debate issue 3, 2011

issue 3 2011

www.ausm.org.nz

1.

SKIN & BEAUTY TREATMENT - LEVEL 2

HAIR SALON - LEVEL 3

LEVEL 2

HEALTH AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS, LEVEL 2

NAIL SALON, LEVEL 2

Follow us on facebook

21-25 Elliott Street, Auckland • Ph: 09 375 4960 • www.atriumonelliott.co.nz 2.

issue 03 2011

ISSUE 03 2011 5 Editorial 6 Letters/Creative Corner 8 O’Week Photos 10 News Quiz 11 Sport Scott Moyes tries not to jinx the Breakers’ winning streak

on the cover

AuSM Photobooth Photo Montage

by Deanne Antao

12 How To/Recipe 13 Pres Sez/AuSM Update 14 Smoking – is it our future?

Ben Matthews lights a controversial match

You can email rebecca.williams@aut.ac.nz if you’d like a digital version of your photo taken by the AuSM Photobooth during Orientation.

editor

Samantha McQueen samantha.mcqueen@aut.ac.nz

designers

Deanne Antao Nonavee Dale

sub-editor

Alisha Lewis

contributors

Lisa Arthur | Jo Barker | Ben Carroll | Matthew Catin | Derek Chuan |Alicia Crocket | Jess Etheridge | Briar Hubbard | Elana Kluner | KP Lew | Joshua Martin | Ben Matthews | Katie Montgomerie | Scott Moyes | Ashleigh Muir | Heather Rutherford |Jareth Trigwell | Adam Warin | James Wheeler | Danielle Whitburn | Jarred Williamson

advertising contact

Kate Campbell kate.campbell@aut.ac.nz

all rights reserved.

This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUCKLAND STUDENT MOVEMENT AT AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED (“AuSM”).

Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly.

Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AuSM.

disclaimer

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

debate is a member of

printer

PMP Print Ltd.

debate magazine is brought to you by

15 Our Kiwi As Governor-General 16 Christchurch Reform/ The Rising Cost of Petrol 17 Couch Potato to Fit Potato Samantha McQueen attempts to keep her New Year’s resolutions

18 Restaurant Reviews 19 Concert Reviews 21 Festival Goers Jareth Trigwell looks at the crowds of concerts

21 The LDR Question Is long distance worth it?

22 Top Five Celebrity Meltdowns/ Top Five Comic Book Films debate goes listicle crazy

23 The Demise of Charlie Sheen 24 Columns 25 Agony Aunt/Words of the Week 26 Suggestions/Horoscopes 27 Fashion 28 Reviews

• 10% permanent student discount* • We buy and sell second-hand textbooks* - instant cash if you sell • Over 100,000 books in stock* - no waiting weeks for books to arrive • Four stores Auckland wide • Open Monday to Friday or buy securely from our website 24/7

www.ubsbooks.co.nz

www.ausm.org.nz

City Campus Phone 366 4550 Fax 366 4570 Email aut.city@ubsbooks.co.nz

Akoranga Campus Phone 489 6105 Fax 489 7453 Email aut.akoranga@ubsbooks.co.nz

3.

4.

issue 03 2011

21

at Free Feeds

Sausages, falafel + fruit

4

28

at Free Feeds

Nachos week

5pm

on the Shore

YOGA

14

WC202@12pm

Movie + popcorn

MONDAY

every Tuesday

Free Feeds on the Shore

5

29

22

Fish + Chips + Beer = $8

16

2-4pm

6

@NORTH SHORE

30

Ice cream sundae bar

any day @MANUKAU

23

@VESBAR

ALL DAY SPECIAL

Rent a bean bag

7pm

vesbar JAZZ Night

WEDNESDAY

March - April 2011

@vesbar

6pm

15

Pub Quiz!

For more info on AuSM events visit www.ausm.org.nz

at Free Feeds

Noodles week

TUESDAY

Events Calendar

7

7pm

VESBAR EASTER PARTY

31

PING PONG+ FREE FEED IN QUAD 12pm

@vesbar from 3pm

24

2-4pm

@NORTH SHORE

Follow ausm1 on Twitter

Join ausm1 on Facebook

18

26-29 April

COMING SOON...

from 2pm

ve s b ar Happy Hour

25

on Twitter Follow ausm1 for pix, events, comps & more...

Follow ausm1

Join ausm1 on Facebook

FRIDAY

Unigames!

17

Mini Makeovers

$8 Super Jugs!

@VESBAR 7pm

St Patricks Day Party!

THURSDAY

directory reception

T

his past week, I’ve experienced my first hit of “news fatigue”. Between trying to stay on top of the latest developments in Christchurch, trying to understand the mess in Libya and throwing my keys out the window because I can’t afford to drive anymore, it’s all become a bit too much for my brain to handle. At times like this I usually turn to the soft and fluffy portions of the news – travel, weddings and entertainment – but even that isn’t safe from news overload anymore, thanks to one individual.

I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon that is the Charlie Sheen mess. I’ve never liked the “number one comedy on television”; the concept of celebrating womanising middle-aged men, dim-witted children and cargo shorts doesn’t do it for me, sorry. I don’t follow the former Two and a Half Men star on Twitter, avoid news about him wherever possible and now refrain from using “winning” in a sentence. But apparently, everyone else in the natural universe has. A quick Google news search over a 24 hour period shows that there are 5640 just-written articles about the former president’s son (West Wing, anyone?). And it’s not just publications with names like Pop Eater, Gossip Girl and Hollywood Gossip 5000 that are reporting on the controversy. USA Today, The Huffington Post and even The New York Times are hanging on to this warlock’s every word. When earthquakes, tsunamis and political unrest are prevalent in other places of the world, you can’t help but worry at the state of journalism.

When you take away the celebrity label and look at him for the human he is, it’s actually quite frightening to read about, especially when he’s saying sentences like, “Can you smell your mother’s tears, from some distant memory as she scattered her pathetic creation, asking all around her why this feeble abortion survived?” in such a calm, casual way. Had an everyday citizen like you or me spoken so nonchalant about some of the matters that Sheen has brought up over the last month, we’d be shunned from society or thrown into an institution. But no, since he’s a celebrity, being crazy is a gimmick we can all laugh and poke fun at. Yes, celebrities do set themselves up for being made fun of, but there’s a difference between poking fun at Jessica Simpson’s chicken of the sea gaff and egging on someone as unstable as Sheen.

The worst thing about this all is that Sheen knows that he’s in a bad place, but his cries for help are instead being used for ratings. Last week he said “my lawyer wants to come over to my house and take the bullets out of my gun” and the world responds with a few thousand more followers, entertainment shows jumping up to 17 per cent in viewership and t-shirts brandishing some of Sheen’s famous quips.

To me, the solution to this madness seems simple: get Sheen off Twitter and into rehab, cancel Two and a Half Men and give Sheen his millions and let writer Chuck Lorre focus on his much funnier comedy, The Big Bang Theory.

But enough about Sheen. I want to spend this editorial talking about the rising cost in petrol, the bumper section of reviews we have in this issue (six, if I counted correctly) and obesity.

Oh wait, I’ve reached my word count already? Great, that’s article 5641 about Charlie Sheen.

City Campus Level 2, WC Building 921 9805 8am-5pm Mon-Thurs 8am-4pm Fri North Shore Campus Level 2, AS Building 921 9949 8.30am-3pm Mon-Fri Manukau Campus MB107 921 9999 ext 6672 9am-3.30pm Mon-Thurs

management

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

representation

Veronica Ng Lam AuSM Student President 921 9999 ext 8571 vnglam@aut.ac.nz

advocacy

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

marketing/events

Rebecca Williams Marketing Manager 921 9999 ext 8909 rebecca.williams@aut.ac.nz

advertising

Kate Campbell Marketing & Sales Coordinator 921 9999 ext 6537 kate.campbell@aut.ac.nz

media

Samantha McQueen Publications Co-ordinator 921 9999 ext 8774 samantha.mcqueen@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

www.ausm.org.nz

5.

Letter of the week wins two movie tickets for Event Cinemas!

debate letters policy: Letters need to make it into debate’s mailbox before Wednesday, 3pm each week for the following issue.

You must give us your name when submitting letters to be eligible for letter of the week, but you can use a pseudonym for publication if you wish. Any letters longer than 250 words may be subjected to editing. Spelling and grammar will not be corrected. The editor reserves the right to decline without explanation. Most importantly, the views contained on the letters page do not necessarily represent the views of AuSM. Send your letters to debate@aut.ac.nz or if you want to kick it old school, PO Box 6116, Wellesley St, Auckland.

Letter of the week Dear Debate, What is up with the lack of water fountains on Akoranga campus? Not all of us can afford to cough up $2.70 for a bottle of water every time we want a drink. I have just spent my 10 minute break in our lecture running around trying to fill up my drink bottle. I went to the gym, the water fountain there is now tantalisingly just out of reach behind new whizzy swipey gates. There is a fountain in the cafe, but of questionable cleanliness. The library fountain is ok but too far away from the lecture theatre. The fountain in AA block, well you could almost make a cuppa with that water it comes out bordering on hot, not desirable for drinking at all. Come on AUT, some basic facilities on Akoranga campus would be appreciated.

Regards, Bridget Watson

Dear Debate, Upon arrival for the first time this year at the Poenamo Carpark, (thats where us north shorts park for the ShuttleBus) I was greeted by a purple plaque stating “Pay and Display”.

“WTF!? when did This happen!!?, surely it must mean for non AUT people” I thought. But no, Students must now pay $5 a day, while AUT Staff use their Permit. Thats $800 p.a, or $25 a week for parking. Thats 15% of my allowance gone.. better head down to Student Services for a budget readjustment. A quick google reveals manukau get free parking, while Student parking on St Paul street is roughly $580p.a cheaper. cough*RevenueGathering*cough.

How about AUT provides a Student Permit at a discounted price. or FREE. (wonder if the Staff paid for their’s?) Anyway.. you’ll find me parking in the bigger, FREE Poenamo/golf course carpark, entrance on Northcote Rd, opposite the Netball courts.

I want to mention that I really enjoyed Brendan Kelly’s funny piece on bad superheroes. Let him know that even though I’m no comic book junkie, I still found it really hilarious and was trying hard not to laugh out loud on my bus ride home.

Thanks for all you do Sam! Melissa

Regards Ranting Bitter Old Man

Idle shapes shape the form of thoughts when I talk to you, When I ask for the less profound Of the signs that you give me, mellow hazes, dusty gazes, subtle reflections Of the state I feel when amongst your presence.

What good to take Your tunes so metaphorically; are they the entities Of the most truthful?

Briar Hubbard Untitled

Your peaks give me nothing, the wilderness of individuality Weeds its way, Vines in the wind, a sole connection back to reality.

Mythical fantasies; ideological quandaries; to the mind, You look one.

Your idle shapes merely caress the mazes of the disinherited mind.

Danielle Whitburn Your Tunes

6.

issue 03 2011

Derek Chuan Candles

Ben Carroll Reviews

30% OFF

1 PAIR OF GLASSES FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS

When you select 1 pair of glasses from the $199 range or above.* Monday to Friday 9-5pm.

Select one pair of glasses from the $199 range or above and you are entitled to receive 30% off the total price.* That’s 30% off the frame, lenses and any extra options you choose. Book an eye test with one of our friendly Specsavers staff to check the health of your eyes.

Over 50 stores now open in New Zealand, visit specsavers.co.nz to find your local store.

7.

*Not available in combination with any other offer including 2 pairs for 1 low price. Offer valid Monday to Friday 9-5pm. Discount does not apply to eye examination. Offer valid upon presentation of current tertiary student card. www.ausm.org.nz © 2010 Specsavers Optical Group · SMART_SPE2161/AUT/M.

Orientation

8.

issue 03 2011

Orientation concord dawn

working.pdf

1

22/02/11

3:27 PM

YOU’RE INVITED TO

STUDENT LOUNGE (The Café, AS Building)

17 March, 2PM:

Mini manicures Nail painting Head, neck and shoulder massages Hair-ups Braiding Magazines Refreshments THANKS TO

www.ausm.org.nz

9.

postersPRINT_jazznightrevised.pdf

1

10/03/11

1:02 PM

1. Who will be sworn in as the new Governor-General in August this year?

4. Which of these phrases has not been spoken by Charlie Sheen recently?

8. Christina Aguilera was arrested earlier this month for what?

a) b) c) d)

a) b) c) d)

a) b) c) d)

Jo Seagar Jerry Mateperae Paul Henry Muammar Gaddafi

2. Who did the Black Caps beat last week in a surprising upset? a) b) c) d)

India Australia Pakistan England

3. Who wrote The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, from the millennium trilogy? a) b) c) d)

Jeffrey Archer Fredrick Erikson Stieg Larsson Stephen King

Answers: B, C, C, D, A, B, A, C, B, D

10.

can’t is the cancer of happen I am on a drug. It’s called Charlie Sheen They picked a fight with a warlock They all are

5. What is the chemical symbol for lead? a) b) c) d)

Pb Le Ag Ld

6. Who is Muammar Gaddafi? a) b) c) d)

The wizard in Lord of the Rings The Head of State of Libya The new Governor-General The former president of Egypt

7. Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent are all associated with which celebration? a) b) c) d)

Starting a fight outside a club DUI Public intoxication Cocaine possession

9. Who is the coach of the Canterbury Crusaders? a) b) c) d)

John Mitchell Todd Blackadder Robbie Deans Craig Stevenson

10. Which of these British actors has never been in a Harry Potter film? a) b) c) d)

Gary Oldman Bill Nighy John Cleese Rupert Everett

Mardi Gras Thanksgiving Ramadan St Patrick’s Day

issue 03 2011

by Scott Moyes

The Golden Rule in New Zealand sport is you don’t claim favouritism.

