CANTA ISSUE 2, 2023

CANTA

Editorial Editorial

Pinch me, we are already at the second issue of the year already, crazy. For this edition of the mag, we have decided to do all things Christchurch as some of you are brand new to the city, and well, some of you still have no farking clue what’s going on.

I moved down to Christchurch three years ago from Blenheim, a very small place fully stocked with wine. Christchurch was my very last choice for universities if I’m honest, the place I insisted to my parents “I would never go”. But low and behold here I am happy as Larry.

I can remember moving into halls on the very first day shitting myself and being all fresher freaky getting smoked in the face with a shit ton of surfboards and skis and thinking, oh wow this place is pretty hectic.

However, my opinion changed pretty fast, Christchurch to me is the perfect medium. We aren’t super marginal like Dunners, but still have the party culture. We are pretty flat (ceebs the hills in Wellington). And we have a shit ton of open space, grass, and trees unlike Auckland. Christchurch to me is pretty mean.

We are a driving distance away to the beach and to the mountains which is nuts. When it gets to the end of winter, you’ll have half your mates skiing at Mt Hutt whilst the others are swimming at Sumner.

All plugging aside Christchurch has been through the ringer. Our region has experienced a ridiculous amount of tragedy and adversity, which has turned into its defining

character. Rather than being defined by these events, we should be defined by the strength our region showed through those times. We all live in a bloody strong place.

As for us, we are not just the student media for the University of Canterbury, but for the whole of Otautahi, our sole purpose is to make each and every one of you feel like Christchurch is your home. Canta should be like having marginal chats to a mate, not being told of by your mum.

We have included some pretty exciting content in this issue from interviews with local student bands, sick places that are still on the down-low, chats with some local legends and even a wee piece from the man, the myth, the legend, PM Chris Hipkins.

This brings me to where I signed off last time, we are YOUR student media so use us. Send us funny shit, a story, some sick photos of your mates partying or adventuring, some doodles, anything! We want it.

Enjoy your year in Ōtautahi, make the bloody most of it, get out of bed and go have some fun. You are only a uni student once.

Get amongst it you good things.

Go hard or go home, Your 2023 Managing Editor, Maddy Croad

CANTA-lender CANTA-lender

Chris Hipkins Says Hey!

Editors Note: This is an unedited piece from the Prime Minister. Canta does not hold any political position.

Kia ora everyone and welcome to what I’m sure is going to be a fantastic semester at the University of Canterbury!

It’s already been a busy start to the year, and so as classes get underway again for 2023, I wanted to briefly introduce myself, and wish you all the best for your studies.

It’s been an incredible privilege to become the Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand and, along with the rest of the Labour team here in Government, I’m focused on doing all I can to make life easier for Kiwis – including students.

It’s been a few years now since I was at university, where I served as president of Victoria University’s Students’ Association, but I remember how much of a struggle it can be trying to juggle studies, part time work and social commitments. Much of my time at university was spent advocating for students, and it’s something I’ve continued into my working life and my job here in the Beehive.

Right now, I know things are particularly tough for many people. The cost of living is one of the biggest pressures students are facing, and I want to ensure you can focus on your education, without stressing about power bills or the price of groceries. Easing the cost pressures on New Zealanders is our Government’s number one priority, and we’re doing what we can to help.

I know many of you will have jobs alongside your studies, and you might be earning the minimum wage. To help ease the pressure, we’ve just announced an increase to the minimum wage in line with inflation, so you can expect a little more in your pay check from April.

Getting to class and to work can be another big strain on finances, especially if you don’t live on campus. To make getting around more affordable, we’ve extended the fuel tax cut, road user charges discount and half price public transport until 30 June. Hopefully this will also help to make life a bit easier this semester.

These measures are just a start, and I’m committed to continuing to support students and tackle those big issues like the cost of living. We’ll have plenty more to say on this in the coming weeks and months, but I’m always keen to hear from you about the challenges you’re facing, and the changes you want to see in your community. If you’d like to share your ideas, drop me an email at chris.hipkins@parliament.govt.nz or reach out on social media.

For me, there’s no doubt that my student years were some of my favourites. There’s nothing like that mixture of excitement, anticipation, and nerves that comes with the start of each university year - particularly so as a first time student.

always changes see of to of we’ll

As you get stuck into this year, I’d encourage you to take every opportunity that comes your way, work hard, take the time to enjoy yourself - and of course enrol to vote in this year’s election! On our side, we’ll keep doing everything we can to make things a little easier, so you can focus on the important stuff.

Presidents Piece Presidents Piece

Kia ora koutou,

I hope you have all enjoyed the weeks that have passed. It has been a busy time, but no doubt an enjoyable one. I particularly loved seeing so many students back on campus. It’s the first time in a while that we’ve all been able to come together and I hope that it is a sign of things to come for the year ahead!

As the year begins in earnest, you’ll have hopefully settled down into a good routine of study for the semester ahead. If you haven’t yet – that is alright too! However, now is the time to be nailing down those habits, sorting out the calendar, and plotting a map of the assignments that will be coming down the track.

A few tips and tricks from a seasoned student:

1. Where you can, make sure to attend lectures and tutorials in person! It is still the best way to learn, and connect with others in your classes who you can learn from aswell.

2. If you do need to miss classes (it will happen – fresher flu is a real thing), lecture recordings can be a great safety net. However, make sure you watch them as soon as possible after the lecture. This allows you to stay engaged with your courses and not fall behind. A plea from personal experience – don’t let the recordings pile up – it is super stressful, and is a recipe for disaster as they are not binge-watchable.

3. Find someone or a group who you can study with – sometimes having a chat with a person/ people who are doing what you are doing is the best way to unpack concepts, revise for tests, and even just to make the process of studying fun.

4. Map out those assignments – you may find that many assignments will fall towards the end of the term. Planning ahead now can really help mitigate stress when the crunch time comes. It could look like chipping away on some parts early, it could look like a visually expansive to do list, it could just be reminders on your phone...just do whatever works for you to stay on top of things.

5. Linked to everything above; pace yourself and look after your wellbeing. Uni can get busy, but you have the capacity to succeed. Be sure to take breaks during work, and make time for socialising and other activities. Give yourself some space to breath. If you are struggling, there are support services available across uni, from UCSA, to Kaitoko advisors, to student care, and much more. Your lectures are also able to help if you need advice around course work or assignments.

As I touched on above, campus is full at the moment. While this is great to see, the flow on from this is that housing around UC is currently in very high demand, and some students are still struggling to find a home for the year. If you need help, the UCSA has support that can be accessed, in particular for first years and returning international students.

Finally, Christchurch PRIDE is coming up between the 10th and the 19th of March! During this time our beautiful city will be awash with events and activations celebrating our rainbow whānau. I strongly encourage you to get involved, and we will be sharing info on events as the week nears. Qcanterbury have some awesome events planned for pride, and we have some awesome events planned too - so watch this space.

Thats all from me, have a great few weeks!

Pierce

Tumuaki Piece Tumuaki Piece

Kia Ora e te whānau, Nau mai ki te mārama o Maehe,

There have been many changes and mahi within our Māori Community here in Waitaha.

A change of advocacy has happened to our Māori Community on campus. Sadly, due to the unjust disestablishment of Te Waka Pākākano we have seen a shift of how our Māori community operates. We are sad to see some of our amazing staff go and wish them the best on their journey. Sincerest regards to Jeanine Tamati-Elliffe, who has been at UC for many years, has helped all spaces across campus improve biculturally and has been a massive support system for Te Akatoki and all tauira Māori. She was a mum to us all and is always invited to the BBQ!

Rīpeka Tamanui-Hurunui has been an absolute superstar for engagement and communications with our tauira. She helped the UC community navigate through COVID-19 and provided so much information and support to all tauira in this time. Rīpeka has been a part of UC for many years and has shown nothing but manaaki and shared some dad jokes to us all. An aunty to us all and invited back for her great singing skills as always.

Te Akatoki send their aroha and mihi to all kaimahi of Te Waka Pākākano, you have created a safe places for us all here at UC, and we will make sure to carry on your legacy to make UC and Waitaha a safe space for all rangatahi Māori.

Moving forward Te Akatoki will work closely with our UC Māori kaimahi and Te Pūtaiki to keep our Māori Community strong here at UC. We will also be working closely with CUSSA, CUTSA, UCSA and the UC Disabled Students’ Society to ensure we bring the best outcomes for all tauira across UC.

The Māori Community in Waitaha have also been busy preparing their roopū for Te Matatini 2023.

Te Matatini is the national Kapa Haka competition that was held in Tāmaaki Makaurau (Auckland). The name was given by Professor Wharehuia Milroy, Te Mata meaning ‘face’ and tini meaning ‘many’ - hence Te Matatini (many faces). This is an opportunity for each roopū from different regions to come together to celebrate and encourage the speaking of te reo Māori.

From our Waitaha region we have 3 roopū:

Te Ahikaaroa

Te Poutūmārō

Ngā Manu a Tāne

Each roopū brought something different and unique to the stage and had some of our Te Akatoki members stand with them.

Kiti Te Maire Brennan - Te Poutūmārō

Amiria Reid and Hineamaru Paraone - Te Ahikaaroa

Danielle Baleilevuka and Paige Columbus - Ngā Manu a Tāne

Big mihi to our tauira for their time, mahi and dedication. He manawa piharau. Stay tuned on our social media for our weekly kaupapa and sports!

Instagram: @teakatoki

Facebook: Te Akatoki

Email: teakatoki2020@gmail.com

Ngā manaakitanga, Anna

Canta news.

Canta news.

Is Cycle Gabrielle Yet Another Climate Change Wake-up Call?

Maddy Croad (she/her)

Earlier this year in mid-February, New Zealand called a national state of emergency alongside the arrival of Cyclone Gabrielle. This was just the third time it has been called in NZ history.

Following widespread destruction and damage brought on by Gabrielle, fingers pointed to the gradual worsening of climate change.

Weeks prior to the cyclone, abnormally intense flooding hit the Auckland region when it experienced over a month’s worth of rain in 24-hours.

Cyclone Gabrielle followed not long after the flooding, and brought on devastation, loss of homes, evacuations, and deaths.

