MASSIVE Magazine - Issue 10 - 2022

MASSIVE

10

23 may 2022

Editoral

3

News

4

Features The Perfect Melody

12

Biomimicry

16

An Ode to Sitcoms

18

The Reality of Home-Owning in Aotearoa

22

Columns Worst of the Worst

24

Sexcapades

25

Massey Confessions

26

Te Reo and NZSL

27

Solicited Advice

28

Horoscopes

30

Snapchats

31

Puzzles

32 34

Presidents Column

Editor - Mason Tangatatai Designer - Marie Bailey News Editor - Elise Cacace Culture Editor - Elena McIntyre-Reet Sub Editor - Jamie Mactaggart News Reporter - Sammy Carter Feature Writer - Mia Faiumu Feature Writer - Lily Petrovich Feature Writer - Aiden Wilson Illustrator - Kimi Moana Whiting Illustrator - Sara Moana Photographer - Amelia Radley Photographer - Callum Parsons ’tbeMagzin,syvoldchmpruf eatosdrwCuncilhPeZtNgsMav eE sandopir,blfwAt.ThvcPSu Mme etMasynprdihgofvc g.nzemaior@svdtyqucPlp U

AT’S IN You probably aren’t being gaslit.

(See what I did there?)

We’ve all heard of it, or even used it, but the term ‘gaslighting’ has taken the online world by storm.

And while it’s entertaining to throw it out there, it’s important we give the flame some air to breathe or else we might burn away its real meaning.

To better understand the term, it’s always good to wind back to its origins. The term "gaslighting" comes from a 1938 play called Gas Light. In the play, the protagonist's husband intentionally manipulates her to believe she can no longer trust her own perception of reality. The tactic he uses to develop this confusion is turning down the gas-powered lights in their home so they flicker throughout the house. When she asks him why the lights are flickering, he denies they're flickering at all, suggesting it's all happening inside her head.

Messed up, right? Gaslighting was thrust into the recent spotlight during Donald Trump’s 2017 election race. The former president had a tendency to say a statement, and then, at some later date, confidently declare, “I did not say that. In fact, I would never dream of saying that.” By ignoring reality and perpetuating his own narrative— despite facts proving otherwise—he sought to gaslight Americans into accepting his false reality as the only reality.

Now, in 2022, gaslighting has become the go-to terminology for anyone dealing with anything inconvenient within relationships, friendships or at mahi. If someone tells you that you’re wrong, you’re being gaslighted. If someone doesn’t agree with you, they’re gaslighting you.

Misusing the word gaslight can shut down otherwise productive conversations. Gaslighting is often used in an accusatory way when somebody may just be insistent on something, or somebody may be trying to influence you.

That's not what gaslighting is.

Gaslighting is a serious form of psychological manipulation, and most people being gaslit don’t even realise it’s happening. Gaslighting can include a range of tactics including lying, distracting, minimising, denying, and blaming.

We’ve seen other terms go down this slippery slope of misuse. For instance, calling your ex a psycho for breaking up with you and telling their friends of all the shitty things you did isn’t inherently psychotic.

This incorrect use can lead to the downplaying of people's actual lived experiences, and these words almost evolve into slang.

The words we choose in conversations regarding people’s wellbeing are especially important. Every time the word ‘gaslight’ is used correctly, then, its definition continues to be protected, which allows victims of this particular abuse to continue using the word and seek help.

So next time you get shit on in an argument, take a second to think whether you’ve been gaslit, or just outsmarted babes x Cheers, Mason

23 MAY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

WHAT’S GOING ON? WEEKLY NEWS UPDATES

Clearing the mask mandate confusion Elise Cacace (she/her)

So far, 2022 has been a good year for lifting Covid-19-induced regulations.

Our borders are back open, our nightclubs are pumping again and, for the most part, our vaccine mandates are no more. However, there is one restriction that still just won't budge.

Mask mandates have been in place since the very beginning, and are now one of the only public reminders that the pandemic is still happening.

In the orange traffic light level, face masks are mandatory inside any public facilities including university campuses and communal areas within a hall of residence; however there still seems to be some confusion around where masks are actually required.

“A face mask must be worn in all parts of the university, unless there is an exception or exemption including for teaching, research, and all other activities when in communal areas or moving through workspaces” says Massey Communications Advisor, Paul Duffin.

“Staff must wear a medical grade mask, three layered fabric or higher quality. We recommend and encourage all students to also use medical-grade masks.”

For the many students that still harbour confusion about their need to wear a mask in certain situations, there are some exemptions to be aware of.

“Teaching or research staff may remove their mask if they can maintain at least a two-meter distance from their class, team or audience while presenting,” Paul says.

“Staff and students are not required to wear a mask when exercising at the Rec Centre, or in student accommodation bedrooms.”

The University has made an effort to make the mask mandates clear to students, by having “visual reminders (posters) on campus and social media reminding students about mask use and physical distancing”.

Additionally, “Any time there are changes to the Protection Framework that would impact the university and students, we have contacted them directly by email. In the emails we let them know of the changes occurring, what it means to them, and link the Massey University Operating Plan and Covid-19 pages of our website,” Paul says.

For students that may still find themselves in a space on campus or in a hall of residence feeling unsure about whether the mask mandate applies, there are many places you can go to seek clarification.

All Massey staff have been advised about masking protocols, and will happily provide information to anybody that needs it. The Massey website also provides a bounty of information about where and when mask mandates are applicable, as well as having posters pinned up literally everywhere.

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If, however, after exhausting all of these aforementioned resources, you still find yourself questioning the need to mask up or not, just assume the answer is yes. At the end of the day, it is all about protecting ourselves and our community, right?

“Wearing a mask all day is horrible and I definitely cannot wait for the restrictions to be lifted, but it is what it is. If wearing a thin sheet over your face is what we have to do to save lives, then why wouldn’t we?” says Claire Saunders, Massey graduate student.