Never ever, times infinity. It’s just a recipe for disaster. No matter how many test caps your team has, or how many Rebel Sports adverts they’ve featured in, saying one of our teams has got a hope of winning a tournament is as good as digging their graves.

I don’t think we’ve ever been comfortable with expectation. The whole mentality behind New Zealand sport is to go under the radar and turn the world upside down with colossal upsets. We revel in the idea of being the underdog and achieving the impossible. That way we can throw extravagant parades for our unexpected heroes. Alternatively, when it doesn’t quite go our way, we can say “we were never going to win anyway”. Just look at the All Whites. I guarantee that when you’re 50 you’ll still be hearing stories of “the only undefeated team” and “something-something-something Ryan Nelsen”.

But alas there has been one team defying this law. Their run of form is significant, considering New Zealand teams often struggle to make a splash in the pool of Australian competition. In the A-League football tournament, the Wellington Phoenix are only just beginning to shape themselves as a genuine force. They’ve had to rise from the ashes in massive ways after the dismal efforts of their predecessors, the Kingz and the Knights. The Warriors, who last weekend entered their 17th season in the NRL Premiership, have still not managed to go all the way.

They have played in just one Grand Final, where they were blown out of the park. Even in the ANZ Championship, only the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic managed to make any significant dents in the title hopes of their Australian rivals. Though a victory for a Kiwi team on Australian soil is embarrassingly rare, or in the case of the Wellington Pulse, a victory anywhere.

It is the New Zealand Breakers in the ANBL Championship who are currently moving mountains. They sit on top of the ladder, leaps and bounds ahead of their opposition. They recently went on an eight game winning streak and hold an overall record of 19 victories to just five losses. Their impressive run of form is turning heads across the Tasman and below is why I believe they have a genuine shot at taking out the title for the first time: Andre Lemanis: The coach of this team appears to have everything under control. The beauty of basketball is that you get to witness the time-out talks by the coaches, which is pretty significant considering they happen every couple of seconds. Often you’ll see over-animated American coaches barking orders at their troops during this time. Not

www.ausm.org.nz

Andre. He is calm, collected and appears to have a lot of faith in his troops. The players also appear to have a lot of respect for him, which is vital in any sports team.

Kirk Penny: The star of the team. It’s all well and good having decent cattle but you still need someone to stand up when the going gets tough and lead the way through the storm with big plays. Kirk is all quality, putting his heart and soul into the game and nailing those three-pointers when it counts. He’s also a Kiwi, setting the example for young aspiring fans.

Support Base: I can’t recall the North Shore Events Centre ever being anything but packed for a Breakers home game. I thought it was loud watching on TV at home, but live at the game is just extraordinary.

Everyone gets on their feet and cheers on their team until they sound like Gollum. Also to their advantage is the fact they are the only New Zealand team in the competition. Incidentally, they have the support of an entire nation and not just one city.

Finals System: The finals system is designed to get the best teams through to the closing stages of the competition. If the Breakers can maintain their form and finish at the top of the table, they have a number of factors in their favour. As the top ranked team, they will have a home court advantage and will also play the lowest ranked team to qualify for the finals series. Also, having proven themselves as a quality outfit, they are primed to overcome flukes or upsets with semi-finals played over the best of three games, and the final – the best of five.

Luck: They may not be able to bottle it, but luck is something I believe the Breakers have wheelbarrows of. Maybe it’s just me, but they often seem to walk away victorious from one-point thrillers. On March 3 they played the Townsville Crocodiles, who had two opportunities to shoot the winning hoop within the final 30 seconds of the game. The first was a three-pointer, which rebounded back into their own hands, which they failed to convert. When luck is on your side, you just have to roll with it, because it evaporates in an instant.

The Breakers have a fantastic opportunity to make history. For once we have a quality team in a prime position, rather than one having to calculate a range of other results to decide their fate. But hopefully the best is yet to come. Touch wood.

11.

by Alicia Crocket

It’s not until you move away from home that you realise just how much your parents did for you.

Now you’re away you realise you have no idea how to do some of the basics your parents could do with their eyes closed. You can read the back of the pasta and rice packets to find out how to cook those but here are some instructions for some of the basics that don’t come on the back of a packet.

• Mashed Potatoes 1. Cut potatoes up into small pieces (you don’t have to peel them) 2. Put them into a pot, add water until the potatoes are half covered and put the lid on 3. Cook on high until they boil and then turn it down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes (the smaller the pieces the shorter the time) 4. Drain and let the potatoes sit with the lid on for a couple of minutes (this helps to make them floury) 5. Mash with salt, pepper, two Tbsps of milk and one tsp butter or margarine • Baked Potatoes 1. Wash potatoes and prick holes in the skin of the potato 2. Put in the microwave on high, four minutes for each potato.

Turn the potato over after two minutes 3. If you want a crisper skin, put into the oven at 200°C for five minutes

• Scrambled Eggs 1. Crack eggs into bowl 2. Add a dash of milk, a good shake of salt and black pepper 3. Heat one tsp butter or margarine in a pan on a medium heat 4. When the pan is hot, add the eggs; they should sizzle a little when you put them in 5. Gently stir the eggs to stop them from sticking to the bottom. Try to move the cooked egg from the bottom of the pan to the top of the pan and allow the uncooked egg on the top to go to the bottom 6. As soon as there is no more runny egg in the pan take the pan off the heat and serve your eggs. Your eggs should still be a little bit wobbly. If you get watery liquid coming out of them you’ve overcooked them • Stir Fry. The secret to a good stir fry is timing, so separate your vegetables according to how long you want them to cook. In my dishes onion, garlic, chilli and ginger always go together first. Then the mushrooms are added and finally I add thinly sliced carrots, beans, courgettes, peppers and cabbage If you’re adding cauli or broccoli to a stir fry, cook the florets for one minute (broccoli) or three minutes (cauli) in boiling water and add them at the end

Serves 5 Dairy free, Gluten free (if served on rice and use GF soy and sweet chilli) Cost: $1.47 by itself, $1.60 with rice, $1.88 with noodles

As with all stir fry recipes you can adapt and change this as you want, have different vegetables, add some lemon juice or honey, or leave out the ham or egg. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and your budget, so have a play.

Ingredients 250g ham (off the bone, NOT shaved) or 2 ham steaks, diced 2 eggs, beaten 1 onion 1 garlic clove OR 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp minced ginger 4 cups chopped vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beans, courgette, carrots, cabbage, leeks, spring onions, celery, capsicum, mushrooms) 1 Tbsp oil 3 Tbsps soy sauce 3 Tbsps sweet chilli sauce 1 tsp sesame oil (optional) 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional) 400g cooked noodles (optional) Directions 1. Prepare all your vegetables and split into groups depending on how long they need to cook for 2. Stir sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil (if you’re using it) together and put to one side 3.Pour eggs into a heated, lightly oiled fry pan and cook gently until they have set. Take out of pan once they’re cooked and when they are cool enough to handle cut the egg into strips 4. Heat 1 Tbsp oil and cook onion, garlic and ginger. Once soft remove and add ham 5. Cook until browned on the outside, then add remaining vegetables according to how long they need to cook 6. Add sauce and the chopped eggs and stir until everything is coated 7. If you wish to mix in cooked noodles do so now 8. Serve on rice or as is Note: The noodles used in this recipe are the pre-cooked vacuum packed ones; it’s just as easy and cheaper for you to grab a handful of dried spaghetti, cook it until it’s nearly cooked, drain it and rinse it with cold water. Then put it aside until you need it and add it back in to the pan for the last few minutes of cooking.

12.

issue 03 2011

Veronica Ng Lam AuSM President 921 9999 ext 8571

veronica.nglam@aut.ac.nz Greetings my lovelies AUT Titans!

As I sit here trying to figure out what to say to our student body it occurs to me today that come 2012 there might never be an opportunity to speak to the student body as we currently do. Some of us are oblivious to the many issues that are surrounding the framework of a student association that exists today and sometimes many of us take our student associations for granted.

AuSM doesn’t usually pop up in your minds unless a) you’ve done something really naughty and only we can stand up for you or b) you need those annoying tickets/passes to catch the train or ticket or c) you want double passes to all the free and cool events we bring to you throughout the year.

No matter what your reason is for using AuSM, it is sad to say we might never be the same again! Now, without getting too technical and slandering our government, it is my job to inform you of the issues that

are facing students of today....so here it goes! VSM (Voluntary Student Membership) might sound philosophically appealing and it might even imply we have taken your ‘choice’ away or your right to freely associate but that is undeniably incorrect. At any time during your study you are allowed to opt out of being a member of AuSM on two grounds: conscientious objection, whereby we donate your membership fee to a charity or financial hardship where we reimburse your fee back to you.

Therefore my AuSM (pun intended) comrades, we have not taken your choice away nor have we violated your right to associate.

If VSM does go through who will listen to your voice? Who will represent you when you academically stuff up? Who will provide the social activities we all know bring define the ‘experience’ of student life? Who will provide the food banks for the students who struggle financially? Where will our clubs (who influence the culture and inclusion of students) be without funding? The social events? The free feeds? There are many uncertain answers to the many questions, but that is the reality we will face in 2012. AuSM, along with all the other student associations around the country, has advocated against this Bill and at present it is waiting for its third reading before coming into effect 2012!

As it is my job to keep you informed, aware and updated I think it is important for you to understand the upcoming changes so you can be prepared for your student life here at AUT and make informed decisions!

Don’t forget you are always welcome to come have a chat with me or flick me an email. I wish you all the best for this week, study hard and don’t forget to have fun.

Till next week Your president in solidarity and peace

Veronica

Don’t stop ‘til you get enough

Orientation may be over but we have plenty more in store for you this week.

FREE MAKEOVERS For all you North Shore ladies, we have organised hairdressers and beauticians to come in for free mini makeovers in the café on March 17, 2-4pm.

We’ll also have some choccy biscuits, magazines and refreshments for you to enjoy FEEL GOOD FEST If you’re in the city on March 17, head to the quad for the Feel Good Fest from 11am. There will be prizes, chill-out zone, healthy free feed, fresh fruit and much more. Health and Counselling have also organised experts in nutrition, fitness and health to be there.

ST PATRICK’S PARTY The fun continues at Vesbar for the St Patrick’s Day Party from 7pm. There’ll be live music, green beers, free hot potatoes and plenty more lined up to get you into the Celtic spirit.

Don’t forget to check our ausm1 Facebook page for your photos!

www.ausm.org.nz

FREE ICE CREAM SUNDAE BAR Yes – April 6, North Shore campus – it’s just one of the many events we have dreamed up for you this year. Drop us a line if you have great ideas for lowcost activities on your campus. Your dream could come true. Email: rebecca.wiliams@aut.ac.nz or post on our Facebook page.

HOLIDAY? If you haven’t heard about the AuSM Lodge by now – you’re missing out. We have a great place down at National Park that sleeps up to 20 people in total comfort. All you need to take is a sleeping bag, everything else is provided. Rent the whole lodge instantly from $130 per night on our website.

SAVE MONEY Get your 2011 Entertainment Book from AuSM this year, we offer payment plans. Pre-order now and receive a bonus sheet of vouchers.

If you like saving money, check out the Mates Rates section of our website for hundreds of discount listings exclusively sourced for AUT students.

13.

by Ben Matthews

14.

Okay, imagine yourself outside the lecture hall on a Monday morning waiting for your class to start. You look at your watch; there is 10 minutes before the class begins. It’s not enough time to go and grab a coffee without being late and it’s too much time to casually pace outside the theatre. You decide to sit down on a nearby bench, chill back and read the latest issue of debate to pass the time. There are plenty of people waiting around you, talking amongst each other, getting the latest gossip from the weekend that was. Suddenly, someone casually sits down next to you. You think they’re just like you, wanting to pass the time with the minimal use of muscles possible, but then they lump their bag onto their laps, open it and pull out a cigarette packet. They take one of their cancer sticks out, put it in their mouths and light it up. They puff away without a care in the world, not realising that they are putting you and a few other hundred people at risk.

The worst of all, this was done next to a “no smoking” sign.

This is what happened to me last week. It’s a scene that seems to a be common occurrence, not only at AUT but pretty much anywhere in New Zealand, if not the world. We have seen it all the in advertisements: “smoking kills”, “smoking causes cancer” and my personal favourite, “smoking gives you yellow disgusting teeth”. That could not be summed up any better, in my opinion. Smoking is disgusting, dangerous and it causes a large population to die every year. Yet strangely enough, despite all the research and evidence to prove this, people are still voluntarily lighting up to their own deaths.

You cannot walk down Queen Street without noticing a dozen (if not more) smokers, all of them puffing way without a thought for those around them. For a non-smoker like me, lighting up a cigarette in front of me can be the most selfish act someone can do. Someone is bound to pipe up at the point and say “if you can’t stand smokers so much, don’t go near them when they’re having a cigarette”.

However, this is difficult as you have to walk pass them to be able to get anywhere; outside WT tower, stores, cafes and even the Hikuwai Plaza, which has over a dozen “no smoking” signs, not to mention a crèche directly underneath it. It’s bad enough if you want to

destroy your own body, but are you going to blow your second-hand smoke in the direction of young children?

The University of Auckland has banned smoking anywhere on campus. In fact, you can be fined if you are caught smoking on the premises. AUT calls itself the future of the changing world. Its states that it accepts and embraces new ideas, yet allows smoking, something that has been proven to kill 5000 people a year in New Zealand, on its campus.

This is very off-putting for non smokers, especially when it seems there is nowhere safe for us to go and enjoy a bit of fresh air.

