Issue 23, October 8th, 2012
What DO you want to be when you grow up? Come on you should know the answer to this one, you’re in University now. Unless you’re in the faculty of Arts and Social Sciences this is the easiest question you should get this exam season. Except for most of us it’s not an easy question to answer is it? The truth is this generation of graduates is going to be going into the toughest, most competitive job market in this country since the late 80s. Of course it’s a lot different to the late 80s. Back then there was a global recession and the government of the day was convinced the way to spur the economy was to sell the countries best performing assets like the NZ Rail, Telecom and Air NZ. I mean can you even imagine such voodoo economics these days. Eventually the policy became so unpopular we voted Labour out and Uncle Jim’s National in. There are some major differences between us and the class of ‘87 though. For starters technology is continually changing the landscape. The next ten years will see the fastest growth in tech jobs this countries seen. The emergence of eco or green jobs, solar power installation and skilled labour coupled with the further decline of manufacturing jobs means that a lot of us don’t know what we want to be yet because we don’t know how the world is going to look. The other big difference between us and ’87 is that we are going to change vocation a lot more than we ever did, we are going to retrain more than once and not just out of necessity or because we are no longer employable. Don’t believe me? How many times have you run into a mature or returning student who just got bored? The truth is for a lot of us we don’t know what we want to be, we don’t even know where we want to be. This issue we are going to look at that in a bit more depth. Alix and Julia are going to look into the job market a bit closer and examine why we even come to university. Is it to focus on specific skills for employment or just to expand your mind a little in between keg stands and soundscapes. We also ask you a few questions. What did you want to be when you were a kid? What are you studying now? and what changed your mind? When did you go from wanting to be an All Black or a Fireman to wanting a steady accounting job or becoming a market analyst. On a final note this is the last “regular” Nexus of the year. Next week our columnists take a break from their regular format and instead we look back at the year. For some of those columnists it will be the last time they write before they move on to other things. On behalf of all the editorial and production staff we just want to thank everyone for their hard work this year and say thanks to all of you for reading.
Nexus is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA). THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF NEXUS MAGAZINE, THE WSU, APN, THE EDITOR, ANY OF OUR ADVERTISERS, OR ANYONE ELSE IN PARTICULAR.
Nexus Ground Floor Student Union Building Gate One University of Waikato Knighton Road Hamilton.
12 When I grow up I want to be on council / 22 Is university worth it? / 23 Life at university / 24 The reality of the job market / 25 Dream vs. reality /
Is University
Worth It?
3 Editorial / 5 How Saph Sees It / 6 News / 10 I think therefore I...earn more than a farmer / 14 Left Vs. Right / 15 Sports Thoughts / 16 Lettuce / 18 8 Ball and Horoscopes / 19 Puzzles / 20 MMF / 21 Auteur / 28 Reviews / 31 Secret Lives of First Years and Money Talks / 32 Half Baked with Mel / 33 Off The Rack / 34 Cereal and Verbiage / 35 Sam’s Garden / 36 Advocacy / 38 PNC Interview / 39 Gig Guide /
Editors: Alix Higby and Sean Goulding / Managing Editor: James Raffan (james@nexusmag.co.nz) / Music Editor: HP / Feature Editor: Julia Gabel / Design: Katrina McIntosh (design@nexusmag.co.nz) / Illustration: Hoss Aneece (http://happiestpageever.tumblr.com/) / Advertising: Tony Arkell (ads@nexusmag.co.nz) Contributors: President Sapphire Gillard, Mr. Minty Fish, Dr Richard Swainson, Kylie from YWRC, HP, C-Ball, Skippy, Daniel Farrell, Pseudonym, Kevin Pryor, Jess Molina, Sam Taylor, Nick Marryatt, Alice and Anne, Julia Gabel, Mel Matthews, Zanian Steele, Cathy Legg, and the glorious indestructable 8 ball.
I’m torn over what I should write about in my column this week! I only have two columns left and there are so many important things happening... I want you to know about the food drive for Hamilton Schools; I want you to vote in the University Council elections; I want you to attend the workshops for mental health week; I want to talk about October being Postgraduate month and how the government isn’t valuing our Doctoral Candidates (or tertiary education at all); I want to say far too many things for half a page (especially seeing this has taken up a third of my word count already). I almost feel like a spoilt child who has been told they can only have one lolly and that they need to pick it right now. A choice that was always impossible and although it should be simple it seemed to cause huge amounts of stress.
So what to do?! Maybe I’ve become too serious and should take a chill pill. Only if I don’t talk about it as your President who else will? I think the honour of this position also come with the responsibility to rant. To yell a little every so often, even if it’s going to be tuned out, with the desire to remind the world of what’s important. Sigh... I have 50 words left. I’ve never had a problem with word counts at University (well not until today), which may be a sign that I’m growing up. Or it may just mean I’m too busy to determine what you might like to know about and what you might find interesting (or more to the point, try to make something important but horribly boring somewhat okay to read about). But here goes: We WON Waikato Invitational! We kicked AUT, Massey Albany, BOP etc in a sports comp hosted right here. Sport is always easy. Especially when you win.
Have you voted yet? Election of the student member of Council for 2013 Voting is open for the 2013 student member of the University Council. All enrolled students are eligible to vote, and voting closes at 4.30pm on Friday 12 October 2012. Head to the website to find out more about the candidates and to place your vote – www.waikato.ac.nz/about/corporate/student-member There’s no stopping you E kore e taea te aukati i a koe
0800 WAIKATO | waikato.ac.nz
U NIV E RSIT Y O F WA IK ATO N EW S, EV ENTS AND NOTIC ES
Postgraduate Month Check out the upcoming events happening as part of Postgraduate Month:
Speed Meet: Postgraduate Study First-hand Wednesday 10 October, 6pm, WSU Bennetts Room Come along and ask current postgraduate students the gritty questions about postgraduate study, their experiences and advice that you’ve always wanted to ask – one on one!
Th3sis in 3 Heat Five Thursday 11 October, 9am, S.1.01 Ever wondered what research is being done at Waikato? Find out at the final heat for the 2012 competition.
Doctoral Writing Conversations
Panel Discussion – The Value of a PhD Thursday 18 October, 6pm, Academy You don’t have to be a pointy-headed academic to do a PhD. Doctoral studies build knowledge, and can open the door to a range of rewarding, real-world careers. Hear from four PhD graduates and students about where the doctoral journey is taking them – and where it could take you. RSVP to rsvp@waikato.ac.nz.
Doctoral Writing Conversations Friday 19 October 10am-12noon, Faculty of Education A & B Meeting Rooms The topic is Digital Literacy tools to help with the doctorate. Come along and hear Associate Professor John Williams speak about coding qualitative data.
Global citizenship
Friday 12 October, 10am-12noon, Faculty of Education A & B Meeting Rooms Receive practical suggestions on how to improve your doctoral writing. Doctoral candidates from all Faculties are welcome.
Career Development Workshop Thursday 18 October, 9am-1pm, WSU Bennetts Room This workshop is intended for research candidates in the final 18 months of submitting their thesis. Topics covered will include career pathway planning, CV assemble and interviewing skills.
www.waikato.ac.nz
It’s your last week to vote for the 2013 student member of council. Find out more and place your vote at www.waikato.ac.nz/about/corporate/ student-member.
Reducing anxiety Last chance to register. These one-hour intensive workshops are designed to provide a better understanding of what anxiety is and how to make it work better for you – instead of against you – in both the lead up to exams and in the exam room itself.
Hamilton workshops: Wednesday 10 October, 12-1pm Thursday 11 October, 1-2pm Wednesday 17 October, 1-2pm Wednesday 24 October, 12-1pm Thursday 25 October, 12-1pm
Workshop – Keeping Momentum: Postgraduate Research and Study Tuesday 16 October, 10am-2pm, WSU Bennetts Room This workshop is intended for research candidates midway through their research. It offers a forum for discussion as well as providing tips and practical advice on writing. RSVP to postgrad@ waikato.ac.nz
Student member of council
Professor Tina Besley, Director of the Centre for Global Studies in Education, will present a public lecture, Becoming a Global Citizen: Identity, Openness and Interculturalism, 6pm Tuesday 9 October at the Academy. She will discuss how businesses and education institutes promote global citizenship differently to their members and how this results in conflict, and asks if global citizenship is a reality or just an ideal.
www.facebook.com/WaikatoUniversity
Registration is essential and all workshops are strictly limited to 10 participants. To register, email your name, student ID number and phone number to betheaw@waikato.ac.nz. Your registration will be confirmed and you will be advised of the venue.
Reminder – new venue for October graduation Remember – the 17 October graduation ceremony will be held at the Claudelands Events Centre this year. The 16 October graduation ceremony will still be held at Te Kohinga Mārama Marae on campus. Find out more at www.waikato.ac.nz/ sasd/graduation.
www.twitter.com/waikato
Auckland Students vote on deal Members of the Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) held an SGM on Wednesday last week after it was said that the student association was collapsing. In a post on Facebook responding to these comments, AUSA Environmental Affairs Officer and former Hamiltonian, Adeel Malik, said that Bachid, a business owned by AUSA, had become insolvent. Due to the agreement the Bachid had with the University of Auckland for free rent, this made Bachid liable for a $1.2 million rent bill. The University of Auckland offered a deal where the university would take control of the Quad Cafe and AUSA would take ownership of Shadows Tavern. Mr Malik noted that Shadows Tavern is a successful business and makes money. A group known as We Are The University Akl pushed for the SGM on Wednesday, saying that there was no consultation on the agreement with the University of Auckland and that the agreement was just the university taking control of AUSA. The original motion at the SMG was “That no new agreements shall be made between the association and the University of Auckland until such time as any proposed agreements have been made publicly available to all association members and ratified by a simple majority at another general meeting by the association.” This motion was amended at the SGM the become “That no new agreements shall be made between the association and the University of Auckland until such time as any proposed agreements have been made publicly available to all association members and ratified by a simple majority at a general meeting by the association with this motion to take effect on 1 January 2013.” At the SGM, AUSA Education Vice President, Sam Bookman said “We’ve spoken and consulted more about this agreement than any ex executive including some of the past speakers.” The motion as amended was passed by the SGM. According to Twitter user who didn’t want to be named, the motion “passed 170-ish to 40-ish against to 20-ish abstentions”.
A second motion was then proposed, being “That current negotiations are not ratified until a referendum has been held.” Three quorum counts were then held, according to AUSA Media Officer, Cate Bell, after which AUSA President, Arena Williams, declared the meeting had not met quorum. The first motion still stands, however the second could not be discussed due to the failure to meet quorum.
Hamilton City Youth Council looking for members The Hamilton City Youth Council is currently recruiting for interested young people aged between 15-25 years to join the council. Youth Council is made up of 15 members who work closely with Hamilton City Council to provide a valuable youth perspective on local issues, make submissions to local, regional and central government and play a role in the development of relevant policies and strategies. Hamilton Youth Council Deputy Chairperson Jason Sebestian says it is a very rewarding group to be part of. “By being a Youth Councillor we are able to provide a direct insight into youth issues and views to help shape our city. It is great to know our efforts are making a difference to Hamilton now and in the future. You get the opportunity to have a say and contribute to making Hamilton a better city to live in,” he says. Hamilton City Councillor Margaret Forsyth says: “Our Youth Council plays an important role in the city by ensuring the views of our young people are heard and factored into decision-making. It is important members are from a diverse range of backgrounds to ensure they best represent the views of our city’s youth. I urge anyone interested to get their applications in.” Once appointed, members can sit on Hamilton Youth Council for as long as they wish, ideally for a minimum period of a year, up until the age of 25. Members meet once a month and as required to progress certain projects such as submissions. Those wanting to apply or seeking additional information can phone 07 838 6665 or email htownyouthcouncil@gmail.com.
