CANTA ISSUE 10, 2023

CANTA

Rārangi upoko Rārangi upoko

Tena koutou,

Welcome back to the last few weeks of this year. For some of you it will be the final lectures of your university careers before hunting for jobs, and for some it’s just another few admin weeks before summer.

With everything going on in the world at the moment, along with the overwhelming nature of the election. We have decided to bring you an issue focused on Aotearoa and tangata whenua who make it what it is.

In Ōtautahi, it can be easy to forget the multiculturality of Aotearoa, as compared to other city centres we lack some diversity. This doesn’t mean culture and diversity isn’t present, it means that we need to acknowledge and celebrate it more than we are at the moment.

I can only speak on so much being pākehā myself, but what I do know is the things we need to do better. Firstly, colonialism happened, despite us not being there and experiencing this ourselves, we need to understand and acknowledge the impact that it had on the systems we have in place today. Education systems were first created for pākehā, health systems, care systems and governing systems were all created around pākehā. As a result, these are far from what they need to be, yes they are progressing in a way that considers Māori, but they have a very far way to go.

A lot of mamae and hurt occurred for Māori in early day colonialism, which is still grieved today, through loss of land, loss of assets and loss of people. Te Reo Māori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa has always historically been on the backburner and these are only surface level struggles that are visible, there are feelings and

disadvantages that are still present.

It is easy to get wrapped up in the opinions of others, I myself can say I experienced this. Some older generations of my family don’t understand and don’t wish to understand the influences of a pākehā dominated country, and are honestly pretty blatantly racist. I used to nod and agree and think it was normal, until I moved to uni and realised I could have my own opinions and challenge those of some of the people closest to me.

Canta as a media outlet also has a way to go with incorporating the opinions and perspectives of Māori, Pasifika and other equity groups. This has been one of key focuses this year, with a new diversity section and writers dedicated to that section on our website. Issues like this one are also incredibly important, but why should this type of content be limited to a single issue? Māori and Pasifika student numbers at UC have been steadily increasing since 2019 and we should see that reflected in what we are putting out.

Ultimately, with all of the noise and messiness around understandings of diversity in our country, in politics, in life and in our systems, I encourage you all to educate yourselves and form your own opinions. Also, cheeky plug, we are advertising for a Te Ao Māori feature writer for next year, our applications went out last week!

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa.

Kia pai tō rā, Maddy.

dorian gray gray

11th

Wātaka Wātaka

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Hepetema Hepetema Hepetema

Weekly

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Hepetema Hepetema Hepetema

29th 6th

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Hepetema Oketopa Oketopa

Student Choice Awards Supreme Club Awards Te Akatoki Ball

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori begins Café Reo and lunch hosted by UC Māori and Aotahi

Te Ngaki o Waiutuutu working bee

Last day of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Running 72 with Lads Without Labels

UC Wellbeing x Pou Hauora event

Karakia 9am in Rehua

Presidents Piece Presidents Piece

Kia ora koutou,

Welcome to this weeks Canta, and also to the last term of the year – where has the time gone!!! The UCSA elections were towards the end of term 3, and the UCSA continues to have the highest student engagement in both Aotearoa New Zealand, and also Australasia which is great to see. Thank you to everyone who took part. And a congratulations to the new executive elected for 2024! Excited to see all of the amazing things you achieve!

Now, we could harp on about having high voter turnout – which don’t get me wrong is a good thing – but we still acknowledge that many students don’t vote. To that effect, we have sent out two survey’s – one to voters, and one to non-voters. We want to hear from you what made you vote or not vote, what works about the election process, and what we can do to create a system where most people feel a part of the process!

The surveys were sent to your student emails, and if you haven’t already filled it out – I would appreciate it so much if you completed it! Be as honest and brutal as you want, we really want to know how we can improve and keep student engagement high for the long-term!

This Canta comes out at the beginning of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori! There will be a whole range of activations and initiatives around campus, so make sure to get involved. Te Akatoki particularly will have some cool things going on, so make sure to check out their socials for more info!

Ngā mihi, Pierce

Tumuaki Piece Tumuaki Piece

Ko

Mauri Ora e te iwi, nau mai hoki mai ki Semester Two. This month we acknowledge two important things about Aotearoa, Mental Health and the beautiful native language of this country, te reo Māori.

This month's issue is special as it features a lot of our tauira being active in te ao Māori. Whether it be Kapa Haka, learning te reo Māori, or attending protests, this is issue is about what is it like being tauira Māori in Aotearoa, being tauira Māori here at UC. In this issue you will be able to read from our tauira what they do here on campus, in the community or even at home, how they incorporate te ao Māori in their life.

I hope this issue encourages you to speak reo Māori this month during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, and interests you into joining our tauira in being active in te ao Māori. We hold weekly Kapa Haka every Tuesday (6pm-7pm), so keep an eye on our socials for updates and check out our Facebook page to see what we’ve learnt so far!

UC Wellbeing is collaborating with our Pou Hauora this month for an event around health and wellbeing. Keep an eye on our socials for more information to come! And make sure to save the date for the 21st!

We have had the pleasure to welcome many tauira across Aotearoa from other Māori Student Associations to UC early this month. Hosted by Te Mana Ākonga and the Waitaha community, UC was able to welcome over 200 students to Waitaha as they held their Annual Te Huinga Tauira conference. If you’re a tauira Māori and would love to be a part of these kaupapa, come join Te Akatoki or come along to our events with a friend! We have our own study hub space (129 Ilam Road) across from the UniLodge, with a computer room, kitchen, cupboards full of kai, and friendly faces to welcome you!

Nāku noa, Anna

Events Coming up: Te Akatoki Ball 14th October Te Akatoki AGM Mid October (TBC)

tōku reo, tōku ohooho, ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea.

Pānui. Pānui.

Christchurch flat prices to rise as rental shortage bites Matteo Zhang (he/him)

University of Canterbury students are facing higher flat costs as a rental shortage and increased demand pushes prices up.

TradeMe Property figures show that the number of properties available for rent was down significantly in June, falling 19% on the same time last year, while demand was up at 35%.

20-year-old Jade Robertson who studies Environmental Science at UC said she had noticed there were less flats available this year, and that the quality of those available was worse.

Another UC student, Hariklia Nicola told Canta that she wanted to change flats as her current one was cold and mouldy, but that the search for new flat had been challenging.

“It sucks cause last year was really difficult and we started later, this year we were ahead of the game and have struggled more than last year, it is incredibly stressful,” she said.

Managing Director of A1 Properties Hamish Wilson told Canta that while student flat demand is usually high at this time of year as student flats are opened to prospective tenants, what was different was the reduction in student flats available on the market.

“There definitely has been a reduction in the student portfolio at our end, and across the greater student portfolio,” Wilson said.

Record high enrolments at UC and properties exiting the student flat pool will put “double pressure” on available accommodation Wilson told Canta.

UCSA President Pierce Crowley said that more enrolments were having an impact.

“While it’s great to see more people at UC, Christchurch is struggling to catch up with the demand,” he said.

With higher costs, less supply, and greater demand, flat prices are expected to rise, a trend reflected in the wider New Zealand rental market.

Trade Me’s Director of Property Sales Gavin Lloyd said that in June, New Zealand’s median weekly rent rose 9% on last year and reached a new record of $620.

“$50 extra a week adds up for tenants – that’s $2,600 more a year in rent,” Lloyd said.

For Christchurch students, the prices will be biting into weekly budgets too, Wilson says that student flat prices right across the board have grown on average $20 to $25 a room, compared to what they were last year.

Wilson’s advice for student looking for flats next year was to be organised, have a group sorted, and target properties with the right number of rooms. He said that it would be helpful to use a flat CV, with information about you and the group.

“Make sure you get in on the first viewing, if you can’t all make it, have half the group attend the first possible viewing, because its highly probable it’ll be rented after that, or at least be under application,” Wilson said.

Crowley echoed those tips and said that with a cheap efficient bus network, living further from campus was viable. He said that the while the USCA doesn’t provide accommodation, it can assist those who are struggling to find a place to live.

At The University of Canterbury, a ‘MAOR’ paper is a compulsory core component for just over a quarter* of general bachelor's degrees.

Tumuaki o Te Akatoki, Anna Pohatu (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata), said having compulsory Māori papers gives students an important opportunity to engage in valuable kōrero about tangata whenua and be informed about tikanga Māori.

Pohatu said there are “no negative impacts or outcomes by having [Māori papers] compulsory.”

“It's good for the students to educate themselves so that when they go out to the community, and they talk to people [regarding] their research, they've got the skills and the knowledge they were given by the university to ensure they're doing it right,” she said.

Pohatu said UC is the first out of all NZ university’s to have a partnership with mana whenua – the main iwi in the South Island, Ngāi Tūāhuriri – so it's important for UC students to know that by being at this university, being culturally competent “is what we aim to be.”

Pohatu said that there is, however, a lack of Māori education in all levels of NZ schooling; some UC students had told her that

they simply didn’t know how to approach or interact with the Māori community.

The Ministry of Education's latest statistics (2022) show that nearly 70% of all students in Aotearoa – from years 1 to 13 –were not enrolled in any te ao Māori language education.

Pohatu said this lack of Māori education in Aotearoa’s educational institutions is why miscommunication, misinformation and disinformation exist in our society.

“So by having that compulsory [Māori] paper at UC, it gives UC the opportunity to give students [correct] information first,” she said.

Across the four major NZ universities - The University of Auckland, The University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, and The University of Canterbury - a MAOR paper is a compulsory core component for just under a quarter* of general bachelor's degrees on average.

Among the bachelor's programs, UoA requires 40% to take compulsory Māori papers, UC follows at approximately 26%, while VuoW stands at 11.8%, and UoO sits at 8.3%*.

*This information was gathered after briefly reviewing all bachelor’s programs at four NZ universities that feature compulsory courses identified by the code MAOR (Māori and Indigenous studies).

The importance of compulsory Māori papers at universityʼs and why there should be more

Georgia Walker (she/her)

Students left stranded after UC disbands support service umbrella

Maddy Croad (she/her)

Students are feeling lost and confused on where to go, after the University of Canterbury disbanded support service umbrella, Te Waka Pākākano.

The decision, which came after a proposal in November last year, has split up equity groups including disability services and rainbow support as well as Pasifika and Māori.

Anna Pohatu, current Tumuaki of Te Akatoki, the UC Māori student association, explained how important Te Waka Pākākano was to students, especially those who belonged to more than one minority group.

