debate issue 08 2012

issue 08 2012

CONTENTS 5

Editorial

Column “That’s not a knife!” Top 10 badass weapons in cinema

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Artist of the week Rishab Soni Sports Cult heroes of New Zealand sports Us sports fans are all closet romantics AuSM Prez sez AuSM update Feature Top Ten Coolest American University Papers The strangest thesis/dissertations topics Student debt: It shits on us all Opinion Why I love being a student

on the cover:

Education Ceapum Kaushish

editor Nigel Moffiet nigel.moffiet@aut.ac.nz sub editor Matthew Cattin

Humour Cattin’s column

designer Ceapum Kaushish ceapum.kaushish@aut.ac.nz

Media Social Media Highlights Article Ten great things students can do in Auckland on the cheap

contributors Matthew Cattin | Scott Moyes | Tamsyn Solomon | Morgahna Godwin | Alanna Caveney | Kieran Bennett | Scott Yeoman | Laurene Jooste | Renee Simpson | Nat Morris

Fashion Models: The Holy Grail of Fashion

advertising contact Kate Campbell kate.campbell@aut.ac.nz

32 Reviews

printer PMP Print Ltd.

Student Profile Alex Perrottet

publisher

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Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AuSM.

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

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EDITORIAL

reception

City Campus Level 2, WC Building 921 9805 Mon-Thurs: 8am-5pm Fri8am-4pm North Shore Campus Level 2, AS Building 921 9949 Mon-Fri: 8.30am-3pm

As I start writing this the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) website puts total student debt to the crazy figure of $12,272,671,300.

Let me just spell that out for dramatic effect: twelve billion, two hundred and seventy two million, six hundred and seventy one thousand and three hundred dollars! That’s our debt – you and me, and all the rest who have taken out loans to study since 1992. What most of us hope to do once we graduate is find a job and pay that loan back, but given many of us will be starting out on pretty ordinary wages, slowly paying back the minimum required amount (on an average loan close to $17,000) we’re in for a bit of a long haul.

So the Government, seeing it has a pretty large problem in its hands, is looking to tackle this debt and try and slow it down somehow, even reducing the monstrous figure if it can. Without having a severe impact on students and your average worker who is still paying their loan back, I can’t see how this is possible. It just seems too big. But it’s an issue that will be politicised and we will see different measures taken to at least address the problem (which we may or might not agree with) and we will all be affected.

I remember feeling pretty anxious taking out my first student loan and working out how much I’d owe by the time I finished studying, but I figured it’d be worth it in the end.

Eventually, I learnt to stop worrying and I’ve just resigned myself to the fact that I have a large amount of money to pay back. One of the ways I’ve learned to stop worrying is by not opening letters that look like they might have something to say about my loan and remind me how much I still owe. Perhaps this is not the wisest thing to do, but I almost do it subconsciously – I put the letter aside and tell myself I’ll open it later…I now have a bunch of unopened letters nagging me every time I come across them.

We’ve come a long way since the student loan scheme was first introduced in the early ‘90s; it was naively implemented and not surprisingly it was naively abused with countless tales of students taking out easily accessible loans to pay for the things that students know how to do best – party it up, booze it up, live it up and deck out your flat

with the latest hi-fi system.

Things are a lot tougher now, and the students who lived it up back then will be paying heavily now. Unless of course their loan was part of the $10.4 million wiped out as a result of bankruptcy or they are one of the 50,000 living overseas with overdue loans totalling more than $200 million. All these kinds of figures just go on and on.

In May the Government is set to announce the Budget and there are hints many changes will be made to the student loans scheme.

Cracking down on those living overseas, restricting the amount a student can borrow based on the course one studies, and stopping ‘serial students’ taking out more loans if they have outstanding debt are some of the measures that are being discussed.

Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief that, for now, student loans shall remain interest free. And let’s hope it remains that way. At a recent event John Key made the comment that providing interest free student loans is not a sound economic policy but the Government will continue with it since the scheme is politically popular.

And if all this student loan rubbish is depressing you and you wonder how on earth you’ll ever cope – you’re not alone. Heck, even the President of the United States of America can relate to your struggle.

This is what Barak Obama said recently to a group of students at the University of North Carolina: “Michelle and I, we’ve been in your shoes…

Check this out, all right. I’m the president of the United States. We only finished paying our student loans off about eight years ago.”

Okay, so it shits on us all, but if the president struggles to pay his loan back what does that mean for the average student? Think I’ll keep those letters sealed.

Now, let me check the NZUSA student loan figure again…$12,273,027,647 - well, I’ve been back and forth on this editorial, but in the space of a few hours the loan has increased by $356,347.

How will it ever go away?

Nigel

Manukau Campus MB107 921 9999 ext 6672 Mon-Thurs; 9am-3.30pm

governance & leadership Kizito Essuman AuSM Student President 921 9999 ext 8571 kizito.essuman@aut.ac.nz

management

Sue Higgins General Manager 921 9999 ext 5111 sue.higgins@aut.ac.nz

advocacy

Nick Buckby Liaison Manager 921 9999 ext 8379 nick.buckby@aut.ac.nz

marketing

Kate Campbell Marketing and Communications Manager 921 9999 ext 6537 kate.campbell@aut.ac.nz

events

Carl Ewen Student Life Manager 921 9999 ext 8931 carl.ewen@aut.ac.nz

media

Nigel Moffiet Publications Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8774 nigel.moffiet@aut.ac.nz

sports

Melita Martorana Sports Team Leader 921 9999 ext 7259 melita.martorana@aut.ac.nz

vesbar

Zane Chase Vesbar Manager 921 9999 ext 8378 zane.chase@aut.ac.nz For a full list of contact details plus profiles of AuSM staff & student executive and information on clubs visit:

www.ausm.org.nz

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Whoever uttered the ridiculous words “the pen is mightier than the sword” was obviously just being a funny guy.

The kind of funny guy that chuckles at political comic strips in the business section and expresses dignified utterances of enchantment when indulging in compositions of the baroque era. You know who you are.

You enjoy soy milk in your chai latte’s because dairy upsets your stomach. You also own all eleven seasons of Frasier on Blu-ray (because you enjoy the distinctively crisper resolution).

I say to you throw down your mochafrappe-lattes! Snap your 50 discs of Frasier! Hire some Clint Eastwood! Some Arnie, some Stallone, some Tarantino!

For the sword is unquestionably mightier than pen. I shall prove it.

With words…

The Bowie Knife Crocodile Dundee

The Glove Nightmare on Elm Street

You gotta love that awkward moment when you try to mug Crocodile Dundee. You pull out your little blade and stand there all cocky-like only to piss your pants when he unsheathes the beast. “That’s not a knife. THIS is a knife.” No Mick. That is a broadsword. You have to wonder though whether a guy carting round a bowie knife in town might be trying just a little too hard to compensate…

The inspiration for Freddie Krueger’s metal –clawed glove apparently came to director Wes Craven as he watched his cat claw at the sofa. Unlike a cat however, Krueger doesn’t just use them for killing birds. He also screeches them against metal and slashes himself to freak out his victims. Oh. And he kills you in your dreams.

Sleep tight…

Yo-yo Yo-yo Girl Cop

Cattle Gun Crocodile Dundee

There’s a new undercover agent on the streets of Japan. Goes by the name of K. Most agents carry a gun. K carries a yo-yo. And she will fuck you up. She carries it in a holster strapped to her thigh and when the situation gets tough, she uses it like a ball and chain, somehow destroying terrorists with automatic weapons. It’s like watching Sailor Moon in a pro-yo commercial. Outstanding.

The weapon of choice for terrifying hit-man Anton Chigurh in the outstanding Coen brother’s thriller No Country for Old Men. Invented for the intention of slaughtering cattle, Anton prefers to use it on people. It may look like a fire extinguisher but don’t be fooled - the muzzle shoots out a rod at seven meters per second, turning brain matter into custard.

Bruce Lee Any time Bruce Lee doesn’t need weapons, he is a weapon. And I’m not talking the sell-out hussy Chuck “Total Gym” Norris kind of weapon.

Rumour has it Bruce Lee doesn’t use condoms because there is no such thing as protection from Bruce Lee. He used to toughen his hands up by thrusting them into buckets of stones and gravel. He could do one hand push ups just using his thumb and index finger, do 50 one-arm pull-ups and in a speed test he could pluck a penny from your palm and replace it with a dime before you could close your fist.

