debate 05, 2013

Issue 05 | MARCH 2013 www.ausm.org.nz

Directory

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Issue 05 | MARCH 2013

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Cover

Photo by Ramina Rai

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Matthew Cattin matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz

sub editor Nigel Moffiet 5 Editorial 8 Artist of the week: Bethan Powell 10 MUSIC: Wilco 11 MUSIC: Michael Kiwanuka 12 MUSIC: Banglade$h 13 Lovenotes & Hatemail 14 Lovenotes & Hatemail AuSM Updates 15 NEWS 18 ATHLETE PROFILE: Charlotte Davis 19 A Memorandum Auckland's Got It Going On 20 Article: Jailbird Jazz

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Amber Rinkin | Antonia Anderson | Cameron Carpenter | Ceapum Kaushish | Craig Hoyle | Derek Seymour| Elesha Edmonds | Erica Donald | Erica McQueen | Hazel Buckingham | Kahlia Finch | Kieran Bennett | Mike Ross | Nathalie Owen | Nigel Moffiet |Robert Vennell | Rose Tei | Scott Yeoman | Shilo Flavell | Yasmin Forsyth |

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Ceaupum Kaushish | Jennifer Chote | Matthew Cattin | Nicole Koch | Ramina Rai

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22 ARTICLE: Men: Harden Up and Wear A Condom 23: Auckland Biker's Vicious Cycle Talking Back To Ritalin 24 Article: Tata'u 26 ARTICLE: An Ode to David Attenborough 28 Street Style 30 Caption Corner Recipe 31 Procrastipage ROB'S: Top 10 32 REVIEWS

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KEEP UP WITH WHAT’S GOING DOWN

Editorial

by Matthew Cattin Hello all, I trust your Easter breaks went down a treat.

Is it really that time of year already?

It’s gone unfathomably fast. Already the sun is going to bed at a ridiculously early hour. Harden up sun! Where is your stamina? For me though, summer doesn’t officially end until the day the pontoon gets taken away by the council, unceremoniously ripped from the sea like a wax strip from a leg. It’s a hard period of life for all of us Coasties, knowing that one day we might wake up to find the pontoon gone like an unreliable father – without a word in the blackest of nights.

As long as summer holds out however, pontoon lyfe is the best kind of lyfe, and the only lyfe for me. Anchored offshore, it patiently awaits company – a 2X4m plastic island complete with ladder and gull poo. The company you meet on the pontoon depends largely on the tides. At low tide, it sits at around chest level, easily accessible for kids, old folk and pregnant women. So naturally, my vicious pontoon gang usually leaves them to it. But when the tide sweeps in and the chain pulls tight on the bottom, it is only the most seasoned and daring of tooners that make the journey – it’s like Darwin’s natural selection, weeding out the softies.

Once you board the pontoon, it’s time to show off your tricks. If you have no tricks, stay on the land – your invitation has been revoked. I’m not the best tooner around but I have a few moves up my sleeve – namely the belly flop, back flop, staple dive, front flip to back flop and the swan dive. I can tell I have impressed you. But with a pontoon CV as extensive as mine, I’m not surprised. Would you care to see my references?

My favourite trick to watch performed (and attempt when I am feeling brave) is the penguin. It’s essentially a regular dive but rather than break the water with outstretched hands, you break it with your face, or beak. You see, your hands, or fins, must be pinned to your sides to pull off an adequate penguin. If you can master this move, you’ll be sure to have the pontoon gang seething with jealousy as you pull all the chicks. Also, if you can precede your penguin dive with an authentic-looking waddle to the edge, you’re sure to gain much more respect.

with the appropriate ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ before hightailing it back to the beach for a tearful de-brief. But you know what I would swallow my shame a thousand times rather than see the toon disappear from my world.

Ah the pontoon – the floating wonderland of my dreams. There are just not enough ways to express my love. It’s just such a social affair! I’ll be bussing home from work and get a message. I’ll pull my phone out expecting it to be from Mum and there it is, one word that sets my heart a-pounding. “Toon?” You see it’s not just a fun after-work activity; it’s a summer ritual, a spiritual experience, a way of life. And I’m sure going to miss it when it’s gone.

Make the most of the weather kids; you’ll be rocking your winter fashion get ups in no time at all.

Matthew

Sometimes however, the cool kids arrive, tanned, ripped and reeking of masculinity. They flex their gyminduced, steroid-infused muscles and pull off incredible back flips, hand stand dives and Mangeres so big they shower the pontoon in shame and tears. Even the penguin doesn’t cut it when the jocks flop onto the toon. But flip-gosh-darn-it we hold our heads high, hide our jealousy www.ausm.org.nz

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Music: The Leers

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SPORT DEVELOPMENT SPORT DEVELOPMENT & ATHLETE & ATHLETESUPPORT SUPPORT

Are you an athlete? Want to get into sport at uni?

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to international competitions, Sport From recreational games right through

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AUT Athlete Support provides a range of services to high performance student

Phone: 09) 921 9736 email: sport@aut.ac.nz

email: sport@aut.ac.nz WWW.AUT.AC.nZ/COMMUnITY/SPORT-AT-AUT WWW.AUT.AC.nZ/COMMUnITY/SPORT-AT-AUT

AUT Athlete Support provides a range athletes, including assistance with

of services to highenhancing performance time management, linksstudent athletes, including assistance with with external sporting agencies, and

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with external sporting agencies, and related conflicts with representative sport� In addition, Athlete Support helps support with extensions and exam to channel studentwith athletes through to related conflicts representative representative teams� sport� In addition, Athlete Support helps

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Engaging the AUT community through sport 34

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Artist of the week

Artist of the week

BETHAN POWELL Currently in her last year of study, Bethan Powell has come to the conclusion that history and psychology are no way as cool as art – and with mad painting skills, I reckon she could well be right. “I have gone the long way around finding out that art is what I want to do! Next year I plan to take my passion a bit more seriously and move overseas to study fine arts,” she says.

Bethan’s art weapon of choice is usually acrylic paint as it offers control, detail and bold colours but she also however dabbles in watercolour for quite the opposite reasons.

“Watercolours create forms much faster and are unpredictable, which allows you to have more fun with the paint and be less afraid of making mistakes.”

“There is a lot to love about art. To name a few, I love the peace it gives you, the creativity you can release, and the patience it teaches you. But mostly, I love how it fills up rainy Sundays so beautifully. I’d be bored all the time if I didn't have art!”

You can check out more of Bethan’s work at

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Artist of the week

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Music: Wilco Photo credit: Austin Nelson

Via Aotearoa -

Travellin' On.

By Matthew Cattin

Dubbed by critics as the American Radiohead, Wilco’s alt-country blend is a road trip essential, rolling like the wheels of a beat up convertible. Their music is the sound of sun parched highways; of escaping the past and driving on with no destination in mind. After nearly two decades of critically acclaimed records and widespread touring, they find themselves in New Zealand this week for a few gigs with soul singer Mavis Staples. I had the pleasure of chatting with founding member and bassist John Stirratt, a charming and enthusiastic guy who thanked me for my time - classic.

At 45, John Stirratt has spent nearly half of his life in Wilco and along with singer Jeff Tweedy, he is the only remaining founding member of the band. Despite members coming and going throughout the years however, the band finds itself today at its strongest and most consistent line-up to date. “Anyone that’s into music or into rock and roll history will tell you that longevity in music is not something that usually happens. Knock on wood, we’ve travelled relatively safe over the

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years and all the things that can derail rock bands haven’t seemed to happen to us. It’s been lucky and it’s something we don’t take for granted.”

Riding on the back of their eighth LP, 2011’s The Whole Love, critics are touting Wilco at their best form in years. To be 45-years-old and still producing great records is a rare thing but by the sound of it, being older-rockers was all part of the game plan. “We had some models for this idea of having a career, of being a bit older rock and roll and not being embarrassed about it,” he says. “We were just beginning to have success at you know 28, 29 or 30 so we were like ‘Jesus, I hope we get a little bit of time or a successful period with this band.’”

The Whole Love is a mixture of beloved Wilco styles. There are experimental tracks echoing the brilliant Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as well as acoustic ballads and alt-rock tracks reminiscent of early 90’s Wilco. Starratt says recording is a challenging process of finding common ground between influences and ideas. “It becomes

this idea of collecting the songs that really work together and not being afraid if there’s not a really linear sonic narrative through it. [We] just to try and go for all these disparate sort of feels and styles and make it one listening experience – I think that’s the goal,” he says.

In what is shaping up to be a truly spectacular music event, Wilco are bringing soul legend Mavis Staples down under as part of the tour. The 73-year-old Staples who Stirratt refers to as a “ray of sunshine” and an “ambassador for good vibes” was at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement in the 50’s and 60’s and a good friend of Marthin Luther King Jr. And if you’re not impressed with her CV so far, just listen to her voice… “Oh my god… Gee. An American soul singer of the highest order,” says Stirratt. “She’s wonderful. I can’t wait to see her on multiple nights - it’s going to be great.”

You can catch Wilco and Mavis Staples at the Auckland Town Hall on Saturday April 6.

Music: Michael Kiwanuka Photo source: facebook

Tell me a tale

Michael Kiwanuka

by Matthew Cattin

In a phone call to his hometown in London, debate caught up with chilled out soul singer Michael Kiwanuka to talk influences, song writing and time travel.

For a 25-year-old, soul-gasmic singer Michael Kiwanuka sure channels some old souls. Often compared to Otis Redding and Bill Withers, he’s captured the attention of Adele, the BBC, and my mother.

“Who’s that singer that sings that Home Again song?” she asked me after hearing Kiwanuka perform on Newstalk ZB early last year. “Is it Michael Kikaniku? Or… Kinawookie?” “Yes Mum, close enough.”