National leader, Christopher Luxon spoke about climate changes’ impact on the event, expressing that he had “no doubt” that the event was due to our deteriorating climate.

“If you’re a climate change denier at the moment or even a minimalist, I just don’t understand how you can hold that position to be honest” said Luxon.

Many political leaders followed suit, with New Zealand climate change minister James Shaw making a speech in

parliament, expressing his anger and sadness towards the issue.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt as sad or as angry about the lost decades we spent bickering and arguing about whether climate change was real or not” Shaw expressed.

“It is clearly here now, and if we do not act, it will get worse.”

About a third of the country’s population resided in the affected areas of Auckland, Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Ōpotiki, Waikato, Hauraki, Whakatane, and Hawke’s Bay. With wild weather seen as far as Wellington.

As of the 27th of February, the death toll sat at eleven, including a child and two volunteer firefighters.

Tens of thousands remained without power, phone, and internet, leaving them uncontactable. Resulting in many with families in the affected areas, unable to get a hold of their loved ones.

It is hard to say how long it will take for these North Island regions to recover from this event, but with roads and houses demolished and uninhabitable many will struggle for months to come.

Riccarton Mall Closes Down More Stores

Beccy Arnold (she/her)

Westfield Riccarton, the largest shopping mall in the South Island, has closed at least five retail stores in the past year alone and over 18 stores in the past three years.

The recent disappearance of popular retailers such as Witchery, Gynetique, Quicksilver and Seed have not gone unnoticed with much of the upstairs section of Westfield Riccarton now boarded up.

As Christchurch’s’ city centre continues to flourish and grow in popularity with the emergence of Riverside Market, is Riccarton mall losing its lustre?

An article by Livia Gershon, “The Rise and Fall of the Shopping Mall”, illustrates that as New Zealand becomes more populated, people spread out further from the city centre resulting in the decentralisation of major cities. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, people were displaced from the inner-suburbs and large parts of the CBD was red-zoned. Hence, people moved outwards into outer-suburbs and the surrounding towns.

As outlined by Sally Murphy in her article, “Christchurch City Fringe Suburbs See Huge Growth 10 Years Since Quake”. Retailers have followed this trend, establishing themselves in malls and standalone shopping centres.

As Christchurch begins to thrive and rebuild itself, plenty of people are beginning to move back into and around the CBD, with retailers wanting to be a part of the new Christchurch city scene.

A few retailers such as Witchery initially began with stores in Westfield Riccarton and the city centre but have since closed their mall location to just have their city store. The nascent popularity of the city centre is rising, not just with locals but with tourists since the opening of the New Zealand border in July of 2022.

So really, the closures in Riccarton mall and other shopping centres in Christchurch are not surprising when considering the global economy, oncoming and imminent threats of a national recession and a strong emphasis on rebuilding the city to its former glory.

Though stores like Seed and Witchery return to the people of Christchurch at other locations, others are not as lucky, such as Gynetique and Quiksilver who have completely vanished from the city.

With the extended number of store closures at Riccarton and the looming recession hovering over New Zealand, you might find an increasing number of boarded up stores on your next visit.

2023 Election Campaign Heats up in Ilam

Campaigning in Ilam is already heating up with three frontrunner candidates declared to contest the electorate of which the University of Canterbury’s campus is located.

Incumbent Ilam Labour Party MP Sarah Pallet, new National Party candidate Dr Hamish Campbell, and The Opportunities Party leader Raf Manji have all announced that they will contest the seat.

The traditionally blue seat is expected to be a tight race. MP Sarah Pallet, who won the seat during the ‘red wave’ of 2020, took the seat from long time Ilam National MP Gerry Brownlee who had held it since 1996. Brownlee has since been representing Ilam on the National Party list, however, recently announced he would not be contesting the seat in 2023.

The new National candidate Dr Hamish Campbell, without the same profile as Brownlee or the other candidates, has his work cut out for him to take back the long held National seat.

TOP leader Raf Manji, who has a long history in Ilam, has seen this as the TOP’s chance to get past the 5% threshold needed to get into parliament. With an electorate seat, TOP could get through with the ‘coat- tailing rule’ with the rest of the party vote transferred into list seats, that they otherwise would not have due to the threshold. The candidates would therefore be riding into parliament on the proverbial ‘coat tails’ of a colleague who wins an electorate.

In the 2020 election, the Māori Party benefitted from the rule, with MP Rawiri Waititi winning the Māori electorate seat of Waiariki. This brought Co-leader MP Debbie Ngarewa-Packer into parliament on the party’s list, despite only polling 1.2 percent of the party vote. With such a tight race expected who are the frontrunner candidates?

Incumbent MP Sarah Pallet moved to Christchurch in 2004,

and is a former midwifery lecturer and Union President. 62nd on the Labour list, Pallet sits on the health select committee and the petitions select committee. She is also Chair of the Labour Women’s caucus, and a member of the Cross-Party NZ Antarctic Parliamentary Group. In a press statement after her re-selection, Pallet said she was delighted to have the opportunity to, “once again represent Ilam” and “had worked tirelessly for the local community.”

National Party Candidate Dr Hamish Campbell is a medical researcher and currently is the Deputy Head of Research for an Australian-based not-for-profit. Campbell is involved in a family orchard and co-runs a flower delivery business. In a statement Campbell said it was an honour to be selected to represent Ilam where he had grown up and now lives.

“Only a National government can competently manage the economy, address the cost-of-living crisis, bolster public services that deliver for Kiwis and take New Zealand forward.”

TOP Party leader Raf Manji is a former economist who served two-terms as city councillor. Manji ran for the Ilam electorate in 2017 as an independent, coming second with 24% of the vote. He is also a founding member of the Student Volunteer Army, as well as working for the Human Rights Commission and the NZ Police Assurance and Risk Committee. At his campaign launch, Manji said that he wanted to give a strong voice to Christchurch, pledging to bring Christchurch to Wellington. He saw Ilam electing a party leader as their local MP, as giving its constituents unique access to being heard.

Other candidates to contest the seat include Chris O’Brien, New Conservative Party’s spokesman on pro-life issues.

The Green Party and ACT Party are also expected to select candidates in the coming months.

Waitangi Day Speeches Take a Lighter Tone

Despite key questions such as co-governance, race relations and treaty settlements, speeches at Waitangi this year have taken a lighter tone.

Waitangi Day is one of the biggest dates on the political calendar, and more so this year with an election approaching. It is a chance for political parties to focus on Māori issues and the future of the Māori-Crown relationship.

This year there was a focus by hosts to shift the political debate away from the Waitangi Day morning pōwhiri.

It was part of a concentrated effort by the Waitangi National Trust to focus the event on commemoration and unity. The Trust had concerns that heated debate on treaty issues could be racially divisive and detrimental to Māori.

Political leaders gathered at Te Tii Marae on the eve of Waitangi Day to speak as they were formally welcomed to Waitangi.

In his speech, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called for New Zealanders to not be fearful of discussions around the treaty and the history behind it.

The government has also faced heated debate over its three waters program and the involvement of ‘co-governance.’

Since Hipkins took office, he has taken steps to take the heat out of the debate.

The PM added that he was proud to have introduced a new history curriculum when he was Education Minister.

When it came to inequality, the PM said he would never accept inequitable health, education, and economic outcomes.

Opposition leader Christopher Luxon said that it was his hope that all iwi that wished too, could finalise settlements with the crown by 2030.

He said that the National party would work faithfully with groups to achieve that goal.

In his speech he also commented that he was impressed by the success of Māori business’s and wanted to see that story told.

“We’re all invested in each other’s success because we’re in it together,” Luxon said.

Even with their lighter tone, the speeches highlighted the central role Māori issues will play in the upcoming election.

Matteo Zhang (he/him)

Matteo Zhang (he/him)

The Recap The Recap

Catastrophic Earthquake Hits Turkey and Syria

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria has brought on widespread devastation and has left thousands dead, in yet another humanitarian disaster.

The earthquake struck early morning on the 6th of February, whilst many people were in their homes. The death toll is likely to continue to rise, with many of the quake affected regions in Syria yet to update official death counts.

Millions have been displaced by the quakes with cold weather making life even harder for survivors.

More than 84,000 buildings have either collapsed or were severely damaged in the quake. The high death toll has been blamed on poor construction standards and unenforced building codes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has faced public scrutiny by what some are calling a slow response to the disaster. Help did not reach many in Turkey until days after the quake struck, for those trapped under rubble it was too late.

In Syria rescue efforts have been hampered by the ongoing civil war. For both countries, international aid is slowly ramping up with rescue crews and assistance packages being sent.

Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon Shot Down

A US fighter jet has shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean after it traversed the continental United States.

The balloon, which carried an array of communications and surveillance equipment the size of three buses, first entered US airspace through Canada. China has denied the allegations that the balloons purpose was to spy, and that it was instead a meteorological balloon blown off course.

American officials said that the balloon could maneuver itself and that the equipment onboard could collect and geo-locate signals. While mutual surveillance is often carried out by all states, the clear breach of American air space and territorial integrity makes this situation different.

The balloon incident has strained relations between the US and China, resulting in a meeting between Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yito be postponed. Since then, the two have met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

Cost of Produce Set to Increase

The impact of tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is expected to have a significant impact on New Zealand’s economy with the cost of produce expected to increase.

The Cyclone moved down the North Island leaving devastation in its wake, particularly in the Hawkes Bay and Gisborne regions. Thousands are still without power or water, with even those who do have access on strict restrictions.

A statement by the Agricultural Minister, Damien O’Connor, said that the cost of annual produce in NZ was expected to increase. Farmers have seen crops completely wiped out by flood waters and milk collection halted by destroyed roads.

“It will impact on their ability to get the crops off to harvest and the ability to get a lot of that produce into the New Zealand markets.” O’Conner said.

“There will be some shortages in some areas and that probably will affect prices, but at this stage it’s hard to know when and where those impacts might be felt.”

So far, the government has announced a $4 million support package for farmers and rural communities, more is expected to come with the finance minister signaling budget adjustments to assist the recovery.

Former Fijian PM Suspended from Parliament for Three Years over Coup Comments

Former Fijian Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, has been thrown out of and suspended from Fiji’s parliament after a speech, in which he called for military intervention.

In the divisive speech, Bainimarama criticised the president, the house of Parliament, and the new prime minister. He accused the government of destroying constitutional democracy and called for the military to act.