Hattori Hanzo Sword Kill Bill “I am finished doing what I swore an oath to God 28 years ago to never do again. I’ve created something that kills people,” Hattori Hanzo.

The Cadillac of samurai swords, the Hattori Hanzo blade is the finest in the world. Hattori Hanzo came out of retirement to make one last, and his finest ever, sword for the Bride.

It has cut off more limbs than you’ve had text messages. What?

Six limbs you say?

The Noisy Cricket Men in Black Proving that big things can come in small boxes, the Noisy Cricket gun from MIB is the underdog weapon in my list. It’s like the Ron Jeremy of guns. That man is only 5’6” but my god… The pint-sized little gun that everybody laughed at turned out to be the coolest kid in class.

Chain saw hand Evil Dead TrilogyI

Machine-gun Leg Planet Terror LIGHTSABER Star Wars The signature weapon of the jedi knight, the lightsaber is perhaps the most famous movie weapon of all time. Everything about them is classic; the zzhhoooom noise as they power up and the flashes of colour when two collide… Every kid’s dream weapon, the lightsaber can cut through anything without resistance, as well as deflecting blaster rays.

Probably the second coolest use (and no doubt the sexiest) of an amputation in cinema history, the machine-gun leg is the ultimate in zombie survival. Why use your hands if you have a perfectly good stump? After having her leg ripped off by hungry zombies, Cherry replaces it with a table leg, and later the machine gun/grenade launcher combo of death. Boom!

The chainsaw has been a classic movie weapon on several occasions but never has it been used as awesomely as in Sam Raimi’s cult horror classic, Evil Dead II. After sawing off his own zombieinfected hand, Ash replaces it with a chainsaw which he then uses to saw off a double barrel shot-gun and destroy the un-dead.

According to science, a chainsaw for a hand is actually ten times more phallic than an actual penis, which is why Ash’s zombie slayer of an appendage is my number one movie weapon.

Rishab (Shab) Soni

Hi my name is Rishab Soni, currently in the last year of Bachelor’s in Design here at AUT. My major is pictorial design, which I think is a really exciting major as it has encouraged me to think more creatively, and has given me the freedom to explore my own ideas. Drawing and illustration is something that I was really into as a kid but as I grew older I started to enjoy street art and graffiti. I have attended various street art workshops including one with Eric Orr, a New York based street artist and one of the first to turn his graffiti into commercially viable art. The design program at AUT has allowed me to develop my own style but there is still an essence of street and urban lifestyle in my art. I believe in a simplistic approach and most of my work utilizes minimal colours, this style I feel is very contemporary. To say that my work is a reflection of me is very clichÊd; I just draw what I like around me in my own way.

Check out my work at:

www.shabydesign.tumblr.com www.facebook.com/shabydzn

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debate is looking for some super talented artists to profile. Do you know some artists at AUT who we should feature? Is it you?

Get in touch with us today. Send in your work at debate@aut.ac.nz.

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Cult Heroes

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10 SPORTS

Heroes of New Zealand Sport Scott Moyes Last week I spoke about team spirit and the importance of a good mentality.

However on the flipside, it’s still important to have those cult heroes in your team to draw the masses. There are specific qualities to a cult hero. A cult hero is loved by everyone and hated by no one. A cult hero usually has some distinguishable body feature and quite often has a nickname. Our cult heroes get people through the gates and put bums on seats and are pretty much the coolest cats in the alleyway. In no particular order, here’s ten of New Zealand’s finest.

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Buck Shelford

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Chris Martin

One of the greatest players to have pulled on the All Blacks jersey. Wayne Thomas “Buck” Shelford has a following almost unchallenged by any other in New Zealand sports. Credited with bringing about the improved performance of the All Black’s traditional haka, I’ve heard it’s impossible to have a rugby conversation without mentioning ‘bring back Buck’.

From New Zealand’s finest to possibly New Zealand’s worst. Unfortunately, Chris Martin isn’t a cult figure for his exceptional bowling, but his abysmal batting.

Probably the worst number 11 batsmen to have graced the game of cricket, New Zealand love the moment he walks out to the crease with such fierce determination to protect his middle stump. No one will ever forget his personal best score of 12 not out, where he hit no less than two boundaries.

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David Tua

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Daniel Vettori

I probably don’t need to say much more than ‘O’ for awesome. The Tuaminator has a special place in the hearts of everyone. David Tua has scaled to the dizziest heights of boxing and then plummeted back down with about a hundred Burger King chesseburgers. David rolls around in his mini that even I’d struggle to fit inside. I think everyone smiled inside when he destroyed Shane Cameron in the fight on the century.

I don’t think there’s ever been a better be-spectacled sportsman then Dan the man. The former Black Caps skipper was at one stage the judge, jury and executioner of cricket in New Zealand filling the roles of coach, selector, captain, best bowler and best batsmen. Daniel Vettori’s beard, glasses and overactive tongue warms the heart of every cricketing enthusiast around the world.

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Ruben Wiki

The Kava King. New Zealand’s most capped international rugby league player is loved by all.

Ruben sums up what it is to be a New Zealander with his never-say-die attitude. It’s no wonder you can arrange Wiki into Kiwi. Perhaps his most defining moment was in his second to last NRL game for the Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium, where he ran straight at Roosters player, Sia Soliola, who was just about knocked out by the charge. What a legend.

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Manu Vatuvei

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Irene van Dyk

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Jonah Lomu

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Piri Weepu

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Lance Cairns

The only women on the list and the only one not to be born in New Zealand. Irene arrived in New Zealand amongst controversy about being able to represent the Silver Ferns. Today, she is the most capped Silver Fern and international netballer of all time and quite possibly the Mother of the nation. What isn’t there to love about Irene van Dyk? There’s just something about Irene that makes you wish she was your Aunty.

That smile and sense of humour. Oh stop it you.

Probably the newest addition to this list. To be fair, he’s probably loved so much just for not letting the Rugby World Cup quest from completely de-railing.

But just chill the fuck out. Piri’s got this. Piri is your cool Maori cousin that you wish you were as cool as.

SPORTS

When those gold teeth shine, you know the Beast is coming for you. It doesn’t matter how many times Manu drops the ball. Manu is the destroyer that gives you bigger thrills then the corkscrew rollercoaster times about a thousand. Manu is the definition of what it means to play for the Warriors; big, Polynesian, and fucking mental. You’ve got to love Manu.

If not one of the greatest, then definitely one of the most famous All Blacks of all time. Jonah Lomu had it all; speed, power and brute strength. Loved around the world, Jonah was particularly famous for the number 11 he had shaved into his eyebrow. Lomu’s most famous try in the All Blacks jersey showed these skills during the 1995 World Cup, running straight over the top of English player, Mike Catt.

A fantastic all-round cricketer and brutal boundaryhitter. Lance Cairns is New Zealand’s original Australia demolisher. What more could you want in a Black Cap? Quick runs. Defeating Aussies. Lance had a mortgage on the number six.

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It is not often you will see me quoting Shakespeare, in fact it is a

bit risky to even mention his name around sports folk, but in this case the old romantic actually sums up sport damn well.

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Everybody loves an underdog.

It is who we instinctively, and often against an expert’s ‘better judgement’, route for. It is the everyday person overcoming those who tell them they cannot be who they want

to be.

You and I have dreams - so seeing someone live theirs against all the odds gives us a boost, a feeling deep down that those childhood hours spent kicking the footy around in the backyard to screaming fans could, in fact, be a reality.

Ultimately this is hope.

James Braddock

- Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare

“What’s in a name, that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.”

Scott Yeoman

Us sports fans are all closet romantics

Time and time again sport shows us that no matter who you are, the background you come from or the difficulties you face, you can be just as successful, if not more, than

those traditional and household names that are usually linked to success. It is when this happens that the magic of sport truly captures one’s imagination.

James Braddock

James Braddock vs Max Baer

The Bulldog of Bergen turned ‘Cinderella Man’.

Braddock was a professional boxer in the great depression who after a string of losses and hand injuries was forced to end his career. This led to an ongoing struggle to earn enough money to support his family, resulting in him having to work on the docks and even take social assistance in order to feed them. In 1934 he was given a second chance, a fight, but he was only seen as a stepping stone to highly regarded John ‘Corn’ Griffin’s career. Braddock knocked him out in the third round. From that point he

defeated every fighter that he came across, until he was finally given a title fight. This was against heavyweight champion Max Baer, whose handlers handpicked Braddock thinking he would be an easy payout for the champ. Going into the fight, Braddock was 10-1 underdog. This was to be one of the most stunning upsets in boxing history. The new heavyweight champion of the world and future member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame was an inspiration to those suffering in the great depression. He was their champion.

