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WINTER/SPRING 2023-2024

Quirky Cup runs over with living and learning page 02-03

contents

Slash the trash page 04

01 Daily diet of shock media by Ava Garratt 02-03 Quirky Cup runs over with living and learning by Natalia Noone-Jones 04 Slash the trash by Emily Knight 05 High-value fibre trashes pine in every way by guest writer David Craig 06-07 Crime of conformity, illusion of individuality by Isobella Baggaley 08-09 Solar fails to flick the switch by Kris Bhonsle 10 Trump’s legacy: a stark reminder to ditch political idolisation by Violet Tucker 11 To be or not to be: state integrated schools & their role in a newer world by Finn Lloyd 12 Artificial becoming real by Maia Gascoigne 13 Trapped in internet dependence by Saachi Patel 14-15 The demonisation of hyper-femininity by Isobella Baggaley 15 Kiwi taonga at risk by Emile Vince

Solar fails to flick the switch page 08-09

The demonisation of hyper-femininity page 14-15

16-17 Purrrfect therapy for humans by Natalia NooneJones 18 A race to save the planet from warming by Gautam Rajesh 19 Crier becomes voice in the wilderness by Natalia Noone-Jones 20 Editorial/open letter to Mayor Wayne Brown by Ada Kim/book review: Puketōtara by Aramia Allen-Vause 21 Search for innovation by Finn Lloyd 22 Native bees need our help by Emile Vince 23 Journey to the future needs true north by Ada Kim 24 ChatGPT is our education by Josh Benoza 25 Struggle to get students in seats by Kris Bhonsle 26-27 New life in baby surprise by Linda Whittaker 27 Turtle: the iconic and graceful turtle runs the risk of choking on our plastic waste by Kris Bhonsle 28 Woman, human or alien? by Liv Paull 29 Eat well and enjoy life by Athrun Nair 30 The king is saved, for now by Finn Lloyd 31 Let the bandwagon go without you by Natalia Noone-Jones 32 Soaked: Cyclone Gabrielle by Josh Benoza 32 Drink some water, track your steps by Hana Chajecka 33 Return to nowhere by Malie Pierard 34 High price on meaningless by Natalia Noone-Jones 35-44 Cartoons by Roman Freuan: Roman's Edu Chat 2 for all information contact Susan Warren 021 757 048. Student stories welcome at susan.warren@cometauckland.co.nz

DAILY DIET OF SHOCK MEDIA AVA GARRATT calls time on movie makers’ cynical use of adults to play teens.

We see shocking media all the time nowadays, it’s normal. From extreme horror like the Saw franchise to mainstream TV like Euphoria, we are pulled in and hooked by the promise of graphic and taboo content. We are unconsciously drawn to violence and shocking content, it intrigues us, we can’t help it. It brings companies money and keeps us on the edge of our seats. But with the rise of violent media in our everyday lives, we have to ask, how is it affecting children and teenagers? In the past, strict rules dictated what could and could not be depicted, and later harsh social restrictions acted in a similar way. You couldn’t have profanity, suggestive mannerisms, or even an inkling of taboo without being chased out of Hollywood. This is not the case today. In western media particularly, the portrayal of adult and taboo topics has recently become much more acceptable on screen. This is almost a good thing. We need these stories to be told, and the more normalised these topics are, the more good can come out of it. You would never have seen a movie depicting serious mental health struggles in an empathetic way or a simple queer character portrayed as anything other than perverse or wrong in the early a few decades back. While the normalisation of depicting serious and graphic content in adult media can be important for social change, we are also seeing the media begin to commercialise it.

shows have purposefully designed shocking reputations to garner more viewers. Think of Game of Thrones and the entirety of the violent horror genre, it sells.

the law to have minors portraying these themes and scenes. But if these shows aren’t suitable for young actors, why would they be suitable for young audiences?

This media amasses views by advertising it as brutal, violent, and graphic. That’s not the only thing that most of these shows offer of course, but it makes them money. This blatantly commercialises violence in the media and leads to even more gory and violent media being produced.

Now with age of the internet and the steady rise of adult content in the media, children have access to all kinds of content. Graphic content is at their fingertips. Exposure to violent or graphic content has recently been clearly connected to desensitisation and aggression, especially in children.

This isn’t only happening in media aimed at adults. As graphic content becomes more popularised and rakes in more money, companies can fairly assume they’ll get similar, profitable results from young audiences.

The more extreme content you consume, the less it shocks you each time, meaning you can tolerate increasingly graphic content over time. There are all kinds of problems with this that researchers have found. It’s causing people to have a decreased sense of empathy and sensitivity towards real-world violence. It effectively normalises violent behaviour, as our brains stop responding to it after it loses its shock value.

It’s not like they’re showing decapitation scenes to kids, so it’s fine. However, we are slowly seeing a shift to darker themes in content aimed at young viewers. Take 13 Reasons Why and Euphoria for example. Both arguably depict very adult content but have very high adolescent viewership. But why is that? The problem with these shows (and many other ‘teen dramas’) is they depict high schoolers. Of course, younger audiences are going to watch it when they are the stars. But while the main characters are high schoolers, the cast aren't.

‘Shockvertisement’ deliberately shock or startle the audience. This is often done with graphic imagery, social taboos, or adult themes, and things that we would typically not consider acceptable for children.

American drama shows love to cast 25 year olds to play teenagers. This is the case with Euphoria, with the entire main cast being over 21. They even cast someone 30 to play a 17 year old. This has several effects. As none of the actors are in their teens, none resemble real teenagers. They all look stunning and aren’t going through any awkward puberty phases. This gives teenagers a skewed view of what they should look like. It sets unhealthy standards that we could never keep up with. It begs the question, why cast adults?

This shocking content intrigues us and gets us interested in the advertised product. These methods clearly work and companies use them. They work so well that

The answer is simple. It’s so that they can have graphically violent and sexual scenes without getting in trouble for casting children to act in them. It would literally break EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

This desensitisation becomes dangerous when we’re talking about children, who are still developing their understanding of social norms and behaviours. Studies have indicated a connection between continual exposure to violent media and higher levels of aggression, particularly in children and adolescents who are more susceptible to media influences. It fosters violent behaviour from a young age, as children can become so desensitised to the content that they don’t register it as a problem. The increased risk of aggressive behaviour in children as a result of desensitisation is worrying and we need to start doing something about it. In a world where shocking media has become commonplace, we have to consider the effect it has on children. We need to find a balance between creative expression and responsible content creation and put more restrictions in place to prevent kids from accessing adult content that could harm their development or understanding of the world.

QUIRKY CUP RUNS OVER WITH LIVING AND LEARNING Scholar’s Cup meets NATALIA NOONEJONES vision for education.

Tortellini. Pineapples. Alpacas. Chairs. What do all these things have in common? Rubik cubes, cup stacking and ukulele medleys. Quirky presenters, adorable prizes and enthusiastic competitors. These are all the makings of an excellent Scholar’s Cup. The World Scholar’s Cup. The most random and confusing academic competition of all time. I am a proud promoter of the WSC. It has turned the mundane daily goings-on of school into simply time between competitions. Every year a regional round is held in various places all over the country. Every year I turn up with absolutely no idea of what will happen this time. Global rounds are also held every year in different locations. Last year the global rounds were in Bangkok, Cape Town, Dubai and Beijing. The finals are always at Yale University in the USA. The World Scholar’s Cup is about celebrating academic achievement, culture and socially awkward people interacting and having the time of their lives. Global rounds include scavenger hunt field trips in a group with people from different countries, an extravagant cultural fair and the Scholar’s Ball. On top of that, all WSC rounds have the Scholar’s Show, a talent show for students to show off incredible feats of talent and other strange talents too. One final question. 40 seconds left, I am counting down in my mind. It could be A… but it could be C. 30 seconds. It might be D. How do I decide? 20 seconds. I think back to my training, scrolling through mind-boggling questions and their relevant links. Surely I read something about glaciogenic cloud seeding? 10 seconds. Time is ticking away. 5 seconds. How could I possibly be

expected to know something like this? 2 seconds. I scribble in circles faster than I ever have before. When the supervisor calls for pencils down, I have shaded in both A,C and D. If one of them is correct, I will only get ⅓ of a point. But ⅓ of a point is better than none and this quiz is all about assessing the risk. The World Scholar’s Cup rounds are unique and tailored for the competition. These include debating, trivia, collaborative writing and even more trivia. Both sets of trivia rounds come with a twist. A multichoice quiz where you can choose multiple answers? A team trivia where students must link what they know about pop culture to historians, kings, writers, photographers, traditions or events from the past? The rounds at the World Scholar’s Cup are so creative, so relevant and we’ve never seen anything like them before. I didn’t even know how anyone could write with their team until I tried it and realised how well it benefitted everyone involved. While the competition is great fun, it is also educational and every year has a relevant theme. Some previous themes: a world renewed, reconstructing the past, the fall of empires, and a world on the margins. These push students to think about concepts like human relationships, the history of diplomacy or what mistakes are. Resources on the website ask students questions they have to think about philosophically, from different perspectives and using definitions to aid them and then form an opinion. These thinking skills are hardly ever taught, but WSC is different that way. It’s about growing students, connecting them, opening their minds to new ideas and teaching them to be logical and independent thinkers. While it does really help to look at the EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

resource questions to get an idea of what you’ll be facing, and because a lot of the quiz questions are related to the links provided, this competition does not involve memorising the way NCEA does. Skimming over articles that might contain helpful information is enough for students to recall the necessary information once prompted with a reference in the question. At the Cup, you do not rely on anyone else to teach you a pre-set ‘curriculum’ you explore thoughts and use lateral thinking instead. Many questions in the quiz have some sort of pop culture reference, some involve video clips, images or songs to illustrate the question. There is a bit of gambling with your points involved to practice decision making and risk assessing skills. The WSC is bringing out a joy for learning in everyone who participates. Some students in schools feel discouraged when they feel they can’t achieve the same level as others around them or when they work really hard but just miss an award which will give them the recognition and confirmation that they’re working hard. The World Scholar’s Cup awards tonnes of medals for anyone who scores over the threshold for each round or subject, not by merely rewarding the top three results. There are so many categories where you can win a medal or trophy. It is common practice to go home jangling like a decorated Christmas tree with 13 medals around your neck and a trophy in hand. School prize-givings are enjoyable, but always leave me feeling I could’ve done more to win more, and it is difficult to accept someone else has won any particular prize because it means I haven’t. They are competitive and elitist, with the overall message that if you aren’t the very best, you haven’t achieved anything. Every WSC prize-giving leaves me not comparing

myself to the person next to me, which I would do at school. I know I have done well because I have so many medals I couldn’t care less if I didn’t win every prize. At WSC I feel I have done my best and am always happy with my result because I don’t feel I have to compete with the people around me. To win a prize you don’t have to compete with the people around you. The World Scholar’s Cup also has a few quirks that seem quite cheesy but are actually very important. Their main code of conduct is to not take yourself too seriously, the very reason they claim the goofy and loveable alpaca as their mascot. This is the same reason they have random fads within the The World Scholar's Cup community, and everyone gets ridiculously into even the simplest things like the competition of students balancing toy alpacas on their heads for as long as possible, or screaming ‘PWAAAAA!’ (the happy noise of the alpaca as we have been told) without an ounce of embarrassment. The term losing was officially changed to lollipopping in 2015 to promote self-improvement and positivity. The WSC really is a feel-good competition, I never believed it was possible. The hosts and participants all have a random hilarious sense of mood-boosting humour and a strong passion for everything we do there.

I have found it the easiest place in the world to approach anyone I like and start an interesting conversation without being nervous or self-conscious because the people there have open minds, don’t take themselves seriously and are crazy happy the whole time. I believe as many schools as possible should participate in the World Scholar’s Cup and that our education system should have the mindset of the WSC. Teaching for the love of learning with valuable skills with relevance in real life should be encouraged. Our teachings should incorporate morals of collaboration rather than competition. The Cup is a demonstration of what could be achieved when many cultures and many different people get together to build off each other’s ideas and work as a unified front. Humanity makes most of its own problems out of human nature or discrimination. Right now, we are facing climate change, another man-made problem, but this time it is affecting the whole planet and everything in it. If we had the WSC mindset and applied it to bigger issues like these, it wouldn’t be so hard for us to work together and get everyone to cooperate. We have been destroying the Earth for a long time and now big countries are having a tantrum and refusing to help solve what they helped cause. Some people still don’t understand what acceptable behaviour is or how to get

over themselves. If everyone was educated with teamwork and relevant morals in mind, the world would be a better place. The WSC is a better way of life and learning and should be leading the way. Schools should be following. I encourage you all to get involved in this incredible experience and witness the peak of human attitude and collaboration. It stands for so many things: critical thinking, socialising, self-confidence, positivity, useful learnings and lots of fun. Most importantly, they do not preach or lecture these things the way a school principal might, rather, they create an atmosphere and show these values through actions. I have never seen anyone here swear, refuse to participate, be violent or get mad or act tough to be seen as cool. I have never seen anyone excluded or bullied or any of the problems we are facing in schools today. I guess it must be working. If you like writing, debating and trivia, love learning new things, being surrounded by amazing people, and know how to have fun then the World Scholar’s Cup rounds are for you. If you’re a politician, a teacher or a principal, then the WSC is an excellent example of what it should look like when students get together and should be taken as a role model for what schools could look like. The World Scholar’s Cup is not just an event, but a way of living and learning.

WORLD SCHOLARS CUP FOR YOU Check out the World Scholars Cup Website for more information and talk with your school to see if they are already involved. If your school is not involved, you can still attend by signing up to a regional round via the website and getting time off school. You’ll need a team of three. The World Scholars Cup is a collaborative cup, so bringing your friends is required.

https://www.scholarscup.org Scholar's art, left, by Natalia

EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

SLASH THE TRASH

EMILY KNIGHT wants forestry wreckage properly managed.

