Debate | Issue 4 | 2021 by Debate Magazine

Debate ISSUE 4 | CLIQUES & CULTS | 2021

EDITOR Rebecca Zhong debate@aut.ac.nz DESIGNER Kwok Yi Lee ILLUSTRATORS Yi Jong, Kwok Yi Lee

Contents 4

From the Editor

More Students, Less Money: Pandemic Exposes Funding Fault Lines

AUT Pushes Back Against Inquiry Into Student Accommodation

LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE EDITOR Lucy Wormald

Future of AUT’s Pacific Media Centre Still in the Air

STUDENT NEWS REPORTER Justin Wong

Euro 2021: The Experts' View

NEWS WRITER Justin Hu

Bring Back the Postgrad Student Allowance

CONTRIBUTORS James Tapp, Taylor Cunningham, David Williams, Naomii Seah

Centrepoint: Albany’s Lost Cult

ADVERTISING Jesse Jones jesse.jones@aut.ac.nz

Dog on the Boys

PRINTER Nicholson Print Solutions

21 Giveaways

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Andrew Broadley FEATURE WRITER Alana McConnell SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Nam Woon Kim

DISCLAIMER Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AUTSA, its advertisers, contributors, Nicholson Print Solutions or its subsidiaries. This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUT STUDENT ASSOCIATION (“AUTSA”). Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly. Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AUTSA.

“Yeah I’m So Whitewashed”

Worship Thy Leader

28 Cult.com 31

Visiting Gloriavale

33 Puzzles 34 Horoscopes

Debate is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

FOLLOW DEBATE! debatemag.com debate_mag autsadebate debate@aut.ac.nz

Cover illustration by Yi Jong

the unfettered fashion of a student publication. After raising concerns over this power dynamic, AUTSA is now working towards an editorial advisory committee to alleviate the issues that have risen in its past while also providing industry support for Debate. Although this is long overdue, we are grateful that this step towards greater autonomy from AUTSA is being made.

From the Editor Kia Ora, It’s officially been a year since I entered the role of editor at Debate. When I first started the role I was sold on the promise of editorial independence. Providing a platform for students to vocalise their concerns in an unfettered and genuine fashion is of great interest to any student publication. For transparency reasons I would like to inform our readers that Debate’s ability to be a truly editorially independent magazine is compromised. While this statement may sound alarming, I would like to stress that this is not unique to Debate. This experience is shared across a number of other student magazines across Aotearoa to varying degrees.

For Debate, editorial independence is compromised because of our close relationship to AUTSA. In many ways, AUTSA can be both a safeguard and support system to Debate, one which I am genuinely grateful for at times. Debate, like many other student magazines is funded and employed by its student association. This places Debate in an uncomfortable position where our duty to scrutinise the shortcomings of the university and to keep AUTSA accountable are contested. As part of our relationship with AUTSA, all copies of Debate must first be approved by our general manager before it goes to print. While this is mainly seen as a formality, this procedure has the potential to stifle and restrict

So, why hasn’t Debate been printed for five weeks? While Debate is ‘editorially independent’ our designer is hired at the discretion of AUTSA as they work jointly between Debate and the student association. Ramina, our one of a kind designer, has taken maternity leave and hiring their replacement was left to AUTSA. Despite months of communication, concern and chasing up from Debate, this process was neglected and mishandled by AUTSA, leaving us unable to print a magazine. To put it bluntly, when it came time to print, Debate had no designer thus no magazine. We can now say that we have a wonderful designer, the one who is responsible for the pretty lil thing in your hands right now! We look forward to introducing him to you all on our socials (@debate_mag hehe). Debate is a voice for student writers and creatives to publish work. It is a platform to highlight student news and hold the university and AUTSA accountable. And it is largely funded by your student levies. Being unable to publish is a disservice to AUT students and to your voices. We’ve missed you and we’re glad to be back. Ngā mihi, Rebecca

More Students, Less Money: Pandemic Exposes Funding Fault Lines By Justin Hu (he/him)

In a report to the AUT Council in March, vice-chancellor Derek McCormack said

Has campus seemed busier to you this year? If it has, then it’s not just your imagination. Total tertiary student numbers in New Zealand are up across the board at almost all universities and polytechnics.

the university was still forecasting a

It’s good news for universities continuing to recover from COVID-19 layoffs and voluntary redundancies, but the figures are only a silver lining for institutions that have been rocked by the pandemic.

time students are 900 more than last year.

Looking beyond the total figures: while domestic student numbers are up significantly, the number of international students in the country is down by around half as a result of border restrictions and reluctance from students overseas.

McCormack told Newsroom that domestic

The reason why this matters is because of the money which the two groups bring to unis and polytechs. International students are worth roughly double that of domestic students in the fees that they pay as students.

number of domestic students has fallen

Meanwhile, the fees of domestic students are less despite also including government subsidies allocated by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

Some universities, like Lincoln, had

That means that despite gaining strength in numbers, many institutions are now worse off financially. Foreign students are also more likely to choose university-affiliated living services like student accommodation, which brings in additional revenue.

difficult year. “To date, 2021 international equivalent fulltime students are 750 less than last year and domestic international equivalent fullHaving the same amount of work to do but with less money will produce challenges particularly as enrolments are not evenly spread across schools,” said McCormack.

students have favoured teaching, science and humanities courses, which are spread out at different faculties, as compared to the normal demand from foreign students. Analysis by the TEC in 2017 found that the on average by a third in the last decade. As a result, international students had become a lifeblood for growth in many unis, who heavily relied on their fees prior to COVID-19.

even reached a point in 2019 where international students made up nearly half (48 percent) of all student enrolments. The University of Otago was the only uni that limited its international student intake, having set a 15 percent limit, and on the surface has weathered the short-term impact better, having not recommended redundancies or cut any staff.

Seven hundred staff across the eight universities have been laid off or taken on voluntary leave/redundancy as a result of the sector’s financial situations, according to RNZ. The analysis found that there were 71 job losses at AUT after the university had offered voluntary leaving packages to staff last year. The university has said it will continue cost-saving measures. Moving forward, the ongoing vaccination programme both at home and abroad will likely result in easing of overseas travel restrictions by some point in the 2022 or 2023 academic year and provide some relief to university recruiters. However, the chair of Education New Zealand, the government agency tasked with overseeing the recruitment of overseas students, told a parliamentary select committee that it would still take up to 10 years for the industry to recover. The chair, Steve Maharey, added that the organisation believes that international student growth from some markets had become unsustainable prior to COVID-19 and that the industry would need to become more resilient going forward. “We are very dependent on a small number of markets, particularly China and India, and that was not a sustainable position for any industry,” Maharey told the education and workforce select committee. 

AUT Pushes Back Against Inquiry Into Student Accommodation By Justin Hu (he/him)

“AUT has had a very low number of student accommodation beds. We're

AUT vice-chancellor Derek McCormack

have 709 accommodation beds [...]

accommodation that the uni does not

I’d like to emphasize the importance

believe the sector needs major reform.

of understanding the very variable

In a written submission to the parliamentary inquiry, the university told MPs that it disagreed with the premise on which the inquiry had been based upon. It added that the university believed “the vast majority of students thoroughly enjoy their hostel experiences.” Oral submissions were heard by Parliament’s Education and Workforce Select Committee in March, including dozens from ex-hall residents and student groups who were heavily critical of the existing system. MPs also heard submissions from universities and accommodation providers, who were largely in support of the status quo, including McCormack. The inquiry was launched following perceived student mistreatment amid

approach by universities to providing student accommodation,” said McCormack. “The idea that there is disparate treatment assumes that all the accommodation should be consistent, that the standards should be the same, that the services should be the same, I think that’s problematic. The committee needs to consider that student accommodation needs to cover a range of cases,” McCormack continued. Submissions by the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) and five other uni student associations emphasised that the groups believed students entered into an industry without sufficient regulation. “The system for student accommodation

last year’s level four lockdown. In oral

in Aotearoa New Zealand is broken.

questioning, the VC retrospectively said

The lack of regulation and protection

the industry had been “flying blind” with

for students means that the system

inconsistent approaches at different

has become out of control,” the NZUSA

universities.

authored in its written submission.

Speaking on AUT’s position via Zoom,

the second biggest university, but only

has told an inquiry into student

“Student accommodation has been

McCormack generally focused his

treated by providers for the last decade,

oral submission on conveying that the

as a cash cow, as a way to make money

university’s scale of accommodation was

out of students,” said NZUSA’s president

smaller and different to other universities.

Andrew Lessells.

AUTSA was one of only three university student associations that did not make a submission to the inquiry — alongside AUSA (University of Auckland) and WSU (Waikato University).