The comments by Bainimarama who was PM for 16 years after leading a military coup in Fiji in 2006, sparked outrage. In Suva, fears of a return to the dark days of Fiji’s political instability and coups have resulted in a strong response by parliament.

The parliamentary privileges committee found the speech to be in breach of standing orders, with the comments being described as “seditious”.

0tautahi Malls Ranked by Student Friendliness 0tautahi Malls Ranked by Student Friendliness

By far the closest mall to UC campus, Westfield is also the largest in Christchurch. Glassons, H&M, and Cotton On make up the staple fashion stores, with Dangerfield as a bonus for Lego collectors and former Glee fans. Can’t go wrong with Hoyts, Timezone, or EB Games either, and JB Hi-Fi only grows more powerful by the day. Plenty of UC students flat in the area, and whatever it is you need, Westfield has it. (Literally. It has two Shamiana restaurants.)

Stirling Sports ram-raid aside; The Palms is an underrated Christchurch fixture. It boasts a memorably overwhelming Chemist Warehouse and the cheapest cinema in the city, which really is enough for me to grow fond of it. It isn’t very close to campus, but it is the home mall of many students living on the East side, and with a youthful set of shops and a varied food court, the demographic skews younger than Barrington or Northlands. And there’s Cosmic. For, you know, stuff. I highly recommend following their incredibly sincere TikTok, but I’ll never forgive them for getting rid of Subway.

The Colombo is one of Christchurch’s most unique malls, anchored by a Smiths City and supported by a food court. The price range is steeper than might be ideal, but The Colombo earns points for its two most special offerings: Nordic Chill, which stocks IKEA products, and its nearby Catnap Café, which is single-handedly responsible for my personal wellbeing. No, I don’t see many undergrads flocking to Redcurrent, but my gut tells me to prioritise the cats.

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The food court gives me choice paralysis. The layout gets me lost every single time I’m there. The smell of LUSH Cosmetics can give me a migraine in less than a minute. But then there’s the flattering lighting, an all-ages appeal, and its proximity to UC. I’m torn. Northlands is one of the most browsable malls in Christchurch but therefore one of the biggest time sinks, so I can’t rank it much higher. If you ask me, it’s a little light on the ‘student’ and a little heavy on the ‘friendly’.

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A Merivale Mall for music lovers, The Tannery’s most notable establishment is the intimate gig space Blue Smoke. Students flock to its Recycle Boutique, which beats the Central City location in layout but makes no improvement on price – for renters and StudyLink callers, I’d suggest thrift stores on the thriftier side. The Tannery has the most beautiful interior design of the entire list, but with no supermarket, no chemist, and no electronics store, it’s a little too “large gift shop” to act as a neighbourhood staple.

If you’re looking for a mall for the youth, this is where it ends. Barrington is known for an elderly customer base, reflected in its low-stakes store offerings like Life Immigration Consulting, the Majestic Tea Bar, and CKC & Associates Chartered Accountants. I doubt many students are hustling to the next Sassy’s sale but Barrington climbs to the top with a truly outstanding Warehouse, in which I have spent many hours wandering the aisles trying to waste $15. There’s also the last Brumby’s left in Canterbury, so grab a Marmite scroll before you can’t anymore. Bring your grandma.

I really tried to fight for this one. Eastgate is my home mall, my childhood mall, and I will defend her with my life. But unless you’re seeking groceries, medical care, or the harshest fluorescent lighting you’ll ever see in a library, there really isn’t much here for a student. Eastgate never properly recovered from the earthquakes, but it did maintain its most important facets: a huge Warehouse, a huge Countdown, and a huge McDonalds. It’s too far from campus and too lacking in fun to bump it up higher on the list, but in my eyes, Eastgate is a mall for the people. My God, what a parking lot.

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I have some serious beef with this mall. As a Linwood kid I’ll admit I do go in with some judgement, but in my defence, Merivale is not for me. You know who Merivale is for – starch-collared real estate agents, bartenders with film cameras etc. If you’re any of those people, go for your life. But if you’re not, there’s nothing Merivale has that Barrington doesn’t. And Barrington has a Pizza Hut.

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RIP. Okay, South City isn’t dead, technically, but it might as well be. Since the losses of New World in 2017 and The Warehouse last August, the big SC has lost its rep as a reliable, unglamorous fixture of the Central City. The price point of the stores is fine, but it’s so depressing to even exist inside of South City that I’d suggest shopping literally anywhere else.

Westfield

Charlotte Thornton (she/her)

The Palms

Northlands

The Colombo

The Tannery

Eastgate

Barrington

Merivale

South City

SHIFTing Sands

Charlotte Thornton (she/her)

Soon to Be Refurbished Museum Embraces Progression

Canterbury Museum is getting a new coat of paint…or a few.

With a major refurbishment on the horizon, projected to take five years, the Museum asked more than sixty artists to run wild on its newly empty walls and opened a seventy-threeday exhibition titled ‘SHIFT: Urban Art Takeover’. It’s a shame it’s so short-term, but somewhat fitting in its own way; on their website, it’s described as “art that will soon disappear as suddenly as it appeared”. The ticket price, $25 for adults and $15 for students, quickly earned complaints and did shut out much of the audience that should be seeing SHIFT. None of the funds go to the artists featured, but it really is one hell of a re-development. It does allow an opportunity for creative freedom for artists, rarely acknowledged by museums and galleries. But of all the exhibitions that could boost early funding, why street art?

A practical reason is versatility. Street art is an inherently resourceful medium, finding its way around buildings and alleyways with ease. Rather than unloading containers full of heavy framed paintings or only showcasing certain items from the collection, the Museum opted to embrace the strangeness of the whole endeavour and gave all the wall space to artists accustomed to flexible, temporary work. It’s also a smart choice, due its appeal to a younger crowd, and its recent appraisal as a fixture of Aotearoa cities.

Street art is controversial, its origin being stemmed from illegal activity, but as a result it’s wholly unique. It’s never been limited by societal expectations or the approval of higher-ups, and as a result has been dismissed by scholars and artists alike.

In the 2000s, wealthy white people caught on when Banksy combined politically charged guerrilla artwork with an identity-blurring gimmick and sold pieces to Hirst loving art collectors. In the years since, street art has become more appreciated by a wider audience, and in Aotearoa, more frequently commissioned than condemned.

Notably, Ōtautahi became the street art capital of New Zealand when much of the central city was damaged in the 2011 earthquake. Since many structures were being demolished or fenced away, street art took over, popping up and down as walls did. The artistic culture of post-quake Ōtautahi has been shaped by these works which reflect its ever-changing nature. In 2022, the ten-day street art festival FLARE sought to “reclaim Christchurch’s global status as a street art capital” and gave seven artists the freedom to paint whatever they wished. SHIFT is a different beast, with varying lighting, challenging architecture, and artists in the dozens. However, it is an admirable choice for a museum with a reputation for stuffy, outdated exhibits.

The Museum has faced significant backlash over the years for its inaccurate and reductive portrayals of Māori history. Personally, I have found its dominant focus on the colonizer narrative to be more puzzling with each passing year, and at a certain point, inexcusable. Especially with the shifts of other Aotearoa museums; notably, the Christchurch Art Gallery “Te Puna o Waiwhetū,” across the road, which has featured several gorgeous exhibitions with powerful statements on complacency and ignorance.

Last year, as a part of the Māori Moving Image exhibition, the Gallery featured “Treasures Left by our Ancestors”. This was a deeply powerful 2016 video artwork about an offensive Canterbury Museum exhibit which presented an inaccurate and reductive depiction of pre-colonisation for a Māori family. For four minutes and forty seconds, artist Ana Iti (Te Rarawa) crouches to connect with the figures in the diorama and ignores chattering passersby.

After the debut of this work, it took four more years to partially obscure the exhibit – and not the similarly offensive ones that were just feet away. It took another two to remove it. With a recent history like this, the Museum needs to make a commitment to honesty, accountability, and inclusion in its future, and SHIFT suggests this change is on the horizon.

There’s diversity in gender, race, and notoriety for the artists chosen, but there’s also diversity in style – Margarita Vovna uses bright colours and sharp detail to display a collection of treasures, Drows highlights traditional graffiti lettering and Māori iconography, and Jonny Waters’ piece on the staircase is an abstract take on the space’s urgency.

I’m excited to see which artists will be highlighted in future. But for the Museum to paint a truthful and comprehensive picture of Waitaha, Canterbury, there will always need to be Indigenous, female, queer, trans, and immigrant perspectives in the curating process. Museums are built on telling stories; when it returns, it needs to allow people to tell their own.

Fifteen Laps Around the Lake

Maddy Croad (she/her)

Once university came to an end in 2022, most students threw up their books in celebration, planning their new year’s plans, drinking journeys, and cracking open a fresh can from the fridge.

Student George Glover decided that instead, he might go for a swim… a 300km one.

The 20-year-old third year University of Canterbury student has been fighting and fundraising for mental health ever since he was 16 and hasn’t slowed down since.

His resume boasts an abundance of money raising endeavors, all of which people doubted him for, and all of which he exceeded expectations.

However, this time around Glover decided that he was ready to tackle something bigger, as the issue of mental health funding and lack thereof was growing day to day.

He met this goal with ease. Raising over a whopping $130,000 for the mental health charity “I Am Hope”. $30,000 over his aim.

When I asked Glover about his “why” he simply responded that it wasn’t about the money or the challenge, rather the people and individuals that it brought together.

When it came to why mental health was his charity of choice, he simply said that “blokes just don’t talk enough.”

Men’s mental health has been a particularly bad issue in New Zealand, an issue that Glover has worked hard to start pitching away at. Through his fundraising but also in the work he carried out as president of the charity “Lads without Labels” on the university campus.

For his swim however, Glover decided to pair up with the well-known Kiwi charity “I Am Hope”, headed by Mike King.

Over the past year, King has expressed his anger towards

the government through the media, and has had every right to. Around $100,000 covers a mere week of counselling, with Glover expressing that King would have to “find the other 51 weeks’ worth.”

Glover spoke about the immense heart that King puts into his charity; “he has people that are in their dark place just messaging him and he’s got the time for it, he makes the time for it “ Glover said. “Everybody slags him off as this loud Māori, but holy he is onto it.”