Sci-fi exhibition comes to town
By Nikita Oliver, reporting for www.waikatoindependent.co.nz An exhibition celebrating New Zealand science fiction artworks is set to open at Waikato Museum on November 10. White Cloud Worlds is a collection of fantasy works by New Zealand artists and designers, including Paul Tobin, Greg Broadmore, Simon Morse and Jamie Beswarick. Waikato Museum director Cherie Meecham said it was important for the museum to appeal to a broad range of people. “White Cloud Worlds has unique appeal to a specific audience with its sci-fi and fantasy art themes. “This audience is young or youthful and inspired by the graphic potential of the digital world,” she said. The exhibition includes original pieces including sculptures and large prints of a few of the digital artwork. It originated from the book called White Cloud Worlds: An Anthology of Fantasy and Science Fiction Artwork from Aotearoa New Zealand. The book also contains written contributions from both film director Guillermo Del Toro and Weta Workshop’s Sir Richard Taylor. “White Cloud Worlds celebrates the work of New Zealand’s sci-fi and fantasy illustrators, designers and conceptual artists, many of whom have been involved in Avatar, Lord of the Rings and Marvel comics. “The 27 exhibitors represent an industry New Zealand is known for, and can be proud of,” Meecham said. White Cloud Worlds will run until March 17 and entry is free.
Wanted
Enthusiastic, reliable and hard-working students who are interested in being part of the organising team for next years O-Week festival. This will be held from 25th February to 2nd March 2013. WSU is looking to recruit a special hand-full of volunteers for this exciting position now. You will be involved in all aspects of planning, organising, promoting and running this event. This is a challenging role and may suit someone who is interested in gaining experience in aspects of communications, event management or project planning. In return you will get a great experience which will look very good on your CV. We can’t pay you but you may rest assured we will be very grateful and will reward you in other, intangible ways. You will meet some great new people and have lots of fun and good times at the various events and activities that make up O-Week. If you have any questions, are interested in finding out more, or wish to put your name forward please contact the Waikato Students’ Union on manager@wsu.org.nz
Hamilton smoke-free policy commits to New Zealand 2025 goal
By Daniel Whitfield, reporting for www.waikatoindependent.co.nz Garden Place and other Hamilton areas are set to go smoke-free after city councillors voted for a policy to ban smoking across a range of public spaces at a meeting this month. The Smoke-Free Environment Policy, which takes effect immediately, will see a staged approach towards the stated smoke-free zones with the final stages ideally resulting in Hamilton becoming completely smokefree. The first stage of the smoke-free policy prohibits smoking in Civic Square, Hamilton Gardens, Garden Place and the Hamilton Transport Centre. Cancer Society health promotion manager Melanie Desmarais said at a Strategy and Policy meeting earlier in the week that a focus on the transport hub would be ideal.
“I can see the need where there are problem areas for stronger bylaws – that for us is the transport centre and Garden Place,” she said. Areas within 10 metres of all city council playgrounds and council-owned or operated buildings have also been included in the policy, along with Pembroke St (from the corner of Selwyn St to Ohaupo Rd) and Selwyn St around the Waikato Hospital. A request from Councillor Daphne Bell that all events run or sponsored by council be required to be smoke-free was agreed on by council and included in the Smoke-Free Environment Policy. The policy will use an educative, self-policing approach with the public being made aware of and educated about the smoke-free areas through signage and communication. The council have arranged to work alongside smokefree advocacy groups, including the Cancer Society and Waikato DHB, to introduce appropriate signage to the
Ka utua te katoa o ōu utu akoranga, ka whiwhi hoki i te $30,000 mō ia tau e ako ana koe. Tono mai mō tētahi Karahipi Panoni Mahi. Haere ki TeachNZ.govt.nz, waea atu rānei ki 0800 165 225 mō ētahi atu kōrero. Kura Tuatahi – Kaiako Kaupapa Māori. Mā ngā ākonga ka hiahia ki te whakaako tamariki kura tuatahi i te reo Māori ēnei karahipi. Ka tuwhera ngā Karahipi Panoni Mahi i te – 1 o Whiringa-ā-nuku 2012. Ka kati i te – 5 o Whiringa-ā-rangi 2012. Kura Tuarua – Kaiako Reo Māori. Mā ngā ākonga ka hiahia ki te whakaako tamariki kura tuarua i te reo Māori,
agreed areas as well as educating the public about the policy. The policy will be monitored over the next six months with the hope to extend the policy to other parts of the city, including bus shelters and parks and reserves. Strategy and Policy Committee chairperson Maria Westphal said the council has a leadership role in the city to promote healthy smoke-free places where people can avoid being exposed to the dangers of second-hand smoke. “The Government has set a goal of a smoke-free New Zealand by 2025. It’s important Hamilton steps up and does what it can to work towards this, promoting healthy smokefree environments for all and particularly for our children. “Our new policy is a step in the right direction, and with the city’s smoke-free advocacy umbrella group CHANCES we will monitor over the next six months how the policy is working, with a view to extending the policy to other areas of the city,” Councillor Westphal said.
hei whakaako kaupapa i te reo Māori rānei ēnei karahipi. Ka tuwhera ngā Karahipi Panoni Mahi i te – 1 o Whiringaā-rangi 2012. Ka kati i te – 3 o Hakihea 2012. Ngā Karahipi Panoni Mahi. For Te Reo speakers only.
I think therefore I... earn more than a farmer This is an open letter to Jacqueline Rowarth, professor in agribusiness, written by Cathy Legg, senior lecturer in philosophy
Dear Jacqueline (if I may), Congratulations on your new position with the University of Waikato. I read your recent press release, advising: …if students are looking for lucrative careers, then they should study science. “Graduates in applied science and agribusiness are being offered salary packages of approximately $70,000. I’m not saying ignore arts and culture – I’m just advocating that we feed the soul outside work hours, because we need science and scientific research to keep our economy growing.” I share your respect for knowledge that is scientific and evidence-based and salute your courage in getting up in public and defending it. In that light, I have some statistics to offer you: An actual survey of mid-career median income by major undertaken in 2008 in the US showed that the mid-career median income for majors in philosophy (a ‘soul-feeding’ discipline if ever there was one) to be $81 200. On the other hand, we have: Agriculture ($71 900) Chemistry ($79 900) Biology ($64 800) Business Management ($72 100) There is no specific category for Agribusiness, but I’m assuming Agriculture and Business Management come closest. For more details: http://www.payscale. com/2008-best-colleges/degrees.asp
10
Just out of interest, where do your figures come from? Moreover, one of the most notable successes in making money in New Zealand is Sir Bob Jones. He is on record saying that he would rather employ graduates of Philosophy than graduates of Business Management because he feels they are clearer and more independent thinkers, and that is what he finds most useful in making money. Bestowing 2 Philosophy scholarships at the University of Massey in 2005, he remarked (from press release http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/ news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=6F92893F-96BF-57FEAEAA-AB1B1BA9513B ):
Sir Robert says the scholarships, offered for both beginning and advanced students, are intended to encourage students to stick with their studies in the humanities. He says employers increasingly appreciate the well-rounded education and independence of graduates of the humanities, and his own company made an effort to recruit humanities graduates. Bestowing 5 Philosophy scholarships at the University of Auckland in 2008, he said (from press release http://www. scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0809/S00005.htm ): Noting that he is approaching 70, Sir Robert said he has long been praised for finding the right people to work in, and run, his business interests. “I am always asked, ‘Where do you find these people?’ I tell them, ‘Go to the Humanities!’ And to anyone who thinks that studying philosophy is wet I say, ‘It’s not wet. You are all too young to know what you are going to do yet, so this is how you start to figure it out.” I would be happy to talk about these issues further at any time. I also invite you to sit in on any of my classes to investigate the nature of the thinking taught there. Just one final thing: You say we need to feed the soul outside work hours, i.e. while not making money. Why do you think it is impossible to feed the soul while doing something genuinely useful? I don’t see why that has to follow. All best wishes, Cathy Legg. Senior Lecturer Philosophy, University of Waikato “Few persons care to study logic, because everybody conceives himself to be proficient enough in the art of reasoning already. But I observe that this satisfaction is limited to one’s own ratiocination, and does not extend to that of other men.”” ~ Charles Peirce, The Fixation of Belief
event in the middle of New York. Ironically had Blaine been in Texas they would have electrocuted him for running a red light and paid for the whole show.
These Pot Brownies Are Good But Missing Something A 33-year-old Northern Pennsylvania man is in police custody after a drug raid gone bad. Sensing the police were hot on his trail the man proceeded to eat most of the 3kgs of marijuana. The man later described eating the pot as the worst experience of his life. We can only assume it is going to become the second worst thing he has had to swallow after five years in prison.
Finally …. A 19 year old Ukranian girl has spent millions of dollars transforming herself into the world’s first real life anime girl in what can only be described as a direct threat to the growing robot prostitute industry. On a completely unrelated note, Nexus would like to say goodbye to our comic and game reviewers, our haiku news writer and our graphic designer as they depart for the Ukraine in search of love and adventure.
Haiku
Gisborne Mum Keeps Her Pussy Clean A Gisborne woman was surprised to find that she had accidently put her cat through a 55 minute cycle in her washing machine. While Nexus wholeheartedly endorses cleanliness, we couldn’t help but think about all the fur that would have got stuck on the clothes and in the washing machine filter. The lesson here is that if you are going to wash it thoroughly be considerate and always shave first. Men Without Testicles Live Longer – study As a counter-balance to the smut above we thought we would let you know that a recent study of Korea’s royal court of the Chosun Dynasty found that eunuchs lived on average 20 years longer than men with testicles. We are not sure if they actually lived longer or whether it just seemed longer but if it is true then there is a good chance Lance Armstrong will be doing the Tour de France well into his 90s. Time off for really good behaviour? Two corrections officers in American Samoa have been arrested after being accused of releasing inmates for short periods of time in order to pick up beer and pizza. Which when you think about it is a terrible indictment on the corrections industry but doesn’t say a lot for the prisoners themselves. Not only did they always return but they were old fashioned enough to know that just because you’re in prison is no excuse for not being a gentleman. If you are going to make your cell mate your bitch you should at least buy him dinner and a few drinks first. David Blaine is F#$%king Crazy! Professional insane man and part time illusionist David Blaine has topped his own insanity. The magician who once encased himself in ice for 63 hours is pledging to be electrocuted for 72 hours as he stands on Tesla coils during a lightning storm. With all the safety measures in place it is expected to cost Blaine millions to stage the
News Letcher for council Alleged racist bigot Who also hates gays
Boud for council too Fears vampires, thinks women should Submit to husbands
Letcher is right-wing Will he put students first or Bend for council vote?
Boud thinks us toilets Built to take shit we’re given “Metaphorically”
Impartial haiku Poem, not moral compass Cannot point the way
Where should your vote go? Search within yourself for clue Who should speak for us?
Nexus has heard a lot about the upcoming student member of council for 2013 election. In the interest of fairness and good journalism we sent Alix Higby to have a chat with both candidates. What she found will shock and amaze you. Both candidates have very different approaches. Read it, then vote or don’t vote it’s up to you, but here it is.
Hayley What do you understand the role of the student member on council to be? And why do you believe that you can best deliver what students need from this role? Okay, so the role I believe is to ensure that the university keeps that reputation of being a world class education provider, and the role is not to be a student voice, but to think of the university as a whole, and to make decisions that help the university. So it’s not to represent students at all, but of course it will help students if you have the universities best interests in mind. So the role is to make decisions with the universities best interests at heart.
