoxicating truth that this was what travelling is all about. This was raw isolation. Not another group of souls to shout at across the wind, to corrupt your view of the invigorating vista. It was one of those places that when you eventually turn

away, you are forced to turn back again, choked by the reality that you need to delay that last glimpse, knowing your photos will never live up to the stimulation of the reality.

At our next stop, the assistant produced a joint. There was no denying this was a special trip. The vista this time was a huge pale green lake cut out in a canyon from the rocks of the land. As we moved on again, it seemed it wasn’t a lake at all, but the branch of a harbour which splintered into the mainland from the inhospitable chaos of the open ocean.

Driving into our accommodation, run by the local Wayuu population, I was as giddy as a schoolgirl. The place was incredible, not because of its charming wood deco restaurant or the hammocks which hid from the howling onshore wind by a single logbound wall, but its location. It was nestled atop a thin slice of elevated land; on one side, the attention seeking Caribbean ocean lay at the base of ruthless rock cliffs and on the other, another, huge, lake-like branch of the bay, still as the night, it’s green hue contrasting with the mud shore.

Mangroves several metres off the shoreline posed shoulder to shoulder to form small walls, the whole body of water twenty or so metres below the level of the hostel, so standing on the edge of its cliffs you could gaze upon the whole thing hanging magnificently below like an emerald cut into

the rock. We stayed for a few hours, taking a warm engrossing nap in the hammocks, before we were woken by the driver, jeep already running, for our last excursion of the day. We quickly realised that the forward thinking driver and his young helper had ‘prepped’ the jeep, going through the motions of their wheel removal stabbing strategy to get it started ahead of time.

This final little journey, just a five minute ride, was to a steel frame lighthouse, poised to look across the sea unobstructed, for it was at last, the northernmost point of South America. Just some jutting rocks and a bit of beach, there are more postcard spots around the coast, but its beauty was in its isolation, in the feeling it erected in you of knowing almost 400 million people are clinging to the belly of the continent at your back. It was like being a student of the earth, simply a speck blessed enough with the consciousness to be able to admire its monstrous beauty. Standing there, after five months away from home, not knowing when next I’ll see my family or hometown, using an imaginary compass to picture all the world’s continents relative to my sand submerged feet and above all, the two tiny islands tucked into the bottom corner of the world, the islands I call home. It was a typical journey defining moment, bleached into the memory by relentless sun, a sore arse, and a little bit of weed. And to top it off, we only ended up breaking down one more time after that.

25

For us, we began with a mission to create a business that would not only positively affect people's health and wellbeing, but also radically change the way young people are conditioned to think about doing business. We shed the suits, got rid of our ties, and sought to create a business model which would not only benefit and give back to society, but also enable us to create and design the best lifestyle for ourselves.

Our current product – freshly made organic superfood smoothies, act as a ‘gateway drug’ into a completely new (or ancient) lifestyle based on living more mindfully, and making more conscious decisions when it comes to our food, our consumer purchases, and our behavior in regards to the health of the planet.

As we didn’t have millions to spend on a storefront or building a food truck, we decided to start our venture right back at the roots of human trade and community – at the local farmers market. Here we could make real connections with people, listen to their stories, and also share with them our own story. This idea of focusing on the people and their experience, rather than the product itself, has been at the core of our mission, and has gone a long way in shaping the way that we see the world and run our business.

On Being A Free Range Entrepreneur Starting a business isn’t something often thought about by students, especially straight out of university. But in this day and age, with the right skills, the right team, and with the passion, knowledge, and drive to succeed with your beliefs, anything is possible.

As first time start-up, we have had a lot of successes, and also a lot of failures along the way, (once we decided to let people pay whatever they wanted for a smoothie) but in the words of our friend Einstein, if you’re not failing every now and then, you can’t be trying anything new.

One year on, we have moved into a new headquarters, where three (and sometimes four) of us live and work full time on the business, creating new products, working on new projects, and constantly striving to live in what we consider the best way for not only our bodies, but also the planet. We have catered corporate events, been sponsored by natural medicine clinics, and collaborated with yoga studios and gyms in order to make the most possible impact on the world.

