Debate | Issue 23 | 2016

DEBATE ISSUE 23 | OCTOBER 2016

CONTENTS 4

Editor’s Letter

14

Cool Shit

24

David Merrit: Street Poet

5

Prez Sez

16

Unfair?

27

Show Me Stars

30

Females in 48 Hour Film Festival Industry

6 8

18

Possum Plows Game of Thrones and English History

12

Online Negativity

In Short

20

The Edge Of Greatness: Run This City

32

Reviews

23

Expectations

34

Puzzles

C O V E R I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T Y L E R H I N D E

EDITOR Laurien Barks lbarks@aut.ac.nz SUB - EDITOR Amelia Petrovich DESIGNER Ramina Rai rrai@aut.ac.nz

CONTRIBUTORS Rhianna Osborne, Benjamin Matthews, Chantelle Cullen, Jess Furmanski, Kieran Bennett, Ethan Sills, Reegan Hill, Amelia Petrovich, Sharleen Shergill, Tyler Hinde ADVERTISING Harriet Smythe hsmythe@aut.ac.nz

PRINTER Debate is printed by Soar Print DISCLAIMER

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

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

This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUCKLAND STUDENT MOVEMENT AT AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED (“AuSM”). Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly.

Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AuSM.

PUBLISHED BY

www.ausm.org.nz facebook.com/ausmdebate

3

For the most part, Polanco handled the attention her gorgeous bod got like a complete champ. With “F*ck it, this is me, this is who I am, this is real. I was made this way,” being my favourite statement she made. It was exactly the kind of nonchalance stand that body diversity needs.

She didn’t make a big deal about her size, she wore what she wanted to, and wore it with the confidence than any woman should wear anything ever.

The only thing I didn’t love that she said was “there’s people that are paying for this” in reference to the parts of her body she’s insecure about. I know what she was going for here, it’s all about perspective – things we don’t like about ourselves, someone else might be willing to pay for. There was no negative intention behind her words, they came from a place of self-confidence and self-affirmation, however they caught my attention because I think her statement would have been more powerful without them.

EDITOR’S LETTER Hi all, I’ve recently started watching Orange is the New Black (finally), and have been lapping it right up. It’s quickly become my go-to Netflix love, and I look forward to our future together.

Right around the time I broke into the first episode, I noticed a headline that showcased Dascha Polanco (Dayanara Diaz). Pleased that I now wielded the ability to recognize OITNB stars, I clicked on the link to see the lovely lass wearing a stunning body suit at recent fashion show. Going pantless on the red carpet (or really in any general public setting) is noteworthy enough, but the focus of Polanco’s attention was the fact that she’s a NZ size 12-14. With thick thighs and bangin’ curves that the actress has admittedly felt self-conscious about, she decided to screw her insecurities by showing them off in all their glory.

Which I love.

To say that people would pay to have their body look like yours in order to make yourself feel more confident, is still a means of perpetuating the envy that drives body insecurity in the first place. It doesn’t matter if you’re saying ‘some people would kill to fit into my size 0 clothing’ or ‘some people would pay for my thick thighs’, it’s all adding to this image of an ideal.

Maybe I’m just more sensitive to the way these issues are discussed than the average jo, but when I hear someone say ‘well at least I’ve got something someone else wants’, it seems like they’re using another person’s insecurity to fuel their confidence. And that’s not the direction I think the body confidence movement wants to be heading.

We need to take envy out of the equation. We can’t glorify jealousy simply because it’s a size 14 woman saying ‘you’d kill to look lyk dis’ instead of a someone who’s a size 6. That shouldn’t be our point of focus, or any point at all, to be honest – leave it out completely. Instead, lets glorify the confidence, the whatever-this-is-what-I-look-likewithout-pants attitude, the fact that more and more women in varying shapes, sizes, and colours are feeling comfortable enough to wear whatever the hell they damn well please. There’s so much positivity to focus on, positivity that sends us in the direction of eliminating universal ideals and ‘normality’, and away from constructs. Let’s not slow our progress by perpetuating envy.

Have an awesome week, Laurien

Kia ora guys, Assessments are due left, right, and centre, but that’s what we are here for and we all got this! Last week I talked about planning your time, so this week I want to extend on some tips for you guys. If you have some of your own, please feel free to send them to me so I can share them with everyone!

Find the right space: So this is different for different people.

Finding what works for you may take some time but you should have a fair idea by now. For me it’s being alone, at night with music on at a very low level.

The right food: We all know the healthier the food is that we put into our body, the better we will perform. So cut up those apples and carrots and eat away at them. I can’t really talk though… I start like this, eating healthy, but it only lasts a few hours. Then what I do, is a break my work up into rewards e.g. 500 words equals open the M&Ms, 1500 equals a block of chocolate, and so on.

Be active: Try and get at least 30 minutes of exercise done a day. You need to take breaks from study, so why not go for a run, dance to some music, or gym? This will help with all the stress, you just got to find your thing!

U R S H U LA A N S E L L AuSM President

Good luck guys I know you can do it, and I can as well!

Ursh x

RISING STAR - POSSUM PLOW -

Computer science student by day and front woman of local pop-punk band Openside by night, Possum Plows is living a double life.

and my sister both sing and my grandpa played in an orchestra so it’s in my blood.”

Possum graduated with a Bachelor of Music two years ago from Auckland University, winning the Songwriter of the Year award.

songwriter, guitarist and back up vocalist.

We had an acoustic duo called Disaster Jacket and we were in a band together for six years called Long Story Short.” Nowadays, Jasmine acts as stage manager whenever she can, providing tips on how to improve

Openside have rocketed to stardom on the local music scene despite forming just over a year ago. Their latest single Letting It Out shot to number one on the New Zealand Viral Spotify chart, but it’s Openside’s vocalist that seems to be making the biggest waves.

Godfrey De Grut, a music tutor at Auckland University, had the most creative impact on Possum and helped them to grow as both a vocalist and songwriter. The Silver Scroll Award also had Georgia Nott from Broods as a former student.

performances and trying to gauge what Openside fans want.

“First off something you need to know about me is that my preferred pronouns are ‘they’ and ‘them’ because I don’t conform to one gender. I don’t like the way that feminism and being female is based around how attractive a male finds you.”

“Possum was a very focused student… their approach was very broad minded so they weren’t a tunnel vision kind of student. They were very unique because the entire first year of the music course they only wore a t-shirt with ‘Possum’ on it, and I thought that was really kind of bizarre and I didn’t ask them about it for ages and ages until maybe a year later. They said it was part of a big movement that involved wearing a t-shirt with your name on it for a year, which I thought was outstanding.”

With three singles on iTunes and Spotify and their first EP recently released, there is no sign of slowing down for this 22 year old. They credit older sister Jasmine for the inspiration to pursue music and achieve success, “My sister is an excellent songwriter and musician. She’s a scientist now, but she’s a big role model for me; she’s very ambitious and self-confident; she’ll just set her mind on something and find a way to do it.”

Rhianna Osborne

Possum totally rocks the gender fluid look: thrift shop button up shirt, straightlegged pants and a loose fitting hoodie completes her outfit of the day. Couple that with an electric blue Mohawk and a pair of headphones and that’s Possum to a tee, independent and humble yet confident and fierce. And yes, Possum is their real name, “I legally changed my name last month because it’s just more…. me”.

It all started for Possum when they were 12 years old; having a lot of confidence and constantly singing on the school bus, a mother of one of the kids heard Possum and from there a band was formed. Now, 10 years down the track, people turn up in busloads to hear Possum sing, “I was known as that kid who was in a band and it was a really easy identity to hold on to; it gave me street cred.”

Singing and playing instruments was a natural part of their upbringing, “My mum

Jasmine is completing the final stages of her PhD, but still makes time to play music and ensure that the musical connection that she and Possum share remains strong, “Possum and I played music together as children and we are very close; we are like best friends.

Mostly she was the singer and I was the

Last year Openside were given the incredible opportunity to open for Twenty One Pilots, an American music duo who rocketed to stardom after touring with Paramore in 2013.

