Issue 06 – Burnout

Salient BURNOUT

Vol. 83

Issue 06

13 April 2020 1

Contents EDITORIAL.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 03 LETTERS & NOTICES

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NEWS Otago University Accuses Student Magazine of Inaccurate Reporting, Refuses to Answer Media Requests.................. 06 Wellington Student Volunteer Army Lends Helping Hand to City............................................................................................... 07 International Students Seek Equity from VUW.............................................................................................................................. 08 Opinion................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Probing the Punters........................................................................................................................................................................... 11 FEATURES Catch Flights, Not Feelings...............................................................................................................................................................

Read It and Sleep...............................................................................................................................................................................

Busy is Tired........................................................................................................................................................................................

Intro to: Dounia...................................................................................................................................................................................

CENTREFOLD COLUMNS UniQ.....................................................................................................................................................................................................

Disabled Students’ Association......................................................................................................................................................

The ‘F’ Word........................................................................................................................................................................................

Student Wellbeing ............................................................................................................................................................................

VUWSA................................................................................................................................................................................................

Liquid Knowledge..............................................................................................................................................................................

To Be Frank.........................................................................................................................................................................................

Going Nowhere...................................................................................................................................................................................

POETRY

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24 25 25 26 26 27 28 29 30

REVIEWS Game: I’m Stressed Enough Without the Pixelation...... 31 Poetry: The Book of Traps and Lessons........................... 34 Film: My Week With Marilyn................................................ 35 ENTERTAINMENT Occupation Station Salient’s Isolation Houses Horoscopes

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Editorial LET’S DO SOME DIRTY LAUNDRY

CW: Student Death We aren’t burnt out, but we are tired.

For the first time in history, students have been saved from the infamous six week dip. This is because everyone’s fucks-to-give have been steadily declining for weeks now.

Put that on a graph and watch Ashley Bloomfield slide into your DMs. Shit do be happening tho. Lots of it is definitely not the goods for students. We wanna fire you guys back up, not burn you out.

Last week we published our Te Puni story. When nasty dm’s are sent to our writer and not us, we gotta take it here.

To reiterate; the higher powers are always the problem. This is a top down issue. The abuse of students and the money they pay for what is supposedly world-class care is systemic.

RAs are grossly underpaid for their jobs and corporate tycoons, CLV, don’t give a fuck about them or their residents.

VUW enables this by letting CLV neglect students. Check the Salient archives if you don’t believe us. Oh wait, the CEO removed them. Syke.

All complaints should be directed accordingly.

We cannot forget that just last year CLV’s Christchurch Hall saw a resident’s death go unnoticed for weeks. We cannot forget that in 2018 a student’s death went unnoticed in our very own Education House.

We didn’t wanna go there, but we’re sick of students being left out, cut off, and neglected. Because the revolting reality here is that we’re seeing students die. What’s worse is the lengths these higher powers are going to, to hide these stories from you.

Universities, tycoons, and generally bad people don’t want their shitty deeds being hung out to dry. But it’s our job to do the washing.

If we don’t stand up for our students and student media, this is how the story plays out: It starts with the VUWSA CEO fucking with the form of Salient, and ends with multimillionaires getting away with their bullshit.

Here’s some student media laundry: Last week, Otago’s Critic—Te Arohi reported that the uni is henceforth refusing to answer their media requests, just because they can.

Last year, UC’s CANTA gained their editorial independence.

Before this, all their content had to be vetted by the staff and student association. We’ve seen their new editorial policy—shit’s still bleak.

Back in 2005, the Vice-Chancellor got a court injunction to try withdraw a Salient issue. Why? Because the magazine had a leak on their fee increases.

Institutions are either the bad guys, or they’re the enablers.

This is how they try to silence students through their student media.

We’re out here with a cut FM station, a CEO who spies on our emails, and no tangible access to our own budget. As 95bFM so wonderfully put it: “VUWSA may have broken their own constitution.”

Nevertheless, we’ll still be here, every week, hanging the washing out to dry.

Kirsty Frame (she/her) Rachel Trow (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa)

Lifeline is available 24/7 on 0800 543 354 In an emergency, call 111

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Letters + Notices How long has it been since I’ve been stuck in this flat… 2 weeks? 5 days?

I can no longer tell. Days end before they begin, and every end only means another beginning; another passing day that I have no grasp of. He’s driving me insane. I’m woken early in the morning and late at night by his guttural cackle during his constant Zoom meetings. When he’s not networking and social climbing, he’s playing those drums. Those fucking drums. Banging and bashing, radiating a nuclear heat and dripping with sweat like he’s melting. I wish he’d melt.

I can’t take it. Fuck you, Michael Turnbull Welfare VP. Also, he’s convinced himself he’s a werewolf and keeps making us chain him up whilst he’s shirtless, and then he just howls for the entire night.

Did we do something right?

Something wrong? Enlighten us.

Send through your letters to editor@salient.org.nz

Michael’s anonymous flatmate

Happy Birthday to Salient's own, Alfie Dennis. Thanks for salvaging our raige induced shitposts and corecting our bogen gramar.

Welcome to the roaring 20s. Yeet.

Student Health and Counselling (Mauri Ora) is here to help students, whether you are in lockdown in Wellington or anywhere else in the country.

All appointments or requests for advice must be made by phone on 04-463 5308.

Or if you are worried about your phone credit, call our contact centre for free on 0800 04 04 04 and they will transfer you.

Repeat prescriptions can be ordered through our online form on the Student Health website, and they can fax the prescription to your closest pharmacy. www.wgtn.ac.nz/student-health

Get your notices to us before 5pm Tuesday for next week's issue editor@salient.org.nz

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LETTERS | NOTICES

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Are you stuck at home?

You should be.

Are you a sucker for punishment?

We’re not here to judge.

Salient stops for no pandemic and we need your help.

Here are our upcoming themes and prompts:

FOR THE ARCHIVE

EAT THE RICH

Get your pitch to us by: April 14th

Get your pitch to us by: 21st April

Make your high school history teacher proud. We’re dedicating this issue to look at what we’ve learnt, are learning, and are yet to learn about the entire year that 2020 has already been—but fuck, it’s only April.

Lets get academic. This pandemic has resulted in a lot of bullshit ~discourse~. Let’s unpack them.

Ecofascism, banal nationalism, neoliberal colonial bullshit.

We know you BA Zoomers are already salivating. Go forth and pitch.

TŪPUNA Get your pitch to us by: 28th April We have a lot to thank our ancestors for. Of all the wholesome contentTM to come out of this lockdown, tales of reconnection with grandparents and whakapapa are arguably the sweetest. This journey, however, is not without obstacles.

A lot can happen in a generation.

Tell us how you have(n’t) bridged the gap.

Features, reviews, creative writing, columns, quizzes, recipes, general fuckery—editor@salient.org.nz News—news@salient.org.nz Poems—poetry@salient.org.nz

Tell us who you are, the kaupapa of your piece, and why it belongs in Salient.