In the meantime, you can find us at La Cigale French Markets in Parnell every Saturday and Sunday, where we will be (rain, hail or shine) blending up the world’s finest organic superfood smoothies (and optional free hugs).

Peace, love & compassion, OM

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TUESDAY 21ST OCTOBER | AUT NORTH CAMPUS Win prizes, join in, have fun!

The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable trust and is totally reliant on grants and donations from the New Zealand public. This year AuSM is hosting a street appeal on Friday 10th October 2014 between 10.00am—12.00pm. We need volunteers to give us 2 hours of their time to help us collect funds at strategic locations on the streets around the city campus. Register to help today by emailing volunteers@aut.ac.nz Get a team of 4-5 and bake a cake, $2 per contestant in each team.

Baking will be judged in 3 categories: 1 - Best Themed Cake, 2 - Most Original Cake, 3 - Best Team Effort Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The winning cakes will be raffled off, 100% of the proceeds donated to NZBF! Form a team of bakers, fill in the entry form & get baking. Open to students AND staff!

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27

Ten Films to Watch for the 2015 Awards Season

by Ethan Sills I imagine many of you read that headline in horror and were potentially disgusted to see debate publishing an article about next years awards season, which is still about three months away. Well, you may be surprised to know the awards season buzz has already begun, even though half the movies being buzzed about are not even close to being released.

A lot of film festivals around the globe have occurred over the last month and a bit (Telluride, Toronto, New York and Venice most notably). These festivals are where hundreds of movies get their world premieres and get showcased to studios to be purchased and distributed. And it is at these festivals where many movies’ Oscar dreams are either made or shattered.

For example, three of the past six People’s Choice Award winners at Toronto have gone on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. These festivals may not guarantee a win on Oscar night, but a positive response from critics and

INTERSTELLAR 6th November The Dark Knight Rises may have been polarising, but there is no denying Christopher Nolan has managed to produce hit after hit over the past decade, and Interstellar could be his most epic project yet.

Matthew McConaughey continues his career resurgence as one of a group of astronauts sent to explore other planets to find a way for humanity to survive as earth has run out of resources. While this has not yet premiered, the trailers promise some powerful performances and themes that could make this a Best Picture watch as well as likely winning numerous technical awards.

N I G H T C R AW L E R 27th November Before I saw Prisoners and Enemy, I don’t think I had ever seen a Jake Gyllenhaal movie or particularly ever wanted to. However, both of his performances in those blew me away, and now I can’t wait to see his next movie. Nightcrawler sees Gyllenhaal as an ambitious and obsessive cameraman altering crime scenes in order to get the perfect photos to sell to a local TV producer. Intriguing premise, spine tingling trailer, and Gyllenhaal earned a lot of attention following the premiere.

audiences here makes those dreams just the slight bit more realistic.

So as uni draws to a close for the year and we are released back into the wild for four months, I have compiled a handy list of potential nominees and winners that have emerged from these festivals (plus a few extras) for those wanting to know what maybe-great films are coming out over the next few months. I have not seen these movies personally as uni prevents me from swanning off to Canada and Italy for weeks of movie watching, but these ones are getting a lot of buzz, and the trailers are enough to suggest potential glory.

(Note: The release dates below are accurate at time of publication but may change.)

T H E I M I TAT I O N G A M E 8th January It was only a few weeks ago that Benedict Cumberbatch won his first Emmy for Sherlock, but the Cumberbitches of the internet could be in for a bigger celebration as he is currently the frontrunner for Best Actor.

The Imitation Game sees Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, the man who invented the first computer to help crack Nazi codes during World War Two, but his sexuality saw him punished by the government he rescued. This won the Audience Award at Toronto, much like Slumdog Millionaire and 12 Years a Slave – a clear sign this is destined for big things.

BIRDMAN 15th January This probably sounds like a Batman parody, and in some ways it is.

Michael Keaton plays an actor hoping for a career resurgence after years of living in the shadows of his character ‘Birdman’. Sound familiar?