Possum credits their “stylistic overlap” as the reason they were chosen to play at the soldout shows both last year and this year. This led to a dramatic increase in their fan base.

Openside also opened for Melanie Martinez in August and will be opening for Ellie Goulding at the end of September for her New Zealand tour.

Band mate Pj Shepherd describes Possum as an amazing person to work with and credits their talents for Openside’s success. “They are just such a mouldable character when it comes to song writing and the quality of the work that Possum produces makes it really apparent why they won a ‘Songwriter of the Year’ award.”

However, there is much more to Possum than pure musical talent, they don’t give a rats’ about what the rest of the world thinks and that is something to really be admired at such a young age. Without Openside there is no doubt that Possum would still have achieved some form of musical success by now; we could be looking at the future of pop punk and one of New Zealand’s most iconic musicians, but only time will tell.

Game of Thrones and English History Benjamin Matthews Not everyone’s a history buff. I understand that. Remembering long lists of long-dead monarchs doesn’t seem all too interesting for many. Why’d anyone want to know why Henry IV overthrew the previous king’s regime, or why Empress Matilda was the most badass queen never to rule England? But digging into English history you’ll notice a pattern similar to what’s happening to Game of Throne’s Westeros. Out of the ashes of the War of the Roses came one of English’s most famous (or infamous) kings – Henry VIII. Yep, that guy. The bloke who had more wives and lovers than you can count. His house’s rise and fall parallel to King Robert’s assent to the Iron Throne and its eventual demise by the house of Lannister. Although Game of Thrones hasn’t ended yet, using this template, we can work out how this program is eventually going to end. Be warned, the night is dark and full of spoilers.

18 years before the events of Game of Thrones, Aerys II Targaryen reigned over the Seven Kingdoms, also known as the Mad King. A massive fan of wildfire, to say this king was a tad bit insane would be an understatement. Being held prisoner at an early stage in his reign, along with his wife having miscarriage after miscarriage, Aerys was driven mad. After his son, Rhaegar, kidnapped Lyanna Stark, and Aerys had her father and brother burned alive, the younger Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon were driven to rebel against the Mad King. After the civil war had ended, Rhaegar had died in battle, and Aerys was killed by his own kingsguard Jamie Lannister. This ended the Targaryen dynasty, who had ruled over Westeros for 300 years.

Aerys has a counterpart. His rise and falls somewhat mirrors Richard III of England. Yeah, if you’ve read any Shakespeare, you’d know this guy. He even has an entire play named after him.

Okay, so Aerys didn’t lock his nephews in a tower, nor did Richard screw his sister, but there are enough similarities.

Game Of Thrones

Both were considered insane, both were described as grotesque (Aerys had a thing about not cutting his fingernails, and Richard was a hunchback), and both were eventually disposed after their nation had stopped taking the shit being thrown at them.

While Aerys got a sword in the back, thus giving Jamie the label “Kingslayer”, Richard died on the battlefield. Nonetheless, it brought down a dynasty.

Robert Baratheon can be seen as an amalgamation of Henry VII and his more famous son Henry VIII. After Aery’s death, Robert claims the Iron Throne, firstly, because he personally killed Rhaegar, and secondly, he had the best claim to the Iron Throne through his grandmother, a Targaryen princess. Similarly, Henry VII claimed the crown through his ancestor Edward III. This claim was flimsy since it involved illegitimate descent. To resolve this issue, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV. This may all sound confusing (history is never simple, sadly), but to simplify things, Henry VII became king nonetheless. The end of Robert’s reign matches more with Henry VIII. Obviously, Robert never had six wives, but he did have multiple affairs, fathering dozens of illegitimate children. Henry VIII also fathered many illegitimate children. Furthermore, by the end of the king’s reign, Henry VIII was described as being overly fat. Sound familiar?

Robert also put a large amount of weight on by the end of his reign.

After Robert succumbed to a boar attack, the Seven Kingdoms was handed to his supposed oldest son, Joffrey. In reality, the boy king was a product of incest between Queen Cersei and her brother Jamie. This didn’t stop Joffrey of ascending the throne. Ned Stark tried to expose him, but he declared a traitor and had his head removed (this will become a common theme in both our and Westeros history). For the next few years, Joffrey would continue to harass Ned Stark’s daughter Sansa, paunch around like big douche, and be the most punchable face in the Seven Kingdoms. Joffrey eventual got what was coming, and was poisoned at his own wedding. The shot of him gasping his last breath is priceless.

Our history doesn’t really seem to have a Joffrey-like character running England around this time. But we almost did. Enter Henry Fitzroy, the only bastard child Henry VIII ever acknowledged.

Unlike most illegitimate children, Henry Fitzroy was treated as if he was a royal prince. At one point, Henry VIII even considered legitimising the boy – at this point his only son. Although this never happened, Henry Fitzroy was made a duke. Although he died aged 17 of tuberculosis. Some people, however, suspect he might’ve been poisoned, since he seemed healthy before his untimely death. While he laid on his deathbed, the English parliament was passing a law that would’ve legitimised Henry Fitzroy. Since history is murky, we’ll never truly know how Henry Fitzroy died.

Poor old Tommen. He never had a chance. From the very beginning of his reign, the boy King was going to die. The question wasn’t if, but when and how. Somehow, Tommen choose his own death, leaping from the Red Keep. Sadly the boy was a weak king. Although kind and gentle, many people used that to their advantages, such as his mother Cersei, his wife Margaery Tyrell, and religious leader the High Sparrow.

Tommen was easily controlled, whether due to Cersei’s scheming, or the High Sparrow attempting to implement religious laws. When all these factors came to a clash, a literal explosion, Tommen committed suicide.

Similarly, Edward VI, the only son of Henry VIII, spent most of his short reign under the control of others, such as his uncle Edward Seymour. Ascending the throne at the age of nine, in fighting began, with Edward Seymour’s younger brother Thomas bribing the young king with pocket money. Thomas Seymour was eventually charged with treason and was swiftly beheaded. Edward Seymour was eventually also executed for treason (much like Game of Thrones, in the real world people

struggled to keep their heads). Most importantly, though, Edward VI was deeply religious, being protestant. The boy king was highly influenced by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranner. During his brief reign, the English Reformation was in full force, changing the country forever. Edward VI would eventually die at the age of 15, sending the country into a crisis over the succession.

Although only taking the Iron Throne in the last episode, Cersei has already proven to do anything to remain in power. When Ned Stark threatened to expose her affair with Jamie, she had the northern lord arrest leading to his death. Paranoid, she had her brother Tyrion accused of the murder of Joffrey. And finally, she had an entire religious movement that opposed her blown up literally by wildfire. You don’t mess with Cersei. She’s slowly becoming the Mad Queen. Mary had to go through a similar fate to secure her crown. After her brother died, he named his cousin Lady Jane Grey as his heir. The would-be queen only reigned nine days before being arrested. Her council had turned on her and sided with Mary.

When a group of rebels tried to overthrow Mary, Lady Jane Grey was swiftly executed. Although only a queen consort, Margaery Tyrell had a similar short control over the kingdom. When Cersei felt threatened, she had Margaery blown up at the trial.

Furthermore, both Cersei and Mary have extremely unpopular lovers, Cersei’s brother Jamie and Mary’s husband, Phillip. While only early in her reign, if Cersei follows Mary’s lead, she won’t only be known as the Mad Queen but as the Bloody Queen as well.

Better not get on her mean side.

Our history doesn’t really seem to have a Joffrey-like character running England around this time.

But we almost did.

