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LETTERS
MASSIVE welcomes letters of all shapes and sizes. They should be preferably emailed to editor@massivemagazine.org.nz although they can be dropped into any students’ association office. The Editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or just plain bastardise them and will refuse any that are in bad taste or defamatory. You may write in anonymously. EVERY LETTER WINS! All letters receive a prize
courtesy of MASSIVE magazine. This month, it is a 250 gram bag of Peoples’ Coffee. Email editor@massivemagazine.org.nz to arrange collection of your prize.
WE NEED TO EAT TOO Dear Editor, I wish to express my thoughts regarding the new menu options at Tussock Café at Massey Wellington. Whilst in the university over summer (groan), I noticed the new menu board up on the wall behind the counter and as a strict life-time plant only chomper, I am beyond ecstatic to see the new range of meatless options available. After also being an avid reader of your publication, I read several negative stories regarding the unnaturally high prices of items offered in Tussock. Although the prices may still be higher than the average debt riddled student can afford, the varietal range of offerings has seemingly improved monumentally. Good on you, Tussock – may fellow plant chompers rejoice! Sincerely, Vegesaurus Rex SPITTING RAGE OVER RUDE YOUNG STUDENTS Dear Editor, I would like to put forth my feelings on the happenings of university lifestyle. As what one may call a mature student, I am flabbergasted at some of the filth that occurs during my hours of study. After I completed one of my summer school lectures recently, I walked out of class to find two boys with strange haircuts (my niece said something about rats
tails?). Disturbed enough at the new wave fashion, one of these boys proceeded to cough up sputum and spit it on to the grass nearby! Following this horrid display, I promptly went to the boy and explained the ‘no spitting’ warning signs found throughout the campus. It was my intent to educate, but clearly his was to simply insult. After I explained, both boys laughed in my face before the individual that spat his spittle said to me, and I make no lie, “Sorry grams”! They then walked off laughing! This absolutely alarmed me for a number of reasons, but I shall keep this short. Firstly, there was no respect for the signs laid out by the university. Second, there was no respect for their elders. Third, there was no respect in their apology. In my day, respect was everything. Now it seems that modern ways of life are disintegrating the very civility of our being. I am appalled and disgruntled. Sincerely, Once again, I am appalled. And disgruntled MASSIVE (BEING THE OPERATIVE WORD) Dear Editor, As a long time non-reader of your publication, I have a bone to pick with you. I work out. A lot. Like, three times a day. I often see your magazine littering the entrance to the gym, fluttering in the breeze as people step around it, hoping it will just leave us all alone. Every time I step over it, I notice the title. MASSIVE. In bold, obnoxious caps, it loudly declares my greatest insecurity and spits it in my face. For a man, I am not vertically gifted, nor do I have a strong, natural base of musculature. Because of this, I am less likely to be the CEO of a company, less likely to have a beautiful girlfriend, and less likely to be highly regarded by my peers. I have come to terms with this - after all, it is society at fault, not myself. Despite my unfortunate genetic circumstance, I happen to be in excellent shape, and frequently urge others to respect their bodies and pursue the physical limits of their personal carriage. Herein lies the problem - the title of your publication, MASSIVE, simultaneously celebrates sloth and mocks the genetically impoverished. It alienates those who are small, by mocking our inherent inability to large, and celebrates those who can be large, most of whom
are obese. Why is it ‘good’ to be massive? So good, in fact, that you named your little magazine in the hopes of aligning yourself with the word? A person’s a person no matter how small, said the great poet Dr. Suess - if you weren’t too busy slinging filth at the un-statuesque, you would perhaps consider the Doctor’s message, and make a concerted effort not to grossly offend everyone who doesn’t fit your pre-conceived notions of ‘goodness’. I’ve never read your magazine. I never will. It hurts too much, honestly, to know such hatred and exclusion can be cast out with a mere title - I shudder to think of the rampant, vile acrimony contained within its pages. I’ll concede that Massive is an appropriate title for your publication in one respect - it is a Massive waste of everyone’s time. Sincerely, ‘Dragon’ Holyoake
No response from students’ association Dear Editor, I am a Massey student from Wellington. I have just moved to Auckland (transferred to the Albany campus) and wrote to the Albany Students’ Association in December (on Facebook) to ask about student accommodation for when I moved up. I never heard back and had to take a chance and try find my own place when I moved up, which was difficult and stressful. As I was new to the city, I wanted to stay close and in the uni managed buildings. To be honest, I was kind of disappointed because, in the past, I regularly contacted the other uni affiliated Facebook pages and received a reply within a day. It was always nice to have help and guidance with such matters and I expected a reply when I went out of my way to contact them directly. Since it was December, I understand that people were away on holiday, but the message came up with ‘seen’ and the time that the user of the Association page saw my message. To think that they saw my message and blatantly didn’t bother to reply or help me out really pisses me off. For the sake of ruining people’s opinions of the Association, they better get their act/s together and their social media use in check. Regards, Pissed off
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