The trailer for this is intoxicatingly beautiful, and there is a smorgasbord of acting talent in this, with Keaton earning rave reviews whenever this was shown. A strong acting and directing contender, and it just looks visually astounding.

UNBROKEN 22nd January Bio-pics and war movies always receive awards attention, and Angelina Jolie’s second outing as a director combines those two elements. Former Skins star Jack O’Connell plays Louis Zamperini, an Olympic track star who fought in World War II, spending two and a half years captive in a Japanese POW camp. It includes a script by the Coen Brothers and cinematography by legend Roger Deaksis, and while it has not yet been screened anywhere, there are high expectations for a movie on this scale.

WILD 5th February Reese Witherspoon hasn’t received much awards love since she won for Walk the Line in 2005, but that is expected to change with Wild.

This based on a true story film sees Witherspoon as Cheryl Strayed, who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail for three months to help come to terms with the various problems in her life. From the director of Dallas Buyers Club, this is one of the few female-centric films to emerge from the festivals, and the one with the biggest buzz, which is not surprising as this is the kind of role that screams for awards attention.

BIG EYES 29th January Tim Burton hasn’t received a lot of love lately, with some of his recent efforts getting slammed by critics and stumbling at the box office. Big Eyes sees him leave Johnny Depp behind for now and instead focus on the quaint story of Margaret Keane (played by Amy Adams), who created an art sensation with her paintings of children with massive eyes. The only problem is her husband Walter (Christoph Waltz) is taking the credit. This is a possible Best Picture contender and could see Amy Adams win her first Oscar after five nominations.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING 5th February The story of Stephen Hawking sounds like perfect fodder for an Oscar-baity movie, doesn’t it? Well, a couple of movie executives clearly thought so, and a Hawking biopic is now a frontrunner in this year’s race. Instead of focussing on his career though, the movie centres more on Hawking (played by Eddie Redmayne) at Cambridge University in the 1960s, where he falls in love with Jane (Felicity Jones) and begins to develop motor neuron disease. The trailer makes it look a bit cheesy, but there is some great material to work with, and people overcoming adversity is a common theme in Oscar winners in the past.

F OXC ATC H E R 29th January You may have already heard of this movie where Steve Carell goes dark and wears a giant nose: the comedy star takes a dramatic turn as Jogn du Pont, an eccentric billionaire who becomes obsessed with college wrestling, particularly Mark Schultz, played by Channing Tatum. The movie premiered in Cannes in May and has been building momentum and gaining more praise since then, with Carell and Tatum hotly debated as being strong awards contenders, but I will be seeing this regardless as it just looks so creepy and good.

INHERENT VICE 19th February This is likely going to be the funniest entry on the list amongst all the dramatic biopics. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Larry “Doc” Sportello, a private detective in Los Angeles in the seventies, who is hired by his ex-girlfriend to investigate the disappearance of her current boyfriend. Directed by past awards nominee Paul Thomas Anderson, the cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro, and the trailer looks both stylish and outright hilarious. I think this is the one on this list I most want to see, and hopefully the end result will be as fantastic as the trailer.

Bonus: If you haven’t seen it yet, Boyhood is currently seen as the most likely Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards of anything released so far this year. Other possibilities could be Gone Girl, thanks to the strong performances of its leads, and The Grand Budapest Hotel (though that may be more wishful thinking on my part)

29

NO SUCH THING AS A GUILTY PLEASURE

by Amelia Petrovich

If an extra-terrestrial came to earth tomorrow asking questions about us all, I could offer said being only one truth about the entirety of humanity… we are terrified of being bored. We work and we learn because often we have to, or at least it feels as if we have to, but even in between times we’re constantly buzzing. Our lives seem to revolve around hobbies. What kind of self-respecting wild animal has hobbies!? An anteater doesn’t need a model train collection or a softball team to feel complete; when it’s not busy it simply sits around and is an anteater.

So, what’s up with us? Clearly we aren’t as primal and badass as anteaters anymore, probably something to do with inventing cities and making laws that prevent people from attacking one another. Life is too cushiony and tasteless, we’re bored.