Why should they have to be put up with such disgusting and anti-social behaviour?

And worst of all, what message are we giving the younger generations, the ones still at secondary and even primary school? They are told that smoking is bad for them, smoking is banned on school grounds (for students and staff). Yet at university, it is not. We are meant to be role models to them, yet we smoke around them, giving out bad message and putting them in danger through second-hand smoke. We are giving conflicting messages to them: Smoking is bad for you but do it anyway. We shouldn’t be sending these messages; it’s a backward way of thinking.

In a perfect non-smoking world, smoking would be banned in every country. However, cigarette companies have placed appeals against any laws banning smoking and people have made a big fuss about it, stating that it is against their human rights. What right do we have to cause harm to the people around us due to smoking? Don’t non-smokers have a right to not have to walk pass smokers every day? AUT should keep up with the University of Auckland and prove that they are an equal (if not a better) competitor, by banning smoking on its campus.

Unfortunately, people will label me as an extremist, stating that it’s their right to smoke. However, the next time you light up your cigarette, think yourself: “Are the people around me smokers? Would they mind if I had a puff? Maybe I should wait until I get home”.

And bloody well you should. But what can I say: ignorance is bliss.

issue 03 2011

Right now in Christchurch and around What makes a ‘New Zealander’? the country, people of all backgrounds and In a country essentially made up of ethnicities are demonstrating exactly what it immigrants – Europeans from various corners means to be a Kiwi. of Europe, Maori and Pacific Islanders from Compared to other countries, New Zealand Polynesia, Asians, Indians, Americans – there is still a newbie on the scene. We’re actually doesn’t seem to be a clear cut definition for the youngest country on earth – the last what makes a Kiwi. large landmass to be discovered – so it’s not a Does one have to be a jandal wearing, L&P loving, sheep shearing rugby player to be surprise that we’re still figuring out some things about ourselves. It’s almost as though we’re still considered a Kiwi? Somehow, I’m guessing no. in the awkward adolescence phase. But it does Rather, I think it’s something in our seem as though we’re going through a kind of conditioning – in our communities. It’s a little something called Kiwi spirit and it’s in all of us. coming of age. We’re slowly piecing together who we are as people and are beginning to find Kiwi spirit is determination. It’s the reason Sir our own identity as a nation.

Edmund Hilary didn’t get almost all the way At the turn of the millennium, a significant up Mt Everest, feel a bit tired and turn back. proportion of people decided to avoid the Kiwi spirit is passion, demonstrated when options given to them in the ethnicity category David Lange led us in an anti-nuclear stance of the national census (such as New Zealand that’s helped protect everything we love about European or Pacific People/Pakeha). Instead, our country. Kiwi spirit is loyalty. When New people simply wrote in their own answers Zealander Russell Coutts decided to sail for next to the ‘other’ category, with answers Switzerland in the 2002 America’s Cup, the ‘Loyal’ campaign was formed – fronted by Dave such as New Zealander or Kiwi. In 2006, more than half a million people (11.1 per cent of our Dobbyn’s song Loyal. In 2006, an online survey population) chose ‘other’, citing New Zealander of 3000 people chose Loyal as New Zealand’s as their ethnicity, despite there still being no greatest song ever.

by Alisha Lewis tick-box offered for this.

Recently, we’ve seen all these qualities In a recent announcement, Prime Minister John come together during the aftermath of the Technically, one might argue that New key told the country who our next GovernorZealander is a nationality, not an ethnicity, but devastating earthquake in Christchurch. New General is going to be – former Defence Force it seems that to a growing number of people, Zealanders have come together to open up Chief, Jerry Mataeparae.

For those of you who aren’t too familiar with what the role entails, the Governor-General is the Queen’s representative in New Zealand. It’s Kiwi spirit is determination. It’s the reason Sir Edmund a largely ceremonial position that involves a lot Hilary didn’t get almost all the way up Mt Everest, feel a of document signing and building openings, bit tired and turn back. Kiwi spirit is passion, demonstrated hosting large events, becoming a patron to when David Lange led us in an anti-nuclear stance that’s organisations and representing New Zealand helped protect everything we love about our country. overseas.

Sounds a little fluffy, but really, it is a big deal.

The Governor-General also has the power to dismiss the Prime Minister and waive criminal charges. Obviously it would take an extremely their hearts, homes and wallets to help out our New Zealander is simply who we are, despite intelligent and honest person to fill the role; what part of the world we may originally come comrades in Christchurch. someone who can represent our country from. This shows our growing determination to Air New Zealand is offering flights in and with integrity. Someone proud to be a New find our own identity as people of Aotearoa – as out of Christchurch for just $50. It’s a brilliant Zealander.

New Zealanders – regardless of what we may idea, but what happens to all those displaced So how does such a person get chosen?

Cantabrians fleeing the area? “sound” or “look” like. Or, in other words, what Well, the question asked (though in a slightly A popular Facebook page, ‘Accommodation Paul Henry thinks. less polite manner) by a certain breakfast show Our next Governor-General, Jerry for earthquake stricken Cantabrians’ host last October. Ah, yes – Paul Henry took it Mataeparae, definitely fits the bill. A self made (which already has over 4,000 ‘likes’), is upon himself to voice some concerns over the man, he joined the army on a whim at 17 and, providing people with the space to offer free appointment of current Governor-General, Sir accommodation around the country. Trade Me with a clear sense of Kiwi spirit, rose through Anand Satyanand. the ranks. He has said in the past that he is has also opened its website to advertisements “Is he even a New Zealander?” he asked the “immensely proud as a New Zealander” and for free accommodation and so far more than Prime Minister.

500 people have offered a space in their homes. also “immensely proud as a member of Ngati John Key replied that he was.

These offers range from self-contained units to Tuwharetoa”, proving you can still own your But, as we all know, Henry did not stop there, a spot on the couch. cultural background while also being a New urging the PM to pick someone who “looks and Zealander.

There are also a lot of people going the sounds like a New Zealander” next time.

It’s obvious that Jerry Mataeparae is a Kiwi other way – into the disaster zone. Mark, an “Are we going to go for someone who is more electrician from Auckland, posted a message through and through. But so is Sir Anand like a New Zealander…?” on Facebook, along with his contact number, Satyanand. We’re all Kiwis. And instead of Usually the rubbish Paul Henry would come trying to establish boundaries to that category, offering free ‘sparky services’ to anyone in out with never really stirred anything inside me Christchurch. Meanwhile, other people are let’s just appreciate what it means. Let’s be (aside from the occasional laugh, I must admit) simply heading down to help with the cleanup proud. as I sat eating my bowl of cereal. This time process in whatever way they can, including however, it did. What did he mean by someone thousands of student volunteers from the who “looks and sounds like a New Zealander”?

Canterbury region.

www.ausm.org.nz

15.

by Jarred Williamson

It is often said that in times of suffering, the best thing to do is to face some sacrifices for “the greater good”. John F. Kennedy also said, “…ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

We have heard the truly hard-breaking stories from Christchurch, and now the stories about how the country will recover economically are arising. The sacrifice will be cuts to government expenditure. This means tertiary students could be facing the axing of interest-free student loans.

Despite the fact that Prime Minister John Key has since ruled out putting interest back on student loans, it still raises the point that reforms will need to be made throughout New Zealand, both because of the earthquake and underlying issues before it.

Interest-free student loans were made available after the 2005 general election, as a last minute promise from the then Labour government under Helen Clark, in order to enter a third term of power. It can’t be denied that this has made studying easier for many, especially with other perks that come from the student loan scheme, such as the student allowance, the living costs allowance and course related costs. To be honest, it’s created a dependency, with most students leaving study with massive debt to pay back

and becoming another part of New Zealand’s generous welfare system.

The axing of the interest-free aspect to student loans will in no doubt cause debate, and it’s a divided one too. One could argue one’s moral duty to help fellow citizens or just simply make a sacrifice to help your country. At the same time, removing interest-free loans could also cause other problems for New Zealand – a kind of contradiction – removing the policy at such a time, in order to help finance the rebuilding of Christchurch, may hurt us in the long term with students in even higher debt.

The student loan scheme costs the government around $4 billion annually, around 2.4 per cent of GDP. A large portion of this is the student allowances – including the student allowance and living costs, this costs around $1.4 billion according the to the 2010 Student Loan Scheme Annual Report for the 2009/10 Fiscal year.

If the Prime Minister has ruled out putting interest on student loans, then money to support Christchurch is going to have to come from somewhere. Working for Families has been identified as a possible “target”.

I believe there can be reforms of the student loan scheme though, as well as of the generous welfare sector. Blogger WhaleOil commented,

“it’s time John Key decided who deserves to receive a benefit in New Zealand”. But before anyone starts to label me as a ‘beneficiary basher’, don’t, because I’m not. Comparing New Zealand’s welfare to other countries, we have one of the most generous schemes. I do believe in welfare, just not how it is operating here in New Zealand, and this includes student allowances.

Let me explain my thinking. I read a blog by Cactus Kate criticising the left’s politicisation of the Christchurch quake. Her definition of true welfare sums it up for me, “a temporary stop-gap for people who genuinely need it through circumstances they cannot avoid”. Some genuinely do, but there are many who frankly don’t and it’s these people that are costing us money.

Most of the money from EQC levies should pay for most of the rebuilding of Christchurch, along with insurance companies. But New Zealand’s going to have to change so that we can recover from this disaster – putting interest back onto loans may only just take us backwards even further. But change must come and it is something the electorate is going to have to deal with.

by Alisha Lewis

Just when we thought we didn’t have enough to pay for as newly-minted adults. The price of transport and all freighted good is expected to rise along with rising fuel prices. That means just about everything is set to get more expensive.

At the time of print, petrol was fetching $2.16 a litre, which is just over the price of a chocolate bar and just under the price of a McDonalds’ hamburger.

With petrol reaching its highest price in two years, Mike Bennetts, the head of New Zealand’s biggest fuel company Greenstone (which owns Shell service station) says Kiwis can expect prices to continue to rise to record levels. Horror figures like $2.50 per litre are even being thrown around.

Bennetts said Greenstone had put off raising prices for as long as possible but can no longer do so, due to sharply rising world prices.

Increasing global demand teamed with the current uprising in Libya is thought to be the cause of the sudden incline in world prices.

The situation is thought to be far more serious than the last time prices rose sharply, due to high demand from China two years ago. In this case, it is an issue involving security of supply and therefore increases the fight for fuel, which drives prices up.

Though the price of oil is still a fair bit lower than the record high hit in 2008, the exchange rate is now lower and tax rates are higher. The government has also raised the price further through the inclusion of higher AC levies, carbon costs and GST. The managing director of BP, Mike Guiness says that the cost of bringing oil into the country has depleted profits and therefore must be passed onto drivers.

16.

What does this mean for the consumer? Everyday items are expected to get more expensive as a run-on effect of the increased cost of transporting goods and services. There are also many goods, such as synthetic clothing and oil based plastics, which are made using oil.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do about it. Due to New Zealand being a price taker on the international market, unless the price of oil randomly drops or the New Zealand dollar strengthens, we are all in for a rough ride.

The Christchurch earthquake led to a drop in the New Zealand dollar so the chances of it strengthening any time soon are slim. People are also simply fearful of a slowing economy and rising interest rate, therefore encouraging the New Zealand dollar to drop further and making imports much more expensive.

Furthermore, until there is a greater supply of oil on the world market, supply will continue being heavily outnumbered by demand – meaning only one thing – price increases.

The situation could possibly change if the Libyan unrest dissolves quickly or if the US, along with other countries, unlocks their strategic stocks of oil. There are around 1.6 billion barrels of oil in strategic stocks managed by the IEA (International Energy Agency).

It is reported that the United States is considering releasing some of those stocks.

Until then, people are faced with a harsh reality.

Pay more at the pump (and the supermarket) or take a hike. Literally. issue 03 2011

From Couch Potato

to Fit Potato

by Samantha McQueen

It’s now into the third month of the year and by this time my New Year’s resolutions have normally fallen by the wayside. I’m still not fluent in Italian, haven’t made it through the Whitcoulls Top 100, am yet to go to the opera and my nails are still bitten to the quick. But when I saw in 2011, in a tiny tent in the middle of up-north-nowhere, I decided this would be the year I would keep my resolution. And what were they? One was to stop eating fast food, another was to get fit and run five kms without dying and the last? To finally grow my nails.

For those gasping mid-burger over that first resolution, don’t worry, I get that a lot. Last year, I was just like you. Burger Fuel was my best friend and my bank statement was littered with transactions for basic chick burgers with spud fries and aioli. My justification was that for the first time in a few years, I was living in a flat that didn’t share the cooking (seriously, this set up is the best) and cooking spaghetti bolognese for one was as time consuming as it was depressing. Who wouldn’t rather walk into that purple and blue store and read the latest Groove Guide while someone tends to your dietary needs. It was only when a staff member recognised my order after I had severely changed my hairstyle that I realised I needed to change the way I was eating. That, and I had literally started to salivate every time someone mentioned the word burger. The easiest way to do that? Cancel out fast food through resolution form!

But what is the line between what is fast food and what is not? Obviously, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King were quickly shafted to the dark side, but what about “healthy” franchises, like Subway, Murder Burger and Pita Pit? And what about food that isn’t franchised, but is generally frowned upon, like fish and chips, kebabs or anything from the Ponsonby food court. And then there are the restaurants that also do takeaways, like La Porchetta, GPK and Thai Me Up. I literally had to make a list of Dos and Don’ts.

Looking back, chocolate probably would have been a better thing to cut out of the menu, rather than a succulent chicken breast burger.