When the interests of students come into conflict with the direction of the university, how will you respond? That’s exactly why you have to, when you come into that situation, you have to know that if it’s a conflict situation then you have to be careful, because that’s considered bias, and you can’t do that. So it has to be, you have to make the decision based on what’s best for the university, and of course whatever’s best for the university will be best for the students anyway. But if there is a conflict of interest, you have to put that aside, you have to otherwise you are not doing the role correctly. How would you ensure students are informed and included in the decisions that affect them? How can you consult with them? That’s a really good question. Without the resources of an organisation like the WSU how will you consult with students or will you be making decisions on your own value set? Students can at any stage approach me and let me know their opinions and their ideas and their suggestions, but at the end of the day, Aaron cant take what the students tell him anyway, because the kinds of issues that are discussed are sensitive, so he actually can’t inform students with what those are, he has to keep it private. So, Its not something that he can even tell the student union. They’re sensitive issues, they’re commercially sensitive, so he can’t actually inform people anyway. The fact that he has those resources, they’re not really helpful because he can’t actually ask for their opinion because they’re not supposed to know. Well then, if you had a general idea of student issues, how would you get their opinion? If it was something common knowledge, like fees rising,
how would you communicate with students about those? Do you feel like you need to communicate with the students, or is it something you’d only need to communicate with the council? No, I do think it’s important that students feel free to let me know what their ideas are, and I guess the best form of communication today with the students is online. You know, most people do it through Facebook. How will you communicate the voice of the students as a collective, especially if a particular view differs from your own? That’s not the role anyway. So the role is not to be the voice of the student. That’s not the role. The role is to support the university as a whole. So the person in that position has to put aside all of their own desires, all their own thoughts, they have to put aside all their own biases and have to make a decision based entirely on what is the best for the university. So even being a student, I have to put aside the fact that I am a student, even though I’ll have ideas that obviously I’ll want what is best for students, because I am a student. But if there’s a conflict that has to be put aside because that’s what the role is. And if Aaron is promising something else, then he actually doesn’t know what the role is. What relevance do you feel you have to the diverse student body (what demographic do you relate to)? I don’t think so. I think I can relate to all of them, because I have been a student for so long, I’ve been a student for 20 years, so I know what its like to be starting out, I know what its like to be a mature student. I know all the different cultures; because I’ve worked will all cultures with the refugee center. So no I wouldn’t say that I’m specific for one demographic, it would definitely be all ages, all ethnicities, and all kinds of people. What will be first on your agenda? I would have to see first, what is happening there, and go from there really.
Aaron What do you understand the role of the student member on council to be? And why do you believe that you can best deliver what students need from this role? I believe the role is to represent student perspectives and the student role on the council, which is dominated mostly by sort of, academics and staff, so its important to have a student member there representing student views, and I believe I am the best person for the role because I have the networks and resources established by the WSU, and a capable team that is well resourced behind me. When the interests of students come into conflict with the direction of the university, how will you respond? Side with the students. That’s what you’re there for. How would you ensure students are informed and included in the decisions that affect them? Just by sorta, asking them, you know? Engaging with the students, like the WSU does all during the week, and asking and talking about the issue and raising awareness. We have a lot of good avenues to do that, like Nexus. As WSU President you will be able to use the resources and capacity of the WSU to consult with students. After consultation are you going to make decisions based on the views of students or your own value set? How can we be assured of this? I’ll do what’s in the best interest of students, you’ll never be able to represent every students perspective, because every student has their own perspective, but I’ll do what I think is in their best interest, after consulting with them, and other people. So you’ll communicate the collective student perspective, even if it differs from your own? Yes. What relevance do you feel you have to the diverse student body (what demographic do you relate to)? I think I just relate to the generic student. I’m the same age; I’ve been at uni the same amount of time as most of them. Most students. I probably don’t identify too well with mature students, or anything along those lines, but the majority of students, I believe Do you have anything that’s first on your agenda? Ah no. Not at this stage.
LEFT vs RIGHT
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hould John Banks resign? Of course he should. Banks was voted in after he went around telling people that he was ‘experienced and effective’ and that he ‘...would help John Key.’ Since then he has demonstrated that he is shockingly incompetent, ineffective and isn’t helping John Key. He was clearly misleading the voters when they elected him, so the decent thing to do would be to resign, at least from his job as government minister. In January he got in a bit of trouble for sticking John Key’s name on billboards, since Banks is from Act and Key is in National it was decided that this was an endorsement of the National party and that Banks needed their permission which he hadn’t got. Then it turns out he pulled a few strings to try and help his mate Kim Dotcom buy a house and get residency. Which is generally frowned upon, but to make things worse Kim Dotcom also happened to give money to Banks’ Auckland mayoral campaign at around the same time. So now everyone is wondering how incompetent this guy can be, if you are going to do something that looks like a bribe you could be a little subtle about it. Then we learn that he did try to be subtle, he claimed that this was an ‘anonymous’ donation. Which, for those of you that have only run for Parliament or Auckland mayor 12 times or less, is quite illegal. The police interviewed Banks and his campaign staff but couldn’t prosecute because there is a six month deadline for those complaints and that had passed. Banks claims that it wasn’t his fault because he didn’t bother reading the documents before he signed them. Which will never work for anybody else, anywhere, ever but is apparently a good enough excuse to let him keep his job. I’m starting to run out of space so quickly, there are also issues about how he got money from Sky City during the election campaign and the man is a racist, bigot and a homophobe, he has said some awful things about basically anybody that isn’t a rich, white man. Keeping him as a government minister makes us look terribly backwards and corrupt.
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B
efore we talk about the gloomy world of politics, here’s something to (hopefully) brighten your day. There are only two weeks (assuming you’re reading this on Monday) until classes are done. Five weeks until you’re on Summer break. This week, it’s John Banks. Should he resign? If you only read the first few lines this week, I’m thinking you might get a little confused, because they’re probably going to be very similar. I am going to assume my colleague on the left is going to be saying he should. So am I. I think you’ll find it’s for different reasons though. John Banks should resign, simply because he is going to be not only the end of ACT, but the end of the right being in power. ACT was founded on a principle of individual responsibility, reduced central government and free market economics. With John Banks, you have a Christian Conservative who, with the exception of free market economics, doesn’t believe in what ACT was created to stand for. ACT’s base supporters are leaving the party for groups like Libertarianz, who still have those beliefs intrinsically within the party. While ACT on Campus has managed to persuade John Banks to support the true policy of the party for both the alcohol purchasing age and the first reading of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, he shouldn’t need persuading to follow party policy. It seems funny that Banks voted against lowering the age to 18 in the first place and against legalising homosexuality in New Zealand. In fact, I think we need to take it one step further. We need to see ACT merge with the other liberal right parties. If we bring ACT, Libertarianz and ALC together, they will have a better chance at succeeding at the 2014 election, because they will be united and will no longer be splitting the liberal right vote. What will happen if John Banks doesn’t resign? Well, firstly, ACT will fail to receive the support it needs at the next election. This will mean National will need to find another party to govern with - probably why John Key is no longer discounting Winston Peters. This leaves us with two frightening possibilities. Winston Peters as a Minister or David Shearer as Prime Minister. Or, even more frighteningly, at this rate it would be Russel Norman as Prime Minister.
Sports Thoughts IF YOU AINT FIRST, YOU’RE LAST By C-Ball Everything Des Hasler and the Canterbury Bulldogs have achieved this year seems to have been for nought, after they were blown out of the Grand Final by a Melbourne Storm outfit one always felt would be far too experienced and clinical. Sure, regardless of the result Ben Barba must be assured a spot in the Kangaroos side to face the Kiwis come the end of October, and he will cherish his Dally M medal. Josh Reynolds has come to the party and New Zealand have even won an unlikely selection coup, with Prop Forward of the Year Sam Kasiano telling Queensland to suck a fat one, thus becoming the only New Zealander not to jump on their bandwagon. But these individual achievements are irrelevant come the final game, as every single moment of the season has been building towards the Grand Final, a match the Bulldogs deserved to be in, but never really stood a chance. first of all the Storm don’t get beaten, kind of like misbehaving kids in Sue Bradford’s perfect world of having no idea how to raise a family. And there is a good reason for that, because the Storm play a hybrid style of Rugby League in which they combine many different facets of the game that other teams cannot comprehend. For example, the Storm start off with the selection mentality that in order to succeed, you must have some seriously kickass players. Therefore, they go and buy these players, paying them extremely large sums of money, along with extras behind closed doors which the players take happily knowing in the event of a salary cap breach, they can always say “I had no idea I was getting paid
a shitload”. Then, they mix these players in with a few workhorses, a bit of Polynesian flavour for that added unconventionality, flair and unpredictability, and then stack the team with absolute nobodies willing to play hard for cheap. Because in the end, there are a tonne of quality players who will take a pay cut if it means playing for the Melbourne Storm. Never has a team been more likely to make the playoffs, with the Storm making the cut 12 out of the 15 years they have been around, one of those years they missed out being the year they got backhanded for rorting the salary cap. With the team sorted, the Storm then go about doing all the little things right. They have one of the best hookers in the world in Cameron Smith, and while many liken him to a grub, the man seldom makes a mistake, and avoids the forward pass from dummy half that Lance Hohaia loved so much. Their kicking game is exceptional, and they never overextend themselves. Above all else, their attitude is superior to those of opposition teams. The number of players who will turn and chase after an intercept or line break is impressive, and there was a point where Billy Slater was even slide tackling opposition players with his feet as they tried to plant the ball down for a try. It is this ‘shit on everyone else, no matter how we do it’ mentality that has the Storm murdering the opposition so frequently. And they don’t even fuck around with spray painting crude abuse on house walls, or murdering calves and poaching deer with a huge shit eating grin. Everything about the Storm oozes professionalism.
The only downside to their achievement this year is the salary cap cheating they were found guilty of back in 2010. Not only does it hang above their heads, others are now using it as some sort of vindication, for the fact that the Storm have managed to win again despite all the penalties and players they lost after being found guilty of being a bunch of scummy douchebags. They don’t deserve any of their other titles back, and the fact that they won this year with a weaker roster than previous years only shows how unfair their transgressions were. What’s worse is the people that actually maintain the superstars of the team knew nothing of the cheating. So Cameron Smith was getting paid around 700,000, and didn’t wonder what fellow superstars Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk were worth. Because it wouldn’t take a genius to work out they would be on a similar deal, leaving something like 1.2 million dollars for the other 21 players in the roster. It’s not possible, and neither is playing ignorance. The Storm have always been awesome. This year just marks a first for them - winning while being on the same playing field as everyone else. While I admire their performances, I still don’t like the club as a whole. To change that, they’ll need some kind of marketing campaigned designed by the genius who made that new Shick Xtreme 3 advertisement. SOLID FUCKING GOLD.