So therefore, we battle our inherent boredom and dispassion by getting totally psyched about a whole lot of stuff that we think is cool. The fab thing about hobbies and interests I reckon is that they’re completely specific to you. No one else in the whole world can tell you what gets you buzzed.

You’re the only one feeling that buzz, only you know about it. The buzz is yours. YOUR BUZZ. Pretty much everyone in the world gets passionate about something, no matter how obscure or specific. I used to think that I had no interests because I hadn’t joined a sports team by age 14, but I got hella pumped about making bi-yearly photo collages on a cork board and who’s to say that isn’t just as good?

Well actually, possibly a few people.

One human trend I’ve noticed, along with having hobbies and passions, is continuously judging the hobbies and passions of others. This is basically the dumbest thing ever because “what you like is shitty and you shouldn’t like it” is a completely invalid argument. If you ask a car enthusiast what they think of someone who is crazy about horses they may very well not be too impressed. But in the same way, if you ask an equine enthusiast what they think of horsey people they’re likely to be full of praise, so what are the facts here? None. There just are none. Interests, hobbies, passions, obsessions, whatever- they are all matters of subjective opinion. Therefore, it should only follow that no one is entitled to pass judgment on anybody’s personal buzz area (obviously there are a few exclusions to this rule, but don’t try to think of any and prove me wrong… that’s just cheeky).

Adults are pretty good at accepting the interests of other big, scary adults (or at least, they aren’t terrible at it), but what gets constantly knocked and frowned upon are the crazy passions of teens and younger people. I’ve caught myself doing it too, scoffing at my own year 10 love for Fall Out Boy or neckties or the colour red. And it’s slightly less horrible when you tear down yourself, but I remember sitting in a room full of eye-rolling 30-somethings watching the TV reports of screaming girls at One Direction concerts. There was a general feeling that the level of excitement the girls

were expressing was nauseating and ‘just too much’. What a horrible thing to think, how did we get this way? I mean, I care about Harry Styles roughly as much as I care about making my bed every morning (i.e. not at all, though occasionally I notice it in passing), but that doesn’t make the fact that thousands of people get super amped about 1D concerts any less beautiful. It must be tiring hyperventilating and crying upon glimpsing a group of pop stars, but really all I could think about watching the hordes of girls was how I wished I had an interest that got me that manic as well.

Passion, no matter how young the person or how seemingly horrific the object of said emotion is, should always be encouraged and admired, so long as nobody is getting hurt as a by-product of said passion. It takes a lot of time, energy and love to be interested/involved in anything in this hectic world. Let’s let girls continue to lust after swooshy-haired musicians, lets allow young teenage boys to babble about World of Warcraft over dinner (and everything in between). Because when you get older, apathy is far too easy a thing to feel and having something in your life that you are absolutely mad about prevents the world from losing its colour. As of now, guilty pleasures no longer exist. The only guilt in the world of niche, personal interests should be reserved for those who attempt to ridicule the pleasures of others. And you can quote me on that.

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Cheek to Cheek Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

Even back in 2008, when she burst into our lives with Just Dance and Poker Face, it was her pared-back acoustic performances that really stunned. I remember clearly the feeling at the time; this girl is the real deal.

And that is why this album works so brilliantly. Gaga is leaps and bounds above many of her peers vocally, she just needed a jazz album to show it.

There are no originals on the album, only covers taken from the Great American Songbook, and so the album will be digested in two ways. Older folk (or young’uns who love jazz/are hipsters) who know the songs already, or those who are being introduced to the songs for the first time. Aside from a couple of familiar tunes, I am in the latter group. And yet I am already in love. These songs come from a time of lyrical genius (“And heaven rest us/we’re not asbestos”). The songs are catchy and innocent and pure fun. At times Gaga sounds as if she is imitating a jazz-lounge singer, at times her deep vocals feel laboured, but mostly she succeeds with great enthusiasm.

Reviewed by Abigail Johnson I cannot make the claim I am a Tony Bennett expert, nor can I claim an extensive knowledge of the history of jazz. What I can claim however, is an undying love of Stefani Germanotta - Mother Monster - Lady Gaga. Call her what you will, but the moment she stepped on the scene in sunglasses and eight inch heels, I was captured.