Forestry slash occurs when people cut down the trees and forests, leaving the debris lying around. When we have storms like the recent Cyclone Gabrielle, the debris is shifted, blocking drains and waterways, in some cases piling up on the foreshore and choking beaches. With piles of debris blocking the drains and waterways all the water has nowhere to go, causing floods. Blocked drains and waterways are also choked with rubbish. Have you ever thought ‘oh, dropping my rubbish just this once won’t do anything’? If everyone did that, ‘just this once’ the world would be even more cluttered with rubbish than it is now. And before you know it, ‘just this once’ would be happening every day. It’s like this with forest slash, the hillsides are cleared of the saleable trunks, the branches and slash tossed aside, forgotten, like rubbish dumped in the street. Waiting for the inevitable downpours. Today, New Zealand has a total 10.1 million hectares of forests,

covering 33% of the land. Of this 8 million hectares is native forest. 2.1 million hectares are plantation forest, of this, 1.7 million hectares is productive and the remainder is in reserves and unplanted areas near bodies of water and infrastructure. Forests contribute $6 billion a year to New Zealand's economy. We rely on sustainable forestry and its related wood processing industries to provide tens of thousands of jobs for New Zealanders, supporting our families and our regions. We need to respect these forests by not dropping our rubbish. Another thing forestry slash does is destroy homes. This can happen when people cut down trees and leave the debris. Rain and sudden storms can lead to landslides with debris falling onto homes below. Forest debris can build up, almost unnoticed, until it is shifted by flooding and strewn across the land below, engulfing productive land, jamming up rivers beneath bridges and taking months to clear. The productive logs are long gone, leaving the mess.

‘We rely on sustainable forestry and its related wood processing industries to provide tens of thousands of jobs.’

‘Forestry slash washed up on Tolaga Bay beach, New Zealand’

‘...jamming up rivers beneath bridges and taking months to clear.’

‘Have you ever thought ‘oh, dropping my rubbish just this once won’t do anything’?’

EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

HIGH-VALUE FIBRE TRASHES PINE IN EVERY WAY Guest writer DAVID CRAIG wonders why pine plantations ever replaced the astounding properties hemp provides.

Surfboard made from hemp resin. Our politicians have the answer to the hideous mess of forestry slash right in front of them but seem to lack the innovative thinking to see it. Vast pine plantations were never the best option for New Zealand. Cost benefit and pollution impacts leave it far behind another option we have ignored for decades. Hemp has been illegal to grow throughout most of the world for the last 80 years and was never given a chance to compete on an equal footing with pine and other natural fibres. Hemp stalk’s bast fibre is 10 times stronger than fibre in pine. Hemp fibre is probably the strongest and most durable fibre in nature, 10 times stronger than wood fibre, four times stronger than cotton. Industrial hemp is lighter and less expensive to process than pine. 1 acre of hemp planted for 40 years has 400% more usable fibre than one acre of pine through their 40 year life cycle. Hemp is the most efficient biomass source in the world. In less than 91 days, hemp has generated stalk to the stage where its fibres have their full CO₂ content and are ready to be processed. Hemp science shows high absorption properties, IR and UV radiation protection capacity and natural low flammability. Other tests show natural anti-bacterial properties from the alkaloids and other bioactive or phenolic compounds. Hemp’s strong carbon storage capability based on its high biomass content, and the low levels of water it needs, probably make hemp the most sustainable fibre of all. Hemp plants have a far higher capacity to draw out and contain CO₂ than pine, and most other trees. Recent studies show 1 acre of hemp can absorb 8.88 tonnes of CO₂ each year. 1 acre of pine forests sequesters roughly 2.5 tonnes – about 30% as much.

The CO₂ displacement when hemp is substituted for traditional raw materials in end products such as plastic, textiles, steel, construction and other materials, can reduce CO₂ by as much as 200 tonnes. Plant life produces oxygen in the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and this natural process decreases as plants age. It may seem logical that big trees with considerable leaf area would generate more oxygen, because they are alive much longer than a hemp plant, but this is not the case. There is a decline in the capacity of older and larger trees to produce oxygen, while hemp is a fast-growing and large plant harvested at only 12 weeks. Long before it can be ‘aged,’ the plant is pumping oxygen full throttle. This is ideal for shared crop agronomy. Hemp was once used for paper production. It was replaced with wood-based paper in the 1930s. We can’t measure the cost of what we lost. Forests were decimated. The love-affair with the inefficient, incompatible pine began in earnest in this country and elsewhere. We can help to regain the bio-balance by planting, harvesting and processing hemp into the many cellulosic applications trees have been used for since then. Cellulose is the main chemical adding strength to paper and other composite products such as chipboard and particleboard. With a concentration of 72%, hemp bast has a higher concentration of cellulose than wood, which provides only 42%. The more cellulose a plant contains, the fewer chemicals are needed to make paper. Hemp bast has the highest cellulose content of all plants. Not only does hemp grow at a much faster rate than trees, but its high cellulose content allows for a faster, lower conversion cost and doesn’t require the significant quantities of toxic chemicals reEDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

quired for wood processing. Making paper and packaging from wood requires heavily polluting agents such as sulphuric acid, bleach and chlorine to remove its non-cellulose fibre mass during the pulping process. Hemp fibres are whitened using hydrogen peroxide which doesn’t chemically damage water. Compared to wood pulp, paper made from hemp fibres resists decomposition and does not yellow or brown with age. Building materials made from hemp to replace the ubiquitous 4x2 are more than 10 times stronger, and naturally fire retardant. Indeed, a hemp fibre RSJ beam is far stronger than a steel RSJ of the same gauge, and far less damaging to produce. Its cellulose content is suited to low-cost single coat insulation and monolithic cladding options, particularly in rapid response tensile construction needed in cyclone and extreme weather responses, and for housing shortages. We have an historic relationship with fibre production. New Zealand once exported flax fibre, the great politician Michael Joseph Savage made his living from the Wairarapa flax industry before entering politics. There is nowhere pine is grown that cannot be planted in hemp. Harvesting is lighter, faster, cleaner and far easier. The dollar return from fibre is far higher. Hemp fibre can play a pivotal role in economic development. It’s potential for advancing human health and well-being is huge. It is not a question of phasing out other fibres and completely replacing them with hemp. Hemp’s synergies with existing industrial capacities are virtually unlimited. What we need is political and economic vision, linked by innovation.

CRIME OF CONFORMITY, ILLUSION OF INDIVIDUALITY ISOBELLA BAGGALEY wants Taylor Swift on her basic girl playlist.

As December rolls around, the temperature gets warmer, bells start jingling and Michael Bublé is played through every available speaker. More significantly, the beginning of December marks the release of the most anticipated yearly marketing campaign: Spotify Wrapped. An exciting way of displaying all the information Spotify has taken from you with fun colours and dadjoke-esque comments on your music taste. With the yearly review comes a new wave of shame. Comments like ‘before Spotify Wrapped comes out y’all have got to realise I went through about 20 new personalities this year and I am not responsible for whatever song I looped for 17 hours’, ‘getting ready to judge you all based on your music tastes’

and ‘I am not posting my Spotify Wrapped. I am calling my therapist’ begin to pop up. Last year, I listened to four 171 minutes of Taylor Swift’s music, placing me in the top one percent of her listeners. I am not going to deny this, nor claim it is inaccurate and pretend I am ashamed of it – because I’m not. I was listening to the music. I made the playlist named ‘Slayor favs’, and played it on repeat, happily. If anything, I was surprised Taylor only made-up ten percent of my overall listening. I was truly shocked by the response to these statistics. The ill-concealed implication I am basic, unoriginal, and something generally wrong with the music I consume. EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

I felt the need to explore what we perceive as ‘basic’ and how it is weaponised to allow others to feel unique. Just over a decade ago, the comedians Lil Duval and SpokenReasons popularised the term ‘basic’ with Duval’s song ‘Basic B****’ and SpokenReasons misogynistic explanatory response video in which he rattles off various reasons a woman might be basic, describing them as a ‘woman who think she’s all that but really ain’t.’ The term’s traction increased further in 2011 when rapper Kreayshawn released her song ‘Gucci Gucci’ where the definition of the word began to switch from being a woman who thinks she is cooler, smarter, more independent, or more attractive than she really is to the more widely familiar definition – a woman who only likes things because they are popular.

From there, the definition gets less general, with each country, generation and community having their own unique trademarks for a basic girl. For me, a basic girl wears basic clothing brands, like Lululemon, Forever 21, and Brandy Melville, or the New Zealand equivalent, Cotton On, White Fox and Glassons. She drinks raspberry cruisers and iced lattes, wears worn-in white Nike Air Forces, and could not survive without her Airpods, Frank Green and Sol De Janeiro Cherosia ‘62. She is characterised by her lack of personality, lacking in any form of originality and uniqueness, following the crowd with her every action. The term has now been widely adopted as an insult, as a humorous critique against social class and behaviour, with misogynistic connotations. The basic girl is an incredibly contradictory stereotype, as society encourages you to follow trends, to fit in, to not stray far outside of the lines, and then simultaneously puts you down for doing so. Despite being pressured, she is degraded for her behaviour. The basic girl lacks the self-awareness to understand she is disliked by everyone for her indistinctiveness. When we question it, our hatred for those who are considered basic falls flat. We say we dislike those who are basic because of their lack of originality because they are boring and never dare to be different. Particularly, in a world where all media we consume online is all about self-branding and distinction, there is a certain shame that comes with normality. This is generally unfair, as the human race is multi-faceted. I don’t believe basic people exist, or not in the way the term basic implies.

This implies that there is a right way and a wrong way of pursuing your interests. The opposite character to the basic girl would make the ‘right choices’ as we hate the basic girl’s legging-wearing, Taylor Swift loving identity, and as Lil Duval so eloquently put it ‘need a replacement.’ The foil character would be the unique, original, faultless girl – someone who avoids trends like they are the plague, goes out of their way to be the epitome of niche, and would die before listening to Taylor Swift, or, God forbid, Harry Styles. Originality is something our society holds in high regard . . . in moderate doses. To be unique is to challenge yourself, your habits or what you enjoy beyond that of the average consumer. It is about being led more by your own self-desires than having how you dress, how you spend your money and what you find beauty and enjoyment in guided by social media, microtrends and systematic limitations. And while this may seem like a positive thing that can foster a strong sense of self-expression, under less ideal conditions it can also be the cause of what I am labelling ‘Media Pretentiousness.’ A media elitist measures their identity, not by who they are, but by how different they are from everyone else – they don’t just enjoy this unique thing, they enjoy the fact that you don’t like/haven’t heard of this unique thing. They will make you feel guilty for not enjoying this niche thing, but then gatekeep it from you, because if you like it, it doesn’t feel special to them anymore. They will actively avoid anything deemed popular, and seek out more original subjects simply for the sake of making themselves more unique and not for their own enjoyment.

As hard as we try, it’s quite hard to be exact clones of one another, and we vary from person to person in terms of identity.

There is a definite line between these people and the average person, as most people do have at least a handful of interests that don’t follow mainstream societal trends.

As shocking as it may seem, there are ways to do something that everyone else is doing, but do it in your own way, and it is nearly impossible to be an exact carbon copy of someone else.

Here, I am talking about the people who consider all popular trends beneath them, and feel superior towards others simply due to their ‘uniqueness.’

A more plausible reason we look down on the basic girl is because she is a clear-cut example of a person who is easily influenced. She is consistently on trend, loving every song in the Global Top 50, buying everything targeted at her and never challenging what she consumes. It’s never her consumption making her problematic, it’s what she chooses to subscribe to. This is why Spotify Wrapped is such a good example. It’s not that I listen to music or participate in the yearly music review that makes me basic, but that when I do it I am listening to the ‘wrong artists.’

It would be naïve to assume people deemed ‘different’ are treated any better, because they’re not. Regardless of the basic girl stereotype, mainstream is the most accepted culture in society. While those who stray too far outside of it are ostracised, or at the very least, looked down upon for their assumed deviation from the norm. Facing criticism for enjoying different music, dressing uniquely, or having niche hobbies and interests is not an uncommon experience, particularly when you are younger, and it is a strong factor behind why so many fear stretching themselves beyond society’s trends. EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

And then you have the people who face criticism for being ‘too different’ in areas of life beyond hobbies and interests – the people who are discriminated against for existing (people of colour, those with disabilities, queer people, etc). When talking about the incredibility of being unique, it is impossible to avoid the discussion of how being viewed as ‘too different’ can come alongside oppression and prejudice as well. My point is not people who form a genuine interest in whatever niche they feel fulfilled by while respecting those different from them, but about those who participate in a performance of interests and rejection or belittlement of things they view as ‘other.’ A basic person who only likes mainstream things because they think it makes them more accepted while bashing other subcultures or counter cultures. Or, people from subcultures who avoid anything that’s too popular or basic because it makes them feel cooler to do so while patronising people who find genuine joy in the mainstream. Both sides are equally unbalanced, feeding on artificial interests to further their own self-image. They both ignore the importance of broader communities and an open mind. Being anti-basic centers on the idea of being so individualistic that you share nothing in common with anybody around you. It revolves back around to the Paradox of Authenticity – the more you try to perform authenticity, the less authentic your performance is. The reality is, true authenticity is generally not the most interesting thing. Sometimes you do just like Taylor Swift, and it is delusional to think you won’t have unconscious influence in your interests and preferences planted by the environment you grew up and live in. We’re all human and share the same human experiences – we like the things we like and give those things weight and importance in our life, and to disregard this is just plain ignorant. Denying yourself access to something that could otherwise fulfil or engage you, whether that be something that’s already popular or something more undiscovered, just because you’re afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone or your image is ridiculous. Let people enjoy things, especially when it is something as simple as music taste. You’re not special for being interested in the niche, nor valued more for Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and liking one thing doesn’t mean it has to define you. You can be as contradictory, complex, or as average as you want. All that’s being asked of you is to exist.

SOLAR FAILS TO FLICK THE SWITCH KRIS BHONSLE checks the charge on alternative power options.

'Should we hang on to solar panels and electric cars or should we stop with electric cars and solar power?'

Ever since the industrial revolution, humans have been polluting the planet. To solve this problem we have found many other sources of electricity including solar power. But are they really worth it? Let’s put that into perspective. Every day we produce 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. If you’ve been told this is natural you are wrong.

resources? These rare resources are: silicon, indium, gallium, selenium, cadmium, and tellurium. There’s a issue with using these in device production. With increasing digitisation we have a big problem, should we continue digitising everything or should we use the precious resources to increase solar panel production?