As we speak (type?) I’m munching on a mint chocolate biscuit, which I’m not sure is an oxymoron, hypocritical or ironic? Perhaps if it’s the latter I can add a fedora and a pair of wayfarers to my wardrobe?

www.ausm.org.nz

But giving up fast food didn’t seem to be enough to creating a healthier me. That’s when someone suggested I do something I used to view as an expletive; exercise. Actually, if I’m being honest, I still shudder a bit whenever someone mentions the E word. But I’m approaching the age where apparently my childhood metabolism says sayonara to my soon-to-be fast ass and hightails it to the next teenager who will abuse it with kilos of candy and 10.29am McDonalds breakfast trips. And while on the outside, it may not seem like I need a trip to The Biggest Loser ranch, anyone that needs to take a break after tackling their driveway, no matter how steep, is in serious need of a lifestyle change.

Even though my goal is to get fit, you’re not going to see me on the start line at a marathon anytime soon. This is someone who, up until about a month ago, hadn’t looked at a pair of running shoes since puberty. Getting back into it isn’t like riding a bike (in fact, riding a bike after many years is just plain painful). To make matters harder, I’ve never been talented at that whole athletic deal. I’ve dabbled in almost every sport known to man (my personal favourite is table tennis), but when your own mother tells you that your time would be better spent earning money than kicking a soccer ball round, you can’t help but feel scornful at the concept of sport.

But I’ve started to dabble in a couple of sworn-by fitness programmes to see if I can find something that will have me fanatical about fitness. Like many before me, I’ve started the Couch to 5K programme and while it started

off great, I’ve hit a wall already. It’s not from my ability – I was actually coping with the runs – but finally the time to voluntarily torture yourself is hard. To all you fitness freaks that manage to get in two hour workouts a day, I send a resounding golf clap your way. I was also given a voucher for five classes of Bikram yoga and by the time you read this, I would have completed my second class. For those who don’t know, Bikram is yoga in a 40 degree room. People swear by it, apparently, but I just swear at it. I didn’t think my flexibility was that bad, but when you see a 60-year-old with her head resting on her toes while you’re struggling to reach your knees you know you’ve got problems.

So I’m reaching out to the fitness buffs of the AUT community, particularly those who were once as slovenly as me. I want to experience those endorphins everyone keeps raving on about, but that I’m yet to experience. Would zumba be more up my alley, or should I get together with the grannys for some aqua aerobics? Or maybe I should just walk up my driveway over and over until the urge to collapse every morning fades?

But I guess the main thing is that I’m trying to keep my New Year’s resolutions. Well, except for those nails – they still look like nubs. But motivation is 9/10’s of the battle, right?

The AUT University’s Textile and Design Lab offers short courses for the textile and apparel industries in: Textile Knowledge Introductory Level Photoshop Textile Design Introductory Level Design and Applied Digital Textile Printing Intermediate Level Illustrator Textile Design Introductory and Intermediate Levels Knitwear Design Introductory Level Knitwear Programming Introductory Level Customised courses and tuition email peter.heslop@aut.ac.nz or visit www.tdl.aut.ac.nz for details 17.

Raviz 164 Ponsonby Road Restaurant Review by Samantha McQueen

Sawadee (C-)

There is an old saying in the hospitality industry: if their experience was good, they’ll tell one person, but if their experience was bad, then they’ll tell five. And even before the menus were even handed out at Raviz on Ponsonby Road, I had tweeted I was never coming back here again.

It was a drizzly Saturday night when I turned up to Raviz for a birthday dinner just after 8pm. Only a few tables were dining and our group of six were taking full advantage of their $4 corkage fee. As the only one without a bottle of wine, I waited to order a coke and a couple of bottles of water for the table. I waited. And waited. I could have walked home, grabbed a coke out of the fridge and walked back to the restaurant without the staff noticing. After an agonising wait, I ordered but when the waiter bought the water there was no coke.

When menus were brought out (at almost 9pm), one of our party asked whether the food was cooked in peanut oil, because she had a bad peanut allergy. The waiter said he would check and we never saw him again. A second waiter comes along and again, the peanut question is raised and this time it’s answered. I also enquire about my coke. He says he’ll go get it. It doesn’t come. I literally have to go up to the counter and get my coke, which they give it to me – in a can. That’s right, I have to pour my own coke into the glass. I’m ready to walk out without dinner, but as it’s not my birthday I apparently can’t leave when I want to. That’s service.

I should probably talk about the food, which, despite the awfulness of everything else, was pretty good. The garlic naan I had was rich and fluffy and there was plenty for two. The chilli chicken I had was good, but the spices and chilli definitely didn’t shine through. One member raved about the chef’s special – a fish curry – and the butter chicken was pronounced rich and creamy, but a little on the spicy side. Perhaps they used my spices in hers instead? Portions were decent sized, although the rice, which came in two big bowls, was not enough for six dishes.

Even though we sat there for another 40 minutes after we’d finished, polishing off the remainder of the wine, our dishes weren’t cleared from our table until we were just about ready to leave.

Instead, a third waiter proceeded to set up all the other tables around us, even though no one was there.

At least the night ended on a positive. We cleared out their bowl of jellybeans before paying and that illusive coke never made it onto the final bill.

But not even cheap corkage and free jellybeans can lift Raviz from its ranking as worst restaurant experience ever. And like they say in the industry, I’m telling 5(000) people about it.

18.

42A Ponsonby Road Restaurant Review by Samantha McQueen

(B+)

Just over a year ago, I went to Sawadee in Ponsonby for Thai and found myself wondering why everyone thought it was so special. But when I couldn’t be bothered cooking on a Thursday night, I decided to give it a second chance. I’m glad I did.

The restaurant, known for its bright purple and yellow exterior, is deceptively large. Aside from the two side wings at the front of the restaurant, there is also a huge backroom dining area, complete with full bar and a waterfall feature. It wasn’t particularly busy for a Thursday night, but I’m told it can get really packed on a Friday and Saturday night. Judging by the acoustics in the back, it’s probably best to save the romantic dining for a weeknight.

Sawadee boasts on their website that the Thai slogan, “the land of a thousand smiles” is thoroughly enforced here and even before I sit down I’m treated to one by our attentive waiter. She was very efficient throughout the night, but asking for our drinks order before we’d even had time to crack open the wine list was a little bit overzealous.

If you’re indecisive about dishes, you’re going to have a tough time sifting through the novel that is the Sawadee menu. Each section of the menu is divided up into poultry, fish, meat, curries and noodles, so it’s easy to eliminate options. Most options have a description of ingredients, but there is the odd dish that has a back story, like “Mike’s Special”, “Drunken General” or “Evil Jungle Prince”. It even has a cute key for determining how hot a dish is; one elephant means it just wants to play, two means they are a bit angry and three means their tongues have been stepped on. After tossing up between macadamia chicken and a chicken and beef dish in oyster sauce, I’m swayed back to a Thai staple – the pad Thai (or at Sawadee, the pad Thai gai). My dining companion settles on a medium spiced prawn dish (the name escapes me, so many options were juggled around), but judging by the size of the meals – which are brought out in less than 15 minutes – we could have almost shared between us.

As soon as the pad Thai is brought out, I knew I didn’t regret my decision. Thick, juicy slices are chopped throughout the well-flavoured egg noodles, and although the crushed cashew nuts on the side weren’t enough to sprinkle over the meal – and I only ate half of it before giving up and going for the doggy bag. The prawn dish got a double thumbs up, and was declared even better than my pad Thai, which considering how ordinary my dish choice was in comparison, might not be saying much.

It’s a little bit pricier than some of the other Thai places on the Ponsonby Road (the pad Thai was $19.90, while the prawn dish was $25.90) but the portion size definitely justifies the heavier price tag. It’s a nice and easy 20 minute stroll from the city, or there’s a bus stop metres from the restaurant. With all the options – and the amount of space – available, Sawadee is the perfect place to take a group of friends, or the family, out on a Saturday night.

issue 03 2011

3feelgoodfreefeedbannerBW.pdf

1

10/03/11

3:18 PM

Stan Walker

Auckland Town Hall, February 25 Live Review by Joshua Martin

C

M

Y

He is a mix between John Legend, Sting and Boy. He is a proud New Zealand born Maori and he has the vocal ability to ascend the heights of Mount Everest or descend to the lower ranges of the Waitomo caves in a single bound. Yes, I’m talking about New Zealand’s very own Australian Idol, Stan Walker.

Listening to Stan frequently throw out Kiwi stock phrases such as “ow, not even” and the classic “chur cuzzie” at the Auckland Town Hall reminded me that this Australasian superstar may have won the hearts of hundreds of thousands throughout his Idol experience, have number one singles and two albums, but his humble upbringing has ensured this Maori star has remained grounded in his swift ascension to fame.

From the very beginning of his show, you are mesmerised with musical superiority with opening act The Talent, comprised of four hilariously funny and vocally stunning South Auckland boys who won the honour of opening for Stan through a Facebook voting competition. Their sound is reminiscent of the Jackson Five with a Polynesian barbershop twist.

Once Stan Walker takes the stage, the audience is immediately on their feet and cheering as if Beyonce had just entered the building. As he sings his first words, the audience stills for a moment as if to take in this awesome event, only to erupt once more into incoherent screams and awkward crowd dancing.

Maori royalty has taken to the stage.

As the show carries on Stan explains his modest childhood laced with the typical challenges many young person experiences- poverty, self doubt, insecurities and a dream that seemed impossible to attain.

He performs a spectacular medley of his journey throughout Idol including a redemptive rendition of on-air failure, Dear Mr. President and the showstopping Purple Rain. Accompanied by New Zealand RnB artist Erakah and a memorable spotlight solo from Victor Sulfa-Hawkins singing It’s a Mans World. Backing band The Levites, made up of three brothers and a friend, play harmoniously together and add an extra touch of unbelievable professionalism to an already grand show.

During a performance of Blackbox, Walker performs a dance routine with two beautiful and talented back up dancers and concludes his routine with a surprise round-off backward flip, much to the delight of the audience.

As he reached the final leg of the show Walker began interacting with the crowd more, challenging the audience that they “are all created for a purpose” and “if a little Maori boy from Tauranga can go to Australia and win their Idol, you can do big things too”.

Launching into another one of his top selling songs, he introduces it by saying “I know it’s cheesy. But Auckland, I Choose You!”, to which he giggled hysterically and continued to sing in a pitch perfect performance.

This seems to be the running theme of his show- interactive, fun, conversational and vocally impressive.

Walker is the first to admit that he believes “there is nothing special about me”, but I beg to differ. There is an endearing quality about watching the talented Stan Walker perform. He oozes with charisma, humour, sincerity, humility and vocal ability that has seen him continue to rise to the top of the charts time and again. These traits are the very things that will ensure this young man will remain a New Zealand and Australian favourite for many years to come. I know it’s cheesy, but Stan, we choose you!

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

www.ausm.org.nz

Liam Finn with support from The Thomas Oliver Band Auckland Zoo, Friday, March 4 Live Review by Matthew Catin

(B+)

“Wild Bean Cafe Zoo Music is an open air concert and will go ahead rain or shine, except in exceptional circumstances.”

The conveniently placed word ‘except’ saved this year’s zoo music finale a freaking lawsuit I swear. Now I don’t want to be negative...

But rain really isn’t an exceptional circumstance. The animals escaping? Exceptional. Rain? Unexceptional. That is all.

Liam Finn and Phoenix Foundation are two of my favourite New Zealand acts and to see them both, live, together, playing at the zoo had me pretty excited. This was to be my first zoo music experience after all. My posse of friends and I roamed the zoo whilst listening to the funky John Butler-esque Thomas Oliver Band who grooved through a tight set of catchy tunes in the overcast afternoon. Exotic animals and local music; it’s a match made in heaven.

The rain started coming down as soon as royal Liam Finn took stage, with new band The Come Agains. Opening with Better to Be, Prince Finn played an inspired show from start to finish, playing to the crowd and making challenges to Mother Nature between tunes. Unfortunately for us, Mother Nature took the challenge seriously. It didn’t hail but good god! Biggest.

Raindrops. Ever. I’ve had drier swims. There is a threshold (which was breached very quickly) of how drenched people get before throwing down their umbrellas and dancing barefoot in puddles.

The weather seemed to spur on cheeky Liam who just seemed ecstatic to be there, dancing like no one was watching. He threw in a couple of new songs from his upcoming album (which sounded great) before finishing with crowd favourites Second Chance and Lead Balloon. Ka pai Liam and friends!

Unfortunately, due to unexceptional conditions, Phoenix Foundation were unable to follow up so wet, bedraggled and disappointed, the crowds departed. We piled in to the car for a soggy ride to the K road 24/7 laundromat where we stripped off to our tight briefs and dried our clothes. Being largely naked on K road however was not wise and we were quickly spotted. Our bad decision was realised too late and the night ended with a transvestite, a bride-to-be and a birthday boy taking turns drinking shots from my bare belly button. So cheers Zoo Music! Your bad preparation and quitting attitude turned my night from fun and carefree to humiliating and sexually violating. Would I go again next year? Grrrrr yes.

19.

20.

issue 03 2011

New Zealand summers mean different things to different people. To some, it’s about sun, beach and BBQs; to others, it’s about alcohol, drugs and STD clinics (I got involved in five of those six – I’ll leave it up to you to decide which ones). And to other still, it’s about getting amongst the many music festivals that take place up and down our beautiful country. I was lucky enough to attend my fair share of festivals this summer, and while busting some sweet moves under the New Zealand sun, I noticed a few key types of people that seemed to be drawn to these events.