“Say if a Māori or Pasifika student was also disabled, or identified within the rainbow community, they had a short-cut on where they could go for advice,” she said.

“Instead of one department being strong and the other ones being weak, they all carried each other. Like a basket weaving together to hold all the students in a little kete.”

Without that shared kete or space, students are confused on where they can go.

UCSA Pasifika student advisor Okirano Tilaia, expressed that Pasifika students are feeling the same confusion. “A lot of Pacific students are Māori as well, so now that there is a bit of disestablishment, our Pacific students are having to choose which one they want to do.”

“It makes it very difficult especially for their identity, which is already being challenged at the University of Canterbury, because there’s not many of us.”

Both Māori and Pasifika enrolments at the university have increase in the past two years according to the UC 2022 annual report.

The report also showed $897,000 worth of funding going into

the Te Waka Pākākano programme in 2022 with a significant portion coming from the TEC (Tertiary Education Commission).

In the description, UC said the programme, “helps the university to support a learning environment which recognises and promotes Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique bicultural society.”

With students now facing choices of what equity group they belong to, many are becoming lost and support is becoming harder to access.

Former Te Akatoki president, now the president of the National Māori Student Association Rosa Hibbert-Schooner, said that Te Waka Pākākano meant students didn’t have to worry about cultural responsiveness when getting help.

“There were so many details that Te Waka Pākākano were able to think about and effectively fix rather than going to one person, then another where it feels very like pillar to post.”

“The cohorts that they were having was so beautiful… the impact that that can make is incredible.”

President of the UCSA, Pierce Crowley said that Te Waka Pākākano was successful in what they did while operating. “Student feedback was that they were quite a safe space for the student; students felt comfortable accessing their services.”

Crowley also said that the university gave assurances to the UCSA and Te Akatoki that students would not be impacted by any changes.

With no formal announcement being made, Pohatu is determined to “keep the fire going.”

“We are not happy with how it has gone; we are not happy that we haven’t been heard, our mamae and hurt from it all is huge.”

UC did not make a comment.

Students choose between Māori and General roll for the upcoming election

Lucy Walton (she/her)

The final figures from the 2023 Electoral options were released by the Electoral Commission following a four-month period where Māori were able to switch between Māori and General rolls.

Between the 31st of March and 13th of July a total of 8109 people changed their enrolment from the general to Māori rolls.

For many UC students, this year’s election is their first time voting, so are having to make this decision for the first time. For them there are many factors around their identity and knowledge that go into their decision.

One student said that although she has Māori ancestry she chose to be on the general roll as she was raised in a “very Pākehā way.”

“I feel like it’s not really my place if that makes sense. I think that other Māori people would have better knowledge.”

Another student said that although they knew they could enrol on the Māori roll, they didn’t feel they had the knowledge to make their choice in an educated way. Saying, “I’m going to be honest I don’t really know much about it.”

Lack of education around this choice is seemingly a key issue for those making this choice for the first time. So, what do the different electoral rolls mean for the way you can vote?

Those of Māori descent can choose which electoral roll they want

to be on, the general roll or the Māori roll. This choice determines the candidates you can vote for in general and by-elections.

On the General roll you can vote for a Member of Parliament in which ever of the 64 general electorates you live in. For many UC students this is the Ilam electorate which makes up northwest Christchurch.

While those on the Māori roll can also vote for a Member of Parliament, however this is in one of seven Māori electorates. For those in the South Island this is Te Tai Tonga.

Importantly, whether you are enrolled on the Māori or General roll, it will not affect who you can vote for in the party vote.

The Māori electoral option is significant as it helps to fulfil the rights of Māori to political representation as promised in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. However, from their original conception in 1867 Māori remained underrepresented, with the number of Māori seats remaining fixed at four for 129 years.

A fifth Māori seat would not be added util the 1996 election at the first MMP election. A sixth seat was added in 1999 and a seventh in 2002 as the number of Māori voters shifting to the Māori roll surged.

From 1991 to 2006 the percentage of Māori on the Māori roll increased from 40% to 58%.

Te Whare Tū Taua: The ancient art of Māori weaponry

Using Māori weaponry named rāukau whawhai, Dom, Tehaka, Thung and Rā have taken up the traditional practice of Māori weaponry: Te Whare Tū Taua.

Te Whare Tū Taua practices the art of ancient Maori Weaponary, exercising the physical demands relating to health and fitness. I spoke to a few kind UC students who were happy to use their training time to chin wag about their Tū Taua journey.

The mahi involves using the rāukau to perform specific movements proceeding a Māori command. They move their legs, their blocking and striking movements also using the weaponry to spar.

Their grading system is established through different Pou/ levels, with Poutahi as the first level through to Pouwaru as the 8th level. The group explains how the grading is not linear, but rather circular.

“It’s not like I'm up here, I’m better than you! It's more like I'm up here and I'm gonna bring you up here,” said Dom.

The group is completing their Poutahi grading in September, where they will all pass or fail together. Comprising of an overnight stay at a marae, they’ll be fed on the Friday evening, then train until midnight, with a 5am wake up the next morning.

Diving straight into the mahi, they’ll repeat combinations of movements in unison with additional sparring for 5-7 hours.

The beauty of Tū Taua is the connection built between their raukau whawhai and themselves. Built and chosen by their own hands, their raukau can be made of tree, stick, timber, wood, spar, mast, plant, or even plastic tubing from Bunnings.

If they complete their Poutahi, they will receive a tipare (headband), that they will have to make/sew themselves as part of the grading process.

Their introduction to Te Whare Tū Taua differed amongst the

Whilst living on the road in a caravan for a couple years, he met a brother in Nelson who showed him fire spinning. Purchasing a $15 broomstick, he just started spinning it. Initially he thought it could just be something fun to show off to his daughters, but after 6 months of spinning, he found himself a taiaha teacher - a matua named Kevin.

“So, I met him on the beach. He showed me some mahi. And he invited me to Te Whare Tū Taua, which gave my spinning of purpose,” said Tehaka.

With ambitions to obviously complete their Poutahi grading, the group all have hopes to continue Te Whare Tū Taua due to enjoying the journey and understanding the full experience as far as they can go.

Dom reiterates the how powerful his journey has been being Māori, “I would definitely recommend it, especially for other Māori as it's definitely lifted my hauora.”

“It’s kind of like fighting the war inside yourself, trying to battle the everyday kind of challenges that you face problems, colonization, a lot of things that just come with being Māori,” said Rā.

“The discipline and the patience, the whakapono the bonds that we carry that help to basically navigate this life as like people and Māori.”

As for their own personal plug, Rā said, “there's always room for students, whatever experience you've had. And there's nothing you have to pay for it.”

“The only thing that they ask you pay for is your time and your focus. And that Yeah, I think that is a cool whakairo.”

They train at 10am Saturday mornings at Te Pā o Rakaihautu, inserting their own individual trainings when necessary in the lead up to their grading. It is highly commendable the time and mahi applied by this group, and the door is open for those willing to take on the challenge and connect with a rich world of a fascinating Māori art.

The Recap The Recap

Matteo Zhang (he/him)

Deadly Maui wildfire destroys Hawaiian town

A devastating wildfire in Hawaii has levelled the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui, with the 111 death toll still expected to rise.

The wildfires began on August 8th and have destroyed more than 2,207 structures. Tourists and residents had little warning to flee as intense winds spread the wildfire into the township.

US President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in the State of Hawaii and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency is working with State and local authorities to assist with the rescue and recovery effort. Almost 500 Federal personnel were deployed to Maui to assist alongside the Hawaii National Guard.

Coup in the West African country of Niger

The democratically elected government of Niger was toppled by a military coup after the military placed President Mohamed Bazoum, under house arrest on July 26th.

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said that they strongly condemned the coup, and that the West African bloc would consider military intervention to reverse the coup.

There have been four coups since Niger gained independence from France in 1960, the last occurring in 2010. The most recent coup completes the so called ‘coup belt’ of the African Sahel region, with neighbouring countries of Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad also experiencing military coups in recent years.

The coups have been blamed on insecurity caused by growing jihadist insurgencies which have destabilised the entire region. Niger is vital to the regional counterterrorism effort with thousands of foreign forces based there.

New Zealandʼs defence policy strategy released New Zealand’s latest defence policy documents state that the New Zealand Defence Force needs greater investment to ensure it can protect New Zealand and its interests.

The documents say that the Defence Force had previously been designed for a relatively benign strategic environment, and that investment in defence capabilities is needed to ensure that the NZDF is combat capable and in a fit state to respond to growing threats to New Zealand’s security.

“We take the world as it is, not how we would like it to be. It is essential to respond appropriately to the full range of national security threats to New Zealand and our interests,” Defence Minister Andrew Little said.

The documents come ahead of the Defence Policy Review, set to be released in 2024, which will lay out Defence's planning, operations, engagements, and investment for the future.

New Zealandʼs first ever National Security Strategy released New Zealand has released its first ever National Security Strategy following recommendations from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into March 15th.

The strategy aims to increase public understanding of national security stating that an informed society is a more resilient one.

“The world today is contending with a range of complex and disruptive security challenges; the domestic and international security environment has changed, and our preparedness needs to change too,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said.

NZSIS has also released its first ever unclassified assessment of the National Security threats facing New Zealand. The report identifies foreign interference, espionage and terrorism as the main threats.

“STOP CO-GOVERNAN LET'S FINALLY TALK

Julian Batchelor, an evangelist, and former real estate agent, is currently on a nationwide “Stop CoGovernance Tour.”

Co-governance is a hot topic at the 2023 General Election, often discussed but little-understood. Cogovernance is shared responsibility in governance

between Pākehā and Māori; the concept of cogovernance aligns with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

On the lengthy homepage for his tour’s website, Julian Batchelor describes co-governance as “code for the takeover of New Zealand by tribal companies and their representatives” and “the end of democracy.”

There’s also a section titled “Why Colonialism Was So Beneficial To New Zealand,” an “anti-woke” quote from billionaire Elon Musk, and a meme calling Newshub reporters liars.

When referring to Pākehā, Batchelor uses the terms “we,” “us,” and “New Zealanders.”

“Right now, it feels like we are living in an occupied country,” he writes in his “About” page, with the inflammatory accompanying statement “not unlike how Ukrainians would feel about the Russian invasion.”

Anna Pohatu, 21, is Tumuaki of Te Akatoki, UC’s Māori student executive. Pohatu first “heard about the protests on social media” and went to Batchelor’s Ōtautahi Christchurch event in July at the Scottish Society Hall in St Albans.