The program has been following Daenerys Targaryen rise and triumph since the beginning. Daughter of the Mad King, Dany is the only known Targaryen left. When we first met Dany, she was essentially being sold to a horse lord, Khal Drogo, by her exiled brother Viserys Targaryen. After her marriage to the Khal and his eventual demise, and the death of her brother by the infamous crown of gold, Dany enters her husband’s funeral pyre with three dragon eggs gifted to her during her wedding. Surviving the fire and hatching the dragon eggs, Daenerys becomes the mother of dragons. After amassing an army, freeing the enslaved in newly named Bay of Dragons, season six ends with Daenerys travelling back to Westeros to claim her thrones. Although now travelling into uncharted territory, observing history, Dany will take the Iron Throne from the highly unpopular Cersei. Someone like Dany is needed to stabilise the Seven Kingdoms, especially with the looming threat of the White Walkers.

It’s not difficult to see that Daenerys is Westeros version of Elizabeth I. The youngest daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth had a rough time growing up. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was executed when Elizabeth was barely a baby.

Soon after, she was declared illegitimate. As a teenager, she was brought under the custody of Catherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, and Thomas Seymour. During that time, Thomas made several sexual advantages onto Elizabeth. These harassments would eventually cost Thomas his head, and would deter Elizabeth’s trust of men. After the death of her sister Mary, Elizabeth became Queen of England. During her long reign, she defeated the Spanish Armada, a comparison that could be made with the White Walkers. Although known as the Virgin Queen, the only man Elizabeth ever loved was Robert Dudley, a childhood friend. Due to circumstances, however, they could never marry. Yet another comparison, with Dany having to reject her lover Daario. Sadly, if things play out like English history, Dany, much like Elizabeth, won’t produce an heir. Someone else is going to have to take the Iron Throne. Maybe a certain relative currently living in the north?

Comparing John Snow to James I is a long stretch. The only thing that’s similar between the two is they are kings in the north.

After Elizabeth died, producing no heir, the crown had to go to her closest protestant relative, who happened to be the King of Scotland. James was the great-great-grandson of Henry VII. Although Elizabeth had his mother beheaded (seriously, what’s with all the beheadings?), James took the crown anyway, united England and Scotland. Perhaps now Jon Snow is King in the North, he might be the person to unite the Seven Kingdoms, especially if Dany dies beforehand. I strongly doubt Jon Snow will take the Throne willingly. He only became Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch because he had no choice. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise if he’ll do that same thing. If Game of Thrones is following English history, Jon Snow should land up on the Iron Thrones. Either that or I’m like Jon Snow and know nothing.

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Online Negativity Chantelle Cullen Social media is one of the best ways to connect with other people; from University friends discussing assignments, to best friends sharing memes. We can share our work for potential employers, share news with family and laugh at stupid prank videos.

Social media is also one of the best ways to find out about news and events in everyone’s lives. Both good, and bad. The negative news seems to be shared a lot more often to make us more aware of it, and as good as that is, it isn’t always the best way to come across these things. Sharing negativity increases negativity.

We should be concentrating on the better things. Back in the days of no internet and lots of newspapers, people would get only a paper’s worth of news each day. That is only if they got the paper.

The increase in available information for us is getting ridiculously high.

I don’t mean any of this in a way that makes me appear heartless and not wanting us to help improve our futures and rid the world of all this crap. But we should be wary that sharing a post to make more people aware of something isn’t helping them a lot. Actually getting up to accomplish something is a better way to help out.

I know we should be aware of things such as murders, deaths

of celebrities, and the dark depths of the world of politics, but we shouldn’t be concentrating on those things. The daily headlines that show distraught and horror in countries all around the world are popping up everywhere. The number of images of children suffering and animals being left to die are increasing, whilst our hope in humanity is decreasing.

The world is falling into a pit of negativity. The walls that holds our society up are slowly being cracked apart because of the things we see every day and can be accessed by the few clicks of the mouse.

I sound like my mother right now, but it’s all so true.

Social media is giving us opinions and stories that are altering our perspectives on other races, cultures and ways of being. Anything from wars, to simple arguments among friends.

It takes a lot more effort that you think to warp our minds back into our own thinking spaces. The constant flow of information is specifically selected to change our minds and see very specific perspectives on it. Which, let’s be honest, has been happening in the news for quite some time.

There are pages that have been rebelling against the negative portrayals in the world with more negativity to try and make the issue appear to be on more even grounds.

They find it easy to exaggerate the bad points, and ignore the good stuff.

To those who don’t do their research on the subjects, we only get some of the news.

gone down because I don’t fit the ‘perfect body types’ that come up on my Instagram and Facebook adverts.

With Facebook reactions being added into the mix, we now have a better way of expressing our thoughts about different

The negativity we see on a daily basis mentally changes us to put more negative posts and automatically think something is

things. Facebook has the ability to view how we use their site and what we like to alter what comes up on our newsfeeds.

This could alter us to believe certain things, and really fall into the trap of believing in a certain way for a lot more things than just the one topic that first came up on your feed a few weeks before.

bad. A constant ray of negativity would put anybody in a worse mind set than previously.

We have to deal with the smaller things too, like online bullying and other people’s opinions that you may not agree with.

Once again, it’s a matter of not taking such a negative approach to things. We should not be accepting bullying of any form in our lives, but the lack of us dealing with it is ridiculous.

Social media is giving us opinions and stories that are altering our perspectives on other races, cultures and ways of being. Anything from wars, to simple arguments among friends.’

The opinions should be taken in and accepted. We all have our different morals and we could learn from other people’s thoughts and actions, learning how to accept all sides of a story is the best way to understand what happened to it.

On the other hand, seeing everybody’s successes can also make us feel bad about ourselves. As wonderful as it is to see people succeed constantly, feeling like the only person to be doing awfully can drag our spirits down. It could inspire, or it could make us lose hope.

Our future generations might be too concerned about how

Sometimes we have to look for the light in the dark times.

many followers they have, and not enough about how their words might be affecting other people.

Finding the happy moments in your life. Looking for the moments where people were saved, rather than killed. Looking at your own successes and looking back to see how far you have come.

Even our eating habits are being affected by our social media.

According to a Women’s Health magazine, our brain’s reward centre can be activated by ‘food porn’ photos, and can compel us to overeat.

This explains why we feel so hungry after we see some delicious food pictures come up. So as wonderful as the cooking videos are, maybe they aren’t having the best overall impact on our lives.

The continuous imagery of women and men being in peak physical condition and laughing over salads and gym memberships is rising. Personally, my confidence levels have

Having a habit of taking photos of your friends in regular life while laughing can help you remember that there is always a reason to smile. Keep a mental note in the back of your mind that everybody started at the bottom and you have just as much chance of being successful as all the successful people do.

Don’t let the like button determine which cute puppy you prefer over another. Don’t let your followers determine how you think about yourself. Don’t let the world of social media get to you.

COOL SHIT Dark Matter On Saturday November 26, Auckland Art Gallery will open Ann Shelton: Dark Matter, the first major review of the New Zealand photographer’s 20 years of practice.

The free exhibition uncovers th e dark matter or unknown substance in Ann Shelton’s art in which time, place, narrative, trauma and female authorship unfold in shifting and destabilising ways. The exhibition will run until April 17, 2017.

Save Yourself Tonnes of bargains and discounts are available to Student Card holders, and there ain’t nothin’ like saving yourself a bit of money. To win a Student Card (valued at $20), just email lbarks@aut.ac.nz with your name, campus – first one in will win!

Eat Cheap We’ve got a $20 Lonestar Voucher to giveaway this week! Just email lbarks@aut.ac.nz with your name, campus, and what you’d order if you were given the voucher to be in to win.

Show Me Shorts We’ve got a double pass to give away to both Secret and Lies and He Tangata, films that are a part of the Show Me Shorts Film Festival. The characters of Secrets and Lies are all hiding something. It features a sordid night out, a thirst for vengeance, guilt, loneliness, sexual indiscretion, rock n’ roll, and a heist gone wrong.

He Tangata is a selection of short films that bring together interesting people from Aotearoa and abroad. You’ll meet Kiwis Anna, Stevo, Chelsea Jade, and a group of flatmates re-shuffling their living arrangements. Journey from the snowy mountains of Kyrgystan, via an animated train, through war-torn landscapes, to a bathtub in Germany where three brothers are comically re-united. He Tangata, he tangata, he tangata (It is the people, it is the people, it is the people).