P.S. Your pitches do not need to be COVID related. We’ll bring the fourth estate, you bring the creativity xx P.P.S. Please dear god can someone pitch us a good environmental column.

SALIENT NEEDS YOU

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News

MONDAY 13 APRIL 2020

Otago University Accuses Student Magazine of Inaccurate Reporting, Refuses to Answer Media Requests ANNABEL MCCARTHY | TE WHAKATŌHEA | SHE/HER

The University of Otago is refusing to answer media enquiries from student magazine Critic – Te Arohi, citing “mean-spirited” reporting from magazine staff.

On April 3, Otago University issued a statement announcing it would no longer engage with Critic for the remainder of the COVID-19 lockdown period. The University also revealed it was withdrawing advertising from the magazine.

The decision came after Critic published an opinion piece titled “Otago Fucked Up with COVID-19” criticising the University’s response to the virus.

In the statement, Otago University slammed the opinion piece as a “prime example of untruthful, unfair, inaccurate, and mean-spirited reporting”.

“University staff have had repeated demoralising experiences with Critic in recent months. This has included inaccuracies, unfair, shallow, unbalanced, and mean-spirited reporting, sometimes including naming and shaming,” the University stated.

The University said it was not given a right of reply and struggled to get Critic’s help with its COVID-19 response. ‘‘We really needed Critic’s help weeks ago, and in this context, it was hypocritical for an editorial to now criticise the university when Critic was sluggish to help us get important messages out to the very students they should care for.’’

Critic-Te Arohi disputes the allegations made against the publication and said in a post to Facebook it is “deeply concerned at the University’s unwillingness to be criticised by its students”.

“Students want to know what is going on with the University, and Critic is frequently entrusted to investigate their concerns. By refusing to respond to questions, Critic believes the University is refusing to engage with the issues that concern students.”

Critic, which is editorially independent from the University,

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said criticism over not helping raise student awareness of the University’s COVID-19 response was “unusual”. “[We were] instead taking our lead from OUSA, our parent organisation, who also launched a COVID-19 campaign.” ‘‘Critic has reported on how the COVID-19 response by the University affects students.’’

“The word “opinion” is the first word in the title of the piece.”

– Critic The student magazine sought clarification over which articles and “demoralising experiences” triggered the University’s response. Critic said no complaints were received this year prior to the University’s announcement, which only singles out the COVID-19 opinion piece.

Critic also said the University had not made a Media Council complaint against them, a move which “seems to indicate that they don’t think their complaints hold up to scrutiny”.

Critic defended its decision not to give the University a right of reply, saying opinion pieces are the opinion of the author and therefore do not require comment from opposing sides.

“The word “opinion” is the first word in the title of the piece.”

The article in question, written by Critic News Editor Erin Gourley, details Otago University’s lack of action before the country moved to Alert Level 4.

“The University wanted to stay open until the last second, rather than make sure its students could go home and prepare for the pandemic,” Gourley wrote.

“When mass gatherings of 500 people were banned, the University removed seats from St David’s Lecture Theatre so that there were only 499 seats.”

“Doing the bare minimum until the last second is fine for assignments, not pandemic responses.”

Critic was first published in 1925 to hold the University of Otago to account. It is New Zealand’s longest-running student newspaper and has broken many significant stories since.

The University of Otago said its communications staff are now entirely dedicated to the COVID-19 response, which includes helping DHBs and other community groups.

“We continue to engage with the many media outlets who will report with accuracy and fairness,” the University said.

The University also said any money saved from advertising would go directly to the welfare of students who have been adversely affected by the pandemic.

Last year, Critic exposed allegations of rape and sexual assault at Knox College, one of Otago University’s residential colleges. The investigation revealed college leadership failed to take appropriate action when the incidents were initially reported.

“They desperately need our help right now, and we see this as more important.”

The magazine was also the target of censorship in 2018 by the University when it published a cover of a naked cartoon person menstruating. University staff removed and destroyed hundreds of copies of the issue after several complaints were received over the “objectionable” cover.

Critic – Te Arohi said it accepts the University’s current focus is on the COVID-19 response but “cannot accept at any point that the University is no longer open to scrutiny by the very students who pay tens of thousands of dollars to attend it.

That is wrong.”

Editor Sinead Gill said student media exists to keep students informed and “involves seeking student opinion and criticising the University when they make mistakes, or when students do not feel heard”.

The University of Otago will review its decisions once the pandemic has eased.

Both Victoria University of Wellington and Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association refused to comment on the situation or speculate whether it was appropriate for Otago University to cut ties with student media during a time of crisis.

In the meantime, Critic will “continue to contact the University for clarification, balance, and right of reply on every story we run in accordance with journalistic principles, and with the hope that they will one day reply to us.”

Wellington Student Volunteer Army Lends Helping Hand to City TESSA PORTER | SHE/HER

Amidst the current COVID-19 outbreak, students in Wellington have come together to form a Community Crisis response. Previously seen in action following the Canterbury and Kaikoura earthquakes, the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) is back to ensure that the most vulnerable and affected members of our community are safe and taken care of.

The Coordinators Tamatha Paul, Marlon Drake, and Raven Maeder, have come up with a response system that connects the people requiring assistance with volunteers within their neighbourhood. Whether individuals or small businesses, anyone can submit a request via email, the groups Facebook page, the official Student Volunteer Army website or landline.

Requests can include a range of basic day-to-day jobs from running errands for people in self-isolation, baby-sitting, or even businesses looking for extra staff members.

“We've had awesome feedback from both neighbours-in-

need and volunteers. They're always stoked to be chatting to people they wouldn't have otherwise met.” says Drake.

To guarantee the information gets spread beyond the parameters of the university, WSVA has reached out to multiple residence associations and media platforms in Wellington. The admin team will then coordinate these requests to the area-specific community leaders, which will then allocate volunteers within their ward, case by case.

“Our health guidelines were always really high, and we link volunteers in with people in their own suburbs, so we're being safe and following the rules.” – Marlon Drake With this, WSVA hopes to strengthen the community through

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communication and cooperation, and build resilience and prevent further spread of COVID-19. ”Our mission is all about connecting people in their neighbourhood.”

“Anybody can put in a request for themselves, or on behalf of somebody else. The point is making sure that everyone in self-isolation knows that someone else is there for them!”

As of now, the group is over five hundred members strong with more requests pending. The coordinators are training the community leaders and are working with a range of organisations such as the Wellington City Council, Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO), Wellington Timebank, etc.

In light of the recent developments of COVID-19 and the national response to it, some concerns about the health and safety of the program have been raised. Drake assures: “Our health guidelines were always really high, and we link volunteers in with people in their own suburbs, so we're being safe and following the rules.”

Therefore, students that offer their services are not placed in situations that present a high risk and are advised to follow the instructions of their community leaders that revolve around maintaining good personal hygiene as well as obeying social distancing guidelines.