Students groups critical of the current system emphasised that halls are not subject to the Residential Tenancies Act and currently sit outside the jurisdiction of the Tenancy Tribunal. Many were critical of perceived power imbalances between universities, providers, students and RAs. Some recommended that student accommodation become not-for-profit endeavours nationwide. AUTSA was one of only three university student associations that did not make a submission to the inquiry — alongside AUSA (University of Auckland) and WSU (Waikato University). During last year’s level four lockdown, practices by student accommodation providers were under scrutiny amid complaints of mistreatment at multiple universities. Inconsistent policies between universities saw many students being charged for rooms they were unable to use as a result of the lockdown.

anything differently, McCormack said that all universities were "flying blind" in the first lockdown. “There was not a consistent approach [between universities] because we were all flying blind in a difficult situation. [...] In a difficult situation, we did the best we could without making a tax on the services that would be provided to other students,” McCormack said. The vice-chancellor added that the

Students at AUT-affiliated accommodation were told to continue paying for their rooms, even if they chose to return home. One of the university’s providers, Campus Living Villages, was also accused of threatening to cut off students from student services for unpaid lockdown accommodation bills. When questioned by Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick as to whether the university would have retrospectively done

university had offered significant rebates and didn’t ask students to leave halls. McCormack also said: “I'd certainly change whatever gave us such a negative run in the press.” Swarbrick, who is the Green Party tertiary spokesperson, led the charge

The now-Auckland Central MP described regulation around student accommodation as a “makeshift house of cards” and said the industry was a “wild west” amid the lockdown. The inquiry was also fuelled by the 2019 death of Canterbury University student Mason Pendrous, whose body was only found decomposing in his student hall weeks after he had died. The death led to an interim pastoral care code which will now be revised into a permanent long-term code by 2022. Oral and written submissions received in the inquiry are intended to assist the development of the permanent code. Recommendations on effective operational models for accommodation and halls conflict resolution are also expected from the inquiry later this year. 

against accommodation provider practices under last year's level four restrictions.

Future of AUT’s Pacific Media Centre Still in the Air By Justin Wong (he/him) AUT has denied it is side-lining the Pacific Media Centre (PMC) but the university is yet to announce its new leadership following disputes on office spaces and a succession plan. The multi-disciplinary research unit was founded in 2007 by Professor David Robie, with its focus on Pacific media research and producing stories of marginalised communities in New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.

Top: The former office of the Pacific Media Centre on the 10th floor of the WG Building in early 2021. (Photo: Supplied)

Bottom: The Pacific Media Centre’s former office at the WG Building after being cleared out in early 2021. (Photo: Supplied)

The centre also housed several outlets that provided journalists covering regional issues and Pasifika researchers a space to publish their work,, such as the academic journal Pacific Journalism Review and the award-winning Pacific Media Watch. Dr Robie retired last December as the centre’s director but the position was not filled immediately. There have been no updates from the PMC’s website, YouTube and Soundcloud channels since, while Southern Cross, the radio segment the PMC produces on 95bFM’s The Wire, has not had a new episode since last August. Only one month after his retirement, Dr Robie was told that the PMC’s office on the 10th floor of the WG Building was emptied of its awards, theses, books and

other memorabilia, with people involved with the centre not being notified or consulted of the move. The Pacific Newsroom reported the contents including a traditional carved Papua New Guinean storyboard presented by then Pacific Island Affairs Minister Winnie Laban to celebrate the centre’s opening in October 2007. Dr Robie told Debate in April that there’s a gap between what was said by AUT and reality, saying that the office being cleared affirmed the lack of a commitment by the university for the PMC’s future. He also said a succession plan was drawn up years ago that involved headhunting possible successors before his sabbatical in 2019 so the candidate could familiarise themselves with the role before formally taking over, but AUT did not follow it through. “This opportunity was wasted by the school and by the time I left, nobody had been prepared for continuity and the very able and talented people still working hard for the centre were not given support.” “This is unconscionable in my view.” “The school needs to listen to the vision of the stakeholders and treat them with respect.”

The move was also criticised by journalists and academics, with the Australia Asia Pacific Media Initiative (AAPMI) calling on AUT’s vice-chancellor Derek McCormack in an open letter in February to ensure the PMC would continue to be developed “at a time when Pacific journalism is under existential threat”. Meanwhile, Dr Camille Nakhid, the chair of the PMC’s advisory board and an associate professor at AUT’s School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, told the Spinoff that she believes the PMC directorship should be advertised externally to “attract a range of qualified candidates”. Dr Rosser Johnson, the head of AUT’s School of Communications Studies, told Debate at the end of April that the relocation was due to security reasons and the PMC’s new space on the 12th floor of the WG Building has “twice as much office space” for students and affiliate researchers. The new PMC leadership was expected to be announced in April. “There’s one department who uses specialist gear that is very expensive and we have a very high level of risk around that gear.”

The School also scheduled two faculty and school-wide planning days to talk with people who would be affected. Dr Johnson said the School opted for an expression of interest approach within the department to fill Dr Robie’s position because the original plan does not follow protocol. An external hiring freeze imposed by AUT last year and the part-time nature of the PMC’s directorship meant the School preferred to look internally. “David [Robie] was asking if it was possible for us to shoulder-tap two or three people to be co-directors but the School is supposed to have a transparent process where everyone who wants to be considered can be considered.”

Dr Robie told Debate in April that there’s a gap between what was said by AUT and reality, saying that the office being cleared affirmed the lack of a commitment by the university for the PMC’s future.

“If you want to grow and develop a research culture, it makes sense to look internally first.” Dr Johnson also said he respects the care and commitment Dr Robie has towards the PMC, but insisted the School has no intention to shape the centre’s future direction, as the responsibility falls on the next director. 

“We had to consider the space that the Pacific Media Centre was in because it can be made secure through two sets of security doors.”

Group A Turkey Justin: With Leicester’s Çağlar Söyüncü, Merih Demiral of Juventus, and attackers Burak Yılmaz and Yusuf Yazıcı leading Lille’s title challenge in France, don’t sleep on Turkey this tournament. Andy: Turkey is a boring, bland meat, let’s hope that’s irrelevant... James: I’m predicting quarter finals as long as Italy flops again.

Euro 20201:

Justin: Italy is rebuilding nicely after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and they should have few problems making it out of the group. Andy: The Italy of my childhood was a fine Neapolitan pizza, the Italy of now is a Dominos. Not title contenders by any means.

The *Experts’ View

James: Italy could do it this year! (get out of the group that is). I’m still expecting some top tier defending from the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, but that doesn’t get you goals.

By Andrew Broadley, Justin Hu and James Tapp (not experts)

Wales

Football: the ultimate cult. To cry at a TV screen as overpaid men compete for a trophy in a country, or countries, that bribed their way past human rights violations to host an event that lines the pockets of the already wealthy is truly as absurd as it sounds. And we can’t help but do it. And in a little under a month we will do it again. Euro 2020, now Euro 2021, is set to kick off on June 11th, and here at Debate we couldn’t be more thrilled. So we grabbed a few of our armchair experts to make a few predictions, and a few irrelevant remarks, about a few of the teams. Stay tuned for Issue 5 where we will give our predictions for Groups D, E and F.

Italy

Justin: Wales will fall at the first hurdle. Gareth Bale’s past his prime and manager Ryan Giggs won’t be there after being charged with assaulting two women. 2021’s not their year. James: Wales = Gareth Bale, and I feel sorry for him, doing it alone. Won’t make a splash. Andy: Finishing the group stage as one of the highest seeding third placed teams is their best hope of making the play-offs.

Switzerland James: Switzerland could surprise. They’re not stacked, but they know what they’re doing. Justin: Switzerland has been consistent for the past few tournaments but it will be a long shot for them to win any. They might inch past the group stages. Andy: I’m as neutral on Switzerland as Switzerland is neutral. Maybe they’ll squeeze second place in their group, or maybe they’ll just quietly go home.

Group B

Group C

Belgium

Austria

James: The argument every two years: Is it Belgium’s year? Yes it’s their year.

Andy: Austria? Australia? Doesn't matter... Equally uninspiring.

Andy: For me Group B looks boring, barring Belgium, who are mesmerising on their day. I back them for a semi final spot (at the least) after cruising through this sluggish bunch. Justin: The side hasn’t changed much from Russia in 2018, and attackers Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne have shone brighter since. Will surely be in the final, and could even win the competition.

Finland James: Definitely one of the weaker teams. They’ll be an easy fry ;) for the likes of Belgium.

Rebecca: Australia isn’t even in Europe... I don’t think anyone confuses the two... James: Who let Red Bull enter the Euros??? Justin: It’s a relatively easy group for Austria but they still haven’t won a game at any European Championship. Support at your own risk.