If you’d like to win these double passes, Facebook message us your name, campus, and which film you’d prefer to see and why!

MOTAT Masquerade Celebrate Halloween with MOTAT’s annual Olde Hallows Eve event. Come disguised in your spookiest costume and eeriest mask and be transported back in time to a Victorian Halloween and beyond. Join us on 29 October from 7-11pm, and encounter masked monsters and ghostly apparitions in this uniquely frightening event where there’s something sinister to discover wherever you turn. Tickets from $20 plus booking fee. However, Debate has one double pass to giveaway to the first person to email lbarks@aut.ac.nz with their name, campus, and costume idea!

15

U NFAIR? Jess Furmanski | Illustration by Tyler Hinde “It’s not fair” is a term I’m sure we all resort to often, as life hardly ever seems to go the way we plan. It’s thrown out when we’re returned less-than-optimal grades, when petrol prices seem to shoot up to two dollars a litre overnight, or when we learn that student living cost loans don’t even cover the average cost of rent in Auckland.

As a youth leader, I hear “it’s not fair,” thrown around far too much. The eight year olds I work with accompany this mantra with a high pitched whine and a foot stomp, and are often referring to events that, in the opinion of a youth leader, are objectively fair. Literally, the definition of fair. One child’s favourite activity, second only to playing Infinity Tag, is whining that it’s not fair that we can’t play Infinity Tag for two hours straight. Another child routinely insists it’s not fair when we say she isn’t allowed to ruin the surprise ending of a mystery game. For children, it seems that “it’s not fair,” is synonymous with “I don’t like the way that this is happening.”

To myself and the rest of the leaders, the way we run programmes each week is perfectly fair – we follow the natural order of a structure that caters to everyone. The rules of the game must be followed, and we have to play a range of different games, because we’re looking after a range of different children.

To us, it’s fair, because each Sunday is designed in a way that maximises fun for everyone (or so we intend). When socialising eight year olds, it’s important for them to realise that we aren’t there for them, and them alone - we’re there for everyone.

But this does prompt the question, what is a child’s definition of fair? For my eight year olds, is “fair” getting what they want, when they want, and screw everyone else? Is it because they haven’t yet undergone the realisation that everyone on Earth has a life as complex and nuanced as their own? (Probably). And for that matter, what is my definition or fair?

In the recent term break, myself and a group of high school friends were forced to stand by helplessly as a close, childhood friend passed away after a short, vicious battle with cancer.

Between her diagnosis and her passing on the first day of spring, only three short months had passed. In our opinion, she was in the prime of her life; she was studying abroad, winning swimming medals, and a second away from qualifying for the Olympics. Watching that all being snatched away from her, I find myself insisting that “it’s not fair, none of this is fair, in fact it’s all fucking bullshit what the literal fuck...”

they carry on, am I just as bad as my eight year olds? Am I worse, because I’m 22, and I know life isn’t gifted based on age, or the impact they’ve made on others?

It becomes pretty clear as we grow older, that “unfair” is a pretty subjective term. It’s what happens when we try our best, but the result falls short of what we expected. We can say it’s not fair, we can insist that we did our best, but at the end of the day, our best wasn’t good enough. As adults, we can also recognise that some things have nothing to do with fair. I can outwardly acknowledge that a friend’s passing has nothing to do with fair; it’s the way the world works. She got sick, and that’s what happened. Other things like a flat car battery in the morning, or a cracked phone screen have nothing to do with fair - they’re just things that happen, and that’s the way life turns out.

It’s not fair that there are people out in the world who get to live to tell the tale, while this 21 year old’s mum and dad are living out any parent’s literal worst nightmare.

And as much as I hate to admit, to justify the fact that it’s not fair, I find myself comparing her passing to the continued lives of others I come across. It’s not fair that my boss, who insists he’s been pronounced dead four times, who brags about having found cancer in his lungs, his liver, his kidney, his brain, who lectures to his staff that protein causes cancer, is walking, talking, breathing.

It’s not fair that there are people out in the world who get to live to tell the tale, while this 21 year old’s mum and dad are living out any parent’s literal worst nightmare.

I think there are some things we can mostly all agree on as unfair. Brock Turner having to register as a sex offender is fair.

Only having to serve three months in jail for ruining someone’s life is unfair. People of minority receiving harsher sentences than their more privileged counterparts after committing identical crimes is unfair. Children in the Middle East losing out on education, families and limbs because of policies made by people safe in their offices is unfair. Getting the same size slice of cake as your siblings is the definition of fair, because I swear to God if his slice is bigger than mine is, I’m throwing a tantrum.

But then, who am I to say what is fair? Those other people I compare my friend to are other peoples’ dads, or husbands, mums, sisters, grandparents and loved ones. I’m not sitting here taking it upon myself to say that some people should live and some people shouldn’t. That’s not my definition of fair. By insisting that it’s not fair that she wasn’t allowed to live while

As we attempt adulthood and aim for bigger and better, there is always going to be fair and unfair, and things that we have to keep in mind that have nothing to do with either. But surely one thing we can all keep in mind is that playing Infinity Tag for two hours straight might be fair for some, but for others, it might be hell.

17

IN SHORT

US Debate Wiped From Nations Memory

Andrew Little Doesn’t Heed Advice of More Successful Labour Leader

Kieran Bennett Following what has been described as “two and a half hours of everything wrong with the world”, the United States have agreed collectively to erase all memory of last weeks’ US Presidential Debate.

The debate, watched by over 5 million people in the US alone, was described as the ‘superbowl of politics’ in the days before. After the debate, however, it was described as ‘the monkeys throwing poo of politics’. Each candidate’s performance in the debate has been described as potentially the worst in American history. Republican candidate Donald Trump came under particular scrutiny for his propensity to simply scream incoherently in response to every question, an approach that seemed to serve the candidate well.

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was commended for her accurate and concise answers. However criticism was levelled towards the former senator for the way her human skin suit split mid-way through the debate.

Taking all of this into consideration, the nation has collectively decided to pretend that the entire debate never happened. There are no firm plans to definitively fill the, now empty, two and a half hours, however some are calling for nothing but static, arguing it would have more educational value.

Kieran Bennett Labour Party leader Andrew Little has rejected Helen Clarke’s advice to refocus the party’s policy, despite the fact that she has been Prime Minister three times, and he has never come within a sniff of the job.

Last week Helen Clarke, who is continuing on her path of success by campaigning for UN secretary general, advised Andrew Little that the labour party needed to be shifted in a different direction.

Despite leading a party that’s gone through 3 leaders recently and is at an all-time low, Mr Little has rejected her advice, saying that he doesn’t need it. Speaking to media, Mr Little said that even though Helen Clarke was 10 times the leader he would ever be, and had brought the party incomparable success, he felt perfectly comfortable ignoring her advice completely.

Helen Clarke has welcomed Mr Little’s decision, saying that while she was incredibly successful as a political leader, it was entirely his own decision to yet again ignore perfectly sensible advice. Mr Little then began to hum incredibly loudly and stick his fingers in his ears.

Food for Thought Is New Zealand really the land of plenty?

Written by BACA students of 2016 New Zealand may be a developed, seemingly first world country, however our communities face a very real issue of food scarcity. Despite being a major producer and exporter of high quality food products, New Zealand is unable to provide fairly for all it’s growing children. Many young New Zealanders are living in an environment incapable of providing adequate safe and nutritious foods, due to physical, social and economic barriers. These barriers affect a number of factors which are interconnected, including unemployment, low income, limited food, poor health and lack of knowledge.

The reality is, that New Zealand has a severe case of child poverty that we are turning our back to. Currently 28 percent of New Zealand children (approximately 305 000) are living in poverty (Unicef, 2016), in substandard living conditions. In homes of material poverty, children go to school without shoes, food, raincoats, or books, which translates into poor health, doing badly in school, restricting their potential for their whole future. These disadvantaged children are unable to receive the support they deserve, from their family or from the state, and are the voiceless victims of institutionalised poverty.

costs are of higher priority. It has been reported that 40 percent of New Zealand households go without food because they are not food secure (stuff.co.nz).