Despite having to operate in an environment characterised by uncertainty and ever-changing circumstances, within a short amount of time WSVA has managed to mobilize a strong group of eager volunteers combined in their efforts to prevent further escalation of the situation.

The volunteers are at the front and centre of the response as they are the ones that carry out the tasks in the community.

Drake expressed further appreciation saying; “We are so grateful for all of our fantastic volunteers. They are doing an amazing job, and I really think this is proof that students in Wellington really care about our city and the people in it.”

If you are able and interested in becoming a part of this initiative, or if you know someone that could use assistance during this time, here is how you can get in contact:

It is of major significance to the coordinators that the programme is run safely and according to the nationwide restrictions and guidelines set by the government.

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Phone: 021 256 9987 (9am-5pm)

The coordinators and leaders are in close communication to ensure a quick reaction to any new developments or restrictions that might affect their teams and their tasks.

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Website: https://sva.org.nz/

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Facebook: Welly Student Volunteers:

COVID-19 Community Response

International Students Seek Equity From VUW SALIENT STAFF

International students are calling for financial assistance from VUW in the wake of Aotearoa’s nationwide lockdown.

Some international students believe that they should be refunded the financial difference between international and domestic fees, now that classes are fully online until further notice. At a time when international students are feeling the furthest from home, some students have been left disappointed by the lack of support they have received from VUW. Course fees for international students at VUW are approximately four times that of domestic students. Part of paying these increased fees is for education access that they may not otherwise have in their home country. As well as attending face-to-face classes, engaging in New Zealand culture is another common reason cited by international

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students to seek tertiary education abroad.

Students, and international students, in particular, are no longer receiving the same service they paid for at the beginning of the year.

International students have been told by representatives of the University that they are endeavouring to ensure that education quality is the same online as it is in face-to-face classes, however, this answer has been disappointing for some.

“The University is very conscious of the questions and concerns that students have regarding fees they have paid for courses that are now being delivered online. There is considerable discussion taking place throughout the tertiary sector about the complexities around this matter and the

University is yet to make any final decisions” VUW told Salient.

Rose*, an international student, told Salient that she’d had a positive experience overall; “I received lots of emails about updates on our current situation and classes, which were quite helpful.”

However, this sentiment has not been echoed by others. When asked what communication VUW had with international students regarding financial assistance, Zeina, an international student told Salient, “[We were sent] a bunch of links about the hardship fund, which international students don’t qualify for…they sent us emails of people who we can contact, and when I did their answers to my questions were vague and they would refer me to other people… there was barely any assistance” Zeina was passed around several times by University higherups and the international students’ office—recently renamed Wellington University International. Zeina was also sent a link to the refund policy, which she did not deem helpful because “the last day an international student can get a full refund was on the 31st of March. Why would we get a refund if we’re going to be trapped in the country?”

“for some international students [...] withdrawing from study altogether and returning home is not an option.”

Peter*, an international student at VUW told Salient: “When we apply and come here [under normal circumstances] then it's fine to pay international fees but because of the current situation it should be different.”

Following a earthquake in his home country in 2015, during his time at Texas A&M University, Peter’s family business was seriously impacted. Peter spearheaded a petition to allow international students affected by the earthquake to have their fees reduced to domestic rates.

“My university made me pay domestic fees after I wrote a letter and petition with many students. I got acceptance for resident payment. I was happy I can support myself and my family during this difficult time.”

On the matter of existing support for international students, VUW told Salient that they “have endeavoured to maintain regular contact” with international students and were “continuing to provide support to international students by phone or online”, including a section on the VUW website displaying information for international students.

When the government banned incoming travel from China for non-residents, VUW Vice-Chancellor, Grant Guilford, urged the government to make an exemption for students.

Guilford implored the government to show empathy for international students.

In a February interview with RNZ, Guilford argued that not only was the University more than equipped to handle the health risks, but that there would be serious economic impacts should the government neglect to treat international students fairly.

Guilford commented, “if we blow this one, don't treat these young people well, the damage extends well beyond to every other sector”.

The complicating factor for some international students is that withdrawing from study altogether and returning home is not an option.

“No, I don’t want to go back home even if I could,” Peter told Salient. Neither Peter nor Zeina are able to return to their home countries due to travel restrictions.

When asked if returning home was a possibility, Rose told Salient, “for now, not really because flights to my home country [have] been very limited even to the point that some tourists from my home country couldn’t go home as well…I think it would not be a reasonable choice for me to do so as travelling was quite risky, and the situation in my home country was and is much worse than here.”

Rose offered that she “felt bad for the international students who were living in the student halls as they had little time to pack and move out. I think they were informed very late and the process was quite messy.”

International students have expressed gratitude to their lecturers and V-ISA for their support, something they haven’t felt from the University’s leadership.

“Luckily V-ISA intervened and helped to make the process become better,” said Rose.

In a statement to Salient, VUW acknowledged the difficulties that all students are facing in this “unprecedented situation”.

They acknowledged that international students “are away from their country, families, and friends, and are not able to have the on-campus experience they anticipated. This is not the situation they signed up for and we understand how disruptive and stressful it is” In terms of an ideal outcome for international students, international students’ requests were simple—empathy from VUW for international students and an equitable fees reduction. As Peter told Salient, “they are our guardians, they should help us”. *name changed If you are an international student struggling to find information or support, please visit www.facebook.com/ NZISA2018/

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Opinion Technological Advancements are Crucial to Combatting COVID-19, Sorry ‘Bout it, Privacy.

KEANA VIRMANI | SHE/HER

The onset of COVID-19 has produced an increased demand for innovative technology, with human health as the priority. Rapid advancements are crucial for the potential elimination of coronavirus. However, for some, this increase in technological advancements has also raised concerns in regard to privacy, autonomy, and effectiveness on human health in the long term.

Though technology can be perceived as invasive, the release of information such as an individual’s location and close contacts can have substantial impacts on improving the health of our nation. Evolving advancements have the potential to not only significantly reduce the transmission of the virus but to also construct a framework that can prevent future outbreaks.

The emergence of tech such as online epidemiology tools to track cases, drones for delivering medical supplies, and robots for sanitation, as well as tracking apps or wristbands to ensure compliance with isolation rules, are a few of the many global innovations aiming to prevent further transmission of the virus.

“...this increase in technological advancements has also raised concerns in regard to privacy, autonomy, and effectiveness on human health in the long term.”

BlueDot is a Canadian startup that initially utilised artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the outbreak of COVID-19 through their own observations of a number of cases prevalent in Wuhan. Similarly, there has been a high prevalence of analytics companies developing AI in the fight against coronavirus. One of such companies is Jvion, which is exploring the susceptibility of an individual to COVID-19 and the likelihood of hospitalisation.

Recent developments have also deemed AI useful in the detection of COVID-19, such as the company Baidu utilising IR sensors to predict body temperatures.

In NZ, there have been suggestions to use tools such as Bluetooth technology in order to trace potential contacts that may be at risk. This works via an app monitoring movement between locations. If an individual has tested positive for the 10

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virus, others that have been in close proximity are alerted.