North Macedonia Andy: The first appearance for Macedonia, now North Macedonia despite not splitting into two and there being no South Macedonia... Good on them for getting here. Things will go south pretty quickly for them though so perhaps a South Macedonia after all...

Andy: Don’t expect Finland to land many punches here. Early exit.

Justin: The Lynxes stunned Germany in April, but it’s unlikely they will pass the group stage. The Macedonians probably won’t be too bothered about results.

Justin: Teemu Pukki’s goals fired Norwich back to the English Premier League, but without proper service, the Finns’ maiden international campaign will Finnish very quickly (I’ll show myself out).

James: I’d watch their games. The little guys are always entertaining. Either they’ll be big upsets or they’ll be thrashings, no in-between.

Russia Andy: Last World Cup they reached the quarter finals, but that was an anomaly and they can’t be doping-uhhoping for a repeat... but hey, never say Navalny... James: Russia could be the team to watch? Maybe... Justin: Russia defeated Spain in 2018, before being eliminated by eventual runners-up Croatia. That was in Russia though, probably won’t be on for them this tournament. Andy: Sorry, one more. I’m not Putin my hopes in this squad... uWu

Denmark Andy: Denmark has some good players so let’s see if they can leave their... mark...den...round of 16? James: I’m biased, but... go the Danes! A solid squad and the potential to shine. Justin: Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel are stars in their own right, but this is a difficult group. They won’t make it far.

Netherlands Andy: As a Dutchman I have to back us for a semi final spot. Even if Frank de Boer is a terrible manager, and our squad is inexperienced, lacking in depth and without main man van Dijk. Our kit also looks the like high-visibility Lycra cyclists wear to not get hit by cars... In all honestly our chances left with Koeman... Bring on WC 2022? Justin: Chances for this young Oranje side to win are slim, but I’m happy to be proven wrong. James: The golden days are gone. They’re lucky they got an easy group.

Ukraine Justin: Slight chance of qualifying for the first knockout stage. After that? Nah. James: I might be wrong, but I’d say they’re ones to watch. I can smell some upsets lurking. I’m saying quarter finals. Andy: Maybe I shouldn’t have mugged off Group B... Group C really is a dull bunch. Good for me and my Netherlands though. Ukraine also has a horrendous kit, but that’s their flag colours so can’t be helped I suppose...

Bring Back the Postgrad Student Allowance By Taylor Cunningham (he/him) International student enrolments have fallen since the outbreak of COVID-19 in New Zealand, resulting in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign student fees and nearly 1,000 jobs at tertiary institutions being cut or frozen. This has affected the quality of education, support and services students receive – and postgraduate students are left further out to dry. Many postgraduate students rely on tutoring jobs at their university because of the convenient and flexible nature of the role – an ideal way for a busy student to support themselves without hurting their studies. However, tutoring positions have declined in both number and the hours available as a result of the decline of international students in 2020 (down 7,000 enrolments from the expected total of 22,000). Why is this such a big deal for postgrad students in particular? Well, they receive no financial support during their studies from the government. That means no student allowance (the one you don’t have to pay back).

In order to get by, postgrad students must pile on more debt through weekly student loan living costs, or attempt to balance a job (that provides sufficient hours and pay to survive) with their studies, internships, extra-curricular activities and social lives. A strenuous task considering postgrad study itself is challenging and time-consuming. The lack of financial support also deters would-be postgrad students – such as myself – and especially those of lowincome and middle-class backgrounds who would not be able to make ends meet. It doesn’t help that living costs are already high in Auckland, let alone other parts of the country. According to Studylink, for a student to qualify for a student allowance – not to be confused with student loan living costs – they must be studying “an undergraduate course (level 7 or below on the National Qualifications Framework), or a Bachelor degree with honours” full-time. Graduate diplomas are also eligible. In short, any course that is level 8 or above, such as postgraduate diplomas and masters, are deemed ineligible.

People who wish to pursue careers that require these qualifications – such as doctors – and those aiming to advance their career opportunities and education are therefore at a disadvantage, particularly those without access to their parents’ pockets. It wasn’t always this way: postgrad students received a grant of up to $240 prior to 2013. But the National-led government scrapped the allowance, as then-Tertiary Minister Steven Joyce claimed the new eligibility rules would save $33 million over four years.1 The Labour Party criticised this move, claiming it would hurt postgrad students – and the country – and deter those considering furthering their education. Yet they, along with the Green Party and New Zealand First, failed to deliver on their 2017 election campaign promise to restore it. Politicians have been rather quiet on the matter at present, but the call for the postgrad student allowance to be reinstated hasn’t dimmed. Luke Oldfield, the chairperson of Tertiary Education Action Group Aotearoa, and Andrew Lessells, the president of the NZ Union

1 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/student-allowances-a-thing-of-the-past-for-post-graduate-students/TL7KNH2GHBRABXOV7UPILZNZ2Q/ 12

The entire student allowance system is flawed. Not everyone is treated equally nor has equal opportunity to further their education and careers.

of Students' Associations, both recently told RNZ that the allowance needs to be restored – now more than ever, due to the reduction in tutoring positions. The entire student allowance system is flawed. Not everyone is treated equally nor has equal opportunity to further their education and careers. For example, according to Studylink’s parental income calculator, a student under 24, living at home, could receive up to $203.11 (after tax) if their parents earn no more than a combined income of $57,500 (before tax). But if this student left home, they could receive up to $240.65 (after tax), as well as an accommodation supplement. All of this is only applicable if the student doesn’t earn more than around $227 (before tax) a week. Deductions occur beyond this. How about if this student’s parents earned, say, a total of $80,000 (before tax)? They would receive $95.16 (after tax) for living at home; $132.69 (after tax) if they were renting. Why is this flawed?

First, shouldn’t it be irrelevant how much your parents earn, especially when you aren’t living at home and therefore – in most cases – aren’t reliant on them for financial support? Second, a mature student (over 24) can receive $278.19 (after tax), plus an accommodation supplement. Or, if they live in a parental home, $233.13 (after tax). But of course, this is if they aren’t studying at a postgrad level. Where is the logic in this? The student allowance system needs to be fairer and more balanced. At the very least, all students should receive a minimum allowance, regardless of their parents’ earnings, as well as the reinstatement of a postgrad student allowance. An overhaul would help entice people to enrol and give students the platform and peace of mind to focus on their studies and pursue opportunities they may not otherwise have the capacity for. It’s time for the government to step up and make good on its promise. It’s time to invest more in students. 

Centrepoint: Albany’s Lost Cult By Alana McConnell (she/her), illustrated by Yi Jong (she/her) c/w sexual abuse

Alana McConnell talks with two former members of Centrepoint, a largely forgotten closed community that existed in the heart of Albany until its demise at the hands of sexual abuse and rape allegations.

When you think of cults in New Zealand, Gloriavale may spring to mind. There've been documentaries, articles (including one in this issue of Debate) and jokes, its mark leaving a strong imprint in popular culture and conversation. But what has been slowly fading into obscurity over the years is Centrepoint, a community which operated in Albany beginning in 1977. Like many cults, Centrepoint is now known primarily for the rampant sexual abuse that went on, mainly towards young girls in their teens. Additionally there was also neglect of children, corporal punishment, bullying and psychological manipulation within the commune. Beginning with high ideals and countercultural lifestyles and beliefs, Centrepoint formed as an offshoot of the encounter groups in America, specifically California. Unlike other cults such as Jonestown, which attracted those who lived on the outskirts of society, Centrepoint was made up mainly of middle-class white families. Many community members had professional jobs in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and law. The reasons for joining tended to be similar. It attracted people who felt a lack of community in New Zealand society at the time, and families that needed more support with childrearing and interpersonal relations. But Centrepoint was a paradox, one that drew people in with the promise of enlightenment and connection, but resulted in rupture and trauma. I had never heard of Centrepoint before, not until I signed up to be an extra in a documentary about the community. I was just a background actor desperate to make a bit of extra cash, playing the role of one of the community members, wearing 70s attire, my curly hair brushed into frizzy oblivion. It was a fascinating experience because the documentary was filmed in the actual location of the commune, now named Kawai Purapura

Retreat Centre. I had actually been to the retreat centre before the filming, on a meditation course with my dad. Situated right next to the bustling Albany mall, the retreat centre felt like a stark but welcome contrast to the concrete of its surroundings. The space has been well preserved, with the native bush remaining untouched. But the painful and complex history of the commune has not fully left the retreat centre, and there are still many areas which hold significance and meaning to ex-Centrepoint members. Bert Potter, Centrepoint’s founder, travelled to the north of San Francisco in the 1970s, the birthplace of the Human Potential Movement. A counterculture group formed in the 1960s, the Human Potential Movement was formed around the concept of tapping into the extraordinary potential that is largely lying dormant within individuals. Bert attended the Esalen Growth Centre in California for three months, and then travelled back to New Zealand, where the idea of Centrepoint was born within a villa in Gillies Avenue. I interviewed two ex-members of the Centrepoint cult, Victor and Miriam. Both of them arrived with their different families, with different partners and children, but since 1990 they have been romantically partnered. Victor first arrived in Centrepoint in 1980 with his family. At age 26 he was raising six kids and struggled with the responsibility at a young age. Miriam entered Centrepoint with her husband and two young children, in an attempt to bring them together more as a family, ultimately having the opposite effect. “My husband wanted to go in one direction and I wanted to bring us together.” Victor and his family stayed for 2 ½ years before leaving the community for a few reasons, one of those being relocating for a new job. “My first wife wasn’t fond of the open relationship structure at Centrepoint,” he told me.