Food scarcity is more than the financial costs on families providing for their children. The environment itself influences a child’s health as much as their diet. Worldwide, there are trends in communities without access to safe drinking water and hygienic facilities with increased numbers of children suffering from malnutrition and disease. This raises the questions: So? How bad can it really be? One in four children in New Zealand go through their day without lunch, which means that in an average class of 25 students, there are at least five kids having to endure their day learning with empty stomachs, every single day.

However, we are perceived to be a lucky and blessed nation. Many immigrating families dream of the fertile soils of Aotearoa being the ‘land of milk and honey.’ However, unless we actively work on these issues they will continue to deteriorate our society as the cycle of poverty continues. A good place to start to combat food scarcity in New Zealand is with children in need, as they are the ones who will shape our future.

How can we combat poverty?

Food is considered a luxury expense for their families, as housing and medical

As university students, we are all caught

up with our own personal struggles and responsibilities in our coursework, jobs and personal lives. I’m certain that many of us struggle to provide for ourselves, let alone wonder about the thousands of others living in poverty nationwide. As individuals, there is a perception that we are powerless and have little influence on the wider community, however by taking risks and exploring opportunities there are ways you can help.

You can directly support those five children going without lunch by volunteering with ‘EAT MY LUNCH’. This company is a social enterprise which works on the buy one, give one basis. Every morning, volunteers assemble thousands of lunches which are distributed to local schools in the Auckland Isthmus.

Use that youthful energy and passion at least once a week! Volunteering for an organisation like this won’t cost you anything but time, and as a result, we can support hundreds of children, one lunch at a time. ‘EAT MY LUNCH’ is led by award winning chef Michael Meredith, located just behind Karangahape Road at 5 Galatos St. All you have to do is go to this website: eatmylunch.nz to get more information on what they are doing.

This is the first article in a series collated by the graduating class of the Bachelor of Culinary Arts 2016. As chefs, we nourish your body, but feed your brain.

by Ethan Sills

Last week we featured an interview with Chloe Swarbrick about her vision for Auckland. As an impartial and open minded publication, we at Debate did not want to reserve our coverage to just one mayoral candidate. To ensure a wider choice for all AUT students, we contacted some of the leading mayoral candidates and offered them the opportunity to put forward their case to you students. We sent off some of the questions we asked Chloe to several of the leading candidates: businesswoman Vic Crone, Labour MP for Mt Roskill Phil Goff, and American businessman and former candidate John Palino.

GREATNESS

OF

EDGE

THE

Run This City (par t 2)

‘Imagine the possibility of a new modern city that has everything we want and can imagine. We can do that and I have the vision for it.’

Why should 18-25 year old’s vote for you?

VC: I say this to audiences of all ages - that our missed

possibility of a new modern city that has everything we want and can imagine. We can do that and I have the vision for it.

opportunities today are the losses of tomorrow. And that is what 18-25 year olds will have to deal with further down the track. Take for example our housing and transport issues, all are symptoms of lost and failed opportunities of the past. I have a strong eye to the future, and am open to the changes coming our way. My experience and interests mean I can see where cities across the world are heading, and the trends and technologies that will change the way we live, work, and play. As a result, what we demand from a city will also change including roads, facilities, infrastructure and services. I believe I’m the kind of leader with the vision, experience, knowledge and energy to make sure Auckland is up with the best and ahead of the game.

Do you think that enough is being done at the moment to guarantee the future of young people in Auckland?

PG: There are two answers to that. The first is whether I have

that passes on a world to the next generation that is worse than the one we inherited. There are some huge challenges that will arguably make life more difficult for the next generation than it was for the last one, and we need to be responsive to young people, and for young people to achieve that responsiveness, they need to be in their boots and all and be involved in the political system. All my emphasis is on young people getting out there, standing up for what they need for the world.

the skills and the experience to do the job, and that’s important because you want the person running the city to be able to deal competently with challenges that it faces. I’d like to think that over the years people have been able to make their judgements about my competency, my skill, my integrity, my work ethic. The sorts of issues I’m focussing on are issues that are critically important to young people, because young people have a longer future than anybody else. The housing crisis we are having at the moment will have more impact on a younger person than anybody else. All the issues I [am talking about] affect the younger generation… and I have four policies to solve these issues [housing, transport, council organisation and the environment].

JP: In order to fix what is broken we need to understand the cause of the problem and we need to stop that as well as fix what has already happened. My book gives the younger voters the chance to read what I am planning for Auckland and it is open and transparent. My plan shows how we will fix the problems, reduce house prices, create jobs, plan schooling, police, health care and everything we need in a society. I am the only one that has a growth plan that continues on from the Unitary Plan. Imagine the

VC: Sadly not. Our planning has made it harder for young people to buy a home or even rent here. The Council’s culture is out of touch with everyday people and many young voters are fighting for their voices to be heard. This makes it more difficult for proper public deliberation, the economy to grow and for houses and roads to be built. We’ve got to have a council that is more in touch and focussed on common sense responses.

PG: No. I, as a baby boomer, feel we may be the first generation

JP: No, there is not. I want the next generation of Aucklanders to be able to choose where and how they live. I want them to be able to determine what they do, where they do it and how they get there.

The best way to achieve this, is with a focused council which keeps costs and regulation down. What is being done at the moment will destroy Auckland. In ten years we will have another 400,000 people here without jobs. The roads will be at the point of being completely stopped. Auckland will be closed for business. Unless we change our direction and plan on growth we will never be able to do enough as the more we continue this way, the more we will need. We need to stop what is causing these issues and build in a way that allows us to create a smart livable city, congestion free and affordable.

‘If you don’t use it, you have no say over your future, and if you don’t use it, you can grizzle all you like but you didn’t take the opportunity to use your vote to the best effect you could at the time you were given that opportunity.’

Many young people I have spoken to feel disenchanted with local politics, or don’t see why it matters to them. What would you say to someone like that?

VC: Auckland is your city and you have the right as much as anyone else to have a say in how it develops and grows in the future. The choices you make during the local elections will affect your everyday lives. If you catch public transport, drive, rent, flat, own your home, aspire to own your home, use the swimming pools, libraries, parks and shopping centres, or even use water - you have a stake in elections like this.

PG: This city of Auckland is your city, it’s about your future, and your vote counts as much as anyone else’s, but only if you use it.

If you don’t use it, you have no say over your future, and if you don’t use it, you can grizzle all you like but you didn’t take the opportunity to use your vote to the best effect you could at the time you were given that opportunity. These are decisions about tomorrow and the future, and these decisions are being made today.

JP: If you want better transport, a possibility to buy a home, to help people on the street, to live safely, then you need to look for who can bring that to you. Read about each one of us and pick the person that you feel represents you the best.

As mayor, what do you hope your legacy would be after you leave office?

VC: A Council that’s savvy, agile and genuinely engaged with all Aucklanders. I’d definitely like to have helped create a city where residents, organisations and businesses feel absolutely part of the decisions our city makes. This involves bridging the gap between

people and politics and further requires lifting the number of people who are satisfied with and trust Council.

PG: I hope – it’s the Rachel Hunter saying ‘It won’t happen overnight but it will happen’ – I hope that I can lay a foundation for a much better public transport system that stops us reaching gridlock in 10 or 15 years’ time, which is where we are heading right now. I hope we have a city where instead of house prices being ten times your household income we can pull that back without a major recession, pull that unaffordability index back so that kids can have the Kiwi dream of owning their own home.

I hope we can create and protect and sustain our environment, so the things that past generations have enjoyed about living in Auckland can be passed onto the next generation.

JP: A city that actually planned its future growth. The bold decision of building a new satellite city that has brought Auckland into the modern world. The development of live, work and play communities. A city that is enjoyable to live in and that makes life easier, safer, friendlier and affordable.