Pohatu decided to attend after hearing what had happened to her friend Mikaela Matenga, who is Massey Albany’s Tumuaki. Matenga had protested at a Batchelor event in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, ripping up one of Batchelor’s books.

Batchelor then published an article on his website attacking Matenga, dismissing her as “lost and confused” while accusing her and her fellow protestors of being “thugs and anarchists.”

C h ar l otte Th ornton (she/her)

NCE” NATIONAL TOUR TALK ABOUT THE

Pohatu described Batchelor’s behaviour: “He got his people to email and spam and harass her for months. So, when she told me about that I said, ‘I’m going to the Christchurch one’.”

“We went along with our flags… all we did was we stood outside the venue and just sung songs, and just, kind of just looked after each other. We had food going around.”

Pohatu said that Batchelor’s event refused entry to people who looked Māori. “If you look Māori, or have a tattoo that’s Māori, or ta moko, or anything that gives you features that identify you as Māori – they won’t let you in because they’ll think you’re in there to antiprotest their protest.”

“So, we had people that were non-Māori-looking go in, and all they wanted to do was sit in there and hear what he had to say. Those people left because the stats – the ‘facts’ that he was stating – were not true.”

Batchelor stated that he condemned “elite Māori” whom he believes are the richest people in the country. Pohatu stated: “I will say, personally, I’ve never met one of these elite Māori’s – I’d love to meet them, I’d love to hear how much money they get, how they get it, because I don’t think that’s true at all.”

Pohatu described Batchelor as targeting the discriminatory anxieties of his followers, “all he’s doing is feeding on their fears.”

The tour has been controversial nationwide, with host venues cancelling in Ngāmotu New Plymouth, Waitohi Picton, Rotorua, and Karanema Havelock North.

Batchelor is currently under investigation for illegally distributing 350,000 promotional pamphlets across Aotearoa. He faces a fine of up to $40,000.

Pohatu said that Batchelor’s Ōtautahi Christchurch event was not held in a spirit of kindness or cooperation. “His aim was not to come in agreeance, his aim was not to even try and have discussions with Māori.”

Political leaders from all sides have weighed in on the topic of co-governance. Chris Hipkins, current Prime Minister with Labour, said that Māori decision-making alongside Pākehā is “something that we signed up to

when the Treaty was signed.”

Leader of the National Party Christopher Luxon has said that National “does oppose co-governance in the delivery of public services.”

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has criticised Luxon’s stance and advocated for co-governance. “When Māori are able to control our people and our land, it’s good for everyone. Whether it’s looking after our rivers and our waters, looking after our community, that is good for future generations.”

ACT Leader David Seymour opposes co-governance and has even proposed a national referendum on it, stating that “Labour is trying to make New Zealand an unequal society on purpose.”

Pohatu explained that a Rotorua event with Mikaela Matenga was held, intending to provide education on co-governance. Pohatu said that a lot of the people in attendance were Batchelor’s followers: “So many of them have come out saying ‘thank you’… they said, ‘we were quite surprised that you welcomed us with kind arms, even fed us food, gave us tea and coffee, you know, allowed the space to be completely comfortable even though we weren’t in agreeance’.”

“They left understanding more about co-governance –what it actually is, what it will look like – and facts that are actually backed up by evidence.”

Cooperation and education have been key to understanding co-governance. Batchelor has spent a lot of time speaking; his greatest challenge will be listening.

“I think people should understand that co-governance is not an indifference in power… it’s literally more spreading the power across, so that the communities and the iwi engage in things that help New Zealand,” said Pohatu.

“It’s putting people at the table that should have been there in the first place.”

Batchelor and many of his supporters have claimed that free speech allows them to say whatever they want. As Pohatu put it: “It’s not freedom of speech if your speech is spreading hatred.”

Tim Smith (he/him)

“When I can tell something is gonna be good, I get anxious,” admitted DJ Mr Meaty Boy, beaming a smile, knowing the turn her story was about to take.

The Pōneke-based disc jockey reflected on a memorable night performing at Christchurch hotspot FLUX, playing at an Echo Train Records gig promoting mental health. “Drugs and alcohol can get distracting,” they said. “This night was more about uplifting people and reclaiming the space.”

Centre stage with their USB stick at the ready, Bea Gladding (she/they) – the creative mind behind the Mr Meaty Boy moniker – found themselves caught in a whirlwind of thrill. “I couldn’t breathe for what felt like a minute,” they said.

Despite this, the up-and-comer rode the ebbs and flows of the club atmosphere, waiting to reach the eye of the storm before delivering a surge of techno-induced ecstasy to the encompassing crowd.

With opportune timing, pressing the play button liberated Bea’s chest of its all-consuming pressure. “The track was so atmospheric… [and] the lighting all came together and I felt so free, the most free I’ve felt in my life.”

“I love seeking those moments,” Bea said, reminiscing. “Hopefully I don’t get too addicted.”

Identity is everything for Bea in their artistic pursuit to be unapologetically themself. Belonging to Ngāti Porou and Ngāpuhi iwi, Bea takes great pride in defying societal norms as an artist and supporting Māori, Pasifika, LGBTQ+ women and non-binary individuals in an otherwise white, male-dominated industry.

With an off-the-wall name like Mr Meaty Boy, heads are sure to turn as Bea intentionally parades under a hypermasculine name with an air of absurdity to it. “It’s a play on the masculinity of the scene at the time [that] I was wanting to become a DJ,” they said on brainstorming the name six-to-seven years ago.

As it turns out, Mr Meaty Boy coincidentally shares the namesake of the burger joint in Taika Waititi’s directorial debut film “Eagle v Shark.” “Taika is someone I look up to,” they said, locking the name in ahead of their first mix.

Having played in bands growing up, Bea was no stranger to guitar, synths and drum machines. So when it came to following in the footsteps of friends that were testing the DJing waters, Bea had a strong base to build upon. “[Production] isn’t too disconnected from playing instruments…it’s all composition.”

Bea cites hip-hop and R&B innovators Ms. Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu as early influences on their music, highlighting the ways the two “bended and manipulated inside their genres” in their trailblazing careers.

Bea acknowledges that it took some time to get the ball rolling, mainly because they couldn’t envision themself doing it with how homogenous the DJ scene looked. This changed the moment that one of their favourite artists, Kamandi, booked them for their first gig. Bea

met the acclaimed Christchurch artist at a party and was starstruck when he booked her on a “good feeling.” Being taken seriously right from the beginning inspired Bea to treat other LGBTQ+ and Māori artists with that same unconditional faith, even while they’re still developing.

While currently calling Pōneke home, Bea expressed their connections to places such as Taranaki, Gisborne, and Kaitaia but keyed in on Ōtautahi as their home away from home. The greyscale tones of Christchurch’s Neo-Gothic streets have grown to become a muse for Bea’s music. “It’s spiritual,” they said. “There’s a darkness in Christchurch and everyone is isolated… but they know that they’re alone together and I think there’s something really human about that.”

“In Auckland [DJing] feels commercial, in Wellington everyone is an artist… [in Christchurch] it feels like a survival instinct. It feels very barren and therefore we need to generate some heat.”

Through Bea’s eyes, the Christchurch DJing scene sonically pulls from similar social landscapes around the world, adopting elements of the UK underground and Detroit, Michigan. “Christchurch is really about breaks… garage, jungle, drum and bass.”

“[It] is about rigid beats and finding interest within the constraints of those sounds.”

Before entertaining the ideas brewing in Ōtautahi, warm beats and polyrhythmic percussives were Bea’s bread and butter. Since being exposed to Christchurch’s grungier, high-octane stylings, Bea’s production has evolved into an experimental approach that looks to answer one question: “How fucked up can you make a sound and still make someone move?”

“I don’t like genres, but it is for the club,” they said in their rejection of a label. “It’s about making people dance… [making people] think ‘I didn’t think I could dance or move in that way’.” Words and phrases such as internet age, metallic, and ballsy came to their mind describing the aesthetics they aim to melodically capture.

So, what’s next around the corner for Mr Meaty Boy? Well, a few things are on the horizon! First up, Mr Meaty Boy and their partner protectionspell are gearing up to release an EP on Echo Train in the September-October range, so be on the lookout for that. Secondly, Bea is applying for NZ on Air funding with techno DJ keepsakes, who is helping them polish off their producing skills and bringing in people who specialise in the composition of te reo Māori lyrics.

To Māori artists wanting to test their hand, Bea advises to “[not] feel ashamed to ask for what you want or need and don’t accept the barriers for entry. We don’t have heaps of role models but there are ones [out] there doing electronic music. It is part of our identity, just a bit harder to find.”

They hope that with time, the nation can get the international recognition it deserves, and has their fingers crossed that Aotearoa can continue to be a melting pot of diverse sounds and never loses that edge.

New Zealand Fashion Week Indigenous ingenuity

Beccy Arnold (she/her)

New Zealand Fashion Week (NZFW) has returned.

After a three-year hiatus and a change in ownership from original founder Dame Pieter Stewart, the five-day spectacle reappears for the 2023 season with a completely reimagined show. Allowing more of the public to attend more collections is part of this altered blueprint of a typical trade-only event, as is their focus on Te Ao Māori.

NZFW has been a catalyst for Māori designers since its origin in 2001 with fashion icons Adrienne Westwood, Dr Bobby Luke and Nichola Te Kiri emerging from fashion week as creative forces.

impacts.”

Campbell Luke, the brain-child of Taranaki’s Dr Bobby Luke, unapologetically promotes Kaupapa Māori led design and defies dominant Western design paradigms and pedagogy. Dr Luke expresses his appreciation for NZFW in a press release, saying “Fashion Week has enabled designers a platform to showcase their work, particularly being able to share what is important to me and the natives through a presentation of Collections.”

Tessa Londt, creator of fashion label Lontessa, is pleased to see Campbell Luke and Kiri Nathan headlining, saying this year, “NZFW has made a huge effort to involve Maori designers into Fashion Week [...] I feel we have strong representation and acknowledgement this year,” she said.

“Mixing Maoritanga with the modern world is actually very exciting, Aotearoa is on the right path by continuing to embrace tikanga.” Seeing her brand on a global stage has led Londt to believe there is a place for Maori design internationally, and she feels “very proud to be a part of it all.”

Long-time darling of NZFW and the ‘King of Glamour’ himself, Kharl WiRepa, returns to the show after his debut at London Fashion Week last year. In an open and frank phone call, WiRepa speaks with unabandoned passion, freely expressing his thoughts from New Zealand’s “quite boring” fashion scene to his own fashion icon, Miss Piggy.