Polyamory was encouraged and even pressured in the community, and if you chose to be monogamous you would get external feedback from others in the group. Miriam said to me “at the head of it was Bert Potter, who didn’t encourage people to work out their conflict within their relationships. He encouraged people to be with someone else, and to look outside the relationship.” What Bert said was law. There was even a common phrase called “Bert Says”. There were malicious intentions behind these “Bert Says” ideologies, which seemed initially like forward-thinking and progressive views on relationships and community living. By encouraging everyone to be sexually and romantically open, this allowed Bert to have the pick of anyone in the community for himself, including girls as young as 13. Bert claimed that children should be exposed to sexual activity from a young age as it is a natural behaviour. Bert fit the definition of an archetypal cult leader, polarising his community members by demonising society as the “out-there”, remaining unaccountable to anyone and claiming to be the authority, being extremely charismatic and influential, and dictating how the community members should act and exist.

By encouraging everyone to be sexually and romantically open, this allowed Bert to have the pick of anyone in the community for himself, including girls as young as 13. On the outside the community appeared to be idyllic. Everyone coexisted together, working alongside one another, raising their children together, and developing their self and their mind. Victor spoke of sleeping in ‘longhouses’ where there were no rooms or walls with up to five families, no doors or privacy on toilets or showers to normalise human functions and to show that all bodies are normal. These things were at odds to the culture they grew up in and were a stark contrast to what was socially acceptable. Drugs were used freely, but not for recreational purposes. They were used in facilitated group settings for exploration and growth, and Miriam had her first experiences with LSD and MDMA at Centrepoint, after years of being told that drugs were evil and dangerous. A stark contrast to the War on Drugs campaign operating within the world at that time, in the safety of the group the drugs were used as a beneficial tool, able to

“Sexual abuse wasn’t something in my world at the time, and I wasn’t able to comprehend it”

transform experiences and states. Many single mothers gravitated towards the Centrepoint community, feeling drained from the pressures of society which provided little support. But Centrepoint was no better, as neglect of children was widespread, and corporal punishment was commonplace. For a community which preached connectedness and alternative living, the discipline of children was extremely hardlined and even violent. This was one of the main reasons Miriam left the community, when she witnessed a male community member discipline her young daughter in nursery harshly. The sexual abuse came out to the public after drug charges were made against members of the community. Victor mentioned one specific young woman who reported the sexual abuse to the authorities, and six community members were charged with sexual abuse as a result, including Bert Potter and his wife. However, the young woman who reported the crimes was also one of the young teen girls who had been in a sexual relationship with someone in their 20s, but the person she was linked to was never charged as she had provided evidence against others, not them. I asked Victor and Miriam if it was more than just those six people who had committed the sexual abuse, and they said without a doubt. It was commonplace in the community,

and it had become so ingrained and normalised into daily life. Victor said when he found out about a 40 year old having a relationship with a 13 year old, he couldn't believe it. It was something so foreign to him that he struggled to understand it. I tried to understand how once news of the sexual abuse had come to light, Victor and Miriam still lived in the community. “Sexual abuse wasn’t something in my world at the time, and I wasn’t able to comprehend it,” said Victor. Miriam said “I couldn’t see that, I was only 25 when I first went there. I didn’t see and didn’t know about that stuff.” This may be one of the reasons why many ex-Centrepoint members don’t feel comfortable recounting their experiences, as the inevitable question is raised about what their role was within the community and the abuse that went on in it. Hindsight allows us to examine the past in a measured sense, able to draw on all the evidence, but it isn’t reflective on living through something, where it can be difficult to identify injustices or things that are not acceptable. Whether that be in cults, workplaces, or friendship groups, we don’t always see things for what they really are until after the bomb has dropped. Victor and Miriam were lucky; their children were very young at the time of Centrepoint, and do not seem to

have been deeply affected by their time there. But while Miriam’s daughter is open to talking about Centrepoint, Victor’s children couldn’t be more embarrassed, refusing to even mention it. In 1990, Bert Potter was convicted of drug charges and sentenced to three and a half years in jail. This eventually led to the sexual abuse charges. In 1991, Centrepoint was subject to a police dawn raid, where six men and two women were arrested on indecent assault and rape between the years of 1978 and 1984. Bert himself was sentenced to a further seven and a half years in prison in 1992, one of his victims being as young as three and half years old. In 2012 Potter died at the age of 86. Potter’s son John spoke at his funeral and said “By committing himself to a radical ideology promoting the sexual liberation of children, Bert got it badly wrong and people were damaged as a result. Sadly he never accepted his social experiment and failed in this respect and he believed in the end that he’d done no harm.” For some ex-Centrepoint members, their time in the commune is one they’d like to forget, being unable to accept it as part of their story. For others like Victor and Miriam, it’s able to be talked about freely, with the understanding that it is a part of who they are and they can’t deny that. But it does bring up complex emotions and memories, and perhaps a fear of scrutiny from the

outside world who don’t know what it was like to be a part of Centrepoint. “To share my experience with others will always be measured against what I think would be their judgements. Judgements of living in a place which seemingly sanctioned sexual abuse of children, which used psychedellic drugs, which encouraged polyamory and which was a cult with a charismatic figure,” said Victor. I asked Victor and Miriam how Centrepoint affected their lives. “I would never have met Miriam if I hadn’t been at Centrepoint,” Victor said. Miriam gave birth to her son in Centrepoint, and it is a place which does hold significant and special memories amidst the painful memories. Victor also spoke about the personal development that came from this integral life experience. “I think I’ve gained a certain resilience, openness, courage, self-acceptance, and attitude to life which I’m not sure I would have otherwise achieved through conventional living.” The desire to go outside of what is traditional and widely accepted is risky and won’t always be a smooth journey. Especially if something that had progressive ideals turned out to be much more sinister than initially intentioned. But the way Miriam and Victor spoke about their experience showed the complexity of what it was like to be part of a cult, one which is marred by the likes of sexual abuse, neglect and drug use. 

Dog on the Boys By Andrew Broadley (he/him) | OPINION c/w sexual violence

Andrew scrutinises men’s propensity to both dismiss and encourage toxic behaviour from their male counterparts. We all know the boys. I have boys, my boys have boys, your boys have boys, even buoys have buoys #Haurakigulfsquad2021. We love our boys, yet often don’t admit it, because admitting it shows emotion, and emotions are for girls. Crying is for when the boys are not around and Mitski is playing loudly because like I said, the boys are not around so you can finally stop playing Netsky. Wubwubwub A group of boys are very rarely ever called a group of boys. We are simply ‘the boys’. We are a collective. Language has power, and in this case language is

making one thing very clear. There is no individual in ‘the boys’, there is only ‘the boys’. No option for a stand alone boy, ‘the boys’ move together, they are one entity, and as one entity there is no room for individualism or dissonance. The idea of a group of men being close knit friends is nothing new or surprising. As human beings we long for companionship, but problems arise because this longing often means we do not like to do anything that threatens that companionship. It is what makes it so hard to tell your friends something honestly. You have spinach in your teeth

my dude but I just can’t tell you uWu. It is the reason why we let a racist joke or inappropriate comment slide, why we stupidly laugh along. We fear creating a chasm, of doing something to distance ourselves from the other members. Of being outed, a castaway with only a bloody volleyball for a friend (outdated reference?). We learn the language of the boys and we maintain that language, much like we do for all of the little groups we have in our lives. Languages that we change when needed. For our friends, our grandma, our professor, our church, or our one brown friend that yes, definitely notices you call no one else ‘bro’ except

It is what makes it so hard to tell your friends something honestly. You have spinach in your teeth my dude but I just can’t tell you uWu.