All candidate responses are listed in order they were spoken to. Full policies are available on their respective websites: chloeforauckland.co.nz; vic4mayor.nz ; forabetterauckland.org.nz ; palinoformayor.co.nz On the day of publication, candidate Mark Thomas, who was interviewed for this piece, released a statement about his campaign implying a change of focus to the 2019 election. As such, his answers were removed from this piece and are available online, along with the full transcripts and answers from these interviews, at ethansills.wordpress.com

EXPECTATIONS

Reegan Hill Let’s talk about expectations, they’re big, they’re great and they’re pressuring. Expectations come from everyone around you, even if it’s just something small, everyone has an expectation of you, and you’ll have them of yourself. They come from people making assumptions, goals, and life decisions; they have an impact on everyone.

For example, when I started uni way back in 2014, I expected to graduate at the end of this year, but some papers were hard, or disinteresting, and I failed a few, now my expectation isn’t going to happen. The thing about expectations, is that we impose them onto ourselves without much thought, we expect we’ll be able to catch the bus, we expect we’ll get a smile from our friends, when an expectation isn’t met or lived up to, we have a tendency to let it get us down.

The inherent nature of humans is to look at things negatively, our language uses words like ‘never’, ‘won’t’ and ‘can’t’ - they’re all words that put a block in front of you, using those words and thinking those words train you into thinking you’re not good enough. But really, everybody has potential and everybody can do what he or she puts his or her mind to.

Expectations are all good and great, they help us run the world, they help us to move forward in life, we just have to be careful about how we make them, where we place them in our lives and how we let other peoples’ expectations pressure us.

In high school I learned this really cool way about how to make goals, which are a type of expectation. You need three things: what you want, when you want it, and how you’ll get it. Write it down somewhere you’ll see, or repeat it to yourself every morning when you wake up. Write it on your mirror, look at it and believe, make the expectation something you can achieve

and you will, don’t make a contingency plan, those are the negative side of us talking, the part saying we won’t get there.

Don’t let that part out. It’s like studying for an exam, you cram all this information in your mind. Do that with your goals.

Expectations are all good and great, they help us run the world, they help us to move forward in life, we just have to be careful about how we make them, where we place them in our lives and how we let other peoples’ expectations pressure us.

Here’s the thing though, when the expectation isn’t met, getting drunk and rolling on the floor is fine, once. You’ll need to get back up and make another goal, because here is the honest truth, sometimes you cannot control if your expectation will be met, sometimes you’re not going to get there.

So coming into exam season and the end of uni, expectations are high, the pressure is high, and we’re all feeling it, emotions are running strong and people are getting caught up in it.

I can tell you all to get back up and work through it, but I know that some people find that harder than others. Not living up to expectations is hard, but it’s a learning experience that everyone needs, and everyone needs to understand what that’s like in order to become a stronger person. Don’t get yourself too down if you don’t pass that exam, if you don’t get the straight A grade, or even if you miss your bus, it happens to everyone.

If you start using language like ‘I can’, ‘I will’ and ‘let’s do it’ you can do anything. Expectations met with a positive outlook are made, so go do that.

29

Here, There and Everywhere Amelia Petrovich delves into the rag-tag, recycled world of Karangahape Road’s transient street poet, David Merritt.

David Merritt, travelling street poet.

“A large flat white with loads of milk and a lotta sugar,” is the coffee order crackling down the phone. It seems a small price to pay for a word with one of the city’s biggest street-peddling success stories, and ever so slightly lyrical.

On his K’Road stomping ground, coffee in hand, the beanie-clad poet is already sipping a takeaway cup with a mate at his side, clearly the currency of choice for a few well-chosen words on a blustery Auckland day.

“Sorry,” he tells me, “we’re all gonna have to go to my workshop, it’s miserable out here. I’ve lost my Dad this week and I feel like I’ve lost my mind a bit too.”

Lyrical about coffee, lyrical about death.

Ushered into a cluttered basement room off Pitt Street, I’m acutely aware of my dissonant timing.

Lyricism and wordsmithing has been a part of David Merritt’s life ever since day dot, so perhaps it’s unsurprising that he intrigues out loud as well as he does within the folded paper of his own poems.

“More or less it was always in me, it started at school when I was a kid.” he says.

“I used to perversely fill in the forms that said ‘what’s your occupation going to be.’ When I was 16 or 17 I started to put in ‘writer’, and then by the time I was like, 20, I put in the word ‘poet’ and then by the time I was like, 25, I was writing poems.”

Having spent time in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and the Waikato to name just a few corners of the country, for the last 30 years, David’s poems have always ambled along with him. It’s a continuation of his semi-nomadic childhood, David says, having grown up the son of a “stubborn Yorkshireman” who moved from powerstation to cheese factory and back again pursuing jobs.

A self-confessed “bright kid,” David was one of the few students from Otara to gain a scholarship to Auckland Boy’s Grammar, a bus ride of 38 traffic lights daily reminding him what that meant.

“I was the only kid at Auckland Boy’s from Otara, because it’s that rich part of town. So I was very much aware that I was a working-class kid at a flash school,” David explains.

A sign for David’s self-owned DIY publisher.

“When you meet jet boats, drink cabinets and rumpus rooms and you’ve lived in state houses all your life… ‘look how the other half live,’ you think.”

Peering around the workshop at a stack of old papers, a box of gutted Reader’s Digest covers, and a perched, hand-made sign reading ‘Landrover Farm Press’ (named so because he just really loves Landrovers), it’s evident that the ‘other half’ isn’t who David peddles his wares to. A semi-permanent fixture on the bench by St Kevin’s Arcade, he’s always believed distributing his hand-printed, fold-out poetry books in unconventional places is the best bet for a self-publishing artist.

“I mean, I’m incredibly aware that I’m breaking all the rules as I go,” David says.

“Everything about conventional publishing I have instinctively turned my back on… it’s a very thin slice of intellectual property jammed between a big fat stale piece of white bread called ‘the publisher’ and the big fat stale piece of white bread called ‘the retailer.’”

David’s particular style of self-publishing involves attaching folded sheets of paper inside the hollowed-out Digest covers.

The unmistakable caps-only font within mirrors the hand printed quality of each book’s title- every cover featuring simple words and phrases that give little away at first glance. “i did not invent”, “inorganic #2” and “strange times #9” just a few of the books strewn across the table.

David says he’s always preferred selling his poetry in unconventional spots, not only on street corners but occasionally at wholesalers and indie events too.

“Some people do get it, young people get it instantly. ‘Here’s an old man making shit on the side of the road!’ But old people are like ‘Oh tut, tut, there’s an old man selling shit on the side of the road.

Better get him to wear a high-vis jacket and get some third-party indemnity insurance’ y’know?”

It’s the handmade look and quirky feel of David’s work that Elam Fine Arts student, Maeve Hughes, says marries up well with the poet himself.

“It’s just so environmentally spot-on and it does just talk to his whole aesthetic,” Maeve says.

“It just comes from that place of being really genuine, rustic, sort of authentic. It just works with him, it blends in perfectly with what he’s about.”

After perusing a few of David’s poems both on Cuba St in Wellington and on Auckland’s K’Road, Maeve likens what she’s read to the musicians of the ‘60s.

“For some reason they all remind me of, like, a Leonard Cohen song. There’s something almost poetically tortured about him, like, coming from an older voice or something.”

He hands over a tan, musty booklet entitled ‘coalface’ (all in lower case) that he ‘thinks would be good for someone like me.’ Glancing at at a particularly acerbic stanza (‘I am spit into chunks and then forwarded/ Often to multiple locations where I will be/ Routed, proxied, copied and cached), “poetically tortured” suddenly seems an apt description.

David at his Pitt St studio.

Self-describing is contentious for David though, wondering aloud if being a poet alone makes everything you say musical.

“Poets get voices, they get what they call ‘poetic license’, which means half of what they say is almost poetry in a funny way.”

He gestures to the friend we’d walked to the workshop with earlier, eyes twinkling.