When Kiwanuka last touched down in New Zealand in July 2012, hundreds of screaming tweens were waiting at his hotel. Not for him mind you - for the precious pop prince Justin Bieber who was also staying at the Langham. His upcoming visit in April should be a much quieter affair with an intimate gig in both Auckland and Wellington venues to look forward to.

Since releasing his debut LP in 2012, Kiwanuka has been able to live out his dream as a full time musician. When I asked him what he loved most about his blossoming career, he was hard-pressed to come up with a single answer. “The travelling, doing gigs, playing for people, putting music out on an album and recording – there’s so many good things.

Getting paid to do something you love whatever it is - is a real luxury, something that not many people get to do, so I feel really blessed to be able to do that.”

I mentioned that both my mother and I were fans and asked him to spill the secrets of his cross-generational success.

“I hope I can keep doing that,” he says.

“Music in its simplest form will always sound appealing. I remember being in school and bands like Kings of Leon were coming out – they were all the rage. All the alternative cool kids would go to Kings of Leon gigs. It was the same as when say The Velvet Underground came out. There’s just some music that tends to be forever. If you are into that or you’re searching for that, then you’ve got more chance of appealing to every age.”

Although Kiwanuka loves this decade for the internet, if he could steal a DeLorean, he’d travel back to the sweet seventies.

“You’d get some early Prince at the end, Harvest from Neil Young at the beginning, you’d kind of miss The Beatles (but all good things must pass). And then you’d get some Sly Stone and some psychedelic stuff.”

Songwriting seems to come naturally to Kiwanuka but he does not credit his

Ugandan parents, he says it was his time in school that brought out his musical side.

“People carried a lot of guitars around at school, I used to watch them and say ‘that’s what I want to do”. He decided to study music at university but dropped out to focus on his career. After playing open mic nights and gigging around London, his talent was quickly discovered and he signed with Communion Records and eventually, Polydor Records.

When it comes to songwriting, Kiwanuka says he has to get into the mode – but once he’s in it, “it’s amazing – it’s the coolest place to be. It’s just the most exciting thing – being in the middle of writing a song.

But I can’t always do that though, I have to be in the mood. But once that mood hits, I don’t like anything else more.”

With a new EP out in May, Breaking Bad to catch up on and plans for his sophomore record underway, 2013 is shaping up to be a big year for Kiwanuka.

He mentioned he would love to collaborate with Jack White so if it eventually comes to light, remember where you heard it first.

Michael Kiwanuka will play the Holy Trinity Cathedral this Thursday. www.ausm.org.nz

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Photo source: facebook

MUSIC Banglade$h

BANGLADE$H

By Erica McQueen

Formerly The Good Fun, the BANGLADE$H boys hail from Hamilton – but don’t hold that against them! You’re in for a real treat. These indie-pop goddesses (if I dare call them that) got their act together (pun intended) back in O nine and were the twenty-ten Smokefree Rockquest champions.

Influenced heavily by Vampire Weekend and others such as Bloc Party and Artisan Guns, BANGLADE$H are a little alternative, a little rock and a little surf too. I reckon they also sound a bit like The Cure (think Boys Don’t Cry). They regularly play alongside the likes of Young Lyre, The Leers and Ratsmagic. Their songs will have you dancing instantly and singling along in no

1. Who's in the band and what do they do?

Leroy Clampitt - Vocals/Guitar Jimi Mataio - Percussion/Vocals Kam Chadderton - Guitar/Vocal Ben Smith - Bass/Vocals Oliver Plowright - Keys 2. And how'd y'all get together?

Leroy, Kam and I started a band in 2009 called The Good Fun which disbanded mid2012. We reformed soon after with new bass player Ben Smith and added Oliver Plowright on the keys.

3. Favourite lyric/line from a song? (yours or otherwise) My favourite lyric from a song would have to be "That don’t impress me much" by Shania Twain.

4. Band name meaning?

I came up with the name BANGLADE$H. To me it’s very pleasing to look at and very interesting to say. There's no cool meaning to it, we just liked it so we took it. We added the '$' for more zest.

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time. Yet to release an album as BANGLADE$H, singles can be found floating around and I’ve heard (via facebook) that an EP and tour is not far away. Stoked!

I’d hate to call these lads hipster, in fear of insulting them. Let’s just say they wear shirts with some pretty cool patterns and the top button done up. Mighty fashionable! Which is always a bonus. I encourage you to jump on their bandwagon as soon as, hunt them down at a gig and stalk them online! You don’t wanna miss out on what these boys are up to.

Jimi was kind enough to weather a few of my questions – enjoy!

5. The last CD/song you purchased/ downloaded was?

The last album I purchased was Tame Impala: Lonerism 6. Describe your 'sound' in three words or less Toe-tapping-goodness 7. If you like _________ you'll love BANGLADE$H TO PARTY 8. Who's been most influential on your song-writing/music-making?

Vampire Weekend would have to be our biggest influence! We just love their unique sound and style.

9. If you could offer one bit of advice to those starting out song writing, what would it be?

I would say, "Practice! Practice! Practice!

You can never do too much practice!"

10. Fist pumps of high-fives?

FIST PUMPS (I watch a lot of Jersey Shore).

11. What rumour would you like to start about yourself?

"I heard Jimi Mataio is pregnant!"

12. Craziest thing you've done for BANGLADE$H? Managing the band, these boys are hard work.

13. I know it's silly but I love...

Licking the flavouring off chips!

14. Favourite smell?

My favourite smell is sausages on the BBQ, reminds me of summer.

15. What can we expect to see from you over the next year?

We're releasing our debut music video and our debut EP this year and are planning a tour also.

16. Any final words of wisdom?

Never give up on your dreams!

Lovenotes & Hatemail

lovenotes & hatemail Hi there,

treatment for where other medicines fail.

I would like to contribute something to debate - a gripe.

Last weeks issue (04) contained an article (if you could call it that) entitled "Myth Buster Rob" in which he ripped on homeopathy with nothing more than critical fallacies and a basic google search.

I want to point out the shameless use of the "Ambiguous Experiment" (line 8, paragraph 1). Why is someone being published whom ignores one of the first things we are taught in KEC?

For example, the dilution treatment is for people who have allergic reactions, or nasty side effects from certain medication, and the diluted concentration works by providing more doses at a lower concentration which don't have the same side effects but still treat the problem as the medication slowly accumulates within the system. I've personally seen it work in a friend of mine who was allergic to everything.

Guess what- Some experiments showed that "Myth Buster Rob" has no academic integrity. Additionally, he makes no attempt whatsoever to even understand the concepts- he recites them briefly, followed by a statement akin to "hurr, dats dum." If s/he bothered to do any research beyond Google or Wikipedia, s/he'd know most homoeopathic practitioners explain it is not a "Cure all" for everyone, but a specific

Hi Ryan, While I accept your critique that my article could be better cited, I stand by the information presented within it. Given the fairly informal style of Debate and its target audience I didn’t feel it was necessary to present sources and references for this column, as it is intended as a simple general overview.

However in answer to your complaints; there is a large body of scientific evidence regarding homeopathy. For a good summary of the literature I recommend the book “Trick or Treatment” by Edzard Ernst & Simon Singh in which the authors analyse the wide range of studies and reviews and conclude that there is no evidence of an effect beyond placebo. While isolated studies occasionally report effects; the

As for Nosdes, the "Hair of the Dog" remedy as it was called- What do you think a vaccine is? A modification or dilution of the virus or bacteria injected into the body to create an immune response.

The only difference between a Nosode and a vaccine is the method by which it is produced.

I would also like to take the opportunity to state that those are only two of many, many treatments offered by homeopathy, to some

more rigorous and tightly-controlled the study, the smaller the size of the effect.

It does however seem rather inconsistent to accuse me of failing my due academic diligence, and then only providing anecdotal evidence from yourself and your friend to support your position. The appeal to the authoritative credentials of Dr. Richard Pitcairn also does little to bolster your argument, and it is relevant to note that Dr. Pitcairn has a conflict of interest in this matter: his organisation “Animal Natural Health Centre” offers courses in Veterinary Homeopathy and he served as the President of the Board for the International Foundation for Homeopathy (1985-86).

The analogy of homeopathy to vaccines is false. Vaccines work by provoking an immune response and stimulating the

Hi debate!

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the article on LifeHack. Although avidly interested in solving youth mental health issues, I am ashamed to say I had not really paid all to much attention to this initiative before. Well, I can now proudly say that I have registered my interest to get involved!

Just one question, however. If, as was acknowledged in the Editor's column, social media has made us soft and antisocial, can social media really be the answer to such a deep societal issue as mental health issues? Just food for thought!

Nathan

of which I owe my very existence today.

Dr. Richard H Pitcairn wrote "I therefore have no hesitation in stating that from my own experience and observation, the homeopathic preventives are much safer in use, and absolutely certain in their effects. Even should the infectious, disease develop, it will be in a much milder form." http://thinktwice.com/nosodes.htm He has a PHD and DVM. Does Mythbuster Rob??

Perhaps in the future you might include some actual information and academic writing in a UNIVERSITY magazinewe're supposed to be higher learning here, guys!

Also Debate printed the same comic twice in that issue p32 & 26, but I'll let you off the hook for that one. regards, Ryan.

production of antibodies. True homeopathic remedies do not activate the immune system or induce the production of antibodies. The active ingredients are diluted until they occur in infinitesimally small quantities and most often they do not occur at all.

As you alluded to, the “allergy” treatment is only one of the claims that homeopathic practitioners make, and it is purported to treat an incredibly wide range of illnesses.

However there is no plausible mechanism by which this could work and when rigorously studied there is no practically significant effect size.