Sea Biscuit

Sea biscuit with trainer Tom Smith

Sea Biscuit – This underdog was no dog at all. In fact he was the true definition of a dark horse.

Bought for a measly $8000, with stumpy legs that couldn’t fully straighten and prone to laziness, this small horse was overlooked and undervalued by everyone. Add to that an old unknown trainer and an out of luck jockey who was too tall and blind in one eye and you have a team that was considered “not worth the hay in a first class barn.”

However, ‘Biscuit’ and his team were to become the biggest newspaper story in the United States in 1938, receiving more attention than both President Roosevelt and Adolf

Hope is something that is hard to come by in a lot of places and for this reason people tend to latch on to anything that might provide it. Throughout sporting history underdog stories and comeback tales have fuelled hope for millions of people, giving them something to celebrate and live for, and allowing them to believe in themselves.

Often you hear of one of these magical sporting moments triggering young athletes who are inspired to also make something of themselves. This is the power of sport.

I think it is impossible to judge the top underdog stories of all time over such a wide

Sea biscuit beats War Admiral

Hitler. He would go on to earn $437,730 between 1935 and 1940. Wonder what that would be worth today? Who said only people could provide inspiration to millions. Sea Biscuit was the horse that got given a second chance and made the most of it. People suffering badly in this era of the Great Depression could relate and lived their dreams through him. In what was considered the greatest race of all time, Sea Biscuit beat War Admiral, the Triple Crown Winner from the East, by four lengths. People saw this as the poor and disillusioned West overcoming the wealthy establishment of the East.

range of different sports and situations, so I have outlined a couple of my personal favourites.

I am sure you all have your own favourites, stories that have inspired you to attempt something that you originally thought you couldn’t. If not, I encourage you to find some, because you never know, they might even motivate you to finally get through that essay you have been chewing on for the past two weeks. It worked for me.

In sport, unlike most industries, you cannot ignore pure skill and talent. That is why it

has the ability to change lives; it is why we all love it. Everybody is equal.

As for Will and his timeless thinking, it seems that us sports fans are not that different; we too can be romantic and believe that a person’s name is worth absolutely nothing. How can you not be when you hear of a 22 year old female surfer who, after being attacked by a tiger shark and left with one arm, is ranked 29th in the world?

Look it up.

AuSM Student President

JOIN AuSM This week AuSM exec, staff and volunteers will be out and about around AUT signing up members, answering questions and running competitions…you might even be able to score a cheeky hot drink from us! Come say hello and if you are not an AuSM member you can sign up too!

Battle of the Bands Get ready for an epic battle of AUT’s best bands! The first heat is this Thursday night in Vesbar, 7pm. Spectators welcome! See you there.

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all busy with your assignments, projects and preparations for tests/exams. Well, all the best with your endeavours. The 97th ANZAC holiday was a good break from work and I hope you all had the chance to take a break from studies and other stuff. It started very well for me by watching my English team Chelsea FC beat Barcelona FC in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League to make it to the finals next month at Germany. It was also a great day for us all to pay tribute to the brave servicemen and women who have served with dedication, courage and sacrifice. We honour their selfless sacrifice and celebrate the freedom and privileges they secured for us all – lest we forget!

I had the opportunity to attend the ‘FOCUS 2012’ which was an address by the Vice Chancellor on the current situation of the university and its future. I will be catching up with the VC personally this week as your student president to talk about student matters and other things in general. So if you have any concerns about the delivery of services and facilities on campus, academic related issues or any other general student concerns please email me and I will take note of that as well.

If you have still not signed up as a member of AuSM, I encourage you to sign up now and enjoy the full benefits of being a member. It is absolutely free to join – no membership fees! Visit our website www.ausm.org.nz and sign up online.

Whiles you are there, you can also check out the all the stuff that you get when you become a member.

Have a great week and I look forward to seeing you all at the next AuSM Annual General Meeting in two weeks time.

In trouble?

If you are having issues at AUT or just generally need some help and advice the AuSM Advocacy team is always here to help.

This is a free and confidential service. Nick and Heidi are based on the City Campus but will also be at North Shore 12- 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and can come to Manukau campus by appointment. Call 921 9999 ext 8379 (Nick), ext 8311 (Heidi).

Pool competition AuSM will be running a pool competition in Vesbar, Wednesdays 12pm-1pm. Free entry – email kyle.richmond@aut.ac.nz to enter or turn up on the day (limited spaces). Great prizes up for grabs!

AuSM Ski Lodge Plan on hitting the slopes this winter? The AuSM Ski Lodge at National Park still has winter vacancies! You can hire the AuSM lodge from $130 per night and it sleeps 12 – that’s less than $11 per person! Find out more or book now at www.ausm.org.nz Competitions AuSM have new competitions on our website. Score free movie tix, Rainbows End passes and more at www.ausm.org. nz. There’ll also be a new movie screening coming soon so keep an eye out.

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Correctly identify the five differences in the two photos then circle them and 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.

Name Phone # Email Campus

CONGRATULATIONS! to our issue 7 winner

Sharon Chen City Campus

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Aries: You kind of wanted to take over a small, defenceless European republic this week, and now, a friend tells you, there are cheap air tickets right where you wanted to go! What luck! Liechtenstein won’t know what hit it.

Taurus: There will be a Secret Service agent

following you today, so walk as slow as you can, and try and bore him into giving up. Or walk like a crab it’s very distracting.

Gemini: You’ve never eaten radishes or cucumbers in your sleep, but tonight... you will.

Cancer: Your brain is very active today, so try to stay focused, and keep hydrated to avoid headaches.

Honestly, it wouldn’t even have mattered if you’d just listened to my prediction and died four weeks ago.

Leo: Be more understanding about your two

annoying friends - you know who I mean. You see, they’re actually both werewolves, and it’s not as glamourous as Hollywood would have you believe.

They have a lot on their plate right now. Hopefully it won’t be you.

Virgo: Are you so sure you tied your shoe properly? Are you sure it was even YOUR shoe? Are you sure it was a shoe at all? You hear a quiet, yet unnerving howl.

Libra: Well, you tried gambling, and you won!

Man, that’s not what I thought would happen at all.

Damn. That is terrible behavioural reinforcement, right there.

Scorpio: You lost, though. Thanks, bro. Keepin’ it

consistent.

Dear worried NEVER get in the car with someone you suspect has been drinking. Your friend obviously has a death wish and sounds like a complete idiot. Your fears for him are well justified as the chances of him killing himself, or much worse someone else, is very high. My advice is to ring the police and stop him when he next does it. You can remain anonymous - he doesn’t need to know it was you who potentially saved his life.

Sagittarius: This is a good day to closely attach yourself to your friends with string. Remember to secure their hands before attaching yourself, so they won’t be able to undo your hard work.

Capricorn: Hope you like having people tied to you! If not, I guess you could oil yourself up before you leave the house.

Aquarius: Today your refrigerator is surprisingly tall. You’re sure you remember it being less than eight metres. But all the good drinks are up on the top shelf, by the butter conditioner, so you figure it’s time for an adventure. Get a rope.

Pisces: That baby-oil supplier I told you to invest in a while ago is going to have a sharp rise in its share price tomorrow. Grab a few more shares tonight before they skyrocket. That’s me, always looking out for you!

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Politicizing Beyoncé - Rutgers University, New Jersey

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The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies lecturer Kevin Allred uses the performer’s music and career as start points to explore American race, gender, and sexual politics. He says of his particular focus on Beyoncé that “she’s creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona” rather than just making music. This course is mirrored by the Georgetown University class “The Sociology of Hip-Hop: The Theodicy of Jay-Z”.

Zombies in Popular Media - Columbia College, Chicago

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Taught by lecturer Brendan Riley, the course explores the history, cultural significance, and horrifying circumstances of zombies in popular media such as films, comics, literature, etc. Required reading includes “The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless”.

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Dance Music and Nightlife in New York City- Yale University, Connecticut American Studies graduate student Madison Moore takes this junior seminar dubbed the “best, most ridiculous class ever” which delves into performance studies, urban studies, and gender & sexuality studies to explore the question, “Why do we party?”