As of present, we are relying on human recollection which has the potential for error due to a lack of complete information. The use of technological applications has the ability to provide more accurate identification of close contacts, therefore inhibiting potential further transmission.

Through online connectivity, individuals presenting symptoms of the coronavirus have the opportunity to contact GP’s through Zoom calls or phone conversations.

This is similar to our very own Mauri Ora—Student Health at VUW and will mean that there is a greater likelihood of reduced transmission in communities and lessened anxiety not only for healthcare workers but also for those feeling ill.

As most students have access to digital media, we not only have the capability to raise awareness but also gain a greater understanding of our situation, in order to help preserve and protect our health.

Technology has allowed us an opportunity to continue with our lives amidst this crisis—a safety net that may not have been prevalent without access to a digital environment.

The rapid advancements occurring in response to this virus are paving the way to a future that may be less reliant on human interaction and instead focused on digitised systems. This appears to be a future in which human health is prioritised, and threats are better prepared for.

But, with all this said, it is important to ask: At what point does technology begin to overrule human choice? Are we losing autonomy over our own health? Do we have the capacity to rely on systems such as AI to provide an accurate diagnosis?

In order for emerging technologies to assist with diagnosis and future prediction, there must be transparency between the individual and the technological application.

From tracking wristbands to more advanced AI systems, there is an ongoing debate in regard to the release of personal information. If this barrier can be overcome whilst respecting an individual’s privacy, there is potential for NZ to become better prepared in facilitating resources that might be required in the future to keep ourselves safe—which in times such as these, is valued most overall.

Probing the Punters GETTING TO KNOW THE SALIENT STAFF

1. What are your Majors?

4. Go to song for when you’re burnt out?

2. What burns you out the most?

5. When’s the last time you were burnt out?

3. How do you handle feeling burnt out?

JULIA, 20

CHARLIE, 21

1.

1.

Physics and Film

Creative Media Production

2. Not having time alone for weeks on end

2. Tech glitches when I need to hand things in

3. Alcohol and a TV show

3. Talking or journaling

4. Any of Ariana Grande’s songs

4. 2099 by Charli XCX feat.

Troye Sivan

5. A couple of weeks ago

5. Burnt out basically all 2019 lmao xo

TE AOREWA, 21

FINN, 20

1.

1.

Postgrad Journalism

2. Too many notifications & cold cuppa tea 3. Make another cup of hot tea 4. Something by Bonnie Raitt or Joni

Criminology and Political Science

2. Lack of comms always 3. Lofi Jazzhop 4. Penny Thought-Mt. Marcy

5. ‘The Burnout’ Print Day

5. Trying to figure out if I needed to do my tutorial task or not

RACHEL, 22

LOFA, 20

1.

1.

Decolonisation and being chaotic

Pacific studies and English Lit chehooo

2. Matt Tucker

2. Overthinking and worrying

3. Timothée Chalamet compilation videos

3. Disconnecting from social media and spend time outside writing!

4. Beach Baby. Exacerbate your problems.

5. Ahi kā betches.

4. Bring Me Your Cup UB40 or Take on Me a-ha 5. Before exams, Tri 2 2019 NEWS: ISSUE 05

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Catch Flights, Not Feelings WORDS BY CAITLIN HICKS | NGÄ€TI RANGINUI | SHE/HER

Departures Emotions Baggage

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In late 2017 I was a week away from moving my life to France for seven months, but I still hadn't found a place to live. The stress of it all was utterly paralysing, so I went to Snips and got the worst haircut in human history. Nothing screams ‘I'm coping’ like a bob reminiscent of a Super Mario Bros mushroom.

In February 2019, I got dumped. I did as any normal rational person would and, at age 22, got braces for the second time—despite them being mostly unnecessary and cripplingly expensive. Four months later (braces free), staring down the due date of my first dissertation draft, I left for Tokyo on two weeks' notice and swapped my reality for eight days chain-smoking and eating 7-Eleven onigiri with an astrophysicist from CERN. I'm not the best at coping with stress. Or anxiety. Or heartache.

Or the new normal of wearing PPE to the supermarket. I'm not the best at coping with, well, anything. But I'm absolutely not alone. Of those who allowed me to slide into their DMs in the name of investigative journalism, DIY-hairdressing ranked number one of all coping methods. After Trump was elected, Kate died her hair black. Week-three-scaries prompted Abby to go for bright orange. Hanna used kitchen scissors to give herself a Farrah-Fawcett-Florence-Givenesque fringe, against her flatmate's advice. After escaping Spain mere hours before the borders closed, Henry shaved his head in a self-isolation-COVID-panic-spiral.

As it turns out, we're all a bit rubbish at coping. According to psychology experts, coping is all about consciously making the effort to minimise, or tolerate, stress and conflict, by solving the personal and interpersonal problems that cause it [1]. In essence, coping requires that we implement strategies to prevent, avoid, or control emotional distress—whether that be anxiety, sadness, heartache, or an approaching assignment.

The term "coping" implies the use of constructive strategies, designed to ease stress. These can be either proactive (neutralising a future stressor) or reactive (responding to the presence of a stressor). Proactive copers probably own bullet journals and do their readings before class. Reactive types pick up the course materials for the first time at 10pm the night before the test, navigating their way out of a panic attack in the Aro library.

Whether or not we are coping effectively depends on who we are and what's going on. Our mental predisposition, the type of stress we're experiencing, the nature of our environment, and the context of our stress all feed into how we attempt to dispose of it, or not. When I talked to Mark* about his trademark coping mechanisms, he acknowledged that a longstanding “trauma response” to stressors, and

a diagnosed mood disorder, probably provoked “more extreme” measures, than he imagined others might employ.

Wayne Weiten, a distinguished professor of psychology, has identified a few key coping strategies: appraisal-focused, problem-focused, and emotion-focused coping.

Appraisal-focused, or adaptive cognitive, strategies rely on modifying your thoughts to dispose of the stressor. This could be by finding humour in the situation, or, conversely, denying that it's causing you stress in the first place. Denial is the prevailing method of appraisal-focused coping.

Problem-focused, or adaptive behavioural, strategies reduce or eliminate stress by dealing with the cause of the problem, mitigating stress by aiming to eliminate its source.

Those employing problem-focused strategies might modify their behaviour to prevent the stressor in the first place. If you find yourself pulling all-nighters, ideally, you'd cope by adopting better time management practices. If you're stressed about looking good at the Law Ball, you might practice replicating Doja Cat's Guide to E-Girl Beauty a few days before, so you know it'll be perfect.

“As it turns out, we're all a bit rubbish at coping.”

And finally, emotion-focused strategies, the ones we all know so well. These final methods aim to release pentup emotions or manage those that accompany the stress.