Regards, Mythbuster ROB

Dear debate editor, I just wanted to express my disappointment at the publishing of the article on Sen. Rand Paul. Although informative, I felt that the article had an unacceptable political slant towards anti-government libertarianism. As you will know, we have a very diverse student population with diverse political views. I feel that this cuts directly through all of that. It is saddening that the most staunch and radical political views tend to be the most vocal, which creates a grievous misrepresentation of public opinion.

as effective as desired, Sen. Rand Paul's open protest deliberately undermined the decision-making process of government. He should not be commended for this. To make matters worse, every conservative, ultra-patriot and hypocrite in the house joined in to support this lunacy. Such actions may have a place in the United States' crippled political system, but it is a far cry from deserving any sort of attention here. However, sadly it does exist in New Zealand, although not as extreme as good 'ol 'Murica. Is it any wonder that so many young people shy away from politics?

Although government may not always be

A disgruntled Marxist. www.ausm.org.nz

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LOVENOTES & HATEMAIL

lovenotes & hatemail Dear debate, Let me begin by saying that I absolutely love the new WG building.

Being a third-year Comms student, it’s been a long time coming and the new gizmos and studios are heaven-sent. Being a radio major, I feel like radio kids and tutors are finally being appreciated, being smack-bang in the centre of the City Campus. We were only too happy to say goodbye to the cruddy little WX and its cruddy little lifts.

I was at the official opening last Friday night, the one John Key attended and where security was so tight I almost couldn't get in, despite being told to help, (but that's another story for another time), and I felt so proud to be one of the first to be given the opportunity to use this awesome building.

One part that particularly stood out to me was the kapa haka group (sorry if the terminology is wrong!) who did a splendid job of welcoming all the big guns. What I didn't really understand was the speech done in Maori that this guy opened the ceremonies with.

Sorry, I don't know his name either! He might have introduced

himself in his speech, but I didn't catch it because I couldn't understand what he was saying.

Which leads me to my point - this guy spoke for a good 5-10 minutes and must've said some really brilliant things, but with no translation given, I felt his message was lost. Sure, those who are fluent (or at least partly so) in Maori did understand him, because they giggled and responded to him, but I definitely don't think I was the only one who didn't understand him. I strongly believe that Maori culture and language should be upheld and treasured and it's great to see that Maori culture is afforded a place of honour in important events like this. I just feel that it's kind of like, taking away from this when the message is lost on the many of us who do not understand the language.

Just a random thought. Sorry if it doesn't make sense and I definitely took too long getting to the point.

Churr, Person-Who-Loves-WG

If you'd like to send in a lovenote or hatemail to the editor, email matthew.cattin@aut.ac.nz

comeSeeUs-Manukau.pdf

Updates Top-up your phone with AuSM and get a discount!

AuSM City and North Shore offices sell Vodafone, Telecom and 2degrees top-ups. Buy a $20 top-up from us for just $19.50!

Clubs

AuSM clubs are getting into full swing and have heaps going on. Get more involved on campus and join a club!

Find out more at www.ausm.org.nz or email Nathan at nathan.bromberg@aut.ac.nz for more info.

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Plan your break ahead.

Get your mates together and take a road trip to National Park during the mid-semester break. You can hire the AuSM lodge from $130 and it sleeps 12 – that’s less than $11 per person! Find out more or book now at www.ausm.org.nz

Last chance to win Warm Bodies tickets!

Remember you’ve got until 10pm on April 3 to win tickets to AuSM’s movie screening of the contagiously cool zombie rom-com Warm Bodies. The screening will be at Event Cinemas on Queen Street on the 10th April and to top it all off, you’ll get a free popcorn and drink.

Get on to it!

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Nifty NEWS

Left: Albert Park in 1940.

Right: Albert Park today.

HISTORY UNDERFOOT

By Craig Hoyle A former AUT student is behind a renewed tunnel,” he says. surprised to learn the tunnels existed. drive to re-open the World War 2 air-raid “People just have no idea, and what I Project Director Jason Armishaw and Minister John who Key at the launch of LIFEHACK shelters beneath Albert Park.

The signs arePrime still there for anyone find most rewarding is when you read a takes a closer look. comment from someone saying they’ve Mark Howarth produced a documentary on walked across Albert Park for 15 years and the shelters in 2011 as part of an AUT film “Out in front of the main university, the had no idea,” he says. project, and says most people are still not main door of the old university, there is a aware the tunnels even exist. lamp-post,” says Mr Reid. “You can actually “These people are completely shocked that see a very slight depression in the ground, there’s this huge network of tunnels, and “There’s this hidden treasure in the middle and the entry was right there.” they just didn’t know.” of Auckland city and no-one really knows Mr Reid’s attempts to have the tunnels about it,” he says. reopened were met with little enthusiasm Mr Reid's dream is to have the tunnels on the part of the council, but the project reopened as a war museum, complete More than three kilometres of tunnels gained new life after Mr Howarth with memorabilia from World War 2. The were excavated beneath Albert Park in made contact and proposed making a council is expected to make a decision 1943, designed to give students and office documentary. within the next week on whether to fund workers in the city somewhere to escape to this proposal. in the event of bombing by the Japanese The documentary told the story of Mr Airforce.

Reid’s efforts to preserve the tunnels for He says the current interest would not have Auckland city, and Mr Howarth’s personal been possible without Mr Howarth’s help After the war ended the tunnels were interest was piqued as a result of the and support. bricked up and forgotten about. It was project. more than 40 years before Auckland man “Somehow, somewhere, Mark will be Bill Reid began digging once more into “When I first found out about them I was rewarded for his brilliant efforts,” says Mr Auckland’s underground history. really interested in them, and once I learnt Reid. “I owe Mark a lot.” all about it I kind of got a passion for it “When I first entered the archives in 1986 myself,” he says.

For his part, Mr Howarth says it is about it was all marked top secret,” says Mr Reid.

Mr Reid says Mr Howarth went far beyond preserving the history of Auckland.

“Air raid shelters are top-secret, from the what was required for his university war. assignment.

“Without Bill these tunnels would have been completely forgotten about,” he says.

“I had to go through a two-week “He’s gone beyond the realms of reality and “There’s not even a plaque at Albert Park to programme to get the top-secret taken off he’s still working very hard on it now, still, say they exist. those documents.” two years later,” he says.

Mr Reid made many discoveries during his The pair have canvassed the council, stood “I feel they’re a treasure that everyone research, including a secret tunnel from the on Queen St handing out flyers to raise should know about.” universities to the shelters. public awareness about the tunnels, and started a Facebook page to put the word out For more information about the tunnels, and to follow Mark and Bill’s progress, check out “I presume it was, in the case of an air online. www.facebook.com/AlbertParkTunnels attack from the Japanese, to get the brains of the university out and down into the Mr Howarth says many people were www.ausm.org.nz

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NIFTY NEWS

Following their severing of peace talks with the south, North Korea has expressed a desire to be taken seriously and have attempted this the only way they know how. Mindless posturing. In response to further sanctions placed upon them by the United Nations, Kim Jong Un, fearless leader of North Korea, declared that attacks on both the south and Japan were imminent. However when the south continued to harvest minerals in Starcraft and Japan took more photos of themselves, Kim Jong Un made it clear that this was not the response he was looking for.

North Korea Declares Attacks on Everyone.

By Kieran Bennett

Kim Jong Un, Lil Kim to his friends, made a statement atop the most powerful piece of military equipment his country possessed. He declared while astride a 16th century canon that "the north is to be feared and only large, hollow threats will gain us respect". Shortly afterwards he declared that attacks were

Internships can provide invaluable experience for students but some interns are at risk of exploitation under New Zealand’s employment laws.

Unpaid interns in New Zealand do not have the same rights and protections as paid employees under The Employment Relations Act. AUT student Vanessa Beech* says she feels taken advantage of at her magazine internship.

Internships: Modern slavery or pathway to career success?

By Yasmin Forsythe

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Vanessa says she is often asked to research and write stories in her own time, which are not used or responded to when she emails them to her editor.

“They definitely do play off the fact you’re inexperienced…they definitely let you know your place when you’re sitting tucked away in a corner and you’re getting yelled at,” she says.

Vanessa also says her name is rarely printed when her stories are published.

imminent everywhere, saying that no nation was safe from the wrath of the "mighty and not at all impotent north". Lil Kim then began to scribble on an art pad what he said was "evidence of his genius to lead best Korea"; in the form of a war plan. When our reporter attempted to ask for clarification on the war plan, saying it looked an awful lot like a cartoon missile blowing up the world, he was declared "traitor to only Korea" and ejected from the country.

There has been mixed response thus far from other countries. Barrack ‘Three-Pointer’ Obama said in a press release that he is unconcerned and that the upcoming White House basketball game is “much more pressing and frankly a greater threat to our national security”. He then went on to promise the gathered crowd that should North Korea make an aggressive move against the United States they would send “at least one

“I won’t get offered a job I can tell you. There are people who have graduated from university and are still going in there, not getting paid.

They’ll go in two days a week or so and they’ve been there for over a year, a lot of them.”

Yet studies indicate that job seekers who have interned may have an advantage over those who did not.

For example a 2010 survey by a national human resources company found 94 percent of New Zealand employers surveyed wanted to hire employees with industry experience.

AUT graduate Timothy Wakely got his current job reporting for The Hastings Leader and The Village Press through interning.

Timothy was offered the job after interning for a month as part of his post-graduate diploma in 2012.

“It’s really good to intern because you are getting that

naval ship. Just to prove we’re taking them kinda seriously”.

Prime Minister John Key was recorded as saying shortly after the threats were issued that “I’m not actually 100% sure where it even is. Doesn’t sound like a proper country to me.” However when he was briefed on the issue, Mr Key revised his statement and said that he felt “the opposition could really be doing more for the average Kiwi”. When questioned on the meaning of this statement Mr Key laughed, deflected the question, referred to our reporter by his first name and left everyone feeling like the whole thing was okay even if he hadn’t done a whole lot.

Kim Jong Un has made no further move to invade the south, Japan or anywhere else. If North Korean invasion forces are spotted, the United Nations has advised its members to refrain from laughing too loud, “lest feelings be hurt”.

experience and it looks really good on your CV. You learn so much of what is expected of you,” he says.