him. But sometimes we get a little too comfortable in the language of the boys, a little too accommodating. And to diverge from the norm is seen as too scary or uncomfortable, so we stay silent in moments when we ought to speak up. I mean, we aren’t looking for a fight, right? But who even said anything about a fight? We need a shift in what we believe calling out our friends to be. It’s not about saying, “hey that was sexist and you are an absolute scoundrel for saying it, let’s settle this by battle to the death.” No, men seem to forget how much power they hold simply by saying “hey that’s not cool, man.” Let your mates know that being sexist or racist or xenophobic in any form isn’t going to earn them laughs or cred. Men long to be seen as powerful and masculine and charismatic (because society says we should be) and most of that illusion relies on positive reinforcement from their peers. So stop giving your boys props for shitty behaviour. Start giving your boys

mad props when they talk about their feelings and be vulnerable. Give us a hug, man. But not a hug hug, one of those manly one arm hugs, with the other arm firmly smacking their back type of hugs. Normalise engaging with intersectional politics and recognising our privileges and roles in perpetuating the patriarchy. For my white dudes, let’s bro out and talk about the impacts of colonialism

Men seem to forget how much power they hold simply by saying “hey that’s not cool, man.”

and how it interacts with our everyday attitudes and systems. Soon those sexist comments will start morphing into witty observations from a recent New Yorker article they read and you’ll all circle jerk each other in a beautiful orgy of growth and open communication! Next week's agenda, are we now classists? Think of it this way: your mum full on yelled at you growing up and you still love her. When you spilled a raspberry Vodka Cruiser on her white carpet she didn’t say you were an awful person, maybe just

to pull your head in a little. And calling out your boys doesn’t have to be much different. Often you’ll find people are only saying shit to get the approval of others, I mean not always... I am telling you this now for your own good, if his name is Chad he is just a straight up dick. He should not be in your group. In all seriousness though, I say this under the assumption that you and your boys are actually reasonable and nice people. Many people out there are not, and I in no way want to equate their attitudes and behaviour to a spilled raspberry Vodka Cruiser.

We men are so quick to say, “surely not, I can’t believe it, but he seems like such a nice guy” but in doing so we are completely discrediting the prevalent attitudes that contribute towards these actions. But for the rest of us, let your boys know

to earn some cred, but they also may

that approval won’t come from saying

not be. These attitudes, comments and

inappropriate shit and you may find they

behaviours can be real indicators to

actually agree with you. Their heart was

the true feelings and thoughts of your

never really in that lame joke, they just

boys. Don’t let your friendship cloud that

thought you might enjoy it.

judgement. Dogging on the boys may mean coming to the realisation that Chad

There is of course, a dark side to all this.

should never have been your boy in the

Letting this crap slide among our male

first place (I tried to warn you). It may also

friends normalises and perpetuates

mean unpacking your own biases and

some seriously dangerous behaviour.

attitudes, and being frank with your own

It is where sexist jokes become sexual

shortcomings. Men are really out here

assault, it is where racist jokes become

patting each other on the back when they

violence. These issues need to be

score a hookup with some drunk chick

addressed at their root cause, and

at a party, only to then chant #notallmen

much of that root cause is how us men

when one gets accused of rape.

are behaving inappropriately, and then

normalising, and even encouraging

Every woman I know has either

that behaviour. It is the fuel in the car

experienced or knows someone who

of toxicity, and when we keep offering

has experienced some form of sexual

up free fuel every few kilometres there

misconduct, whether harassment or

doesn’t seem to be any chance of the

assault. Can I honestly say I don’t know

car running on empty any time soon. I

any men who have a part in this? Can I

said that your boys may just be trying

honestly say I don’t have a part in this?

Because these actions don’t come out of nowhere. We men are so quick to say, “surely not, I can’t believe it, but he seems like such a nice guy” but in doing so we are completely discrediting the prevalent attitudes that contribute towards these actions. It minimises the event to something that seems unfathomable, something foreign to us and our world, but the women in my life can tell me it is neither of these things. In our current society it is prevalent and it is obvious and it is only us men who are shocked by it because it is only us men who are failing to recognise, or simply failing to speak up against all the microaggressions that lead up to harassment, seuxal misconduct and assault. The same can be said in publicised incidents of racial violence. No one is surprised by these except us Pākehā, even though it is us Pākehā that perpetuate systemic racism in almost all areas of our day to day lives. Call out your mates. It’s long overdue. Change the language of your boys, change the behaviour that you choose to encourage, change the discourse you discuss. It’s 2021. If you can’t have a conversation about a girl without reducing her to sexual desirability or attractiveness then you must be a real bunch of Chads, and no one likes Chads. 

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“Yeah I’m So Whitewashed” By Nam Woon Kim (he/him), illustrated by Yi Jong (she/her)

Nam reflects on the use of the term ‘whitewash’ and how it reinforces ideals of white supremacy and undermines attempts to reorganise and redefine cultural identities.

I’d like to first acknowledge all the conversations I’ve had with my Asian and BIPOC friends about whiteness. At some point I realised there’s something uncomfortable about how we use this phrase and I can articulate some of this now thanks to the dialogue I’ve had with the people around me. This dialogue doesn’t end here, however, and I look forward to exploring this topic further in the future. Today, I want to unpack and challenge the way ‘whitewashed’ is colloquially used to describe ourselves and our peers and what this demonstrates about one of the most insidious and powerful cliques of all: whiteness. This is informed by my perspective as a 1.5-ish generation Korean immigrant but I hope there’s something here that can resonate with anyone in the struggle against white supremacy. Let’s get a few things out of the way first. I’m speaking specifically to how it’s used in everyday conversation to describe the social relations we have within our communities. I get that in these contexts it’s often used casually and innocuously in passing but I think it’s still worth examining. It’s also worth establishing that language is constructed and changes and like all languages, the term is stretched to suit many contexts. When used to describe a Mahjong set made by white, #girlboss entrepreneurs, the shoe fits. When describing the dominant narratives of U.S. Cold War history which erase an extensive legacy of coups and nurturing fascism in the Global South, the shoe also fits. But does the shoe fit when used as a label for yourself or a friend? Someone who’s ‘not that Korean, Chinese, etc?’

On one hand, it does. We know what this tends to mean so it’s not an invalid phrase. It encompasses everything from integration, to white friends, to not speaking your mother tongue, and so on. On the other hand, does it always fit? It certainly taps into what it’s like growing up or living in a white society but it falls short in several areas when discussing our collective experience of this often strange, colonial place called New Zealand.

What helped me recognise and understand my discontent with this phrase was that it relies on the false binary between those who are whitewashed and those who are not. What helped me recognise and understand my discontent with this phrase was that it relies on the false binary between those who are whitewashed and those who are not. To not be Korean or X enough must mean there are those who are. The latter is generally perceived as the realm of ‘FOBs’ or those who stick to circles that only speak their native language. It seems that we’re positioned in either of these two cliques. I have no animosity towards anyone grouped into the latter, it’s the act of grouping itself that’s the problem. On my end, if you spent five minutes with me it’s obvious the circles I’m in mostly use English and aren’t Korean either.

And don’t even get me started on being called a banana by someone who’s white. It basically reads as a backhanded compliment from a coloniser congratulating you for being colonised. But, I have no desire to belong to the clique of whiteness or be labelled as such. Those who don’t predominantly spend time with white people or the people who speak their language don’t fit into the boxes that the term whitewashing reinforces. And yet people who I’d confidently say haven’t bought into the promises of white supremacy are labelled as whitewashed and that doesn’t sit right with me!! It’s a tricky conversation to navigate but it’s one I’ve been having more often lately. I’ll reiterate that it does capture how we adapt to fit in and ultimately reflects a society which whitewashes us. My beef with how it’s used, however, is that there’s an underlying implication that it’s a flaw of our character. I get that it’s usually got a bit of self-deprecating humour involved, a legitimate tool in our attempts to cope with living in our world, but why not draw attention to the ways we preserve our culture and save the barbs for white supremacy? As a repeated, subtle pejorative we direct at ourselves, it undermines the attempts we make at reorganising and redefining our cultural identities on our own terms. It’s also sometimes accompanied by a sense of shame that we haven’t done enough to be in touch with our roots wherever they may be. Shame isn’t how we heal, however, nor is it how we grow. It’s never too late. We have the power to create new identities that aren’t contingent on how ‘white’ or not we are. We’re already doing it. Let’s acknowledge this more.