Meditating or deep breathing, by way of example, can be used as mechanisms to alleviate distress, or prevent emotional components of a stressor. Conversely, distancing oneself from the stress or its accompanying emotions also falls under this label, Mark describes his take on this distancing as “a full-on flight from reality”, aeronautical or spiritual, but usually both. Speaking to Mark confirmed that I’m not the only one who has fled for Japan on two weeks' notice, convinced of the healing properties of washoku. Call that Miso Soup for the Soul.

More clinically, two behavioural psychology legends, Folkman and Lazarus, have identified the five core emotionfocused coping strategies as:

FEATURE: CATCH FLIGHTS, NOT FEELINGS

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1.

Disclaiming

2. Escape-avoidance 3. Accepting responsibility or blame 4. Exercising self-control 5. Positive reappraisal Judging from the amount of people in my inbox regaling tales of supermarket hair-dye and unnecessary orthodontics, we're a generation of disclaimers, escapers, and avoiders.

Avoidance coping manifests in behaviours undertaken in an attempt to protect oneself from psychological harm, by ‘avoiding’ dealing with a stressor. These behaviours are anything done to circumvent directly addressing a problem, instead disengaging from the situation and averting your attention away from it.

Escape-avoidance, a.k.a. escapism, is a popular choice for stressors that feel uncontrollable, whereby we ‘escape’ in any way that distracts us from sitting with our negative feelings. Escapism, according to Cambridge Dictionary, is the avoidance of unpleasant aspects of daily life, and is a term often used to describe "the actions people take to help relieve persistent feelings of depression or general sadness". Escapism allows us to flee the situation of stress, whether into a fictional world or by creating physical distance between ourselves and what we perceive to be stressful environments. It’s not a quick fix by any means, escapism is a maladaptive coping strategy, one which fails to address the root cause of the stress. Think Gossip Girl Season 4 when Serena and Blair escape Manhattan boy troubles to spend their vacation in Paris, but because they didn't properly address their stressors we get two more seasons of Chuck and Blair nonsense.

I interviewed Sam*, whose coping mechanisms read like an ode to escapism. An extremely traumatic experience triggered a long-term period of depression. This was further compounded by a community “where everyone was in your business, everyone was keeping tabs on everyone else and that’s all they talked about". After indulging in the more ‘tame’ coping methods—blue hair, a belly button piercing, a lot of drinking and clubbing—Sam's respite finally came when she moved her entire family halfway across the world, ending up in Wellington, and successfully putting a total of 18,238 kilometres between herself and her stressors.

Mark dropped out of his studies and went to Japan. When he got new-relationship jitters, he absconded to Eastern Europe. Historically, he’s been known to engage in coping behaviours which are self-identified as “a lot of moving around” and “some bizarre shit”.

It isn’t just the physical distance from stress that Mark prefers, but complete psychological dissociation. When I ask about whether he thought his coping strategies played out escape-avoidance narratives, Mark is quick to clarify that his flight-not-fight response is “more of a defence

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WORDS BY CAITLIN HICKS

mechanism”. I, too, struggle with the hideous reality that I have a corporeal form which people can perceive (ugh). But when Mark is faced with a stressor, he “will do absolutely anything to avoid feeling like [himself]”. Instead, he prefers to transcend his reality until he realises that he’s been playing The Sims for 72 hours straight—like after his last relationship ended.

Mark’s “full-on imagination mode” isn’t due to a lack of competence in eliminating stressors, but arises from his preference to divorce himself from them entirely. Mark’s Great Escapes can look like months of lying in bed, finding reprieve in fictional worlds, not eating, and becoming socially isolated. “Books were my first love, in terms of avoidance coping” he muses.

Like Mark, when I felt anxious last week, I lay in bed all night and devoured Sally Rooney’s A Conversation with Friends in one bite. In cheap Kmart sheets, I was wandering around the Trinity College Green, moping along the quays at night as Dublin sparkled in the Liffey, saying things like “sure” and “grand”, and kissing a married man in his kitchen in Monkstown.

PTSD survivors often employ avoidance coping behaviours, becoming withdrawn, and circling around trauma but refusing to acknowledge it. Avoidance coping 101 includes: self-isolation, emotional restraint, wishful thinking, and resort to drugs or alcohol—potentially harmful activities that generally lead to poorer outcomes. But, avoidance coping can be beneficial in the short-term, while we muster enough mental energy to make a productive go at the other types.

“it’s okay to not have it together sometimes. It ebbs and flows … you’re not just gonna wake up one day and have your shit together” Over a long period of time, however, avoidance can be extremely detrimental. Many of these types of coping are considered maladaptive or negative, reducing symptoms but never addressing the critical stressor. Maladaptive coping mechanisms proffer short-term gain but long-term pain.

This leaves individuals ill-equipped to overcome stressors in a meaningful way, and approach similar stressors in the future.

Sam tends to agree. While recognising that “shutting off" her emotions to deal with stress was not ideal, in the short-term it allowed her to "put things in perspective and clear [her] head”. She attributes her new perspective and renewed hope to a "change of scenery", one which helped her to "step back" and implement a plan for tackling her stress in a more considered and sustainable way. Implicit in what Sam recounts, is the awareness that escaping stress can only ever be a temporary fix. For Sam, escape-avoidance gave her the time to plan how to overcome her trauma in a "logical, rather than emotional way”, but it didn't resolve the problem.

Sometimes, what looks like classic avoidance coping can be entirely productive. Some people engage in what can be characterised as avoidance-applying, the phenomenon of circumventing a stressor by throwing oneself at every job vacancy, scholarship, and opportunity even tangentially relevant to us. I spoke to Abby who was all-too-familiar with this flavour of 'coping', spurred by post-uni panic into applying for jobs she'd otherwise feel utterly underqualified for.

This approach seems counterintuitive. Piling on new tasks doesn't bode well for feeling any less overwhelmed, especially when your new obligations include the universally despised tortures of writing cover letters and polishing your resumé. Escape-avoiding one stress, in favour of another, is like procrastination on speed: firing on all cylinders until you're so desensitised to stress that you're practically Jacinda Ardern in her first Prime Ministerial term.

During our interview, Mark reflects on how his coping mechanisms have transformed over time. He reckons he’s gone full circle: from chaotic coping to his newly-honed ‘healthier’ remedies. He wants to emphasise, however, that it isn’t a linear journey, and that “it’s okay to not have it together sometimes. It ebbs and flows … you’re not just gonna wake up one day and have your shit together”.

When it comes to emotion-focused coping, my approach needs work. Yours probably does too. Let’s not forget that on the other side of the fleeing-the-country-coin, are tactics like positive reappraisal, or taking responsibility for managing stress, or doing yoga. Unfortunately, I find Yoga with Adriene quite … grating, and I hate being told when to breathe. Perhaps I am doomed to live my life like the subject of a Reductress headline: Wow! This woman manages her anxiety by fuelling it.