Let’s look at the comparison. To make 100kw you need 38.8kgs or 85.5 pounds of coal, solar panels. On the other hand, it will take a 4kw solar system, 1 day and 9 hours.

There are other renewable sources like tidal power and wind but they also use precious metals which changes the argument. Going renewable, or saving our precious metals?

Let’s look at the money comparison, 38.8kgs of coal costs $28.32. Buying a 4kw solar panel will cost $10,000 and will take 6-10 years to repay. That sounds expensive right? You can lease it and only pay $55$280 per month which would be as low as $3,960 to an insane $33,600.

In the solar industry the main resources are copper, silicon, zinc, and aluminum. Is solar good overall in terms of resource-efficiency? We’ve seen resource-efficiency and its prices and leasing and solar seems good, but now we’ve been faced with a question – is it the best way forward?

Looking at prices and efficiency, solar panels seem to be OK. But there’s one more little question to we can get our answer: do they consume to many precious metals and

Wind is the absolute best followed by geothermal, hydro, nuclear and solar. But now I’m going to introduce the electric EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

car industry, where the electricity actually comes from coal which causes greenhouse gas emissions which has led to the renewable energy-run car industry. Have you seen those recharging stations with a solar panel on them? That’s because solar panels are simply better on a smaller scale. But this means that we still need to use solar panels and we can’t change to wind or geothermal, we still need to stick with solar for now. Electric cars are going to make us hold on to solar more but electric cars also use way more precious metals than solar panels. Should we hang on to solar panels and electric cars or should we stop with electric cars and solar power? Maybe I’m making this too hard. Here’s a simple solution. Use geothermal power, it’s common like solar power. You don’t need to place recharging stations near coastlines or windy areas. That makes electric cars a little worse but combine that with its precious resource

consumption, it could impact digitisation. Geothermal energy is the way to go. OK, I’m throwing you in a rabbit hole but don’t worry there’s not much to go. Now we have bikes, more specifically electric bikes, they exist right, they are a perfect cheap (OK, not that cheap), wayof-transport that balances exercise with efficiency and they don’t need solar panels. They don’t need a lot of electricity (not like electric cars) so they are perfect. About one third of adults cannot ride bikes (mind-blowing, right?) That’s great, we can continue digitalising and making sure climate change won’t turn Earth into a living hell. But electric bikes are big and hefty, electric bike batteries can be a hassle and they’re expensive ($1,500$2,500).

They can only travel 190km with a single battery charge, whereas an electric car can travel 200-490km and costs $68,000. I’m going to throw at you one more question: how urgently do we have to take down climate change before it takes us down? We need to cut our emissions by half in 2030 and we need to cut emissions completely by 2050. OK, that’s everything right? What gasses do we cut down on to make it fast? We only have 7 years and that’s what I’m going to be explaining. Every day, we produce 50 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. If you want to calculate 1kg CO₂ equals 1 carbon dioxide equivalent, 1kg of methane equals 89 carbon dioxide equivalents, 1kg of nitrous oxide equals 298 carbon dioxide equivalents.

So the real bad guy was nitrous oxide right? Wrong, if you put into account the amount of carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide is the most dangerous one. If you were to replace the world’s energy needs with solar, we will need 58 billion 1 joule solar panels. This will cost $858.4 trillion, while the world economy is $96.51 trillion – barely what we need. Are solar panels really worth it? Solar is not the best, but not the worst, the panels have a decent precious resource consumption but geothermal is still better. We know that we need to act and we can’t rely completely on solar, but we can still use solar power in amounts that won’t slow or completely stop digitalisation. Solar is not efficient enough to build a base to stop climate change.

‘Use geothermal power, it’s common like solar power. You don’t need to place recharging stations near coastlines or windy areas.’

‘Solar is not the best, but not the worst, the panels have a decent precious resource consumption but geothermal is still better.’

‘There are other renewable sources like tidal power and wind but they also use precious metals which changes the argument.’

‘Wind comes out on top by a wide margin over all the other sources. It is followed in order by geothermal, hydro, nuclear and solar.’

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TRUMP’S LEGACY: A STARK REMINDER TO DITCH POLITICAL IDOLISATION

VIOLET TUCKER points to the theatre of the absurd. It is always tempting to avoid mentioning Donald Trump in a political article, but it seems near impossible.

eryday people could tweet their thoughts, their goals, their messaging, and ‘it would be heard.’

As a high-profile human embodiment of governmental division with a cult of personality to match, he personifies what goes wrong when politicians garner support for their theatrics instead of anything they achieve.

There was an illusion of connection.

Trump’s fan-base is perhaps one of the most enthralling elements developed during his time in power. Specifically, the outspoken nature of his followers online, and the devoted, radical idolisation of the political figure. His ability to influence millions of people to blindly follow and outspokenly support him through court charges, impeachment, and possible incarceration is to be commended. That is, if it wasn’t so dangerous. That is, if he had not turned the Oval Office into a difficult to watch, poorly produced reality TV show. He had a unique ability to communicate directly with his base through social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), which allowed him to bypass traditional media channels and shape his own narrative. That, perhaps, is the beauty of Trump’s influence. A political leader, who is debatably in the most powerful position in the world, communicating directly to his acolytes. Ev-

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a cult of personality. We see it all over the world, doing more bad than good. Social media has changed the playbook but the fact remains a number of leaders know that putting themselves on a pedestal and vilifying the opposition or sceptics causes people to move more strongly to their cause. The problem? There is so much misinformation and news directed not at what is happening, but at what people want to believe. How many people in the US still think Trump won the last election? When we idolise politicians, we risk distorting the very essence of accountability. By giving them a pass on normal criticism, we create an environment where reproval and debate become shunned, and attacked. On social media especially, we see swarms of people attacking any form of negativity towards their favourite leader. In New Zealand, we witnessed a less threatening phenomenon during the tenure of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. While her compassionate leadership garnered international praise, the idolisation surrounding her made it difficult for constructive critique and robust debate to take place. EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

The consequence? A lack of accountability, reduced ability to hold policy up to scrutiny, and a diminished democratic discourse that caused a lot of resentment when the tide changed. Has crime been reduced? Has child poverty gone down? Are hospitals functioning more efficiently? We all have different views on these topics but it’s easier to talk about the actual facts when a personality isn’t involved. Idolising politicians can limit the range of perspectives and hinder healthy debates. In New Zealand, we have seen influential figures rise and fall. While their leadership deserves acknowledgment, idolising them can create an echo chamber where opposing voices are ignored. When we put politicians on a pedestal, we unintentionally discourage the exploration of different ideas, hindering the growth of an inclusive and robust democracy. It’s the classic case of separating the art from the artist. Perhaps you agree with a politician’s viewpoint. Perhaps you believe that their stance on certain issues aligns with your own. It comes back to accountability. We need to look past seeing these figures through rose tinted glasses and see them for what they truly are, people put in power to serve as a voice for their country. Nothing more, nothing less.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE: STATE INTEGRATED SCHOOLS & THEIR ROLE IN A NEWER WORLD

FINN LLOYD shows there is a place in education and in our communities for State Integrated schools. In the uniqueness of these islands, it is often the unique that becomes normal to us as we find ingenuity in necessity. The small, flightless, endangered national symbol, the 33-times arrested radical becoming the longest-serving mayor of Invercargill and knighted for it, HM The King presenting our PM with sausage rolls after an official audience.

of the student intake for the year can be non-preference (no recommendation from Catholic clergy/leaders). With particular angst in the last two conditions, speculation has often arisen over the place of these schools. The ability of the school to keep large amounts of funding while charging attendance dues and requesting donations, coupled with the staff and student restrictions have been a sticking point.

The odd, the unusual, found a place in the hazy smoke-filled rooms of Norman Kirk’s 70’s parliament, as the idea to incorporate the financially struggling and near-collapse Catholic education system into the state system was brewing.

There are more state-integrated schools than just those that are Catholic, however as these schools form a large majority these are of special importance – so not to forget the Jewish, Muslim, Protestant and other state-integrated schools.

Now serving 23,500 students in Auckland alone, this system was borne of a scramble to save both systems – a system not quite like anything else in the world, a truly unique one. Most of these schools are Catholic, educating 87,500 students nationally, each is entitled under the original Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1975 to retain its own special character.

This is not a free-loading situation – all new buildings are paid for by the proprietor and this body receives some funds for their upkeep, though in order to maintain the separation of church and state, any religious buildings (such as chapels) are entirely an issue for the proprietor.

The school’s board is responsible for the school's management, and to both the Crown, which provides the funding, and to the proprietor who invariably owns the land and buildings. Although some Catholic schools are owned by the religious orders that begat them, whereas others come under the direct jurisdiction of the diocese. Staff in primary and secondary schools must be comprised of 60% and 40% Catholics, respectively, and no more than 5%

The ‘special character’ these schools can keep is another important aspect of this integration. The ability of a school to have its own character defined in such a way is meaningful to the schools themselves, and to those that have been before the school – as old boys of my own school comment, ‘the continuation of the legacy of those thousands that have passed before us.’ It is also demonstrated in such a way that certain intense rivalries and friendships have formed – again, in such a nationally-defined way that my school’s brother school is St. Bernards in Wellington. EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

All this effort would be useless without results. And this system delivers in spades – all 10 of the top 10 high schools in the country for English were Christian, and praised for performing the best among the competition. This could be attributed to the extra literacy classes provided by religious education (RE) departments across these schools – something mainstream schools do not provide – and the use of discipline such as compulsory uniforms aids in the improvements that are seen – not to mention the fierce rivalry in the community bringing out the best in students’ abilities and likely improving results where opportunities are plenty. This system is (to a small group) controversial. And although considered by some to be unfair, each school is integrated individually, and is managed in such a way that the Crown has as much a hand in the school as the proprietor. The system is fair. Just as the thousands of dollars in fees are to be paid, so too is an RE class, a Catholic principal, good relations with similar schools, and all done unapologetically through Christ. It is an all-round fair and integrated system. Not only is it important to recognise the school you are in is unique, much like our earlier friends Sir Shadbolt and the legally inedible NZ chicken – it finds a home in this nation. Perhaps it is time to say ‘thank you’ to your RE teacher, appreciate the daily retellings from the Lord (And to my Muslim and Jewish friends Muhammad and Moses), and see the special place you are in for what it is – for not many others can.

ARTIFICIAL BECOMING REAL MAIA GASCOIGNE watches the steady advance of Artificial Intelligence.

Alexa, Siri and self-driving cars all have something in common. They use Artificial Intelligence (AI) where computers begin to think and learn similar to the way humans do. AI can help computers perform tasks done by humans, they can process our languages and learning. You can type in random words and AI can process it into a photo in an AI image generator. There is now ChatGPT used on websites to help assist you with tasks and allow you to have human-like conversations. In 1955, Allen Newell and Herbert A. Simon, created the ‘first AI programme’ named the ‘Logic Theorist.’ There can be different types of AI based on the functionality of AI-based systems. AI are categorised into these types:

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Reactive machines AI

Reactive machines are programmed with a predictable output based on the input it received. For example, after you watch a movie on Netflix there are recommendations for you, based on what you have watched. AI is reacting to choices you make to come up with similar ideas or solutions.

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Limited memory AI

They use their ability to store, adjust and interpret data and improve over time similar to the way the humans brain neurons connect. They can complete complex tasks and use historical data to make predictions, for example self-driving cars.

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Theory of mind AI

This is where machines are programmed with decision-making abilities like humans.

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Self-aware AI

The final type of AI is self-aware. These self-aware AI are aware of themselves, and other’s behaviours and emotions.

The pros of AI AI can help with stressful work and give you a nice break. Employers won’t have to pay staff a lot of money if AI can do their job. AI would be better workers, for example, AI don’t get sick, don’t need any days off, would never be late to work, and they don’t make mistakes like humans can. AI can perform tasks faster when they are programmed to do it like jobs. AI are fast decision makers because they can process almost everything in a short time to make them fast decision-makers and their answers to the questions are also very accurate too.

The cons of AI AI may replace the jobs that humans have making less jobs available to humans. If you work for the whole day and you get $20 an hour, resulting in $1,680 a week, that’s your income to buy food, water and electricity. But when AI get involved that might affect some human’s income because they may get replaced by robots. Some people won’t be able to make enough money to live. Another con is that some people like to deal with humans only. They can get frustrated trying to deal with a computer that has no feelings. AI is still evolving making me wonder what it will evolve into the future. If there are four types of AI now, could there be a fifth in the future? What will happen to AI when they get more advanced and more powerful? When theory of mind and self-aware AI are fully developed? Will AI take over the world some day?

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TRAPPED IN INTERNET DEPENDENCE

SAACHI PATEL wants everyone to lose their phone for a day. The internet is becoming a bigger problem day by day and nobody seems to care. It has become the fastest, easiest and most efficient tool to exist, but it still comes with its own problems. The destructive tool provides people with entertainment, a great quantity of information and everything you would ever need to distance yourself from the real world. Before the internet became so infamous people used to enjoy the outdoors, socialise and be less stressed. Due to playing or reading something is triggering people feel more stressed than usual eventually leading to ‘rage quitting’ and sometimes worse. The internet and everyone on it have created this foreign language that is built off of acronyms and slang which is hard to understand if you are not very familiar with it. At some point people started using acronyms like IDK (I don’t know) in real life. Forgetting that they were talking to someone in person instead of on social media. The internet is a vital part of our world. It provides us with knowledge, almost identical to a human brain, most times even smarter. Except Google and other search websites don’t have feelings like us. The

internet is like having a deadly addiction. Once you take a bite you just can’t go back to the life before. It brainwashes you into thinking it’s this amazing thing, when it’s really not. The internet is such an important tool that people forget to go outside while spending hours browsing online. Why leave the comfort of your own home if you can get food delivered to you. From pizza to Adidas shoes, the internet has created an illusion of the outside world. Uber Eats, online shopping and the most famous, social media. Social media can be used to discover people from all around the world and make friends. Though it can be used to socialise, it has been used to do some bad things in the past including exploiting native people and doing inappropriate things. The internet is home to bad things such as scams, cyberbullying and cyberattacks. With all the good and helpful things the internet has, it does have many cons. Scams lure children and naive people in by faking something or wrongly advertising which leads the innocent people to lose money and other valuable items. Cyberbullying and cyberattacks can lead EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

to depression and anxiety that sometimes won’t go away. Cyberbullying can be worse than bullying in person. People can be meaner online, because they think nobody can catch them. Before the rise of social media and the internet, people were more active, social and friendly. Whenever and wherever people go, there is a phone or device that leads to the internet. Without access to the internet a person feels helpless, no information to guide them, or their daily dose of TikTok. Society expects to find every answer on Google, even personal questions. As if Google is a human with feelings. Humans use the internet to do so much more than finding answers. They are obsessed with their devices. Almost like they’re scared their phone will run away. The internet may have some pros but the cons heavily outweigh them. In this day and age, almost everyone is emotionally attached to their devices, whether it’s on your phone for entertainment or on your laptop for studying. How would people react if the internet suddenly went missing one day? Would they keep calm and carry on with their lives, or freak out and figure out the mystery?