Quick rant: getting in touch with our cultural roots is a pursuit I love to see but when this is weaponised from a white lens to measure how ‘X’ we are and pits us against each other it becomes a problem. Pākehā love to point out, for example, how wellspoken someone is or how they have no accent. And don’t even get me started on being called a banana by someone who’s white. It basically reads as a backhanded compliment from a coloniser congratulating you for being colonised. That’s kinda fucked up! /rant. Another important nuance I want to highlight is the difference between people who consciously attempt to buy into whiteness and those who do not. To some extent, we all bear the burden of internalised racism, which whitewashing is central to, but only some choose to try and join the clique of whiteness hoping they too can access these privileges. Whiteness changes. Irish and Italian Americans, to name just two groups gradually accepted and absorbed into whiteness, demonstrate this. Whiteness will continue to generously open its tent to new would-be colonisers but at some point we, ideally, realise the racial hierarchy itself must be dismantled. We’re encouraged to try to advance the ranks and sometimes succeed as so-called model minorities but it is a game that offers little protection as the escalation of Asian hate crimes illustrate. That said, the line between trying to fit in to survive and trying to fit in a little too hard to take advantage of entrenched racial

power structures is one that must be confronted. What we can do is give each other space to explore the multiplicities of our responses to white supremacy. We can also hold each other accountable when aligning, consciously or not, with corporate interests and white supremacy against tangata whenua. For the time being, whitewashed has left my vocabulary when introducing myself. I’m no less compelled to discuss white supremacy nor do I avoid the topic of internalised hate but I try to start off on a different foot. For example, I’m a fan of how colonisation has entered our popular lingo. It gets across how - as some academic or activist put it I can’t remember, apologies - colonisation isn’t just an historical event, it’s a structure that still exists today. It grounds the discussion in power and history while also removing some of the victim-blaming that whitewashing is susceptible to. It may seem like an arbitrary difference when both speak to the same issues but I want to emphasise that this is just a means of facilitating more discussion and critical reflections. (You’re welcome to keep saying it!) There’s always more ground to cover and more work to be done. We’ve got this. (Don’t forget to take it easy on yourself too! Rested hearts resist oppression best). 

Worship Thy Leader By Lucy Wormald (she/her)

Lucy explores how our loyalty to political leaders can foster a political-tunnel vision, akin to how many of us would characterise the foundations of cults.

I am not especially politically savvy. I briefly forgot I wasn’t especially politically savvy and agreed to write an in-depth piece on political cliques and polarisation and then I remembered, I am not especially politically savvy. I am not informed enough to write it with the necessary eloquence or wit. Publishing such a piece would be akin to me standing up in front of a large crowd, legs a-trembling, sounding out large words into a microphone with feedback issues.

For two days I felt sorry for myself about my lack of acuity. I had several daydreams in which I was a tremendously successful political commentator who executed profound and complex arguments which others, failing to follow, decorated with reactions of awe and adulation. Unsuccessful in bringing this dream to quick fruition (a nasty shock), I was left to confront an overwhelming sense of political blindness. And therein I found my fodder.

I claim to subscribe heartily to the left. Due to parallels between my ideals and theirs I confidently support a mish-mash of Greens and Labour and foster a fervent flame for Bernie Sanders. I want to see climate action and a move towards a socialist economy front and centre of political agendas. I would eagerly roll my eyes and huff in somebody’s general direction should they toe the other side of the line. There is an element of unfounded

righteousness within this that I often avert my eyes from. There is a passive acceptance of the political zeitgeist of my generation. Sadly, this is about the extent to which I can explain my political stance. It is clear my discernment does not run very deep and my engagement is, if I am being honest, erring on performative. So why do I feel so solid in my support of political leaders? Why do I feel a red-hot wrath when somebody counters Chlöe Swarbrick? Why do I feel proud and protective of Jacinda? I know I am too uninformed to credit the intensity of these feelings to knowledge. I feel passionate about broad political themes but do not know the policies and legislation in place to navigate them. I favour politicians over what they symbolise rather than what they achieve. And so I realise my political framework is stationed on loose soil. I am blind and emotional in my support of political parties. I put faith into a leadership I do not understand. And to top it off I am reasonably content with my ignorance. While it may be argued that this blindness indicates I am in the hands of a sound and trustworthy government, it may also infer a growing vein of cultism in political partisanship.

Why do I feel a red-hot wrath when somebody counters Chlöe Swarbrick? Why do I feel proud and protective of Jacinda? Contemporarily, a cult is a social group characterised by its philosophical beliefs or by its common interest in, or allegiance to, a particular personality, intellectual movement, object, or goal. They operate on the basis of three main pillars: tenets (the beliefs and practices of the group), hierarchy, and superiority (the opinion that one’s group is more correct than another). Psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton says the two primary features of cults are: 1 A charismatic leader who becomes an object of devotion or reverence, the most defining element of the group, and its source of authority. 2 Followers undergo processes of education or indoctrination that can be seen as thought reform. Often this culminates in members doing things that are not in their own best interests but are in line with the interests of the group or its leader.

Starting to feel a little suspicious, I employed the single purest conduit for truth-telling in the modern era. I took an online quiz. I answered parallel to my political behaviours to see if I met the criteria for being in a cult. Questions included: • Is there a strong urgency to explain the benefits of the group to those around you? • Do you consider the groups ideas and principles to be the way forward in solving the problems of the world? • Have you noticed that the group’s ideas have filtered into all areas of your life? Results suggested it is 73% likely I am in a cult. Sorry, but quizzes never lie. I see the motions of cult followers mirrored not only in my own political engagement, but globally. The most concerning characteristics, and ones that can be seen most clearly in Trumpism, are a forfeiting of logic and a personal dissociation in prioritisation of a group identity. Though this is not a stark reality in New Zealand (not to say it is not still present here, that is simply not true), we do have a population making political decisions without referencing policy. This faith in a leader’s principles fosters a political tunnel-vision, inhibiting our ability to question whether or not there are alternative options and ideologies to what is being presented. We live in a culture that does not teach political

self-determination or attentivity and this sustains a cult-like following to the hegemony. While I will admit it may be a wee bit of stretch to compare ACT to Gloriavale, I do believe the presence of such blind partisanship in our politics poses the same dangers to a democracy that a cult does to an individual. A reason for this trend may be our 21st century propensity for self-identification. Modern culture dictates that we often align ourselves with groups that share our same views and opinions. In the US, political affiliations are stronger identifiers than race, gender, and religion. Political parties are a fundamental element of democratic systems. Their role is to provide an organisational framework through which individuals can view political issues in a transparent and digestible manner. Psychologist Nicole Satherley explains that party preferences are often deeply held psychological attachments to parties, formed not through objective deliberation of each party’s policy offerings, but through socialisation and an individual’s sense of morality. In this sense, an individual’s devotion to their party tarnishes their view of political matters and allows the views of political elites to dominate the discourse on issues and shape the nature of policies. That I, and many others, are aligning attitudes and judgements with those of a party instead of housing a toolkit of logic and critical thinking, is what bolsters the populism, tribalism, and polarisation we see in current democracies.

This faith in a leader's principles fosters a political tunnel-vision, inhibiting our ability to question whether or not there are alternative options and ideologies to what is being presented.

After reflecting on all of this, my question becomes: is the best way to engage with a political party really the same as you would engage with a cult? How can we engage with leaders on a more neutral basis that allows policy to sit at the nexus of our political systems? It is easy and exciting to get swept away in the energy of our personal political affiliations. It feels good to believe in something and feel connected to a greater group of power. But we owe it to ourselves, and to those around us, to not turn politics cult-like. We must critically analyse and contemplate our beliefs outside the spectrum of parties and candidates. If we do not, we are vulnerable to abuses of power and we are vulnerable to losing sight of a functional democracy. 

Cult.com How the internet has brought fringe cult leaders and wild conspiracy theories to the mainstream.

By David Williams (he/him) c/w suicide

David Williams dissects how the internet has fostered a community of highly addicted and vulnerable individuals who are more susceptible to the power and influence of radical dialogues.