Timothy highly recommends interning for students.

“I got my job by chance because some one else was leaving. It was the right place and the right time,” he says.

“I applied for it but I think it really did help that I was here and they could see what I was capable of and they could see that I was willing to work here for free.”

He also says his internship wasn’t without hard work.

“I did get the heat and the same pressures as everyone else but I wasn’t getting paid for it. If you can deliver the goods and not get paid for it, it shows you really want to be here and the determination that you have.” *Name has been changed to protect identity

NIFTY Nifty NEWS NEWS

Building Opening an 'Extraordinary Memorial'

By Elesha Edmonds For a year Lady Reeves found it “too painful” to visit the new WG building.

In an emotional opening ceremony, she described AUT University’s new Sir Paul Reeves building as an “extraordinary memorial” to her late husband.

Last Friday marked the formal opening of AUT’s $100 million building, with Prime Minister John Key and Lady Beverly Reeves unveiling a plaque in memory of Sir Paul.

Sir Paul Reeves was elected as Chancellor of AUT University in 2005 and continued in this role until stepping down, a month before he died, in July 2011.

Lady Reeves says she was “absolutely over the moon” when asked if the university could name the building after Sir Paul.

He had previously served as the Anglican Archbishop of New Zealand and was New Zealand’s first Maori Governor-General.

“I knew of course that the building was going up, and I thought wouldn’t it be lovely… but I didn’t think it was going to be possible,” says Lady Reeves. “It didn’t happen till the end of January and then they asked me officially.

“It was a great honour and an amazing thing for Paul to be remembered by.”

Maori party co-leader Pita Sharples says it was during Sir Paul’s time as Archbishop that the pair met.

AUT’s Vice-Chancellor, Derek McCormack, spoke of Sir Paul’s significant role in the development of the building.

“Sir Paul was an amazing man.

He was really, really basic and always with wise counsel.

Student academic results are taking a hit as financial struggles require more hours of work.

time to study.

Each week a full time tertiary student can receive up to $172.00 living costs and up to $208.00 on student allowance.

In 2011 rent at the AUT

By Antonia Anderson

Dr Sharples describes Sir Paul as a humble man whom he held in high regard, as they both shared a passion for Maori education.

“It was Sir Paul’s commitment, confidence and leadership, as Chancellor, that confirmed the [University] council decision to embark on the enormous project to construct this building.”

Each year the cost of student accommodation rises due to the rates increasing, forcing students to have part time jobs to cover rent payments.

Grades Compromised for Financial Necessities

“He was my Bishop… our paths crossed over heaps,” says Dr Sharples. “I met him in the East Coast when he was the Bishop of Waiapu.”

Wellesley Student Apartments was $460.00 per fortnight.

Now it has increased to $510.00 per fortnight, yet students receive the same amount from Studylink.

This has forced many students to have part time jobs in order to stay financially afloat, which some students say can have a negative impact on their education because they have less

“He was passionate about education and about Maori’s doing well. He hurt over

Students who are financially independent from their parents can receive an allowance each week from Studylink – some students have to pay it back and some students do not, depending on their parents’ income.

Resident at the AUT Wellesley Student Apartments Maggie Campbell says “it’s annoying because in order to live in the city I have to have a part time job because it’s so expensive”.

Maori’s not succeeding… He really hurt.”

Sir Paul’s granddaughter and AUT student, Roimata Tunui, 20, says naming the building after Sir Paul was an appropriate way to recognise his work for the university.

“I think it was truly a great way to recognise his achievements, his love for AUT and his passion for education,” she says.

Roimata is in her third year studying the Bachelor of Design, majoring in fashion design, and says her grandfather’s passion for the university influenced her decision to study at AUT. “He loved being here and he was always passionate about making sure that people got the education they deserved,” she says.

“I feel, as a student here, very humbled to use the facilities and this building.”

The new Sir Paul Reeves building, designed by architects Jasmax, has been described as the front door for AUT’s city campus and is regarded as “one of the most contemporary media and learning spaces in this hemisphere”.

Apartments Manager, Deborah Blake, says they have no choice in putting the rent up, as council rates increase every year.

“They [Studylink] need to do research into student living and reconsider their payments,” says Ms Blake.

“It’s disappointing for me because we have students who are struggling.”

Maggie says balancing her job and university work can be stressful and she has noticed it has had a negative effect on her grades.

“I then have to plan my uni work around my job when it should be the other way around,” she says.

AUT Wellesley Student

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Athlete PROFILE

CHARLOTTE DAVIS Profiled by Kahlia Finch Charlotte Davis is a longstanding New Zealand Junior Touch representative. In 2012 she captained the New Zealand Under 21 Women’s Team at her third consecutive international tournament. Charlotte is 19-yearsold and is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation at AUT University. She is a key member of the AUT University Touch Team, and will be travelling to the 2013 NZ UniGames Tournament from 21 – 24 April.

2. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes along with leadership. What did you learn from this role?

Yeah – it was my third time playing at New Zealand youth level, so there were really high expectations of me.

I’ve been a vice-captain before, but never a captain and it’s not as easy as it looks. As a captain you get a different perspective than you do when you just play. It’s really helped me in the way I present myself on and off the field, and in the way I talk to my team mates and my coaches. It was a big life lesson.

3. How did you get into Touch?

I started playing when I was 12. My dad’s a league coach, so he taught me the basics, like how to pass and catch.

There was a team who needed an extra player, so I joined and have been

Inter-Faculty Touch Tournament Congratulations to those players who competed in the inaugural Touch Inter-Faculty Tournament! Thanks for an amazing day of sport! Check out facebook.com/autsport for photos from the day.

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playing ever since.

4. What are your sporting goals?

My long term goal at the moment is to make the NZ Open Women’s Touch Team for the 2015 World Cup in Australia.

5. How do you pay for international tournaments like worlds?

It’s actually quite expensive to play internationally, because players have to pay for everything at youth level.

I’m lucky because my family are really supportive and do lots of fundraising for me. My club team Bulletz help out a lot with fundraising too.

6. Who are your sporting heroes?

Bo De La Cruz – She is an exAustralian Open Women’s touch player who is really well known in touch circles.

When I was younger watching her play was just amazing, and her level was something I always aspired to. I happened to meet her three years ago at a tournament and was introduced to her by one of my coaches. She watched me play a game, and came up to me afterwards and gave me her boots. Other than that, I look up to all my Bulletz players I am privileged to Upcoming Sports Events at AUT

1. Tell us about your recent tournament.

My most recent international tournament was the Youth TransTasman Tournament, which was held in Auckland from 5 – 10 February. This was a three test series against Australia held over three consecutive days at the Trust Stadium. I was the Captain of the NZ Under 21 Women’s Team.

play alongside. They are one of the main reasons as to why I’ve been able to excel in touch by developing my knowledge and intricacies’ of the game.

7. What is your most memorable sporting moment or achievement?

Winning NZ SS in 2010 is my most memorable sports achievement. I was part of the Manurewa High School Senior Girls Team. It was the most memorable achievement for me because I was playing with girls that I’d grown up with and seen every day.

When you go through that with team mates they become your sisters in a way. Being able to win one of the hardest national titles with them beside me was just amazing.

8. What is the best home cooked meal to come home to?

Steak, eggs, and chips.

9. What is the best advice you’ve been given by a Coach?

Don’t stress the little things.

10. What music do you listen to to amp yourself up for a game?

Usually something upbeat, like dubstep or rap.

New Zealand UniGames – 21 to 24 April – Dunedin New Zealand University Rowing Championships – 26 to 28 April – Lake Karapiro Rotorua Marathon – 3 to 5 May

www.aut.ac.nz/community/sport-at-aut | www.facebook.com/autsport

Memorandum

By Scott Yeoman

A memorandum

Memorandum [mem-uh-ran-duh m] -noun, pl. –dums, -da 1. A short note designating something to be remembered, especially something to be done or acted upon in the future; reminder.

Never forget the value of old music – the messages will always be timeless – even if the artists themselves are no longer around.

I often complain that I was born too late. Born into a generation that doesn’t share my love of all things old...well, not all things...just music I guess. I’m a bit of a nostalgic old fogey when it comes to music.

Our parent’s generation – now that’s where I belong.

are so capturing and so historically relevant, that it was one of the few selected last month for preservation at the US Library of Congress. It is a poem written from raw human experience, and sung by Simon and Garfunkel with noble reverence.

'Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again.

Because a vision softly creeping in, Left its seed while I was sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence.'

Imagine being a teenager in the late sixties, early seventies. Sure, times were tough back then, I understand that, but boy was the music good. Not only did the songs actually have lyrics, but the words meant something - they were real.

Imagine what it would’ve been like to go to Woodstock in ‘69 and witness Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Santana and 29 other musical legends play in front of 500,000 people.

Imagine hearing the Beatles sing Let It Be live, rather than watching a pixelated video of it on YouTube.

Imagine...John Lennon taught me to do that.

The music of yesteryear holds messages that we can still learn from - messages that were powerful enough to stir up public debate and incite protest, yet so deep in apt symbolism that these protests were about peace.

As I’m writing this, I’m listening to the sweet sweet harmony of Simon and Garfunkel’s classic, The Sound of Silence. This is a song written in 1964 - a time of national turmoil in America following President John F. Kennedy's assassination a year earlier. The lyrics

I must have listened to this opening verse a thousand times, yet it will never get old, even though, really, it is.

Next Monday I’m going to Vector Arena to hear Paul Simon sing it live, an experience that I think I’ll struggle to match for a very long time.

He may be 71 years old, and his voice may not be what it was, but no one can sing those lyrics the way he can - he wrote them after all.

And even long after he’s gone, his songs will continue to influence people like me. And maybe you.