Nexus encourages debate and discussion on almost any topic and welcomes your letters. Relevant, intelligent and wellworded letters are preferable, and we also enjoy good humour. Right of reply will generally be accepted provided we have space. Letters should be kept to a maximum of 250 words. You may hide behind a nom-de-plume but you must tell us your real name (which will not be published unless requested). Letter of the week is picked on the basis of our feelings, not the persuasion of its content for which we don’t have opinions on. Disclaimer: letters published contain the opinion of the writer and the writer alone. Nexus publications take no responsibility for the content or opinions so expressed. By submitting your letter you give consent to its publication in Nexus and subsequent public scrutiny. Letters are the authors own work and Nexus will not edit to compensate for lack of intelligence or coherency. Nexus reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish any letter which breaches any law, is defamatory to any person, or contains threats of violence or hate speech. Send your lettuce through to lettuce@nexusmag.co.nz
Dear Lettuce, I have something I’ve decided to get your opinion on. It’s about sex. As interesting as the usual debates on religion and GBLT rights are, I think most of us are probably at the stage where our minds are made up on these issues, one way or another. I am still open to feedback on sexuality and relationships however. I will therefore list my basic beliefs for you to judge me on. - I am not looking for my ‘other half’. I consider myself a whole person. - I do not believe that if a relationship doesn’t last forever it ‘failed’. - Just because I care about someone doesn’t mean I can’t be attracted to others. - Sex shouldn’t have to be ‘earned’ or ‘given up’, it is something you share. - Females shouldn’t think they need to deny their sexuality, - Males shouldn’t think they need to be sexually aggressive. - It is unrealistic to expect one person to be everything to me, or me to be everything to them, monogamy isn’t the only way. - Physical attractiveness is only important for reproduction, it should be redundant in my sexual decisions (I struggle with this one :p) If the ‘norm’ is the way it should be, why do so many people express such strong feelings of freedom and joy from once again being single? I have had a long-term relationship which fit pretty much every culturally constructed stereotype of a good relationship, and I was miserable. I tried one night stands and sex with people who were attractive but who I didn’t really enjoy spending time with, and I felt pretty degraded. I now believe I have figured out some basic guidelines I’d be happy with but I have gotten some pretty mixed reviews, what’re your thoughts? 1. Stopping having sex is no reason to stop being friends.
Leaving town soon? Need storage?
SPECIALT STUDEN OFFERd term
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2. Total honesty. 3. No possessive PDA. 4. With honesty and consideration, a relationship doesn’t need to be exclusive. 5. Never have sex with someone the first night you spend in bed with them. Well after a lot of editing I’m still over the word limit. It turns out I could write several essays on this topic, references included. I’d appreciate your thoughts. Kind regards Curious-about-my-views
Damn this liberal concoction daylight savings It made me miss my appointment. I swear every year they come up with new shit to keep the hard working man busy with innate shit. Im just an average joe that doesn’t need to worry about that shit. I don’t want to have one hour extra sunlight, take it back. It was working fine before they invented it and people got by fine. They give us one hour extra sunlight and then blame me for global warming because I drive a v8. It’s a lie I tell you. Stop this silly daylight thing and global warming will be solved. Anyway. I took this girl out on a date to kfc, she wasn’t impressed, I made it worse by paying for it with coupons. Went back to her house and she wasn’t dtf so I went into her toilet, took a shit in her cistern for not putting out after me paying dinner for two deal and left. summer is here and that means upskirts. 1.Second floor library. 2.Sit on the couches by the stairs. 3.Look up. 4.????? 5.Profit Thanks for listening
SELF STORAGE
Safe, secure, affordable
Dear ‘not a militant greenie’, Dude (or maybe dudette), seriously. Did you read your rant before you sent it in? Or were you intending on sounding like a bitter, unreasonable, uneducated moron? Firstly, starting your letter with a tirade of abuse for someone who bothers to write for the student magazine isn’t cool. Secondly, remind me how testing the safety of something requires you to find out if the product works? That’s right - it doesn’t. So your point about animals not being able to say how wasted they feel is irrelevant. What you’re also forgetting is that Left vs Right is an OPINION column, not a scholarly article. The writers are putting opinions in the magazine, not cited and peerreviewed research. Oh, and just quickly, “Nick Smith”, your argument became invalid the moment you spelled “couple of” wrong. Lots of love, Common Sense
Dear Nexus, Thanks for the coverage on Hamilton Star University Cricket Club in Nexus 22, October 1. We were delighted with the story and pictures and hope it will generate some interest among student readers who enjoy the sound of leather ball on willow bat and are keen to join our growing club. Our board looked particularly dapper in their blazers and baggy caps, and it was great to be able to showcase our excellent facility on the Waikato University campus. To clarify one aspect of our club’s history referenced in your story – Hamilton Star CC formally affiliated with Waikato University in 1983 (not XXXX), thus forming Hamilton Star University Cricket Club. It’s a connection we’re very proud of and continues to strengthen. We’d welcome new recruits at our club, and recommend they visit us at our nets during one of our twice-weekly training sessions – 5pm Tuesday and Thursday.
Hamilton Star University Cricket Club
Dear _________ We all have problems. We all have opinions. We all have the right to have opinions. We all have the right to have opinions that arise from our problems. What we do not have is the right to make this learning environment feel unsafe for others to express their own ideas and opinions. To put it bluntly, I am scared. I am scared of expressing my own opinions if I am not hidden behind this anonymous letter. Your loud, obnoxious, rude and often horribly un-P.C statements in the lectures we share together have made me feel this way. Please try to remember that we are all here because we want to study towards our qualifications in an environment in which we feel safe discussing our own opinions, which we need to do in order to express ourselves as individuals. But we can’t do that in the fear that you will shut them down with hurtful words and off-topic examples about how the government is screwing over Māori people. Honestly, I think it sucks that your car was impounded. But a lecture theatre full of tired students is not the place to vent your frustrations or slam policemen because you thought them pulling you up, and largely doing their jobs, was their way of being racist towards you. My point is, try to be civil. I don’t mean you can’t voice your opinions and ideas or even protest asset sales, whatever, it’s your life. But try to keep the intensity down, and more than anything don’t swear loudly at another student who has left to get away from your horrible ranting. Please, try to be nice. Yours, I-have-to-question-the-position-of-a-grownwomen-studying-education-at-a-tertiary-levelwho-still-refers-to-policemen-as ‘da pigz’.
Entertainment What did I want to be when I grew up? An immortal soul destroying Demon General and conqueror of several plains of existence. Which by the way I managed when I was eight for I am one hell of an overachiever. Now make with the questions mortals, I have to go and watch the Ridges.... Oh glorious and magnificent eight ball who shall be worshipped forever, hallowed be thy name. My friend has just become a Vegan, is that cool? Most Definitely But also not really. You see being a Vegan is fine. I don’t care about it, meat eaters don’t care about it and neither should you. You know who does care about it....Vegans. Like Prius owners, fair trade fans and 70% of white people who like rap music you ruin it by talking about how cool it is. Smug self indulgence is one thing but get laid more and get other hobbies. After two and a half years working for the same company on minimum wage, will my boss give me a raise soon? It is so If we were in a 70s screwball comedy right now I would say something like “Yeah but you may have to give him a RAISE first” the crowd would clap and cheer and then I would wink at the camera. But I hate everything about that. I am all about equal opportunity. You are all potential slaves to me. So work hard and get rewarded. Oh magic 8 ball, master destiny, have I used too much manure in the potting mix of my seedlings? Reply Hazy try again.... or perhaps ask a soil scientist rather than a fucking plastic toy. is it still okay to drink scrumpy after 2nd year? No.
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Aries: This is not a week to doubt yourself. It’s a week to doubt your life choices, and your lecturers. Taurus: These are your last few weeks of being a first year. Better head to bar 101 while you’re still allowed in. Gemini: Be impulsive, outgoing and social this week then nobody will suspect a thing. Cancer: How the fuck do your lecturers expect you to remember a full semester of study when Bill English can’t remember his last conversation. We need better role models. Leo: This week you will wonder why everyone is so stressed out and uptight (This week’s horoscope may only apply to Education and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) Virgo: You will find yourself stressed, uptight and irritable, not because of exams but because you slept with someone from the halls of residence and at this late stage of the year some of those people are veritable petri dishes of STI’s. Last week we are pretty sure someone caught the plague. Libra: Just because Coke put your name on a bottle doesn’t mean you should turn it into a bong this week. I could write my name on an apple exactly the same thing, saved three bucks and no added sugar. Scorpio: You have spent the entire year being friends now might be the ideal time to ask them out. Sagittarius: Someone who you have long thought of as a friend is going to ask you out. It’ll be a little weird. Stupid Scorpios. Capricorn: Why are you still thinking about it? A tattoo of Liam from one direction is a great idea, don’t let anyone tell you differently Aquarius: You know what people love about you? Almost nothing. Take the summer to literally change everything about yourself. Pisces: It’s time to make a change. Your hair colour, your glasses, your fashion sense. Yeah that might be enough to throw studylink off your scent till next year.
Face of the week - make me into Peter Pan
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Opinion
Hey hoes. Because I’m packing metaphorical length, my pointless interview with one of the sassier men I know was cut short and although some of you may have sighed a big alcoholic sigh to that; fuck it, yolo etc because here is the second and final installment OF the first and original series.
Mrmintyfish interviews Mr Sassy: Q. One sentence for Selena Gomez. A. I may be gay, but I would smash that. Q. A line from Avril’s and Chad’s vows? A. I’ll never see you later, boy. You are my skater, boy. Q. Describe a pregnant stomach? A. It’s like a moon with an alien inside and you know in a matter of time that little alien is going to come forth into this world and just fuck shit up. Q. Why are you? A. Insufficient birth control knowledge. Q. If Pluto is no longer a planet, what is it? A. A celestial being that promotes homophobia in African culture. Q. Pineapples or old people? A. I really like old people all the time and I don’t like pineapple on pizza so I am going to go with old people. TBH if you like pineapple on pizza you are a horrible person and we can’t be friends. Which sucks for you because I’m amazing. Q. If a clitasaurus rex is a dinosaur, what is an NCEA exam? A. I know you are trying to be sassy, like me, but after reading this question I think you really need to reassess your life choices. Q.. How many pubic hairs are too many pubic hairs? A. 64½. No more. No less.
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Q. FMK Your hand, your face, your foot. A. Fuck my foot. Marry my face. Kill my hand. Q. Is it Open Cum Dumpster or Open Condom style? A. I heard that song on the radio the other day. I vomited out my window. Korea has so much more to offer. Q. Describe a vagina. A. Meat curtains. Q. What are 3 alternate phrases that #YOLO can stand for. A. You only lick oranges, you only look ‘orrible (you have to say that one in a shitty French accent), you orangutans look outrageous. Boom. Love you. Knowing a large percent of you hate me yet a small percentage still read along is inappropriately comforting. mmf.x Call me, tweet me. @mrmintyfish mmf@nexusmag.co.nz
Feature
Last week I wrote about show business families, moving from one or two famous examples of crossgenerational stardom into a closer expose of the Redgrave/Richardson acting dynasty. This week I thought I might reflect on something similar, an idea with even greater relevance to Auteur House: instances where notable directors have fathered other filmmakers of significance. There are many examples of the children of auteurs trying out the directorial chair once or twice. Perhaps the most notorious of these is Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David Lynch. Emboldened by some success as a writer of a Twin Peaks spin-off book Jenny tried to emulate her famous papa. Boxing Helena - a vaguely surreal feature about obsessive love - was the wretched result, an amateur hour piece of hokum in which Sherilyn Fenn is systematically deprived of her limbs by that awful British ham Julian Sands. Other one-off experiments have a measure of respect. Whilst in semiretirement Ingmar Bergman wrote a screenplay based on his own early life called Sunday’s Child and gave it to his son Daniel to direct. Likewise John Huston worked on one last screenplay on his deathbed in an effort to launch the directorial career of his son Danny. Mr North, as the resulting film was eventually named, was a rather bland affair and Danny, much like his grandfather Walter, has enjoyed greater favour as an actor. Huston’s daughter Anjelica
has likewise directed three films but continues to be better known before the cameras. The following list is made up of examples where both father and child found substantial, on-going success as directors. It is far from comprehensive but does reflect the stock holdings of Auteur House. 1. Maurice & Jacques Tourneur: though remembered today only by historians Frenchman Maurice Tourneur was a respected pioneer, making his Hollywood debut in 1911 and directing silent versions of The Last of the Mohicans and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, the latter helping make Mary Pickford a star. Son Jacques is most celebrated for the horror films he made for producer Val Lewton in the 1940s - Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie, The Leopard Man - but he also directed what many consider the ultimate film noir, Out of the Past. 2. Max & Marcel Ophuls: Max Ophuls was one of the 7th Art’s great stylists, a master of mood and the moving camera whose too short career climaxed in the late 1940s/early 1950s with a serious of melodramatic masterpieces, including Letter from an Unknown Woman, Le Paisir, Madam de... and Lola Montes. Marcel Ophuls is an outstanding documentarian specialising in World War II. There are no better examinations of Occupation and Holocaust politics than Marcel’s The Sorrow and the Pity and Hotel Terminus.