Good mates during their Auckland University days, David and John’s own Dad somehow kept ties strong right into their respective fatherhoods. Popping in every so often as he meanders through Wellington, John looks forward to the chatty poet’s spontaneous visits.

“As I’ve got older and more cynical it’s at a point now where, if we’re in the same city, I’ll just sit with him all day helping him sell poems,” John says.

“When I really order him a flat white- because it’s always him that buys the coffee- it’s like, I’m not speaking anything poetical, I’m just getting [coffee], but sometimes, the voice y’know…

“I’ll buy him pies and coffee and we complain about the world.”

the way you say things or how you talk or whatever, some of what you say in everyday conversation is almost poetical.”

David’s most recent coffee cup now resembles a half-chewed, disposable snowstorm as he picks away at it with his fingers.

David plays with his now empty cup and says finally, “you’re like a wine that’s sort of stored in a cellar and you could be a beautiful vintage, you could be a sour, vinegary, horrible vintage… y’know, all those words that affect wine taste can affect poetry tastes as well.”

“You want to control your intellectual property, not gift it to some third party. I come from an ethos of ‘do it yourself’ or whatever, it just feels affirmatic,” says David; the man who named young John CEO after a successful day of Cuba St sales, the man who spilled a little part of his brain to me over a cup of contentiously poetic coffee.

“Oh, a bouquet of sadness and a piquant of melancholy, that’s what’s attached to me at the moment. So yeah, if you’re lucky you don’t turn too much into vinegar, a sour old male writer. It’s a battle,” he says.

“Just as self-publishing’s helped the music industry it can help writers as well, and they can achieve these things that they want,” he says with conviction.

John Steele, newly 21, says David has been a family friend ever since he can remember and that sometimes, it’s that drop of vinegar that makes the cathartic difference.

“Like earn a living as a writer without resorting to being that thin slice of luncheon meat in-between two thick bits of fuckin’ white bread.”

Show Me Stars The AUT Graduates Behind Fract and Anna

The annual Show Me Shorts film festival has kicked off in Auckland.

Now in its tenth year, the festival is the biggest celebration of short films in the country, travelling throughout New Zealand for the next few months as it showcases the quirky, crafty and thoughtful films on the big screen. It’s also the only Academy Award accredited short film festival in the country.

Two recent AUT graduates are part of this year’s line-up.

Communications graduate Harriette Maire has already seen international success for Anna, her short film about a woman with Asperger’s trying to cope when her routine is changed. Additionally, Creative Writing Masters student Georgina Bloomfield tells the story of a young girl who uses her broken arm to make friends in the unnerving Fract. Both creators spoke to Ethan Sills about their process, inspiration and women in the entertainment industry.

How long have you wanted to make films?

HM: My dad’s a cinematographer, so I grew up going to see him on sets and things. I think it’s near impossible to grow up in that environment and not want to get into it yourself. I’d say since I was about 10 or 12 I’ve been really interested in wanting to be in the film industry, and since about the age of 17 onwards … directing was where I really wanted to be.

GB: Writing’s something that I’ve always loved and it’s something I’ve always been drawn to as far as I can remember. Specific to film, I really discovered screenwriting when I discovered acting, which was in 2014. It was through that, doing a lot of practices with theatre and short film that I started writing scripts and that’s when I realised it was what I really wanted to pursue.

What gave you the idea for your film?

HM: I’ve been obsessed with the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time for a really long time, and I was lucky enough [last year] to see it on Broadway. It was just so beautiful, and I’ve been obsessed with it for so long it was really emotional watching it. I was really fascinated by how they brought autism to life visually, because autism, so much of it is inside the person’s head and such a personal experience for them, I was always wondering how you would communicate that on stage or on screen. Anna was a university assignment to begin with, and the tutors gave you so much creative freedom, and I just went I’d like to explore how you portray autism on screen, because it doesn’t ever get screen time.

GB: I was with the lead actor, Grace, and we were at my house and we both went to the Show Me Shorts opening ceremony last year and fell in love with the short films, so we decided we had to make one this year. I read about the extent that kids would go to to get out of physical education class, some would go as far as hurting themselves, and that’s when I came up with the final idea for Fract, about how far one would go for something, and what was more interesting was the need for friendship, so that’s what it became about.

Did you do a lot of research into autism?

HM: I went to Autism New Zealand, and went through them with my scripts. They helped me through the process. They pulled me up on things I wasn’t communicating very well or correctly. Research is so important, especially if you are representing something you don’t have any personal experience with. Just the idea of doing a film like this and not representing the autistic community in a way that they were happy with was just too awful to think about.

Both these films are about intriguing, complicated, layered female characters. Was that in your mindset at all while writing them?

HM: I can’t see myself ever making a film from a male character.

Number one, I don’t have that mindset, I can’t write from that perspective, and as a female film maker, I want to see more women on screen. There was never a moment where [Anna] wasn’t going to be female. It didn’t really cross my mind that I was showing a female character that was complicated. For me, Anna was never a victim of her disorder. It’s more just that’s what her life is and let’s watch her live her life, rather than be a pity party sort of story. There just needs to be more female stories told. So many women out there who go see an action film and can’t connect with anything – and that’s not necessarily because women don’t enjoy action films, it’s that they are always male protagonists. It’s just cool to see women doing their thing.

GB: Absolutely. [At my course], something we were constantly reminded of by my tutor is that going into the film industry, you have to be very aware of what you are putting out into the industry and what you are saying about the world. First and foremost, my focus going forward is to write these strong female characters, especially in a time where it’s being made so public, all your kind of hearing about at the moment, Mad Max has all these amazing female characters, so that’s the centre point of anything I would ever write.

How does it feel to be a part of Show Me Shorts?

HM: I think SMS is a really nice cross section of the industry in New Zealand. I’m just honoured to be part of it and the thought that I get to be in the same room and get my film shown in the same cinema as so many fantastically talented and much better people than me is just an honour. All my friends and family, all of Geneva’s (actress who

plays Anna) friends and family, will get to see it in an actual cinema.

It’s so professional and exciting and new. I haven’t been able to go to any [overseas festivals], so it’s going to be really special to see it happening here, to be in the room when it plays. Anna was always more than an assignment, so… I’m glad its journey continues past AUT. GB: We’re so excited, honestly shocked, the novelty hasn’t worn off.

We went last year, and the quality of films was just beyond what we’d ever seen before. We made this in three days, just a group of our friends, absolutely no budget, and we entered it, and definitely didn’t expect to come in, so to be involved is beyond exciting on our first go.

What are you working next?

HM: I just finished my second short film. It was for a competition run by NASA and judged by Richard Linklater. We made it in a month and we’re entering it into festivals now. And now working at this production company, directing small ads for them or production assistant on the biggies – not directing those ones yet GB: I’m always writing. I’m writing a few feature films at the moment, I’ve always got a script on the go. The next short film project I want to do, I want to focus on [something] visually challenging and stylistic. There are a few New Zealand film commission funding structures which I’m going through at the moment. What I want to do next time is not just get the audience to understand and sympathise [with unnerving storylines], I really want them to root for it, so that’s what I’m focusing on.

Fract will be shown in the Secret and Lies category, and Anna is part of He Tangata, both of which are being shown at the Academy Cinemas.

Screening times and more information can be found at showmeshorts.co.nz

Females In The 48 Hour Film Industry Benjamin Matthews In an industry dominated by men, it’s difficult for women to enter the creative media.

That’s why master student Aimee Rhiannon formed an all-girl team to compete in the 48hours Film Festival. The group was formed when a classmate ask her if she wanted to get a group together. Aimee jumped on the opportunity and proposed an all-girl team. Excited, her friend agreed.

“She is also very big on helping other women,” says Aimee. “She wants to help women and help herself get into screen production industries. So for both of us, it was a good fit to want to do that.”

The team has five members, with different backgrounds. Both Aimee and her friend don’t have a lot of professional experience, while another member has a ton of experience. Another member is a musical composer.