By Mike Ross

AUCKLAND'S GOT IT GOING ON This week doesn't really feel like a week, does it? More like three days to catch your breath from the mammoth weekend that's just been.

The gig guides are reflecting that same thought - it's a little bit quiet in terms of parties. Gives you a chance to get on that treadmill and work off those Easter eggs though.

So instead of focussing on actual events, this week I'm going to take a look at some of the best new venues that Auckland has to offer. I'll bet you haven't visited them all, and hopefully I can unearth some gems for ya.

Goldfinch

Nightclub, Viaduct Harbour I know, I know. The Viaduct is a place for $4 tequila shots, top 40 hits and ethnic diversity. But Goldfinch could be the place to change that (apart from the ethnic diversity of course - there ain't nothing wrong with a bit of Neapolitan socialising). Located under the just-as-awesome Snapdragon, there's no other word to describe Goldfinch than 'plush'. Chandeliers, loungers, and a cocktail list so comprehensive you'd be forgiven if you mistook it for a novel. With an outside courtyard to take in the harbour and a large dance floor to get your groove on, Goldfinch should be on your list of places to be.

Everybody's

Restaurant/Bar, Fort Lane Everybody's opened at the beginning of last year, and although it's been bumping along quite tidily as a restaurant, it's been a little underutilised as a nightspot. This is all set to change though, with the venue's first proper party, Diamante, showing that Everybody's can rock just as hard as any club. It could well be the most sophisticated venue in Auckland, so keep your eyes open - I reckon we'll be seeing this dope spot blossom very soon.

Freeman & Grey Bar, Ponsonby Road

There's always a new bar on Ponsonby Road. They seem to come and go like the seasons, but judging by the crowds that have been flocking to this one, Freeman & Grey's not going anywhere anytime soon. I don't have much to say about this place except that it catches the sun so well it should be on the ITM Fishing Show. Brews, brews and more brews will be had here, that, is, for, sure.

For more information about this week's venues, along with a delightful selection of cured meats: www.google.com

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ARTICLE Jailbird Jazz Article:

JAILBIRD JAZZ

By Hazel Buckingham

“What we play is life” – “Satchmo” Louis Armstrong It’s after dark, mid 1920s, and you’re dawdling along Basin Street, New Orleans. Your body is engulfed in a cloud of fog and your eyes are adjusting to the night. There’s a broken lamp, flickering on and off above a rusty red door that leads to some steps. You hear a faint beat coming from below and you move closer. Footsteps pound behind you as a boy, no more than 17, rushes past you, clearly late for something. You just manage to spy the trumpet case in his hand as he descends down the steps of the red door. You know you shouldn’t, you should be going home, but you follow. Within seconds you’re swallowed up by a whole new world – a world of creativity, danger and inspiration.

The world of jazz.

Today it is looked upon as a highbrow taste, which only the most educated and sophisticated people can really understand.

But true fans know the reality. It is the genre of music famous for breaking tradition, challenging values and mindsets and contesting the social norm. The etymological lineage of the word gives away more than it should, “jazz” once having been a slang word for sexual intercourse. It was once called “the devil’s music” by some, while others refused to call it music at all. It

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began in illegal venues, where the risk of being caught and shut down was always overpowered by the sound of the music. It was the true “outsider” of American culture, never swamped by the standards of the upper classes. The legend of jazz is passed on through a different language – not the mass media, not the spoken or written word. It is passed on through a language of swing, and as Louis Armstrong once said “If you don’t feel it, you’ll never know”.

Way back when in the 1920s and 30s, American law banned the sale of alcohol, resulting in illicit speakeasies becoming lively venues. With a strict segregation in place for African Americans, many turned to the entertainment scene to find work. Here, a hybrid of African rhythmic retention and phrasing mixed with European music traditions to create the roots of what we know tenderly now as jazz music. However, because it turned to illegal venues, such as brothels and bordellos, the marginal alternative status of jazz was confirmed. It was its stereotypical sociocultural associations from the prostitutes of New Orleans to the alcoholism and drug addiction of the nightclub scenes in New York, that really put hammered the nail in.

Being seen as a destructive force that had a negative impact on peoples’ behaviour, jazz was played on the sly. The older generations were worried about it destroying tradition and promoting

the values of the Roaring Twenties – with flapper dresses giving women room for expression, and modern technology allowing more than ever before. It became an escape from social constraints, and people began to move their bodies in time to the music to express this kind of freedom. Jazz saw people dance and move in ways that were never seen before (but are now a common practice in most downtown nightclubs). It transcended the racial borders, bringing “blacks” and “whites” together through the music – demonstrating how it was really the cultural product of a diaspora, both in origin and its progression alike.

As ragtime moved into big band swing, the mass media began broadcasting this “dance” music on national radio. Here, in the height of the swing era, jazz claimed the title of America’s mainstream popular music. It occupied a paradoxical position, combining its “outsider” role with the heavy mainstream exposure.

Legends like Duke Ellington had the nation up on their feet with something to shout about – though they still had those cynical frowns on their faces.

From swing developed bebop, which became more of a “musicians’ music”, focusing on technical ability and breaking the restrictions of traditional chords and harmonics. Though the previous eras had pushed the boundaries, bebop found a new outlet in “cutting sessions”. These were held late at night in

clubs, where musicians tried to outplay and outlast one another.

It gave people an expression they had never had before, and featured lengthy improvisations that redefined what had once been known as “music”. Jazz idols such as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie lead the nation through times of upheaval and change, arguably preparing them for the Civil Rights movement of the 60s.

Jazz has tragically died in a sense. No longer does it symbolise so many different political tendencies – freedom and democratic values, a threat to order and civil society, the possibility of integration and racial harmony. Perhaps this is a good thing; that people no longer need to take to underground clubs to express simple human rights. Or do they? In a society where we still need to argue for things like gay marriage (or marriage as it should be called), perhaps jazz is just the thing we need. It still exists, marginally, with talented musicians out there. But there has yet to be another Charlie Parker or another Duke Ellington.

It is time we called for a renaissance of jazz. As trombonist J. J. Johnson said: “Jazz is restless, it won’t stay put and it never will.”

So where is it?

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Article: Men: Harden Up And Wear A Condom

MEN: Harden up and wear a condom

By Erica Donald

Fancy earning yourself $100,000? Then the next time you are snuggling up to your significant other for some sexy time, think of Bill Gates.

“Condoms just suck all the moisture out of everything. It can make it as dry as the Sahara down there,” said one disgruntled female student. “I don’t want to get pregnant, but that’s what the pill is for.”

The technology tycoon himself has been thrust back into the spotlight after offering that enormous sum as a grant for the perso n who can invent a condom that men will actually want to wear.

Students around the AUT campus rose to the challenge and shared ideas about how to penetrate the condom market.

Throughout the last 400 years of use, condoms have undergone some changes. They were once made of animal intestines, canvas and sometimes even turtle shell and animal horns.

However it seems the stroke of genius in changing to latex is not enough, as the brief released for the challenge says most men would prefer the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease or getting their partner pregnant rather than wear a condom.

“The primary drawback from the male perspective is that condoms decrease pleasure as compared to no condom, creating a tradeoff that many men find unacceptable, particularly given that the decisions about use must be made just prior to intercourse,” says the brief.

So men are finding it hard, in the heat of the moment, to decide which would be worse: a condom or the combo deal of an STI and pregnancy.

“I’ll put myself into the shoes of someone who needs to use condoms,” said one innocent male student. “I imagine that they wouldn’t feel as natural.”

“They really don’t feel as good,” said another male student. “They also smell really bad; it’s kind of a mood killer.”

It’s not only the men who dislike condoms. Even some women have an issue with them, saying they do not feel as good as when you go without them.

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“It would be handy if they glowed in the dark,” said one eager student. “Except then guys would probably have light saber fights.”

“If I had $100,000 to spend, I would make one that lights on fire,” said another. “Or one that shoots fireworks after you’ve finished, that would help the experience a lot.

“I would make them really sparkly,” said one of our female students.

“And I would make sure that they smelt really nice, like roses or chocolate or something.”

AUT, I think you nailed it.

While they may not be first choice when you’re getting down and dirty, condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.

Statistics from Family Planning show that while there was a decrease in the number of cases of Gonorrhoea and Syphilis, there was an increase in the number of cases between 2006 and 2011.

The 15-19 and 20-24 age groups came out on top for the number of confirmed cases.

These statistics are pretty hard to swallow but they show that there really is a need for a new type of condom which will make people want to use it.

When you think about it, Bill Gates is really just looking out for our sex lives and giving us a helping hand to make it better. So get your thinking cap on. It will be stiff competition but who knows, perhaps an AUT student will come from behind and revolutionise the condom. Perhaps in the near future there really will be a condom which makes us see fireworks.

COLUMNS

Auckland Bikers' Vicious Cycle

BY CAMERON CARPENTER Auckland drivers hate cyclists and recent New Zealand Herald headlines show how bad it gets on the road; “Call for calm after road rage attack," "Central Auckland cyclist hit by car.” Between 2010 and 2011, fatal and serious injury crashes in Auckland involving cyclists went up from 37 to 50 crashes. It’s to be expected in one of the world’s most cardependent cities, where only 1 per cent of trips in the morning peak are made on bicycle.

Griffith University professor Paul Mees says attempts to reverse car dependence in Auckland have failed because the region’s transport planners employ policies that promote road capacity expansion over investment in other forms of transport. Recent attempts to change Auckland’s transport planning around conceptions of sustainability have simply reproduced the kind of car dominated transport plans that have been pursued since the 1950s, with a ‘greener’ rhetoric, he says.