3. Carl & Rob Reiner: Both Reiners began their professional lives as writers and actors. Carl is a small screen legend for creating and costarring in The Dick Van Dyke Show. On film his 30 year directorial career has been stop-start but from the late 1970s until the mid 1980s he hit a purple patch, making Steve Martin a star in The Jerk and then sustaining things with Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (arguably his best, certainly his most stylish feature), The Man with Two Brains and All of Me. Son Rob Reiner became a household name playing Archie Bunker’s son-in-law “Meathead” on All in the Family before branching out into directing around the same time his father’s career was running out of steam. The junior Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap is a certifiable cult classic, as are, after a fashion, Stand by Me, When Harry Met Sally... and The Princess Bride. The recent work of both men has been less noteworthy. 4. Francis Ford & Sofia Coppola: If the senior Coppola made no other films outside of his 1970s work he would be revered amongst the greatest of all American directors. A run of The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather, Part II and Apocalypse Now has no rival. Unfortunately, it was down hill from there for Francis and the pattern looks to be repeating for his daughter. Sofia’s debut, the stylish but flawed Suicide Girls was followed by the revelatory May-December non-romance Lost in Translation but since then, with Marie Antoinette and Somewhere, she has disappointed.
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Is University
Worth It? There was a time when things were simpler. A time when picking daisies and fantasising about life’s eventualities went hand in hand. A time when enrolling in a degree at university was the next natural step in the sequence of events that formulates your life. Or perhaps not. The truth is, these degrees are rather expensive and are getting even more so as the clock ticks on. The career certainty you once had when you were seven/seventeen is quickly evaporating. Is your university degree going to be worth it? Recent reports show that New Zealand degrees are ranked among the lowest in the developed world. It may be too late to be exploring this option, but maybe university wasn’t the “natural” progression of life events that we once thought… Of course, if you wanna fix peoples hearts and cure illnesses for a living, you’re going to need some credentials. But if you want to sing songs, write stories, run a business, or contemplate life – do you need a piece of paper saying you are qualified to do so? There are many successful people who do these things and didn’t go through higher learning centres to get to the position they have now. Sparky’s and plumbers still rake it in, and some of NZ’s (and the world’s) most successful business owners skipped the tertiary bit, Mad Butcher included. NZ would go bust without it’s agricultural sector – but what farmer studies cows from afar
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first? Why do we feel like a degree will open more doors for us career-wise? For some employers, a degree simply shows that you are hardworking and committed. It doesn’t matter what you majored in, or the field you did the most research, as long as you are a graduate. Think of it as one very expensive screening process. Then our generation’s need for life-work balance and career fulfilment means we’ll chop and change our careers several time over our lifespan, so what does it matter where we started? Your degree in computer science is almost null and void if you switch to hairdressing. So what do we do with this kind of situation? If you are currently undertaking a BA or majoring in something particularly obscure, then you probably already know your job prospects are bleak. Why didn’t we just enter the workforce straight out of school like our mothers, fathers, or grandparents did? We could have four years of applicable experience and be breathing freely financially. A degree’s worth of debt for shady career opportunities at best seems very silly now, doesn’t it?
To illustrate matters in the most ruthless of ways, I have friends who didn’t choose the academic path, and took up entry-level positions instead. They’re already on decent salaries and are working their way up with enough disposable income to holiday in Europe. And if that doesn’t rip your nightie enough, graduate positions for my desired line of work will probably be only a few dollars more than I already earn waiting on tables. So yeah, I’m wondering if this degree is even capable of ridding the debt it saddled me with. It seems to me that university is one way of buying time while you figure out what you really want to do, and network with the people who will get you there, without needing to actually prove yourself yet. Which is okay. Especially if you’re also buying the whole student experience and the life skills that go with it. If only it wasn’t so damn expensive.
You’re here… now what? To put on the concrete shoes of university debt, you’ve gotta be in it for the long haul. Maybe university is just an expensive diversion from taking on responsibility and an acceptable excuse to party for three straight years. Fair game. For others who want to graduate profitably into the workforce, turning up everyday and submitting a bare minimum of course work isn’t really doing you any favours. Either way, when you look back at the past three to four years (five/six for the real suckers out there) on your graduation day, you want to feel like you’ve really invested yourself. If attending every soundscape, beer fest, or mid-week flat party is your goal, the mantra “C’s get degrees” will make sure you’re never on academic probation (do they even do that here??). But it sure as hell won’t get you a good job unless you’re partying with some very connected people and/ or you took on some kickass work experience while studying. Even then, B’s are preferable. So you’re sinking with the weight of student debt, assignments, exams, a possible part-time gig, and extracurricular activities… what’s a kid to do? One is #yolo or…
Clubs! Clubs like to parrot on about how membership will look good on your curriculum vitae. I am sceptical. I’m all for clubs and shit if you’ve got the time to devote to them, but dropping names won’t really help unless you can back it up. A better use of your association to these clubs is to meet other like-minded people and really hone in on your “networking” skills, which seems so f’ing pointless and superficial but can actually get you everywhere. It’s not what you know; it’s who you know. If you don’t give a shit about academics, re-read this paragraph and replace “club” with “rich kids who party”. If you do your job right, one of their dads will probably have you running the company later. Employment! Having a part-time job certainly seems like a drag when you’ve got assignments coming out of your ears. Wouldn’t it just be easier and better if you could drop the job and focus on class? Then you’d get A+’s for sure! This may be true, but holding a part-time job, as unrelated to your degree as it may be, looks pretty alright when you graduate and start circulating CVs. Anyone can
lock themselves in a room and get top grades… theoretically. A shitty part time job shows that you have work experience and aren’t just some nerd who only knows how to study. If it’s somewhere obscure, you get points for appearing to have a personality. So chin up. If you’re truly unemployable post-university, then at least you have a back-up. The main thing with uni is that you get what you came for. Whether you slug away and end up with a degree, a bunch of work experience, advantageous connections and eventually a yacht, or you shrug off school work for the partying lifestyle full of memories, friends, hard-learnt life lessons and eventually disappear to Melbourne. I’ve heard folklore that there is a happy medium and if you can do both, then you are my idol. Just don’t leave uni disappointed with your experience. It’s all on you, kid. By Alix Higby
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The New Zealand job market is not a good place for anyone. As the amount of available jobs drop, airfares to Australia increase. The reality is a degree does not get you a job. It is a struggle for some to even get in the door. For graduate lawyers the chances of getting a job are slim, unless you have experience. More than two years of experience increases your chances. Location is vital for secondary school teachers. If you want that job, it’s not going to come to you. It also depends on what subject you to teach. The ‘shortage subjects’ for 2012 include: maths, physics, chemistry, English and Te Reo Maori. The chance of getting a job in early childhood is good and there is a demand for speakers of Te Reo Maori and Pacifica. Basically, anyone wanting to find a job is going to have to fight for it. Especially forensic scientists as there are only 3 or 4 vacancies a year and 50 applicants. There is more of a chance of getting a job on CSI Miami that in the New Zealand industry. To cut to the chase qualifications do affect your earnings. A student with a level 1-3 certificate will make, on average, around $25,000 per annum compared to a graduate with a bachelor’s degree who will make between $35,000 and $40,000.
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An employee with a doctorate is estimated to make over $50,000 per year. The average annual wage in New Zealand is $47,900 with the highest paid workers being doctors on $143,495 then IT architects on $126, 443. That leaves out a big chunk of graduates. What does this mean for the rest of us? The reality for many will be slotting into any job available and waiting for a vacancy. If that is not enough to put you off university, the changes to the student loan and allowance for 2012 will be. Repayments will be enforced on employed students who make over $19,084 per annum regardless of their occupation. 12% of that microscopic income will be taken by the government while you are stuck savaging for a better pay rate. Student allowances will run for 200 week and that’s it. No extensions for students studying longer degrees. The expectation is that once a student enters into post-graduate study then they will be making enough money to survive and they should not be relying on student allowances. This is insane when considering the work load expected of a post-grad. For some people, holding down a job while studying is just not an option which will mean they will have to increase their student loan which in turn means more long term
debt. The point of increasing the repayment threshold is to move one generation on and make way for the next. Where are we all going when there is nowhere else to go? Instead of supporting students and seeing them as investments in the future of New Zealand, everyone is working against each other to fix an economy at the wrong end. It is not only the graduates that are suffering. Everyone is. The five lowest incomes are from the hospitality industry. ‘Kitchen staff’ make just over $31,000 per year and caregivers make on average $32, 551 per year. Well below the average wage. Everyone is in the same sinking life boat, but where do we go from here? Biotechnology and life sciences are expected to grow but internationally. Demand in creative industries has been predicted to increase, but not by much and banking and insurance are industries that are expected to decline. In a more optimistic light, the Labour Group within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has predicted that the job market will recover and the unemployment rate will fall under 6%-it is currently at 6.8%. Just over 90,000 jobs are predicted to be created by 2014. If all else fails you can just stay in university forever. Lecturers are in demand.
When I was young I set up a life plan. I was going to be on Broadway, get married to someone with an accent, become an actor and get my own E! True Hollywood Story. Somewhere between children and a shampoo endorsement was a documentary on fish and a degree in Marine Biology; inspired by Sabrina, Down Under. Clearly, somewhere on my road to maturity I became a little more realistic about my career. But, is that all it comes down to? Why do the dreams and ambitions we have as a kid change? Our dreams are painfully slaughtered by those in a much more rational mind-set-usually our parents. To be on Broadway you need to know how to sing and to be able to sing probably doesn’t mean much in New Zealand. Appearing on a New Zealand talent show to live the dream is more tragic than the show itself. Note: the New Zealand job market is not kind to outcasts. As awesome as three shows a night sounds, we grow up and grow out of the dreams we had as a kid because we have no choice. We learn that acting in New Zealand is a big waste of time, that science and medicine is probably a smart idea but hard work and that whatever we study we will have to fight for our jobs. The pressure to make my parents proud is what made going to university easier than telling them my long term goal was to appear on Shortland St. As kids we have the ability to dream without questioning the possibility of failure. But, as we get closer to moving day it all dawns on us. We have to put away our childhood toys, re-direct our compasses and pull up our socks. We gain a new set of values which are formed be the economy we grow into. We no longer have the luxury of working for happiness or to avoid boredom. We work for survival. There are student loans, living costs, the current state of New Zealand’s workforce and the economic climate to worry about. I’m no psychology major but it doesn’t take an analysis by Dr.Phill to learn that there is a big difference between what we dream and reality. We are presented with conflicting ideals: to be, or not to be. We all dream of making our parents proud and the pressure to impress them while paying the rent is what creates the tension between what you want and need, Arts and Science, dreams and reality and Broadway and Waikato University.