The Amazing World of Bubbles - California Institute of Technology, California

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Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Chris Brennan, explains how bubbles manifest a range of physical effects through their ability to gather, focus, and radiate energy. Also he shows how, if done properly, this energy can be put to constructive use.

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The Beatles - UCLA, California A Music History paper taught by Professor Tamara Levitz, this class looks at the life and music of The Beatles in the “social and historical context” of the 1960s. However, there’s no extra credit for mastering their catalogue on Expert on Rock Band…

Philosophy and Star Trek - Georgetown University, Washington D.C

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Professor Linda Wetzel takes this paper which discusses issues mentioned on Star Trek such as time travel, a sense of reality, free will and more. A favourite question of Wetzel’s to ask her students? “Can I trip today because my shoelaces are going to be untied tomorrow?”

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Muppet Magic - University of Santa Cruz, California If you’re looking to major in theatre arts, Professor Foley can take you on a journey through the artistic and social impacting beast that is Jim Henson’s the Muppets. The class also looks at puppetry for adult audiences and the establishment of puppetry in media and marketing.

The Art and Science of Beer – Indiana University, Indiana

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A paper for the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, students learn about the history and brewing process of beer, as well as the risks of drinking and debate about the legal drinking age. Matthew Dunn, former lecturer of this paper, says that most students were disappointed when they found out that it was a “real class instead of a keg stand”.

How to Watch Television – Montclair University, New Jersey

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Broadcasting majors have the ability to take this elective paper about analysing television as an audience and also critically evaluating the role of television in their lives as well as the impact it has on us. I’m afraid how to actually watch television is left for you to figure out.

Researching Strange Things – Stanford University, California Stanford School of Medicine lecturer, Professor Younger of the Anaesthesia program, will take you through this course by using scientific research methods to investigate aspects of “pseudoscience” and parapsychology like hypnosis, telekinesis, and crystal healing.

COLUMN

 Klingon as a Linguistic Capital: A Sociologic Study of Nineteen Advanced Klingonists - Yens Wahlgren.

Department of Sociology at Lund University, Sweden.

Klingon is the language of a fictional warrior race, the Klingons, from the hit 1960s TV show Star Trek.

For the motion picture film, James Doohan, the actor who portrayed Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, devised the initial Klingon-language dialogue heard in the film.

Marc Okrand, who created the Vulcan dialogue, developed an actual working Klingon language based on Doohan’s original made-up words.

Klingonists are the top of the uber-nerd pyramid, men and women who have devoted all their spare time (and in some cases, their lives) to the study of this fake language.

Ritual in Vanity: Madison Moore, American Studies graduate from Yale, United States.

Including chapters such as “Performance and the Necessity of Glamour” and “Tina Turner and the Fierceness“, Moore’s dissertation focuses on glamour in fashion, nightlife, and music to answer the question “why do we party?” He also explores strategies of making glamour liberating to all people rather than oppressive to some. He says of his choice in study, “there are many ways to explore American history. I just chose nightlife.”

Fridge Space: Journeys of the Domestic Refrigerator – Helen Watkins. PhD from the University of British Columbia, Canada.

We all know what a fridge is.

Why would someone want to study it? According to Watkins herself, the idea emerged from a “curiosity about the mundane objects and machines with which we live” and uses the paper to ask what we might learn from looking inside a fridge. I don’t really get it myself, but all I know is it’s making me hungry thinking about fridges all the time.

Videogames of the Oppressed: Videogames as a Means for Critical Thinking and Debate – Gonzalo Frasca. PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology, United States.

Who wouldn’t want to study the game Sims for a living?

Frasca examines the potential of videogames as a medium for thought and discussion on social and personal problems.

One of the examples he poses in his paper is the idea of having a videogame design that allows players to present their personal problems as unresolved simulations that will be shared and discussed among peers.

‘They’re us’: Infectious trauma and the zombie apocalypse – Casey Dawn Evans. PhD from the University of Arkansas, United States For many of the online geek culture, the zombie apocalypse is inevitable. That is, the breakdown of society due to zombie infestation. Of course that’s going to happen.

So Evans decided to write about the zombie narrative, referencing films such as Shaun of the Dead and the Friday the 13th series, and how it relates to social issues such as community, trauma, and rebuilding/re-establishment.

After all, zombies were human once upon a time.

Student debt

It shits on us all Matthew Cattin and Nigel Moffiet

The cold, hard facts.

13%

70%

2007

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FEATURE

Student debt is the angry storm cloud that rains persistently upon our heads. If we were only to look up from our ethics textbooks or our frosty beer jugs, we would notice a slowly accumulating 11 figure number, mocking us as we work to further ourselves in education and consequently, in debt. No matter our vigilance, punctuality or GPA, student debt strikes us all harshly and indiscriminately.

The Government’s position

The Government’s position

Student jobs and unemployment

New Zealand currently provides interest free student loans for full time students.

This means that we aren’t charged any additional money for the loans we take out borrowing is free.

Many have claimed the Government is picking on the most vulnerable as the crackdown on student loans also coincides with figures showing it has become increasingly difficult for young people to secure employment or get into adequate training.

In light of these crazy figures, the Government’s upcoming budget announcement on May 24 could prove to be a day that sends a few financial shocks down the backs of struggling students.

Speaking at a corporate event in March, Prime Minister John Key made some bold hints by suggesting change is in the air for the New Zealand student loan scheme.

Key made it clear that he is against interest free student loans but he will keep it that way for now purely for political purposes –it is a popular policy that captures a lot of votes and National would most likely be voted out if they went ahead and added interest to the loans. However Key did mention, as widely reported in the media, that he would be reigning in the student loan scheme “in a big way”.

Late last year, the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations NZUSA released findings from a survey that showed youth unemployment for 15 to 19 year olds “skyrocketed” from 17 per cent to over 27 per cent within one year.

On top of this, the 2010 Income and Expenditure Survey found that 65 per cent of students were employed in regular or casual work during the academic year which was down dramatically from 90 per cent in 2007. The NZUSA claim these figures show that “students have borne the brunt of the recent economic recession which has resulted in high unemployment rates”.

Here are a few things he had to say:

NZUSA co-president David Do said it is crucial that all forms of post-secondary education remain open and accessible for all school leavers.

"Bluntly, if you want me to be really crude about it there are 565,000 student loans out there. If we add interest back on the student loans, it doubles repayment time of the loan.

"If your loan is $50,000, and it's estimated it will take you eight years to pay it off, we effectively turn it into a loan that is about $90,000 with interest that takes you about 15 years to repay.

“Post-secondary education, whether through university, polytechnic, industry training, or other schemes, provides a valuable pathway out of youth unemployment. This level of education needs [to be] readily accessible, relevant to youth, and of high-quality and this will require adequate levels of investment to ensure these opportunities are open to everyone,” he said.

"That is about the only thing that will get [young people] out of bed before 7 o'clock at night to vote, but it's not politically sustainable to put interest back on student loans. It may not be great economics, but it’s great politics. It is a bit of a tragedy because it sends the wrong message to young people, it tells them to go out and borrow debt."

Very good point Mr Key. It does teach young people to go out and borrow, knowing full well they are filling their pockets with free money. Sure they have to pay it back down the line, but how many hungry students are economically forward thinking enough to resist the Burger Fuel, the apple cider and the shiny Mac Book Pros.

However, this comes at a time when the country is recovering from a global recession – indeed the government is looking to secure the country financially and cut back costs and increase its revenue, but some of the measures taken could prove to be very tough for students.

Reaction from the opposition Labour Party deputy leader Grant Robertson says he has questioned the Government over the proposed changes expected to take place but Minister of Tertiary Education Steven Joyce has remained coy.

Robertson posted Joyce’s response in a Labour Party blog: “I have received many reports and briefings regarding future student support arrangements since 1 August 2011….many of these will relate to future budget decisions and therefore will not be released prior to budget day.”

24 and that he has heard talk of “major changes around allowances that would effectively wipe them out in favour of loans”.

The Government has also hinted at restricting the amount students can borrow based on the courses they are taking. In this case, if you’re doing a thesis on ‘infectious trauma and the zombie apocalypse’ or ‘journeys of the domestic refrigerator’ don’t expect the Government to help you out a great deal unless of course it opens up considerable employment opportunities.

The chance of secure future employment based on the course one studies is an additional factor in this proposal.