Several years ago, *Sarah happened upon a post that her daughter *Casey had shared a few months prior. The post was a photo of a woman with her fingers pointed to her head like a gun. In response to the post, several people had posted a link to a video. In the video, self proclaimed ‘spiritual leader’ Teal Swan talked about suicide, suggesting that it can be seen as “our safety net or our reset button that’s always available to us”. Two weeks after that original post, Casey shot and killed herself. While YouTube has now taken the video down, as of November 2019, the video was among the top results in a Google search on terms related to suicide. People such as Teal Swan are in many ways ‘cult leaders’ espousing dangerous views and achieving a status of worship

and awe among their followers. But gone are their remote farms in the hills; the new home of these figures is online. Cults have always used specific tactics to grow their followings, and they continue to employ these same tactics today; however, it is now online. Journalist Jennings Brown said of Swan, “Teal probably would not have the influence or the global reach and following that she has if it weren’t for the internet.”1 The first steps cults take when searching for prospective members, according to an exposé of the seven steps by Vox, is to search for vulnerable people. Today, social media networks have done the work for them. Social media has created an entire populace of vulnerable, anxious users with low self-esteem and mental

* names changed 1 https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/08/205915/the-gateway-teal-swan-youtube-cult-jennings-brown 28

health issues. It has conditioned users to associate likes, follows and views with self-worth. Former VP of growth at Facebook Chamath Palihapitiya says, “We curate our lives around this perceived sense of perfection. We get rewarded in terms of hearts, likes, thumbs up. We conflate that with value and we conflate that with truth”.2 A consequence of this phenomenon s social media users searching for validation, for community, and worth, and they see accounts with a high number of followers as more successful, more popular and, unfortunately, greater arbiters of truth. These are the kinds of users cult leaders prey upon. The leaders leverage the psychological manipulation created by social media networks as a tool to recruit followers, make money and spread their misinformation. The Conversation editor Misha Ketchell says, “An expert may have credentials and years of experience, but they are unlikely to be as compelling as an attractive lifestyle guru who is ‘instafamous’, with a highly curated social media feed to verify their advice.”3 The internet has created a community of highly addicted, highly vulnerable people, and cult leaders use this to their advantage. Journalist Sarah Berman says of Teal Swan, “she brings in a new level of 21st-century internet literacy as she uses YouTube and SEO to find desperate people.”4 The second step is to find commonality, and they find this through a common story. They were once like you, but through following their teachings, they have become who they are now, a leader, a guru, an instafluencer. The wellness industry particularly profits from this angle, promising followers that they were once like you, that any regular

person can achieve what they have. Moreover, unlike traditional services, or even traditional cults, these leaders are present online at all times. And, because of that, users feel a greater connection to the leader rather than a traditional help system. Journalist Jennings Brown says, “If you google something about suicide, you’re probably going to find that suicide lifeline up top, but it’s not very human. It’s just a number.”5 The results of these tactics have seen an increase in users subscribing to medical advice they have found online. In 2019, a Cleveland clinic study found that 44% of Americans take health advice from people they have found on social media. This increase in people searching for medical advice online has alarmed doctors and medical professionals. A 2019 study by the University of Glasgow found that online health influencers give out bad advice 90% of the time. In December 2020, on Instagram, wellness influencer and nutritionist Steph Lowe preached vaccine scepticism against the COVID-19 vaccine. She claimed there was a “medical tyranny” and that she does not support vaccine mandates. Lowe’s nearly 40,000 Instagram followers ate it up.6 The third step for any cult, is to create an alternative reality in which their beliefs can take hold. Through social media we have more information available than ever, however each social media network has created their own algorithm to recommend the best content they feel will keep the user engaged. This often means negating conflict, feeding you information and content that may be new to you but will align with your

pre-existing interests, beliefs and views. Former Google engineer Guillaume Chaslot, who worked on the YouTube algorithm, says, “People think that the algorithm is designed to give people what they want. It is not. The algorithm is trying to find a few rabbit holes that are very powerful and find which rabbit hole is closest to your interest. If you start watching one of these videos, it will recommend it over and over again.”7 For social media companies, the goal is not to promote posts that will tell the truth, their goal is to make money. for online cults, these algorithms are promoting their content that was once in the dark depths of the internet to a wider populace.

“People think that the algorithm is designed to give people what they want. It is not." The best-known example of this algorithm in action is the explosion in flat earth believers. A 2019 Guardian article contained quotes from attendees at the flat earth conference admitting that they had become believers after watching YouTube recommendations on flat earth theory. “The interviews revealed that most had been watching videos about other conspiracies... when YouTube offered up Flat Earth videos for them to watch next. Some said they watched the videos only in order to debunk them but soon found themselves won over by the material.”8

2 https://www.netflix.com/nz/title/81254224 3 https://theconversation.com/the-scandal-that-should-force-us-to-reconsider-wellness-advice-from-influencers-117041 4 https://www.vice.com/en/article/gy3dex/teal-swan-new-age-women-led-cults 5 https://www.vice.com/en/article/gy3dex/teal-swan-new-age-women-led-cults 6 https://www.webworm.co/p/vacuousinfluencers 7 https://www.netflix.com/nz/title/81254224 8 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/feb/17/study-blames-youtube-for-rise-in-number-of-flat-earthers

One alternative view is followed by recommendations for others, and soon the algorithm has constructed a reality where it is only feeding you these alternative views, negating reliable sources and information that contradicts this alternative reality. A more dangerous example of this is the spread of the Pizzagate conspiracy, in which both Hillary Clinton and John Podesta were accused of running a child trafficking ring in the basement of a Washington DC pizzeria. This conspiracy started on the online message board 4chan, however it slowly migrated to Facebook, TikTok and other social media platforms. Members of flat earth groups, alt-right pages and other conspiracies were recommended Pizzagate groups, videos and content by social media algorithms. Stanford Internet Observatory Research Manager Renée Diresta called Pizzagate “an example of a conspiracy theory that was propagated across all social media networks. The networks are voluntarily serving this up to people who had never searched for the term pizzagate in their life.”9 People do not need to go searching for the conspiracies, because the conspiracies are searching for them. The consequences of the internet facilitating the spread of misinformation are having violent real world impacts. In December 2016, 28-year-old Edgar Maddison Welch drove from North Carolina to Washington DC and fired several shots inside the restaurant involved in the Pizzagate conspiracy. He claimed he wanted to “self-investigate” to make sure that there were no children in the basement of the pizzeria.

People do not need to go searching for the conspiracies, because the conspiracies are searching for them. Elsewhere, the mother of a 13-year-old Oregon girl with cancer stopped her daughter’s chemotherapy treatment and instead opted to treat her with CBD oil and vitamins after seeing its use in online wellness communities. The state has since charged the mother with criminal mistreatment and taken custody of the daughter, resuming her medical treatment. To fully immerse users in these alternative realities, an external enemy is necessary, and this is often where these cults have grown to become so dangerous. Holistic health is waging war against the medical industry and vaccines, while the likes of QAnon, Pizzagate, and flat earthers have found a common enemy in their distrust of government, and ‘deep state’. This distrust has always been there and it has always been dangerous, but it was among fringe communities divided by the limitations of pre internet communication. Now, social media has not only brought them together, but developed ways of encouraging and growing their platform

While profiling Teal Swan’s wellness cult, podcaster Jennings Brown remarked that the biggest takeaway was “young, controversial figures who make big promises like Swan will continue to find an audience as long as there are gaps in mental health resources.”11 Decades of underinvestment in health and wellbeing resources combined with increasing economic pressures have forced millions to search for an easy answer. They feel like society is letting them down, and so they search for another community. The internet is allowing these ‘leaders’, these ‘influencers’ and these conspiracies to step into that void and offer fake promises and easy answers. Promises and answers that are able to spread across platforms and countries at unmatched speeds, a threat to our democracy, and a threat to our lives.

years immersed 4-5 hours a day ‘doing

The internet is awash with fake news. It is important to remember that anyone can fall victim to it, especially when the internet seems to be working for the other team. It is important to not blame and ridicule those that do fall victim, but rather work to have meaningful discussion. These people are our loved ones, our friends and our neighbours. Your mother may not be off on a commune, but she

research’ on what is really going on

may well be down the rabbit hole. 

and the platforms of similar leaders and beliefs. 40% of Americans, and three quarters of Republicans still don’t trust the results of the recent presidential election. On the Reddit board QAnonCasualties, one user wrote, “Here I am at 80, a recent widow and mother of a precious daughter who has spent the last two

9 www.netflix.com/nz/title/81254224 10 https://www.webworm.co/p/belief 11 https://www.vice.com/en/article/gy3dex/teal-swan-new-age-women-led-cults

in the world. Globalists vs nationalists, good vs evil, her recently acquired vocabulary. She is married and the mother of four teens...”10

Visiting Gloriavale by A Watchful Observer* In 2016, TVNZ 2 released a three-part documentary series which showcased life in New Zealand’s largest isolated Christian community – Gloriavale – for the first time. The show enthralled viewers who had previously only been able to hear whispers about what the fundamentalist Christian community was truly like. Gloriavale: A World Apart and the following sequels introduced the public to real-life members of Gloriavale, who live their lives completely isolated from the rest of New Zealand society and are completely devoted to Christ. In 2017, some plucky first-year university students took it upon themselves to visit the community to see if life in Gloriavale really is as it appears on the screen. They may have also been motivated by the idea of joining a community where members don’t have access to personal finances in a desperate bid to wipe their student loan. One of these students, N*, explained that shortly after moving into the halls of residence in the South Island, she and some of her newfound fresher friends got talking about Gloriavale – as we all do after a couple of drinks. “Some of us got talking about whether we’d stumbled across the TV show and what we all thought about it,” N said. “It was after realising that two of our friends had no idea what we were talking about that we thought, what better way to introduce them to Gloriavale than by going for a visit?”