An Otago University study shows that fear of rude and actively hostile behavior from drivers is the main reason New Zealanders are not using their bikes more. When I ask my friends why they’re not cycling they say the same thing – they love going for relaxed rides along the waterfront but fear riding amongst the traffic. Auckland Council’s latest attempt to make life easier for cyclists is a cycle safety website. Amongst the list of safety tips is; “be courteous and smile – it is an effective way to improve attitudes and ensure people on bikes get treated well by motorists.” I’ll make sure I do that the next time a bus nearly knocks me off my bike when it is leaving the bus stop.

Although I haven’t had an accident yet, I have had countless adrenaline filled encounters. While cycling in a T3 lane, an old man in a late model Mercedes accelerated incredibly close behind me. He overtook me and yelled “you moron, get off the fucking road.” Filled with adrenalin I caught up to him, telling him to learn the road code.

Later that night Auckland’s notorious King Cobra gang targeted my bike. For thieves, bikes are portable and easily converted to cash, and they usually vanish without a trace.

I was lucky this time; a Burger Fuel manager caught them trying to push the bike over the street sign it was locked to, and held the bike in store - so I got it back.

Despite the close calls, my morning commute ensures I’m pumped for my day – I love weaving to the front of a traffic queue, not relying on Auckland’s public transport system, or paying exorbitant parking fees. However, to get more people riding on their bikes there needs to be a complete overhaul of the major roads in Auckland, and planners need to look overseas for fresh ideas. Copenhagen is cycling’s Garden of Eden with over 37% of morning commuters cycling to work. Cycle tracks are more than 2-metres wide, separated from traffic by a curb and parked cars.

Auckland’s cycling network is filled with gaps, and advocacy group Cycle Action Auckland say they range from narrow 100km/h roads without alternatives, multi-lane intersections without cycling lanes, and no cycling route over the Harbour Bridge. These gaps need to be filled to bring down the unsustainable number of cars on Auckland's roads.

TALKING BACK TO RITALIN

BY DEREK SEYMOUR It was with interest that I recently read a book about the rise of Attention Deficit Disorder.

Titled Talking Back to Ritalin by Peter R Breggin, the book tackles the psychiatric illusion that difficult kids are ill and should be prescribed amphetamine.

When I was a kid at primary school, I was always on the go. I found it difficult to sit still in a classroom, and still do. I couldn't concentrate on boring lessons and I fluctuated between day-dreaming about football and avoiding doing classwork. Concerned teachers wrote reports about me saying I was a "day-dreamer", sounded "alarm bells" about my lack of "focus", telling my parents I was "heading for disaster" and meeting them at school to discuss "growing" concerns about my lack of performance.

When I eventually left senior school, where I failed virtually everything, I remember going to pick up my school certificates pissed as a fart. I received a reference from the headmaster which prevented me from joining the Army as soldier because of previous ongoing bad behaviour (I once had a fist fight in his English literature class), and the fact I had failed to attend large chunks of the last two years because of truancy.

Fortunately, I went to school before the psychiatric community had taken a firm grip on "rogue behaviour”, developing a theory that difficult school kids were ill, reaching a conclusion they were suffering from chemical brain imbalances which they termed attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which they could now cure through life-long prescriptions of methamphetamine drugs, such as Ritalin.

Fast forward 30 years. If I was going to school today, there is a very good chance that school psychologists would diagnose me with ADHD, and possibly a whole raft of other mental

illnesses, and set me on a lifetime course of medication, or possibly just lop off part of my brain's frontal lobes. Fortunately, this didn't happen, and I went on to university and achieved through hard work and determination a BSC degree with honors in psychology with computer science.

Breggin's book demolishes piece by piece the pseudo-scientific illness of ADHD. He begins by noting the massive increase in problematic school children who have been diagnosed with this condition, explains why this is so, and how there has been a strengthening of the psychiatric community's close association with large pharmaceutical companies who bankroll their operation. He documents the dramatic ten-fold increase in the production of methyphenidate (Ritalin) to treat the illness with amphetamine drugs where it is now estimated that almost 10%, and rising, of American school children have ADHD. It’s interesting to note how the medical diagnosis of ADHD is so vague and elusive that psychiatrists can't agree with each other about what ADHD actually is, but find it easy enough to diagnose.

Breggin's book is masterfully researched and referenced in American Psychological Association (APA) standards, extremely readable, very persuasive, and a must-read for anyone with the slightest interest in the growing medicalisation and drugging of our so-called problematic school kids, some as young as threeyears-old.

It is also a must read for parents whose kids are having problems at school. Breggin develops alternative theories which are not rooted in chemical brain imbalances to explain the rise of ADHD, and discusses alternative ways to view this so-called condition, and help children who are struggling, perhaps, at school and in their daily lives - I highly recommend it. www.ausm.org.nz

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ARTICLE- Tata'u

ARTICLE: The Steubenville Reaction

TATA'U

By Rose Tei

I remember as a young g-kid I thought it was cool to have random home-made tattoos. By using a needle and pen ink (eventually, graduating to Indian ink) I tattooed various parts of my body just so I could fit in. My tattoos then consisted of initials of people I missed or (thought) I loved, to having a massive ‘ROSE 274’ (my name with representation of where I was from) plastered over the top half of my back. As time went on however, I started to regret a lot of my home-made antics and decided to replace them when my father, an artist in his own right, decided to turn his paintings into tattoos. Excited by the thought, I pleaded with my father to override the horrible mistake I made with my cousins one drunken occasion and he agreed to do so. Thus my journey for the love of tattooing began!

I was never a “cultural” person. I was never brought up that way and my father believed that westernizing my upbringing would be more beneficial to my future (yeah, nah bro). However, my partner of 13 years has taught me to appreciate my culture and heritage by showing me the ropes of what it had to offer me. In my partner’s eyes I am considered “a plastic Raro” – I was born in NZ, I don’t speak a lick of Raro lingo (because I sound funny when I try) and I ‘ura’ (dance) like a stick - his words

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not mine… But I do share a passion for the art of tattooing. Unfortunately, I don’t share the same artistic skills as my father, but there’s always room for admirers.

Therefore, I will take you on a little journey of what my good teacher has taught me about the art.

From what I have come to know the most commonly used word for tattoo is tata’u which simply means the results of the tapping. There are variations within the northern and southern groups of the Cook Islands, and that’s due to the different dialects within the Cook Islands. The tools supplied for tata’u were made from animal or human bone (eeww) or shells, strapped to a wooden handle that you would have to hit using a ‘rakau papa’ or stick.

Back in ancient times, tata’u was worn to beautify and symbolise the status of a person. Cook Islander’s are proud people and they used to wear full body tata’u proudly!

Traditional tata’u was abundant - as plenty as there were coconut trees - but that all changed dramatically when the missionaries rocked up. Missionaries believed the practice of tata’u to be barbaric, detesting it because of the “your body is a temple” thing.*Roll your eyes* Once missionaries were established in the Cooks, the art of tata’u was obliterated and natives were

banned from practicing. To mask those that were already ‘beautiful monstrosities’, missionaries would dress them from head to toe. But of course there’s always one smart ass brewing up a concoction of trouble - convincing others to undergo “touch up” procedures or “completion” procedures on the D’low. Dispite this however, by the time word had gotten to Rarotonga, the traditional tata’u had largely disappeared.

Until, in the late 1990’s the uprising of tata’u was back, seizing the Pacific with its riches and beauty amongst a few tata’u enthusiasts known as the ‘new generation’, through an event that was introduced as Mairenui - The Festival of Pacific Arts.

Held every four years all over the Pacific, the conception of this event preserved the indiginous art forms for future generations to come.

Today tata’u is embellished on skin with a mix of traditional and contemporary motifs; with that, the use of modern technology is also used - such as the tattooing gun and needles. Designs keep tradition with a bit of flair from the artiste. The finished product describes where we’re from and how we came to be (mum met dad, etc) and that long family history rep’s on the person who wears it for life.

INTERVIEW - The Red House On The Silver Screen

The Red House on the Silver Screen Kiwi film director and choreographer Alyx Duncan caught up with debate to talk favourite films, parents and hermaphrodite rabbits.

By Matthew Cattin “If there is one group of people you can ask to help you in your life, it’s your parents. Your parents are the ones that want what’s best for you and want to help you grow,” says Kiwi film director Alyx Duncan. And she means it quite literally. When it came to casting the lead roles for her feature film The Red House she didn’t look far from home. In fact she didn’t even leave the property – she just cast her parents.

What started out as a short documentary detailing her father and step-mother moving out of their peaceful Hauraki island home quickly progressed into a full length film after she saw the natural beauty of the story through her lens. Although it dropped the documentary genre, The Red House still starred her parents playing a facet of themselves; an interesting cinematic vision that I haven’t come across before. “It’s a love story about an older couple who have been living together on an island for 20 odd years and they have to pack up their house and move back to China to look after her [Alyx’s stepmother’s] elderly parents. It’s not so much ‘this is what happens’ or action and unfortunately there’s not a lot of car chases… but it’s about the layers of life and experience,” Alyx tells me.

So how do her parents feel about being in the cinema? “They are just relieved that it is a success and now they appreciate all the time that was put in. I wouldn’t recommend that other people spend that amount of time forcing their parents to be in a film but… Ultimately is has had a good outcome so thank goodness.” Alyx mentions that during the shoot, her parents could not understand why she wanted them in her film - her dad often joking that it would be boring and nobody would want to see it. But for her hardest critics, she says they were both impressed with the finished product. When they finally saw the film, Alyx said her stepmother turned to her mid-screening in surprise saying “oh! It’s a movie!

It’s a good movie! It has ideas!” so I guess that’s a win.

Alyx has always had an artistic and expressive outlook on life. After college she went to the Netherlands to study dance for a year before coming back and moving into choreography and eventually film. “At that moment when I first picked up a camera and had a frame, it was just this sense of amazing relief, because all through my childhood I’d

done lots of painting and photography and to be able to have a frame through which to see the beauty of the world, was this intense sense of ‘oh cool – now I’m home’” The progression to film however remains incomplete as she is still on a “strange lopsided journey with one foot in film, one foot in dance.” It is with this lop-sidedness however that she defines herself and her style. “I’m still working with that idea of 360 degrees and time and rhythm but contained within a frame.”