Changes to the student loan scheme The National’s election manifesto regarding student loans states the Government wants to ensure “students who borrow from the scheme are working towards qualifications that can attract an income that allows them to pay back the loan…it doesn’t make sense to let student get into debt if they are unlikely to obtain a qualification that allows them to earn enough to pay that debt back.”

Robertson says that plans to publish the salaries of people with particular qualifications raises huge concerns around how course will be valued and that allocating student loans in such a manner could harm the overall quality of the education system.

“We want musicians, designers, artists or whatever it might be that the Minister considers is not earning enough, don’t we?

They might not have huge financial benefit, but they are important in a civilised society.”

And watch out if you’re planning on forgetting about repayments and hiding across the ditch or other parts of the world.

The Government says they will get tough on you.

According to National’s manifesto 70 per cent of overdue debt is owed by those living overseas and this group represents 15 per cent of borrowers. National claim cracking down on this group will save $38 million over four years.

The manifesto states it is “only fair that those living and working overseas who have a student loan pay back their overdue debt to help make the scheme more sustainable for the next generation of students”.

Robertson says we can expect to see big chances to the student loan scheme on May

FEATURE

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What students Bee, 33

Diploma of Applied Science Are you finding it financially difficult to study?

“It’s tougher. I’ve been working for the past 15 odd years so dropping down to a student loan and not being eligible for student allowance does make things tougher.”

How big do you think national student debt is?

“30 million?”

How do you plan to pay off your loan?

“Work it off.”

Grace, 18

Tourism

Would you still study if student loans weren’t interest free?

“I don’t know. Depending on how much interest it was, maybe I might not have. I actually don’t know because I know my parents wouldn’t have paid my fees so probably not I’d say.”

How do you plan to pay off your loan? Will you go overseas?

“Yeah I’m hoping to [go overseas] and pay that off as I start to work after uni.”

Are you finding it financially difficult to study?

“No I’m not because I get student allowance and I work as well. Generally about 12 hours a week.”

Do you find it hard to keep up with uni and work as well?

“Yeah, definitely. I do find it hard cause I do quite a few shifts a week so it’s pretty much the maximum I can earn and get student allowance so it does get a bit stressful.”

How big do you think national student debt is?

“No idea.”

Jamie, 20

Sciences

Do you get the student allowance?

“No I get living costs. For the train ticket, that’s like forty dollars, fuel for my car and my rent.”

Are you finding it financially difficult to study?

“Yeah, actually I had to move out of my house and move back home cause I couldn’t keep paying and I couldn’t get any other help. It was pretty rat shit.”

Do you have a part time job?

“Yeah about ten hours a week.”

Do you find it hard to keep up with uni and work as well?

“Yeah kind of. I have to make myself stay at uni after class to do my homework cause as soon as I get home from uni I just don’t do anything.”

Gautam, 20

Computer Science

How do you plan to pay off your loan?

“Once I get my job. Just pay it off slow.”

Are you finding it financially difficult to study?

“No, I’m supported by my parents.”

How big do you think national student debt is?

“Definitely in the millions.”

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FEATURE

nts have to say...

Jaimee, 25

Business

Would you still study if student loans weren’t interest free?

“Yeah, I’d have to.”

How do you plan to pay off your loan? Will you go overseas?

“I think so. I don’t think I’ll stay in New Zealand.”

Do you get the student allowance? What do you use it for?

“Yes. Rent, transport, food. That’s about it.”

Are you finding it financially difficult to study?

“Definitely. Because it [student allowance] doesn’t cover expenses like phone, internet, power, you know, living costs.”

Do you have a part time job?

“Yeah, I just got one.”

How big do you think national student debt is?

“No idea.”

Fraser, 19

Sciences

Would you still study if student loans weren’t interest free?

“Yeah I probably would cause I worked last year and got quite a bit of money behind me so when I leave I should be alright with normal loan and interest.”

How do you plan to pay off your loan? Will you go overseas? “ I’d like to go and work overseas. Just for a change from New Zealand.”

Are you finding it financially difficult to study?

“No, I’m still at home.”

Do you have a part time job?

“Yep, just eleven hours a week.”

Do you find it hard to keep up with uni and work as well?

“No I find it okay actually. It’s not too bad.”

Lutonia, 21

Bachelor of Science

Would you still study if student loans weren’t interest free?

“It wouldn’t be tempting for me to enrol but due to parents I would have to even though it cost that much.”

How do you plan to pay off your loan? Will you go overseas?

“I’ve started saving already and working as well so basically start saving now.”

Do you have a part time job? How many hours do you work a week?

“Yes. Just above the required rate where you have to pay off some. Just slightly more than that.”

Do you find it hard to keep up with uni and work as well?

“Yes. For this semester I only have two papers that I have to write exams on so not so much but I am coping for now.”

Are you finding it financially difficult to study?

“Yes, definitely. It’s really just study, work and go home, so other things such as social life just go out the door basically.”

How big do you think national student debt is?

“A few billion?”

FEATURE

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Laurene Jooste

Students. We generally get it pretty easy.

I mean, sure, we have the odd assignment and exam, but how often do you visit Vesbar or go out during the week and have minimal repercussions afterwards? Some of us, the lucky ones, only have afternoon classes, so we get to sleep in till at least 12 every day (that might just be me, but I’m not complaining). We have little responsibilities outside our parttime jobs and possibly paying rent. To me, that’s a pretty solid deal.

All of this magic and joy will end once we enter the real world, that sad, sad place of grey suits, tasteless, hasty lunches and weekend only breaks.

No holidays, no sleep- ins, only office confinement. Now, some of you think I am being melodramatic and can actually not wait to grow up. I say off with your head. I want to be the real Peter Pan and hang around as long as I can, learning, hanging out with friends every day, student discounts and holidays like a million times a year! Sure, the time will come to

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step up and gung-ho for that, but until then, I want to savour this moment, as we will never have it again, for those in their last years of study particularly. You can always come back later in life and study, but being a mature student isn’t quite the same I’d guess.

Another thing I love about university life compared to school life is that not only are the holidays longer, but the stuff you are learning about is actually interesting! And I enjoy learning about it! Novel idea right? Sure there are those odd papers which you absolutely must do which drive you to the brink of destruction or alcohol poisoning, but mostly it’s all pretty interesting and you get to choose, as opposed to being stuck with a pre-designed curriculum.

Now, I have got to be honest – yes, there are certain things I really don’t like about student life. Public transport, a lack of cheap parking, being pretty much continuously broke, assignment weeks where everything is due at once and the cost of textbooks – I mean,

OPINION

what is with that? We are students, they should know we can’t really afford that $300 textbook without some serious malnutrition, rationing and budgeting going on. And they should also know that if we had to choose between a textbook or going skiing in August, the textbook will usually always lose – I have personally taken it as a challenge at times to go throughout the semester without one, purely because it was deemed utterly necessary; you can’t possibly go around handing out challenges such as those without them being accepted.

But overall, I think all of that is a fairly small price to pay for our four month holiday at the end of every year and half-price bus-card top ups. Plus, being student-broke forces you to get creative with things: I am convinced that was how beerpong was invented (some of you know exactly how, but unlike you, I can’t be bothered googling it. Stick some posters around campus with the info. I’m bound to read that. I love looking at posters.)

V48 Hours attracts AUT’s filmmaking talent

A scene from Circus Animals

Lights, camera, action! New Zealand’s largest film competition is about to get underway and AUT students have proven to add a lot of value to the event.

The V48hours competition runs from 18-20 May. Last year a team made up of recent AUT graduates finished as national finalists and won the award for best use of prop (a bent piece of wire).

The team went by the name of Mo Appreciation Collective and was made up of ex-video production students. They created a dark, quirky film called Circus Animals which was set in an old warehouse featuring two men taking part in a torturous game of electrocution whereby they tried to run the piece of wire around a circuit without touching it.

Ex-AUT student and team producer Lisa Fothergill says the competition was an enjoyable experience which she recommends.

“It was really fun, we didn’t get any sleep at all but it was a really great team to work with,” she says.

The competition runs on surprise – filmmakers don't know what genre they will be shooting until the start of the competition.

All creativity: writing, shooting, editing and adding a musical soundtrack, must occur within the 48 hour window.

“We got the wildcard genre,” says Fothergill.

“It was a ‘one room’ genre where we couldn’t film outside of one room. We set it in a warehouse which looked amazing on camera and we didn’t have to do much set dressing as it was already there – all the equipment and machinery.