agenda: get an education, get a good job and get a fat pay check to get a good life. This is the same career format you had when you were seven but the reality lies between step one and step two. There is no denying that the New Zealand job market is harsher than it’s ever been. The rate of unemployment is higher than ever, there is an over-supply of graduates and competition is fierce, job numbers have fallen by 2,000 by downsizing businesses and we have experienced weak growth in our national economy. There is no room for the fairy wings, over-size Manchester united shirts, dirty faces, wizard hats or plastic sheriff badges. Whether you are practicing law, training as a mid-wife or an electrician, the reality is that getting a job is hard enough; finding the dream job is near impossible. The prospect of money is a common denominator for all students. We are here because we want money; because we don’t want to inherent the family farm; we want to be able to afford a house and we do not want to have to work 75 hours a week on minimum wage. The irony being that many students end up in those low-income jobs with a huge debt to pay off. The reason our idea of a career changes is because the job market changes. In the early 60’s there was no need for a degree, kids left school at 15, there were surplus jobs and the cost of University was minuscule. The 80’s saw a boom in Maori trade training, kids stayed in school for longer and there was a generally healthy economy. In the early 2000’s student loans were introduced, people began to re-train and become self-employed, technology was evolving, higher qualifications were needed and there was competition for work. Today, our job market has sent a lot of workers abroad. Kids are expected to stay in school as NCEA 2 is considered the bare minimum, the rate of unemployed youth has increased and many labourers work long after the retirement age. The scary thing is that our careers are moulded by the state of the workforce and it should be the other way round. The All Black no.8 jumper is on someone else, our crayons have melted, the toy box is locked and that Thunderbirds duvet has been replaced by a beige pinstripe goose down with a gold-label biomag tucked underneath. Our dreams are reserved for the minds of the next generation. Our dreams are irrelevant. By Julia Gabel
Contentment is underpinned by the need to be rational, the need to make a living and the need to fulfil a certain
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Wesam 1) Working in the army 2) Computer science 3) I didn’t get accepted into the army so I came to New Zealand and studied.
Ashleigh 1) Sea lion trainer - I still plan on doing that. 2) Primary teaching, sport and leisure 3) I haven’t changed...but I travel hence teaching.
Stefan 1) A dentist 2) Media and Creative Technologies 3) Because film is better than teeth.
Olivia 1) A singer 2) Sport and leisure 3) I really loved PE at school and my Mum does sporting events like Iron Man and stuff.
Tadhg 1) Ash Ketchum 2) Science 3) I haven’t changed! I’m going to catch animals and train them...like pokemon!
Neville 1) All Black 2) Geography 3) I started studying more which distracted away from my rugby.
Rhys 1) Paleontologist 2) Earth Science 3) It’s kind of similar, we do learn about...fossils. I still love dinosaurs.
Nicholas 1) I read Biggles so I wanted to be a pilot 2) History and english 3) I realised my grasp of physics was as strong as my grasp of speaking in tongues, so I changed to what I’m good at.
Daleen 1) Astronaut 2) Media and Creative Technologies 3) I haven’t really changed, I just can’t be an astronaut until I’m 25.
James 1) Architect 2) Communications 3) My ‘wants’ changed, so I changed.
Kristy 1) A bubble 2) Media and Creative Technologies 3) I came to understand that being a bubble wasn’t something I could really hope to achieve.
Hoss 1) A crocodile 2) Computer science 3) There wasn’t much money in being a crocodile and I was afraid of Steve Irwin.
Katie 1) Cartoonist 2) Japanese Linguistics 3) I’m better at talking than I am at drawing.
Haley 1) A supermarket checkout operator 2) Political science and japanese 3) I realised it wouldn’t be much fun and Mum told me I wouldn’t make much.
Kathryn 1) famous. Not for anything in particular, just famous. 2) Communications and marketing. 3) I could still be famous... Also, reality hit.
Brooke 1) A business lady because Mum got to wear giant heels and I thought you had to be a business lady to do that. 2) Marketing and PR 3) I’m still getting there.
Chris 1) Astronaut 2) BCMS 3) Because I started building computers and playing games, and that was fun.
Marguerite 1) A doctor 2) Media and Creative Technologies 3) I realised I don’t like blood.
David Bennett M P FO R H A MI L T O N E A S T E L E C TO R AT E O FFI C E
510 Grey Street, Hamilton | Phone 07 834 3407 o.nz Email davidbennettmp@parliament.govt.nz | www.davidbennett.co.nz
www.national.org.nz
Reviews
REVIEWS The footage beamed back from Sky though was more than mere documentation. The harrowing footage of Gaddafi turning his tanks on his own people helped convince the NATO powers to intervene in the conflict. Crawford’s enthusiasm and passion for the news comes across on every page. So does the danger and brutality of combat, and her own fear. This is a woman who risks her life to bring back the images that so casually flicker across our TV screens. In the end it is difficult to know whether to envy Crawford her tremendous adventure, or pity her for the horrific sights she has to witness.
Colonel Gaddafi’s Hat, by Alex Crawford It’s easy to be cynical about modern journalism. Recent scandals involving News of the World and Princess Kate’s tits highlight its muck-raking aspects. With an increased emphasis on sensationalism and boobs, there’s a danger that journalism could become irrelevant in the social media age. Books like this then, are important in showing journalism’s potential for not just recording history, but creating it as well. Alex Crawford was part of a British Sky News team that followed street by street the rebel’s offensive to free Libya from the Gaddafi regime. She was on the spot to capture one of the most pivotal moments in recent history, as the victorious rebels stormed the tyrant’s palace.
Whatever the case this is one of the best first hand accounts available on the Arab spring. It gives us a vital understanding of how much oppressed people appreciate and rely on Western journalists presenting their case to the world. After reading this, I can’t help but be aggravated by what is going on in Syria, and curse those commie Russians and Chinese for blocking UN intervention. The tension and the drama of the subject even allows us to forgive Crawford her staccato writing style; which too often reads like a banged out newspaper report, rather than a crafted, reflective memoir.
plays
Synopsis: Since Hannah died, everything has been a mess for her best friend Drew. But for some mythical (possibly Roman) reason, Hannah is back to visit Drew – for a limited time. Six visits, each one hour long. But why Drew? Six conversations gradually explain their story, their history, and above all, their friendship. A comedy/drama about life, love and loss. “Is this going to last for six hours?!” was the last thought I had as the lights dimmed. Who knew that by the end of it, I would come out of Meteor Theatre speechless and quiet. The play started with a sullen Drew (played by Brendan West) and his friend Rachel (played by Bronwyn Williams) having just buried their best friend Hannah. Their different ways of dealing with death was sobering yet powerful to watch.
Reviewed by Kevin Pryor When Clare Mcdonald’s Hannah entered, the whole stage was brought to life. She was cheerful, upbeat, and happy. Considering the fact that she was supposed to be dead, it was refreshing to see.
As the play progressed, the dynamics between the two main characters became more evident. Between the clever dialogue, Hannah’s description of what it’s like in the after life, and the echoes of a young girl gone too soon, one can’t help but root for them. The acting was good, and the support characters made the storyline more realistic. I felt as though I was part of their group, that I was grieving with them. I had one song in mind throughout the play so imagine my surprised when it came on. “I’ll follow you into the dark” by Death Cab for Cutie was the perfect accompaniment to it. Funny how a play with death as a central theme can make me feel so alive.
Reviewed by Jess Molina Photography by Dan Inglis of http://luminis.co.nz
Music Video of the Week – Harlem Shuffle by The Rolling Stones. Especially for the growing up theme this week. Old fullah’s who still like cartoon cats. Oh and it’s a brilliant Stones song. Available via youtube.com
Album of the Week – Buffalo Man by David Dallas. David Dallas hates money. He just flat out doesn’t want it. Except he does. So it’s kinda confusing that after giving away his last album, The Rose Tint, for free, he has shown up with more handouts. This time, it’s an EP of beats inspired by, (and directly lifted) from one of his heroes, Jamiroquai. The samples have been clipped, chopped and twisted by previous collaborators, Fire and Ice, and once again Dallas is left a pallet of pop tinged hip hop beats that he can paint over. On opening track, Ever Get the Feeling, he is quick to reassure that he is doing well. It’s nice that after giving away the album for free he “still ended up with cheques.” I guess that security meant that it wasn’t a major to gift us another EP. I’m sure there were some issues with copywrite too, but hey, I am not complaining. Ever Get the Feeling picks up from where The Rose Tint left off. Its slick production suits Dallas’ smooth flow and he switches up the rhythm effortlessly to help create another smashing song. I thought there would be an EP full of them, but there wasn’t as many as I hoped. Put it on the Line uses classic Jamiroquai hook to introduce the song, but it really could have been
Don’t Want the World shows Dallas back in his element. R ‘n’ B influenced hooks and he NAILS the chorus with the help of Jamiroquai. But with a beat behind him he can work with, his confidence swells and suddenly his story telling is coming through again. His rhyme schemes are added to by hip hop and pop culture references not hindered by them. Final song Trouble has hints of this too, but again not to the same extent as some of the other songs on this EP and not to the same level the Rose Tint. Still fans of Dallas will love this and if you’re a fan of storytelling hip hop like, Jay Z, Lupe Fiasco or J. Cole will find something here too. And while he keeps giving, go to daviddallas.co.nz to download for free.
Reviews
Free Legal Download of the Week – The Only One by Boycrush. The Ruby Sons Alistair Deverick gets ultra synth pop on us. Available via soundcloud.com
used to help strengthen the chorus. Last time I saw Dallas live, he admitted he struggles with choruses and it is the sore point of this song. His flow feels clumsier on this track too. That might be a little harsh, because generally Dallas’ flow is head and shoulders above other MC’s, especially in New Zealand, but here, he hasn’t quite found his tempo. The heat on sleeve marriage proposal of Spend a Life is sweet and romantic. It may not be something you’d want to hear on a regular basis due to the schmaltz factor, but works as a fulcrum for this recording. By slowing right down for this number, which really could not be presented any other way, Dallas is able to change gears. Never Let You down has a solid groove, but Dallas sounds like he doesn’t quite know how to slow down to the beat. The double time rhymes in the middle of the first verse sound more confident and when he is trying to drawer out his lines he seems to be slightly off. He gets into the swing of things by the second verse by upping the syllable to bpm ratio and suddenly the song is able to carry itself rather than drag out.
Keen to buy some state-owned assets? Got $1,000 at hand (either from your course related costs or from savings)? Here are your options: Mighty River Power: Will most likely hit the market early next year. Mighty River Power is one of New Zealand’s largest electricity generation companies; it operates 9 hydro power stations, 4 geothermal plants and one gas fired station. 90% of its energy generation comes from renewable sources and this electricity is sold to businesses and households through multiple companies such as Meridian. Despite indicating lower returns for this year this company has a sound asset base and derives its income from primarily renewable sources. Additionally there is a bonus shares clause that will award extra shares to New Zealanders who retain shares for a certain period of time. Solid Energy: Solid Energy is not looking in great shape, especially with the closure of Spring Creek Mine on the cards. Solid Energy exports coal and wood pellets around the globe and is the nation’s largest natural resources producer. While coal has become increasingly unpopular and has fallen in value, Solid Energy also develops biofuels and sells solar water heating. While currently in a weakened state, this company is the dominant player in its market and still has significant potential. Genesis Energy: A significant energy provider and generator being accountable for the generation of 19% of thermal and renewable power on a yearly basis. Genesis supplies over 600,000 customers. Meridian: The largest power generator in New Zealand, Meridian supplies around 30% of the country’s total demand for energy. This major player in the New Zealand electricity market has a number of overseas investments and is well positioned for future growth. Air New Zealand: The government currently owns 73% of our national airline, and now wants to sell another 22%. Unlike the other companies, Air New Zealand is currently listed on the Stock Exchange. Your final option is of course join the picket lines with the other protesters. It seems increasingly likely that the sales will go ahead, starting with Might River Power, and regardless of whether you are an investor or a protester there are clear opportunities for you. Don’t let moral objections stop you from buying, even if you hate the sales you can reclaim your assets in a way that is more beneficial to you!