Not a huge fan of the blockbuster, Alyx lists foreign films as her influences and enjoys the observational and subtle film techniques over action sequences and stars. She looks surprised when I mention I enjoyed The Hobbit, telling me her favourite Peter Jackson is hands down Heavenly Creatures. “To me, the successful New Zealand films are the ones that don’t try to step out using those [Hollywood] models as their foundation –the beautiful and successful Kiwi films are the ones that choose their own identity and find their own way,” she says.

Also listed on Alyx’s unique CV are numerous Kiwi advertisements (including choreographing the State Insurance “ain’t nothing gonna break my stride” ad), international ads and three Minuit music videos, one of which will be released “as soon as we finish it”. It features an “ugly naked caveman” chasing a “hermaphrodite blue rabbit” through time.

I saw a sneak preview and I can confirm that it looks amazing and also, the rabbit has “hairy balls and breasts”. Way to go.

So any words of wisdom for eager film graduates? “Be clear about what you want to tell. Working in film is such a hard industry, and if you’re on the creative or production side of it, I think it’s important that you feel very strongly about the stories you want to tell. That will see you through. You’ve got to retain an enormous passion and curiosity for it.”

You can catch The Red House in select cinemas around the country and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a blue rabbit with balls and boobs – you can’t miss it.

www.ausm.org.nz

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Article: An Ode to David Attenborough

By Rachel Peters Where would be on a on a painful greasy Sunday without the distinct, sonorous voice of David Attenborough to tell us that the world, while it may be vicious, is still alive with beauty; reminding us that it is well worth gulping down some water, going for a run and getting outside to enjoy it all. He started his career before most of our parents were even born, airing his first television series in 1952, can you imagine?!

Television careers that long are virtually unheard of.

He is still a prominent figure today - some heralding his latest Africa documentaries as Attenborough at his best.

Not to mention these shows are such a nice break from the constant bombardment of cooking shows. Or maybe that’s just me as a self-confessed Come Dine with Me junkie.

'He has an utterly brilliant use of vocabulary and a knack for description. He masters eloquent phrases, and knows the importance of a well timed pause.'

There are many aspects that make a signature David Attenborough documentary - one of these being his unique way of speaking. He has an utterly brilliant use of vocabulary and a knack for description. He masters eloquent phrases, and knows the importance of a well timed pause. “Year by year being born and living and dying amid these dark gloomy woods with no intelligent eye to gaze upon their loveliness, to all appearances such a wanton waste of beauty”. A phrase so well timed and so well arrangeddescribing this microcosm of life; it reaches out in to the existential nihilism which at times captivates us all. When I recently discovered that the character Nigel Thornberry was loosely based on Attenborough, it made perfect sense through their zany passion for animals and for the unusual language they use, distinctive to an expert in their field.

Of course there has long been an abundance of animal lovers out there, and it only takes a trip to reddit or YouTube to see how many people are uploading videos

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of their new puppy or a cute seal they saw down at the beach, but Attenborough takes it one step further. He is not just an animal lover wanting to keep the odd stray from the clutches of the pound, but someone who appreciates animals in their own habitat, happy to really study them instead of owning them, appreciating all the animals and insects even those with the most unconventional of beauty. I always find this sort of deep passion an enviable quality in people.

I recently watched the Africa series and was swept away by the scenic shots, the close up angle of turtles scurrying in desperation towards the water as they try to escape the risk of preying birds looking for their next tasty morsel. I was surprised to see that there are penguins in Africa, and touched at how they try to keep their eggs cool while the father goes out in search of food to keep his budding family fed. They then showed some behind the scenes footage which proves how difficult but rewarding it is to get those well timed shot.

Many of the events shown, such as the hatching of the turtles, happen only at a special time of the year. The camera men often have to go to dangerous locations and wait around in some uncomfortable positions. How would you like to be next to a whale being attacked by 30 sharks? Or filming insects when the even the smallest breeze can bounce the image on and off the frame.

We see both how our similarities and differences to animals, all bent on survival as we once were; (now it’s all too easy to get to the supermarket instead of spearing dear). We see the beautiful stories of survival and paradoxically, the raw footage of what survival entails, death, hunting feuds and fights in the animal kingdom. Although some environmentalists don’t think that Attenborough focuses enough attention on how to look after the environment. Surly one cannot watch his documentaries and not be somewhat moved and aware of the importance to caring for our environment.

In the words of Attenborough, do we ever want to get to a world where the only place our grandkids can see an elephant is in a picture book? Our lives hang on the very tiny seemingly insignificant existence of insects and plants. In fact if humans were to become extinct it would not greatly affect the survival of the other species but if the bees were to be gone, or fungus, human survival would be doomed. Like many geniuses before him, mathematicians, scientists, writers, and spiritualists, Attenborough explores the deep connection of all things. He also entertains and educates us at the same time. He is, in my humble opinion, a true hero of our time.

ARTICLE

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Image Source: JrScientist Flickr

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FASHION: AUCKLAND STREET STYLE

Scouring the streets of Auckland this week, Nathalie Owen found that less was more when it came to effortless street style. As displayed by these seven stylish individuals who together channelled an eclectic mix of lumberjack meets Alexa Chung.

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BOBBY

ANNA

Blazer by H Brothers, vintage shirt, hat by Sly Guild, Prada glasses, vintage bag, shoes by

Jumper by Marni, Topshop shirt, jeans by Cheap Monday, All Saints shoes, bag from

Windsor Smith.

India, glasses by The Row, ring from Sydney.

www.ausm.org.nz

RYA

OLLIE Op shop shirt, jeans by Huffer, Chucks shoes, beanie by Under Skate, Billabong bag.

Jumper from Zara, Costa Rica shirt, shorts by Benson & Hedges, Zara bag, glasses by Dot Dash, shoes from H & M.

ELLEN

TOMMIE

JEN

Billabong top, vintage Levi denim shorts, Vans shoes, Happy socks, watch by Casio, vintage bag, Karen Walker ring.

Jacket by Performance, Barkers shirt, Hallensteins chinos, vintage Steven Madden loafers, sunglasses by Animal, jewellery custom by Michael Hill.

Madame Hawke blouse, shorts from Kookai, vintage bag, vintage shoes, glasses from Thailand, necklace from Dotti, all vintage rings. www.ausm.org.nz

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Photo from Google Images

"CAPTION CORNER"

Amber Rinkin

Caption:

I know it seems a little early for a winter meal like this but before we know it winter will be upon us - not that it seems that way yet. This is a warming meal that is perfect to come home to on a chilly day! Serves 4.

Name Phone Email Campus

$10.50

Ingredients

Issue 4 Congratulations to...

Darryl Denby

City Campus who scored two Squawk Burger vouchers!

Winning caption:

'Ordinary moggie drinks Professor Klump's magic blue milk in the hope of turning into Catwoman'

Put your thinking cap on, turn it to the side, and come up with a caption for this week’s picture and you could win! Drop your entry into your nearest AuSM office, or the box on the side of the red debate stands, or post to debate PO Box 6116 Wellesley St before 12pm Thursday. What’s up for grabs?

Two “squawk burgers” vouchers for Velvet Burger on Fort St, Auckland CBD.

-600g gravy beef (casserole beef) -2 large carrots, peeled -1 large onion, peeled -1 large garlic clove, crushed -1/4 butternut pumpkin, peeled -1 large courgette, capsicum, 6 button mushrooms, halved (optional, the more vegetable the better for you this becomes!)

-200ml red wine -4-6 cups water -3-4 tsp beef stock powder (you can substitute the powder and -water for carton stock) -Plain flour -Salt and pepper Side salad of choice - lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, onion.

Try to get things in season.

Method Cut the beef and vegetables into large cubes/pieces - try and keep them all a similar size.

Heat a medium saucepan, add a few turns of olive oil, brown off (do not cook them, this is for flavour)the vegetables, start with the onions and garlic and add the carrots, courgettes, capsicum and mushrooms, don't add the pumpkin.

Dust the beef in the plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper, brown the beef off in the same saucepan once the vegetables are done.

Add the red wine and scrape the saucepan - remove the beef/ wine mixture.

Place all the ingredients including the water and stock powder into a casserole dish or crockpot (this is very handy as you can leave it on all day and come home to dinner all done, no hassle, however if you wish to use a casserole dish in the oven it will take about 3-4 hours on 170*C) Serve with mash, in the previous issue and your favourite steamed green vegetable. Enjoy!

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10 Things Religious Pamphlets Have Taught Me..

by Matthew Cattin

By Robert Vennell

Microsoft Paint competitions.

A classroom favourite in college, Microsoft Paint comps got me through many an English lesson when the class was working in the computer pod. It’s simple really - pick an animal, character or theme, challenge a few friends, and watch the hours fly by with your tongue out as you make a masterpiece on Paint. If the tutors cotton on to your game and split up your art gang, well, all the better! That way you can keep your work private from your rival’s prying eyes until the grand reveal. All you need then is a judge (who is preferably not involved with any competitors) and hey presto! An excellent way to fall behind in class while picking up art skills and mad cred from classmates.

Breaking Bad There ain’t no party like a Breaking Bad party. Probably the best TV series in the universe, BB has this really annoying habit of being consistently better with each progressing season, meaning as hard as you try, you can’t let it go. Once you’re in, you’re in – ain’t no pulling out till you’re finished. Last year, the day before my final exam, I woke up and decided to have a pre-study Breaking Bad sesh. A season later, I got my study notes out. The result?

An excellent day in and a C+ in Media Comm III. My priorities are perfect thank you very much! With one more half season to go, hopefully hitting torrent sites around July, you’d best catch up so you can witness, in real time, the climax of the greatest show ever made.