Fashion Week and catapulted his name into the national fashion design scene. WiRepa went on to show his work in Australia, extending laterally to work with Miss New Zealand and eventually on to the Miss World stage. He’s done showcases at Paris Fashion Week, making his debut at London Fashion Week last September with a stunning collection of crystal-covered gowns, an amalgamation of traditional and contemporary aesthetics.

When asked about his biggest milestones, WiRepa humbly leaves his most career-defining feat last on the list, behind his pageantry work and fashion week features, “Another big milestone was being the first Māori designer to feature in British Vogue.”

He omits mentioning that the feature appeared in their September Issue, the most illustrious and salient of any other issue due to its publication occurring during the shift from Summer/Spring collections to Autumn/Winter.

Growing up in Aotearoa, WiRepa says his designs were influenced in a vastly different way than by what he is inspired. Frankly put, WiRepa always saw “New Zealander’s as quite boring when it comes to fashion, and honestly quite dissatisfying.” Comparatively, he went through his adolescence enamoured with Old Hollywood and glamorous figures like Paris Hilton, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Miss Piggy. The dull fashion he saw in Aotearoa inspired him “to do the opposite and go into the glamourous world…I wanted to bring glamour and romance into the world.”

This year, NZFW appointed designer Kiri Nathan to open the show, becoming the first Māori designer ever to do so. In a press release from NZFW, Nathan revealed her collection is, “based on the haeranga of fashion for Māori,” and will be “showing our respect to the Māori makers and weavers of kākahu and clothing based on environmental

Fashion and WiRepa are synonymous, or as he puts it, “I never got into fashion, I always was a part of fashion.” His European ancestors were shoemakers for Queen Victoria, and his Māori ancestors were always into arts, so a career in the fashion industry for WiRepa “came naturally because my whole life, I’ve been a part of it.”

His win at Miromoda in 2014 landed him his first show at New Zealand

Despite his less than flattering depiction of New Zealand fashion and the global attention he’s garnered in previous years, he still keeps coming back to NZFW. He speaks of it like an old friend, adoringly and with an unmistakable sense of affection.

“New Zealand is my home. You know, people ask me all the time - why didn’t you move to New York? Why didn’t you move to Paris?... I could have had

a much more successful career but I want to be in the land of my people. It’s very important for me to be home and inspire new generations of artists.”

So there you have it. Kharl WiRepa, here to stay and to inspire.

As for the influence of Māori culture on his designs, WiRepa says his business practices is where you’ll find Māori influence. From having a whanau-orientated environment in the workplace to how he operates and communicates with people. “I do have a very indigenous worldview in my practices, but in my design, I’m inspired by my European ancestry, and I believe that is the perfect mix of what New Zealand is - Māori and European.” Back in a 2017 interview with Māori TV, WiRepa said he thinks “Pacific designs will definitely have a huge influence on the modern world and the next generation of fashion.” Six years on, he still stands by his predictions, saying “indigenous design is 1000% growing on the global stage and that’s because it’s unseen by the majority.”

To encourage more indigenous designers to pursue their fashion dreams, NZFW hosts showcases specifically for Māori and Pasifika designers like Miromoda and the Pacific Fusion Fashion Show (PFFS).

Founded by the Indigenous Māori Fashion Apparel Board in 2008, Miromoda has raised the artistic and professional standards of Māori design. The shows’ influence in launching Māori designer’s careers is unparalleled, with big name designers Kiri Nathan, Kharl WiRepa, Bobby Luke and Mitchell Vincent all either winning or participating in Miromoda. Go Media Miromoda 2023 is scheduled for Thursday 31st August at NZFW and will feature Otautahi’s own Sofia Heke and Francesca Flynn.

Self-proclaimed fashion junkie, Nora Swann, created PFFS back in 2016 due to the lack of platforms for Pacific designers to “authentically and unapologetically showcase Pacific designs.” In a short interview, she outlined that the shows’ main objectives are “to celebrate Pacific designs, worn by indigenous models and to create awareness in mainstream fashion that will hopefully convert to sales and growth for Pacific designers.”

But PFFS is more than just a fashion show.

It’s about setting up Pasifika designers for a successful career through capability building workshops and connecting designers with New

Zealand-based and Pacific designers who have achieved international success. Swann acknowledges how difficult it has been to be recognised in the mainstream, but the work speaks for itself.

“They continued to be bold when we celebrated Pacific fashion and the movement has grown to the point now where it’s gaining so much attention that we don’t have to work so hard to

get the attention that Pacific fashion deserves.”

Looking outwards to an international market is on Swann’s radar for PFFS, advocating for Pacific designers’ competency to compete on the world stage. She believes a showcase to an international audience should be on every designer’s to-do list.

Despite the Pacific fashion community being a minority, they punch well above their weight. “Hosting the largest high-end Pacific fashion show in New Zealand definitely comes with its challenges but it’s also extremely rewarding,” she said.

“When you’re starting to hear that it’s the one event in the NZ fashion calendar that people really look forward to and that’s because they know that we know how to bring the heat.”

Indigenous designers are taking NZFW by storm and there’s no better way to sum it up than with the parting words of Swann.

“We put our hearts and souls into our artforms because we’re all about showcasing Pacific excellence to the world. We’ve been here all this time, but we’ve never really taken a stand until now and I feel we’re ready for it.”

We put our hearts and souls into our artforms because weʼre all about showcasing Pacific excellence to the world. Weʼve been here all this time, but weʼve never really taken a stand until now and I feel weʼre ready for it.

Culture

Battle of the city

Ella Paterson (she/her)

One of the biggest transitions that many people face when growing up is the decision to leave home. My choice to leave home came at the end of high school. Fresh out of NCEA level 3, I was a seasoned pro at driving all the streets of Tauranga and had taken so many sunset photos up Mount Maunganui, it was time for a change. I packed up my entire life into a suitcase and flew all the way to Ōtautahi, Christchurch.

I quickly settled into my new home for 2023, Tupuānuku hall. Whoever thought to jam 500 young people into one hall was a literal genius; the following weeks saw the beginnings of friendships with people all over the country; from the mighty Auckland all the way down to Welly all the way up from Invercargill.

Before I knew it, conversations quickly started forming regarding the differences between their old city/town and their new home of Christchurch, with people saying things like “Woahhhh that’s so different from home” and “Fark, Hawkes Bay could never g.” It became apparent that where everybody came from had a completely different culture, even if we were all from New Zealand.

Pōneke, Wellington

Known for being the hub of Doc Martens, good coffee (more specifically, oat milk iced lattes), and jazz, Wellington has most certainly become known as New Zealand’s artsy capital.

Yasmin Kesry, first year environmental science student, found the change from Welly to Christchurch to be “a culture shock, for sure.” Kesry explained the inherent culture of Wellington to be “socially involved”, with emphasis put on being an upstander rather than a bystander.

Considered the ‘home of Parliament’, Kesry remembers being inspired by the people around her to challenge the current norms of society from a young age. She mentions that “going to a climate strike was totally normal when I was growing up.” Taking a stroll in the Wellington CBD, Kesry explained “literally, I could be walking down

Cuba street and see a guy dressed up as a tree playing the saxophone, or like someone getting interviewed.”

Random pockets of creativity, street art, fringe theatre and rallies for teacher pay raises are all the rage, littering the streets of Wellington. In terms of self-expression, Wellington shows up. Kesry reiterates this, saying that “the norm is to be you, and to be expressive and unique.” Wearing fishnets, donning a cheese cutter hat, multicoloured skirt or even a lavalava are all seen as perfectly regular things to wear.

Kesry voiced her adoration for the inclusive culture, mentioning that “Christchurch seems to label anyone that is being mildly themselves as ‘a bit different’, which can be isolating.”

Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai, Lower Hutt

Heading the teeniest bit away from Wellington, first year psychology student, Isla McKay, is a proud citizen hailing from the mighty Lower Hutt. With the influence of Wellington bleeding into the Hutt, McKay makes insightful commentary about the dress code requirements when going for a night out on the town. She mentions that “Christchurch’s town attire requirements do not promote inclusivity.”

To enter many of the bars in Christchurch town, biological males are required to wear a collared shirt, pants, and dress shoes. For biological females, pretty much anything goes. The dress code leaves minimal wiggle room for allowing someone to dress according to their own gender identity or wear something that is a bit more “them.” This inherently gender normative narrative is something that has become firmly engrained into Christchurch culture. It could be about time to take a leaf out of Wellington’s fashion-forward book.

Rotorua

Heading up north a bit more to the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua is known for being the home of the Chiefs and for its chill and ‘go with the flow’, mindset. Rotorua born-andbreed engineering student, (sorry, we had to get one of them #tokenengineer), Jacob Snyman, comments on the community and sense of whanau that Rotorua seems to have, “it’s standard in Rotorua to be friendly to strangers, to say a random good morning on the street.”

Culture shock

city edition

Snyman mentions that it was common practice for his parents to throw barbeques for the entire street. This engrained culture of collectivism and emphasis on the “shared experience” paints Rotorua as more “focused on the collective good.” He believes this stems heavily from the Māori presence within Rotorua. When compared to Christchurch, Snyman loves the UC atmosphere, but does mention that, in wider Christchurch, sometimes the culture is more individualistic, which could be a consequence of the Eurocentric blueprint that Christchurch has been under jurisdiction of for a long time.

Tauranga

Still in Chief’s land, Tauranga is known for its sunny climate, and for being about 15 minutes from Tauranga’s way cooler, older sister, Mount Maunganui. Beach bum and recent Christchurch citizen Alex Thompson, BCom student, mentions that the “pace of life is just different.”

Tauranga/The Mount have a certain relaxed atmosphere to them, with a large amount of the inhabitants being of an older demographic. Unfortunately, with such a large presence of this older demographic, harmful traditional values still manage to marinate within the community.

Thompson mentions that “the younger generation is more accepting” with schools starting to bring in more pride days and heroing diversity more within the classroom.

The older demographic’s conservative legacy still definitely exists, but there is a certain push for change in recent years. The CBD has lost a lot of radiance, with shops closing, the absence of live music and energy.

Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland

Taking a wee bit of a drive even further north to Auckland, Sophia Allwood, BSCI student, enjoys the diversity of citizens within the city, mentioning that a “large amount of diversity has stemmed from Auckland’s international connections.” Allwood loves how “ahead” the city is, being the “first place in New Zealand to have an opportunity.”