THE DEMONISATION OF HYPERFEMININITY ISOBELLA BAGGALEY calls out a new sexist fakery.

Having grown up in the early 2010s as not only a devoted feminist but also a budding cinephile, the marketing of Greta Gerwig’s newest film Barbie as a ‘feminist masterpiece’ seemed mildly contradictory. Though, after having spent hours scrolling through videos containing ‘She’s everything. He’s just Ken’ and ‘You are Kenough’ jokes, I am thankful for the turn in attitudes towards how women in film have rebranded the ‘strong female character.’ The ‘strong female characters’ that I most frequently encountered in movies growing up were the tomboyish heroines that gained popularity in the late 1990s, when female creators started to openly defy the expectations set by their male forebears. In place of portraying independent and tomboyish females negatively they chose to question the idea that women had to be subservient, nice and ‘girly’ in order to be labelled ‘desirable.’ Think of Kat Stratford from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You as an example. Why did this change occur? And why was it so popular?

Through the second wave of feminism in the 1960s, we saw an adjustment in perspective of gender roles and performance. During WWII, when the men were sent off to war, women joined the workforce, replacing the men in the manufacturing, transport and engineering industries. However, when the men returned, women were either forced out of their jobs or required to work for a lower wage than their male counterparts or sorted into ‘pink collar’ roles – which were more domestic positions, such as nursing or secretarial jobs. The heavy emphasis that a woman belonged in the home returned, and a strong value in marriage was restored. As a result, the second wave of feminism saw the new concept that women were restricted in domestic settings and needed to break from the patriarchal hierarchies found within their homes and gain independence to increase their opportunities. These new ideals created the separation of feminism from femininity, where women had to act unlike girls to be treated equally.

Our society depends heavily on the notion that only two genders exist – the first being the rugby, racing and beer male fraternity, and the second being the pink, glittery, doll girls who say ‘like’ every three words.

To be taken more seriously, second wave feminists denounced anything considered stereotypically ‘girly’, including dresses, skirts, high heels, makeup, the colour pink and much more, encouraging the embrace of anything ‘masculine’ in the alternative.

For the majority of our history, the former have been at the forefront of our lives – they have been the hunters, the providers, they paid the bills and owned the land. Men maintained this power for an extended period of time, power women couldn’t dream of having. We fought long and hard to obtain rights and equality.

This was largely due to the environment second wave feminists came under, where they were not viewed as people deserving of equal treatment, but instead as women – the second-class citizens of society. Without this distinction, it is unlikely we could have reached where women could be taken seriously and their complaints heard. EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

The separation of feminism from femininity led to widespread repercussions through the media – with ultra-femininity morphing into a lack of substance beyond physical appearances. Our strong female leads morphed into girls who are unable to perform femininity and think they are different from the rest simply because they don’t like to wear dresses. The infamous ‘not like other girls’ trope became all the rage, setting us back about two million years and obliterating all the progress feminists had made towards reclaiming hyperfeminine items that upheld patriarchal ideals, such as lipstick. If you have been fortunate enough to never come across the ‘not like other girls’ trope’, it goes like this: you take a girl who doesn’t conform to overt femininity and adopt her as ‘one of the boys.’ The ‘not like other girls’ girl plays soccer, doesn’t wear eyeshadow, hates the colour pink and doesn’t mind getting her hair wet like Viola’s character from She’s The Man. She’s relatable for her incapability to be feminine, but in turn, is given no real passions or personality (think Bella Swan from Twilight). This allows audiences to project their own being onto this blank slate of a character and lets them imagine themselves in this new and exciting world, taking them there often, more for the viewer than the storyline. The more modest and plain girls praised for not conforming to femininity, and others are loved because they are what society considers masculine. In contrast, we saw the female villains portrayed through a series of common motifs.

We saw the girls who have to put others down to be cooler – such as Regina George from Mean Girls, the girls who are all beauty and no brains – think Paris Hilton or Marylin Monroe, the girls who were boy-obsessed killers – like Jennifer from Jennifer’s Body or the Bride from Kill Bill, and the girls who are simply the mere background noise to the much more relatable tomboy figure – like Bianca Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You is to her hardcore feminist sister Kat.

stead of being perceived as women with differing interests to their girlier counterparts. Ultra-feminine girls have to be dense and rude, then undergo a transformation to be viewed with respect by the audience.

These films portray girls who place an emphasis on pink, miniskirts, hair and makeup as objectively sinister, along with being catty and abrasive – pervading the underlying message that acting in a hyperfeminine way is synonymous with being evil.

Despite this, there has been a shift in these portrayals in more recent years. Feminism in the media has undergone a substantial evolution from the outright rejection of ‘girly’ characteristics to something more in line with ‘choice feminism’, which accepts feminine women, masculine women and those who fall somewhere in between.

In Mean Girls, it isn’t until Cadie disowns the world of hyperfemininity that she is viewed as a good person again. These girls are only motivated by the men in their lives and centre themselves on them. Even Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, the iconic blonde bimbo, only became a Harvard Law Student and worked to become incredibly well-versed in an attempt to get back with her ex-boyfriend. These themes become a reflection of our society’s hatred, and odd obsession with hyperfemininity, reinforcing the idea women aren’t allowed to be pretty, to take an interest in their appearance, to be a lover of pastels without it being an indicator of her evilness and vapidity. Tomboys have to be ‘one of the guys’ in-

Hollywood has a bone to pick with girlhood, hyperfemininity, and most tropes associated with women as a whole, and, unsurprisingly, much of the problems found within their portrayals come down to the usual culprit - misogyny.

We have seen a rise in complicated female characters that don’t fit into the same narrow binary as their predecessors, with Greta Gerwig standing out as a notable pioneer in this field. Her 2019 version of Little Women is possibly the best illustration of how to portray both feminine and masculine women as having equal power. The innate strength of both women is immediately evident, unlike earlier adaptations where the more ‘ladylike’ March sister, Amy, is portrayed as bratty and spoilt while her more masculine sister, Jo is powerful and intelligent. The positive response to Barbie shows how, ironically, the trend of ‘choice feminism’ in film making is enabling female characters to emerge as strong individuals in the grey

(or hot pink) space between total femininity and masculinity. Hence why it is beyond amazing to see the movie Barbie receiving such high praise when it implements a slew of strong women figures – including a President Barbie, Physicist Barbie and Judge Barbie – but is still drowned in hot pink and glitter. Had this film been released 10 years ago, it would not have been acknowledged as the ‘feminist masterpiece’ it is being referred to as today. Barbie has long reigned as an inspirational figure in the lives of millions of children – known for her love of pink, strong fashion sense and undoubtedly drive and brilliance that has allowed her to work in over 250 careers, including running for president in 1992 and landing on the moon four years before Neil Armstrong. Not only is she a breath of fresh air from the ‘tomboyish’ strong female character, but also from the mean girl, the ‘not like other girls’ and the airhead. She strays from their common portrayals and is proof ultra-feminine women who partake in ‘girly’ things have the capabilities to be multifaceted, intelligent and accomplished. I want to see more characters who are both ultra-feminine and also ultra-intelligent. I want girls to be assertive, and know what they want when they want it, without being portrayed as a diva or a villain. I want girls to be able to wear what they want, without being labelled high maintenance. I want girls to be multi-faceted in the media, like they are in real life. In short, I want more Barbies.

KIWI TAONGA AT RISK EMILE VINCE highlights the plight of an icon. The Kiwi is a Māori taonga (treasure) and is New Zealand’s national bird. A long time ago, before NZ had been discovered, there was an estimate of 12 million Kiwi. There are now only 70,000 left. There are five different species of Kiwi in New Zealand. There is the Little Spotted Kiwi, Great Spotted Kiwi, Rowi, Tokoeka, and the North Island Brown Kiwi. Kiwi are nocturnal, awake at night and asleep during the day. They eat worms and grubs by prodding their long bill into the soil eating berries and fallen fruit. Kiwi do not lay eggs until they are 2-3

years old. A male and a female will stay together for years or even a lifetime. From June to February the female will lay two large eggs in its burrow. Once the eggs have been laid the male will incubate them. When the baby chick is born it does not eat for the first week, instead it feeds on the yolk sack still in its body. When the male wants to feed it, it will leave the nest and hide the entrance to the burrow with leaves. Kiwi have undeveloped wings meaning they cannot fly, so they lay their eggs on the ground which attracts weasels. Stoats are the biggest threat to Kiwi chicks, and to adult Kiwi it is cats, ferrets, and dogs.

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Because Kiwi do not have breastbones, they can easily be damaged by dog bites, which often causes them to die. Hard-working conservationists have been instrumental in saving Kiwi by controlling predators and increasing Kiwi population. They take Kiwi eggs from their burrows so they can germinate away from predation. Once they can defend themselves they will be released back into the wild. If they didn't 95% of Kiwi chicks die and the population would decline. In the areas where they are not being controlled it is decreasing by 2% every year. A good way to help is to give to charities that work to save the Kiwi.

PURRRFECT THERAPY FOR HUMANS NATALIA NOONE-JONES enjoys the benefits of a house full of pets.

New Zealand is approaching a pet per person, and cats are at the top. Cats were the most popular choice. New Zealand has 4.6 million pets, bringing joy and comfort to their families, making their lives a little bit brighter everyday. According to Southern Cross Pet Insurance, 64% of Kiwi households owned at least one pet as of 2019. While some people think pets are messy, short lasting and a lot of work, there are proven benefits of owning a pet. Children especially benefit from having pets. Not only do children enjoy the company and love of a pet, they also learn valuable life lessons and health advantages. Currently my house is home to more animals than people. The puppy races around the backyard, the rabbits hide in their tun-

nels, the cat stalks the grass and the chicken roosts in the tree while the humans watch on. I cannot imagine a house that is quiet and still, where the clothes and carpets are not doused in fur or where the people don’t sleep uncomfortably on the corner of their beds to accommodate the purring creature splayed out in the centre. Animals create an atmosphere, a feeling that someone is always around. To my surprise, some people do not have pets. Possibly because of the responsibility or cost that comes with caring for a pet, or maybe they don’t like mud in their living rooms. There are sacrifices when it comes to having animals occupy your living area, but there are also a lot of positives they bring to your life and there are ways to minimise EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

these sacrifices, such as good training. Compassion, responsibility, and empathy are important values to teach children. Through caring for pets, children get used to having someone who relies on them for food, love, and exercise: someone to be responsible for. They also learn discipline and daily routines when it comes to feeding and taking care of these animals. Children begin to understand the reality that nothing is free, and nothing lasts forever. Pets come with the promise of hard work and eventually, their passing. The death of a pet can help children cope with challenging events and losses that will come around later in life. Pets are seen to be a great listening ear and a comforting presence. They are companions that cannot be offended and cannot share your secrets. Pets are there to say to

the things nobody else would understand. Research shows children who grow up in homes with pets are likely to have a stronger immune system and are less likely to develop childhood allergies or asthma. A study was carried out by Health Psychologist Dr June McNicholas of the University of Warwick and drug company Novartis Animal Health. Saliva was tested from 138 children between four and eleven years old for antibodies in the immune system that help fight off infection. The results showed that the children who owned pets could fend off infections such as colds and flus better than the children without pets. Children and animals are a good match. Animals get that constant adoring attention and children are dragged away from their screens to be in the real world. Particularly active pets encourage outdoor play and exercising. They have children running around, tossing balls, and going for walks. Animals help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Stroking an animal lowers blood pressure and boosts moods. A cat’s purr is very beneficial, as the range at which they purr is medically therapeutic for humans. It can help humans with; illnesses, high stress

levels, high blood pressure, laboured breathing, migraines or headaches, infections and even heal bones. Children with the health benefits of being around animals all the time will take less days off school as a result of their good health. It is proven that every day a child misses off school, it takes them two days to catch up. Many students fall behind when they are away with illnesses. The benefits that pets have on our immune systems can help get our students back into the classroom and give them a less disrupted education. One teacher shared their observations from a study taken with a pet brought into the classroom. Students were more likely to follow instructions and to focus on a task than they normally would. They asked more appropriate questions, engaged with their teacher more, there were fewer emotional outbursts and more positive behaviours. Other similar studies also showed that autistic children were less anxious when playing with guinea pigs in the classroom and interacted more with their peers and other people. Many studies have found a very interesting link between better behaviour

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and learning to neurodiverse students having animals around them. The ownership of pets has changed over time due to changes in attitudes and lifestyles. As many people now are living in apartments with no room or backyard for active or nature loving pets. People who rent are sometimes banned from having animals by their landlords. A chart of dogs per 10,000 people shows that there are less dogs per 10,000 people in the upper North Island, and the most in the Southland, Clutha, and Hurunui district. These areas are farming areas, where people live with lots of land, animals and don’t have to bother navigating the CBD with a dog. Pets are a joy. Children’s faces light up watching cats strut through the garden. Their eyes follow the creatures twirling gracefully in the fishbowl. The shared class guinea pig is also a way to bond and connect students with their classmates, giving them a discussion topic and a shared responsibility. Animals can help de-stress students who need it. Animals are magical, they know how to bring out the best in all of us. All children need a little magic in their lives.

A RACE TO SAVE THE PLANET FROM WARMING GAUTAM RAJESH adds to the call for action on global warming. Global warming is not interchangeable with the term ‘climate change.’

heat waves; 2020 was one of the hottest years on record.