The competition describes itself as a “cinematic bootcamp but instead of drill sergeant screaming obscenities at you, it's the constant tick-tock of the countdown clock drilling into your mushy brain.”

Fothergill says remembering to enjoy the experience is the one thing any team should be aware of when entering.

Lisa said the competition throws up some exciting challenges for aspiring film makers.

“Have people that you get along with in your team because you have to get along with them for 48 hours. And have fun with it, you’re going to meet a lot of cool people along the way.

“The script writing was the hardest part of the whole thing because we had too many cooks in our kitchen. Everyone had their own opinions and we ended up arguing but in the end we got a really good script.”

To view Mo Appreciation Collective’s prize winning short film go to: www.v48hours.co.nz/screening-room/2011/ auckland/circus-animals/

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This day in history

Matthew Cattin

April 30th

On this day in 1945, Adolf Hitler and his wife of one day (he had commitment issues) Eva Braun

Fun fact of the week

committed suicide, marking the end of his tyrannous rule of Germany. Hitler rose from the ashes of a bankrupt and demoralized Germany, crippled by a failed WWI campaign. Although regarded as one of the most influential leaders of our time, his bastardly ways cost the world around 60 million lives; a figure which was around 2.5 per cent of the entire world population of the time.

Liquid breathing (Because breathing air is mainstream). oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream and in exchange, as we exhale carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere. Secondly, the oxygen we need to breathe is not only found in the air, it is also abundant in water and various other liquids, hence water’s molecular structure H2O (O standing for our friend oxygen).

The future of surviving underwater is knocking on our door but the answer is perhaps not what you would expect. For those who have seen James Cameron’s sci-fi classic The Abyss, the concept will be familiar. For those that haven’t, it’s time to take a step back into science class.

First things first - the lungs are essentially a large surface area devoted to gas exchange. When we inhale,

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On April 29, Hitler married his long-time companion Eva Braun (possibly to dispel rumours he was homosexual) in a map room of his bunker in Berlin. All the while the Soviet Army was closing in and defeat was imminent. On April 30, Hitler recorded his final will and testament and shortly after, killed himself with his handgun while Eva took a capsule of cyanide. Both bodies were doused in petrol and burnt in a bomb crater. Like so many acts before, I think it was only fitting that his final act was a cowardly one.

Scientists, after combining these two principles, have discovered that mammals can effectively breathe liquid, so long as there is enough oxygen in its molecular makeup. To pull this off however one must first drown, in this sense fill their lungs with liquid. It must be understood that it’s not the water that kills a drowning man; it is his inability to extract the oxygen from the water in his lungs.

The possible uses for liquid breathing range from deep sea scuba diving to medical treatments. According to an article by the Independent, premature babies have been trialled with liquid breathing revealing stunning results. If you think it sounds far-fetched, ponder this. How do unborn babies get their oxygen in the womb? Google it.

HUMOUR

TUPAC

TUPAC Hologram

Morgahna Godwin

So picture this: last Tuesday night I was sitting at my computer writing articles (looking at cat videos) and all of a sudden my twitter alerts started going off. One Direction were about to land in the country. I refuse to say anymore on this because it has dragged on. But to those crazy girls who found the back entrance to Auckland airport, you’re insane!

In other more important news, did everyone see Hologram Tupac?

feral_pigeon @feral_pigeon

“panic! fly and land three feet away” I kid you not these are actually twitter accounts.

-And from the New Zealand twitter verse we had some really interesting news:

Ali Williams @AliWilliams_

Katy Perry @katyperry

“The sperm that won is off to training. I have that winning feeling.”

We have this stigma in New Zealand that says if you’re not ethic it’s uncool to listen to ‘gangsta’ music. You fools. I am fortunately (unfortunately to some) 1/32th ethnic. So it’s expected that I listen to this music. I guess I live up to my stereotype. Anyway, last week a hologram of late rapper Tupac Shakur was projected on a stage at Cochella.

It was like he was back from the dead. Of course someone made a twitter account for the hologram of Mr. Shakur.

It’s pretty hilarious.

Thanks Ali. That was exactly what I needed to read with my bagel and coffee.

“I think I might have cried when I saw Tupac. #coachella “

Kate Rodger @MsKateRodger

“Driving along LA freeway listening to the driver sing along (badly) to Kimbra & Gotye on the radio. Got the feeling he was a fan” #number1hit

Hologram Tupac @HologramTupac “It Megahertz The Most”

What I like about this tweet is one, Kimbra is mentioned first and two, it’s all the way from L.A. Kate, you just went up a placing on my list of the best journalists

Hologram Tupac @HologramTupac

--

“I never let em play me for a busta, make it HTML 4 a hustla.”

And just incase you cared:

Hologram Tupac @HologramTupac

Dan News @dannews

“Meme Against The World”

“Change to TV One schedule: Father And Son has moved to 11pm Friday and will also be a special two hour finale.”

-On a lighter note, here’s a bit of inspiration from the wildlife:

I’ll leave the last words to Voldemort because let’s be honest he knows all.

common squirrel @common_squirrel

The Dark Lord @Lord_Voldemort7

“run run run run”

“#ItsAlwaysTheUglyGirls that say it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

MEDIA

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M

Y

Y

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contributeToDebate-2012-A3.pdf

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24/04/12

12:52 PM

Public displays of affection Is PDA ok? Firstly for those that aren’t quite up with the lingo PDA = Public displays of affection.

Now we are all on the same page, the biggest one you all should know is that playing tonsil hockey or trying to eat each other’s tongues is something that you should keep PRIVATE. No one wants to see that.

That is an intimate moment and is really only acceptable in a club (where people know there will be some drunky doing it) or when no one can possibly see you.

Passionate kisses are a different story but only if they are in a tasteful manner. Notice in the PG rated movies how the kisses in public are always different from the ones in the bedroom? There’s a reason!

Please don’t make the local park or the AUT quad your scene in a porno.

As for those that don’t want to do PDA? It means for some reason they want to hide their relationship, so my advice is to find out why. Unless you’re still in that teeny bopper stage and need to hide it from your parents, the only other real reason they won’t indulge in PDA with you is probably because they are cheating on you and don’t want to be seen by the wrong person that can let the other girlfriend know!!!.

So enjoy PDA with your special someone. Why Not?

Put Some Clothes ON Quote – “If a guy only wants to see breasts, legs and thighs . . . . Send him to KFC!” The guys around AUT will probably disagree, but for those girls (sadly it is usually girls) and guys that have gotten to the point where your clothes could pass as togs, please put some more clothes on! Dressing at uni in a tasteful manner will put us all at ease. Don’t get me wrong – shorts, singlets, legs, cleavage - all good! But really, half your bum cheek, the tip of your crotch, your whole boob and just covering the nipple? PLEASE COVER THAT SHIT UP! Give the opposite sex the opportunity to at least imagine what goodies you have instead of showing it all.

We have all come to acknowledge that for students, uni is a fashion show. People dress up and like to look nice. They strut their stuff around campus and to me there is nothing wrong with that because who knows when your other half will meet you and feel happy about the way you look. I say GO FOR IT! But at the end of the day, please cover your bits – save it for the clubs or the beach.

COLUMN

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So it’s getting to that time of the academic year; your papers are starting to verge on the serious side, it’s teetering on too cold to get out of bed for that 8am class confirming that winter is on its merry way, summer has taken away most, if not all of your disposable funds – in fact, if you’re not careful, things could start to look decidedly gloomy.

Alas, in order to save any of you out there who may be considering turning in early to hibernate for the winter, we’ve got your list of the top eight great things to do in and around Auckland to remind you that just because the mid-semester break is over, life outside of Uni is not (and don’t worry, we’ve kept the budget for these activities at a very modest, student friendly level!):

1. International Comedy Festival

Obviously, this is one of the highlights on Auckland’s festival calendar. I remember the days when the list of acts fit on an A6 page, nowadays however, New Zealand attracts hundreds of big names comedic acts from all around the world to come here and entertain us.

Fortunately, most shows have discounted student tickets, and any of the following acts are well worth some hard earned (or government gifted) cash for a night out of the house: Brendon Green (NZ): Brooklyn Bar, 8-12 May - $15.00 Jason John Whitehead (CAN): The Basement Theatre, 28 April-5 May - $22.00 Marcel Lucont (FRA): Loft at Q, 28 & 30 April – 5 May - $20.00 www.comedyfestival.co.nz

2. Silo Cinema

Following the Rugby World Cup, I was weary whether or not the Wynyard Quarter and Silo Park would be anywhere near as inviting as it was over those few months, but thankfully, Auckland Council is steadfast behind the development plan and maintained interest over the summer by holding regular movie screenings up against the empty cement silos. If it’s a lovely evening, a picnic may be the way to go, or you can head down early to take a look around the markets and grab a feed from any of the bars and food stalls.