“Wearing masks in public areas has become a part of daily life for all New Zealanders and many other countries worldwide. If students have any issues or concerns, we have encouraged them to speak with our staff. Many students have also had the option of studying online throughout the pandemic too, when restrictions meant in-person teaching could not take place,” says Paul Duffin.

So, there we have it. At the moment the mask mandates are still a thing for uni students studying on-campus, or living in a hall of residence. It is likely that in the not-so-distant future, this mandate will be eased as well, but for now we will all have to hold on until the traffic light turns green.

23 MAY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

MUSA partners with Just Zilch to provide nutritious food for Manawatū campus Mason Tangatatai (he/him)

not be one of those,” says Melissa Scott, MUSA Student Advocate.

“Everyone knows how pricey fresh food can be. It’s sad to see students being forced to eat nothing but unhealthy kai when they need to fuel their brains for study,” Scott continues.

Studying, Covid-19, and the outrageous cost of living. This is just a short list of hardships students across the country have to constantly juggle. An additional struggle that students juggle, but never should, is access to healthy food. Massey University Students’ Association (MUSA) is looking to solve that problem through their recent partnership with food waste company, Just Zilch.

So far, the partnership has received positive feedback from students on campus. In their first few weeks of operation, over 100 students have received Just Zilch care packages.

MUSA expects this number to grow steadily over the year.

“As the year goes on, and more people are aware of this new service, we believe more and more students will get involved.”

Each week, MUSA will be setting up a stand outside the Concourse to give away over 30 food boxes filled with fresh fruit, vegetables and cooking essentials. This partnership is expected to continue indefinitely throughout the university year.

“We know it can be hard for students to step forward for help. We are making this process as simple as possible.

This is not a hardship grant, you do not need to plead your case or provide any details, you just have to show up,” Scott continues.

“Students already face so many problems, access to good kai should

Just Zilch is New Zealand’s longest running free store. Since their creation

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in 2011, Just Zilch have provided over 440,000 Kiwis with free kai. Just Zilch receives excess kai from local food providers that would have been thrown away, and then gives this to those in need, free of charge.

MUSA has also received a $5,000 grant from the Environment Network Manawatū. This money is being put toward the creation of an oncampus community garden. This will be situated close to the University dorms, and will allow students to take produce as it grows.

“The community garden will not only provide more nutritious kai for our students, but also a place to get away from the mental strains of university.

Scott describes these initiatives as “heartwarming” and believes taking this burden away from students is the least MUSA can do.

23 MAY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

The fight to end sexual violence isn’t over as nightlife reopens Brydie Macbeth

Lamont and Sophia Harrison turned their concern into action. Prompted by the “utter frustration and helplessness” felt towards the problem of sexual violence in our city.

As we enter back into a sense of nightlife normality following the partying pause the Omicron outbreak enforced, our entertainment industry is slowly returning to its original state.

Town has reopened and, with this, the chapter on safety when out and about in our city needs to be revisited.

Ella says we are seeing a massive increase in the discussion around safety and sexual violence. “I’ve heard this from people across all age groups and demographics.” Despite the fact we are still hearing of people not feeling safe in our city, change is in motion. However, ending this issue is a marathon, not a sprint.

From where we left off, the media drew attention to the surge in violence occurring in Wellington’s entertainment district (a.k.a ‘town’).

This affects us all, whether we go out for just one drink or 10. At some point we are likely to find ourselves out in the city at night and we should feel safe doing so. At least safer than we do now, that’s for sure.

Last year, growing reports of assault and sexual assault provoked two students to make the most impactful Facebook post they’ve ever shared.

Victoria University students Ella

“What’s most important about the increased discussion is that it's a marker of an ideological shift within the collective, which, to me, brings a lot of hope as the ideological shift can often be one of the biggest obstacles in the way of achieving major cultural change.” - Ella Lamont The post which started it all was a survey posted on ‘Vic Deals’ collecting close to 3,000 responses detailing the feelings and experiences of individuals in regards to the level of comfort felt when out and about in the city. They were devastated to discover 99.54

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per cent of respondents had in fact experienced sexual violence, assault or harassment in some form.

This depicts the issue of sexual violence as a deep-rooted, widely prevalent problem, not subsiding anytime soon in our community.

The volume of responses acted as a stimulus for the subsequent formation of the Wellington Alliance Against Sexual Violence. The Alliance has been working closely alongside the Wellington City Council to action the change called for by the community.

Significant systems and strategies have been promised through the Council’s project titled the ‘Pōneke Promise’, allocated to target sexual violence, alcohol harm and overall city safety.

Along with this, Ella and Sophia have been pushing for consent education in schools, believing the biggest changes stem from planting the seed at an education level. “When people get educated around these things, it’s a chain reaction really, that the behaviour begins to improve massively as people start to get a fuller understanding.”

23 MAY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

Is free speech under threat?

Don Brash and the controversial Free Speech Union speak at Massey University Mason Tangatatai (he/him)

When former National leader Don Brash had a speech cancelled at Massey University in 2018, it was a major moment in an ongoing debate over free speech. At the start of this month, Brash was back on the Manawatū campus as part of the Free Speech Union’s (FSU) controversial nationwide tour.

The event, hosted in a highly guarded lecture theatre on campus, aimed to promote “freedom from censorship and cancel culture”. Ironically, a week earlier, activist Daphna Whitmore of the FSU was cancelled from speaking at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

This cancellation was fresh in Brash’s mind as it fueled his talk. Brash questioned the power of cancel culture and reiterated that “universities should be the place to have intellectual debates on complex topics”.

Brash was met with nods of agreement from the majority of the elderly audience, but found resistance from a few fresh-faced students.

Massey University Students’ Association (MUSA) President, Marla Beissel, was one of the students in attendance, but her recount of the talk was that it was merely “tame and uneventful”.

“I think inviting Brash is more of a publicity stunt for the Free Speech Union, rather than a move to effectively argue for free speech,” says Beissel.

“It would be much more effective and interesting if, for instance, the FSU invited a refugee that has been persecuted in another country where free speech is not allowed. Or, someone that challenges the status quo rather than upholding colonial ideas and white supremacy.”