Coping feels inherently personal, but the science is not so subjective. Escape-avoidance is common, and not entirely without merit. Sam, Mark, and I have all escaped burnout

with a bit of distance, and it’s helped. Yeah, a therapist would probably advise me to stop booking flights during exam season, and the bank would certainly cancel my credit card if they knew that was what I used it for. But, as Mark puts it quite profoundly, I think, “you just have to thank your brain and your heart for looking after yourself, because that’s all you’re trying to do”, even if it’s imperfect.

In one of Weiten’s lesser-known texts, I’m sure he says that the answers to your problems are almost always in Japan. If you can’t make it there, consider getting lost elsewhere: like Sim City, or Sally Rooney’s Emerald Isle.

If you’re feeling a bit depressed, I’d recommend that you just chop off all of your hair, move to France, end a long term relationship, start a new one, and do it all while surviving off a diet of €1 Lidl gnocchi and glorified salami sticks. If you’re lucky, and you’ve got enough distance between yourself and your stressors, you’ll be energised enough to go off your SSRIs. You’ll finally start writing. You’ll spend Mondays cycling home folded into the basket of a bike owned by someone you hardly know and yet might love. You’ll drink wine by the riverside with a rag-tag group of brilliant, new forever-friends. If that doesn’t work, just come back and get braces, or cry heaps on the boat sheds at Oriental, ymmv.

Eventually, we’ll come out the other side of stress and grief and (hopefully) emerge with some ‘healthy’ coping skills, if such things even exist. With the borders closed for the foreseeable future, that day might be sooner than I anticipated—it looks like I’ll be forced to catch feelings.

Who am I kidding? I’ll be on the first plane outta here. My final dissertation is due in October, but I’ve always wanted to see the East Side Gallery in autumn. *Name changed

FEATURE: CATCH FLIGHTS, NOT FEELINGS

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Read it and Sleep WORDS BY SALLY WARD | SHE/HER

CAUTION ZZZZ

SLEEPI IN PRO NG GRESS

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“Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care.

The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath.

Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course.

Chief nourisher in life’s feast.”

Macbeth Act II, Scene II

‘How did you sleep?’ is possibly the worst question after ‘how’s the weather?’ Predictable, polite, pathetic. Alternatively, it is the most important question of the day. It speaks to how you’re feeling and how your day might unfold.

Our sleep must be protected. Too often do we trade it in for another episode of Tiger King or a regrettable night in town. Or lose out to worrying about a global pandemic, haha.

What’s more, we might have been tricked into thinking that sleep is not a priority. Pretty sure I reblogged ‘you can sleep when you’re dead’ on Tumblr in 2012. Turns out if you don’t sleep, you will actually die faster.

is because there is almost no aspect of the body and mind that does not suffer as a result of sleep loss. Consequences include heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and shortening of life expectancy. Sleep is also crucial in generating cells that attack cancer, and even one night of 4-hours’ sleep causes a drop in their production. Then there’s fatigue, inability to focus, stress, and poor memory retention.

I don’t know a single soul at university who could not relate to a sunken-eyed zombie chugging coffee between mouthfuls of cheap pizza. We’re told that sleep is important for stress management and that all nighters are not good for learning, so why don’t we just go to sleep? In this essay I will…

During sleep the brain literally cleans itself, like a groundsman walking round sweeping up leaves and taking out the rubbish. I wouldn’t mind a tidy mind.

For this piece I have leant on the wisdom of two doctors who specialise in sleep. Dr Matthew Walker is a British professor of neuroscience and psychology, who researches the impact of sleep on human health and disease. Dr Michael Mosely is also British, mostly known as a TV presenter and science journalist who studied medicine. I have included sources at the bottom if you want to know more and refer to their findings throughout.

How important is sleep?

In 2016, a New Zealand study concluded that over a third of New Zealanders are not getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep for adults (18-65 years).

Walker believes that we are in the midst of a “catastrophic sleep-loss epidemic”, and the reason why it is so catastrophic,

If there’s one thing we develop at university, besides ‘critical thinking skills’, it’s a dependency on caffeine and/or alcohol. This makes us prime suspects for less than ideal sleep. Alcohol and marijuana may make you fall asleep faster, but they ultimately block REM sleep, where the magic happens. The trouble is, you could get into a habit of relying on substances to send you to sleep, but you’re not actually sleeping. Conversely, there is no evidence that CBD oil ruins sleep quality. Drug law reform anyone?

What I’m saying is, drugs and alcohol will rob your sleep bank and take hostages. An extreme example of how the body responds to an accrual of sleep deficiency is in the case of alcoholism. The body’s need for sleep is so powerful that an alcoholic who goes cold turkey may experience lucid, half dream states when waking. The brain is imposing REM sleep to make up for lost time. A large part of university life, for better and for much worse, involves experiences with substances. Education about the effect it has on your sleep puts you in a better position to make good choices.

FEATURE: READ IT AND SLEEP

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Sleep and your immunity

Why is sleep a privilege?

We are in a ‘sleep epidemic’ and also a pandemic. So this right here is especially relevant. In a recent US study described by Mosley, scientists injected the common cold up people’s noses. One group had 8 hours sleep and one group had less than 6. The ones with shittier sleep were four times more likely to come down with a cold.

We must check our privilege. We must think about our human rights as tenants, because a good night’s sleep is a privilege.

The best way to fight a virus, or the common cold is to get lots of sleep in the early stages of infection. Your body will release cytokine, a protein that conducts the activity of antibodies. This is the first line of defence. If you don’t sleep properly initially, the body overcompensates by launching a “cytokine nuclear attack” (Mosely, 2020) and bashes up your lungs. By this point, your lungs are already infected and can’t handle the overdose.

All the vitamin C in the world won’t do you half as good as a good sleep. Don’t fuck around trying to ‘push through’ a cold (or COVID…). You’ll end up cytokine bombing your lungs.

Sleep is the enemy of capitalism I am convinced that the best way to fight capitalism is simply to lie down and close your eyes.

There is a body of scholarship that argues that the ‘24/7’ capitalist model, as an organising principle, relies on rendering its subjects sleepless. This is because you cannot make money off people while they sleep. Crops can’t be harvested, people can’t buy sneakers or sit at a desk crunching numbers. Thus, nothing of ‘value’ can be extracted while you have your eyes closed, dribbling into the pillow. It is well known that Netflix is designed to hook you in for as long as possible. At midnight they’ll con you into watching two more episodes than you should. That is how they make money.

As well as these economic forces working against sleep, there is a rhetoric around capitalism’s golden child— productivity. Maggie Thatcher famously ran on four hours sleep. But when you think about it, she was really grumpy and developed dementia. There are many CEO characters who boast that they don’t need sleep. Is this what you must do to succeed? Walker states that the percentage of people who can survive on 4-5 hours of sleep, without negative health consequences, is a big fat zero. The idea that people who sleep properly are lazy, or at least, not making the best use of their time is capitalist bullshit. People who get 8 hours are clever and healthy.

“All the vitamin C in the world won’t do you half as good as a good sleep. Don’t fuck around trying to ‘push through’ a cold (or COVID…). You’ll end up cytokine bombing your lungs.”