With both Glover and King having an unfounded passion and work ethic towards mental health, it seemed like the natural pairing for the undertaking Glover had in mind.

When Glover came up with the idea for the swim he originally wanted to swim from Christchurch back to his home town of Blenheim, a total of 300km along the coast. However with weather becoming a debilitating factor with seven meter swells and 40 knot gales he had to re-think his plan last minute.

That’s when he and his team settled on Lake Rotoiti.

“From there it was like right, let’s keep the distance” Glover explained. “I think the perfect length for a vacation is eight days, so you know, we decided we’d do it in seven and a half.”

With the timeframe of the swim shortened the workload went up, an increase that many would think is crazy. “It was like swimming a marathon each day… in 12 hours” Glover said as if it was normal.

A goal like that also had to be presented to those closest to Glover, his family. When asked what his families reaction was George stated that they did call him a bit of a “fucking weirdo”, however accepted what he wanted to do and immediately started working to help him achieve it.

“You need to get the right people around you that will say, let’s give it a crack” explained Glover. “People that won’t tell you you’re nuts off the bat, but will tell you when you need to pick your feet up.”

These “people” were a key part of Glovers process and were vital to his own mental health, especially with the workload and toll the swim was having on his body.

IRBS, support boats, other swimmers, and mulit-sporters all joined Glover for his swim. As well as helping him stick to his gruelling schedule.

“We would be up at 4:30” Glover explained. “Then I’d walk down to put my wetsuit on and would be in the water by 5:30.”

“The sun doesn’t really start to warm up for another two hours, so you’ve got a couple of hours of being cold and unable to swim fast.”

Alongside his swimming Glover would have what he referred to as “race feeds”, consisting of scooping creamed rice and water into his mouth whilst in the water. Until he finished his morning swims at 11:30.

From there Glover would shower, eat, and get a rubdown from one of his support crew. Then he would try to get a couple of hours sleep. “I’d be up again at 4:00, in the water again at 5:30” said Glover. Where he would do it all again.

Although the conversation Glover was having with me was relaxed in nature, the swim sounded like the complete opposite. “I was staring

“As soon as I felt my brain going towards the attitude of ‘this is so shit’, I actually had to pull myself back”

at the bottom of the lake for 12 hours a day which is fucking boring” Glover said. “I was only getting around four hours of sleep a day, and would start each swim on around 200 milligrams of caffeine."

As expected the swim wasn’t all smooth sailing and tight schedules, with Glover encountering injury and unfavourable conditions early on.

A couple of days into the swim a physio went down to the lake, however there was nothing much he could do for Glover other than pain relief. “There’s no way you can take pressure off your joints apart from changing the type of stroke you do” explained Glover. “There was three to four different freestyle strokes I went through throughout the swim. That equalled I think around 200,000230,000 by the end of it,” he said like it was a normal daily activity.

As if the toll on Glovers body wasn’t enough, the weather also didn’t play ball over the week long swim. “We had quite a bit of rain on day three, day four and half of day five” said Glover. This caused the lake to get down to a biting twelve degrees, causing Glover to get pulled from the water.

“The crew were like, if you are going to make seven days, you need to rethink what you’re wearing. So after that I started wearing a balaclava and a neoprene vest just for warmth”.

With challenges and roadblocks of that magnitude, it had to be questioned whether Glover ever doubted himself, and thought he wouldn’t finish. He confided that on day three he had those thoughts, “that was shit” he said shaking his head. “I think I disassociated a bit”.

“As soon as I felt my brain going towards the attitude of ‘this is so shit’, I actually

had to pull myself back.”

The mental pressure of the swim was only enhanced by the fact that at the root of it, Glover is a 20 year old at university. A demographic that is usually defined by binge drinking and partying. When I asked George whether he got any “FOMO” (fear of missing out) from the intense training and preparation he did over the new year’s period he instantly responded “fuck yeah”.

“I was trying not to drink for the last half of last year” he explained. “That did not work at all, I was doing 7:00am ‘I love you mans’ on Tea Party.”

Glover made it clear that that was still vital to his process. “You’ve got to do that though, unless you’d lose yourself” he mentioned. “You have to have a bit of balance with the sacrifice”.

study spaces on campus. Focused specifically on peer counselling and mental wellbeing.

“Maybe they have got that” Glover acknowledged, “but I can’t see it and that’s the barrier.”

“I think they have their counsellors and all that jazz, but I haven’t been able to find them in that labyrinth of links on their website.”

“It’s all about accessibility” he urged.

Glover also mentioned the work that he and Lads without Labels are embarking on this year, when it comes to counselling for students. “We are trying to tee up free counselling as a supplementary service to the health centre” said Glover. “Cos they are just bogged down.”

After talking with George about his goals, achievements and plans he mentioned that he has only just realised what he has done, “it’s taken two weeks for it to sink in” he said, still in a bit of disbelief.

When it comes to the completion of his swim, and a successful $130,000 raised, the knock on effects have to be questioned.

The strain on services offered and lack of accessibility to these services, especially for young people, has been lacking in the past years within the NZ system. And this has translated into universities.

When asked what he wants to see from the university Glover expressed that he has a “whole list of shit”, too long to talk about. But one of the main things he would like to see, would be a space for students to go other than

“I was reading the follow up media on the Coast to Coast and it was a 243km race, you look at that stat and it’s like… fuck.”

Despite the shock of his latest accomplishment, Glover was still adamant he would do something else in the future, “it’ll be bigger” he said with no traces of sarcasm in his voice.

“I was naïve enough to start this one and stubborn enough to finish it, I’ve gotta find that naivety again.”

“I was naïve enough to start this one and stubborn enough to finish it, I’ve gotta find that naivety again”

Sounds of the City

Tim Smith (he/him)

Alt-rock quartet Tealskie liken their musical growth to exploring a tonal jungle and uncovering their expansive sound in its vast depths. However, when it comes to wading through the rhythmic tropics, the journey is equally as important as the results for this Ōtautahi outfit.

Tealskie was initially a solo act founded by now lead singer, Rebekah Pemberton. Equipped with a laptop and a parked car as a makeshift studio, Rebekah brought the Tealskie persona into the world and released her debut single PARASITE, a track forged from a passion for 90s grunge.

PARASITE exudes a crisply produced, hostile energy. The layered array of guitars gives the track a shoegaze-esque feel while the rubbery bassline and vehement vocals stay true to the turn-of-thecentury punk influence.

Off the back of the single’s success, Rebekah landed her first gig through music showcasing company Breaking Sound. To do so though, she required a few more hands on deck. A pair of those extra hands belonged to drummer and old high school friend Josh Heslop. It didn’t take long to fill out the lineup, as guitarist Tim Miller and bassist Liam Wilkie were

quick to follow.

Cementing their status as a band, Josh cites their debut gig as his favourite moment with Tealskie so far. Now with four creative minds behind the wheel, Tealskie’s sound began to evolve as the boys brought in a Red Hot Chilli Peppers inspired flair.

Tealskie’s second single (the first with all four band members) was produced through RDU’s Ōtautahi Music Access Programme. Flown Away is a departure from the temper of PARASITE, instead building upon a more relaxed and airy foundation while weaving a mystified moodiness into the track. The highlight here for me has to be the guitar where Tim makes it absolutely sing, with a beautiful riff that practically doubles as a verse of its own.

Performing live is the pride and joy of the band. They truly believe in creating an immersive and intimate experience at their gigs and want their setlists to feel like a journey. 2023 should be another big year for the newcomers as Tealskie looks to branch out around Aotearoa and rock out everywhere.

IG: @tealskie.wav

Having grown up on R&B, music has always been a constant for neo-soul artist Tuseka Njoko. From as young as four years old, she’s not only had a passion for enjoying music but also for creating it. When it comes to song writing, she believes that it’s all about inciting a feeling, whether that be a personal joy that we hold to ourselves or one we share and bond over with others.

Early on, Tusekah realised her love for writing lyrics and telling stories. For her, there is a charm to unearthing ideas through music and finding a creative outlet to reveal them to the world through. On top of her R&B upbringing, stylistically, she’s influenced by the lyrical acrobatics of hip-hop and bears an interest in the way rappers deftly lace words together.

After completing a BSc at the University of Otago, Tusekah came to UC to study a Masters of Audiology degree. She acknowledges that it’s funny how her professional interest in hearing coincides with her growth as a musician.

It wasn’t until 2021 that her adolescent musical experimentation came to fruition in the form of gigging and her debut single, Childhood Friends. A cosy, Sunday morning type of track, Childhood Friends comfortably fits between the likes of Cleo

Sol and Lianne La Havas.

This seems to be with great intention as Tusekah anoints the UK R&B scene as a major aesthetic influence on her artistry.

While talking about her creative process, Tusekah reiterated an idea I’d heard in an old Lauryn Hill interview recently. When questioned about there being no follow-up album to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn explained that her music is a culmination of experiences and that you can’t produce art if you haven’t done anything. Tusekah touched on this same point, explaining that her process usually involves going through something or doing something. After that, the lyrics and melodies would come to her first and the instrumentation would follow later.

In terms of the future, Tusekah’s plans are jampacked with aspirations which is awesome to see. With a few demos in the works, booked shows on the agenda, and hopes of a potential Aussie trip, 2023 should be a fun year for her and her fans. She and I both agree that if you can, get out there and support your local artists!

IG: @tusekah

Tealskie

Tusekah

Mountain to Sea

Christchurch’s Aptitude for Student Boardriding

Christchurch is no Surfers’ Paradise; I’ll give you that.

The beaches are a weird stony grey, and the weather is usually overcast and windy, which doesn’t make it an entirely ideal experience. But what these beaches lack in aesthetic beauty and proximity to campus, it makes up for with a few cute coffee shops, vibey people and initiatives to create community.

Sumner is great for beginners who want to learn to surf with the average cost of a single two-hour lesson at around $89 depending on the company you go with. The two main learn to surf companies at Sumner, “Learn to Surf” and “Stoked Surfing”, both provide you with boards and a wetsuit so no need to scour Facebook Marketplace for a cheap deal and surf gear. Though there isn’t a student deal from these companies, the cost isn’t too bad when considering board hire is included and you can choose to do private lessons or as a group.