In 2018, Brash was barred from speaking at Massey University a few days before he was scheduled to present with his campaign group Hobson’s Pledge. Critics had labelled the group as racist, and believed his talk would be harmful to race relations and Māori on campus.

community, but believes that they support groups who are.

Vice Chancellor Jan Thomas cited the cancellation over security concerns but documents released under a later Official Information Act request reveal Thomas didn’t want a “te Tiriti-led university be seen to be endorsing racist behaviours”.

“What they fail to recognise is that freedom of speech is not freedom of consequence, and sometimes that consequence is losing a room booking,” Jane continues.

This time around Brash faced no resistance from Massey University, and little backlash from students of the Manawatū campus. Despite this lack of uproar, Jonathan Aylin, CEO of FSU, described the hired security for the event as “the most I’ve ever seen in my time touring with FSU”.

In conversation with Massive, Ayling expressed his concern for free speech in New Zealand, arguing, “It's fundamentally regressive to think we can move forward, and grow as a society by silencing people.” When asked about if the FSU agreed with Don Brash’s political stance on certain topics Ayling reiterated that, “We [FSU] don’t take stances on substantive issues. We are here to preach the importance of free speech and debate.”

“It was encouraging to have students in attendance who completely disagreed with Don. The way we advance complex problems and come up with solutions is by debating in controlled environments like this conference,” Ayling continues.

“It becomes muddy when organisations start vetoing qualified professionals from speaking simply because they don’t see eye to eye. That is what AUT did, we are glad Massey did not follow suit.”

Uni Q Albany President, Elizabeth Jane does not believe the group is inherently homophobic towards the LGBTQ+ 7 / Karere

“Their goal is simplistic in that they [FSU] believe everyone has the right to say what they want; they don’t feel like cancelling or censorship has any place in reasonable debate.”

One of the students in disagreement with Brash told Massive that they believed the event was “full of violent misinformation and sends an unsafe agenda for a number of communities who find university a safe place”.

“It’s sad to see such events go ahead with no backlash. It shows that the University has loosened their stance on such provocative speakers.”

Massey University has walked a slippery slope with independent speakers in recent years. In 2020, Massey University’s Wellington campus cancelled the controversial feminism event, Speak Up for Women due to “health and safety concerns”.

In reality, a public outroar of Massey student’s, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, had caused the event to make mainstream media, and the negative spotlight forced Massey to pull the event all together.

Speak Up for Women campaigned against gender self-identification on birth certificates, and the inclusion of transgender women in sports.

With the FSU somewhat successfully touring New Zealand’s universities with controversial figures spearheading their efforts, it begs the question, has Massey University loosened their restrictions on external speakers? And if so, does this show a shift in our society's viewpoint on free speech?

23 MAY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

Massey Veterinary School gets an upgrade Elise Cacace (she/her)

Massey’s School of Veterinary Science is an internationally accredited and first-class educational facility, ranked in the top 20 vet schools in the world. To maintain this high standard and boost it even further, the Vet School has now opened a new student learning complex.

The new building comes as part of a ten-year, $160 million capital project and is expected to reach its completion by 2024. The next two years will see the opening of a new farm animal hospital, a new research and student support building, and a revamping of the existing Small Animal Clinic.

The new Tāwharau Ora building boasts top-of-the-range facilities designed to cater for the 125 students that make up each year group of the Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree.

It provides sleek new classrooms where students will learn anatomy and practice the skills they need in veterinary clinics. The spaces come with new, specialised equipment such as mannequins, gantry rails and tables, and digital equipment, most of which was made in New Zealand.

“When I first started studying here, I was overwhelmed by Massey’s vet facilities. Even though I won't be able to use this new building much, I definitely know that students will be very grateful, and that this building will produce some top-quality vets. It is awesome to see the amount that Massey invests in our education,” says Jack, final year vet student.

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The Tāwharau Ora building was gifted its name in 2019, by Associate Professor, Pukenga Reo Hone Morris and the Māori Language Advisory Group. The name encapsulates the school’s aim of being a place of wellbeing, healing and rediscovery for animals, but also staff and students.

“Tāwharau can be translated as shelter or haven, and the meanings of Ora include health, safe, recover and heal,” says Veterinary Science Senior Lecturer, Eloise Jillings.

“I haven’t been inside the building yet but I am excited to. I know that it has spent a long time in the works and I can definitely feel it will help improve the learning of lots of students throughout their time at uni. It looks awesome,” says Christian Cacace, first-year BVS student.

23 MAY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

‘Not many people care’: No kiwis protesting for already abortion illegal countries

people might be speaking in their native tongues but if people really care they can go out of their way to translate like they do for other things.”

Sammy Carter (she/her)

Baluyot felt abortion and contraceptives being illegal in the Philippines shows how the culture treats women, and this effects Filipinas living in New Zealand too. “Just sexual health in general in the Philippines just doesn’t get spoken about at all.”

She would like to see Kiwis showing support through education, “not just using western ideas of abortion but also culture-specific ones. There are other things that are important that aren’t just in the western lens.”

Countries where abortion is illegal are yet to have their stories heard, as Kiwis in Auckland and Christchurch protest against the Roe v Wade abortion ruling in America.

There are many countries around the world, including the Philippines, where abortion is currently illegal. But looking through an “American lens”, Kiwis are focused on the potential for abortion to be made illegal in America.

Alliyah Baluyot, Filipina Auckland University student couldn’t see Kiwis protesting for the Philippines abortion rights as for America. “Not many people care if you’re not in a westernised country.” She felt that “a lot of what we see in social media is done through an American lens anyway. I think it’s a little bit short sighted.”

Many worry that if abortion is made illegal in America, woman will turn to unsafe abortions. However, this is already happening in the Philippines.

“There's definitely back-alley ways of getting an abortion.” Baluyot said hearing Filipinas’ untold stories about abortion would help people be more knowledgeable. “It is harder because

Maryana Garcia, Filipina NZME journalist said Kiwis would “definitely not” protest for the Philippines abortion rights as they did for America.