Markets from 5pm, films begin at 8pm.

3. International Readers and Writers Festival

Now before you decide that this festival sounds all too scholarly to be fun – let me just point out that this year, you can catch comedic author Rhys Darby

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promoting his new book ‘This Way to Spaceship’, musician brothers Nathan and Joel Haines chat about their lives as composers, and spoken word performer Lemon Anderson discuss his extraordinary life enveloped in drugs and crime. Another festival that seems to be on its way up, this hidden gem is a great way to broaden your horizons while keeping your student loan funds afloat: An Hour with Rhys Darby – Saturday 12 May, 4-5pm: $12.50 The Composer’s Life: Nathan & Joel Haines – Sunday 13 May, 1-2pm: Free County of Kings: The Beautiful Struggle – Sunday 13 May, 4-5pm: $12.50 www.writersfestival.co.nz

4. Matakana Farmers Market

Sometimes it’s just nice to get out of Auckland, even if it’s only a short 45-minute drive on the Northern Motorway. The small rural township of Matakana is home to one of the quaintest farmer’s markets I’ve ever been to. With its fresh fruit and vegetables, homemade treats and local products, Matakana Farmers Market has something for everyone. While you’re there, try a freshly made cannoli (pastry shell filled with ricotta cheese and dusted with icing sugar) from Silvana, the Sicilian vendor by the stream, pick up a jar of locally produced Cashew Nut Butter from Matakana Gourmet Nut Butters or sample some of the delicious Organic Feijoa Wine from the Lothlorien Winery stall. As I have learnt, the earlier you arrive the better, as you will have the best choice of produce, and, if it’s a lovely day, you can grab a spot by the stream and relax for as long as you want.

Matakana Village Markets are Saturdays from 8am until 1pm. Make sure you take cash with you, as there is always a line twenty people deep to get to

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the one ATM in Matakana. The Northern Gateway route costs $2.00 each way, however you can detour 30-minutes and take the free route. www.matakanavillage.co.nz/market/matakanafarmers-market/

5. Quiz Night

Quiz Nights are the perfect way to get out of the house at the beginning of the week, have a good time, and all without spending too much money. Most quiz nights are free to enter these days, so gather up some mates, think of a witty team name (E for Idiot, 664 The Neighbour of the Beast, Halal – is it meat you’re looking for?) and test your general knowledge skills at one of Auckland’s best quiz nights: Bluestone Room – Wednesdays from 6pm The Drake Music Trivia Night – Wednesdays from 7pm Northern Steamship Company – Mondays from 7pm

6. Mini-Putt

In case you consider yourself a regular Happy Gilmore when it comes to swinging a club, Auckland is a great place to be. We have a great range of minigolf courses to choose from: Adventure Golf, Auckland Airport: This one is shaped like a pirate ship. ‘Nuff said. $10.00 each.

Lilliputt Mini Golf, Mission Bay: Lilliputt went down hill a few years back, leaving the ponds to dry up and the plants to overrun the greens, however, they have semi-recently installed an entirely new 18 hole course. They give a great deal where students can play both the old and the new course for $13.

Gloputt, Takapuna: Exactly as the name suggests, Gloputt is glow-in-the-dark mini-golf. I think this may be simultaneously the best and worst idea in the world. As soon as you enter Gloputt, the combination of the glow in the dark pens and golf balls, and the fluorescent Amazonian jungle on hole one make Gloputt one of the most awesome developments in the mini putt world. $12.50 each.

7. Documentary Edge Festival

Ever wanted to see a 90-minute documentary on Alaska’s Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, a Bollywood hero story or the journey of six wannabe Poetry Slam winners? I know, me too! Well, here’s your chance to see these, plus many more documentary and short films over the coming weeks.

Showing at either the Auckland Art Gallery or Event Cinemas Newmarket, a ticket to one will cost a

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student $12.00, however, if you purchase 9 tickets, you get the 10th free – score!!

Sarah Palin, You Betcha!: 4 & 11 May Big in Bollywood: 29 Apr, 5 & 9 May We Are Poets: 29 Apr, 6 & 11 May http://www.documentaryedge.org.nz/2012/ak/

8. Sunday Sessions

I swear, Sundays are the new Saturdays.

Unfortunately, this only works for those students who don’t have early Monday morning classes (I am not one of the lucky few), but if the weather is playing the game, and you’ve caught up on all the reality TV you can possibly stand, Sunday arvo’s in Auckland are the best. Most bars/pubs around here have a halfway decent, if not, bloody fantastic, live set on the cards for Sunday too, so it’s worth it purely for the free music.

Britomart Country Club down in the Viaduct usually has live DJs from lunchtime and free classic movies from 6pm every couple of weeks.

Chapel Bar & Bistro is a staple for Ponsonby locals and the perfect bar for a Sunday afternoon spent relaxing with your mates in the sun.

De Fontein puts on live jazz every Sunday from 4pm, and it’s hard to beat the view from this Belgian Beer café.

9. Auckland Art Gallery

Nestled in the CBD, the freshly restored Auckland Art Gallery is home to more than 15,000 works of art, and only a five minute walk from AUT. There’s something for everybody at the gallery and lately you can view Salvador Dali originals to sculptures to traditional Maori artwork. Some of the works on display are so old that they were finished long before New Zealand was even colonised. The best part – free entry!

10. Fish and Chips

Lately we’ve been experiencing a few final days of nice weather before winter starts to kick in. So if a sunny weekend presents itself, plan a trip to one of Auckland’s nice beach spots. If you want to travel a bit further out make a day of the ruggedly beautiful west coast beaches Piha or Bethells, or if you want to stay a bit closer to home go to Mission Bay and enjoy a delicious helping of a classic Kiwi favourite – fish and chips. Don’t forget a good dosage of tomato sauce.

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Kate Moss

Photo by Craig McDean

Morgahna Godwin www.thisismorgs.com

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NAOMI CAMPBELL

Photo by Ellen von Unwerth

Models. The professional duck face posers.

That sounds negative, it’s not. I admire that ability, as I’m sure many others do too (just check out your ghetto friends Facebook account). Since coming to New York I’ve had the pleasure of living with quite a few models. I also have a few friends in New Zealand who are models, commercial and high fashion, so don’t think I’m trying to take a stab at the profession. It’s hard work.

However, coming to New York was a real ‘eye opener’ as to how competitive the industry actually is. The reality is this: mum may have told you you have a beautiful face or maybe you made it to the third round of New Zealand’s Next Top Model, but right now, somewhere in Russia, a mother is giving birth to a baby that will be flawless and kick every other model’s ass .

So far I’ve met about 15 Russian girls

TYRA BANKS Photo for ANTM

(men are varied) chasing the chance to walk for Marc Jacobs or to be signed to Elite. And if they work hard enough they’ll probably get there. They’re born with that look and I’m jealous. Forget all that shit about ‘be happy with yourself’ or ‘feel comfortable in your body’ blah blah. The premise behind fashion is based upon appearance and there is no fighting that. Sure if you can ‘own’ your own individual look then kudos to you, but for many that’s not easy.

Let me share with you a story about a Russian girl I lived with. She commuted between Russia and New York for modeling when she needed money. I say ‘commute’ because she talked about it although it was like going from Mt Roskill to Remuera. No big deal. She could earn enough in four months to fund the rest of her year and that was good for her. She worked hard when she had to, but when she had free time she’d be on the rooftop getting high. The point of it all is: she was

KARLIE KLOSS

Photo via Karlies Klosset

born with ‘good looks’, she knows it, she exploits it, she makes a lot of money, she sleeps until about 2pm every day, and she will almost always come out on top before the girl who staves herself perpetually.

I admire anyone who has the balls to model. It’s a performance and to give a convincing one requires talent. To anyone from New Zealand aspiring to be a ‘top model’ I say dream big. Find out what sets you apart from my Russian friend and if you can ‘nail’ that point of difference I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t succeed. And to anyone who gives models a hard time, shut the fuck up and stop being jealous. I am most definitely not a model myself but I defend the fact they can’t help what society sees as beautiful. And haven’t you ever heard of not ‘knocking someone’s hustle’? Go listen to some Jay-Z. We all have to get by in this world somehow, so to the models I say “work it bitch”.