Christchurch beaches also cater to the slightly more experienced surfers, just over the hill from Sumner at Taylors’ Mistake. The surf here is bigger and is a bit more sheltered from the wind than Sumner which makes it a slightly more popular

for surfers. “Learn To Surf” also offers just board and wetsuit hire for $25 so if you’ve moved from another city and want to get back on the water without dropping a shit load of money at once, this could be a good option for you. Likewise, if you reckon you don’t need the actual lesson and want to save the money, just get the wetsuit and board option.

The University of Otago also has a big student surf scene, mostly due to the fact that the beach is less than a 10-minute drive away, it also has lush white sand with massive surf. Though ol’ Christchurch has Dunedin beat in terms of how easy it is for beginner surfers, Dunedin beaches are also generally next to suburban houses rather than small businesses and cafes like in Sumner or New Brighton.

Surfing may not be the most accessible board sport for students, but you know what is? Skateboarding.

"Even though Christchurch as a city might not have a natural aptitude for board riding, students at UC don’t let that stop them"

Beccy Arnold (she/her)

The flat terrain of Christchurch city, particularly around campus, makes it an ideal spot to get around via a speedy lil skateboard. The UC campus is unique with the multitudes of skaters flying around, as other universities such as Otago, Auckland, and Wellington are way too hilly for students to skateboard with ease. Christchurch also has a bunch of cool skateparks like the one on Moorhouse Ave, in Jelly Park, and even a small halfpipe out at Sumner. These places are a good way to meet other students and join the masses of skaters around campus.

If you’re looking for something a bit further from campus, snow sports are for you. Snow sports may not be the best sport to get into on a student budget, but people overlook that for a reason. Who doesn’t want a nice getaway to the top of a mountain, riding down slopes at speed with your best mates?

The most common ski spots for UC students are Mt Hutt, The Remarkables and Coronet Peak, with the latter two based down in Queenstown (around a six-hour drive from Christchurch). A season pass for all three slopes will set you back $659 which may sound like a lot but considering that’s the student deal and the normal price is $1,099, now is the time to jump on it while you’re still a student. A single season pass just to Mt Hutt, the closest of the three major slopes in the South Island, is $389 for a student. If you’re looking to try out snow sports for a one-off trip up the slopes, a lift pass to Mt Hutt is $159, though they do have a student deal on that one.

Even though Christchurch as a city might not have a natural aptitude for board riding, students at UC don’t let that stop them. The main reason for the big board riding culture at UC is largely due to the work of CUBA, the most

CUBA, the Canterbury University Boardriders Association, runs loads of events up the mountain like Learn to Ski and night skis, as well as other snow sport related events like the infamous Jib Night. So even if you can’t convince your flatmates to go with you, going up the mountain through an event rather than on your own means there’ll be other students up there with you.

popular club for avid skiers, snowboarders, surfers, and skaters. Though Christchurch may not have the best beaches for surfing, or the biggest mountains for snow sports, CUBA connects students to a community of like-minded people with opportunities to embody their motto, ‘Ride, Party, Repeat’. They hold a huge number of events throughout the year that are (for the most part) centred around board sports like JIB night, Learn to Ski events, Skate at the Foundry, night surfs and even lil getaways with other CUBA members.

Ultimately, what makes Christchurch an ideal place for student board riders isn’t the beaches or mountains or general geography of the city. It’s the community of students who bring the vibes to campus and clubs like CUBA who lead the way.

So really, there’s no other place quite like it.

Paving Forward

Paving Forward

CW: Sexual Assault

When I was ten years old, I was assaulted in the whirlpool at the old QE2. If you never went to the old QE2, or were too young to remember, it was huge with towering diving boards, and an epic wave pool that connected with the whirlpool. The whirlpool snaked in a circle, with spa pool nooks to rest in. I was in a spa pool nook, my body hidden under the bubbles, and a stranger- a man- calmly walked in, sat next to me, and slid his hand up my inner thigh. I froze, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, the smell of chlorine suffocating. The man- this stranger- sitting next to me, with his hand hidden under the bubbles. I stood up and, as if disconnected from my body, slowly drifted away. Kids blurred in the pool around me, I looked up to the lifeguards who looked beyond me, unaware of what had taken place beneath the surface. I tried to call out to them through the noise of kids playing, but the lifeguards couldn’t hear me, couldn’t see me. I shrunk into myself, and buried the experience inside, a secret I would keep. This would be a defining moment in my life.

In 2010, Otautahi Christchurch was rocked by an earthquake. Besides some water splashing out of my fish tank, forming wet patches on the carpet, the effects were minimal. In town, down the once-was Poplar Lane, red bricks had fallen from a building. It was lucky, people had commented, that no one had been standing beneath the bricks, on a night that would have been busy with people sculling vodka from that Russian bar or listening to music by the likes of Delaney Davidson at The Blue Smoke.

A few months later, in 2011, a much bigger earthquake hit, followed by many heavy aftershocks; we did not get so lucky this time. It was the middle of the day. I was

upstairs in my bedroom, when I heard what sounded like a series of buses driving through our two storied townhouse. The forceful shaking back and forth felt like my family home was tipping from side to side, lifting from its foundations. I screamed out to my mum, who was screaming downstairs.

News of the earthquake quickly spread to the rest of the country. Those of us in the city could not contact our friends and family, communication systems were not working, and the power was out. We could not see aerial and on-theground footage of the destruction; the footage of the golden retriever pulling their owner onto the street seconds before a building collapsed, of the mother in heels running to get to her children at kindy, of Bob Parker in his orange vest, reassuring that we would get through this.

My sister later told me that while at her student flat in Dunedin, she had seen on T.V. images of the collapsed buildings and thought the entirety of Christchurch had been destroyed- a lot of people had thought this.

A part of our lawn had split open; muddy gray silt spilled over the grass as the two divided parts of land rocked adjacent to one another. I wandered through the neighborhood and saw a lamp post that had twisted like a bendy straw. Again, I felt myself disconnect from my body. The trauma of the earthquakes would linger long after the aftershocks stopped, popping up at unexpected times. When watching a film in the cinema, the loud acoustics would vibrate the chairs and floor, reminding me of an earthquake. I would remind myself that it was just the speakers, and that the building had been checked by engineers.

This pep talking to myself, deciphering real threat from a

trigger response, is like when a stranger- a man- comes near me; I begin to assess what their intentions are. These adrenaline responses have been born from defining moments. Moments that over time have eased and lessened in their overwhelm, becoming a note that has informed and textured my life, rather than defining me.

On the east side of Otautahi Christchurch, vast plots of land are made up of broken roads with weeds sprouting. Square-shaped grass areas are surrounded by hebe shrubs, pink rose bushes, and fruit trees of apples, brown pears, and glossy orange persimmons. This area of land is quintessentially known as ‘The Red Zone’. A space frequented by dog walkers, foragers, and casual cyclists. A place where once there were family homes, letterboxes, and driveways with kids riding their bikes. A place left in the wake of the earthquakes resulting liquefaction and flooding. A loss of place and home, that is now quiet, flourishing, and wild, where locals gather or enjoy solitude. Closed chapters and new life; it has taken on a new identity.

There are times when the past comes back, things remind me, or themes keep popping up. It can be hard. But there are balms that can pave a way forward, like remembering the aroha that the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand has shown us, again and again through trying times. Like Kia Kaha Christchurch, Bob Parker in his orange vest, cooking hot chocolate on the gas cooker when the power was out, the secret stream beneath the ferns at the Botanic Gardens, the buttery rice at AFG on Lincoln Road, the Heathcote horses, the seagulls in the wind at He Puna Taimoana hot pools, the people at Tūranga Library, a donut from Grizzly Bagels, the tall trees at UC, the forest walk at McLeans Island, the otters at Willowbank, morning coffees, BBQ’s with friends and family…

E.K.P (she/her)

The Perils of Cycling Around Christchurch

Ella Jenkins (she/her)

Getting to and from university is obviously an important part of the day for those who don’t live on campus, and to do so there are many options. Whether it be busing, cycling, or driving. But with the cost of living being as high as it is and busing from Papanui to campus being a slow affair, I decided to look at cycling as an alternative. However, there is one big issue with me taking up cycling as a form of getting to uni, it feels unsafe.

For me, the idea of sharing a road with buses and cars with just a painted white line protecting me isn’t comforting. So much so that it has put me off cycling altogether.

Cycling is a great form of transport. It’s cheap, in some cases quicker than buses and greener than cars. But in Christchurch it also feels quite dangerous.

As a part of research for this article, I asked UC students for their experiences cycling around the city. The first of which was Alex Cox, who was car doored whilst cycling around the city.

She noted that one of the biggest perils when it comes to cycling around Christchurch is that motorists don’t realise that cyclists are road users too. Alex noted that whilst segregated cycle lanes are great, she feels that if car users had a lot more patience, it would solve a lot of issues. Other solutions she proposed were lowering speed limits in dense locations as well as putting more funding into public transport.

Another person who responded said they were knocked off their bike by a vehicle turning into a petrol station. Despite wearing proper safety equipment, high-vis and having lights on their bike, the driver of the vehicle didn’t notice them. The respondent noted that more emphasis needs to be placed on looking for cyclists when it comes to driver training and testing as well as on national road safety campaigns. They also said that there should be more emphasis put into advertising and education for cyclists. For example, how to share the road as well as road etiquette and the importance of safety gear.

Benjamin Lockley was injured commuting to work in Hornby, like the previous respondent they were also wearing a high-vis vest. The accident occurred early in the morning during rush hour, Benjamin noted that, “too many people aren’t watching what is going on around them,” and that “Hornby

doesn’t benefit from the improved cycle infrastructure that the inner city and university have.”

One respondent did provide their thoughts on how cyclists can help to cycle safely around the city:

• Never assume that a driver has seen you.

• Shoulder check more. If you’re about to pass a turn off, check that a car behind you isn’t indicating and about to turn into you. If you are turning, you need to look over your shoulder to ensure you won’t intersect somebody/something in your blind spot.

• Wearing black clothing on a black bike will do you no good, front facing white lights and rear facing red lights will help others realise you are a vehicle on the road too.