“Whether or not people should be protesting about an American law change in New Zealand ... I’m not sure that’s a good use of our time.”

“I have problem any time it seems to me that only one side of any story is being told.”

“I don’t expect the Philippines to make the news,” Garcia said. “People have the unfair assumption that Asia is Asia, and it's not going to change. Third world is third world.”

She said, “People expect the Philippines and third world countries to be backwards, so when they see

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something that they think is wrong happening there, they're not surprised because it was backwards already.”

Garcia said the lack of shock value leads to people not reading about the country and then not being educated about them. “It's not unexpected for drugs or illegal abortions to be happening in a third world country.”

Garcia said, “It is good to ask ourselves why is that unexpected? And why do I find Roe v Wade more interesting than other news?”

Micah Arias, Filipina Massey Design student said in terms of the Philippines being a third world country, “Some people don’t really care about the poor people, even in Wellington. They exist but not many people care about them.”

Arias wasn’t sure what Kiwis protesting would do to help America. “We should show more support to countries that actually need help, America has lots of help.”

Arias said the Philippines’ conservative culture affects Filipinas living in Aotearoa too. “They will judge you if you wear something revealing.” Arias said Aotearoa should include more diverse ideas in schooling as she never learnt anything that addressed the Philippines stigma around sex in high school sex education.

Arias could never see Kiwis protesting for the Philippines abortion rights.

“They just don’t really care because the Philippines doesn’t affect their lives.”

23 MAY 2022

MASSIVE NEWS

Creative Media Production changes leave students confused and concerned

to the people starting after the changes have been made, or whether it will create competition between them.

Tegan Jaggard

Third-year Tristan Crisps had a more outspoken reaction to the changes “for fucks sake”. This sentiment seemed to sum up most students' feelings.

Massey University's Creative Media Production (CMP) degree is set to be completely reworked. But, for students already enrolled in the degree these changes feel like another roadblock in their education.

It was announced earlier this year that Creative Media Production was being changed to Screen Arts. Also, a fourth year was being added to the degree for students that wish to graduate with honours, alongside new content being added to the course.

With these changes being introduced there’s a lot of confusion going around.

"I wish they had just been transparent with us," says second-year CMP student Charlotte Keen. For Charlotte, these changes caused a lot of concern around whether this meant that their degree would be worth less compared

Part of this frustration has been caused by the timing. Changes to the course have been in talks for over two years now, but students are only just being told now. On top of this, each year group was told separately, a whole week apart from each other, meaning that rumours and speculation had time to spread and cause more uncertainty.

Charlotte, and another CMP student Hamish Wilkinson, both said that if they knew that changes to the course were being considered, they would have held off on studying and taken a gap year to see how things played out.

“It’s really disruptive,” says Charlotte.

“We felt as there was this certain expectation when going into this course. It’s important that students

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are given the chance to plan out their studies as it's such a big commitment.”

“I’m no longer prepared, and that’s scary,” Charlotte continues.

Though not all of these changes have been negative. The general consensus on the name change to ‘Screen Arts’ is positive.

“It’s more reflective of the programme,” says Charlotte. Hamish also likes the look of the new content being introduced, which is the reason he’s considering taking the fourth year, saying that the new degree “just sounds better”. The fourth year isn’t going to made compulsory except for the students wanting to graduate with honours. Third-years, even those that decide to take the honours class, will still graduate with a CMP degree rather than Screen Arts. Seemingly, the actual changes to the degree are being positively received but the lack of communication has caused a lot of unnecessary stress for those involved.

11 / Aronui

With Aotearoa’s ‘Music Month’ finally upon is, I got thinking, “What the hell does everyone else listen to when they study?”

For me, the perfect study-time playlist consists of Bring Me the Horizon, Pearl Jam, Tool, sometimes the Animal Crossing soundtrack, and ALWAYS Nine Inch Nails. The variety and familiarity help to keep me on task, as well as keep track of the time I’ve spent studying. Not to mention, the screaming of Bring Me gets me into “let’s fuck this assignment up” mode like nothing else can.

But that’s just me… what about everyone else?

With this thought in mind, I set out on an EPIC quest to discover these secrets, and perhaps see if I could discover a piece of music to unite all students when they study…

The PERFECT Melody Aiden Wilson (he/him) Illustrated by @geegebee

The act of studying on its own is a pain in the ass which we all have to slog through. Whether you are an astute scholarly motherfucker who can study for ten hours straight without needing to take a leak, or someone like me who can’t stay focused for more than five minutes at a time, we all gotta do it.

Something which has been proven to make that process easier, is the simple act of drowning out our surroundings with audio. (HEY IT’S AN ESCAPISM THING LIKE MY LAST ARTICLE! WOW CALLBACK!) When we listen to music, the brain’s pleasure centres are triggered, releasing dopamine, which of course is the chemical that makes us happy. This response is so fast that the brain can anticipate the best parts of music we’re familiar with, releasing dopamine early at times.

Having that constant background presence of music during study, especially something we’re familiar with, allows us to get constant dopamine hits while doing a task that at the best of times is monotonous, and at worst makes us want to eat a brick.

Everyone has different tastes, with bands and musical genres being something which can either ignite or divide friendships. Study time music is no exception.

For some, my music would be too noisy or overstimulating for effective study. For others, it would be just right.

Talking to other students about their study music, a few things stood out.

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That Ol Familiar Feeling

Simple, effective, wub wub bass that gets the brain flowing.

Something which my personal playlist shares with many others is that the music is stuff we know well. We’re not going into study listening to The Weeknd’s latest, hanging off every word that spills from his mouth, intently listening to each piece of instrumentation.

If we did that every time, we’d get nothing done, and we’d all fail miserably.

Too overstimulating for some, but literal music to the ears for others, just being able to turn off the world with fast ‘n’ furious beats is good enough. It makes the selection of study music not the most difficult, and less time deciding what you’re gonna listen to means more time actually doing the assignment you’ve put off till the night before.