When I grow up: When I was a kid, running around naked in a cape, I pretended to be a superhero or a doctor or a ‘grown up’. I dressed up in blazers and my dad’s ties and stuffed socks in the toes of mum’s high-heels then strutted around the house with a plastic baby. When that phase passed and I became closer to an adult than a child, I wished my boobs would grow so they could be distinguished from my brothers, I acted as a teacher to my siblings and, like the most of us, I couldn’t wait to grow up. This mind-set continued throughout my highschool years and I moved out of home straight after my 18th birthday. We have some of the best experiences at University but I wish that I had been an immature, naïve and innocent kid when it was still my right. The only thing more irritating than, “So, what kind of writer do you want to be?” is when someone throws you the “you need to grow up” card. What kind of writer? A fucking good one. First year is a time of intense education, selfdevelopment, life lessons and drinking. Balance, I think, is the difference between fun, being free and making the most of first year and a crazy, unproductive year occupied by hangovers. The difference between first and second year is education. We start taking university seriously, like really seriously, and we are forced to decide between a fun night out and an allnighter study sesh. Balance is forced upon all of us. What is mature? Appreciating the vintage of a south Australian Syrah, tuna Carpaccio and date cake, a weekend limited to two glasses of bubbles or stocking up on mackintoshes instead of hubba bubba? As well as attempting to ace all your subjects and maintaining a social life and a part-time job, a lot of us are also managing the pressure bestowed on us by our parents and our need to constantly make them proud. There are things our parents want us to do, things that we want to do and then there are those things that we feel as though we should be doing. Your parents should be proud of you whatever ever you do, so go for the things you want to do. That is the most likely way to survive uni. You can still have fun, act your age and socialize while keeping up with university. The fact that you are at university proves that you’re on to it. We can’t go back in time, so live each day to the full with no regrets, look ahead, don’t hoard your mistakes and do whatever makes you happy. Peace. By Julia Gabel
Cupcakes and Cafes When I grow up I want to make cupcakes for a living. I fucking love cupcakes. If it were possible I would make a living from cupcakes, but somehow I just don’t see that paying a mortgage. The other thing I would love to do is own a cafe. I’d have lazy brunches in the sun on weekends in my own little cafe, confident in the quality of the food and the staff cooking it, and when I get bored I’d change the menu. I’d have endless coffees, made by baristas I had trained myself, with beans I had chosen, on a machine I loved. It would be freaking cafe heaven. Yeah........ unless I win lotto that won’t be happening either. I have seen a lot in my years in cafe work and cafes are hard work, a huge number of hospitality ventures in this country close within two years of opening their doors. It takes a great concept for a cafe, coupled with a location that is going to work for you, plus a million other factors to keep a cafe afloat. Firstly you need to be ready to take a loss for at least the first little while; one of the biggest mistakes people make is to pour every cent into getting their cafe open, and so they can’t survive when their cafe doesn’t magically start pulling in enough to cover all of their overheads straight away. I also don’t understand anyway who goes into hospo not because they are actually foodies or have a passion for coffee, but because they have delusions of making a lot of money. I believe you have to do it mostly for love of the job, because $4 coffees, with all the costs involved in acquiring each component, being handmade in a building you’re paying rent on, by staff you are paying wages to, is not setting you up for your retirement unless you are doing it AMAZINGLY.
One of my bosses, long ago, was a person who had been fairly wealthy before they opened a cafe. They purchased the building instead of paying rent, designed a flawless cafe with no expense spared on furniture or set up, and they were passionate about the product they were producing as well as being incredibly smart about the image of their cafe and the people they wanted to attract. Obviously they could afford to take a loss for a bit until business picked up, and now it is an award winning cafe that has been around for over a decade. Sometimes I thought my boss was horrible, but I came to realise that all that blunt, direct, no nonsense attitude was probably how they’d become so wealthy and successful, and so now I admire them. This place was also the ONLY PLACE I HAVE EVER WORKED that had systems in place that I couldn’t find fault with and an attitude that was unmistakably focussed on benefiting the customer; you’d be amazed how many times bosses can lose sight of the customer when drawing up rules and setting ‘standards’ supposedly to please the customer. I love food and coffee so much I’m not prepared to make it something so responsible for my success or failure that I end up resenting it. Even if you get everything right, your cafe could still fail, it’s just the nature of the beast, so yeah..... lotto (or exorbitant wealth) or no cafe for me! Back to the cupcakes. I may not be able to make a living from cupcakes, but I can take my university degree and turn it into a well paying job that does pay the mortgage. And when I have a beautiful kitchen, in my beautiful home, filled with beautiful things (oh pretty red KitchenAid, I will have you!) I have a set schedule to work around (maybe even Monday-Friday! With and actual weekend!) without hideous nightshifts or assignments to drain me in the evenings, I may just be able to make beautiful cupcakes just for fun, and being able to do the things I love just for the hell of it is all I really want when I grow up.
Even the music and drama students would hesitate to agree with those lyrics I’m sure, but more due to the fact that they’re sung by the Pussycat Dolls than anything else… When I grow up, I want to wear a pantsuit. Anne thinks I’m a dork for admitting it, but there it is. The thing is, unless you have a large disposable income whilst at university, you’re going to have to compromise on the amount of Louboutins/ Armani suits that hang in your wardrobe. You have to take into account what you’ll be primarily doing at university in order to ensure you get the best bang for your buck clothes-wise. A typical student’s wardrobe will have a collection of t-shirts and jeans, town clothes, work clothes, various warm things and possibly one smart-looking outfits for interviews or similar. This pretty much covers every eventuality that a student could face. However, if you’re going into the corporate workplace after your degree, your wardrobe is going to change dramatically when you’re launched from the cosy womb of university into the harsh realities of the working world. Instead of spending your days alternately napping and eating curly fries from Momento, you’ll be working 9-5 doing tasks and meeting people that you’ve studies for 3 or more years to learn how to do. For me, I want my professional wardrobe to reflect my personality as well as where I want to be in my career. I want to have the pantsuits and the shoulder pads and the pops of colour that make corporate fashion fun, but I want to do it without bringing the rest of the 80s with me. Actually I might wear obnoxious lipstick too, but I promise
I’ll keep it tasteful. I want my outfit choices to say ‘this woman is fierce’ so that I command respect from both my colleagues and my clients. It may seem like a lot to ask of a simple outfit, but fashion has the ability to say things that you couldn’t through your words and actions alone. This is the reason people dress nicely for interviews – you want to project that not only do you know enough to perform the role well, but that you know how to dress and present yourself and will fit well in the environment within which you choose to work. The idea of an interview is to present yourself as ‘the whole package’ and your outfit choice plays a big part in this. Why would it be any different when you actually get that job in your chosen profession and have to turn up there week in week out? So get thinking of what type of image you’d like to project as a professional person. That first paycheck will hopefully be a lot more than what you’re getting from the government/your parents/your part-time job, so make sure that you spend it on some quality items that are going to inspire not only you but the people you’re surrounded by in your chosen career. Peplum, pantsuits and pops of colour, - Alice (I refused Anne’s offer to come over and help write this in case she caught my illness. Self-imposed quarantine! Woo!)
I was about to commit the crime of my century by stealing an A+ final linguistics grade. Dressed casually in my most inconspicuous balaclava, I strolled toward the elevator. The elevator door swished open to reveal a huge man wearing overalls carrying a duck under each arm. “You know your ventilator shaft’s shot when you have these things in ‘em”, commented he as he walked out. The ducks quacked their disapproval. I rode the elevator to the linguistics department in the sub-sub-basement. The doors opened and I stepped cautiously into the darkened hallway. Not a horse, goat, chicken, swan or duck to be seen. Making my way down to the end of the hallway, I saw the familiar set of teeth guarding a door. As before, the teeth’s owner, a dog, snarled at me, then realizing who it was started to wag its tail. I lent down and patted it. The viscous beast whined and whimpered and rolled onto its back, then melted into a slobbering blob of fur as I scratched it’s belly. Then the door began to slowly open. The dog snapped to attention, as I snapped through the adjacent room. It was pitch black. “Have you found my Tinker-bell?”, whispered a whisper in the dark. “Shhh!!”, shushed I. The door in the hallway opened. “Stay here on guard”, commanded the voice of Professor *****. The dog meowed at the sound of his voice. Footsteps – a bang – “Bugger that sign!” – swish – “Subsub-basement, going up” - silence”. I turned on the light and spun around to find Dr. Prill and No.3. Dr. Prill was holding a sparkling tutu. I thought I told you that Swan Lake was off the table”, said I. “I know”, said he, “I was just being hopeful.” I leapt out into the hallway and charged for the door, jumping over the dog in the process. I turned the handle, and to my surprise, the door opened. I stepped inside the office. The smell of brimstone, charcoal and lavender assaulted my nasal passages. There on the desk was a computer, a desk lamp, a sickle, a disc-grinder, a dentist’s drill a, copy of “Crochet Weekly”, and three mini digital voice recorders. Not knowing which one to take, I grabbed the three - along with the Crochet Weekly – it had that gorgeous scaff. I hurriedly leapt out of the office, careful to close the door and even more careful not to step on the dog, and hurtled through the door that lead to Dr. Prill’s office. Dr. Prill was waiting. I flung the three recorders into his hands. He looked at them and grinned. Then he chuckled. Then he grinned some more, followed by a freeform maniacal chuckle/grin combination. I felt that I had earned my A+, but had I done the right thing?..... By Skippy
Not long ago, I was having a conversation with a friend about massive bedrooms and countless piles of notes. Amidst the excitement, I said, “Gee, and the huge pile of notes is your own?” But he, a common man, decided in the five seconds before I spoke that he was a well-versed grammarian. He dared to attack the structure of my sentence like a peasant attacking a master swordsman. Naturally, he lost. I had but to defend. This is what said. “It is ‘are’ after notes, as it is plural.” My first thought was that that made no sense. But on further reflection, it became clear that, according to this peasant, I should’ve asked, “Gee, and the huge pile of notes are your own?” He was wrong. Yes, there is more than one note. So it would be correct to ask, for instance, “All of those notes are your own?” But in the case above, it’s the pile we’re quantifying, not the notes. In other words, there are multiples notes, but there is only one pile. You can simplify this (like maths): “Gee, and the huge pile is your own?” the tag ‘of notes’ describes the pile, but the pile itself remains the subject - the thing on which the idea is centred. Thus, you would say, “The pack of wolves is headed south,” not, “The pack of wolves are headed south,” because it is the ‘pack’, not the ‘wolves’, which the sentence is focusing on. Perhaps it’s a bit hard to distinguish in everyday use. Fair enough. So take the tag ‘of wolves’ and put it in front: “The wolf pack is headed south.” You see, ‘wolf’ is just an adjective for the key term ‘pack’. Like any adjective, you can add as many as you like: “The huge, white, howling, beastly, yet cuddly wolf pack is headed south.” It would be exactly the same to say, “The huge, white, howling, beastly, yet cuddly pack of wolves is headed south.” Always remember what you’re describing. In this case, it’s the ‘pack’ that’s getting all the attention. Another option is to remove the wolves altogether. “The pack is headed south.” Beautiful. Fortunately, it didn’t take me this long to explain to my friend just how wrong he was. “I’m afraid ‘is’ is correct, because I was only talking about one pile of notes. ‘Is’ refers to the amount of piles, not the amount of notes.” And like the remains of the peasant, lifeless and bloody, perhaps even in pieces, he had absolutely nothing more to say. By Pseudonym