• It is not safe to stick as close to the pavement as possible. While you want to give cars a healthy margin to pass you, you also need to assert your ownership of the road or bicycle lane – the chances of somebody hitting you because they cannot see you are much higher than somebody hitting you because you’re taking up too much space.

• Obey the traffic laws. You cannot claim to be a vehicle appropriate for sharing the roads with, while totally neglecting to abide by the road rules.

• Wear a helmet. You never need one until you do.

• Identify a route that minimises time spent on busy, narrow roads (e.g. Riccarton Road) and instead takes backstreets or cuts through dedicated cycle paths.

When it comes to the issue of how dangerous it is to cycle around Christchurch there are a lot of improvements that need to be made. It seems that a combination of better infrastructure as well as improved education for both cyclists and motorists will be needed to create a safer commuting environment for everyone regardless of their form of transport.

Find these and more at canta.co.nz and @cantaiscool on Instagram.

Find these and more at canta.co.nz and @cantaiscool on Instagram.

Find these and more at canta.co.nz and @cantaiscool on Instagram.

CUBA - Canterbury Universitiy Boardriding Association

My name is Josh and I’m a passionate surfer who also loves to get stuck into events happening around the area. This is why I’ve landed here as president of Cuba. I first picked up a surfboard when I was only a little fella and have been obsessed with it ever since. The thing I like most about the board riding scene is the community. The community for these sports are welcoming and they are all fun, great people.

Tell me a bit about CUBA!

Cuba stands for "Canterbury University Boardriding Association". Whether you are an experienced shredder, seasoned party frother, someone who’s keen to jump on a board, or even if you just like the vibe, CUBA is a club for everybody. We aim to give plenty of opportunities for members to move through the kook stage (wannabe surfer, snowboarder, skater, etc) while our more experienced members push the limits. In CUBA we have a, ride, party, repeat attitude. Those three pillars being our clubs philosophy. So if that sounds like a bit of you check out CUBA.

Promote your club to a newbie. How would you sell it?

We pride ourselves on being friendly to beginner riders, as we want to share the stokeness we have found in riding boards with as many people as we can. We have a very friendly crew who is happy to help if you want to reach out, so keep your eyes peeled on social media and your emails and we will be able to provide some fun events for you and your mates. The best thing about promoting boardriding is that it’s a category of sports where no one loses, and everyone can win simultaneously. This is what we think makes it so special.

What are some events or activities you have planned for this year?

Our main events if you haven’t heard of us:

• Cuba JIB

• Skate the Foundry

• Lake day

• Night surf

• Full moon

• House party

Learning events:

• Learn to surf

• Learn to ski

• Intro to park (ski and snowboard)

• Skate nights

How can people get involved?

We are always available on Facebook

“CUBA Canterbury” and Instagram

@cubacanterbury if you want to flick us a message. If you want more general information or want to send us an email, you can check out: www.cubacanterbury.com

Where are you ending up tonight?

What’s your drink of choice?

Tool of choice?

How often do you take a shower? It’s how6pm,drunk are you?

Choose a game...

an Uber anywhere so together but that all few beverages and

You are either an avid boardrider or a deck feen. You don’t really dress up on a night out so Flux is the only place that will let you in. You spend all your money on Ubers, cheap beer, and data so you can post on your story.

You’re on aux, what are you playing?

What’s your relationship status?

because you either

Without a doubt, the grimmest of them all. Christchurch town boasts year 13’s on their first night in town, red bull vodkas and seedy individuals. The only reason you ‘enjoy’ town is because you

your support to the are a lightweight. stopped saving you slow down on the some bread down

happening. You’re in

Ft: UC Vice - Chancellor Cheryl de la Rey

Every issue, Teenage Dirtbag will feature one UC Staff member, giving a sneaky peek into their life as a fresher. Everyone looks back on themselves at some point and regrets some of the marginal and perhaps cringe-worthy things they did, so we’ve taken this opportunity to dig up some embarrassing dirt on the senior staff and leaders at UC. Enjoy…

What would you like baby Cheryl to know?

Plan your time – academics, exercise and social. The pace of work is really fast compared to high school and the first assessments come very soon so make sure you keep up to date.

Don’t be shy to ask for help and advice.

Tell us a bit about your fresher self? I was excited and anxious as I did not know anyone at university. The campus seemed really busy and the first year lectures had lots of students. It can take time to make really good friends.

I was also uncertain about which courses to enrol for – in fact in

the first few weeks I changed my entire degree from a BSc to a BA. I discovered that I really liked English Literature and that even though I had performed well in Mathematics, I didn’t really enjoy it. I did Psychology just because I was curious about the subject and I ended up doing a PhD in Psychology.

What was your biggest fresher fail? Accidentally having two dates arrive the same time.

Describe your best first year memory?

Eating hot chips and debating the state of the world with my uni friends.

The Ups and Downs of Being Trans The Ups and Downs of Being Trans The Ups and Downs of Being Trans in Christchurch

Ella Jenkins (she/her)

I had been questioning myself for years, especially whilst I was a teen. I knew I was trans since I was 16 but was in denial until one night in early 2019 whilst I was out partying. Perhaps it was the booze I drank that night, but the feelings were released, and I couldn’t keep lying to myself anymore. Being trans in Christchurch was a mixed bag of an experience, in some ways it was good but in others it was just completely miserable.

The first point of difficulty was that at the time, in order to start hormones, you needed a letter from a psychologist to prove that you had gender dysphoria, and that HRT would be a suitable treatment. Sadly, the health system in Christchurch did not provide a psychologist so you had to find one, as well as pay for it on your own. Finding the psychologist wasn’t the difficult part. It was explaining my situation and eventually paying for the report that was hard. Paying for it with my low-paying job meant that the start of hormones for me was delayed simply because it took me a few months to pay.

Once the report was finally sent away by my doctor it had to be received by specialists. I remember not wanting to wait for the public specialist as I knew it would be a long, so I booked a private one which meant I could be seen in a week. However, after booking the appointment I got a call from the public system saying that I could have an appointment in two weeks instead. I cancelled my private one and went public, it was free after all. Little did I know I had made a big mistake and the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) punished me for that. I received a phone call a week later saying that my appointment was pushed back not by a few weeks… but by three months. I remember crying as I felt cheated by the CDHB.

When I finally started hormones, I was ecstatic, and I impatiently waited to see changes. I also looked for what surgical options were available in Christchurch. At the time, everything upset me about my body: my face, my voice and my male genitalia made me sick to my core. I wanted to change as much as I could. I was disheartened to find that most of the things I wanted at the time were not offered by the CDHB. The only surgical pathways for a male to female were orchidectomy (removal of the testicles) and breast augmentation, which I was told by my doctor at the time, was only available to those whose hormones didn’t provide sufficient breast tissue growth. I also had to wait to access them both. I had to be a year on hormones, in hindsight that worked out okay as I realised with time, the only things I really wanted to change was my voice and ‘male parts’.

There was one thing that the CDHB did offer that was of use, and as far as I was aware not offered in many other parts of the country… vocal training, I obviously took that up and after a bit of a wait (in true public healthcare fashion) I had my appointment. I’d like to think it helped, but sadly for me the only barrier holding me back from a better voice was myself. The exercises were stupid to do, and I often forgot to do them. Sadly, when I found a new job, I had to stop going to vocal training as the public clinic was on a Tuesday morning only. I was gutted as I was told that despite my lack of practice, I was still making progress and I was beginning to be okay with my voice.

When it came to my male parts, there was little I could do. Sadly, the CDHB does not fund gender reassignment surgery and that is dealt with by the Ministry of Health. The waitlist is long and with current funding they only do a mere 15 a year. I’m around the 360th mark on the waitlist and will be lucky if I am seen before I am 40. This leaves me with no other option but to go private. It brings me sadness that my friend in Canada, despite starting hormones a year or two after me could end up having the surgery I need to feel complete, before I even get a consult.

The healthcare situation in Christchurch is a frustrating one, with some things not being offered and long waits for those that are. It really makes me feel that trans people don’t matter, and it makes me sad I wasn’t born in a city with better care such as Auckland or Wellington.

When it comes to social transition, Christchurch presents its own challenges. I didn’t start presenting properly female until about a year into my transition when I felt more confident to do so. In Christchurch you are not going to be met with the vicious transphobia like in other countries, but you will be met with a more casual kind, which can hurt just as much.

Early on (and even now), one thing I experienced in Christchurch were the stares people gave me when I walked around town. To me it felt like one of disgust as if I was a freak, the stare felt especially worse when I was using the bathroom. It was so bad that I would use gender neutral toilets a lot during my early days of transition.

Fortunately, I have had no experiences of verbal and physical abuse, just that damn stare. Although it does make you worry that something is going to happen to you, it’s an anxiety that can really ruin a time out.

Christchurch is a rather conservative city and I still believe that there are some people out there who hold negative opinions of myself and the trans community. I am in some ways glad that there seems to be a culture of saying nothing, rather voicing disgust with a cold stare. As if we are mentally ill or some other talking point of that vile rhetoric inspired by antiquated opinion, that some people and organisations broadcast.

Early on in my transition I was misgendered a lot. When I was wearing casual clothes, it was to be expected, but at work with my name tag saying “Ella” or when I was wearing a pronoun pin with “she/her” on it, people would still use male pronouns. I don’t know if it was ignorance or prejudice, but it really upset me when it happened.

As my transition progressed and I began to look more feminine, the stare and the deadnaming became less frequent. I can now walk the streets without worrying about what people think of me and, I visit pubs and other public places and get gendered correctly and treated with the same decency as every other person.

Sweet tender defender of the flat when festivities get out of hand

• Certified cleaner

• High in height and GPA

Head boy of the flat

• Favourite room is the bathroom

• Interesting digital footprint

Always awake

• Will simply dissolve at the sight of a spider

In house psychologist

• Fav flatmate is the cat

• Her room is the lounge

•

•

•

Chaotic

Punches holes in walls on nights out

Leading the Yak tally

Resident DJ and producer

•

•

Relentless and unnecessary seasoning

Drew the short straw and now resides in a glorified wardrobe

Honourable Mentions

Blossom the cat aka Smiggs

Captain Ben

• down

The bro Craig from two doors

Editors Note: This was written as of the 24th of February.

Super Rugby 2023 in Full Swing

Super Rugby competition is well underway with the second round ramping up.