Dreadlocks Guy Where: rarely seen in suburban or inner-city areas, the Dreadlocks Guy tends to gravitate toward music festivals in the hopes of impressing members of the opposite sex. He can usually be found in mosh pits, his thick tendrils of hair flicking out as a warning to those around him.

Description: the Dreadlocks Guy is commonly found in shades of red, yellow and green. He can typically be tracked by pursuing the scent of marijuana or by following the sound of a Bob Marley ring tone.

by Jareth Trigwell

Crying Girl Where: the keen observer can frequently spot this delicate specimen at music festivals.

A solitary creature, they can be found standing by themselves near toilet blocks and food stands, often crying out for members of their lost herd. The Crying Girl, while seemingly helpless, should generally not be approached, as their moods have been known to change rapidly and surprise the unsuspecting hunter.

Description: while often characterised by their revealing clothing, it is usually easier to hear the Crying Girl than to see her. Crying Girl is a master of camouflage and will sometimes seek cover behind large sunglasses in order to disguise her tears.

Too-old-to-be-here Couple Where: this confusing species can easily be seen at nearly all music festivals in New Zealand.

Although they may appear ill-equipped for the conditions, the Too-old-to-be-here Couple should not be underestimated. They can typically be found towards the back of the pack, away from the younger, more aggressive creatures.

Description: the Too-old-to-be-here Couple can be identified by their unique and wild appearance. The male generally favours an unkempt beard, while the female may adorn herself in beads, headbands and ankle bracelets in an attempt to draw attention away from her sun-damaged skin.

Party-hard Guy Where: considered a pest by some, this creature can be found in the thick of things, encouraging his peers to work themselves into frenzied states.

Description: the Party-hard Guy has little understanding of his environment. While his raging behaviour is generally accepted by his peers during festival hours, it quickly becomes an annoyance in the following days, when other members of the pack are incapacitated with hangovers. The Party-hard Guy is a fun loving creature, but be careful not to lead him back to your campsite as you may soon find yourself with an infestation.

by KP Lew As teenagers at this age, most people are, or are looking to get into, relationships with others. Who doesn’t like having a special someone to have and to hold? Having and holding becomes a little bit more complicated though, when you’re hours or days apart from each other, which is why teenagers are much less keen on long distance relationships.

At its core, a long distance relationship is still a relationship. It’s an experience when you find someone whose company you enjoy so much that you find you would like to keep spending more time with said person exclusively. You try to talk, to text, to spend as much time as possible with said person. You tell each other everything, you go to them when you’re down, you comfort each other. Long distance relationships are essentially the same thing, only with lots of logistics screwing things around. Possibly a little bit pricier as well, in you have to factor flights into your relationship route. Internet access becomes vital, sleep becomes secondary, and your math (at least addition and subtraction) improves from calculating back and forth to figure out the time difference. Is it difficult? Yes it is. Are there bad days? Yes there are.

Then again, life is like that too, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to experience as much of it as we can. It shouldn’t. The real question is: is it worth it?

Like so many other things, there are two camps of people with opinions on long distance relationships: those for and those against.

Those for are usually people who have been in a relationship for a while already, and decide that they refuse to let circumstances and distance www.ausm.org.nz

tear them apart. They usually go in knowing the separation is only for the short term and though the months or years may seem long, the end goal is usually to be back together for good after that. For the sceptics, this may be a little hard to understand. Why take the risk? What if they meet someone better? How would you know if they were cheating on you? But then again, these questions are also faced by people who are in relationships that aren’t long distance. What it all boils down to is this: Do you trust them? If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t even be in a relationship together, because even friendships and work partnerships need a foundation of mutual trust to succeed. But if the answer is yes, then proceed with caution. Trust is a major factor, but it isn’t the only factor that makes relationships work. Things like commitment and communication need to be taken into account as well, as well as making sure that you want the same things from life. That is, if you’re serious about each other.

At the end of the day, getting into any kind of relationship is a gamble.

There is always a possibility that you will get hurt, or that you will end up hurting the other party. In life, we make choices. There are risks and opportunity costs attached to the choices we make. Sometimes, all we can do is weigh up the risks as well as we can and take the plunge.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Relationships – any kind of relationships – are not much different. We make our choice, and then we stick to it, hoping that everything that we’ve learned about the world and how it works so far will help us get through. But hey, we’re still young, and we’ve got time to learn from our mistakes.

21.

It was said in an article that originality doesn’t sell in music. It’s the same in films. From now until the end of June, there are 20 films that are either sequels, remakes or based on books, plays or comic books. The latter of these three has been experiencing a power resurgence over the past few years, and the TV2 ad proclaiming that “2011 is the year of the nerd” couldn’t be more true. True comic book fans have spent the past year trolling the internet for leaked scripts, plot spoilers, fan made trailers and videos of actors shooting on set. After last week’s feature on the worst superheroes in the business, debate thought it’d take a look at the top five comic book adaptations that are hitting screens soon.

5. The First Avenger: Captain America

The first of two Marvel superheroes on this list, Captain America’s blatant patriotism made him popular during World War II. He is the alter ego of Steve Rogers, who signs up to be turned into human perfection (but Captain America has a better ring to it) after rejected from the military. Director Joe Johnston has been responsible for classic films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Jumanji, but he also directed The Wolfman last year so there’s doubt at whether he can do the superhero justice.

4. Green Lantern

Not to be confused with The Green Hornet, which came out in January this year, The Green Lantern is based on the DC Comics’ superhero, which first made an appearance in 1940. There’s more than one Green Lantern and they all wear a ring that grants them superpowers. This film, which comes out in June, focuses on the first ever human Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, and for the ladies who want an excuse to see this film – you get to see Ryan Reynolds shirtless. You are welcome.

3. Thor

Of all the films featured on this list, Thor has had the most exposure. Coming out on April 28 (ahead of the American release date), this film had one of the coveted Super Bowl television spots and has just released a second trailer for the film. Based on the Norse God of thunder, Thor comes from the realm of Asgard, where science and magic are one and the same and his arrogance gets him sent to Earth, where he becomes one of their protectors. It’s got Hollywood babes Natalie Portman and Kat Dennings, but the title role goes to none other than a Home and Away alum, Chris Hemsworth.

2. The Dark Knight Rises

The film doesn’t actually come out until 2012, but with the amount of hype it’s getting already, I had to feature it. It’s the sequel to The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger’s last complete movie) and it is also the follow up movie for one of the only original directors in Hollywood, Christopher Nolan. You might remember a little film he did last year called Inception. There’s not much known about the script, except that the only confirmed villain is Bane and Catwoman also appears (not the Halle Berry version, thank God!). Veterans like Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine are all signed on, as is Inception stars Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard and possibly Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This. Will. Be. Epic

1. The Adventures of Tintin: The secret of the Unicorn

With the legendary Steven Spielberg directing, Edgar Wright writing and our very own Peter Jackson producing – plus the added bonus of childhood nostalgia – it’s impossible to imagine another film taking this coveted spot. Based on a series of comic books by Belgian artist Georges “Hergé” Remi, it’s Spielberg’s first digitally shot film. Kiwi’s Weta Workshops film is responsible for the CGI and with no trailer released and only a few stills of the films available to gawk at, this is not only the most anticipated film of the year, but also the most secretive.

by Alisha Lewis Although the world is currently focussed on the craziness that is Charlie Sheen, he’s not the only celebrity whose messed up behaviour has come under the spotlight. Check out these top five celebrity train wrecks.

5. Whitney Houston

“Crack is whack” kids. That’s what Whitney Houston said in an interview in which she also insulted people with addictions to the drug. But after some rapid weight loss and erratic behaviour the I Will Always Love You singer later admitted to battling with a cocaine addiction, along with a host of other drugs. An interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show fuelled the scandal, with Whitney sounding crazy and incoherent. The singer has since been in and out of rehab and has avoided the public spotlight.

4. Mel Gibson

Here’s a wee tip Mel, if you’re caught driving under the influence, you’re already in a fair amount of trouble. If you’re a famous actor, you’ve probably attracted more trouble than most. So it’s really not a good idea to make a string of racist and anti-Semitic comments.

22.

Especially not to the police officer arresting you. And especially not if said police officer is a Jew. Yeah, bad idea. But, other than that, and the alleged homophobia, sexism, domestic violence and substance abuse, Mel’s a stand-up guy.

3. Lindsay Lohan

When I was 10 my favourite movie in the world was The Parent Trap. When I was 10, I wanted to be Lindsay Lohan. Unfortunately, today, I don’t think even Lindsay Lohan wants to be Lindsay Lohan. From failing to show up on movie sets, constant partying, forays into lesbianism, various arrests and constant stints in rehab, LiLo’s life is all over the place and her meltdown is ongoing. At the moment she’s facing charges for alleged theft which could see her sent back to jail. Former child-star Drew Barrymore also went through a similar phase and seemed to come out of it with a decent career though, so here’s hoping.

2. Michael Jackson

He may be the King of Pop and yes, he is amazing, but they didn’t call him Wacko Jacko for nothing. Towards the end of his life,

Michael Jackson was in the spotlight less for his music and more for his insane behaviour.

Masked children, potential bankruptcy, strange disguises, baby dangling and a bizarre documentary, in which he admitted having slept in a bed with “many children”, fuelled scandals – not to mention a child molestation lawsuit. Oh, and he looked really weird too.

1. Britney Spears

When Britney belted out You Drive Me Crazy, we bopped along to the beat in our bellbottoms and crop tops and didn’t think too much about it. Maybe it was a forewarning for the total insanity that was to come. Britney was our reigning pop princess who had it all so it came out of left field when America’s sweetheart married wannabe backup dancer/ gangster K-Fed in a tacky Vegas marriage, had his babies, partied with Paris, got snapped without undies, drove down the highway with her baby on her lap and shaved her head. She also attacked a paparazzo with an umbrella.

Thank goodness she seems to have toned down the crazy!

issue 03 2011

by Alisha Lewis

I

was going to say two and a half beers short of a six pack but then I remembered the subject of this article. It would probably be more realistic to say two and a half kegs short of a brewery.

Carlos Estevas, or as he’s better known by his stage name, Charlie Sheen, has been in the news a bit lately. And I’m over it. If I have to hear one more person shout “winning!” then someone’s going to face the wrath of “my firebreathing fists” (a couple of choice gems stolen from some of Charlie’s latest rants) I never really got what was so great about him in the first place – before all the drama. Like how his show Two and a Half Men came to be the number one comedy television series in the United States. Given, American’s choices are usually a bit hit and miss (they did vote Bush into power – twice) but, really? I can think of plenty of other shows that should have taken the title: The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Community, Modern Family etc. So what did the usually conservative Middle America find so appealing about a show based around an alcoholic womaniser, a divorcee and a prepubescent kid. OK, the kid was pretty cute.

Other than that however, the allure is lost on me. He’s not even good looking, so his womanising ways seem a tad unrealistic. I’ve never known a girl to fall for the two-toned shirt and cargo shorts look, with socks pulled up to his calves, no less. True, he was loaded.

Gumby, arrogant but very rich man gets all the ladies… alright so maybe it is realistic after all.

I’m still sick of the guy though. I used to be pre-warned about when his show would be on but now he’s infiltrated the news. I tune in to try and find out what’s been happening in Libya lately and who do I see? Not Muammar Gaddafi, that’s for sure. Although now I think about it, there are some similarities:

www.ausm.org.nz

“I am like the Queen of England”, says Gaddafi.

“Every great movement begins with one man”, says Sheen.

“I am much bigger than any rank…I am a fighter”, says Gaddafi.

“I have defeated this earthworm with my words – imagine what I would have done with my fire-breathing fists”, says Sheen.

Yes, Charlie’s losing it. He’s spiralling downwards at morph speed and passed rock bottom a long time ago. But why is it such a big deal? Why is everyone so obsessed with every crazy thing he says, every DUI arrest and every court case? It’s because we have a weird fascination with idolising certain celebrities, building them up, putting them on that platform and then waiting for it to crumble beneath them. We love to see the person who had it all and then lost it all. And in the same way we watched obsessively as Britney Spear married K-Fed in Vegas, was snapped getting out of a car sans underwear and shaved her head for no apparent reason, we watch Sheen’s every erratic and nonsensical move.

Charlie (for reasons beyond me) was the king of television comedy. Now he’s a total laughing stock, with drug and alcohol problems to boot.

He doesn’t seem to be complaining though.

Despite having just been fired from the highest grossing television sitcom, Sheen’s fan base has actually been growing. In the one week since he joined Twitter not long ago, he accumulated more than two million followers – a feat unheard of in the ‘twitterverse’. Although I’m doubtful as to whether these followers are true fans or simply want first hand access to the craziness Sheen is bound to come out with via the social networking site.

Either way, Sheen’s next move is to sue Warner Bros. Television, the company that

Carlos Estevas, or as he’s better known by his stage name, Charlie Sheen, has been in the news a bit lately.

And I’m over it. If I have to hear one more person shout “winning!” then someone’s going to face the wrath of “my fire-breathing fists” (a couple of choice gems stolen from some of Charlie’s latest rants). sacked him, and sue “big”. When asked what he thought of his dismissal Charlie replied, “It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshiscock again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in this terrestrial dimension.”

I may not like him, I may not get him, but I have to agree with him on one matter: those shirts really are ridiculous.

23.

Necklace made from Photolithograph wastes

by Jess Cann Don’t you ever just wish you lived in a different decade or time in history? For me, that time and place is Hollywood in the 80s. Or 40s.

Or 60s. Any of those three would be great. I think a lot of my age group faux-reminisce* back to the crazier, technology-free 80s and wonder what it’d be like if we were running around with giant quiffs and high-waisted skirts and pants. Wait, communications girls do that currently (I ain’t hatin’! I’m a comms girl too. We all do it).