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Photoshop tutorials Website review

psd.tutsplus.com

(Photoshop tutorials)

Design- 2/5 Usability- 3/5 Creativity- 4/5 Content- 4/5 Sometimes there comes a time in a project where one simply throws all the papers in the air, snaps all the pencils and breaks down; confessing that they truly have no idea what they’re doing.

I can speak from experience here, having done it a disturbingly large amount of times. This is the point in the project where one needs to do two things. Firstly, take a break, you’re exhausted clearly. Secondly, ask for help, otherwise you’re just going to go through it all again.

I’m not going to profess to know a website that can cure any assignment confusion and applies across all papers, but I may be able to help those of you whose papers are creatively inclined. Psd tuts is one of those websites that doesn’t really screw you around with regards to what it’s all about. It’s a website with Photoshop tutorials on it; people write them and post them up. End of story? No, sadly.

Before I get to the bad (and the ugly), lets cover the good.

There are great tutorials on this site; the amount of creativity shown by some people out there with regards to one program is utterly mind-blowing. I was looking for some Photoshop tips on how to make text seem more metallic, expecting an interesting way to combine images on the top of text. What I found instead were step-by-step guides telling how to make it look like it was made of gold, or wire mesh, or circuitry.

If I wanted to know how to do it, chances are someone already knew and they could tell me. All of the tutorials were really easy to follow, with pictures and text accompanying them all, meaning that non-hardcore users like myself wouldn’t get lost.

This is the part where I gripe however. There are some very cool tutorials on this site, but the coolest of them are of course

reserved for those that are willing to pay for it, and that’s not me. If I want videos, I have to pay. If I want longer tutorials with more detail, I have to pay. It’s vastly irritating to be honest and for no good reason other than I’m cheap.

Though, that’s not to say that the site is evil and blocks everything good; demanding cash like an artsy, cash demanding ogre. Far from it in fact. The site is more like an artsy, Photoshop -teaching pixie that in exchange for a ‘small sum’, can give you more of what you already have.

The other problem however is that all the tutorials and articles are written by different people and while some of these authors are brilliant and creative and personable, others have all the written charisma of an article writing piece of toast. It just makes it a little startling to go from one interesting tutorial to another tutorial that you can barely read past the first step.

The last complaint I have is funny considering the sites content. It’s ugly. Really, damn ugly, the first time I went to the site I wondered if I was in the right place. Don’t misread me here, it looks nice and pretty, but the site layout and colour scheme is awful. New users (like myself) will have a hard time finding anything amidst the homepage collection of tabs, tags and pictures. In the end I found solace in the clearly marked search bar and attempted to find something through that. It’s weird that a site aimed at designers and the like is laid out in such an inefficient way. But in any case, I found PSD Tuts to be useful, helpful and a bit of a welcome distraction – it’s just not quite picture perfect.

Kieran Bennett

Weapon Lostprophets

Rating: 2 ½ /5 Welsh rockers Lostprophets have returned with their fifth studio album, Weapons. Lostprophets are known for their alternative yet radio-friendly rock sound, but with Weapons it seems the band are attempting a grungier, heavier rock image and are trying to shed the pop-rock vibe they held throughout the mid 2000s. The tracks are all titled to fit this harder image and you expect the songs to have that real punk, heavy, nearly metal rock sound, but sadly, the album doesn’t quite make it.

The first song on the album and the first song to be released onto the radio is Bring Em Down. It’s a song which seems to be literally about bringing people down. I always feel the first song off the album should point the direction of the overall feel for the record, but Bring Em Down only confused me. It’s like half the song is headed for the darker, grungier look, but the other half is holding on to the remains of the pop rock emo thing of the last decade. And let’s be honest, that look and sound is so 2005.

The darker tunes are given another go with A Little Reminder That I’ll Never Forget and Better off Dead, which do feature a few cool guitar rhythms but are quickly ruined by a few too many distorts and a lead singer who sounds like he is straining his voice to put in that grunge sound. It also seems Lostprophets are trying to remind everyone they are more edgy and darker with song names like We Bring an Arsenal, but you just feel they are trying too hard.

As I said before, the pop rock isn’t quite shed, and songs such as Another Shot and Heart on Loan show this. These songs feel less forced and it is a shame Lostprophets didn’t work on getting these songs perfect. Jesus Walks (not a Kanye West cover) would probably take the top spot for me; it’s the only song on the album that just feels right.

When I heard Lostprophets were coming back with a new album, I got really excited. I wanted to see what they would do and which way their music would head. But overall I’m disappointed. Lostprophets simply do not pull off the darker, grungier look, and without the emo thing going on in mainstream music anymore it seems they have lost their place.

I hope this isn’t the end of Lostprophets because I feel they have something to offer the music industry, but they need to sit down and figure out exactly what that something is.

Renee Simpson

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With a strong interest in Pacific issues and a dedication to lending a helping hand, Alex Perrottet, 30, is steadily achieving many of his goals in life. As well as finishing off his master’s degree, Perrottet works as contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch. His role requires him to pick up and write on all media related issues around the Pacific. Perrottet says he has a strong connection to the Pacific and has spent a lot of time volunteering in the region.

Later this year he plans to travel to a village in Fiji to help repair a school. He talks to debate about his career so far and his work in the Pacific.

You have background in law so what made you change career paths into journalism?

“I was always keen on journalism at school and I got into law and did that but it’s always handy to have a law degree even if just for the analytical skills. I worked for a couple of years in a small firm which was a lot of fun but I realised when I came to New Zealand it would be a good chance to change course and do the degree and I’m looking to get my teeth stuck into journalism.”

Can you tell me about your role as contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch at AUT’s Pacific Media Centre?

“My role includes writing news that’s based on media issues in the Pacific and to follow media issues and to pick up on news stories that are published by Pacific organisations like the Fiji Times, the Sun, The Observer, Taimi Tonga or the Vanuatu Daily Post. And if there’s a media issue or something related to the media I’ll pick it up and highlight it on our Pacific Media Watch list. It’s also an RSS feed that many people have subscribed to within New Zealand and the Pacific. The Pacific Media Centre site is meant to be a bit of a one-stop-shop for media here and the Pacific.”

Have you always had a strong interest in Pacific issues or did you fall into this role?

“I’ve always been interested in the Pacific. My father worked for the World Bank and he would make plenty of trips to the Pacific Islands so I grew up with lots of Pacific clubs and spears around the house and was lucky enough to go with him on one or two business trips. And as I got older I got more into doing aid projects based in the Pacific. So there has always been a love of the Pacific that has been nurtured by my father.”

You’ve done a lot of aid work around the Pacific, including Samoa and Fiji. Can you tell me about that?

“For the last decade or so I have been very interested in helping out villages that I have been in contact with in various ways throughout the Pacific. I’ve done four or five different trips to Fiji, usually during the summer holiday period where I would go with other university students and young professionals. It’s usually based around just someone you know, sometimes it’s a professional contact of my father’s and in the case of Samoa it was the same.

He [my father] knows one of the high chiefs of a village in the south of Samoa called Poutasi village. So I went over in September 2010 to cover the first year anniversary of the tsunami and also to visit the chief of this village and see what we could do to help. We had a company from Papakura donate a children’s playground and we fixed up the local Catholic church. I think the idea of volunteering is becoming more and more attractive and people see that you get a good feeling giving your time for others and that rewarding feeling of seeing a really good job well done, that you’ve improved the lives of others who might not be as lucky as yourselves.”

You are returning to Fiji later in the year to carry out more aid work. Can you tell us about your latest mission?

“I’m connected to a youth centre here in Auckland called Glenrowan Study Centre. We’re combining with a group from Melbourne to carry out a project in the north of Fiji in a little village called Navunibitu. We are going to help them with a school that needs a lot of work and doesn’t have any one to do repairs and painting. I’ve been there twice before to repaint the school over the years. We organised this before the floods hit, so in light of these floods we might change plans to see what else we can do to help.”

To find out more about the Glenrowan Study Centre visit: www.glenrowan.org.nz You can visit Pacific Media Watch at: www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pmw-nius

debate is looking for some super interesting AUT students to profile. Do you know someone at AUT who we should profile? Is it you? Email debate@aut.ac.nz with your suggestions.

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