A huge source of this familiarity could be a particular soundtrack.

Simple, effective, easy.

One that was name dropped to me when asking about study music was Bridgerton.

Much of that show’s score is comprised of classical covers of popular music. Bridgerton takes tracks many of us are familiar with, through hearing them at piss ups or just on Spotify shuffle, and replaces their lyrics with violin and piano to give a more “ooooooohhhhh posh AND relaxing” experience to the listener.

The original pieces are known by most of us, so translating them to a more relaxing sound makes them a perfect study time repertoire for students.

Similarly, video game soundtracks are also able to provide a sense of familiarity alongside a pleasant wee rush of juicy dopamine to get us through the dregs of workload.

Familiarity isn’t a be-all-end-all though, and sometimes we just need some noise and a fucking thumping bass.

Fast, Loud, and Weird Chaotic energy, fast beats, the constant feeling of being at a DnB festival while you’re in the comfort of the campus library. Some brains crave these things.

To drown out the monotony of study with relaxation… with classical music… preposterous.

On my quest of discovery, I found that a feeling many share with me is the NEED for loud when working.

Different degrees of loud, from all-sorts of genres, but loud all the same.

Something to get the brain hyped, ready to kick the assignments teeth in as you churn through the word count as if it’s a case of Cruisers on crate day. Sometimes we just gotta stimulate our brain with noise, get that big ol hit of happy chemical from the loud and drown out the surrounding world. A common genre I’ve found amongst people who need their study music like this is DnB. 14 / Aronui

My quest had shown me two sides of the studysesh musical taste, but I was about to be introduced to a third. Fully auditory, barely musical, and entirely useful…

Noise Complaints For some, music is just far too distracting. You turn on your soundtrack, next thing you know it’s 2am and you’ve been grooving in your chair for the last five hours. Or worse, relaxed so much by it that you’ve slept on your keyboard, turning the document into a collection of keyboard smashes which spell “I’m a very overdue assignment”.

Silence can be worse.

Sometimes a person just needs something in the background. Something their brain can tune out and not focus on, while also filling the weird silence while they work.

Enter the exciting world of audioscapes. Videos designed to offer the brain a grey area to operate. It ain’t music! But it ain’t silence either!

Café sounds were name dropped during my quest and cause I’m just the best researcher I tried them out myself. As someone who doesn’t leave the house much, videos like this turned out to be a Godsend.

Along with the escapist fantasy of being a hot, dark academia-looking student studying hard in a café, the audio filled in the silence while giving the sense I wasn’t alone in my working.

The clinking of cups, clack of keyboards and constant soft chatter really gives the sense that you’re working alongside others, from the comfort of wherever you really find yourself.

If someone reading this wants to try out café sounds IN a café, please let me know how the experience is, because it sounds like it would either be too much or transcendent.

Whilst all these audio techniques are different, they unite us as students through the medium of sound.

My quest of discovery gave me much to think about, such as this looming question: “Is there an audio that can unite ALL students in harmonious study?”

In a selfless act, I pondered this query for days, weeks even.

And luckily, I’m a musical genius so it was not long till I had come up with the solution to this conundrum.

What students need is something familiar… recognisable yet not distracting. A piece of music that can scratch that brain itch while we work, with an energetic thumping beat mixed with lovely ambient tones. A sweet, soulful voice, pleasing to the ear AND to the heart.

And for those who can’t focus with music, something they could have quiet in the background to cease the silence, but not overload their brain. Something they might even hear in a library, or a café, softly piping into the room through the speakers.

Does such a piece of music exist? It does…

I believe I have concluded what this musical track is. After hours upon hours of searching, I can confidently say

THIS IS IT.

This is the ultimate crowd pleaser, the most universally wonderful music track that EVERY student can listen to. And I’m giving it out for free… thank me later <3

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Lily Petrovich (she/they)

Illustrated by Kimi Moana Whiting

We’re halfway through 2022 and there are only so many words we can use to open acknowledging the climate crisis before running out. In case you didn’t know – we are in a climate crisis, and biomimicry could be just what saves us.

So, what the fuck is biomimicry? Like the name suggests, it’s the act of using science to mimic nature’s technology,

“Biomimicry studies nature’s models and then emulates their forms, process, systems and strategies to solve human problems in a sustainable manner.”

This is honestly where a shit tonne of modern engineering comes from. Togs were inspired by sharks' skin, we looked to birds when engineering planes, and took inspiration from whales' energy use to create wind turbines. The list goes on and on.

Think about it, nature has had billions of years (4.6 to be exact) to evolve into the complicated system it is now.

Every creature contributes something to the ecosystem which allows it to keep running.

As you’d expect with a growing interest in climate science, scientists and engineers are adopting nature’s technology more than ever.

In Japan, an engineer was figuring out how to make their hecking loud high-speed trains create less noise. He was watching a kingfisher dive into the water and noticed how the bird could do so with no splash. When he designed the train with the kingfisher in mind, not only did he resolve the uncomfortably loud sounds, but also reduced energy use and increased speed.

Another example along these lines is in Zimbabwe.

The country's largest shopping centre and apartment complex was designed with sustainable energy use in mind. Much like Japan’s bullet train engineer, the head architect of this project was studying termite mounds and the way they kept cool inside regardless of the hot climate. Using similar structures to the mounds, the building ended up consuming 90 per cent less energy than a typical building of that size would have.

This is big stuff: and it’s time to take nature seriously.

Dayna Bameister, director of ASU’s Biomimicry Centre says she’s seen student interest in the field grow impressively over recent years. “The world is finally waking up to the potential of biomimicry as a tool and the path towards a regenerative future,” says Baumeister, who believes the pandemic opened people's minds to our adaptability as a species and the potential for crisis.

The potential of biomimicry is huge, these are just the innovations that we’ve already made. Scientists are looking at agrocultures, where different species and plants (i.e., trees and bushes) are planted and harvested in the same plots of land: like how plants naturally grow.

Our monocultures of grapevines, pine trees, cotton farms and what have you are incredibly unsustainable.