Global warming is a serious case of ice-melting. It’s when the ocean is getting warmer and when sea levels are rising. When glaciers are melting, global warming is taking place, right now and we need to take action.

Higher temperatures increase heat-related illnesses and can make it more difficult to work and move around.

It is the long-term heating of Earth’s surface observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere. Since the pre-industrial period, human activities are estimated to have increased Earth’s global average temperature by about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), a number that is currently increasing by more than 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.36 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade. The current warming trend is unequivocally the result of human activity since the 1950s and is proceeding at an unprecedented rate over millennia. Climate change is a long-term change in average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes have a broad range of observed effects synonymous with the term. Climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work. Some of us are already more vulnerable to climate impacts, such as people living in small island nations and developing countries. Conditions like sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have advanced to the point where whole communities have had to relocate, and protracted droughts are putting people at risk of famine. In the future, the number of ‘climate refugees’ is expected to rise. If we don’t stop littering and driving petrol cars the world could be in a bad position because nearly all land areas are seeing more hot days and

Wildfires start more easily and spread more rapidly when conditions are hotter. Changes in temperature cause changes in rainfall. This results in more severe and frequent storms. More severe storms can cause flooding and landslides, destroying homes and communities, and costing billions. Water is becoming scarcer in more regions. Droughts can stir destructive sand and dust storms that can move billions of tonnes of sand across continents. Deserts are expanding, reducing land for growing food. Many people now face the threat of not having enough water on a regular basis. Extreme heat and poor air quality increase complications from underlying heart and respiratory conditions like asthma, renal failure, preterm birth, and as temperatures rise, there will be more heat-related illness and deaths in both urban and rural areas. Earth’s climate has changed throughout history. In the last 800,000 years, there have been eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods. Earth-orbiting satellites and new technologies help scientists see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate. The Greenland ice sheet and Earth’s ice sheets generally lost enough ice over the last 30 years to create an ice cube 12 miles high, new research shows. Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica and tropical mountain glaciers show Earth’s climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas levels. Ancient evidence can also be found in tree rings, ocean sediments, coral reefs, and layers of sedimentary rocks. This ancient, or paleoclimate, evidence reEDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

veals current warming is occurring roughly 10 times faster than the average rate of warming after an ice age. Carbon dioxide from human activities is increasing about 250 times faster than it did from natural sources after the last Ice Age. The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. Conditions like sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have advanced to the point where whole communities have had to relocate, and protracted droughts are putting people at risk of famine. The number of ‘climate refugees’ is expected to rise. The quality of economic and environmental data around the world is highly variable and that covering the world’s poorest and hottest regions is often the worst. The researchers note that this makes it hard to generate precise estimates on the economic costs associated with climate change, particularly for the regions least represented by existing data, and there are wide margins in their estimates ($16 trillion is the average of these analyses). Despite data limitations, the researchers said they were able to comfortably account for any uncertainty in their analysis. Additionally, they stressed it would be irresponsible to use data gaps as an excuse to justify inaction in parts of the world most vulnerable to climate change. In ‘rare cases’, some countries could actually benefit from the extreme heat caused by global warming, said Justin Mankin, the study’s Senior Author and an Assistant Professor of Geography at Dartmouth. The study shows that some regions of Europe and North America could theoretically benefit from having warmer spells. These regions are among the wealthiest in the world and some of the biggest carbon contributors to climate change.

CRIER BECOMES VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS NATALIA NOONE-JONES says the more you click, the less you know. ‘Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!’ A man dressed in a red and gold coat, boots, breeches and a tricorne hat marches through the street, ringing his bell for all to hear. The townspeople stop what they are doing and come to their windows to listen. ‘A reward of five pounds for anyone who gives the whereabouts of the escaped lion.’ He continues down the street, announcing local news and advertisements. ‘God save the King,’ he cries before stopping at the local inn and posting a notice on the door. A smartly dressed woman sits at a press conference. The Prime Minister waltzes to the speaker stand, script in hand and adjusts the microphone. Cameras are rolling. The woman is furiously scribbling notes. As the Prime Minister leaves the room, she follows with her notepad, hoping to get an answer to her most pressing questions, but she is not the only one. Ten minutes later, she rushes into the newsroom with a story she’s handwritten in the taxi. Thud. She throws it on the editor’s desk. An alarm rings on the dresser. She leans out of bed and snatches up her phone, scrolls through social media posts for her daily news. She stumbles down the stairs. Having breakfast and brushing her teeth, she is still scrolling. She walks out into the streets to find it empty and cold. People are in their houses. Through a window she can see a family watching the news on their TV. Suddenly her phone starts to vibrate violently and blasts alarm noises. ‘Level 3 lockdown,’ she reads ‘. . . a virus . . . a pandemic . . . stay inside.’ Then a text pops up, ‘I’m guessing you only just found out,’ it says. TikTok, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) are all the rage at the moment. Many people can’t get up without checking the latest posts, likes and comments. Can we trust its information? What happened to good old-fashioned, hard-working journalists, the town criers, the newsreaders? People have always been looking for the next innovation, the new hot trend, but

surely using social media as a news source is going a step too far. Getting news from social media is like getting your news from Chinese Whispers. Gossip is passed from person to person until it is so distorted it isn’t true anymore and can’t be traced back to its source. Media has a way of narrowing our visions. Everywhere I go people are being ‘social’ on their phones by ignoring everyone and everything around them. There is often a hidden meaning in our media, someone with a slant or their own agenda, who is trying to sell their news as truth. Misinformation is prolific throughout social media because it spreads so quickly and can’t be stopped. COVID. That was a big topic for conspiracy theories, people were cautious and afraid of what they didn’t understand. The government tried to educate Kiwis about what the vaccine was made of, why we need it, what it can and cannot do to you. They turned to the experts, the scientists, the people who had studied viruses and vaccines all their lives. What they didn’t do was stroll down the street, find any random and let them have their two cents worth. That’s what social media allowed. Via Facebook, well-known Kiwi sailor Sir Russell Coutts announced he was going to join an anti-mandate protest outside parliament. He called NZ a dictatorship insulting expert advice instead giving some of his own. Epidemiologist Professor Rod Jackson did his own research on social media before sharing his expert views on how we should fix sailing, with recommendations such as designing boats with 100 hulls. If we wouldn’t follow these suggestions, why then would we follow those of a sailor on a pandemic?

God, giving ridiculous advice we never asked for. They will post anything to influence the way we think, act and what we buy. Algorithms is a term I’ve been hearing a lot lately; they are constantly running in the background of social media platforms. They mean the more you click, the more your experience is shaped around you. These posts could also be wildly out of date, as they are sorted by your interests over relevance. Algorithms can be used for marketing or keeping users on a platform for longer. Having your news mould around you is not an accurate way to view the world. Keeping your news broad is important. While quirky stories are fun, they often present only half the information. Mainstream news keeps us informed. Journalists are employed to bring us the news we need and not the news we want to hear. We can trust that most of our news sites are giving us facts over fiction. Newspapers are held accountable for what they publish, journalists quote their sources, use accurate dates and information that has been verified. Social media can be a singular person posting what they think they heard from someone else. They post what they perceive to be true, whether it is or not. The way we get our news has changed drastically. We now need to be careful about what we read online. In a world that now has such advanced digital technology including deep fakes, it can be difficult to figure out what’s real. Getting news from a social media app owned by someone who is only trying to make a profit is not the way to go.

Trump falsely posted on X that there was a cure for COVID-19 and in a separate tweet stated that it was less fatal than the flu.

Journalism needs to be protected to prevent the harm that comes from feeding people lies. The simpler we make accessing reliable news, the better. Articles we read should be straight to the point, easy to understand and may contain statistics and quotes from sources we know to be reliable.

If you want the facts, it’s vital you are asking the experts, not amateurs. Social media is full of influencers and celebrities playing

They should not be written by the public, to advertise a product, make money or convince anyone vaccines make people magnetic.

EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

EDITORIAL

BOOK REVIEW Puketōtara by Northland College student, Aramia Allen-Vause With Te Rau Allen

OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR WAYNE BROWN

Artwork by Jose

ADA KIM and her friends depend on public transport to live their lives.

Published 2023 By Kainga Books ISBN 978-0-473-68657-4

For the 300,000 young people living in Auckland, public transport is essential in our daily lives.

$35

Not only us, but the elderly, disabled and those with low incomes rely heavily on public transport to get involved in social and economic activities.

Information, support resources and copies available from:

A good public transport system is key to building a better Auckland, reducing carbon emissions, helping ease cost of living and reducing congestion. However, Auckland Transport is failing us – highly unreliable, crowded and slow.

aramia.v@northlandcollege.school.nz Aramia's book, produced as part of the Young Enterprise Scheme celebrates the return of Puketōtara at Waipapa to Te Whiu in May 2023.

Many Aucklanders have complaints about our public transport system. During suspensions, we see up to 2,000 bus trips cancelled each day, causing people to miss school and work. These issues will be intensified if Auckland keeps cutting funding for transport. Budget cuts see hundreds of bus trips removed from timetables each week. Public transport timetable cuts cause a chain of catastrophic events and ripples of disruption throughout the entirety of Auckland, with significant impacts on the lives of those who depend entirely on public transport. The transport crisis harms our standard of living. We need to invest more money to resolve our public transport crisis as our current system is not meeting our city’s needs. We hope there’s an efficient transport system to take us to your visionary waterfront. What is your vision for transport across your city?

Education Today Established 1989 Student Voice Spring/Summer 2023-2024 ISSN 2703-5522 (Print) ISSN 2816-1300 (Online) Education Today's Student Voice is produced with COMET Auckland to nurture the love of language and its uses by young writers. They are encouraged to explore and comment on the world around them, and have developed their own combination of news, opinion, investigation, reviews and feature writing in their own voice. Thanks to Shannen Randell Design, srandelldesign@gmail.com Education Today, Learning Auckland, Student Voice, search and share our content online: issuu.com/learningauckland EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

SEARCH FOR INNOVATION FINN LLOYD took a plain question to aspiring leaders. What would your party do for education that is innovative?

GREEN At the top of our list would be making sure education is inclusive and available to everyone. Ways to help achieve this include: •

Trialling alternative models of school governance that improve inclusivity and self-determination in education.

•

Providing advice and support on implementing the breadth of the National Curriculum in local contexts.

•

Resourcing the universal teaching of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in all public schools.

•

Ending classroom streaming or grouping by perceived ability, recognising this exacerbates inequality and is not supported by evidence for improved learning outcomes.

•

Ensuring all schools and early childhood services have policies, practices, resources, and programmes to create a whole school culture that is inclusive, and supports the identification and elimination of prejudice, racism, bullying, intimidation and violence.

•

Establishing a unit within the Ministry of Education designed to support schools, and the education system in general, to listen and respond to the voices of children.

Q. What aspect(s) of education would you keep or strengthen? We believe that Māori education should be determined by Māori, reflecting Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tikanga Māori. We would continue to support initiatives like Kura Kaupapa Māori and Wharekura, which provide a culturally appropriate education for Māori learners.

NATIONAL It may not sound innovative, but the National Party would get kids to read and write well. It sounds like something that should be the regular business of an education system, but unfortunately, we are currently failing children. Over a third of 15 year olds in the country are struggling to read and write – so the most innovative thing we can do is to get children to be reading and writing again.

National released its Teaching the Basics Brilliantly policy with four key actions; 1. Having a compulsory hour of reading, writing and maths at school every day. 2. Set minimum requirements for what schools must teach every year in reading, writing maths and science. 3. Implement standardised assessment and clear reporting to parents; 4. Support teachers with better training and more tools in the classroom. Q. What aspect(s) of education would you keep or strengthen? The National Party’s focus is on strengthening the basics; making sure every Kiwi kid can read, write and do maths at a level that will enable them to pursue any future they wish.

ACT ACT will establish a $250 million a year Teaching Excellence Reward Fund to reward excellence in the classroom, encourage professional development, and deliver better educational outcomes. Funding will be allocated to schools in proportion to the number of teachers – an annual sum equivalent to approximately $5,000 per teacher FTE at a school.

ue to strengthen relevant PD for teachers.

LABOUR The Labour Party’s education policy for the 2023 Election is yet to be released but the Labour Government is innovative and transformational. We have delivered programmes such as Healthy School Lunches and Free Period Products. Evidence suggests that young people are less hungry, eating healthier food and have better physical and mental well-being since the introduction of the Healthy School Lunches programme and we know that providing access to free period products have improved participation across school activities. We introduced an Equity Index in replace of the outdated decile system. The index identifies which schools have students facing the greatest socioeconomic barriers to educational achievement and is used to distribute equity funding directly to schools and kura to support their learners to overcome these barriers. The introduction of the equity index was accompanied by $75 million per year increase to equity funding.

Principals can award teachers, including managers and other members of the senior leadership team, for excellence in their role.

We’ve backed apprentices and we’re committed to seeing through transformational change to the country’s vocational education system, which will help ensure that New Zealanders have the opportunity to earn and learn.

Schools must develop criteria for allocating funding, taking into account subject matter expertise, market conditions, feedback from the school community, professional development and other factors relevant to recognising teachers.

Labour shares the same goals of wanting tamariki at school, attending regularly and learning the basics they need to live fulfilling lives. We are delivering the most significant reform to NCEA since the qualification began in 2002.

Schools must be given the flexibility to respond to a diversity of needs and all children – not just the well-off – should have a choice in education. ACT’s Partnership Schools were an example of this philosophy in action. Parents can send their children to a school that better meets their needs.

Q. What aspect(s) of Education would you keep or strengthen?

Introduce daily national attendance reporting.

MĀORI, NZ FIRST and TOP No reply

Q. What aspect(s) of Education would you keep or strengthen? We will strengthen literacy and numeracy components taught in schools and continEDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

Investing in our education system is imperative to the success of younger generations and we are committed to delivering on those investments.

With thanks to Teanau Tuiono, Green MP Erica Stanford, National MP Chris Baillie, ACT MP Matt Swann, Senior Labour adviser (Leader’s office)

NATIVE BEES NEED OUR HELP

EMILE VINCE shows the crucial role bees play in our existence.