Most of my favourite movies come from this awesome time in film history where coming-of-age films were more important than ever and the imagination could stretch as far as Steven Spielberg could be bothered thinking (is it just me or does he just not care about films anymore?) Some of the best, most timeless classics evolved from this decade so here’s my top five which you should see ASAP! Pretty In Pink (1986)/16 Candles (1984): Paired together as these two are part of the Brat Pack collection of films, dubbed so because of the actors that appeared in various films either with each other or written/directed by John Hughes. Pretty In Pink features one classic scene featuring Jon Cryer, of Two & A Half Men fame, who dances and lip syncs to Otis Redding.

The Goonies (1985): There is not much I can say about this film that will convey just how awesome it is but I will say that I am a Goonie. Go watch this now.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Jedi (1983): Yes, I did love Jedi more than Empire Strikes Back, which most people love. The puppets, the make-up, costuming and direction were all light years ahead of other productions. Jedi set such a standard for special effects and completed one of the greatest trilogies ever.

The Dead Poets Society (1989): Robin Williams should really consider dramatic acting now that his humour isn’t really thought of as ‘funny’. As the unconventional but inspiring teacher aiming to give his students a different perspective on not just school but life in general, Williams provided one of his best performances yet.

The Breakfast Club (1985): Not to be confused with the AUT club of the same name, The Breakfast Club is the definitive 80s and coming-of-age movie. The five characters (Andy, Allison, Claire, Brian and Bender) all represent certain cliques within high schools which are still present today.

They’re no different to current situations except for the clothes they wear and the music they listen to. If you have not watched it you honestly should, it’s my favourite film of all time and John Hughes, the writer and director, was and is still such an icon.

by Ashleigh Muir We all know being a student is hard. There seems to be a never ending stream of readings to be done, essays to be written and not to mention bills to be paid. Yet it is a time when we are working out a sense of our own style; the look that we want to portray to the world.

Whether your look is indie, androgynous, girly or bogan it can be an expensive expedition to find the right pieces that suit you and your sense of style. And this isn’t just limited to your favourite jeans you just had to have, despite the price tag. Quite often it is the little things that make an outfit expensive.

Accessories. Without them an outfit can feel incomplete. A style can often come down to the little things; the bangles on the wrist or the flower in your hair could define your whole look. They complete the look, but at what cost? Belts, bangles and bracelets, earrings and necklaces, headbands and rings; it all adds up… and up and up.

However, the cost of accessorising can be greatly reduced if you’re willing to get a little creative. Not only does this slash the costs but it also means that you are the proud owner of a unique piece.

Individualism, after all, is what we all want.

Headbands retail from around $10 each (although they can get much higher). Doesn’t sound too expensive but when they only match one or two outfits each, you can end up spending a lot more than you need to. With a simple trip to your local emporium or fabric story you can make your own headbands exactly as you want them. I recently spent around $8 on lace, elastic, buttons and ribbons and made three unique headbands that no one else has.

It’s simple. Only choose materials you really like, colours that will match what you already own and have a bit of an idea about how you want the end product to look. Flowers can easily be made by sewing along one edge of a lace or fabric, then pushing the fabric together into a gather and tying off. Add a button in the centre and attach to elastic or a different coloured lace.

Coloured garter fabrics attached to a medium strength elastic add a bit of colour and are quick and easy to make. Vintage looking buttons sewn onto floral lace, tied at the base of the neck, are far more interesting than any headscarf.

The point is that it is not always as difficult as you might imagine making your own interesting pieces. Crafting your own accessories can be an inexpensive hobby and there are plenty of ideas and inspiration if you are willing to go looking. Check out these websites if you’re sick of wearing what everyone else has: www.craftbits.com www.craftown.com www. easycraftprojects.net

You better go watch some decent 80s movies right now. If you mess with the bull young man you’ll get the horns.

* Faux-reminisce - verb - to think back to a time you actually weren’t a part of like you were there. I should trademark that.

24.

issue 03 2011

a good breakfast. If you are having a period make sure you take some painkillers before you start your day and take some with you to uni. Tell someone if you feel faint so you can get out of the room and get some fresh air, sit or lie down if you are too dizzy to be on your own. Don’t panic; it’s not life threatening and you will recover quickly.

Dear Agony Aunt This Agony Aunt column is brought to you by the team at Health, Counselling and Wellbeing. If you have a question you would like answered email debate@aut.ac.nz and put Agony Aunt as the subject or drop it in to the Health, Counselling and Wellbeing office.

Dear Agony Aunt

I fainted last week during a lecture. My friends said I was completely out of it for about 20 seconds. Is this dangerous, do I need to be worried?

I have been fine ever since and don’t think there is anything wrong with me.

From Out of It

Dear Out of It

No I don’t think you need to be worried. There are many reasons why people faint but most of them are not serious. Things that can make you feel faint are: hot stuffy rooms with little ventilation, tight clothing, no breakfast (very common), pain (commonly period pain), standing up too fast and stress. If it happens again it would be a good idea to see a doctor or nurse and get a check up as occasionally there may be a more serious reason. My advice is never leave the house without first eating

by Katie Montgomerie This week is the reviews issue so to help you all understand the world of reviews, here are some interesting words I came across while surfing UrbanDictionary.com.

Let’s start simply with the word:

Reviewsniped

A negative review that has been flagged, deemed unsuitable and then taken down by consumer posting websites such as UrbanDictionary.com, Trip Advisor, Menumania etc Example “I wrote this really thorough review about how awful that restaurant was in Mt Eden, but they reviewsniped it because I made reference to dog vomit in my risotto. Bloody Th****.” (The name of this restaurant has been removed as it has been deemed unsuitable.)

Of course we know this happens, especially on YouTube! If you’re wondering what the people who do this are called, they are none other than:

www.ausm.org.nz

I am a Muslim girl and I am getting married in September. My parents arranged my marriage and I am very happy with this. It is very important in my religion that I am a virgin when I marry. I have never had sex with anyone before but last year I had a relationship with a boy who was not of my culture or religion. Although we did not have sex we did engage in some serious foreplay. I am tearing myself up about this, the worst thing is I think maybe he might have broken my hymen and I will not be a virgin. I don’t know what to think anymore. I’m really scared that my future husband will know or be able to tell on our wedding night.

From Scared

Dear Just Checking

The most important thing is you did not have sexual intercourse and that means you are still a virgin. As to whether you hymen is intact or not well that is anyone’s guess. It is a myth that the hymen breaks during intercourse. Most women don’t even have a hymen at all because it stretched or wore away in childhood, or because it disappeared in the womb before birth. Go ahead and enjoy your wedding night; you have nothing to feel guilty about. You may need to talk this over with someone and get things into perspective. Free counselling is available at Health Counselling and Wellbeing situated at WB219. Call 921 9992 or AS104 Call 921 9998 to make an appointment.

(s) of the week with UrbanDictionary.com Reviewsnipers

An employee of a consumer review site who watches for unflattering reviews and removes them.

Example “I just posted a Trip Advisor review about the crappy P&O cruise I just had and someone on the P&O payroll flagged my post and a Trip Advisor reviewsniper deleted it straight away!”

And finally, I can’t help but put yet another user rant on UrbanDictionary.com in this column because they are just too funny! So, on that note, I will leave you with:

Example Critic: “Do you think the use of any of those colours were effective and why? “ Artist: “I really like how I used the paint here and here. That’s why. Did that answer your question?”

Critic: “Did it answer YOUR question? That’s the question.”

Artist: “What?”

Critic: “He/She obviously knows nothing about art. This critique is over.”

Artist: (Artist cries) Wow My Cherry Tree, personal issues much?

I hope this week’s Word(s) of the Week has been helpful. See you in seven days!

Critique

An easy way for people to slander any kind of work you do. Some people may try to protect it and say that critiquing is good, but it’s not. The antonym of critique is constructive criticism ... GET IT RIGHT. Critique is a dangerous weapon. It’s the easiest way to tear into the soul. If you want to kill an artist, ask questions like these;

25.

Now that’s what I call Volume Two with Samantha McQueen

Now Following

Charlie Sheen

I am definitely not a Charlie Sheen fan but I have to admit, I’m a follower of his on Twitter.

His ramblings may not always make sense, but turns out he still knows how to entertain.

People may be laughing at him rather than with him, but as he’ll still be making millions off re-runs of Two and a Half Men, at the end of the day Charlie’s the one laughing…all the way to the bank. He is, in own words, “WINNING!”.

Now Boycotting

John Galliano

John Galliano, creator of the Galliano label and now former designer for French fashion house Christian Dior has recently been in the headlines for making a string of racial slurs and anti-Semitic remarks. He even went so far to call out “I love Hitler!”. People around the world are now boycotting the designer. Celebrities shunned his 2011 fashion show at Paris Fashion Week and celebrity Natalie Portman has spoken out publicly against the designer. While some of you may not have even heard of the guy, and I’m sure most of us could never in a million years afford to wear his label, this is more of a figurative boycott to show that nobody tolerates racism and bigotry of any kind!

Now Watching

Taped videos

When we all made the big switch to DVDs I don’t think any of us spared much of a thought for what would happen to all our videos. If you’re anything like me, they’re stacked in a box growing mould somewhere.

Dig out that box of VHSs and that VCR and revisit your tween years. Granted, your tastes may have changed but hey, Clueless on tape never gets old! The best parts are the ads though, so don’t fast-forward. And don’t be afraid to sing along if you know the words, ‘cause really, “it’s moments like these you need Minties!”.

Now Browsing

Guyspeak

Ever wondered what’s going on in the minds of the opposite sex? Stupid question, we all have.

Now there’s a way to find out! Guyspeak.com is a website where five men (who go by the aliases Mystery Man, Funny Guy, Reformed Player, Wise Ass and Girls’ BFF) answer no holds barred questions from women – and the occasional guy – on everything from relationships, sex, music, movies and life in general. The men are honest, brutally frank and witty. For all you lads, there is also a ‘Gal Pal’ on the site who provides a woman’s perspective.

horoscopes ARIES (March 21-April 19)

The stars call on you to be slovenly this week. Ditch your yoga class for a weekend of fat pants and movie marathons.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Your best friend this week is Ctrl + Save. Use it. A lot.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day by talking in an Irish accent all week. Bonus points if you manage to incorporate potatoes into every sentence.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

University is all about expanding your vocabulary, so spend your lectures creating funtastic word hybrids to use in your essays.

LEO (July 23-August 22)

Remember, five 20 cent pieces make a dollar. Buy a piggy bank and watch your spare change grow.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22)

Loiter outside a dairy looking sad and forlorn. Jupiter and Mars have predicted people will take pity on you and buy you a $1 mixture of lollies. So basically, five lollies. Enjoy!

LIBRA (September 23-October 23)

Your creative juices will be at a peak from now until the end of the month. You know what that means right? ARTS AND CRAFTS!

SCORPIO (October 24-November 21)

Spend this week revisiting your times tables. Even though you’re studying Communications, that’s no excuse not to know basic multiplication.

SAGITTARIUS (November22-Dec21)

Brush up on your general knowledge. The stars see a perfect Stuff quiz score in your future.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19)

Take a trip down memory lane and watch Friends on TV 2 for the 15th time. I bet you’d be a Phoebe. You are sooooo a Phoebe.

AQUARIUS (January 20-Febuary 18)

Start a rousing sing-along of U2’s It’s a Beautiful Day on campus on St Patrick’s Day. Make sure you wear the glasses.

PISCES (Febuary 19-March 20)

Note: quoting Charlie Sheen at every opportunity is certainly not winning. Just saying.

If you think you’re on the pulse with what’s happening in Auckland, email debate@aut.ac.nz with your own Suggestions for Volume Three.

26.

issue 03 2011

by Heather Rutherford

When it comes to fashionable cities, everyone’s heard of Paris, New York, Milan and London.

But tucked away in Europe, probably more famous for its windmills, sex shows and relaxed laws on cannabis (and I’m pretty sure they also make a lot of cheese), the city of Amsterdam is developing into a real force within the world of fashion.

Before you scoff at this claim, don’t forget that the Dutch are the ones who made famous the clog, or wooden shoe, that we see so many people wearing around Auckland this season. If you don’t happen to think that’s a fair enough call, just take a look at a few of the more contemporary designers.

Some of the bigger names to come out of Amsterdam are Jenneke Verhoeven, Mart Visser and Marlies Dekkers. If you’re a follower of fashion on the internet, you may have seen Iris van Herpen’s amazingly imagined and detailed garments being celebrated for their beauty online. Street wear mega labels Diesel and G-Star are also based in Amsterdam. And if you haven’t already heard of Dutch fashion design duo Viktor and Rolf, where on earth have you been?

AUT fashion design student Jane Mow, now in her 3rd and final year, has recently returned from a student exchange to Amsterdam where she studied at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI). Jane found the experience a real eye opener in terms of discovering all the possibilities that fashion design has to offer. Even though the variety in New Zealand fashion retail is expanding all the time, if you were to look at the cutting edge of New Zealand fashion design, there are a few

discernable trends that come through (and yes, I am aware I am making a huge generalisation here). Prominent trends here include layered, draped, dark and over-sized clothing.

In general, Amsterdam fashion designers take a much more playful and highly conceptual approach to design. Examples of playful Dutch fashion design are easy to find – just look at the work of Viktor and Rolf, probably Amsterdam’s most successful high fashion export. The Dutch find the “norm” very boring and are always inspired by, and are creating, very conceptual pieces that experiment with fabric, colour and texture – pushing the boundaries of what is considered fashion and what they can convince people on the street to wear.