You may think that makes me unfit to review her latest offering; an album of jazz standards with aficionado Mr Bennett. And that might be true, to a degree.

But I will readily admit that I struggle with Gaga. Sometimes her grandiose, pretentious, Kanye-esque moments irk me. But when she gets it right, I am awe-struck.

The Maze Runner

Starring Dylan O’Brian, Blake Cooper, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster Directed by Wes Ball

Reviewed by Laurien Barks I remember the day I caught a glimpse of the trailer for The Maze Runner. As soon as it concluded, I turned to my friend and whispered ‘Yes,’ with quivering anticipation into her cringing ear. This is the perfect representation of how I predict audiences will react to this film: split right down the middle; love or hate; quiver or cringe. I’m most definitely one of the more optimistic reviewers, so if you hate annoying cliff hangers, gory scorpion-robot hybrids, or anything remotely resembling Lord of the Flies, you and I aren’t going to see eye to eye at all with this film.

Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye is a winner for me. If you listen while staring out of a window on a rainy day, and watch the trees bend in the wind, you’ll cry.

Or maybe it was just me. Whatever. Other stand outs include Lush Life, I Won’t Dance, and Anything Goes.

And what is there to say of Bennett? The man is consistently good, he mentors Gaga with obvious admiration, and they both clearly enjoy singing together.

Ignore any suggestion that the 28 and 88 year old duo are a creepy pair. They very much exemplify a ‘mentor and student’ relationship, highly esteeming each other’s talent. With this album “[S]he’s going to be bigger than Elvis Presley!” says Tony, very cutely.

I can’t give it five stars, because Gaga’s is a flawed genius. But this is some of the best work she’s done, for sure. And Tony - a master.

The film opens in an elevator shaft where our caged and confused protagonist Thomas is racing upward to an unknown destination that is later revealed to be ‘The Glade.’ A group of 60 or so boys inhabit the small plot of land, trapped by four dauntingly high walls, wiped of any memory of their life before The Glade, with the exception of their own names. The only escape from the prison is through an exceptionally large maze that changes every night and is riddled with giant robotic monsters which the boys have nicknamed ‘Grievers’ – no one has ever survived a night in the maze with these bad boys. Thomas’ bravery quickly earns him the role of a ‘Runner,’ meaning that it’s his daily duty to run the maze, and try and find a way for these boys (and eventual girl) to escape to the world that they’ve forgotten.

There’s so much I could rave about with this film. The performances were fantastic, with Thomas Brodie-Sangster as my favourite for his subtle, chilled, but uniquely enthralling character. Even Dylan O’Brian has improved leaps and bounds since his first few seasons of Teen Wolf (Although, I’m actually rather embarrassed that I’m qualified to make that claim). The maze, the Grievers, heck, all things computerconstructed were wondrous enough to make any teenage boy (or 20-year-old lass) exclaim ‘Whoa! Dude! That’s epic!’ And the fact that despite there being the addition of a pretty teenage girl flung into the second half of the film, the closest thing the scriptwriter got to a tweeny romance was the fact that Thomas kind of remembered her from his old life. Um…thank you film gods! Having not read the books, it’s possible my excitement is premature, there may be nauseating sweatypalmed teen love triangles to come, but for right now, I’m going to bask in the absence of hormones like a bitterly foreveralone lizard in the sun’s rays.

An adrenaline pumping adventure from start to finish, basted in the threat of the unknown, riddled with a few rituals that I could swear were straight from the pen of William Golding himself, and punctuated with an ending that leaves you simultaneously annoyed, and salivating for more. A modern day adventure, through and through… I highly recommend it.

Gotham: Episodes 1 & 2 Created by Bruno Heller Starring Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz

that promise is troubled by the corruption within the Gotham Police Force and the gangs that rule the city.

For the most part, the series works. If you are expecting something like Christopher Nolan’s trilogy, you are going to be sorely disappointed.