Upon arriving in Christchurch, Allwood struggled with the sometimes-lacking diversity within the city. Being from an Asian background herself, Allwood commented on the lack of Asian restaurants within Christchurch, recalling, “one time I was just a little bit homesick, and I was looking for something to remind me of home.” In terms of wider Christchurch, the population is quite white-washed, and

sometimes, it can feel like there is not enough room for other ethnicities to feel included and accepted.

Ōtautahi, Christchurch

Now headed right back to Ōtautahi, Christchurch. Currently stationed as the Tumuaki o Te Akatoki at UC, Anna Pohatu has worked tirelessly to bring and create opportunities for other Māori students. She commented on the lack of external and governmental support for Māori people, mentioning that “our people are actually the people actually bringing our people better places.”

Lots of the funding and opportunities that are formed come from the efforts of Māori people themselves. Pohatu comments that “in other cities, like Gisborne or Hamilton, they get the opportunity to…celebrate their culture in other communities.” Celebrations had within the Māori community need to be pushed to the forefront of New Zealand’s creative and cultural landscape. Pohatu also makes a further comment on New Zealand’s need to properly instil Māori culture into the everyday lives of New Zealanders, “if we can make TikTok normal, why can’t we make kapa haka and Pasifika dance normal?”

In mainstreaming cultural practices, traditions, traditional dance and speaking the native language more regularly, Te Ao Māori and Pasifika culture have the potential to become more normalised within New Zealand society.

University is a melting pot when it comes to everyone’s previous backgrounds; everybody has a different story, background, and different city culture that they have previously considered their “normal.” Every city or hometown brings with them their own strengths and weaknesses. In comparing these cities to Christchurch, it can be interesting to see how the city differs astronomically in terms of creative culture and support for our diverse and marginalised communities. These comments about Christchurch’s culture does encourage us, government bodies and, indeed, the citizens of Otautahi to question… is it finally time for Christchurch to make some radical systematic changes?

Victor Rodger

A life to write home about

Charlotte Thornton (she/her)

Playwright Victor Rodger has a way with words. For years he’s been based mainly in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te-Whanganui-a-Tara, but often returns to his hometown of Ōtautahi to visit family. I catch an interview with him on such an occasion, at a café in New Brighton.

Rodger has a bright smile and a

humble, calming manner, mirrored in his beverage of choice: green tea. He is somehow undeterred by the screaming children and shrieking seagulls who provide the soundtrack to his life story.

Rodger was raised by a young Palagi mother, Nora, and his maternal grandparents. He was an

only child until the age of sixteen. His childhood was “full of movie magazines and books,” owing to his mum’s obsession with movie stars.

He and Nora are close to this day; Rodger’s Instagram profile is filled with photos of the two at Waimairi Beach. “My mum really gave me the capacity to follow my own path, and

I appreciate that,” he said.

Rodger attended Linwood High School. His fondest memories: appearing in the play The Pirates of Penzance as Queen Victoria, and writing a book report on Hollywood Wives, the novel by his long-time hero, Jackie Collins.

Growing up, he had a “very negative” relationship with his Sāmoan father, which informed how he felt about Sāmoan culture. “I had no desire to connect to it, and no desire to identify with it.”

In his penultimate year at Linwood High, Rodger had an experience which he calls a “pivotal moment.”

“Some Palagi friends of mine cracked a Sāmoan joke. And I – one, didn’t find it funny, and two, didn’t understand it. And they kinda castigated me for not being able to laugh at myself,” he said.

“I, for the first time, consciously thought, ‘you are all white, and I am not. I am Sāmoan.’ And that’s when I started my journey towards embracing my Sāmoan side –which continues to this day.”

After high school, Rodger had a journalism cadetship at the Christchurch Star – his dream being to interview Jackie Collins’ sister, Joan Collins, who he was also obsessed with – before embarking on an OE.

He “always had a strong desire

to write” and knew the story he wanted to tell, but it took a while to find the right format: he tried a book, then a screenplay, and finally, a play script.

In 1995, his first play Sons premiered at the Court Theatre in Christchurch. He’s mostly stuck to theatre since then: his plays include Cunning Stunts, At The Wake, and My Name is Gary Cooper. In 2001, he won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award.

Along with Sons, his personal highlights have been Club Paradiso – which he explained as the “darkest thing he’s ever written” – and the critically-acclaimed Black Faggot, “a play where I attempted to portray a spectrum of gay Sāmoan men in a way that I didn’t feel had been done before.”

Rodger had a memorable interaction at a performance of Black Faggot in Te Papa-i-Oea Palmerston North. A young fastfood worker, seeing the show for the second time, thanked Rodger for writing it, he said, “this is my story.” Rodger says it was “beautiful to hear that he felt reflected by the work.”

Rodger describes his writing as “provocative, naughty, and funny,” with many recurring themes. “That first play, Sons, was really me trying to write myself into the narrative… I went through a difficult patch with my dad when I was about eighteen, trying to connect with him – and there was a bit of a culture clash

there because I didn’t understand.”

“I was desperate, at the time, for there to be just something I could grab hold of – like a book or a film – that had my very specific point of view… and there was nothing. And that’s why I wrote Sons.”

Rodger spent a few years writing for Shortland Street, which he calls “such a great training ground.” He likes that regardless of how you might feel about Shortland Street, it’s still “the one chance you’ve got every weeknight to hear our vernacular.”

He’s been a writer-in-residence at universities in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hawai’i. He likes that residencies can offer great freedom; one of them gave him the opportunity to spend time just thinking.

He’s drawn to intense, reflective works with an irreverent streak. His favourite books: The Road by Cormac McCarthy and A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. As for movies, Titane stands out, and his favourite play is the seven-hour epic Seven Streams of the River Ota by Robert Lapage, which he describes as “one of the most incredible things” he’s ever seen.

Rodger has started producing theatre, like The Savage Coloniser Show written by Tusiata Avia and directed by Anapela Polata'ivao. While he’s taking some time off from writing, he has a “longgestating” short story collection which he’s hoping to complete soon.

His green tea nearly finished and the seagulls growing angrier, our interview concludes, and Rodger departs. I realise that I forgot to ask him about his New Zealand Order of Merit. He didn’t bring it up himself. Damn, if I had one, I certainly would. That must be Victor’s secret: be humble, then be brilliant.

I started my journey towards embracing my Samoan side – which continues to this day

From the cradle to the grave we are forever learning

Elsie Williams (she/her)

Mai i te kopae ki te urup a , t a tou ako tonu ai

Te reo. The sacred language of Māori, beholding a mountain of cultural importance, history, and pride.

Despite the fact it used to be an essential learning area, te reo Māori curriculum is not compulsory in New Zealand. So how is our primary and preschool education system cherishing Aotearoas precious tāonga?

The curriculum stock take began in 2000, resulting in the Māori curriculum being culled out of the system. This systematic change shoved all languages into a “Learning Languages” area of the curriculum, dragging the Māori curriculum with it.

The Ministry of Education states this was due to schools wanting a ‘simpler’ system, therefore derailing te reo Māori education in schools proved to be the holistic idea, diminishing the compulsory factor.

As someone who grew up in a predominately Pākehā kindy, primary and high school, Māori

influence was trickled throughout the journey, enough to keep me consciously aware of the Māori culture and key phrase/words.

But having a principal that couldn’t even pronounce “Tena Koutou Katoa”, spoke a thousand words for our school system, especially since not one teacher could even point out the mispronunciation and correct it.

The education system in Aotearoa is divided into state school systems.

• English medium schools: Where English is the main language of instruction.

• Māori Medium Schools: Where all ākonga (students) are taught the curriculum in te reo Māori (at least 51% of the time).

• "Designated character” schools: Schools that operate according to their own aims, purposes, and objectives.

The types of Māori medium schools vary, such as Kura Kaupapa Māori, Kura ā Iwi, Kura Motuhake, Kura Māori and Wharekura. The philosophies of

these schools differentiate, but the learning is in te Reo and ao Māori perspectives are taught.

New Zealand Council for Education Research studies concluded that research shows that benefits of immersion education for immersion students include both intellectual and emotional benefits. Immersion education also plays a distinct role in language and cultural revitalisation of Māori and other indigenous peoples.

Before children enter a curriculum, many enter into a pre-school, Montessori, or kindergarten before they dive into curriculum based learning. A core memory I’ll cherish as a four year old was standing up to do my mihi on the whiteboard in front of some other young kids.

It makes me think. Those were the days where our simplest of terms were spoken to us in te Reo. We learnt to communicate with te Reo as our commands. Despite Māori curriculum not being compulsory, there is a universal understanding

throughout educators that te ao Māori is here to stay and needs to be taught to tamariki.

My experience is not everyone’s and this story is just a glimpse of one personal tale of how te Reo was incorporated. But for some, te Reo was integral throughout their English medium schooling.

Although I had performed my mihi to my peers, it unfortunately did not stick, therefore I was re learning last year in my te Reo class. As for others, te reo was far more integral to their education.

“By year 2, I had my own pepeha and had to practice it weekly during my classes timetabled te Reo Māori lesson”, says Hariklia Nicola, Canta’s print editor.

Whilst attending Lyall Bay School in Wellington, Nicola had te Reo sprinkled all throughout her primary schooling, despite being an English medium school. From year 4-6, attending a te Reo Māori session was compulsory, occurring around 2-3 times a week. These sessions did not just on basic words/terms, they were engaged into a world of Poi, traditional Māori waiata, Te Rākau, Māori games and learnt about the Māori myth and legends.

In comparison with my journey, I learnt the fine print of Te Tiriti o Waitangi through my short stint doing first year law, whereas Nicola learnt Te Tiriti o Waitangi throughout her primary education. Despite Nicola’s acknowledgment of not understanding what happened due to being quite young, the seed has been sown for a rich respect for Māori and their history, which a lot of children may lack.

“I was incredibly lucky to go to a school that had teachers that were Māori and were willing to take time out of their already packed teaching schedules to also teach us te Reo, waiata, and other Māori games”, Nicola says. Since it is not compulsory in the current Aotearoa curriculum, the Ministry of Education explain how they’d hope people would choose to incorporate it, and it’s

evident some utilise it more than others.

Nicola believes it was due to her teacher’s passionate nature about teaching the Māori culture, which stemmed a love and respect from the Kaiako (teacher) to the ākonga (student) for the culture.

Primary school teachers Maz Haines provides her insight on te ao Māori incorporation in primary education, a passionate woman of Māori descent who engages heavily in the teaching of te Reo.

Whilst studying to become a teacher in 2006, te Reo education was minimal, stating “there wasn’t really a push for it.”