Not only do agrocultures capture significantly higher amounts of carbon, but they’re also resistant to extreme weather conditions: its why nature evolved to be like this. The potential of agrocultures to influence the fastfashion industry is huge.

With all of this being said, however, there’s always a ‘but’.

Firstly, biomimicry isn’t one simple end all solution.

We need to not only change our science but also our mindsets. Biomimicry has been used to develop significant amounts of technology which ended up stitching planet earth in the first place – plastic was also inspired by plants. Taking biomimicry into the social realms as well as scientific is how we can safeguard companies from doing their signature greenwashing move.

Secondly, biomimicry isn’t this genius new concept. For centuries, indigenous populations across the world have used nature’s technology for sustainable development.

It’s a really cheesy and overdone move if we all act like it’s this amazing scientific breakthrough because it’s really nothing new.

If we want to harness the full potential of biomimicry it means working with smaller local communities who understand the land they’re living on and those who have practiced it for centuries. The climate crisis is possible to resolve it started out as a fully avoidable crisis – now we're here.

We can fight for a bright future, but first, we need to stop being ignorant and greedy.

17 / Aronui

An Ode to Sitcoms Elena McIntyre-Reet (she/her)

Illustrated by Sara Moana

I used to spend a lot of my time faking through conversations about shows like Breaking Bad, I’d tell people I’d never really gotten into it because I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. The truth of it is that I didn’t want to see it because I have never gotten any satisfaction from ‘good’ TV. I’ve never really cared about acclaim or riveting plot lines. All I watch are sitcoms, often the same ones over and over.

There’s something deeply comforting about switching on a show where the plot is predictable and nothing that bad ever really happens. I just think TV should be fun, I’ve never understood why anyone wants to watch something that puts them through emotional turmoil. During lockdown I tried to sit down and watch the Handmaid's Tale. I respected the story and the depressingly accurate representation of how women are treated in society.

However, I was also just fucking sad after watching two episodes, I genuinely just wanted to go lie in my bed and stare at the ceiling for hours thinking about how terrible the world was. Good content doesn’t need to make you question everything for it to be good content.

I’m embarrassed to admit where my love for sitcoms first came to fruition. It was after school when I was waiting for my favourite Disney Channel crossover event to come on, my multiverse of madness if you will. TV 2 used to play reruns of the most dated and Caucasian sitcom of all - Friends. Every time the episode with Monica and the turkey on her head came on, I would truly be filled with a joy like no other. I don’t want to spend too much time on Friends because I think its divisive, people love it or despise it.

The thing is, no one in my family really enjoys deep and serious TV, they’re pretentious in other ways but never about TV shows. My dad is a huge Ice Road Trucker fan, and my mum unashamedly watches Coronation Street every night. My girlfriend is a huge fan of dystopian and fantasy shows. I can maybe watch an episode before I get insanely bored and I’m just craving a bit of Courtney Cox with a turkey on her head.

Parks and Recreation still has my heart, even if it gave me an unrealistic expectation about what working in an office is actually like.

I took journalism for two years in high school and we were tasked with writing an opinion piece. I’m extremely opinionated on a lot of issues, important issues that impact huge amounts of people. I cared about so much when I was 16, but instead I chose to write about Parks and Recreation. I wrote a full 900-word piece about the importance of the wholesome female friendship between Leslie and Ann. It was colourful and fully based on a Tumblr post I saw. I only got merit because I didn’t proofread - a habit I carried with me throughout my university career.

You can’t talk about workplace sitcoms without mentioning Brooklyn 99. Its ranking on the best TV shows in the US sits at number 618. That might seem low, but it actually sits above Black Mirror and My Strange Addiction. I love Brooklyn 99; the no-nonsense introduction of an openly gay main character was seamless and set the right tone for a show that didn’t rely on offensive jokes to be funny and enjoyable. What makes it stand out from the rest is that it actually attempts to challenge real issues while remaining entertaining. It reached its end after eight seasons, and I can’t help 18 / Aronui

but think that it was more complicated than the actors wanting to sign onto other contracts. Making a show that glorifies the work of police in America is obviously a little dicey.

The main thing I love about sitcoms is that it’s relaxing to sit down and have a chuckle, there’s nothing relaxing to me about watching a bunch of dramatic scenes play out after a long hard day of work. It’s so unpretentious and wholesome, I love knowing exactly what’s going to happen at all times. A reflection of me? Perhaps. I did some research about why people like to rewatch their favourite shows and apparently it allows people to ‘counteract loneliness’. What a sad reflection of my silly little life.

The point of my desperate rambling is that we should let people enjoy things, we’re all just filthy consumers at the end of the day. With Netflix allegedly cracking down on password sharing and considering bringing in midroll ads, it’s best to get all of your binge watching out of the way. If you’re going to binge watch something, make it something that isn’t horrifically depressing.

Or, watch something horrifically depressing and then give yourself a palette cleanser by watching a dated, or contemporary, workplace sitcom.

19 / Aronui

Mia Fiaumu (she/her)

Photography by Amelia Radley

The Reality of Home-Owning in Aotearoa

Aotearoa, once a country that offered plenty opportunities for homeowning, is now seeing many young people uncertain about their future in the housing market.

As our housing prices soar, it is increasingly only those with wealthy parents who have been able to buy into the property ladder.

For students, most of whom are existing off measly costs from StudyLink, the impending doom of home-ownership seems completely out of reach.

22 22/ /Aronui Aronui

The Bank of Mum and Dad New research has shown that the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ now ranks amongst the top financiers in Aotearoa (McClure, 2022). Parents across the country have forked out a total of $22.6 billion in financial assistance for their adult children.

This has put New Zealand’s parents next to the country’s major banks as the biggest providers of housing finance in the country.

For those in Auckland, parents were much more likely to assist their adult children, with 58 per cent of parents lending a hand. Auckland parents also lent close to $20,000 more than the national average (McClure, 2022).

These figures illustrate the troubling reality of the New Zealand housing market, where young New Zealanders are unable to get onto the property ladder without financial support from family members.