1. If I behave properly in this life, one day I will enter a rural paradise where baby deer frolic in the woods and a loving AfricanAmerican family picnic together beside a lake.

2. The world ended on December 21, 2012. Fortunately, this turned out to be a metaphorical end to our spiritual ignorance.

3. The true meaning of Christmas and Easter is not presents and candy.

4. Humans and dinosaurs co-existed peacefully.

5. Evolution is the story of how monkeys gave birth to people.

6. Harry Potter uses the wrong kind of magic.

7. God has numbered each of my head hairs and loves every one.

8. YOLO is incorrect.

Get on the JK buzz.

I recently bought myself a Kindle. Go ahead! Hate me for it! Anywho. So I got onto trusty Pirate Bay and pillaged as many books as I could – classics, contemporary wonders, autobiographies, the works. I finally had all the books I’ve ever desired in the palm of my hand, hundreds to choose from. So what did I do? I started on The Philosopher’s Stone. I didn’t intend to read the whole thing – I just wanted to check if it was as good as I remembered. Three days later, I finished Prisoner of Azkaban. I was obsessed. I realised very quickly that Harry Potter is something I won’t simply outgrow.

It’s simply amazing – even better the fourth time around. If you’ve never read it, I’m embarrassed for you. Put down your textbooks, and pick up some HP – you’ll never regret it.

9. Evolution is analogous to ink and paper spontaneously popping into existence forming themselves into grammatical sentences, binding themselves in a book and publishing themselves.

10. I am in very great and real danger and need to be SAVED.

www.ausm.org.nz

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Reviews

Jack The Giant Slayer

Hotline Miami

Reviewed by Shilo Flavell

Reviewed by Nathan Wood

Another classic fairy tale we loved as a child has been remade into a big budget Hollywood style film with a modern day twist.

Hollywood is persistent in following this trend, and we have already seen it go horribly wrong (Mirror Mirror, and Snow White and the Huntsmen anyone?).

Have you seen Drive? That fantastic movie from 2011 starring the dreamboat Ryan Gosling as a nameless getaway driver? The one with a neo-eighties soundtrack and the occasional ejaculation of incredible violence? If yes read on. If you haven’t, put down this magazine, go down to your local DVD store, pick up Drive (it’s like $15), watch it, then come back here.

Directed by: Bryan Singer Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor Rating:

Nicholas Hoult (Skins, X-men: First Class and vastly known as Jennifer Lawrence’s ex) lights up the screen as Jack the commoner, who is given magical beans by a monk. His love interest is played by relatively unknown actress Eleanor Tomlinson, who is a little boring but does well in playing the damsel in distress.

Bryan Singer, who brought the X-Men franchise to our screens, does his best to stray away from films previously mentioned, by keeping the story similar to the original.

The story follows Jack as he goes on a mission to rescue the princess. Parts of the film were filmed in New Zealand, and you can tell this by the stunning backdrop and former Shortland Street stars who have small roles.

The stand out of the film is the cast, led by a stray of great actors.

Nicholas Hoult, who offers a fresh presence to the screen with his English looks and charm, does well to carry the film. Stanley Tucci, showed his versatility and skills once again as the creepy but humorous villain and Ewan McGregor is great as always, playing the charming knight.

The problem with Jack The Giant Slayer is that while it is visually stunning with a great cast, it is mildly predicable and forgettable.

Common boy rescues princess, and they live happily ever after.

The film had so much potential with a director like Singer and a brilliant cast. I was disappointed to say the least.

The underwhelming presence of females (the only female was the princess, in a male dominated cast) was also strange, and the giants who should have been the highlight of the whole movie, looked like clones from Lord of The Rings, but with zero personality.

The whole movie is as forgettable as the next fairy tale remake, uninspired and generic. I wonder why they even bothered. Oh, and watching it in 3D added absolutely nothing to the experience, reminding me once again why 3D is a gimmick invented by Hollywood with its sole purpose to squeeze out as much money from moviegoers as they possibly can.

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Dennoaton Games Published by Devolver Digital Rating:

You’d be right in thinking, “damn, that was a badass movie”, and coming the following year is Hotline Miami, a game that is highly reminiscent of Drive, with its extreme violence and amazing soundtrack. If you liked Drive, a safe assumption would be you like Hotline Miami.

Hotline Miami is a shortish 4-5 hour game filled with amazing music, glitzy pixel graphics and a figurative orgy of pure violence.

From the games surreal opening to its incredibly ambiguous ending Hotline Miami carries you along in a haze of pumping beats and bloodlust. The premise of the game is simple. You kill people - faceless completely anonymous people - in their dozens.

All because your answering machine tells you too.

You see games that say how their play is frantic and fast paced, but nothing is like Hotline Miami. It’s set in a top-down perspective letting you see most of the level and where the enemies are. This makes you think that you can plan how the entire level will play out, but that goes completely out the window as soon as you slam that door open and everything changes. You die in one shot and so does everyone else so you will be constantly dying and restarting in the hope that you can rampage your way through the entire level butchering everyone.

The music is a major talking point for this game featuring an amazingly fitting group of songs handpicked by Dennaton Games to suit the mood of the game. High energy electronica and pumping beats serenade you as you move floor by floor and as soon as the last body hits the floor it stops and you’re left with a quiet background track, making you contemplate your actions as you walk out of the building, past the death you’ve created and out to your car. In certain sequences the music helps the player feel discomfort as he’s asked “you like to kill people, don’t you?”

If it wasn’t for the one enforced stealth level in Hotline Miami it would be easily one of the very best indie games ever to be made, and I urge you to pick it up and play a game that makes you feel like you're in a completely ridiculous action movie.

Reviews

Leo

Babel (words)

Reviewed by Matthew Cattin

Reviewed by Nigel Moffiet

Maidment Theater Circle Of Eleven Rating:

Over a decade in the making, Leo was a performance of precision, imagination and athleticism. I was drawn to see the show after a quick glimpse at the promotional poster. A well-dressed fella, dapper in a waistcoat, shirt and fedora floats a meter off the ground, his hands pressed against a wall in a suspended Superman pose. Fascinated by magic as a kid, my disbelieving eyes scanned the picture for the secret – the trick. Wires? No. A gravity-defying, well timed leap? Possibly but surely no. Magic?

Well… Wingardium Leviosa would do the trick…

The moment the lights flicked on in University of Auckland’s Maidment Theatre, I had an “ohhhhh I get it now!” moment. On the right hand side of the stage, the protagonist Leo lies on his back, feet against a wall. On the left, there is a projector live feeding Leo’s every move. The catch? The camera filming Leo and his environment is tipped on its side. So when Leo lies on the stage floor, he appears leaning against the wall in the projected image.

When Leo handstands, the replayed imagery defies gravity and suspends belief.

The story is basic – a man comes to realise he has the superhuman ability to ascend vertical walls as if they were magnetic. The rules of gravity have changed and as Leo discovers the freedom and limitations of his new gift, the show’s pace picks up and the props develop. Despite this, the illusion, while versatile and amusing, doesn’t quite make up for the lack of storyline and I feel more could have been done with the concept. However, Leo was an astounding display of strength, endurance and creativity and I take my hat off to creator and lead Tobias Wegner. As a dancer, actor, trampolinist, gymnast and clown, I feel his unique skills were all on display at some point in the show.

Despite my small gripes with Leo, I really can’t fault Tobias’ performance. Every movement looked absolutely authentic when represented on the projector – an incredible feat which I can appreciate would have taken hours of precise revision and practice.

Although I was eager for another character, some interaction and perhaps a bit of storyline, at the end of the day I was kept entertained by a man in a small room for over an hour. And anybody who has the skillset to singlehandedly keep an audience interested for that amount of time without speaking can jolly well pat themselves on the back.

Eastmann VZW & Theatre Royal de la Monnaie The Civic Rating:

As the curtains rose in Auckland’s beautiful Civic theatre the stage was set with huge rectangular frames impressively reflecting the light. The frames were critical throughout the performance of Babel (words) as the dancers pulled, lifted, climbed, and constructed them endlessly – the frames were the settings of destinations, skyscrapers and cities and at times dancers were entrapped inside them, exceedingly frustrated by the constraints and confinements.

As the frames moved so did the dancers – they whizzed, they leaped, they slid, they pulled and crawled their way through each and every scene. At times their movements were acrobatic, other times robotic yet always wrought with deeply expressive emotion.

One of the highlights was when the dancers brought themselves together into the formation of a flying bird, wings spread across the stage giving the illusion of flight. The audience oohed and ahhed – there was a lot of clapping throughout. It was like watching real life Transformers.

The dance was gelled together with a vast mix of cultures, languages and music and based on the biblical story of a civilisation united by a single language, striving to build a tower that will reach the heavens. In this dance we are told human movements and gestures are at the core of communication.

Humans are brought together by shared empathy which can be triggered by a single action such as touching one another or gesturing. The dance expressed this against a backdrop of operatic singing and a fusion of Hindi/Japanese beats. At the very beginning of the play we are told how, through gestures, humans learn how to ask for forgiveness.

It was a dance performance, but one with lots of acting and unfamiliar dialogue – Japanese, French, Arabic, Italian and other languages too. I understood the English. Well, actually, even though many unfamiliar languages are spoken, the humour is not lost. This is especially the case with the two Japanese characters as they stumble across a downtrodden woman who emanates something unearthly, futuristic, and robotic. As they try to bring her to her feet, there is a lot of confusion and the comic bodily movements stirred the audience into rapture.

Babel (words) was the first dance theatre I’ve seen so the experience was totally unique, and I admit, I didn’t comprehend everything like a seasoned theatre goer might. But I suppose that was the point – maybe I wasn’t meant to comprehend everything.

There was a message of confusion, and lost communication, of humans trying to reach out and connect. Movement, visualisation, dance and gesture were the key communicators throughout. Not just language.

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