Haine’s works at two schools currently, but teaches te ao Maori through the arts, writing programmes for the whole school. She reiterates that te reo is laced throughout the programme, but for her it’s more important to highlight the cultural side of learning.

“We’re giving these kids a little bit of a gold nugget going out into the world,” Haines comments.

Taking a further step back to analyse the education system can be seen through pre-school education, looking at the younger tamariki to see what they’re learning.

“Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu”

I spoke to Vivien Robertson, head teacher of Kidz Kindy Gisborne, who highlights how their philosophy is based on Māori concepts such as manaakitanga and kotahitanga.

“It develops children’s awareness and skill in te reo which is part of revitalising the language Through speaking/using te Reo, preschoolers start to learn their own language, which is important for their mana and belonging.”

“It encourages whanau to value children’s education and be more

involved whilst developing children’s awareness and skill in te reo, which is part of revitalising the language.”

Robertson’s self-education of te ao Māori displays a strong foundation for the tamariki, combining waiata, karakia, books, puzzles, and art to further inspire and upskill the tamariki and Kaiako.

Whilst Haines teaches at Cambridge East Primary School, she mentions the importance of “Poutama Pounamu”, a group of academics and professionals who work to promote an accelerated pathway of change towards equity, excellence and belonging.

Their role: Questioning, advising, enhancing.

“They come into the classroom and look at the physical room. If you’re doing art, they’ll say ‘you’re studying an English artist? Why are you not studying a Māori artist? What commands have you got on the wall? What Māori commands have you got around the wall?’.”

“The older I get, the more I see, the subtle bias of culture. The racism, the real, narrow mindedness, you know, it's just changing that narrative. Children need to feel proud of the culture.”

Despite te Reo no longer being a compulsory component of the Aotearoa curriculum, it is evident that there are devoted teachers who understand their duty to teach te ao Māori to endorse cultural pride and give the culture the respect it deserves and hasn’t received consistently.

The curriculum clearly comes in different shapes and sizes, but the tamariki are in safe hands with Kaiako who are passionate, rich in education, and proud of the ancestral history that came before us.

Adorn the bird with feathers to enable it to fly.

“Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu”

UC Fijian Students Association

Tell us a bit about the UC Fijian Students Association!

The UC Fijian Students' Association (we call ourselves "UCFiji") started back up a few months ago! It had been a dormant club since 2018, but a group of passionate students with connections to the islands got together and lit the spark!

We are for students who want to connect with their roots, and fellow Fijians, and for students who want to learn about Fiji. It's a country with a rich and interesting culture, which we share through food, dance, and hangouts.

What events and activities do you have planned for the rest of the year?

Fijian language week, which includes Fiji day, a celebration of independence, runs from the 8th - 14th of October. We'll be running all sorts of events to celebrate the iTaukei culture, as well as the Fijian-Indian and diaspora culture so special to the country. Keep an eye out for some good times (and good food!)

Promote your club to a fresher!

You like food, we like food, we run events with lotsa food - it's a match made in paradise.

Also, we're free to join and aim to keep our events cheap or free - No spending required to join UCFiji!

How can people get involved?

Keep an eye out on our Instagram, @uc.fiji, to check what's coming up.

A gold card for young Kiwis.

Fully funded public transport up to 30

Fully funded healthcare up to 30

$5K Universal Savings Boost at 18

"We want to create a fairer future for everyone, and that starts with investing in young people."

Vote #Raf4Ilam

Authorised by H. Cargo, 90 Crawford St, Dunedin

A real kiwi classic. Let me guess, you were today years old when you learned that ‘Paeroa’ is a place, not an ingredient. Enjoy the rest of your roadie as this tourist trap was defi nitely on the way to something else.

So you thought, “OMG, let’s do something totally, completely different, never been done beforelet’s take a photo in front of a tree!!” Don’t forget those 0.5 angles, babe. To be fair, it’s a pretty sick place, I’m sure all your 800 Instagram followers are gonna eat it up.

You and your mates have made it!! And its… it’s just a pile of big rocks. That’s it really.

After your long and treacherous

journey, you’re now tired, sick of your mates and your bank account depleted from the cost just to get in to Hobbiton. But so worth it!! 12 year old you is ecstatic rn.

A bit of a basic choice, but at least the view is great!

Who doesn’t want to see a muggy, overpopulated, traffi c manic city? Well, at least you’ve got a fun pic, double points if you bungee jumped off the top.

3

easy step

s for a chance to win $3k.

Register

Meet with a MAS Adviser You’re in the draw

Graduates of 2023, we want to celebrate you with a $3k giveaway. Register now, meet with check, then you’re in the draw!

Register at mas.co.nz/grad2023

MAS is proud to be supporting NZMSA, including publication of this guide

The Latest Missing Genre in Fiction Books

Beccy Arnold (she/her)

Fiction novels are constantly evolving and taking on new influences. Internet trends have completely transformed fiction and there’s constantly new tropes and niches being fleshed out. But if you look close enough into the realm of fiction, just beyond the colossal amounts of vampire fantasy and enemies-tolovers romance novels, you’ll see a decidedly large gap where Māori fiction books should be.

While there’s plenty of Te Reo picture books stampeding into bookstores and schools, it’s close relative in fiction, particularly that of young adult and adult novels, remains hidden.

UC Māori Law Society President and avid book reader, Ellie Warahi, has a lot to say on the topic.

At 20, Warahi grew up before Māori was really taught in most New Zealand schools. The books she does

remember “were not interesting […] it was just basic; they weren’t imaginative and the drawings were always creepy.”

But these books were always ones she had to find herself, “the teachers never read them to us,” says Warahi. “It was just stuff that I had found in the library on my own with one of my other friends who was Cook-Islander Māori.” There was nothing in full Te Reo, “they either had a mix of English and Te Reo or side by side.”

As she grew older, finding Māori books was just as difficult.

At Warahi’s Christchurch high school, there was no Māori section at the library, “We didn’t have a dedicated section like there is here [at UC].” She took Te Reo in highschool, where they read “educational,

classroom collection books with just basic stories and there wasn’t anything else [...] I don't think we were ever taught about Māori or Pasifika writers or anything at high school.”

Now with the influx of Te Reo and Māori children’s’ books into libraries and bookstores, kids across the country are able to read more of the books that Warahi wished she could have at their age.

Even outside of just education providers, other professions working with kiwi kids are putting more measures in place to further integrate Māori into education. Third-year Speech and Language Pathology student Katie Arnold, 20, completes placements at primary schools across Christchurch as part of her degree. She says they “always ask what language they speak at home and [see how] we can incorporate that into our sessions.” In terms of Māori children’s’ books, she thinks it “depends on what school you’re at, to be honest.”

At her most recent placement, Arnold notes a display of the ‘Best Books of the Year for Young Readers’ set up in the staff room. The books consisted of some that Warahi had mentioned like Witi Ihimaera, but also featured work from other Māori authors like Tim Tipenes’ Pipi and Pou, and Mat Taits’ Te Wehenga: The Separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku.

Warahi attributes the increasing amounts of Māori and Te Reo children’s’ books to New Zealand authors Gavin Bishop and Chris Winitana.

“Gavin Bishop and Chris Winitana create fantastic Māori books that don’t have creepy illustrations and they tell really in-depth, formative stories about the culture, which is really nice because they go further than just ‘these were the gods, and this is how it was created’.”

“They tell them accurately or they tell them with more imagination, which has been really cool and they are more advanced picture books, they have a lot of text in them.”

Yet while Māori children’s books are gaining traction, the same cannot be said for teen, young adult and even adult Māori fiction books.

There’s a wide and gaping space within the fiction genre for Māori books, and even for prolific readers like Warahi, it’s a struggle to find fictional Māori books for more advanced readers.

“I honestly don't find a lot. I find more that will talk about concepts, but it’s just super limited,” said Warahi.

It’s not that Māori fiction books don’t exist. They do, there’s just not many of them and the ones that are published aren’t in the mainstream for the most part. Warahi sources her Māori fiction from other Māori, but it's “still quite limited, it’s usually lecturers or other adults. I find a lot of people our age don’t read a lot and

if they do, a lot of them aren’t Te Reo speakers.”

Since the re-release of movies translated into Te Reo like Moana, The Lion King, Coco and Frozen, Warahi believes there would be demand for more advanced movies to be translated. She and her fellow Māori speakers “love nostalgia and we enjoy it, but it’s kind of all that’s offered to us so we’ll take what we can get.”

She believes there’s been a shift in interest in Māori literature with the introduction of more Te Reo movies. “They’re watching it and asking ‘what can I read?’, ‘what else can I do?’, so I think that’s definitely influenced [Māori literature].”

Mainstream bookseller Paper Plus has a specific “Māoridom” section on their website, categorised into Art & Culture, General, History and Te Reo Māori. Whitcoulls has a “Māoritanga” section, however it’s just educational language or history books. Scorpio books fares better, having a specific online “New Zealand Fiction” section that contains almost as many Māoriinfluenced books as it does Pakeha.

New Zealand publishers like Huia Publishers, Aotearoa Publishers and Makaro Press collectively boast hundreds of Māori books, both in Te Reo and English. Yet out of those, only a few have made it into physical bookstores, notably Aue by Becky Manawatu from Makaro Press collecting a small bounty of awards.

Warahi points out that the issue with a lot of the Māori books that end up in mainstream bookstores are either educational, historical or just cover concepts. She said, “Finding ones that interest you that are also in Te Reo is really, really hard.” There’s now limits imposed on people wanting to read in Te Reo, with minimal numbers of books available for those who aren’t yet fluent but are well past reading Te Reo picture books.

“There’s so many that are just telling stories of creation and our past, which is really interesting and good to learn, but there’s definitely a gap where there can be more fantasy and sci-fi,” she said.

“There’s only so many books I want to read on how we settled. I want to read some, I don’t know, an abstract space book or a romance! There’s just nothing.”

Even libraries across the country really only carry the classics in the Māori fiction genre from the likes of Alan Duff, Keri Hulme and Witi Ihimaera. The resolve for an issue as deeply rooted as this is unclear.

Outsourcing books from New Zealand publishers, while practically inefficient, leaves room for more choices in Māori fiction. Relying on major booksellers to bring Māori fiction into the mainstream is futile and frustrating. But as this generation of kids who have now grown-up reading Te Reo children’ books grows up, the demand for more advanced novels will surge.