The imaginary world of dreams and possibilities for everything that could be is a beautiful place where our minds, as grown ups and grow-ing ups, dance, wonder and play. It is where our identities can grow, our being can flourish, our ideas can develop and our decisions about our futures are born. It is where possibility triumphs over impossibility. It is where hope lives. Hope for expeditions and adventures, hope for relationships and friendships, hope for careers, opportunities, and experiences. The dreams we have for what can be, and the hopes we hold onto for what might be, are things to be cherished. We have no idea how lucky we are that there is an almost endless list of possible answers to the questions of what we want to be or what we might do with our lives. The harsh truth for our country is that the overwhelming majority of the dreams of children who grow up in poverty are simply not going to be possible. The context of the dreamer shapes the dream. Before we can fully register it, what is known to us can strongly influence what is possible for us. It is a very simple idea, and when considered in conjunction with child poverty it is a very distressing one too. Not because people dream of poverty, but because the dreams to move beyond it become increasingly unobtainable. It was a wise and insightful friend of mine who said that the saddest part about poverty is losing the capacity to dream. Or never having the capacity
to dream. This resonates with me because it captures an unspoken misnomer about how we think about poverty- that it is a choice. Did you dream of poverty for your future? Did you hope for desperation? Did you ever think that a satisfying career which enabled you to enjoy a good standard of living and give back to society was a waste of time and you would rather struggle to pay bills, be hungry and rely on welfare to get by? I very much doubt any person hopes for a bleak future like the one an increasing number of New Zealanders are facing. Why do we assume that because some people are living this way that it is because they want to? There are families and children in Hamilton who wait for the St Vincent’s de Paul bus to give them sandwiches, soup, bananas and milo every day. They wait in the dark. They wait in the cold. They wait for kind people on a bus to give them food, because charity is their best option. Charity is their hope. Nelson Mandela said it best, “overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity, it is an act of justice”. Bryan Stevenson also says it pretty good, “the opposite of poverty is not wealth, it is justice.” 100 people in one suburb of one city, our city, need food parcels everyday. There is no justice here. You and I were taught to aim for the moon so we can at least land in the stars. Other kids are taught that the stars are out of reach for them. How would you understand that, as a child? That you aren’t really worth as much
as those other kids. That your society doesn’t really care that much about you. Social exclusion, hunger, poor education, lower access to health care, cold houses, malnutrition and fewer job prospects are all components of the poverty trap and are all components of making dreams unobtainable and rendering possibilities impossible. It is politically trendy to care about child poverty- I dare you to have the courage and the intellect to care about their parents too. I dare you to challenge peoples ideas about poverty, about justice, about wealth and about ‘choice’. You will learn more than a textbook can teach you, and you may inspire others to be better citizens too. I also dare you to use your hands and your heart- there is a food drive at Uni this week for St Vincents de Paul and the Enderley Community Center. Food will be used for kids lunches and breakfasts, and food parcels will be made for dinners at Enderley. Any non-perishable food would be very much appreciatedsnacks, tins, spreads the healthier the better. There will be locked wooden collection boxes in the lower floors of the library. Please, please give generously. Hunger hurts. *People living in poverty are remarkably strong, resilient, capable and courageous. I do not want to be denying their agency nor the people who beat the odds. It is the odds we need to challenge and change. **Pick apart the generalizations, but don’t lose sight of the meaning or the trend.
HELP! I moved into my flat with three others at the start of the year, and we all collectively put in money towards a bond. Now that we are due to move out soon I am unsure of how I go about getting my bond back and where it actually is? What is a tenancy bond? As explained on the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) website, bond is money that you pay as security for the landlord. If you don’t pay all your rent, or if you cause damage to the place, then the landlord can ask to keep some or all of the bond money when you leave the tenancy. The landlord can ask you to pay up to the equivalent of 4 weeks’ rent as bond. (This is the most the landlord can ask you for.) You pay the bond to the landlord who has to lodge the money with the DHB within 23 working days. The DHB acts as a third-party. Your landlord must give you a receipt for the bond money you pay them. There is a bond lodgement form that you and the landlord must fill out before the money is sent to us. At the end of the tenancy, if you have not caused any damage or loss (like not paying your rent), you complete a bond refund form and your bond will be refunded. If you have caused damage, all or some of your bond will be paid to the landlord to cover repairs or rent. Once you have filled out your bond refund form and sent it in, the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) will contact your property manager who will then do a final inspection of the property. If the property is in order and nothing needs to be replaced then your bond should be refunded back into your account within six weeks. If the DBH haven’t received a response back from your property manager then you will still receive a refund of your bond, but it may take around 3 months. If you are unsure about what is happening with your bond or have question relating to tenancy, feel free to contact Amber the Advocate on 07 856 9139 or advocacy@wsu.org.nz For more information on bonds check out www.dbh.govt.nz
Misuse of Trial Periods When you get a job an employer can choose to make up to the first 90 days of your employment a ‘trial’. Whilst on a trial period you do not have the right to file a personal grievance on the grounds of un-justified dismissal. This means that your employment can be terminated at any point during the trial period and your employer does not have to follow a fair process or give you a reason. There are three main misconceptions that employers have around the new trail period law. Firstly employers assume that a 90 day trial period has to be included into the agreement- it doesn’t it is optional. Secondly that the trial period has to be 90 days- it doesn’t it cannot be no more than 90 days; so it could be 2 days or 60 days and thirdly that while on trail period all other employment law does not apply. This is incorrect all other employment rights still apply when on a trial period. The YWRC receives a number of calls regarding the 90 day trial period legislation below are three examples: - A student was fired under the 90 day trial period, although he did not have a written agreement that stated he was on a trial period. Please note: a trial period agreement must be in writing. - A 17 year old was hired by a cafe, it was her first job and they offered her $8.00 per hour for the duration of the 90 day trial period, the employer had noted in the employment agreement that once she made it past the trial period her pay would be increased to the minimum wage. PLEASE NOTE: all other rights such as minimum wage entitlements still apply when employed on a trial period, the 17 year old should not have been paid less than the new entrant wage of $10.40 per hour. - A women was on maternity leave for one year, and was about to return to work. The employer said the women could come back to work on a 90 day trial period. Please note: this is not allowed, if you are on maternity leave your employment has not ended and there is no need for a new agreement. Furthermore you cannot be put on a trial period if you have worked for the employer before- mainly because they all ready know how you work. This legislation can have some benefits to young workers’ trying to gain some work experience however, some employers may attempt to take advantage of it, it is your responsibility to know your rights, and stand up for them.. If you would like more information or have any questions about employment relations please contact kylie, kylie@ywrc.org.nz, 0800 AT YWRC
Te Whare Tapa Wha “The 4 cornerstones of health�
What happens when one is missing or damaged. How we can find balance.
Figure out what kind of a stressor you are & learn the best coping methods depending on your personality.
Identifying signs of depression
& other mental illness.
Ways to uplift our well-being & what we can do to help others.
Coming up in Palmerston North is not necessarily that cool. It’s probably not something I’d tell people about without some persuasion. But I’m not Sam Hansen. Sam is so proud of his hometown that he uses the moniker PNC (Palmerston North City) to ensure everyone is aware of the link and to that end, his home here in New Zealand. On the other hand, he loves American football, basketball and American music, so I had to ask when I spoke to him recently, where does his loyalties lie? Not surprisingly, he is loyal to music. He explained that his music has an American influence that can’t be ignored. Hip hop music was born in New York and Hansen was quick to acknowledge his influences from that part of the world. Whether it be Jay-Z or J. Cole, Hansen knows his hip hop history. The American style and culture that permeates hip hop music can be heard in Hansen’s music, but his style is not cookie cutter. That became clearer to recognise as he discussed how his album came about. He confirmed it is the most personal album he has completed and it shares the dualism that is reflected in many elements of Hansen’s music.
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He was partying, drinking and living it up amidst the World Cup fervour in Auckland, but inside, he was depressed. He explained a long term relationship had ended and with it, some direction. Songs like Stranger show real heart-on-your-sleeve relationship issues that Hansen was facing. It’s a raw song with a real anger caught up in the final verse, but to me it’s not nearly as open and honest as early song on the album As I Fly. On that track Hansen lays it all out for the listener and he was reluctant to delve too far into it on the phone but admitted that he was struggling at the time and the album has lyrics that really reflect that. I think the line from his song, Take It All sums it up nicely “Watching London burn and I think I feel the same rage.” You wouldn’t know it from some of the upbeat and party anthems that also inhabit the album. But it’s that dualism again. It’s that same split that brings the lad from Palmerston North into the big city and it’s the same when it comes to the popularisation of his music. He tells me he tries not to focus too much on outcomes when he’s writing, but really hopes his songs sit somewhere between art and pop.
He explained he thinks some of the best hip hop, the likes of Outkast, sit in that gap successfully and if he had an aim, that’s what it would be. He explains that his music comes from both within and reflecting the circumstances he is within at the time and once again his honesty is at the forefront and it appears he is really pushing himself to tell his story; carve out his own niche. He’s taken a lot from locals too. His good friend and label mate David Dallas, has inspired him on releasing his most recent album for free through the internet. He also reported there may be an EP he is working on with Pieter T as well as the second instalment of Under the Influence with producer Matt Miller all keeping him busy. What has been keeping him busy was the re-opening of Hamilton bar, Thirty Two 04 which saw him team up with Pieter T to bring hip hop to Hamilton. For those lucky enough to head along, a big, brash, fun night of music that all can nod their heads too, but most will be out in front having a wee bit of a boogie. By Hp
Thursday October 11 Room Service 9 pm onwards Grand Central
Saturday October 13 Rockathon| Zeal Hamilton 10 am – 2pm Free gig, Garden Place
DJ Kaon getting in there, plus we hear some cocktails are only $8? Sounds like a good alternative to getting absolutely hammered in the clubs. Bonus points: more classiness!
A free gig? Sweet! With 9 bands too? Can’t deal! Pygmalion, Sly Satire, The Beautiful Shambles, Stuck in History, Kings for a day, Red Nite Sky, Sunday Best, Division of 5, Children of Hurin rocking Garden Place on a Saturday! What better way to spend the day?
Friday October 12 Slave Trader plus Bloody Souls and Bombstrappers Static NZ sleaze rock legends gracing good ol’ Hamilton with it’s presence. Bloody Souls and Bombstrappers are joining the party too! Pinch & a Punch ft P-Diggs Peacekeeper (Shapeshifter/ Sunshine sound) The Stables Bar & Grill, Cambridge $15 before 10:30 pm, $20 after Roadtrip to Cambridge (Please make sure you have a SOBER D! Tempt them with some maccas and petrol money! Safety first) on a Friday night. P-Diggs plus support from Tommy Gee, CTFD, Jake De La Ribbs, Bevan Nichols, and Diaz Grimm too. Surely that would make for an epic night.
Electro Static Gold Coin Entry Static There is no denying that resident DJ Bevan Nichols has swag. And Static? The place is insane! Good vibes all around. Let’s all be merry and have a good rage!
In need of some good music to cheer you up? How about random conversations, essential life tips, and daily LOLs that will make you glad you’re not in such an unfortunate FML situation? Fevah FM Drive Show with Jess and Mandy, 4-6 pm on weekdays is the answer! Stream it live http://fevah.co.nz and message them on the studio to be in with the cool kids!