For those without parents with the financial means to support their purchase, they are mostly left in the dust. This is of deep concern in a country that prides itself on the false narrative of having a soft class system as it is becoming increasingly obvious that the wealth in this country is held amongst a select few.

This leaves those who do not benefit from intergenerational wealth and privilege without long-term housing opportunities or financial security.

“We’ve reached a point in New Zealand where it’s no longer enough to do all ‘the right things’ to buy your first home – to get a job with a good income, save furiously and cut back on the ‘nice to haves’,” commented Gemma Rasmussen, Head of Campaigns and Communications at Consumer NZ, in a recent interview.

“The role of the Bank of Mum and Dad is more pivotal in the first homebuying process,” continues Rasmussen, “but it also means that we’re seeing a greater social divide of who gets to buy a first home and who does not.”

“For more affordable pricing, house prices have to fall, and [politicians] have to be willing to let that happen and to help on regulation, and the supply side of development too.”

Are New Zealanders Obsessed With Home-Owning?

What is likely caused by a historical hangover from past opportunities, is the deep inclination of New Zealanders to become homeowners at such early stages in their lives.

As a country, the idea of homeownership has been drilled into our psyche as a symbol of power and success.

‘The quarter acre dream’ serves as an ideal that all New Zealanders hope to reach on their journey up the ladder.

But this is not necessarily the case in other countries. In a range of Scandinavian countries and states in Southern Germany, local councils own large swathes of land and often hold larger stocks of social housing (Cann, 2021).

Also in Germany, there are large rental areas that were established during the 1960s-80s which specifically catered to workers. Some of these still remain today and help to alleviate housing pressures for the working class (Cann, 2021).

Therefore, in countries with better social housing and renting options, where the rights of tenants are better protected, you see individuals opting to continue leasing properties rather than buying their own.

Students, more than most, know how shocking the state of renters' rights are here in New Zealand. With so many individuals experiencing horror stories at the hands of private landlords, it is not surprising that many see the way out through purchasing their own property.

If New Zealand simply invested in better social housing and renters' rights maybe we would see less demand to buy into the housing market.

As the property ladder gets further out of reach for those outside of the ‘one per cent’, we need to get more serious about our social housing and the support offered to renters in this country.

We need to strive towards better outcomes that enable all New Zealanders access to affordable, safe and healthy homes.

The housing crisis is not going to be solved by building and purchasing more private properties.

We need to look towards different solutions that offer better outcomes for all New Zealanders. This needs to be done by looking towards long-term options that aren’t solely focused on a future of homeownership that is unobtainable for so many.

Housing is a human right and it is a necessity that we distribute housing options evenly to all New Zealanders.

23 / Aronui

worst of the worst

movie reviews Every week I’ll be watching the worst rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes so you don’t have to.

I’ll be doing one every week until the final issue where I’ll review the worst movie ever made (according to a random article I found). What are my qualifications you ask? I took Introduction to Media Studies in my first year and got a B average, so I think I know what I’m talking about.

I’m going to watch each of these movies and decide whether it is rightfully on the worst movies of all-time list, based on my expert opinion.

body

Elena McIntyre-Reet (she/her)

24 24 / / RangitRangitiak iak

SEXCAPADES

I listened to porn, and it backfired Porn sucks. But that's all I’ve known for my 19 years of existence.

The story begins like most good ones do. Me and a few mates are drinking in the halls, getting sloshed with the aim of going to town. We’re blasting music and playing drinking games. I’m shit at beer pong so I'm forced to drink way too much of whatever’s in my cup. My guess is a mixture of Long White’s and DB Export, but don’t trust me on that one.

Things turn up as the night goes on and as you’d expect, one of the boys invites a group of girls around to pre with us. The Cube is a fairly large hall, so I vaguely know these girls, but whether they know me is another story.

As the friend group's token virgin, the fact girls were coming over had everyone frothing at the prospect of me hooking up with someone. It seemed like the environment was set up perfectly for me to do so, I just had to execute the game plan. Anyways, the gals walk in and instantly my eye is drawn to this cute brunette. I know this isn’t a love column so I’ll leave out my fawning over her gorgeous eyes, but I knew this was the time to make my move. We started chatting and I instantly got the vibe that this could go somewhere. She was dominant, and let me know

what she was looking for. I quickly obliged and we scuttled back to my room and locked the door behind me.

My dream was coming true, I was about to lose my virginity to a smoke show, or at least I thought I would. You see, porn has wired me to think sex is an acrobatic affair. So, after she blew me for a good 5 minutes and I was hard enough to comply, I suggested we try the Ol spoon position. You see, I’d fantasized about losing my virginity in this position. Her looking back at me while I scoop my dick between her legs. My hands running wild on her stretched body. With all this in mind I park up behind her and attempt to reach my dick around in between her leg. This is when my mind and body go into shock.

My dick isn’t big enough to reach her vagina. After 19 years of buildup, of fantasizing of this moment and I don’t have the tools to get the job done. As you can imagine I instantly go soft, start crying and tell her to leave. On her way out she gives me a pat on the back and lets me know that missionary is good for beginners.

Fuck porn.

25 / Rangitaki

CONFESSIONS Everyone loves a scandalous confessions page. You’re never sure if what people saying is fake or not, but that’s what make these pages great. Massey Confessions is a facebook page based from the mighty Manawatū. These legends anonymously post unfiltered content from the very students you see in your classes every day. Below are a selection of some of the finest confessions over the summer, with a sprinkle of Massive commentary.

Go and give the page a follow, you won’t regret it.

ther it on the o and blame rs te a e h s unfold...

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su run, but it ed shoes to e n 't n o d You lps. fucking he

e. wn Sex issu our very o in e e av su le is d this want, but We covere ics all you p r e d n ti als in ne!

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tried m Have you

PHOTO 85 Ghuznee St, Te Aro, Wellington www.splendid.nz @splendid.nz

26 / Rangitaik

Te Reo and NZSL Words of the week Revitalising Te Reo Māori and NZSL is of paramount importance. Take a few minutes out of your dat to learn and memorise these words.