Jane described the fashion design teaching in Amsterdam as being “transitional” for her, saying it changed the way she designs, her perspective and aesthetic, and gave her a new appreciation of fashion. She says that at AMFI, they also require students to be more of a fashion ‘all-rounder’, with skills in styling, fashion photography, writing, illustration, brand management and graphic design as well as just fashion design and patterning.

Jane found the Amsterdam fashion industry as a whole much more “open” than in New Zealand. The annual Amsterdam Fashion Week is not just confined to being an exclusive ‘industry’ event, but more like a city-wide museum installation. It isn’t restricted to one particular spot either, like Auckland does with the viaduct or New York with Bryant Park etc. All over the city there are fashion shows, exhibitions, installations and other such events. Retailers also embrace the spirit

of the week, with window displays, or mini ‘conceptual’ installations in store. Even outside of Amsterdam Fashion Week the industry is less exclusive, with world renowned designers such as the people from Diesel and G-Star more than happy to give talks, advice and lend a hand to fashion students.

However glorious the fashion education seems over in Amsterdam, the workload is roughly double what fashion students in New Zealand can expect (all you fashion students, I’m sure you can relate! It’s hard enough getting all the work done here as it is!) But their work really does pay off and is completed to a high standard.

During their third year of study, fashion students at AMFI get the opportunity to stock in the AMFI conceptual store, called 10x10.

They collectively design for the house label, which is called Individuals (alluding to all the ‘individuals’ designing for it) and are stocked alongside the likes of Rick Owens, Vivienne Westwood and so on. I found their page on Facebook and was amazed at what I saw; especially wishing I had more money in my bank account for one dress in particular!

Even though the city of Amsterdam is still working its way up the fashion ladder to sit amongst the likes of London, New York, Paris and so forth, its unique approach to design and fashion is definitely carving out an influential, recognisable niche on the global scale. And being a city with such a different culture and values to any other in the world, I have no doubt that they will soon be a major force to be reckoned with in the fashion world!

Photos by Jane Mow

www.ausm.org.nz

27.

The Adjustment Bureau Directed by George Nolfi Film Review by Elana Kluner

(B)

able to cut the strings and play your own part.

In the end, an answer is revealed, but there’s still room for debate and a chance to draw your own conclusion.

All in all, The Adjustment Bureau is your typical romantic science fiction thriller. It’s cheesy, but not overly so, and it makes you think, but not for days on end.

Conviction

Directed by Tony Goldwyn Film Review by Joshua Martin The Adjustment Bureau seems to have trouble fitting into one genre, managing to be a thriller, science fiction and romantic comedy all rolled into one. Using light and easy methods to highlight a deep and meaningful concept, the film questions the idea of destiny and a greater power, while sparking your own imagination.

Matt Damon is David Norris, a charming, young politician who falls for Elise (Emily Blunt), a promiscuous contemporary dancer.

If David continues to see Elise, his true destiny will be disturbed, so he tries to fight it. His opponents are “the people who make sure things go according to plan”, the adjustment bureau. They are cool, suave, clever and almost fantasy-like. They do whatever it takes to keep David on track, which leaves you at the edge of your seat and teetering between the hero’s side and the villain’s side.

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt do excellent jobs playing their parts. By the time they meet, you are already rooting for them. Emily is the perfect mix of seductress and funny (a blend not achieved in her previous effort, Wild Target) and Matt is – like always – charming and confident. John Slattery’s character Richardson, one of the adjustment bureau’s main men, didn’t quite pull off his smooth-talking character, but that may because I was having trouble not picturing him in Sex and the City.

Other than that, the only other criticism would be that the film could have pushed themselves a little further in terms of special effects. I mean, come on, we were just deflowered (special effects-wise) by Inception.

That’s a tough act to follow.

This movie was also a subliminal knock on religion. The Adjustment Bureau was a representation of God, which is evident at the beginning of the film when David is questioning who made “the plan”. One of the members of the bureau calls him “The Chairman”, but different people refer to him or her by different names throughout the movie.

It makes you wonder if there really is a greater power controlling your every move or if you are

28.

(B+)

audience with her display of brokenness and desperation, and then provide hope through the efforts of selfless love and exceptional determination. Rockwell’s depiction of a wrongly accused man takes the audience through a seamless seesaw of feelings; from confidence to frailty, doubtfulness to apathy and triumph to despair. The heavy subject matter of Conviction is lightened by Minnie Driver’s best friend character; she brings a balance of both fun and focus throughout the film.

Conviction is a story of determination, despite the odds being against you. It is a journey through the lives of real people who challenged a corrupt justice system and film that genuinely answers the question “how far would you go to help your loved ones?”.

Rango

Directed by Gore Verbinski “How far would you go to help your loved ones?” This is an age-old relationship test that is cleverly disguised as an innocent question.

It’s a hypothetical that you can generally bluff your way through with replies such as “I’d give my left lung for you”, or the more melodramatic, “I would give my life for my family”.

Double Oscar winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry, Million Dollar Baby), takes this question and puts her money where her mouth is in Conviction.

This film is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters, a single mother who stands up to the justice system. They’ve wrongly imprisoned her brother, Kenny “Muddy” Waters (Sam Rockwell) for murdering a young woman who lived next door to him at a trailer park. With a lifelong prison sentence to come to grips with, depression sets in and a suicide attempt seems to be the only hope for freedom. A heartbroken and enraged Betty Anne begs him never to try again, and promises him that she will get him out.

Her promises materialises when she decides the best way to get Kenny released is to find someone who cares enough for him to fight for his freedom no matter how long it takes.

It’s in her questioning, that she realises the only person who loves him enough to fight for him, is herself. Betty Anne enrols in law school and sets out on an 18 year battle, laced with challenges throughout education, lost evidence and family matters.

Swank is flawless in her portrayal of a woman caught between her responsibility as a sister and a mother. She has an ability to draw in the

Film Review by Samantha McQueen ( B+)

With an animation circuit that has been dominated by Disney and Pixar for the past decade, Rango brings much-welcomed competition to the animation genre with a darker offering, spiced up with astounding voices, a saucy script and scale-tingling animation.

Rango is a wannabe thespian whose aquarium is thrown from a moving vehicle into the middle of the Mojave desert. After some philosophical advice from a half-squished armadillo and a ride from a reluctant lizard named Beans (Isla Fisher) Rango finds himself in Dirt, a small western town in the middle of nowhere, where water is literally treated like gold. Using his theatrics, Rango impresses the townspeople – an eclectic bunch of stereotypical western reptiles, amphibians and lizards – with his tale of killing seven villains with one bullet, and after a stroke of luck in a battle against a hawk, Rango is named the new sheriff (ominously, the last sheriff lasted just three days before carking it).

The lack of water provides Rango with his hero opportunity. After the town’s depleting stock is robbed from the bank vault, Rango and his posse of cowboys ride through the hardened terrain before realising it may be

issue 03 2011

more than a drought that is the cause behind the dehydration.

Children’s films have always had adult themes to keep the older ones entertained, but Rango seems to be dancing on the boundary line. There’s a lot of violence, mutilation and death (one character has an arrow through his face) and many less-than-subtle innuendos to lesbianism, sexually active mothers, breasts and cussing. It was even the first film to include “smoking” under their PG warning rating.

However, it will be a welcome change from the Disney-manufactured love stories that seem to dominate the animation box office.

Nickelodeon has brought their A-game to this film (A for animation) and created a CGI visual experience that focused on texture and realism, rather than the gimmick of 3D. Pixar should be sitting up and taking notice. Rango’s scaly body pops on screen and you almost shudder when you see (and hear) his skin shed at the beginning of the film. The darker tones of this film are further emphasized with the muddy browns and various shades of gray that make up the majority of this colour palate. In fact, Rango’s red and yellow Hawaiian shirt and the colour of the water are the brightest colours you’ll see in the drab town of Dirt.

Rango confirms the return of the western with this action-packed animation, and with their references appealing to both the children and the young-at-heart, this film really is a chameleon.

Tamara Drewe

Saw VII

Film Review by Ashleigh Muir

Directed by Kevin Greutert Film Review by James Wheeler

Directed by Stephen Frears

(C)

(B)

Saw has been a talking point in the movie industry since it first bled onto the scene back in 2004. Its sadistic violence and torture traps certainly didn’t appeal to everyone, but it took horror to a new place. What started out simple, expanded into many storylines with many characters. This is the seventh entry in the Saw franchise. If you haven’t seen at least four of the previous six instalments, either catch up or avoid it altogether. The last few Saw films were notorious for referencing and bringing back old characters – so the more you know, the better off you’ll be for this one.

www.ausm.org.nz

For the seventh film, it’s a pretty solid effort.

As you would expect, the major drawing point is the unique traps of doom that helpless people are forced to endure. They can either survive and live life clean, or die and pay for their past.

Jigsaw, the iconic mastermind, sets these traps up for a reason, showing there is a method to his sadistic style.

The film picks up where the sixth left off.

Detective Hoffman, worried about being exposed by Jigsaw’s Widow Jill, will stop at nothing to silence her. Meanwhile, the police start piecing things together but are still unable to nail Hoffman as he has gone into hiding.

The film alternates between several ongoing plots but manages to maintain suspense the entire way through. This is done through a wide variety of traps that will definitely guarantee a cringe or two.

With it being the final film, they decided to go all out with 3D. I’m happy to say that it was worth the extra money. But don’t pay $20 for this, get a VIP card and enjoy the savings.

The series peaked five years ago. But let’s face it; you’re forced to watch this just to see how they wrap the whole thing up. If you really want to be hardcore, rent Saw one through six before going and enjoy it for what it is - gruesome, gory, and a film that, whether you like it or not, took horror to the next level when no one thought it could be done.

Normally watching a film that challenges the expectations of its genre is enlightening and empowering, but Tamara Drewe is more confusing and pointless. The trailer suggests that boy meets girl, falls in love and after a few obstacles they live happily ever after. This is not the case.

Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton) returns to her childhood home, now a successful journalist who has recently had a nose job.

Upon returning to her hometown, Tamara employs her high school sweetheart Andy (Luke Evans) to work on her late mother’s house. Sparks fly but to no avail. Tamara finds

herself engaged, then not, while Andy is single, then not.

Perhaps Tamara Drewe could have been a more successful film if the story line had continued on like this. However, a second plotline is given almost more screen time than Tamara’s own story. A middle-aged couple run a writers’ retreat. One is a narcissist and serial adulterous author and the other is a loyal and hardworking wife. The dramas of the writers’ retreat overpower the dramas of Tamara, making the seemingly main character secondary in her own story. Despite this already hectic film, there’s also a storyline revolving around teenagers Jody and Casey and their obsession with Tamara’s rocker fiancé Ben. Complex and confusing, this film likes to keep you on your toes. Despite being a rom-com, as an audience, you have to stay alert in order to keep up with the daily dramas of living in Ewedown. Similar to the structure of Juno, Tamara Drewe is structured around the seasons of a particular year, although unlike Juno there is no obvious reason for this organisation.

The characters, while plentiful, leave a lot to be desired of. Both Ben and author Nicholas are narcissistic and cringingly arrogant characters, while teenagers Jody and Casey can only leave you rolling your eyes at their 15-year old ‘love’ for Ben. Andy is awkward and as the ‘leading’ male he spends very little time on screen.

Tamara herself is morally questionable and seems to revel in her new found beauty.

Overall, Tamara Drewe is an awkward and confusing film that attempts to challenge the rom-com genre. The countryside provides a pretty backdrop for the dramas of this so called quiet village. As to why the BBC and the UK Film Council sponsored such a project, all I can imagine is pretty countryside and gorgeous, shirtless men doing hard physical labour might promote some tourism from young females?

All the film really achieves is an audience with their eyebrows raised as if to say “what on earth was that”?

29.

George FM Yearbook

Album Review by Lisa Arthur

(A)

“In celebration of all things dance”, radio station George FM has brought out their first yearbook, highlighting some of the best genres of last year, including dub step, drum n bass and other electronica. Mixed by local DJ Dick ‘Magik’ Johnson, this includes music from around the world, including a good selection from our own Aoteroa.

It kicks things off with one of the best Kiwi tracks of 2010, Young Blood, by The Naked and Famous. It received the Silver Scroll award for song of the year, has appeared on the Australian, Austrian and German singles charts, and its Dick Johnson remix was extremely popular. I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem is next, and then three more NZ singles in quick succession; In Your Blood, Spellbound and Rocked My World.

Dick Johnson has done a good job of choosing local singles, providing a good landscape of Kiwi music. It ranges from RnB to electronica to drum and bass, and is a good example of how our music has evolved to becoming a unique sound, rather than copying overseas music.

Two extremely popular songs, Dance the Way I Feel and We No Speak Americano are also included, as well as the ever-present Calvin Harris with Ready for the Weekend. One of the breakthrough artists of the year, Marina and the Diamonds shows up with the Doorly remix of I Am Not a Robot. Marina is similar to Florence + The Machine, so if you’re fans of Florence I recommend you check this Welsh singer out.

Dubstep, possibly the most popular emerging genre of 2010 is represented by one of the top DJs in the genre, Rusko, who played a show here at the end of last year. Hold On is an excellent track and Woo Boost is a little dirtier.

It’s a good start if you have never even heard of dubstep.

The album finishes with what was number one on the George FM ‘top songs of 2010’, Twin Galaxies by Shapeshifter. Shapeshifter have to be currently one of the best New Zealand bands around and have made the genre into something uniquely local that we can export

30.

to the world. If you ever have a chance to see them live, take it because you’ll never regret the experience.

This is a well put-together album and has a good balance of music. They could have easily taken the easy way out and just grabbed the top 20 songs as voted by George FM listeners for 2010 and plonked them on the album; however it appears that Dick Johnson has taken the time to pick tracks that define the year while still being a coherent album.