“And then we have a couple of people as well who have absolutely zero filmmaking experience, who I’m really excited to have on board,” Aimee explains. “There’s not a lot of opportunities for people who have never done it before to have the paired experience with people that do have the experience.”

Despite having female friends that have filmmaking experience, Aimee discovered many of them were already busy with university and jobs. Aimee decided instead to advertise on Facebook, recruiting whoever they could.

“I was very open to anyone with any kind of experience level and anyone who identifies as female,” says Aimee. “I didn’t want to put any kind of very strict rules about who was and wasn’t welcome.”

Although she did the festival before, Aimee had a mixed experience. A group that had both genders, she felt as if the women in the team didn’t have their voices heard. Aimee doesn’t blame it on simply being a mixed-gendered group, although it had an effect on that particular group.

“It was a group of us that hadn’t done it before,” she explains. “It was a bit rushed.”

Despite having a large female audience, big blockbuster films a predominantly directed by men.

Aimee says around a tenth of big films are directed by women. She says it’s not something people think about. Directors are perceived as a male role since it’s a leadership position that’s highly creative.

“It’s very well directed,” Aimee discusses the new Mad Max, “and that’s the editing as well. How the film transitions from shot to shot. That really close relationship between the director who decides what the shot looks like and how everything is going to look, and the editor that actually pieces everything together.”

Because the festival’s theme is only announced the weekend of the event, the group cannot write scripts ahead of time.

Instead, they bounce around ideas, and see if that fits the topic when they get it. The weekend before the competition, Aimee and her friend had a meeting, discussing roles they need, skills sets of the group, and location ideas.

“There shouldn’t be a segregation that women films are made by women and men’s films are made by men.

Everybody should be able to make every kind of film.”

“I think that while it’s important that women’s stories are told by women,” Aimee states, “I think it’s also important that generic blockbuster films that appeal to a broad audience are also directed by women. There shouldn’t be a segregation that women films are made by women and men’s films are made by men. Everybody should be able to make every kind of film.”

However, a role that’s traditionally seen as female is the editor.

Going back to the earliest days of cinema, editors were usually women, and this trend has stuck. Mad Max: Fury Road was edited by a woman, Margaret Sixel. With 470 hours of footage to shuffle through, she was able to edit the film down to over 2700 individual cuts across a 120-minute running time.

“Things like: has anyone got an interesting location?” Aimee lists examples. “Does someone in the team own a boat, or have a minivan or something like that?”

Aimee is currently doing her Masters in Communication Studies, focusing on women’s experience in New Zealand television as writers, directors, and producers. The thesis looks at how their gender affects their career.

“I am very passionate about representation,” she says. “I think it’s really important that everyone is able to see themselves represented in the media that they consume.”

Most of Aimee’s filmmaking experience has been on the other side of the screen as an actor. Having an undergrad in a Bachelor of Arts majoring in theatre and film studies, she has appeared in eight short films. Her course had a 50 percent practical component, meaning she had to do all the cinematography and editing herself.

Despite her interest in filmmaking, Aimee doesn’t have a favourite director. She describes herself as a cheesy pop culture consumer, preferring to watch big blockbuster films, romantic comedies, and comic book TV shows.

“I like things that don’t necessarily allow for deep reflective moments, but are representative of more fantastical versions of the everyday experience.”

Reviews

TH E SECRET LIFE OF PE TS Directed by Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney Starring Louis CK, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart Reviewed by Ethan Sills

The best and most successful animated movies over the past few years have been the ones that can appeal to the adults being dragged to them as much as they amuse the kids dying to see them. It becomes easy to forget that these films aren’t really designed for the over tens, so when one comes along that is simply kiddie fun, it can be a bit surprising.

Pets is childish entertainment through and through. This story of clashing dogs Max and Duke and their accidental adventure through New York is an old fashioned story mixed with some slight edge in its animal militia sub plot, but it does not have the intense emotion of Inside Out nor the intelligent metaphor of Zootopia to advance it above its G-rated constrictions.

And that’s okay. The movie is certainly funny, with a number of good gags – though not enough to leave kids in hysterics.

The voice cast is on fire throughout, especially Jenny Slate and Lake Bell as Gidget and Chloe, though there is an unnecessary amount of characters in this. Most of the laughs come from sight gags as what pets get up to when left alone, and is where the humour and imagination really shine through.

Illumination Studios has yet to produce anything on Pixar-levels of depth, but Pets is enough to amuse all ages, even if it does manage to be both cluttered and lacking at the same time.

BRID G ET J ONES ’S BA BY Directed by Sharon Magurie Starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey

Reviewed by Ethan Sills

Reviving cinematic characters we haven’t seen for years is one of the clear signs that studios have really given up when it comes to original ideas. After 12 years, the number of people desperate for a new Bridget Jones was likely very few, and even by the end there’s not much reason to trilogy-ize the franchise. Thankfully, Bridget Jones’s Baby justifies its existence by being a great deal of fun.

The film sees Jones tending with restructuring at her media company as well as contemplating if having a child is still a viable option. After reuniting with her ex, Mr Darcy, and having a fling with a strange American at a music fest, Bridget finds herself pregnant but with no clue who the father is – and thus, hilarity ensues.

There are times when the film reminds us of its age. Many of the jokes feel like they cut from the first one, which works in ways and fails miserably in others. The media restructure plot also reeks of a snobbish, anti-millennial mentality with its exaggerated take on social media. Despite all this, it still manages to be consistently funny throughout, possibly more so than the original, with Renee Zellweger effortlessly slipping back into the character.

The plot is wafer thin, but it’s carried thanks to the commitment of the cast, including the many supporting players, and the script which rarely lets up. Some of its messages are very heavy handed with how they play out, but it doesn’t stop the latest Jones from being a laugh from beginning to end.

A $A P FERG

T HE BEAT LES

Concert | Powerstation

Live at The Hollywood Bowl Reviewed by Benjamin Matthews

You know it’s going to be a wild night when all the girls in the mosh pit around you are falling over. A$AP Ferg and a microphone was all that was needed for a crazy night at the Powerstation.

Let’s get it straight, the Beatles are the greatest band ever. No other act has left such a permanent mark on modern music. They’ve produced some of the best albums ever, including Sgt Peppers and the White Album, just to name a few. That said, the Beatles were never known for being great live. If you were looking for a great stadium act you had to look elsewhere.

Reviewed by Sharleen Shergill

The atmosphere definitely made you feel like you were a part of a mob with A$AP Ferg as the leader taking you back to Harlem. Out of nowhere a bunch of people even jumped on stage and started Snapchatting themselves. Marty Baller, A$AP Ferg’s sidekick started the chant “Get the f**** off my stage” but he seemed to enjoy the attention. Some of my friends tried to get amongst the hype and jump on stage, however, the security was onto them and they were unsuccessful.

Unexpectedly A$AP Ferg also put his own twist on popular songs by Missy Elliot and Schoolboy Q which really got the crowd pumped.

New Level was no doubt the banger of the night.

The set only lasted an hour, with no encore, leaving me slightly unsatisfied with the abrupt finish. Overall, the concert was most enjoyable if you were in the middle of the mosh pit compared to standing on the outside. I give points for the consistent hype!

The first thing you’ll notice is the high pitch scream from the audience.

You forget the Beatles were the One Direction of their day. I should think myself lucky I’m listening to only 43 minutes of screaming; they had to put up with three years of that constant drone. The live album features many of the band’s biggest hits, from the steady drumming and thumping guitar riffs of Ticket to Ride, to bouncy bluesy Can’t Buy Me Love. There are a few surprises, such as the haunting Things We Said Today reminisces of Nirvana’s softer side. On a few tracks, you can feel the band’s lack of enthusiasm. A Hard Day’s Night feels like a slog, with John Lennon’s singing feeling lazy as if he doesn’t care.

By 1966, tired of touring, the band retired to the recording studio only performing one more time, the now infamous rooftop concert. Live at the Hollywood Bowl mightn’t be the greatest live album, but it serves as a historical document. But if you’re new to the Beatles, I suggest looking at their studio work.

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