With teams trying to knock the Crusaders off their high horse, as the side has won a whopping 11 super rugby titles with their eyes on a 12th. Big calls are being made by other teams to have a chance at defeating the ‘unbeatable’ Crusaders. The Chiefs have added nine All Blacks to their squad. As well as adding international recruit, John Ryan into the mix.

Hurricanes are set with a young side with many of the players having played for the winning Wellington NPC side in 2022. The Highlanders welcome back stars such as Ethan De Groot, Shannan Frizell and Folau Fakatava and the Auckland Blues along with their eager captain, Dalton Papalii are ready to rip into this season with the same confidence they always bring to the table.

The Crusaders are well prepared with veteran coach Scott Robertson leading them onwards. As well as Richie Mo’unga playing his last season with the Crusaders as he is due to go overseas for a 3-year contract with Toshiba. Although it is his last, him and the rest of the team will be hungry for another season win to end it all with a bang.

Super rugby will be one hell of a season, especially with ‘underdogs’ Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika in the mix coming in with high hopes and fresh teams.

Para-athlete Recognised Internationally with Nomination

Para- swimmer and co-captain of the Wheel Blacks, Cameron Leslie has earned himself a nomination for the Laureus World Sports award.

The Kiwi boy from Whangārei will have the opportunity to be amongst fan favourites from sports around the world, such as Rafael Nadal and Lionel Messi.

In 2020, he was unable to attend the 2020 Paralympics because he had a more important event to attend, the birth of his daughter. 2022 was the year of victory for the 33-year-old as he won a gold and three silver medals at the World Paralympic Swimming Championships.

He is currently training for a very intense season. This year he aims to compete in the national swimming champs in Auckland as well as the world champs.

Hariklia Nicola (she/ her)

Mea Motu: On the Path of Glory

In Auckland, Mea Motu will finally be able to get the opportunity to become a world boxing champion.

The four division New Zealand champion has had the world champion title in her sights since she first came to Peach Boxing with her trainer, Isaac Peach, telling her it would all be possible one day. A victory would prove to be monumental for the Kiwi boxer, allowing her to challenge herself at other boxing titles at the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO.

The mother of five proves that it is possible to turn your negative thoughts into positive ones. She went from thinking to herself 11 years ago that she didn’t want to live, to now saying that her kids have saved her life. All with the added possibility of becoming a world champion.

The Possibly Coach-less All Blacks

The confusing saga of the contentious race to be All Blacks head coach continues with the world cup nearing.

Questions are being asked whether this is too much of a distraction for New Zealand Rugby to focus on at this current moment. Especially with the saga having the potential to disrupt and distract players.

NZR aren’t making it clear to All Blacks players whether a new coach will be announced for 2024 before or after the world cup. Ian Foster, current All Blacks coach is not a stranger to criticism, following a very poor 2022 international season for the All Blacks and a severe drop in the men’s rankings for the team. This has led to many conversations around pushing Scott Robertson, current Crusaders coach, into the limelight as ‘fanfavourite’ to become the next All Blacks coach.

This world cup campaign is very important for the All Blacks to focus on following the last world cup which ended in a bronze medal for the team and left them scarred from a brutal loss to England in the semi-final.

Are They Really Worth the Money? Clinical Trials:

Beccy Arnold (she/her)

Ah, clinical trials, every broke student’s financial saviour. It all sounds so idealistic - here, pop a few of these pills and we’ll give you thousands of dollars - let’s just hope you don’t have severe side effects. For those of you who aren’t so desperate for money that being a test rabbit for experimental drugs just isn’t on your radar, clinical trials are medical research studies aimed at evaluating the effects of new treatments or drugs on human subjects. One of the leading clinical research providers in the country, New Zealand Clinical Research (NZCR), have a large research unit based in Christchurch that offers thousands of dollars of compensation for participating in a clinical trial. On their website, they advertise as many as 12 trials available within the next six weeks with reimbursement anywhere from $2,500 to $8,200 for their current trials.

It was July of last year when I registered my interest at the only clinical trial clinic in Dunedin, Zenith Technology. Together, my flatmate (also desperate for money) and I signed up for a melatonin steady state trial that started in August. Enticed by the promise of money and free food, we went in to sign our lives away.

Oh, how naive we were. You name it, they tested for it. Pre-screening procedures

are no joke, and we did the works - urine tests, blood tests, pregnancy tests, ECGs, BMIs, drug testing. Hot tip: opioids can turn up in your drug test if you’ve eaten poppy seeds recently.

Unfortunately, my flatmate was unaware and ate her Vogels Poppy Seed and Rye Bread that morning only to have ZenTech call her up that afternoon accusing her of doing ketamine because her drug test came back positive for high levels of opioids.

Safe to say, she wasn’t accepted into the trial. I had to go on alone.

The daily visits weren’t too bad honestly, but my first two-night stay was truly horrendous. Each participant had to get a cannula line put in, so the nurses didn’t have to stab us with different needles every 30 minutes. A lovely doctor was trying to get a cannula into my forearm when she said (and this is a direct quote), “It’s quite deep, I’m just going to have to dig around a little.”

UM-?! No, thank you...?!

She then flushes it with saline and does a wee, “oop!”, because she missed the vein. There is now a lump the size of a ping pong ball in my arm, and holy shit, it really hurt. She took out the needle and apparently,

could only get a good enough vein on the back of my right hand.

Words cannot describe to you how uncomfortable that little thing was. I could see the actual tube in my vein, and I’ve never been weird about stuff like that, but it genuinely made me want to vomit. My blood kept clotting and they had to shove saline through it about four more times to clear the tube which hurt so much. Anyways, what you can take away from this less-than-ideal experience is that clinical trials aren’t a nice little holiday that you get paid for. It’s actually super uncomfortable and if you’re in any way squeamish or weird about medical stuff, then I absolutely would not recommend doing this.

So, what does a typical clinical trial actually involve?

Depending on the study chosen, participants may be asked to stay for several overnight visits as well as daily check-ins. These daytime visits will typically involve medical screening tests, vital tests, dosage of the treatment or drug that is being tested and a series of questions from medical staff regarding any abnormal symptoms. The overnight stays vary a bit more depending on the drug being tested, so it is difficult to say exactly what will go on at each one. However, all participants

will stay in one large room and will typically have a recreational and dining area where meals are provided.

From stories of friends who’ve done trials at NZCR in Christchurch, it appears they’ve had more chill experiences. Plus, they got paid waaay more than I did for doing roughly the same amount of work. I only got around $1,600 after tax which in my opinion isn’t really worth it, but NZCR usually dish out a minimum reimbursement of $2,500, which is far more appealing. Though if you’re considering doing a trial with NZCR, it’s important to know they are very fastidious about who they let into the trial and they’ll bar people from entering the trial for seemingly insignificant reasons. Clinical trial participant wannabe, Ben Arnold, applied for a trial in 2018 testing a recently unpatented drug to increase ones’ white blood cell count but was not let in due to a spleen that was deemed ‘too large’. His friend who was let into the same trial was medically discharged after two weeks after her spleen grew too big as a result of the trial drug.

Pro-tip: if you can, get medically discharged from the trial after it’s begun.

If they have to let you go from the study once they’ve administered the drug, they have to pay you some or all of the promised paycheck, depending on how far into the trial you are. At the second and final overnight stay of my trial, someone a few beds down from me complained of a migraine and got sent home within 30 minutes and still got the

full compensation. It’s a bit of a dick move, but sometimes you must finesse the system.

Clinical trials do come with dangers and potential risks, which participants are made aware of before they are admitted to a trial.

Trial providers will verbally run through a reading of an extensive contract regarding trial procedures and risks with all participants, which they then must sign and return days later. Risks can include anything from mild headaches, dizziness and nausea to chest pain, blurred vision and memory loss. Each trial has different risks and will sometimes offer more money depending on how dangerous the trial is. It’s up to you and your overall level of health (and bank balance) to decide whether a clinical trial is something you might want to do. Most of the time, these trials run smoothly and are a positive experience for those involved as well as being a relatively quick way of making a bunch of money.

So, what’s my completely unqualified opinion? Obviously, clinical trials do pay a lot of money because it’s timeconsuming, painful, inconvenient and there’s always risk associated with each drug.

But would I do it again? Probably. I’m too broke to turn away good money.

Tim Smith (he/him)

I don’t think I’m totally out of pocket in saying that Christchurch isn’t exactly the most exciting city out there. At the end of the day though, it’s all about what you make of it. That’s precisely what I love about this quaint joint that I’ll be highlighting here. Nick Inkster, owner of the award-winning OGB bar, approached this basement site with an inspired spirit, transforming it into something quite special.

In the heart of the city, outside the view of prying eyes hides the Austin Club – a cocktail bar brimming with character. Usually, I wouldn’t condone walking down alleyways at night, but an exception can be made for this gem of a period piece. Tucked between lululemon and MECCA on High Street, the Austin Club is both thematically and quite literally a fresh deviation from the usual town hot spots. I love places that lean heavily into their concept, and this celebration of midcentury aesthetics does so in immersive fashion.

From the very get-go, the club captures the essence of post-war speakeasies, requiring a password upon entry before you descend flights of graffiti-engulfed stairs into the basement. Once you exit the stairwell, you’re swiftly transported to the 1950s. The bar immediately nails its niche, not missing a beat stylistically. Between the low-hanging ceiling and warm, moody lighting, the enclosed nature of the club brews an intimate atmosphere. This coupled with their strict 50-person capacity allows the venue to strike a perfect balance between cosy and bustling.

For me, music is the absolute selling point for any good time out. While I don’t listen to The Five Stars in my spare time, the Austin Club’s bluesy tunes are the glue

that holds the whole concept together. Songs such as Dion’s "The Wanderer" and Roy Brown’s "Butcher Pete" encapsulate the lively mood of the bar (and will have fans of the Fallout franchise referencing Diamond City radio). Live music is also a near-constant in the later hours of the night, with jazzy acts such as Duke Street Kings making frequent appearances.

What would a cocktail bar be without the drinks? Inside soft leather-backed menus, there is a selection of ten cocktails to choose between, aptly named “The Romance of Film.” Once again, doubling down on the theme, each drink shares the namesake of a classic 1950s film, such as “Them!” or “War of the Worlds”. Regardless of your tastes or preferences, there is something on offer to satisfy everyone.