I wholeheartedly recommend this album, even if you’re not a George listener. You can still enjoy the familiar sounds while finding some new favourite genres and artists.

James Blake James Blake

Album Review by Jareth Trigwell

(A)

There’s a lot of responsibility riding on your shoulders when you’re being touted by the BBC as the future sound of 2011, yet 23-year-old, London-born James Blake manages to bear the burden with a smile – albeit a sad one – with the release of his self-titled debut album.

It’s difficult to pigeonhole James Blake in a genre, because it really is an album of contrasts.

It’s electronic, yet highly organic. It’s got a lot of crossover appeal, but it’s never going to be considered strictly pop. There are obvious dubstep influences, but you can forget simple kick-snare patterns and Cockney Snatch samples and “Filthy as …” YouTube comments.

What I can say is that it is experimental. And it is emotive. It’s what I hope RnB might sound like in 60 years. If Thom Yorke and Aphex Twin made aural babies, James Blake might be how their depressed, gifted child would sound.

The album offers a lot of piano mixed with skittering snares, topped off with Blake’s own, sometimes vocoded, androgynous vocals.

These vocals, while often indecipherable, are an integral part of the album; the words delicately woven into the music, at times demanding our attention, at others surrendering the spotlight entirely to the sparse beat. Blake’s voice is hesitant, stops often, and continually moves between the foreground and background of the songs in a way that complements the music perfectly.

The thing I like most about this album

is Blake’s ability to find the line between experimental and pop, and his tendency to cartwheel back and forth across this line whenever he feels like it. For example, the album’s second song, Wilhelm’s Scream, is a comfortable listen, and could be regarded as a successful crossover song. The percussion is mostly where it should be and Blake’s voice croons out when you’d expect it to.

Two songs later, Blake pulls the rug out from under you: the silence in Lindesfarne I is overwhelming. The music ebbs in and out of a thick stillness, the occasional stab of sound just enough to remind you that the song is in fact still playing. It’s akin to walking a path at night with a flickering torch, the flashes of noise just enough to guide you through the song. It’s eerily disorienting and not an easy listen.

This paradox between experimental and pop continues through the album. On To Care, pitched vocals dangle over stuttering drums, which makes for some foreign sounds and weird, clashing choruses, while songs like Limit to Your Love, the album’s first single, bears all the signs of a classic love ballad (relatively speaking, of course. It’s still pretty strange).

James Blake is a fantastic album, if you like music that tinkers with the boundaries of genre without losing listenability. I think I’ll be listening to this album for a long time – or at least until someone sets Thom Yorke up on a blind date with Aphex Twin.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z: The Hits Collection Volume One Album Review by Jess Cann

(A)

Twenty-three years, 14 hits, one disc. Jay-Z’s Hits Collection: Volume One is sure to plunge old fans into a bucket of nostalgia and gain new admirers at the same time.

Jay-Z burst onto the rap scene in 1988 after a tumultuous early life growing up in Brooklyn, New York. Since then, he’s released 11 studio albums with another reportedly dropping in a few months; a collaboration with Kanye West.

This is just a taste of his huge and impressive back catalogue and a reminder of what is to come in the future.

An opening public service announcement from Jay-Z sets the tone for the record: That

issue 03 2011

“this is a recollection of history in the making during our generation”. Jay is, of course, known for his oozing confidence and attention to detail, so this is really no surprise to me.

Moving on.

The familiar opening of Run This Town starts to play as a subtle reminder of just how relevant Jay-Z has continued to be even today when the man is 41 and obviously has no plans of slowing down. It’s also a nod to just how much power and influence Jay has had in starting and shaping both Kanye West and Rihanna’s careers, famously discovering Ri and marketing her as the new Beyonce.

Speaking of Beyonce, the next track, 03 Bonnie & Clyde, is a reminder of his very private but very intriguing relationship with the Crazy in Love singer. Bonnie & Clyde samples Tupac and is heavily reminiscent of the early 2000s, using slow but strong bass.

The best trip back in time is definitely 99 Problems. You can’t travel anywhere these days and say “I got 99 problems” and not find anyone to finish the lyric off; it’s sure to bring out the wannabe rapper in anyone. Make sure to keep an ear out for other great tracks to feature on the record, such as Empire State of Mind, Hard Knock Life, D.O.A and Dirt Off Your Shoulder.

Jay-Z’s Hits Collection is a strong offering of the best, so far, of one of the greatest rappers of all time – and it’s only volume one.

P.S. For an awesome look into the creative mind of Jay-Z as well as sweet extras check out http://www.jayzhitscollection.com/

Radiohead The King of Limbs

Album Review by Adam Warin

(A)

Radiohead never fail to leave an impression.

Trendsetters to the end, they revolutionised the future of music release and shouted a big “fuck you” to record company vampires. With their latest album, The King of Limbs, announced a mere five days before it’s online release, they have once again created an online buzz like only Radiohead can.

King of Limbs is the lovechild of In Rainbows and Amnesiac, born from contrasting families but simmering with potential. Abandoning the traditional rock band format, this new

www.ausm.org.nz

sound is a fusion of the electronica-esque experimentation from the early 2000’s with the deep, reverberating atmosphere of their outstanding 2007 record. This can be heard from the very beginning of the album.

Opening with Bloom, this sonic-fuelled track reminds me somewhat of African tribal music. A constantly repeating drumming track (much like tribal drums) with a dreary bass line strumming away throughout sets the expectations on high and immediately leaves an impression of what is to come.

An intense bass line and Yorke’s crooning vocals await the listener next, with Morning Mr Magpie creating an infectiously funky song. While it is one of my favourite songs on the album, I can definitely understand why some people aren’t gelling with the album’s intriguing direction. It’s a very danceable track, something which I’ve never conceived possible of Radiohead’s tunes.

This, however, must have been an intentional conclusion. The track Feral borrows elements from the UK Dubstep scene whilst leading single Lotus Flower features Yorke flailing around in a bowler hat to the heavily bassdriven track.

The highlight of the album, however, is the track Codex. Starting out with a melancholic piano introduction, Thom Yorke’s vocal entrance is chilling and heartfelt. Images of a desolate cliff face overlooking a serene ocean are conjured in my mind.

Separator, as the swan song of the album, brings back glimpses of the Radiohead we know and love. It sounds like an In Rainbows B-Side which, if you’ve heard them, is more complimentary than degrading. I am by no means a drummer, but I think the drumming in this track is incredibly mesmerising. Plus Thom Yorke’s subliminal promise of more delicious Radiohead is a sweet note to finish the album on.

Coming in at just under 38 minutes, this eight track album is something. Whilst it didn’t grab men by the balls like OK Computer did or seduce me into compromising positions a la In Rainbows, it definitely did click. My only complaint (if you can call it that) is the difficulty I’m finding in learning the words, something the intense levels of bass are making a challenge.

Regardless, this album is a grower. If you’re having difficulty immersing yourself, give it a break. Come back in a few days and spin it again. I can definitely say I enjoyed the album more the more I played it. I await the arrival of my boxset impatiently.

The Smashing Pumpkins The Solstice Bare

Album Review by Ben Matthews

(B+)

Billy Corgan has had a hard time recently trying to get back into the music industry. After the disappointing reunion album Zeitgeist and the departure of drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, no one would have thought that Corgan could have had such a big comeback.

With the announcement of releasing their new album for free across the internet, hopes were lifted. Although Volume One, released earlier last year, felt like a warm up, the Smashing Pumpkins latest EP, The Solstice Bare, feels like a band finally falling back into fine form. Corgan is more comfortable in his song-writing, not trying too hard to relive past glories. Their new drummer, 20-year-old Mike Byrne, has finally proven himself as being a suitable replacement to fill the void Chamberlin created when he left.

The EP starts off with The Fellowship, driven by the futuristic sound of a synthesiser, declaring a revolution. The second song Freak USA is a catchy song which deals with environment and how we pollute it with rubbish, such as war. With plenty of distorted guitar, the song is similar to the music they were writing back in their early days. Although the first two tracks are the highlights of the album, the rest of the EP has a lot to offer, from the psychedelic ballad Spangled to Tom Tom, which sounds like it could have been on one of their Machina albums. The album finishes with a bonus track Cottonwood Symphony, which is played on the ukulele.

All in all, The Solstice Bare might be the Smashing Pumpkins best work since Mellon Collie. With The Fellowship featuring on The Vampire Diaries’ soundtrack, hopefully the younger generation will be introduced to older music. For older fans, they will not be disappointed.

31.

feel good fest Get some assets for your mental wealth!

• Try meditation, massage or boxing for stress relief • Learn about happiness and stress relief • Information on healthy eating • Get information that aids your learning • Free giveaways and fruit when: where:

17 March, 11am–1pm Hikuwai Plaza

HEALTH, COUNSELLING AND WELLBEING

“we care for you, mind, body and spirit”

North Shore Campus: AS104 Ph: 921 9998 City Campus: WB219 Ph: 921 9992 32.

Web: www.aut.ac.nz/student_services/health

issue 03 2011

Spot the Difference

them es in the two photos then circle Correctly identify the five differenc box on the side the or e, offic M AuS est near and drop your entry into your y St to debate PO Box 6116 Wellesle of the red debate stands, or post ers” burg awk “squ Two bs? up for gra before 12pm Thursday. What’s !

CBD d klan Auc St, Fort vouchers for Velvet Burger on er, Derek Lim from City Campus.

Congratulations to last week’s winn

Name Phone # Email Campus

wordfind

Winning Tigerblood Irish Guinness Petrol www.ausm.org.nz

Libya Fitness Kiwis Eighties Nostalgia

WANT THOUSANDS TO SEE YOUR ART?

Submit your eye catching covers ideas to debate!

For more information on specs and themes contact Samantha at debate@aut.ac.nz

33.

dition

E Clubs

Jake Stowers Real Club

What is your favourite thing about autumn?

Probably leaves. That’s all that came to mind How does the current petrol price affect you?

It’s made public transport a lot more attractive If you could be the best at any profession in the world, what would it be?

That’s a profound question. I’d like to be probably the best speaker in the world What are your thoughts on Charlie Sheen?

I think he’s a broken man. I hope someone intervenes and helps him What would you rather watch on YouTube; dancing cats, laughing babies or people falling over?

People falling over

Sanjay Solanki Breakfast Club

What is your favourite thing about autumn?

Nothing comes to mind How does the current petrol price affect you?

I have to bus into town because the price is too big If you could be the best at any profession in the world, what would it be?

Best accountant What are your thoughts on Charlie Sheen?

I think he’s fucked up his life What would you rather watch on YouTube; dancing cats, laughing babies or people falling over?

People falling over

John Rhodes

AUT Tech IT Club

What is your favourite thing about autumn?

It cools down. I don’t like summer because I can’t stand the heat How does the current petrol price affect you?

I cycle, so it doesn’t affect me whatsoever If you could be the best at any profession in the world, what would it be?

What I’m in now, IT What are your thoughts on Charlie Sheen?

Charlie Sheen: Genius What would you rather watch on YouTube; dancing cats, laughing babies or people falling over?

I have to say cats

Jill Ulale

AUT Samoan Students Association

What is your favourite thing about autumn?

The trees. You get random questions like this and you don’t think of the coolest answer How does the current petrol price affect you?

I doesn’t, I live in the city If you could be the best at any profession in the world, what would it be?

Doctor. Save lives What are your thoughts on Charlie Sheen?

It’s a drug What would you rather watch on YouTube; dancing cats, laughing babies or people falling over?

Laughing babies because they make you laugh as wellCup?

Watchout for debate around campus - you could be the next micro-celeb!

34.

Max Stubbersfield AUT Football Club

What is your favourite thing about autumn?

The beginning of football How does the current petrol price affect you?

I can’t use my car as often and the price of everything has gone up If you could be the best at any profession in the world, what would it be?

Professional football player What are your thoughts on Charlie Sheen?

I think he should try and be more of a role model to his viewers What would you rather watch on YouTube; dancing cats, laughing babies or people falling over?

People falling over

Peter Torckler

Students Unlimited Club

What is your favourite thing about autumn?

It’s cold and hot at the same time and it’s orange, which is nice How does the current petrol price affect you?

None, ‘cause I bus but it’s still kind of douchey If you could be the best at any profession in the world, what would it be?

Illustration What are your thoughts on Charlie Sheen?

How can he be so famous being the biggest idiot in the world?

What would you rather watch on YouTube; dancing cats, laughing babies or people falling over?

Cats issue 03 2011

www.ausm.org.nz

35.

EE K W L

FI N A

Secondhand purchasing finishes Friday 18th March

Hurry in now for instant cash!

UBS is currently buying back your used textbooks

Get 50% of the current RRP of the textbook in cash Just bring in your textbooks and ID and the cash could be yours!!!

The small print:

* Books must have been confirmed by AUT for Semester One 2011 to be considered for purchase and must be the correct edition. * All textbooks are limited to pre-determined quantities. Once these limits are reached, additional copies may only be purchased at the discretion of UBS. * Proof of identity (Student ID or Drivers Licence) is required at time of selling your textbooks. * UBS has complete discretion whether it purchases back a textbook and its decision is final. * Other conditions do apply - please ask in store for details.

AUT Akoranga Campus AUT City Campus 90 Akoranga Drive, Northcote 55 Wellesley Street East, Auckland City Tel: 489 6105 Fax: 489 7453 Tel: 366 4550 Fax: 366 4570 Email: aut.akoranga@ubsbooks.co.nz Email: aut.city@ubsbooks.co.nz Web: www.ubsbooks.co.nz Open Monday to Friday or shop securely online 24/7 issue 03 2011 36.