In the meantime, at least there’s some stellar Māori fiction books out there to bridge the gap a little more. 31

Spain win the FIFA Women’s World Cup

In an incredible match against England, Spain managed to hold off The Lionesses in a 1 – 0 win to glory.

The Spanish side went through a hell of fight to score. But they did anyway in the 29th minute of the game. The sides 23 year old captain, Olga Carmona, scored the winning and only goal in the match.

This is the first time Spain and England made the Women’s FIFA world cup final. With England making the final after beating Australia 3 – 1, ending a heartbreaking run for the co-hosts. Spain managed to knock out Sweden in the semi-final with clutch captain Olga Carmona scoring the winning goal yet again.

The tournament ended with Spain lifting the trophy, England coming second, and Sweden coming third after successfully beating Australia 2 - 0 in the match for third place. Overall, the tournament was a huge success, not just for the Spanish side, but for women all across the world who were inspired throughout the duration of the world cup.

Black Caps triumph in T20

After a shocking and historic loss to UAE in Dubai, the Black Caps came back firing with a win over the UAE to win the clash 2 – 1.

New Zealand earned themselves 166-5 in 20 overs with the help of Will Young (56 from 46), Mark Chapman (51 from 32), and Junaid Siddique (3-26 from 4). UAE trailed behind with 134-7 in 20 overs with the assistance of Aayan Afzal Khan (42 from 36), and Ben Lister (3-35 from 4) by 32 runs.

The New Zealand side fielded two new players who made their debut. One of which, Adithya Ashok, leg runner, managed to capture his first wicket for the side. The other debutant, Dean Foxcroft, made 10 from as many deliveries. The visitors managed to slow UAE down, especially considering the tough conditions. But the Black Caps were incredibly prepared for this.

Now, the Black Caps will head to England to play four T20 matches and four ODIs against the English side. All this building towards the Cricket World Cup in October which will be hosted in India.

She’s a runner, she’s a track star

Zoe Hobbs has successfully made another issue of The Canta Goes Wild, this time by earning a spot in the semi-

finals of the 100m sprint in Budapest.

The world athletic champs saw Hobb’s finish third in the seventh and final heat. She manage to earn herself 11.14 seconds on the clock with a slight headwind. She progressed through to the semi-finals with ease as the top three are considered ‘automatic qualifiers’ and immediately go through.

This year has been incredible for Hobb’s as she has smashed the New Zealand and Oceania women’s 100m record three times. This made her an excellent start against world champion Fraser-Pryce.

It has been over 90 years since a New Zealander, male or female, last raced in a 100m final at a global championship. This includes the Olympics and the World Champs. With the possibility of Hobb’s making history in the near future, this drought could soon be over.

NRL and their loophole

The NRL are forced to the drawing board as they explore the possibility of a rule change after Reuben Garrick fell heavily and severely on his back during a match where his legs were clipped while he was in mid-air.

Garrick fell awkwardly, flat on his back after being a clipped by Warriors full-back Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad towards the end of their loss towards the New Zealand side. The head of the NRL, Graham Annesley, backed the decision from the refs at the time but thought the game would still benefit from a review of the rule.

The loop-hole is that although it is illegal to tackle an opposing player attempting to field kick on the full whilst the player is in mid-air. Rules state that the catcher must have returned to the ground before being tackled.

However, there is no protection for players if they are in the air to catch a ball which is passed or has bounced upwards. Which is exactly the scenario in this case. The review will happen at the end of the year, where the rule will most likely be adapted.

Hariklia Nicola (she/her)

Lucy Walton (she/her)

Despite the disappointment felt after their defeat in the final group stage match against Switzerland, the Football Ferns still achieved history at his years FIFA Women’s World Cup. Not just because it was their first ever win in the tournament, but because of what it meant for the acceptance of women’s sport in Aotearoa.

Sport is a fundamental part of New Zealand society and our national identity. However, for a long time the significance of women’s sport has been underplayed. Media coverage of women’s sports has lagged behind that of men, with 2020 Sport NZ reporting that women’s sports made up only 15% of sports coverage in Aotearoa.

But this is changing. Only two years later in 2022 for the first time that more than a quarter of sports coverage in New Zealand was about women at 28%. While the Football Ferns final group stage match had an average New Zealand audience of 623,201 viewers. Kiwis are tuning in to watch, and that’s a step forward.

Events in 2022 such as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and the Rugby World Cup caused spikes in these numbers. With the gender balance around Cricket World Cup increasing to 33% while the Rugby World Cup increased the balance to 38%.

The football world cup is having the same effect. FIFA reported that around 1.88 million Kiwis have been watching the tournament. That’s roughly 36% of the population.

Rachel Harris and Katrina Mansfield are steering group members at Women in Sport Waitaha, an independent volunteer group working to advance equality for women in girls to be active in Can-terbury.

They believe that the World Cup has been having a positive impact on the coverage of women’s sports. Harris thought it is helping to bring women’s sport into the mainstream media.

“We're seeing stories about women's sport as like the headline on sports news and the television and it's leading radio stories and there's coverage in papers,” she said.

So yes, more Kiwis are watching women’s sport. But what does this mean for the way we view and value women’s sport in Aotearoa in the long term?

Firstly, the way Kiwi perceive women’s sport is an important issue to overcome. Harris and Mansfield discussed that different perceptions around women’s sport being not “as good” technically or female athletes not being as skilful do exist. However, they also believe that perceptions around women’s sport are beginning to change.

This perception is changing with Sport NZ reporting that themes of high performance, hard work, and talent in the portrayal of women’s sport saw drastic increases from 2020 to 2022. With the theme of female athletes being talented increasing from

just 8.7% in 2020 to 51% in 2022.

Harris said she wanted viewers to change their mindset and stop comparing women’s sport and men’s sport, saying that “the audience needs to learn that it's a different product to men's sport.”

But in terms of turning this changing perception into action, will the world cup have an impact on the participation of women and girls in sport?

Previous World Cups have resulted in rapid participation increases in the sport. After the 2019 Women’s World Cup the Football English Association estimated over 850,00 English women and girls took up football.

In Aotearoa increasing the participation of women in girls in sport has been a major government objective. In 2018 a strategy was launched to address the inequities in women's and girls' expe-riences in sport. The strategy is focused on three outcomes, leadership, participation and values and visibility.

The plan includes campaigns such as #ItsMyMove a campaign to motivate young women to be active in their way. This is also an attempt to challenge the gender participation gap, with girls dropping out of sports as teenagers at higher rates than their male peers. This gap is 17% at age 16 and increases to 28% by the age of 18.

Harris thought that confidence and a fear of being judged is something that often discourages girls from participating in sport and physical activity.

“Lots of girls feel judged literally in every aspect of their life, like at school by their friends walking down the street on social media. So a physical activity setting just needs to be a really safe place for girls to be involved and to do it their way.”

She explained that the aim of participation in sport doesn’t need to be to win saying, “It could be about each of those girls just making small improvements themselves versus, having whatever it shows on the scoreboard.”

The world cup could provide girls with the inspiration to stay in the sport. Although Christchurch has not hosted any games, Women in Sport Waitaha have still tried to harness this spirit.

Together with Christchurch NZ, they organised for a group of a hundred emerging students to have breakfast with the World Cup trophy and a group of inspirational panellists. Although they said it is difficult to know whether they will stay in the sport, it helps the momentum.

“Keeping them involved, whether it's football or whether it's sport in general, it doesn't matter to us. It’s just what that generates for the people for Canterbury.”

Ft: Phillip Borell - Senior Lecturer of Māori and Indigenous Studies

What would you like fresher Phillip to know?

Get amongst it. First year is the time to try all the things. Different papers, different societies. Whatever it is, just get involved. You’ll never get another first year on campus so live it up (responsibly and within legal parameters).

What was your university experience like?

I was lucky to have my good brothers (some of whom are also now lecturers at UC) alongside me for the ride so I was fortunate in that regard. We got pretty immersed in Te Akatoki and that provided a home base for us during our first year on campus. In all fairness, I was a less than diligent student, we all know the motto “C’s get degrees”. I definitely enjoyed the social aspects of my fresher year, probably a bit too much. But I think that’s all a part of settling in.

University life for me was probably not as balanced as it should have been, but I enjoyed the ride and made up for it in post-grad haha. I was a bit of a naughty kid at high school so one of my favourite memories of first year was having some former school mates (using the term loosely, totally not my mates) lose their shit when they saw me on campus as a student. Definitely wasn’t someone they expected to see at UC.

Biggest fresher fail?

Um, shit, there were probably heaps. I don’t think it was first year but my most embarrassing UC moment happened in the gym. Just finished my squats and was taking the plates off the bar. Didn’t consider the physics of it all and took the plates off one side only for the other end of the bar to outweigh everything and fully flip sending the bar and remaining plates flying. Probably didn’t go back to the uni gym for about three months after that.

Best first year memory?

Probably going down to Ōtepoti (Dunedin) with Te Akatoki for Te Huinga Tauira (the national Māori students conference). We hired a bus and loaded it with students and some beersies and made our way down. Back in those days they were far less formal than they are today and effectively a glorified drinking Olympics. But, it was an awesome experience and my first trip out of town in an inter-university setting. From what I remember it was good times all round. I have fond memories of each Te Huinga Tauira that I attended in under-grad.

FLAT FAMOUS

Zac AKA Sorrow

Height: 6ft 2

Worst Habit: Being deaf scrolling through Insta

Quote: "What are you gonna do"

Ethan AKA EJ

Height: 5ft, 1 inch (two measurements)

Worst Habit: Falling for all the boys misso's Quote: "You don't know"

Sam AKA Crispy

Height: 5ft, 10 inches (two measurements)

Worst Habit: Murdering dinner every week

Quote: "That's good footy"

Scott AKA Scoot

Height: 5ft 8

Worst Habit: Never cooking meat for the boys

Quote: "Hello monkeys"

Ben AKA Bags

Height: 6ft 9

Worst Habit: Leading on girls

Quote: " "

Josh AKA Big J

Height: 6ft 2

Worst Habit: Allergic to showers

Quote: "the woke left"

Lucas AKA Gucas

Height: 5ft 11

Worst Habit: Using the dryer on a sunny Saturday

Quote: "What a Murray"

Lucky Dip Lucky Dip

As Canta’s longest running segment we play matchmaker and pair up two lucky UC students to hopefully hit it off on a blind date and record their experiences. Sign yourself or a mate up on our website for some free Rollickin and lovin’.