However, I personally think that a prequel makes a much better concept for television. There are of course ‘case of the week’ elements that come with procedural shows, but as there are only sixteen episodes, there are wider, serialised elements at play that, at the moment, makes it more worthwhile to watch.

In terms of characters, they are a real mixed bag. Ben McKenzie is fine as James, but the character is a bit bland and overly moral, which isn’t that entertaining or captivating for a lead character. Donal Logue is fun as James’ morally challenged partner Harvey Bullock, while I can’t quite work out if Jada Pinket Smith’s Fish Mooney, the central villain at the moment, is meant to be menacing or hilarious. The real stand out is Robin Lord Taylor as the sadistic and unstable Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) – every scene he is in is sadistic, shocking but fun, and he is easily the most interesting character.

Reviewed by Ethan Sills With superhero movies ruling box offices around the world, it makes some financial sense that television networks would try and duplicate that success on the small screen. Gotham is set in the world of Batman, but instead of retelling the Bruce Wayne story, we are treated to an origin series that sees how the villains came to where they are, told from the perspective of future Batman ally Detective James Gordon.

When billionaires Thomas and Martha Wayne are gunned down by a random mugger, James Gordon, war hero turned rookie detective, is assigned to investigate the murder, crossing paths with the emotionally scarred young Bruce.

The two form a connection and Gordon vows to find who killed his parents, but

Valiant Hearts: The Great War Available on Steam, iOS, PSN and Xbox Marketplace Developed by Ubisoft Montpellier

There is room for improvement, definitely. Half of the dialogue feels like it was taken from scripts leftover from the Adam West series, with lines so cheesy that you end up cringing in revulsion. There are also a LOT of main and supporting characters introduced in just two episodes, and very few of them are actually that well developed. This probably wouldn’t be too bad if they were not also planning on introducing more Batman villains as the show goes on. They really just need to get rid of about five main characters and focus on developing the main ones (James, Harvey, Fish, Oswald, Bruce, Selina Kyle) rather than trying to fill it with every comics character possible.

I will continue to watch for the time being: it is by no means great, but neither is it awful either. They need to tidy up a lot of things before this comes close to being a new favourite show, but for the moment, I am cautiously optimistic.

You’re also put in the shoes of Emilie’s friends as they fight alongside Frenchmen, Brits, Canadians, Indians and even Ethiopians (Well, technically, they were called Abyssinians in this time period. Sorry, I don’t mean to be THAT guy.) The game’s story is almost completely told through gameplay, which I admire very much.

Though Valiant hearts has a very cartoony art style, the game captures the absolute terror of the First World War very well. It’s not always a massive melancholy-fest, but when it is, it hits you like a tonne of bricks. The Puzzles are very simple but challenging, and unlike older adventure games, you don’t have lug around a whole lot of shit to MacGyver your way out of situations. Valiant Hearts also boasts historical accuracy, as you progress through the game, prompts appear that will take you to a little menu containing concise facts about the battle or situation you’re currently in.

Neat.

Reviewed by Nigel Mackenzie-Ryan I think the First World War is kind of interesting. Of course, a lot of people, including video game developers, prefer its more action packed sequel and who could blame them? It had massive invasions and big explosions and daring espionage! World War One was just a bunch of guys with silly accents and sillier hats shooting at each other from ditches … but it was a war that turned the sky blacker than it had ever been.

But enough history, Valiant Hearts is one of the few video games based on this neglected war. It’s a point and click adventure game in a similar vein to Monkey Island and the Walking Dead. It follows the adventures of Emilie, a new grandfather who has been conscripted into the French Military.

That being said, the fact that this is a game is Valiant Heart’s biggest flaw.

In the last chapter of the game, things get very intense and very difficult.

Problem is, the difficulty nullifies any drama. Dying and restarting ten times in a row kills all sense of urgency. Since this game is 99 per cent story driven this is a MASSIVE problem. If the last chapter wasn’t so goddamn frustrating, this game would get top marks. Before you ask, Yeah, I did complete the game. I’m not one of those hacks at IGN who gives up at the first sight of challenge.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is wonderful, atmospheric experience set back by a few problems. The game’s beautiful artstyle and music tug at the heartstrings at just the right time. Although some obtuse puzzles and difficult sections ramp up frustration, you can’t help but hate it; like a puppy that constantly breaks things. Like the real First World War, I hope the sequel to Valiant Heart: The Great war is bigger and better. Not that I’m saying that the Second World War was good it’s just… Forget it.