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WORDS BY SALLY WARD

There are many reasons why this is so, but I’ll just make the one point about soundscapes. ‘Sonic humanism’ advocates for well designed cities to reduce noise. It promotes the power of sound to make life better, including sleep quality, across global populations. Sound impacts sleep, and it tends to be lower social-economic or vulnerable renters who do not have the luxury of a quiet home. Neighbourhoods that are situated by airports, train lines, and industrial areas are noisier. The student favourite: high density apartments awash with late night street cleaning and drum and bass are not calming.

“The idea that people who sleep properly are lazy, or at least, not making the best use of their time is capitalist bullshit. People who get 8 hours are clever and healthy.”

Sound impacts sleep because of its character and the lack of control we have over it. If you don’t know when a sound will stop or what a faint beep means, the body will pump adrenaline. No one has ever fallen asleep with adrenaline coursing through their veins. Or, the noise will just pester you throughout the night and block your REM. As renters in a competitive market, we don’t have a lot of choice about where we live. I once lived above a mechanic and woke up to the sound of water-blasting at 7am every day.

I will never put myself through that again. I now take sound in account when choosing where to live. However, poor housing standards are also to blame and perhaps we should write to the government.

How do I go to sleep?

We’re living stressed out, over stimulated, and drugged. We have emails blinging our hotlines past the witching hour.

Additionally, the student population is a breeding ground for more serious conditions like insomnia or anxiety (if you are experiencing this, see a doctor). It’s not as simple as getting a good night sleep, thanks Susan.

Some tips from doctors: We sleep in 90 minute cycles, diving down into deep sleep states and diving back up. If you wake up at 3am, you’ve probably just surfaced from REM. It’s easy to panic and be bombarded with stressful thoughts about your overbearing landlord or whatever. Remember not to panic, you’ve just come up for air and you can deal with it tomorrow. Dr Mosely suggests reading a book or having sex, which I’m

sure extends to solo sex. Counting sheep apparently does fuck all because it is not cognitively demanding. Think more holistically about how stress management can bring better sleeps and in turn, lower your stress.

Routine is your friend. Circadian rhythms and such. You can’t expect to fall asleep at 10pm if you’ve been staying up till 1am drinking three nights in a row. Your body won’t know which country it’s in. It might seem boring, but remember we are trying to fight capitalism and there’s nothing cooler than that.

Matthew Walker suggests sleeping naked. The body temp needs to drop by 2-3 degrees. 18OC is the optimal room temp. Baths make you sleep because when you emerge all prune-y, the blood rushes to the surface and your body temperature plummets. This is called vasodilation.

Developing stress prevention mechanisms will help you sleep better. It’s kind of a chicken and egg situation

—it’s harder to sleep if you’re stressed and you’ll be more stressed if you don’t sleep so think about how you can break the cycle. *** This last bit is my advice (not a doctor), as someone who has struggled with sleep. One of the best things you can do is address your stresses. It’s less likely they will keep you up at night if you manage them during the day. You could do this by reducing the pressure you put on yourself (or pressure from others), like not taking on extra responsibilities. You could write things down or talk to a counsellor. This helps because it allows you to get perspective on your 99 problems, so instead of being night monsters they’re more like beady eyed teddy bears.

Sleep is the balm of hurt minds and labour’s bath, don’t put it at the bottom of your to do list. Good afternoon, goodnight.

Sources Devan Bailey (2015) 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep, by Jonathan Crary, Rethinking Marxism, 27:1, 138-140

Matt Walker “Sleep is your superpower” TED 04/06/19 on YouTube

99% Invisible “Sound and Health: Cities” 16/05/19, wherever you get your podcasts

Joe Rogan Experience #1109 – Mathew Walker 26/04/19 on YouTube

Dr Michael Mosely: the secrets of a good night’s sleep, Radio New Zealand National 04/04/20

FEATURE: READ IT AND SLEEP

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LIAM COLLINSON, MILLER HOME EXPLOSION

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Busy is Tired WORDS BY LOFA TOTUA | SHE/HER

A

B I’ve been busy (busy busy) I’ve been fuckin’ busy. I’ve been busy thinking.

When I first heard ASAP Rocky’s ‘Purity’ back in 2018, the sample from Ms. Lauryn Hill herself hooked me in the face.

Those days I used to self-isolate in my hall room voluntarily.

Oh how times have changed.

I gotta find peace of mind.

Finding peace of mind is one of those concepts that you hear adults throw around in conversations growing up,

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pretending they know. You hear it on TV shows, movies, and from legit and not-so-legit artists at their live shows talkin bout “…the process in creating this helped me find peace of mind”.

Said I was in a rush but I was busy rushin.

I have punished myself, almost habitually, with burnout. How heroic. And stupid. It be like: keep going until I burn out, or burn something, or someone. Like many of us I have been conditioned to be productive from a young age, my life at capacity from sunrise to sundown. For my schooling years, it was all go. From Place A to Place B. Like the automated

response of so many to ‘be more productive’ during this lockdown, my childhood was great, but it also nurtured habits grossly rooted in capitalism.

I gotta find peace of mind.

No one can teach you how to find peace or to feel gratitude.

Some of you, like me, have tried to pray for it, but like many prayers, it doesn’t really work without following it up with action. Truly feeling it is something else.

Peace of mind is a privilege. Time off is a privilege. In these times, having a safe place to call home with good people is a privilege. There are people who can’t afford to ‘recover’ from burnout because they can’t afford to not work. There are people who can’t afford to ‘recover’ from burnout because they live paycheck to paycheck. There are people who can’t ‘recover’ from burnout because they can’t afford to change careers. Many of these jobs are the same jobs now considered essential to the running of our country.

I gotta find peace of mind.

The sample, “I Gotta Find Peace of Mind” is from Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged album. It blew my mind and woke me up man. This was before being woke and open minded was cool. As an annoying fresher, my toxic trait was thinking I was woke enough to speak on things that did not concern me.

This track was literally the first song I ever ugly cried to. In the comfort of my own self-isolation of course. I felt seen. I felt heard. More importantly, I felt understood.

Busy shit, busy this, busy that. I need a minute.

Around the time I was 13 years old, my grandfather and I were fighting similar demons. Life really had no meaning and no gain for me. It was a hard time to live in my head. I couldn’t go to school and last a day without being overwhelmed by unbearable migraines. After 3 years straight of being ‘productive’, a concussion injury forced me into my own self-isolation. Playing sport, which had become so much a part of my identity, had been taken away from me. I wasn’t allowed in certain places in case I fainted and I had to be careful all the time. My grandpa, on the other hand, had just been fired from his job of over 10 years working as a luggage loader at Auckland Airport. After decades of being the breadwinner, we as a family had to adjust to life with him at home all the time. Unlike me, he chose his self-isolation.

Weeks and weeks saw him glued to the couch. Talking to him was a tumultuous experience and you never knew what version of him you were gonna get. It took me a while to understand, but for him, being productive—his job, being the provider for our household, things that had given him purpose—had also been taken from him.