Here are the raw unedited results of this week’s lucky dippers…

One Side One Side

Let me paint the scene…2pm on what may have been my dustiest Sunday to date, I get a message from my dear friend, the Canta editor, begging me to fill a slot for Lucky Dip because of a last minute pull out (happens to the best of us am I right?) Due to events of the previous night, suffice to say I was suffering from a severe case of hangxiety and I figured perhaps ice cream and shit chat would be a good way to cure this.

I was concerned about the poor quality of small talk I would be able to string together given my state and was worried about the likelihood of providing the worst first impression ever given on earth. Fortunately for me, the conniptions about bad first impressions were alleviated given we had actually met a week earlier through mutual friends at a festival! Some would call it fate, I’d call it the Canta Editor (and graphic designer) tugging on some puppet strings in an attempt to Taylor Swift Mastermind the situation.

Overall, the date was lovely, ice cream was delish as per, and chat from his side was not shit (I am unsure if I will receive the same sentiment but I did the best I could given the circumstances, hope he cuts me some slack!). Highlights of conversation were the subtle plug of his fishing Instagram page, learning about the nightlife that Ashburton allegedly boasts and bonding over a shared love for Irish pubs.

While fishing and Ashburton are topics that generally would cause me to make a sweet escape, I can look past that on this one occasion and inform you all that I am happy to have received the last minute call up from the bench! Great way to cure the old Sunday scares!

The Other Side The Other Side

As a man who lacks in the height department, my first worry was that she was going to be taller than me (I’m five foot seven by the way). Although I am still unsure whether or not I was taller than her, the date started off well. Being escorted to the table upstairs felt fancy and I managed to get through the introduction without stumbling over my words like an absolute fool.

After having met her the prior weekend at White Out, the conversation was destined to return to that topic. Unfortunately we had slightly different recollections of that night. Her memory was of an uneventful but fun gig, followed by a relaxing night in her hotel. Mine however, was a drunken blur, a lost wallet, mishaps with tickets and an eventual visit to the Print Room in Ashburton.

We had some funny conversations about that and some more about her involvement in clubs at university. She seemed to live a busy life and it was interesting to hear about but I felt the conversation almost just meander along. The conversation didn’t seem stale as such but I definitely picked up on some differences between us.

She was a lovely girl and seemed like she could be very fun on a night out but I didn’t feel like we had much of a connection.

Was definitely a unique experience and up the bloody Wahs!

WHAT’S YOUR MAJOR?

Antarctic Studies

Anthropology

Applied Immersive Game Design

Art History and Theory

Astronomy

Biochemistry

Business School

Chemical and Process Engineering

Chemistry

Chinese

Cinema Studies

Civil Engineering

Classics

Communication

Cultural Studies

Data Science

Digital Humanities

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Engineering (Faculty)

English Language

Environmental Science

European and European Union Studies

Financial Engineering

Forest Engineering

Forestry Science

French

Geology

German History

Human Resource Management

Human Services

Industrial Product Design

Japanese

Linguistics

Management

Māori and Indigenous Studies

Marketing

Mathematics

Mechatronics Engineering

Media and Communication

Music

Operations and Supply Chain Management

Performance

Philosophy

Physics

Professional and Community Development

Psychology

Public Health

Russian

Social Work

Sociology

Spanish

Speech and Language Pathology

Statistics

Strategy and Entrepreneurship

Māori Communication Strategy and Practice

Taxation and Accounting

Mātai Te Pou Tonga

Mātauranga Tikanga Tangata

Hoahoatanga Hanga Kēmu

Toi o Nehe, Toi Ariā

Mātai Kōkōrangi

Mātai Matū Koiora

Te Kura Umanga

Pūhanga Matū, Tukanga

Mātai Matū

Haina

Mātai Kiriata

Pūhanga Metarahi

Whakaakoranga Pūawaitanga

Haurapa Kōrero

Mātai Ahurea

Mātauranga Raraunga

Aronui ā-Matihiko

Pūhanga Hiko

Rangai Pūkaha

Reo Ingarihi

Mātai Pūtaiao Aronukurangi

Mātai Uropi

Pūhanga Tahua

Pūhanga Ngahere

Mātauranga Ngahere

Wīwī

Mātai Aronuku

Tiamana

Hītori

Whakahaerenga Pūmanawa Tangata

Ratonga Tangata

Hoahoa Hua Pakihi

Hapāni

Mātai Wetereo

Whakahaere

Tā te Ao Taketake

Whakatairanga

Pāngarau

Pūhanga Kōhikohiko

Mātai Pāpāho

Mātai Puoro

Whakahaere i te Kōkiritnaga me te Taukaea Tuku

Whakaaturanga

Whakaaroaro

Mātai Ahupūngao

Mātai Hoin i te Hapori me te Ringa Ngaio

Mātai Hinengaro

Mātai Hauora ā-Hapori Whānui

Rūhia

Tauwhiro Hapori

Mātauranga Hapori Paniora

Te Reo Kōreo Kia Tika

Tatauranga

Rautaki me te Rakahinonga

Tauwhitinga Māori

Tākehanga me te Kaute

Teacher Education School: Te Kura Whakangungu Kaiako

Te Ao Hākinakina

Te Reo Māori

Youth and Community Leadership

Te Kura

Whakangungu Kaiako

Te Ao Hākinakina

Te Reo Māori

Kaihautūtanga Mātātahi

by Charlotte Thornton (she/her)

Samoan

Sa moan

The largest Pasifika population in New Zealand is Sāmoan… but how many of you can confidently use Sāmoan in everyday conversation? We have collated some basic words to pull into your vocab and learn!

talofa o a mai oe?

good morning, good afternoon, hello etc.

how are you?

tofa

fa

manuia fa' afetai o lo'u igoa o _

ioe

leai

Fine, thank you see you

fa'amolemole please --

bye yes no 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

my name is _

English to Te Reo Crossword

Panga kupu P a n g a k u p u

English to Te Reo Crossword

English to Te Reo Crossword

We've provided you with an English definition of a Te Reo Māori word. Your task is to complete the crossword by filling in the corresponding Te Reo Māori word.

We've provided you with an English definition of a Te Reo Māori word. Your task is to complete the crossword by filling in the corresponding Te Reo Māori word.

We've provided you with an English definition of a Te Reo Māori word. Your task is to complete the crossword by filling in the corresponding Te Reo Māori word.

6 The favourite part of every students year (hint: it's when you're not here)

8 The birds and the bees topic

9 Everyone who pays to go to UC is one

12 Like a good bra for your goals

15 Feeling of unease and worry

Across

5 Friendship!

6 The favourite part of every students year (hint: it's when you're not here)

7 Happiness

8 The birds and the bees topic

6 The favourite part of every students year (hint: it's when you're not here)

7 Happiness

5 Friendship!

8 The birds and the bees topic

6 The favourite part of every students year (hint: it's when you're not here)

9 Everyone who pays to go to UC is one

Down 1 Polite, considerate and in short supply on the internet

2 The feeling that makes thank you notes worth writing

3 Light flakes of snow that melt as they fall

Down

9 Everyone who pays to go to UC is one

11 Christchurch

1 Polite, considerate and in short supply on the internet

12 Like a good bra for your goals

14 A wet dream

15 Feeling of unease and worry

4 Vast expanse of blue mystery, hiding Neptune's treasures

10 Lover by T Swift

13 An audible response to a (good) joke

Down

2 The feeling that makes thank you notes worth writing

3 Light flakes of snow that melt as they fall

1 Polite, considerate and in short supply on the internet

16 LGBT equivalent

4 Vast expanse of blue mystery, hiding Neptune's treasures

12 Like a good bra for your goals

7 Happiness

14 A wet dream

8 The birds and the bees topic

9 Everyone who pays to go to UC is one

16 LGBT equivalent

11 Christchurch

12 Like a good bra for your goals

14 A wet dream

15 Feeling of unease and worry

16 LGBT equivalent

How many words (at least three letters) can you make with the word...

10 Lover by T Swift

Ghost chip

13 An audible response to a (good) joke

2 The feeling that makes thank you notes worth writing

3 Light flakes of snow that melt as they fall

4 Vast expanse of blue mystery, hiding Neptune's treasures

10 Lover by T Swift

13 An audible response to a (good) joke

Virgo

KOKORANGI

KOKORANGI

KOKORANGI

Libra

Aug 23 Sep 22

We love how fearless you are with your atakata (meme) references, and we fully support your chronically online lifestyle babe! Keep it up!

Sagittarius

Nov 22 Dec 21

It’s the month of new things for you! Update your profile pic on Pukamata (Facebook), go to sleep before 12am and put your needs first for once x

Sep 23 Oct 22

Listen up, champ – unless your life goal is to be a professional barfly, maybe ease off on blowing your entire student allowance on waiwaihā (alcohol). Your bank account is sobbing, and your liver is about to send you a breakup text.

Capricorn

Dec 22 Jan 19

Time to give yourself some extra aroha (love) this month! Why not sweep yourself off your own feet and go on a fabulous solo date? You're the best company you could ask for, after all!

Scorpio

Oct 23 Nov 21

Stop turning your waea pūkoro (cellphone) on during lectures –you're shelling out all this cash for what? It's like buying a concert ticket and then humming the songs outside. Stop it.

Aquarius

Jan 20 Feb 18

We can see your eyebags from a mile away. Let’s get rid of that ngenge (tiredness) once and for all! Pop on some ASMR, spray your pillow with some lavender essential oil and hit the mf hay.

Pisces

Feb 19 March 20

Reminder: wearing your dirty kākahu moe (pyjamas) on campus is not a look. If you're gonna keep doing it, do it properly and put on a fresh pair before you walk out that door x

Gemini

May 21 Jun 20

Major applause for your stellar mahi (work) this month! I bet that even your favourite lecturer is impressed. Bravo superstar! You're nailing it!

Aries

March 21 April 19

Have you ever considered giving that wairoro (brain) a workout? It's not just for holding up that hair you impulsively cut at 2am – it's got some serious potential! Stop ghosting your assignment. Get to it!

Cancer

Jun 21 Jul 22

Hey, sleepyhead! Your moenga (bed) is cosy, but your flatmates are starting to think you're a part of the furniture. Time to get some vitamin C ¬– and not from your secret stash of snacks – and show the world you're still among the living. Fresh air: 1, Bed: 0!

Taurus

Apr 20 May 20

It's okay to feel overwhelmed and stressed sometimes, but don’t forget to take care of your hauora hinengaro (mental health)! You deserve to be happy.

Leo

Jul 23 Aug 22

You are waingōhia (talented), brilliant, incredible, amazing, showstopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it xx

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