It’s the least we can do.

Puoro Music

Kainga Home

Makariri Cold

27 / Rangitaik

SOLICITED ADVICE

Solicited advice is a weekly column where an underqualified anonymous guru answers the questions you want answered.

This won’t include the stock-standard, sugar-coated advice you’re used to hearing – we’re talking about the truths that are REALLY on your mind.

How to know I'm being gaslit?

Figure out the truth babes. When someone is making you question the very reality in which we exist and the depth of your emotions, figure out a good marker of the truth, so you can know for a fact what happened. If their gaslighting of choice orally, then I suggest try and have all your contact on chat - that way there's a crystal-clear record of what has been said for you to refer back to.

Generally though, it's unlikely there's a huge conspiracy against you and if everyone is of the same mind, then it seems unlikely you're being gaslit. However, everything is subjective and you know your emotions and experiences better than anyone else. If it's all getting too much, seek help - Piki is a good anonymous counselling service and there are others out there too.

What's the biggest fashion sin?

Skinny jeans (that are worn by choice) without a doubt. They are simply ugly and unflattering. There's never an occasion and never an excuse. That being said, I should really backtrack and consider not everyone has the luxury of expelling skinny jeans from their life. So be nice, however they are still ugly and that's just a fact.

What's the best student meal?

Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with pasta.

Unless you're gluten free, in which case grow up.

Do you have a question you’re dying to have answered? DM Massive Magazine on Instagram and look out for next week’s issue.

Also, follow us while you’re at it x 28 / iRangtk

29 / Rangitaki

Horoscopes Capricorn

I know you are sat here reading this horoscope at 2am. Go to sleep, you have a big day tomorrow!

Music genre of the week: Rainforest sounds

CTime ancer to do some soul searching. Take a step away from people you feel are toxic and spend some time on your own.

Music genre of the week: Rhythm and blues

Leo

Aquarius

Time to let off some steam! Don’t let your angst build up, it’ll bite you in the back.

Music genre of the week: Punk Rock

You’ve been a shit person recently.

There’s no excuses, just do better an except your punishment.

Music genre of the week: Country

Virgo

Pisces

Massive orders ALL Pisces to go out multiple times this weekend. You’re getting older each day so live it up!

Gorgeous gorgeous girls listen to heavy metal Music genre of the week: Heavy metal

Music genre of the week: House

Aries

Libra

A little birdy told me Aries are getting complacent at the moment. Never settle for mediocre, get studying.

Feeling like every little task is an absolute mission? Let the music course through your body baby!

Music genre of the week: Classical

Music genre of the week: Dubstep

Taurus

Scorpio

You’ve spent most of your life living vicariously through your more adventurous friends. Take a leap of faith and do something new this week.

Being ambitious is good, but make sure you’re still calculating each and every move.

Music genre of the week: Pop

Music genre of the week: Techno

Gemini

You need to relax. Dial it down a little and let your mind take a break from the constant work mode you are currently in. I heard weed can help.

Music genre of the week: Reggae

Sagittarius I’m not one to judge, but goddamn, you’ve been upto some UNHOLY stuff lately. Y’all need jesus.

Music genre of the week: Gospel

30 / Rangitaki

MASSIVE_MAG MASSIVE

ODA T Y

MASSIVE

Send us snaps to get featured in next weeks edition

reaktime time BB reak 2.

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Where a lecture takes place (7) Language, juicy fruit (8) Fish star sign (6) Just dropped his fifth studio album (8,5) New name for CMP (6,4) Often given to Māori on their 21st (3) Situational comedy (6) Fried noodles (4,4) What class will Jack Harlow put you in? (5) Nintendo's toy that splits apart (5)

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Game seven winner in the east (7) Type of lamp, popular with children (4) Solving problems with nature (10) Agave distilled liquor (7) NZ/AUS basketball league (3) Last years Editor x (8) To make someone believe their reality is incorrect or fake (8) Te reo for cold (8) Jeans + sneakers (6) Small vermin (5) A linear succession of musical tones (6) Stings but doesn't die (4)

Get Lost

LAST WEEKS CROSSWORD ANSWERS ACROSS: 2 SCRUMPY, 5 URGAY, 8 GIN, 9 SIDE EFFECT, 1 ,MDMA, 13 HALUCINATION, 16 AFROMAN, 19 WEIZEN, 21 MUSHROMS, 23 KITE, 24 HEAVEN

Copyright © 2022 Alance AB, https://www.mazegenerator.net/

20 by 20 sigma maze

PRE The target is to create as many words as possible from the letters within the Word Wheel.

Word Wheel

Sudoku

33 / Rangitaki

Jake asa

body

34 / Rangitaki

ENT Kia ora koutou! MUSA’s Cultural ball is on Wednesday evening this week!!! A fun night with live music, Latin cuisine, and dancing! Grab tickets here: https://musa.org.nz/cultural-ball/culturalball-2022 Check out our Facebook for more info!!!

Kate & Pocket MAWSA

Here's a quote that I live by: “I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty, I've got whozits and whatzits galore, You want thingamabobs?, I've got twenty!, But who cares?, No big deal, I want more” - a mermaid. If you’ve read this far and decided to read further into my little piece of writing, wow. I appreciate you. You should also appreciate you because you are great, and it's you that has to go on, I kNOw IT, not me, not Hermione, YOU. A best-selling novel by Kate Winsley, a Student exec and Design Student.

Marla musa Football or Finals. Football or Finals. Maybe I’m the only one, but as the end of semester due dates pile up, there’s some real conflicting priorities between waking up at 2 or 3am to catch the latest Premier League game, and studying for my final exams at the end of the semester! Usually football wins, of course, and I spend the next couple of days regretting my decision and catching back up on sleep. But maybe, just maybe you’ll learn from my mistake, and spend those few extra hours running over flash cards with your classmates!

Happy studies everyone!

Jacalyn and Jax M@D 35 / Rangitaki