Admittedly, I’m not much of a town guy and I think that’s why I enjoyed this bar so much. It’s able to match different speeds, working as a relaxed, wind-down environment in the early stages of the night while also ramping up later as the capacity begins capping out and the live acts start swinging. If you’re keen to give the Austin Club a spin, remember to peruse the internet for their password before you rock up to the door.

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

It all started on Valentine’s Day. Alone in my room, feeling sorry for myself, I thought “fuck it” and applied for Lucky Dip. Turns out this year’s CANTA team moves very fast, as I got a message the next morning saying they’d “found someone perfect.”

I’m a very anxious person, so obviously I spent the next few days in a state of panic. I also hadn’t been on a date in almost a year, so my rustiness didn’t exactly help. Rocking up to Rollickin I tried to calm myself but ended up feeling so flustered that I immediately forgot my date’s name when we introduced ourselves (thankfully she referred to herself in third person later, so crisis averted). She was stunning and her makeup was very well done, which made me feel a bit bad given I’d just come from being out working most of the day and was likely still stinking of KFC breath from a few minutes’ prior. Hopefully she didn’t notice.

Conversation flowed nicely. We started with the standard “what do you study/work/do for fun?” which flowed on to her ranting about penguins for a while which was very endearing, and me trying not to come across as too insane with my obsessions over particular musical artists. We eventually decided to go get our desserts, where we joked about ordering tubs and making a run for it (smooth) followed by me knocking the sampling sticks all over the floor (not so smooth).

We managed to cram a lot of conversations in to the time we were there, which was shocking given how often we both lost our trains of thought. From talking about mutual friends, family stories, deep-and-meaningfuls, exchanging dog pictures, and her taking a photo of me to send to her Mum. We covered a lot of ground in those two hours.

It was getting dark and we were both exhausted after a long week so we called it a night. She drove me home since I’d bussed in, and I wasn’t exactly keen to go see a fight break out again. She apologised in advance for her poor driving, but she was perfectly fine. I had no right to complain anyways. As she dropped me off, I thanked her for the great night, got her number, and strolled back inside awaiting interrogation by my flatmates.

Unfortunately, for all those reading that is where the story ends. While I had a lovely time and felt like we got along fairly well, neither of us really felt that spark we were looking for. Despite that I’m really glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and got to have another familiar face that I might see around campus. Thanks CANTA for setting us up and thanks for the free gelato xoxo.

The Other Side The Other Side

Now saying yes to this seemed like a good idea at the time but then in the days leading up to the date, I decided to re-read previous lucky dip’s (surprise surprise, this was not a clever move and I was now convinced this would end horrifically). The only positives are that Rollickin gelato is my all-time fav dessert & my love life cannot get any worse than it already is. I arrived 10 minutes early and sat down, my first thought was that I could still run (a feeling which I had to fight). Soon enough he arrived.

We introduced ourselves to each other and went through the general first date questions, what do you study? (this was interesting to hear about as he has changed his degree since starting uni) do you work? (he does) do you like dogs? ( he does) and other topics such as hobbies and family life.

We then forgot that we hadn’t ordered any gelato yet… so we went down stairs and to my delight he did not order mint choc chip!! He told me his favourite flavour was vanilla (I thought to myself - not really my style but still good every now and then, iykyk).

Then we sat back down and proceeded to have a variety of conversations for the next two hours. His taste in music differs to mine, although I can still respect a good banger or two from his favourite artists.

He did judge me a little based on my star sign so that sucked (mines known for being a lil bitchy/have a bit of a temper). He asked me to guess his (we were prompted to talk about horoscopes by a question card on the table) and truth be told I know nothing about other star signs but for some silly reason I pretended I did.

I had work the next day so needed to head off, he asked me how I got there and I said I drove (he bussed) so I felt it was polite to offer him a ride home. Overall I had a good time but unfortunately I did not feel a romantic spark between us and this is not married at first sight. I am glad I took the opportunity to get to know someone new, it was an enjoyable evening.

Cheers CANTA for the opportunity :)

And for anyone reading this, I challenge you to take the opportunity whether it be to meet someone, apply for lucky dip, or just get out of your comfort zone. You’ll learn something new, hear other perspectives and appreciate the differences we all have (so thank you to my lucky dip date!)

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TAKE A CLEAR PHOTO INCLUDING THE FRAME SCAN THE QR CODE, CLICK

Colouring C o l o u r i n g

Puzzle Time P u z z l e T i m e

Down

1. The Maori word for Christchurch

8.

9.

10.

6.

8.

8. The name of Canta's new mascot/comic

9. Christchurch's super rugby team

10. ___ Road, that UC sits on

9. Christchurch's super rugby team

10. ___ Road, that UC sits on

1. The Maori word for Christchurch

Down

1. The Maori word for Christchurch

2. A well-known band from Christchurch, who wrote a song named after Brodie Street near campus

2. A well-known band from Christchurch, who wrote a song named after Brodie Street near campus

4. ___ Park, the main park and gardens that sits within Christchurch

2. A well-known band from Christchurch, who wrote a song named after Brodie Street near campus

4. ___ Park, the main park and gardens that sits within Christchurch

4. ___ Park, the main park and gardens that sits within Christchurch

5. The club that the UCSA turns into on a Thursday night

5. The club that the UCSA turns into on a Thursday night

7. The first name of ex-All black captain and Crusader considered the GOAT

5. The club that the UCSA turns into on a Thursday night

7. The first name of ex-All black captain and Crusader considered the GOAT

7. The first name of ex-All black captain and Crusader considered the GOAT

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

BOTANICAL

3. Canterburys local ski-field

Christchurch's go- to surf beach

The name of Canta's new mascot/comic

3. Canterburys local ski-field

6. Christchurch's go- to surf beach

3. Canterburys local ski-field

6. Christchurch's go- to surf beach

The name of Canta's new mascot/comic

Christchurch's super rugby team

___ Road, that UC sits on

Keen to get involved with Canta this year? Or even get your work in the next issue?

Keen to get involved with Canta this year? Or even get your work in the next issue?

We are constantly on the lookout for contributors to write, draw, photograph, and design in each issue. If you have some work or an idea, fill out the volunteer form under the ‘get involved’ tab on our website ‘canta.co.nz’! Or even flick an email to this address ‘editor@canta.co.nz’.

We are also always looking for students to be featured on Flat Famous and Lucky Dip so fill out those forms under the ‘get involved’ tab as well!

Canta Cody Canta Cody

Introducing

the Chronicals of Canta Cody

HOROSCOPES

HOROSCOPES What you should do in Ōtautahi...

Pisces

Feb 19 - March 20

I have just the thing for you little Pisces out there. I know you really want a flat cat but how would you ever afford that? Instead go to the Catnap Café and pat some cats, sip your coffee and leave without having the responsibility of a cat! Win win.

Gemini

May 21 - Jun 20

Woah! Slow down there and chill. You are going way too fast and signing yourself up to way too many things at once. Stop it, and hop on the tram to get an idea of how fast paced life should really be.

Virgo

Aug 23 - Sep 22

Your style already turns everyone’s heads. You are an icon a bit like your fellow Virgo, Beyoncé. We know you always find the best opshop finds too. Pop past the SPCA op shop on your way to uni and feel free to brag about your finds, you deserve it.

Sagittarius

Nov 22 - Dec 21

You’re always on the hunt for something (or someone) new to pursuit. Maybe it’s time to check if you’ve stocked up on contraception, cause o-week was a big one for you huh. There’s Planned Parenthood, or even the Canta office… we have heaps of condoms to giveaway.

Aries

March 21 - April 19

An Aries always wants to be the centre of attention, there is no doubt about it. You were mostly seen at Electric Ave partying it up. You might have been cool enough to go backstage and sing with Lorde. I said might.

Cancer

Jun 21 - Jul 22

Do you miss feeling like a little kid? Do you want to curl up and cry because you’re an adult now and must do shit for yourself? Just go to the Margaret Mahy Playground and play amongst the children. There, feeling better now?

Libra

Sep 23 - Oct 22

Calm energy has been the vibe from you recently. Maybe… you have been a bit too calm? Don’t be afraid to go to your lectures or even open your laptop. Might be time to buy your textbooks from UBS cause you definitely don’t have those yet.

Capricorn

Dec 22 - Jan 19

You are as standstill as the botanical gardens cause it does not change, ever. Go visit for a spark in your life since it takes so little to please you. You never know you might meet a fellow Capricorn there and become besties. Rooting for you.

Taurus

Apr 20 - May 20

Frolic around the city and earn some much needed ‘you’ time. TLC is all you’re needing, so grab a book, sit on the sand at Sumner or New Brighton beach and feel the earth sign in you melt with joy.

Leo

Jul 23 - Aug 22

Drama alert! Drama alert! Make way, a Leo who needs to release their built-up energy is here to annoy. Go to The Court Theatre and put a show on for all your mates. The show will be about you, of course.

Scorpio

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Mysterious and scary, (apart from you Pierce). Find something other than that hoodie and jeans in your wardrobe to wear. Pay a visit to Dress-Smart in Hornby. I know buses suck but get over it.

Aquarius

Jan 20 - Feb 18

You are elite of course, no shame in that. Put some of your energy into volunteering and put some of that selflessness to use. Check out the SVA or even in on your mates. Capricorn sounds like they might need some help this month…

Meet the Team

Made by students for students since 1930

CANTA 2023Meet the Team

If you wish to make a complaint or offer some feedback, please email ‘editor@canta.co.nz.’

Hariklia Nicola Print Editor print@canta.co.nz

Matteo Zhang News Editor news@canta.co.nz

Imy Rice Digital Editor

Tessa Birch Video Creative Editor

Amelia Ware Video & Digital Asst.

Beccy Arnold Feature Writer

Ella Jenkins Feature Writer

Tim Smith Feature Writer

Charlotte Thornton Feature Writer

Contributors

Pierce Crowley UCSA President Anna Pohatu Tumuaki

E.K.P Feature Writer Amelia Ware Photographer

Cheryl de la Rey Vice Chancellor Josh Dalley Cuba Executive Chris Hipkins Prime Minister

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