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THE BEARD MAKETH THE MAN

by Carl Ewen The Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare once said “He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man.”

One of the most defining points of being a man is the ability to grow facial hair. Whether it be a robust bushman beard or a slick lip warming moustache, facial hair has always been celebrated as a symbol of manliness.

In the tradition of this symbol of manhood, competition does arise in the facial hair world, with the World Beard & Moustache Championships.

The modern championships were established and held in 1990 in Höfen/Enz, Germany, a small village in the Black Forest, and were not held again until 1995 in the nearby city of Pforzheim.

Since then, 10 championship competitions have been held in Norway (1997, 2011), Sweden (1999), Germany (again in 2001, 2005, 2013), USA (2003, 2014), UK (2007) and Alaska (2009). This competition made up of competitors from across the globe has been showcasing the growing and styling abilities of the greatest facial farmers the world has ever seen.

Now in 2014, New Zealand finally has their chance to showcase their greatest growing abilities in the first New Zealand Beard & Moustache Championships taking place at The Kings Arm’s Tavern on Friday 17th October.

The New Zealand competition is the brain child of Ygnacio Cervio, a professional beard grower.

Originally from Argentina, Ygnacio moved to

New Zealand 10 years ago, and is now a proud New Zealand citizen. In 2013, Ygnacio made history being the first and only NZ representative to compete in the Beard and Moustache World Championships in Germany, finishing a very respectable 5th in the “Natural Beard with styled Moustache” category.

When you see the epicness of Ygnacio’s beard you know that he means business, and that he is the right man to bring this competition to New Zealand’s shores.

In New Zealand, beards in particular are becoming more and more of a regular sight while walking the streets, but not every man has what it takes to grow a full luscious beard or moustache.

But at the New Zealand Beard & Moustache Championships, length is not the main judging criteria. The tidiness, the style, how well taken care of the beard is, the texture and the overall look all come into play.

Since the beginning of time, the growing of a beard has been a symbol of true manliness that not only keeps the wearer warm, but historically provides a stronger and thicker jaw line resulting in a more intimidating look and potential protection in the event of a fight, helping to cushion from blows to the chin and face. Even in ancient civilizations, beards were seen as a sign of honour and were only cut as a punishment.

So with the first NZ Beard & Moustache champs taking place this week, this is not only an opportunity for bearded individuals to show off their facial growth, but also a chance for moustached individuals to display their stunning soup strainers. With a category dedicated to the art of the moustache, both categories are well looked after.

Ygnacio has brought together an extremely knowledgeable group of judges to choose the winners for the night: Julian Maloney (owner of Maloney’s Barber shop), Carl Ewen (Auckland Man of Movember 2012 & 2013), Kerry Adams (NZ Beard Appreciation Society) and representing the woman’s opinion, Rose Jackson (Glory Days Magazine).

Taking place just before the start of Movember, the competition is a great warmup for those MoBros who are preparing to make the big shave off on the 1st of Movember and grow a mo for the month for men’s health (sign up today at nz.movember.com).

The NZ Beard & Moustache Championships is proving to be a night full of follicly charged frivolity with live music from The Southern Diplomats, Jack Landi & Harvey Knows A Killer as well as DJ LA Fenix, amazing raffles to be purchased with some epic prizes as well as the greatest beards and moustaches New Zealand has to offer.

Not only is this a night of fun, celebrating the facial hair achievements of some of New Zealand’s greatest men, but it is also a fundraiser.

All proceeds raised (via a gold coin donation at the door) go towards the New Zealand Cancer Society.

So make sure you get down to The Kings Arms Tavern, this Friday 17th October. If you are keen to enter, you can register on the night from 6pm, with the competition starting from 7pm. Be there for a hairy night of fun and entertainment.

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