However, the process for visiting Gloriavale is not something that a group of teenagers can undergo while still on the piss; getting the all-clear to visit Gloriavale’s 20 km2 rural settlement is a rigorous process. “It wasn’t really something you could just sign up for on a whim,” N explained. “We had to request a visit, over email, months in advance and explain what our motivations were for going. When we were offered tickets to see their biennial concert, accepting them was conditional on some strict privacy conditions – mainly that we wouldn’t talk to the media,” N informed me with a dry laugh, “Please publish me under a pseudonym, I don’t want them to kill me.” So, the gaggle of youth hid away their fresher’s town outfits, donned their most holy of attire and headed to Greymouth – and Gloriavale didn’t disappoint. “The people at Gloriavale put on a concert and a full three-course meal,” N shared. When asked if the group of broke students had only gone to Gloriavale for a free feed, N declined to comment. She added, “The concert far surpassed my expectations – with amazing costumes, talent and special effects.” “After the concert, our group was invited on a tour. I would like to think this was down to luck, but I’m inclined to believe it was because of our promising, fertile demographic.”

* names changed 31

Turns out you can use hot, young females to get free entries into seedy bars – and exclusive Christian communities. “We toured the different businesses and facilities and were exposed to what day-to-day life would look like for men, women, and children,” N explained. “While the prospect of altering between cooking and laundry for the rest of my life wasn’t super appealing, there was something attractive about the lifestyle – escaping the stresses of modern life to settle down at the base of the picturesque Southern Alps.” “The fact that I could see the appeal in joining was probably what surprised me the most.”

Turns out you can use hot, young females to get free entries into seedy bars – and exclusive Christian communities. N explained that their tour of Gloriavale was definitely intended to paint the community in “the best light for a prospective member” and said that they found the presentation of Gloriavale they were given through the tour to be pretty consistent with the way Gloriavale is portrayed on TV, but not necessarily in line with the realities.

“I wouldn’t say from visiting Gloriavale that I actually have any idea of what living in the community is like,” N said. “My exposure was quite limited and all under the eyes and instruction of a senior member of the community.” “I don’t think any outsider can really know what happens behind closed doors.” Gloriavale has faced numerous allegations of child abuse and sexual abuse since the community was founded in 1969. In 1995, group founder – Neville Cooper (“Hopeful Christian”) was jailed for almost a year on sexual abuse charges. He was convicted based on the testimonies of his son and another woman who had left the community. Midway through last year, the New Zealand Police – supported by Oranga Tamariki staff – launched an investigation into child abuse at Gloriavale and were at the community interviewing members. Police have also conducted a child abuse prevention programme for all Gloriavale community members since the inquiry began. N stated that while her experience of visiting Gloriavale was limited, there are concerns raised by the existence of a community that is far removed from the rest of New Zealand culture and society. “It is clear that the community wanted to be left in peace to enjoy their way of life undisturbed,” N said. “While I respect this, I do think it is open for anyone to wonder whether isolated communities, with little transparency and limited room for law enforcement, can exist without some serious concerns.”

Gloriavale has faced numerous allegations of child abuse and sexual abuse since the community was founded in 1969. While the TVNZ 2 documentaries can provide insight into a different way of life, it is crucial to remember that communities living in complete isolation, such as Gloriavale, and those in which power is held by a very select group of the community – may be vulnerable to corruption. This doesn’t diminish the fact that the people that N interacted with were all kind, compassionate and considerate people who strive daily to uphold Christian values. There may be a place for communities like Gloriavale to exist and be further assisted by New Zealand’s law enforcement and child protective services to assure misdemeanours don’t happen. What’s been learnt from this article though, is that they’ll give out a free feed. Still unclear whether they take on your student loan. 

PUZZLES

SUDOKUWEB

4 1

5 3 2 8

6 4

2 3

2 6

8 5 5 6 3

SUDOKUWEB 9 8 8

1 9

2 6 2 3

5 7

9 1 7 4

• First select a number/operator and than apply it to a sudoku cell.

4 2

7 2

9 7

2 3

6 4 2

9 5

8 5

8 7 3 6

8 2 3

3 6 8 1 2 8 4 1

• First select a number/operator and than apply it to a sudoku cell.

ALTERNATIVE

CULT

INTERNET

CLOSED

COMMUNITY

LEADERS

LIBERATE

TRUST

PERSUADE

HOME

DEFY

LEAVE

INFLUENCE

ENQUIRY

WORSHIP

CLIQUE

GROUPS

FEAR

AWARE

RELY

H o ro s By Naomii Seah (she/her)

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22)

You’re feeling extra comfy this week, Taurus. No wonder, as the new moon moves into your sign. Wrap yourself in a blanket and stay at home. It’s rainy outside anyway; who needs to go out when you have everything right here? With all the time at home, you could even pick up a new hobby. Embroidery? Cocktail making? Air-dry clay? You can order all those online.

The Saturn retrograde is going to make you question your whole existence, Leo. What’s the point of being this fabulous if there’s no one around to appreciate it? Sure, you have your friends, and your family, but they’re not entirely devoted to worshipping you. But if you look hard enough, new connections on the horizon may just give you what you’re looking for.

Your new clique: You, yourself, and you.

Your new clique: Starting your own cult of personality.

Gemini (May 21 - Jun 20)

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22)

The sun is about to move into your sign, Gemini, and you’re feeling extra pumped for your birthday season. Your friends are feeling it too, and everyone around you is putting in extra effort this week. The sun in Gemini means your social skills are on 100, and people are confiding in you more than usual. Just make sure it doesn’t land you in trouble.

It’s time to focus on your friends, Virgo. With work and study and stress catching up to you this whole week, it’s like you’ve barely had time to catch your breath, let alone make plans with anyone. But sometimes you don’t need to make plans, sometimes it’s enough to just exist around your nearest and dearest. It’s time to rethink how you approach your connections. Call your friends on Zoom and just have a nap. I promise they’ll appreciate it.

Your new clique: The friends you have now… minus one.

Your new clique: Literally anyone that’s not your daily diary.

Cancer (Jun 21 -Jul 22)

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 23)

You’re feeling more sentimental than usual, Cancer. Something about the changing weather just makes you want to curl up with some hot chocolate and call your mum. Jupiter is moving into Pisces after all, your fellow water sign. So spend some more time with those you love.

Uh oh Libra, trouble is in the air for you this fortnight. You’ve been networking hard for those professional connections, but have you checked the privacy on your social media recently? Maybe it’s time to stop posting those 1 am thirst traps you’re fond of. You do look hot though.

Your new clique: Your mum

Your new clique: WINZ.

copes Scorpio (Oct 24 to Nov 21)

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)

Ooo Scorpio, your Bumble/Hinge/Tinder is really popping off at the moment. This fortnight you will line up some dates – maybe even get lucky. Love is on the horizon for you. Unfortunately, you’ve still not mastered the subtle art of love/life balance. Your friends will start getting annoyed that you’re not spending time with them anymore. Maybe check in on them, hey.

Things have been tough lately, Aquarius. No biggie, you’ve got bigger fish to fry. Exams are coming up quickly, assignments are due, readings need to be done. It’s a good time to work on your academic career. Your friends who blew you off last week? Who needs them. It’s time to focus on what’s important. Your new clique: The lecturer.

Your new clique: Codependency.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21)

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20)

You’ve been getting really swole recently, Sag. All the extra time at the gym and doing at home workouts are really paying off. No really, go flex in the mirror right now. You’re manifesting muscles and crushing university. Maybe it’s time to take it to the next level. Go on, join a sports team, or enrol in a club. You might make some friends.

I’m proud of you, Pisces. You’ve been working on yourself and it shows. Gone are the midday meltdowns in the bathrooms, and the emotional calls to your best friend on a night out. Keep going! Take care of yourself, do a face-mask, blow off your commitments. You’re in a new zone of zen, and nothing can stop you now!

Your new clique: The Jocks.

Your new clique: Therapy.

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19)

You’ve been blowing off your assignments, Capricorn. That’s not like you. But it has been a long semester, and maybe you deserve some time off going into a Youtube rabbit hole. Just be careful where you step – these

Phew, coming off Aries season has you all hot and bothered. It’s been a long semester, and with the First Quarter Moon coming up, you’re feeling Angry with a capital A. You know what else A stands for? Action. It’s

conspiracy theories have been getting wild recently. Did you know that the COVID vaccine is a hallucigen?

time to address your overwhelming rage — take a look at the people in your life. What… or who is making you feel like this? Maybe it’s time to find a new crew.

Your new clique: Flat-earthers.

Your new clique: An underground Fight Club.

TUNE IN AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL UNI TEAM

Debate | Issue 4 | 2021

Articles inside

Horoscopes

"Yeah I'm So Whitewashed"

Cult.com: How the internet has brought fringe cult leaders and wild conspiracy theories to the mainstream.