‘The White-Banded Digger Bee, also known as one of the Leioproctus bee species, pollinates a purple flower.’ When we think of a bee it is probably a honeybee. However, there are about 20,000 species of bees in the world and of those only seven species are honeybees. There are thousands of bees that are native to different countries around the world. In New Zealand there are 28 species of native bees. They are smaller than honeybees and rarely sting. They have been divided into three groups, each one with a Latin name. The most commonly seen are 18 species of Leioproctus bees also known as Digger Bees. They are 5-12mm long and are normally seen in summer collecting pollen and carrying it on their tummies, unlike honeybees. They dig their nests underground.

The second group are the six species of Hylaeus bees, and they are sometimes called Mask Bees. They are 7-9 mm long and they make their nests under twigs or in old beetle holes in logs. The last group are the four species of Lasioglossum bees, and they are sometimes called Sweat Bees. They are 4-8 mm long and they often nest near fences. Native bees are solitary, meaning they live on their own and not in a hive like honeybees. New Zealand native bees are crucial to the environment because they play a big role in pollinating native trees like pohutukawa, manuka and kanuka. You can help in the repopulation of Aotearoa’s native bees by planting native flowers in your garden.

‘A solitary female yellow-masked bee, also known as one of the Hylaeus bee species, pollinates a yellow flower.’

You can leave some undisturbed soil so they can make nests, and leave water for them to drink, especially in the summer. Native bees only forage about one hundred metres from their nests so if we use weed killer it kills plants that native bees may feed from. This limits the amount of nectar and pollen they get, and this can be very harmful for them. Pesticides can kill all bees. Some native bees are already close to extinction, and we need to do whatever we can to save them. Native bees need our help to protect their environment so that they can thrive and play their important role in pollinating Aotearoa’s native trees.

‘A sweat bee, also known as one of the Lasioglossum bee species, rests on a sunflower.’

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JOURNEY TO THE FUTURE NEEDS TRUE NORTH

ADA KIM thinks the compass across the digital media landscape may be broken. Information is everywhere. Information is frightening. Information is important. False information proliferates the digital landscape and is one of the most pressing issues of the 21st Century. The malignant properties of false information, the irreducible ramifications it causes, needs solutions. ‘Fake news’ describes false information. This is misleading, it may describe information that is factually incorrect or misleading or be used to delegitimise news media. Using the terms ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation’ is more objective. Misinformation is any kind of wrong or false information. Social media makes it easy to unwittingly spread false information. Misinformation can become dangerous, and if weaponised, can become disinformation. Disinformation is deliberately misleading or biased information. It is often used to gain political influence, financial gain, deceive and harm, and garner approval. False information can change our perceptions of reality and result in harmful beliefs and actions. We are currently in the apotheosis of the digital age. Technology has made it easier for anyone without qualifications to contribute to the endless stream of internet discourse while seeming legitimate. Especially with new forms of technology such as deepfakes – it has become near impossible to differentiate lies from the truth. These articles/posts are usually sensationalist and present strong, prejudiced opinions. Algorithms direct these to those who are more likely to agree, which causes the information to proliferate through media sites. Google gets paid to recommend certain websites first, meaning that anyone with money can deceive a large audience. The rich can essentially control society and influence our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour.

There is clear research proving false information burgeons at a much higher rate than information. Even real journalists are occasionally deceived, and report viral face news, blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a spike in false information throughout social media platforms. Many are politically motivated, and others are simple misunderstandings. Yet these misunderstandings can have butterfly effects throughout the digital landscape, impacting thousands of lives. It is crucial that we understand the power of information. Our beliefs are based on what we are informed about – and mis/disinformation can cause many to have harmful beliefs that impact the lives of others. It will impair the development of our future generation, affecting all those who are connected to the internet. Mis/disinformation undermines trust in public institutions and drowns out marginalised voices. This poses risks to democracy and public debate, directly affecting our safety and well-being. The questionable veracity of information can damage our ability to improve public health, their trust in media, address climate change and maintain a stable democracy. This is the world we will inherit unless we make a change. A world where falsehoods and truths cannot be distinguished. With the growing presence of mis/disinformation in the world, news often causes feelings of unrest and unease. An interesting phenomenon that has arisen due to the infodemic is the increase of ‘news avoiders’ who prefer ignorance over horrific, sensationalist, perhaps false happenings online. A greater need to define truth is created. We must find ways to make information safer and more trusted. Ignorance is never the answer. In our fluctuating society, we must stay connected, find true north to navigate the paths we will take. EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

We must implement laws that monitor information. There is a key problem with this idea. Who decides what is true or false? Where is our ‘true north’? The way we consume and view media must be changed and re-examined before it is too late. What are the faults in the system that make it so accessible for mis/disinformation to proliferate? To build the internet in a way that is suitable for our modern world, we can begin with requiring people posting on social media to go through the necessary training or to have a certain degree to be able to upload informative content. Holding journalists and publishers accountable is another crucial way of controlling media. Creating healthier news consumption for users by seriously reporting on solutions and progress instead of problems can help alleviate news avoidance and reduce the presence of sensationalist media. Staying democratic while monitoring media is key. It is a near-impossible balancing act. How does a system maintain freedom of speech while censoring wrongs? Perhaps it would be easier to start on a smaller scale. We must equip each individual with the tools to be responsible consumers of information, by developing ‘news literacy’ nationwide and implementing programmes/course in school to teach our younger generation how to navigate the falsehood-riddled digital landscape. Education is truly the first step towards changing the media. We must unite and implement systems to ameliorate this pressing infodemic of falsehoods that is one of the most pertinent issues young people face today. Many moral dilemmas accompany finding true north. We must give our youth the tools to lead tomorrow.

CHATGPT IS OUR EDUCATION JOSH BENOZA thinks digital Artificial Intelligence could prove a plus for education.

Artificial Intelligence has evolved far past Strachey’s checkers, a draughts AI programme from February of 1951. Today we see the evolution of Chatbot AI technology, and other media generation AI’s. Education is yet to see proper use of this technology, some schools have banned it. And while the cons do exist, the pros outweigh them. Artist Boris Eldagsen won Sony’s photography competition in 2023 and declined to receive the prize. To the surprise of the judges, his piece was created by an AI art generator using specific prompts to create his piece, The Electrician. The judges saw a direct threat to the line between machine and humanity, leading to their decision to disqualify him. A simple prompt can create a wide variety of visuals, with the only constraint being your own creativity. This is quite similar to ChatGPT, the only thing that could constrain you is your own imagination. ‘I don’t see it as a threat to creativity. For me, it really is setting me free. All the boundaries I had in the past – material

boundaries, budgets – no longer matter. And for the first time in history, the older generation has an advantage, because AI is a knowledge accelerator.’ – Boris Eldagsen, AI art generation. With the simple use of a prompt we can generate any text or message. This could be used in the classroom to aid students in gaining their footwork in an assignment, to help sort out tasks, or even as a tutor. Khan Academy, founded by Sal Khan, has AI named, Khanmigo. This new AI is able to give guidance to students, act as a character from a story and become a fully capable tutor. This is a huge step for education, as tutors have been available mainly for the higher class. The cost of tutors can range between $25-$80 per hour, usually specialising in a certain subject. Khanmigo can teach any subject for $20 a month compared to the tutor. ‘It’ll eventually help them create progress reports and help them, eventually, grades. So once again, teachers spend about half their time with this type of activity, lesson EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

planning. All of that energy can go back to them or go back to human interactions with their actual students.’ – Sal Khan (TedTalk – How AI could save (not destroy) education.) Khanmigo has made major innovations in the field of AI tutors for students and can be used as teacher aids. St. Paul’s Humanities/History teacher, Steven Sheldon agreed AI aid would be beneficial to teachers around the world, and for students who have diverse teaching needs. Innovations such as Khanmigo can become essential tools for teachers and students. One of the main fears over Chatbot style AI is the use of plagiarism in assignments and assessments. Speeches, essays and even poetry can be generated in mere seconds. Most pieces can be detected when using AI detectors such as CopyLeaks. Things get more complicated when other resources are used, such as paraphrasing tools. They essentially take a piece of text

and rephrase different words or phrases. When used in conjunction with an AI Chatbot such as ChatGPT, many students can get away with plagiarism. Teachers have to question students due to the issue of plagiarism, especially during internal assessments. We must change the system, not the AI. Copyleaks, a plagiarism detection company, was able to create their own AI content detector in 3 months, fueled by the burst in popularity of AI generated content. Today TurnItIn, a University Level Detector, has begun to invest in their detection technology, in order to achieve accurate

readings of plagiarism through AI generated text. These endeavors would never have occurred if not for the need for change. Perhaps if more pressure was put on advancement of this technology, the issue of plagiarism would be removed and AI as a whole could be implemented into the system. AI has evolved far past what we believed was possible. We have a long way to go in terms of implementation. AI art is still a blurry line in terms of its place in the art industry, as shown by the

Sony Photography competition incident. We are yet to find a reasonable solution to the issue of plagiarism, besides from the intuition of teachers when it comes to their students. Change is possible. If more need was placed on companies to create these innovations, then AI assistance for students and teachers would be possible, as well as products such as AI tutors and teacher aids. Time will tell when students and teachers will be able to freely use AI technology to its fullest potential.

STRUGGLE TO GET STUDENTS IN SEATS KRIS BHONSLE identifies factors working against school attendance.

The idea of school conjures up an image of a bunch of students listening to their teacher giving them a lecture. In fact, only 50.6% of students met regular attendance standards. Almost half (around 49.6%) don’ t go to school. A big issue is bullying. There are many situations where parents take their kids out of school because they are being bullied terribly which includes threatening, assaulting and online predation. Of total absentees, around 18.848% of kids are absent because of this inhumane issue. In one case there were scribbles on walls about one girl at a large college, and this wasn’t just sexist behaviour, this was mostly done by other college girls, she was reg-

ularly threatened, even in spite of several pleas by the girl’s parents.

from a hospital. Sickness is the reason for about 22.08% of all student absences.

The college did not provide the girl major bullying protection, and she even wasn’t safe at home, the bullies would get their bullying fix at her home where she would be bullied online.

Many parents don’ t have enough money to purchase uniforms, textbooks and pay school fees. Tuition costs added up are about $12,905 each year.

What is the government doing about this? There may be thousands of severe bullying cases. In another case, an innocent girl was grabbed and thrown to the hard tiled floor and stamped on by a group of bullies, she ended up with chipped and broken teeth – destructive bullying and assault. Another huge issue is illness. Most of the population are averagely about 20km away

EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

Only 80%-87% of the adult population is actually educated, meaning that 20%-17% of parents aren’t educated which sometimes means these parents won’t send their children to get education. This creates a loop where the children in turn will grow up to become uneducated parents and the cycle continues. We may need their tuition fees, but beyond that international students might not be able to help build a strong and prosperous New Zealand.

NEW LIFE IN BABY SURPRISE

LINDA WHITTAKER first wrote for Student Voice as a student at Wainuiomata High School. Linda returns to our pages almost 10 years later with this piece on her accidental home birth. In a world where life keeps on growing, you discover so many things. Beginning with your baby senses. See, touch, taste, smell and hear. These develop as we develop, assuming the fragrance and feel of emotions, even motivations. Entering my mid-20’s I knew what I wanted. I didn’t necessarily have all the financial build to begin with but I definitely had the tools to get started. I found a spark in my current relationship. It felt special, it also seemed so unreal.

ing is one of the key parts to a healthy relationship.

nancy, I felt whole. My partner Aaron was very helpful. He definitely listened to me.

One of things we struggled with as a couple at first was letting go of what bought us grief and pain. We both had tough challenges growing up. Our past also had a huge impact on how we see ourselves and the world today.

On another scale it was boring sometimes. I was working full time which was great. I visited my family a lot as they were so over the moon to be grandparents, uncles, aunties and cousins.

What made us attracted to each other was our big hearts. Our kindness and love for one another. We wanted to help each other and help other people too. We saw the darkness in each other but saw unconditional love. In such a small period of time we were connected. Our connection grew to the point where we created a life together. It was so crazy despite all the negative things going on around us. There were doubts but we could make it work if we put in the effort. We were both determined to work hard and support each other. It wasn’t easy. It was definitely a rollercoaster.

I found someone I could potentially build with. Despite the differences between us, I felt a sense of peace.

During my pregnancy we found out we were having a baby boy. We were both happy and nervous at the same time. Being pregnant for the first time was outrageous. I was excited to be giving life.

We have a connection. Growing and evolv-

I had so much energy throughout my preg-

Only because I didn’t see my self-worth.

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It did get lonely at times as I was growing a wee human and I had to be responsible with myself. My lifestyle changed as I had been very social with friends, loved going out and enjoyed a drink or two. During my pregnancy the most difficult time I had was feeling the change within myself. I knew once I had my precious boy I had to be responsible and protective. Feeling the growth within myself was rewarding as I felt like I was accomplishing something good. Giving life was already an accomplishment for me. But what I thought was an achievement was feeling the growth and evolving as a human being. I was spiritually connected to God. I had so many thoughts going through my mind but as the months went by I couldn’t wait for my son to arrive. I was patient but just wanted to get on with it. During my

last trimester I was worried my baby would be under-weight as I didn’t look very big. My family were thinking positive but were slightly concerned. We then decided to make a referral to get a growth scan. Our due date was January 6. We had the growth scan on December 29. Once I had the growth scan we felt relieved as he was weighing at 7 pounds. Everything was going smoothly. As we were entering the new year it was any day from then on we would be expecting our precious boy. I was in good health and in good hands. I started feeling mild contractions about 7pm while we were supermarket shopping and felt like it was all go. It wasn’t long till my water broke at home. We contacted the maternity midwife department. Their response was to make our way to the hospital and get an examination. At this stage I was sure I was in labour and about to have our son in the next couple of hours. We made it to the hospital and went straight to the maternity unit where the midwife assisted us immediately. My partner and I explained how the contractions were happening non-stop. Bleeding had started and it was all happening very fast. The midwife examined me but didn’t check to see how induced I was. The community midwife then told us I was in early stages of labour. First time being pregnant I thought, well, they should know, apparently I am not having this baby any time soon. At the time I did what was advised. The midwife team didn’t ask us if we wanted to stay over night and be monitored or have

the option to hop in the birthing bath. It was a quiet night. Staff were there to assist but no questions were asked. After we were updated we went home. During that time I was getting constant contractions. They were mild at first then it was getting more painful. I couldn’t sleep. It was midnight on January 4 by now and I just wanted to rest and try to sleep. An hour or two went by and I couldn’t bear the pain so Aaron rang the community midwife again. We updated them with what was happening. Increased contractions, non-stop and heavier bleeding. The midwife recommended to putting a hot water bottle on my stomach. I took paracetamol for the pain but wasn’t soothing it at all. I took the advice given and we both tried to sleep. I tried going to sleep with the hot water bottle on my stomach but it wasn’t working. I went and had a warm shower. It was soothing the pain. By then I realised I needed to go for a number two. It felt like I was constipated. I wasn’t constipated at all. I was pushing the whole time. I was having my baby. A few hours went by and I was still pushing. My partner had fallen asleep. I had about three showers before I went back to bed. Once I returned to bed it wasn’t long till the pushing became unbearable. When I went to the toilet for the hundredth time I saw my baby boy’s head. I was in shock. I yelled out to my partner and he rang the ambulance as we knew we couldn’t make it to the hospital. I was starting to panic. I was about to deliver my own baby. We were lucky the ambulance came with-

TURTLE: The iconic and graceful turtle runs the risk of choking on our plastic waste. Imagine you’re in a coral reef, colourful fish swim around, and here’s a turtle that has starved to death. The turtle was swimming around until it saw a piece of plastic that looked quite like a tasty jellyfish, then the turtle swallowed the ‘jellyfish’ and then realised that it wasn’t a delicious ‘jellyfish’, it was a unchewable, indigestible piece of stinky plastic, then something tragic happened, because of someone discarding that destructive piece of plastic. Every year, 9.1 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean. Everyday, garbage trucks full of plastics make their way into the already polluted sea. It all breaks down into microplastics, with hundreds of millions of kilograms of microplastic filling the top 12 inches of the ocean, to choke marine life like our turtle. – Kris Bhonsle

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in 15 minutes and someone was there to help us. The pain was getting worse and the paramedics were extremely helpful and guiding me through my labour. I had to go on my hands and knees as it was the most comfortable position. The paramedics suggested I try stand up and see how far the baby was. My partner guided me to the ambulance. As I was walking I felt baby’s arms move. I had to stop and say he is about to make his way out. His arms came through he was soon with us. Aaron and the paramedic lady caught him just in time. I was so relieved as we were near the concrete steps down to the ambulance. Our beautiful baby boy popped out perfect. He cried and he looked right into our eyes. I was in love and so happy he made it out safe and secure. We thanked the paramedics as they helped deliver our baby boy. We felt let down by the community midwife team as it would have been safer to be examined by them properly at the hospital in the first place. They needed to ask me what was happening, and listen to what I was saying to them. Pregnancy isn’t an illness. It’s a natural process and should be treated that way as far as possible. It certainly wasn’t my first preference, but having baby Joel the way we did was incredible. It has bonded the three of us so beautifully. We feel like we did it. No drugs, no hospital and the timely support of the paramedics. And we have a wonderful ‘where was I born Mum?’ story for our boy Joel.

WOMAN, HUMAN OR ALIEN? LIV PAULL points to gender inequality twisting our perspective of women. Gender inequalities mutate women like aliens.

sales for feminine products, women are preyed on daily for being the ‘lesser’ gender.

From day to day, we focus on larger concepts of the feminist agenda, such as the gender pay gap. While many powerful women are fighting for our rights every single day, there are smaller things fuelling the fire of inequality.

These orchestrated moves against women are contributing to the increase of misogyny and stereotypes on apps like TikTok and Instagram. Teenagers have said that when scrolling through videos on TikTok, they often come across videos of men mocking young women for the words they speak or the things they do.

Thinking of feminism, the mind immediately goes to the pay gap or sexism. These are both important concepts in the fight to equality, though I am wondering that while we continue to promote and boost feminism, at the same time industries and apps continue to create unfair stereotypes and depictions of a woman’s body. Men have no weight expectations and are not sexually targeted in the way women are. Men are not sold revealing clothing and are not targeted by weight-loss advertisements. Studies have shown 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and 58% of college and school students feel pressured to be a certain weight. Devious sales techniques target young women’s ‘imperfections’ every day. From generating food insecurity, to increase of

This often includes making fun of feminine hygiene products, make-up, clothing, or how women speak. Another example of misogynistic advertising is demonstrated in the food and clothing industries. In advertisements, women are depicted as skinny, with perfect skin and revealing clothing. There is nothing wrong with this image, as many women are created this way, but this does not represent diversity. Women’s bodies come in many sizes and are all created differently. Not only is this type of advertising stimulating harmful stereotypes, but it also discriminates against people who are different. ‘Plus-size’ people are considered to be in a large clothing size and above. The impliEDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

cation is that there are not many of them. The advertising depicts size 8-10 as the norm. This is wrong. Only 5% of women in the USA alone look like the ones shown in women’s clothing and food advertisements, though the fashion industry continues to reject body diversity and positivity. Another example of misogyny I have noticed, is young girls pictured as ‘fan-girls’ when they mention liking a male celebrity. Yet men are not when they like an actress, or a sports player. Not only can women not be a fan of a male celebrity without being fan-girls, we are judged for liking a male. This may not be an example of targeted advertising, but it irks me. Women are frowned upon for wearing men’s clothing, yet when women are wearing women’s clothing, they are objectified and called upon in the streets. One in two women say that they feel unsafe walking alone for fear of sexual assault and harassment, no matter what they are wearing. Feminism should not be singled out as one issue, but rather there are many aspects and stereotypes to address if we want to begin again as equals.

EAT WELL AND ENJOY LIFE ATHRUN NAIR sees a role for the Government in fostering healthy lifestyles.

When people hear the words human body we instantly connect. We all own one. And we should learn how to take care of it. We only get one in life. The human body is a complex and intricate system of organs, bones and blood. All with their vital purpose to keep us alive. Millions of individuals around the world know nothing about how to support the human body through care practices, life skills and consumption. They are primarily in countries that are very rich in nutrients and health benefits overall, much like New Zealand. Everyone must consume, along with breathing and social interaction. Controlling our consumption is one of the most important things we humans must learn to do from a young age, and it is one of the easiest ways to take ‘care’ of our body. Besides exercise and research, it is also one of the most valuable and fun things to learn. Everyone is going to need to eat well for the rest of their lives it is critical to know how to cook and provide our bodies with well made, affordable, healthy foods. New Zealand has one of the highest obesity ratings in the world – close to the USA. With Aotearoa one of the ‘top’ countries to live and grow up in, we should all embrace this opportunity to use our resources to benefit our health, especially with all the great chances we have of making this a reality. When we think of consumption we think of food, hydration or a sciency word for it

filling our bellies. It contains a lot more intricate and woven details which we can use to develop and grow. These include the smaller details in the foods we eat including macronutrients, vitamins and minerals. Macronutrients are the nutrients we need to provide energy to the human body. These nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates and fat. These three groups of nutrients are all the body needs to be able to function and allow you to be productive. Proteins come from many things, but mainly from meats: red meat, white, sea as long as it was once living. Along with small traces of proteins in other foods like eggs, nuts and some fruits. Carbohydrates or ‘carbs’ are another source of the human body getting nutrients for energy. The best foods for carb gain are foods with a lot of wheat like cereal or bread, and grains and unprocessed foods. While most foods that are rich in carbs aren’t incredibly healthy for the human body you should still find sufficient ways to intake carbs as it is good for proper nutrients and development. Fat is gained from the literal fat of living things like meat and isn’t the healthiest variant of energy gain. However, there are safer options or ‘healthy fat’ in foods, such as avocados and eggs. These foods are sustainably cheap and are a good way to gain the proper macronutrients. And while these macronutrients provide the body with sustainable energy, all forms of macronutrients give specific critical points of the human body ways to boost themselves, through the absorption of viEDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

tamins. Vitamins can help various regions of our body through different actions such as the process of bone growth, the thinning of blood, the strength of our beating heart, stabilising cell membranes, the making of red blood cells and much more. Vitamins can be gained through many of the foods we eat around the world so eating a well-balanced diet can get you many of the vital vitamins your body needs. Minerals are just as crucial to the human body as vitamins with an important role in construction, technology and basically everyday life as we know it. They are unstable elements from the periodic table, and while that may seem weird, these metals provide a way for absorbent nutrients to enter our body. While metals aren’t the only important part of healthy dieting, these minerals have a wide spectrum of metals, the one I prescribe to everyone daily is calcium. Milk is a rich source of calcium and a viable source for most children to thrive and not miss out on any growing time. With milk being affordable the provision of milk to many schools around Aotearoa through the Fonterra ‘Dairy for Life’ organisation provides thousands of litres of nutrient-rich milk to schools. This is one of a few ways the government has tried to provide proper nutrients to the people of New Zealand. Another government put iodine in the salt as they had recognised many were iodine deficient. If our government can help make the country healthy, we can help more of our people live and thrive among the rich and valuable land around us.

THE KING IS SAVED, FOR NOW FINN LLOYD surveys His Majesty’s estates and immediate prospects.

For the first time in 70 years, ‘scribblers’ like myself find ourselves writing about a King. The void left by our Queen – our alma mater – seems to be so unfillable that her son, in training for even longer, needs popular and experienced royals to help fill her shoes. Many people have seen him as a persona non grata ever since his divorce from Lady Diana, and the public profile of the Monarchy has been hurt by other scandals and separations. Republican campaigns in all 15 of his realms have seen heightened action, and calls for abolition of the Monarchy have increased. In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded England and killed Harold Godwinson. He initiated an (almost) thousand-year-old dynasty, which continues to this day in the form of Charles III and his family. Aside from a small episode of beheading and Cromwells, and a variety of other troubles it has remained a constant. Now, more than ever, public opinion is determining the future. The recent scandals have hurt the Monarchy. Republicans capitalise on these events by organising campaigns. During the King’s Coronation a small group of Republicans, dressed in yellow and bearing signs of the same colour, protested in Trafalgar Square. At home, the more placid New Zealand republic has, in the last month, posted a petition for the abolition the monarchy – not a serious effort, but rather a sign of these groups’ willingness to take their ideas further. But what could replace our system? The classic republic has not always worked out – ask the Dutch and republican Grand Pensionary they lynched partially at around 1672, with William of

Orange providing the seasoning. Something unique to NZ could emerge. It is interesting to ponder what kind of system may be able to replace this monarchy – although most campaigning for abolition supports a traditional republic as successor. Republic has its drawbacks. It is easily corrupted, it divides our community between left and right, and often only represents half of our society. Our own system would be more appealing. Our own unique government such as a marae-based system would have merit. It is all made sweeter as New Zealand possesses no written constitution, this Government can be changed by a simple act, virtually overnight. We have the constitutional ambiguity of how Treaty obligations would carry on to whatever may succeed the Monarchy, and the body that is the Crown. In a marae process, Te Tiriti would be at its core. Creating our own unique system would put our nation in a leap of faith, as, like a republic, we have never been through this before. Both major parties were asked to comment. Only Simon O’Connor (National, Tamaki) replied. Q: How many National Party MPs are Monarchists? A: I don’t know the exact number of Monarchists in the National Party, but most are supportive of constitutional monarchy. Importantly, it is the first value of the National Party – that is, ‘Loyalty to our country, its democratic principles and our Sovereign as Head of State.’

Zealand. Ultimately, whenever discussion arises about our constitutional system, most quickly realise we have a system that has led to New Zealand having a strong, stable, democracy. At its heart, the head of state is not a politician but an apolitical figure, raised from birth to exercise duty and service. I think too, each new generation of royals fascinates New Zealanders and so they will continue to feel a connection as they did to the Late Queen, and more recently to Prince William and Kate, and now their children. The Labour Party website does not mention the sovereign in its values page, and many of its members (including its leader and our current PM) are publicly republicans. They have been comparatively respectful about the future of the monarchy. A failed referendum on the subject would be almost-certain electoral death. This government will not make any large movements on this anytime soon. Perhaps they have realised that this is a tried and proven system – in which we can see PMs encounter the repercussions. One of my favourite moments in history – Australia’s Gough Whitlam discovered the Monarch (or Her Governor-General in that case) is certainly not a ceremonial figurehead – the power to dismiss parliament is not taken lightly, but is not barred from use. When he exclaimed ‘God save the Queen! Because nothing will save the GovernorGeneral’ he knew he was a historical pawn in the proof of the Monarchy’s function.

Q: Where do you see the Monarchy in NZ in the next decade?

Sir Michael Hardie Boys’ commentary may fit the bill – ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Not only is the monarchy not ‘broke’ – it is proven to work, proven to continue working, and beneficial to those under its reign.

A: I see the monarchy continuing strongly in New

God Save The King!

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LET THE BANDWAGON GO WITHOUT YOU

NATALIA NOONE-JONES watches the crowd go nowhere. The tendency to adopt behaviours, styles, or attitudes because others are doing so, is named the ‘bandwagon’ effect. The bandwagon effect is classed as a psychological phenomenon. It causes people to ignore their own thoughts, beliefs and instincts and instead follow popular opinion. It can be seen everywhere – in the products we use, clothing we wear, music we listen to, jobs we do or don’t want to have, the way we talk and pronounce words. It is also a useful marketing tool. We follow the fads and the trends. If the media portray something as ‘common behaviour’ or a stylish new trend, other people are likely to join in. The Asch conformity experiments were carried out in the 1950s by Solomon Asch in which participants were to identify which of the three lines shown to them on the right matched the length of the line on the left. In the ‘critical rounds’, actors would give their answers aloud, all purposefully giving the obviously wrong answer. Lastly, the only real participant in the room would give his answer. During these rounds, of the 123 real participants, 74% conformed at least once to giving the incorrect answer to fit in with the actors and 26% always gave the correct answer. Asch’s control group underwent the same experiment without actors, this time doing it only once, and less than 1% of these participants gave the wrong answer. ‘The tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-minded young people are willing to call white, black,’ Asch said. Teenagers in particular are easily swayed or influenced by others, motivated by their

desire to fit in and find their place in society. While these vulnerable young people are finding their feet, marketing and social media see their opportunity. Social media is a popularity contest based around likes and followers. It has spread throughout teens like a virus. At a certain point of popularity amongst teens from their fun-looking and entertaining content, all the apps must do is wait to grow further as the rest download their apps solely because it is ‘what everyone’s doing.’ Teenagers are cliquey too, the idea someone might be excluded from social circles or ignored by their friends for not following the social media trends is a real possibility. In the end, peer pressure gets to most of us. The bandwagon effect does a lot for businesses. Many clothing stores stock a small range of the latest and hottest clothing and earn huge profits because shoppers, especially young shoppers, are enticed to their stores to join in with the fashions. The first vaping advertisements showed lots of young and trendy looking people using vapes as though it was what all the young people were doing. We are now seeing the effects of all those young viewers jumping on the bandwagon, being ignorant or in denial of the health risks. Many made this decision through the desire to be a part of the crowd.

occurred from a build-up of chemicals in nutmeg. Pouring salt into a friend’s mouth if they lose a dare. This can lead to brain swelling and seizures. Taking Benadryl to get hallucinations, ignoring the possible side effects of high blood pressure, high body temperature and seizures. Several teenagers have been hospitalised by this. Eating laundry detergent packets. Hospitalisations. Deaths. And all of these were fuelled by social media – no surprise there. Happy customer reviews are used in adverts to persuade viewers they too will become part of this large group of satisfied customers. Even including only a few customer reviews is enough to make people think these are just a sample from many, the tip of the iceberg, when they might be the only positive reviews in a sea of negative reviews. Most streaming services have a category for most popular, sometimes they have several based on popularity amongst other viewers. The snowball effect comes in, where popularity becomes an exponential growth. The Asch conformity experiments also found that the likelihood of conforming increases when there are more people agreeing.

There was the ice bucket challenge, planking, there was the mannequin challenge. All of these were examples of people jumping on the bandwagon. Some of them are not too stupid – just a bit of fun.

The entrepreneurs, the creative free thinkers and opinionated debaters are all looked down on and discouraged thanks to this copycat effect. We are losing originality and creativity because we’d rather blend in than think for ourselves and make new discoveries in the process. We cannot live through other people. We have to make our own choices, choose our own likes and dislikes, have our own strengths and weaknesses.

These trending challenges can get dangerous. There was the trend of eating way too much nutmeg to get high. Hospitalisations

We must think as individuals instead of a faceless mass of people. Our individuality and complexity are what makes us human.

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SOAKED: CYCLONE GABRIELLE JOSH BENOZA in a broken town. ‘We’re not going to return.’ Sweaty hands rummaged throughout the small house, searching for anything important to keep. He grabs mementos, treasures and money, ignoring anything not needed. He is not going to return. His truck had been marooned in mud, consequences of an unkempt driveway catching up to him. ‘I’ve still got a few minutes’ he assures himself, as the water reaches the base of his feet. He tries to find any pictures of himself and his family. The water is at his heels. He finds a trash bag from the bathroom to carry his items. It’s too heavy. He quickly checks what is truly needed, keeping mementos of his children. He needs to leave,

and so he does. There was no time to put on shoes, so he trudged through the murky waters barefoot. He glances at other people as they drive to some location. An epiphany springs into his mind - shelter. But where does he need to go? Maybe he remembers the announcement for tsunamis and floods from a few weeks ago, or maybe he can only think of home. Either way, he trudges through the water. The water rises to his waist. Trash bag over the shoulder, phone in the other hand which he lifts above his head, but, of course, no signal. It wasn’t like he had anyone to call. His soaked pants slow him down as he navigates the brown water

until he reaches a shelter created by the local school. His legs give out on the wooden floor as he lays breathless, covered in mud and debris. The rain hammers down. Days pass on the wooden floor. Sun repossesses the sky after the rain passes, and work resumes to restore the landscape and provide supply lines into the town. His tired body tells him to rest longer, but his brain says otherwise. He walks towards his home, through the previously flooded streets, past the ghosts of homes, until he reaches the small house. The driveway is still muddy from the rain. A fence blocks the entrance to the house. He looks up to see a red sticker between him and his home in the broken town.

DRINK SOME WATER, TRACK YOUR STEPS HANA CHAJECKA makes the case for healthy body, mind, happier life. Not getting enough physical activity can lead to heart disease and stroke. Sports are crucial for a healthy lifestyle, your mental health and a source of inspiration and motivation. They keep you active, healthy and help you build strength and endurance. Physical activity is extremely important for strong bones, muscles and joints. You can improve your cardiovascular health and lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and other chronic illnesses. Research shows adding 11 minutes of exercise per day to your routine could lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 27% and there is a 15% lower risk of dying from cancer. These things might affect you more when

you are older, but perhaps the most important way movement helps our health now, as young people, is to help keep our spines straight and our posture correct. The more time we spend hunched over a phone, typing with our thumbs, and with our hands awkwardly wrapped around a phone to take selfies, the more it affects our spinal health and the way our bodies are developing now. It might make you shorter than you are meant to be. Exercise can reduce stress, depression, anxiety and it can help us manage our emotions. When we participate in sports we release endorphins, which are natural mood boosters that can make us feel happier and more relaxed. Moreover, they can help build self-esteem and confidence, which can carry over into other areas of our lives. EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

Sports can be a source of inspiration and motivation. When we watch athletes perform at the highest level, we are inspired to push ourselves harder and strive for excellence in our own lives. By witnessing the dedication and perseverance that goes into achieving success in sports, we can develop the mindset and skills needed to achieve our own goals. Sports can teach us the value of teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship, which are all great qualities. They are also necessary for your mental health. I would never tell you to get off your phone, but I will tell you to put your phone down frequently, take a walk, play some footy, shoot some hoops, do a little dance, stretch out your limbs and keep your spine growing in the right direction.

RETURN TO NOWHERE MALIE PIERARD finds a house for her imagination.

The wire fence groaned and quivered under her weight as she heaved herself over the metal bars. Thud. The sign on the fence rattled in anger, AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY, PROPERTY OF PARADISE BUILDING CO. Some paradise this was. Once a manicured lawn was now a desert under the cold, grey sky. 100-mile-high buildings towered on either side. The thick black clouds blanketed this concrete fortress we called the City. The streetlights were dim and flickered like candles as she swiftly crept into the one remaining relic of suburbia in this cold steel jailhouse. Abigail seldom held onto things often, but this place was different. There were so many things she couldn’t surrender. The exterior of the house was chipped and cracked. It was covered in moss struggling to breathe in the polluted landscape. The house sagged, snapped and bulged from the weight of its rot. The only thing she recognised was an old cosy coupe. Somehow still vibrant yellow amongst the drab and dreary dystopia they found themselves in. Its frame was engulfed by a gaping maw of foliage. The kind that ate until there was nothing left. Sepia Polaroids flashed before her eyes, their fuzzy faded feelings dancing through her mind as she saw her childhood. She was prepared for this to be difficult – but not prepared to deal with it. With tears in her eyes, she trudged on. The door let out an eerie creak. The house groaned in relief without the added stress of the heavy doorway blocking its collapse. She hated to see the place like this. In its prime, it was cosy and homely and had an air of relaxation most of the time. The couches were white with a scarlet floral pattern matching the ash-coloured curtains. The fireplace always had a cheerful hearth. The rug was always vacuumed.

Her father sat in the rocking chair, smoking a cigar and browsing his phone, her mother watching the evening television. Now it was a different story. It stank like mildew and mold, damp, dank and disgusting. She had to cover her mouth to stop gagging. The rot of the house had crept into the walls and ceiling like a disease. It infected everything from the drapes to the books. The shelf was covered with vines housing thousands of creatures. Caterpillars and worms clung to life in the poisonous city, sheltered in this ancient piece of the past. The house looked fine apart from the withering and decay. The coffee table still had old mugs on it, ants marching across their brims in salute, ready for battle. The fireplace was stocked with damp wood where silverfish made their subway-system homes. Mice scurried away as she wandered into the hall. Her childhood masterpieces decorated the walls, macaroni art nibbled and scratched by rats, a stick figure self-portrait the grandest piece in the collection. She gazed at the shrine, a faint smile forming on her lips as she recounted fond preschool days. Abigail chuckled and continued up the overgrown stairway, each step letting out a screech as she stepped gingerly to her old boudoir. ‘Abby, go to your room,’ grunted her bullish father. She hopped off of the dining table chair and sprinted up the stairs. She knew what was happening next. Her parents turned into monsters, clashing again. They drove each other mad with grief, her mother wailed like a banshee and her father roared like a minotaur. All Abigail could do was sob. And sob. And sob. Endless rivers of tears poured from her eyes as she mourned the loss of youth. Now, at the top of the stairs, the place where she heard argument after argument unfold, made her visions sharper. She wept for the girl who had to live with a drunk lunatic and an absent husk. She knew she had to move on, but the past loomed like fog on EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

a lake. It never cleared. With a heavy heart, she reached her old bedchamber door. Her room was a princess’s dream. Pink walls, pink blinds, pink covers, pink pillows, a pink lamp, pink teddy bears adorning her bed and a huge pink stuffed elephant named Mr Trumpet. Can you guess her favourite colour? When she was 11, she moved into the old bedroom downstairs and her previous room was made into an office. Everything was still the same except for the new desk and computer. This room kept all the tax documents and important things you wouldn’t want to lose. The most important thing in that room however was the deed to the house. Abigail inherited the house, but to sell it, (something she dreaded) she needed the paperwork. As she opened the door into what was her room she was astonished to see it was still in good nick. The blinds were crusty and everything had a thick layer of dust but other than that the room was still recognisable. Mr Trumpet looked as cuddly as ever, covered in holes from hungry moths, and her mother's desk was still piled high with GSTs and tax returns that had grown anew. Abby battled nostalgia as she rummaged for her golden ticket. Doris’s flowers? No. Family taxes? No. Credit card debt form? Finally, the deed to 112 Foreman Road. She opened the file to see . . . some small squeaking jelly beans wrapped in fluff. Great. She couldn’t hand in a document covered in mouse excrement. She realised this place didn’t belong to her anymore. The wildlife had their own memories, and Paradise buildings wouldn’t make this place a utopia. She gently slipped the folder back into the box and sighed in relief. She couldn’t let go of this. She only wanted to sell it because she wanted to bury those memories. But now, it didn’t belong to anyone. It belonged to nature, and that’s something it needed more than her.

HIGH PRICE ON MEANINGLESS

Abstract art can lose relevance for NATALIA NOONE-JONES. A squirt of scarlet, maybe a dabble of canary yellow. $20 million anyone? Sold, to the man with no artistic taste. We are being drawn into the hype and academics behind the arts. We are intellectualising the living daylights out of our art.

The descriptions are confusing, the language features are many and forced. The book is written as a stream of consciousness. An unedited jumble of random ideas. It’d be good enough for a diary, but that’s where it ends. Montag’s fireproof house is burnt to the ground.

$194,000. It is climate change. It is freedom. It is the destruction of all mankind. It’s fruit. These prices aren’t just ridiculous, they’re extreme.

Realism represents subject matter truthfully, without artificiality. This brings a new angle to an otherwise average tree or stack of books. Most people can relate to seeing these things in their everyday lives. Realism isn’t as exciting to the art critics, it leaves little room for interpretation.

Well, that’s a new one.

We don’t charge for sounds, feelings, or smells, we shouldn’t charge for ideas on page. They’re nothing more than thoughts, we all have those.

Viewers question the meanings behind works. They’ll come up with something extraordinary even if there was no intent behind it. Finding new meanings can be beautiful or a bit - Dude?

As a polar opposite, popular street artist Banksy puts relevant ideas and issues behind many of his artworks. The art itself is skilful and the placement and message behind it is cleverly incorporated.

Abstract is to separate or withdraw from reality, allowing greater exploration and creative freedom. The audience find their own meaning. What a thrill! Abstract can be blurry lines and exaggerated proportions or simply a collection of squiggly lines.

Are we even looking at the same thing? It’s great to bring out different perspectives, but some people are stretching it.

The arts have so much power to communicate ideas visually. An actor’s expression, a musician’s lyrics and a dancer’s movement can tell whole stories.

Art is subjective, But at what point is it too vague, too lazy, too pretentious? There is no limit to how we can express ourselves. But there is a line, beyond which it is not suited to an audience. Some artists are testing these limits. Fahrenheit 451 is an example of abstract literature. The sentences are not complete, nor grammatically correct. ‘Speed up the film, Montag, quick. Click, Pic, Look, Eye, Now, Flick, Here, There.’ He isn’t even saying anything. If that got you a little lost, you know how I feel reading these so-called ‘masterpieces.’ No, lots of words in a row does not constitute a sentence. Try adding some more personification? How is anyone, let alone a student, supposed to interpret this nonsense? Capital letters, full stops, logical sentence structures. It’s the ABCs of writing.

Students are given movies or texts to analyse. We squeeze out meaning like the last drop out of the paint tube. It is a struggle to say the least. Then there’s the artist’s pitch. What they’re trying to sell us. The artist might try to tell us their art is where the moon touches the trees under the sea before the first light of the 7th day of the 16th month when the apocalypse has killed us all . . . as we squint at a blank canvas. In Fahrenheit 451, books represent danger, rebellion and freedom of ideas, so much so that a person is willing to die, not even for them, but with them. Not because it was a sacrifice to save her books, they were going to be burnt either way, but purely because she’d given up on a world where books are outlawed. Sure, the books had a greater meaning, but surely it is a bit of an overkill to treat books as though they were freedom. A banana duct taped to a wall sold for EDUCATIONTODAY.CO.NZ

Purpose must be in every stroke, every simile or metaphor, every camera angle. It’s not enough to be random and rely on the audience to attach their own meanings. It’s not enough to do the bare minimum. Long winded speeches on freedom, life or happiness hold no meaning without evidence or examples. Without a new take or a solution to offer, it’s a waste of everyone’s time. Using masses of cliches and colloquialisms, without linking them to relevant context is not effective. The arts are becoming lazier. Artists are selling us something that isn’t there in their art, for outrageous prices. I splash scarlet paint across the canvas, swirling the brush in large scribbles as the paint bleeds. I write $10 million on the price tag. Wait. It’s time to stop pretending. I cover it up and switch off the light. It’s better this way.