This what that voice in your head says when you tryna get peace of mind.

By the time I turned 15, we—without discussion —had thrown ourselves into suffering under the sun. Gardening, running, training, cooking and everything else that made us feel like

we were existing in the moment. I remember not thinking about where I was going later, or filling my head with lists and plans like I do these days, trying to use ‘busy’ as my distraction. It was in these moments that I no longer felt like I had no purpose. Instead, I learnt of the stability in being present and loyalty to one’s self. I think Papa felt the same, although we have never spoken about that time.

He says it’s impossible… but I know it’s possible.

When we take away the busy from our lives, what are we left with? When we are forced to remove the endless to-do list, what do we do? After burning out, who are we Aotearoa?

When you are confined to one space for a long period of time, you will be confronted with your worst self and the worst of the people around you—as many of us may or may not have found since our country went into lockdown. Face to face with the facts, toe to toe with your demons. The truth is, so many of us can no longer run to our various forms of escape as often as we would like or even at all because of this lockdown. We would rather burn out than face this truth.

Being unavailable or too busy is no longer an excuse for us to work on ourselves. There’s no better time than to unpack and seek peace of mind than now. There’s no better time to reconsider: what is the ‘normal’ we want to return to? What is the system that we were serving before and why did it take all of this for us to just… breathe?

“Like many of us I have been conditioned to be productive from a young age, my life at capacity from sunrise to sundown.”

You make my heart desire pure, just tell me.

Media. Film. Music. Visual art. Feeling the sun on our skin.

Exercising. Journaling. Reading for enjoyment. Spending time with our isolation buddies.

While we are participating in these activities and being present, the world is on pause. Life’s pile of shit to do is on pause.

But not for everyone. There are some amongst us who have to live with the realities of poverty, violence, and illness—things that do not pause, things that cannot be escaped, burnout or no burnout, lockdown or no lockdown.

There are some amongst us who have to continue to work outside our homes to support ourselves, our families, other people we are caring for and essentially, our country. If you are in a position of privilege to be asking yourself these questions then I encourage you to do so. For now, the burn out is far from your horizon. What can you do to support their peace of mind?

I’m undone because I share with you my peace.

FEATURE: BUSY IS TIRED

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UniQ SOPHIE SIMONS | SHE/HER

SUSTAINING THE FIRE I like to think of burnout in the metaphor of fire. Don’t put enough substance into it and it dies, too much, on the other hand, and the fire becomes uncontrollable. We must be able to balance these to create a strong, healthy, sustainable burn.

I can’t really say I have much advice to give on preventing burnout—mine are always inevitable. But surviving burnouts?

I’ve got plenty of advice about that.

It’s a constant balancing act to try and keep my fire burning at the right level: three majors, two jobs, and a CV that intimidates just about every potential romantic partner of all genders and sexualities while having fibromyalgia (chronic pain), chronic anxiety, and chronic depression.

As I reflect on a week in lockdown, I recognise I've done very little of anything. I’m in the state of recovering from a burnout, without realising I was ever in one to begin with. I kept stoking the fire with activities, study, and work in the first weeks of this trimester while being sick from the mould in my own house.

One side of my brain is telling me to push through this, keep going, be productive, and prepare for my future—bullshit, capitalist rhetoric designed to keep the workers going.

However, I understand that for many like myself the only way to overcome a burnout is to sustain the fire through productivity. Spray it with water. Quit those clubs, activities, and roles you have that don’t ‘spark joy’. Keep the ones that make you get out of bed in the morning, to continue with for your passion and productivity.

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COLUMNS

There will always be a future to plan. Rest at this time is a privilege. Not everyone is so lucky. Use it wisely. Take a brief moment of time to smell the roses. Find the little things that make you smile. Don’t put off that ever-needed games night, drinks with friends, or hearty Netflix binge. Keep getting out of bed. Keep your self-care routine and try to prevent the fire from dying, turning to ashes, and creating a deep state of depression for you.

There’s no proper way to survive a burnout like there’s no proper way to survive a lockdown. You can’t win against people or against a lockdown, but you can survive in the best way you can. Moderate your expectations, moderate your life, but keep sustaining the fire. Whether it be through entertainment in these dark unknown times when the fire is burnt out, or through social connection—a virtual campfire.

Our only aim through this lockdown and through any burnout must be to survive the best we can. For me, that’s dancing in the living room, making friends with the cute boy across the street, looking at my rainbow light shining across the room, writing campaigns, ideas. But most importantly, I’m surviving the best way I can to relight and sustain that fire—moderating what I expect to be done, practising self-care, hanging out with friends [virtually], and making sure to breathe before I inhale that smoke.

Disabled Students’ Association

The ‘F’ Word TARA Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN | SHE/HER

CONNOR ADAMSON | HE/HIM COMBATTING LONG TERM BURNOUT This year at university has certainly been a departure from the norm when it comes to how the trimester has been structured, so it is likely you haven’t had the chance to burnout yet with everything else going on. Those of you who have been at university for many years have now likely questioned, at some point, why you chose your degree and what exactly it is going to do for you in the long run.

I would like to share some techniques that have helped me deal with long term burnout that can hopefully help you too.

Focus on the reasons why you started studying to begin with.

In the long term, we can often lose sight of why we chose a particular field of study. Remembering our reasons why can reignite the passion we once had. On the other hand, if you never had that passion because you were unsure of what to study or somebody suggested it because it leads to a good career, try focussing on how this degree connects to something you are passionate about or can support you in other areas of your life.

Living with a disability means things take longer and the people we started university with often finish and move on, often making us feel left behind and burnt out. Staying behind has its advantages, you can make a totally new group of friends or become more involved in clubs and activities that you never had the time for. I encourage all of you to find the positives in a seemingly negative situation—you may be surprised.

Maybe you are struggling with issues unrelated to university.

In this case, please ask for help whether it be from family/ friends, your doctor, or Student Health.

Hope everyone is feeling positive in spite of the current situation.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS For those who are not allowed to burn out.

During the pandemic, we’re realising who our essential workers are, and shock horror, they’re not rich, white men.

Of our essential workers, the ones at the most risk must interact with the general public, being healthcare workers, police officers, and service staff (pharmacy, petrol, and supermarket workers). Within these roles, service staff and healthcare workers are amongst the lowest paid, and they are mostly women and people of colour.

I’m working checkouts during this time, and it’s exhausting.

Last week I saw a colleague in tears after a customer refused to adhere to the 2m social distancing rule, and then proceeded to throw cans of food at security staff. I find myself drawing contrasts from our situation now, and how women came to receive the vote. We didn’t get the vote because men started seeing us as real people, it was because they needed us to contribute to moral reform, the key issue at the time being the prohibition of alcohol. Suddenly, we had more use than only being wives and mothers, and the same is happening for essential workers now, so where is the recognition?

Progressive and Foodstuffs have both given supermarket employees a 10% raise during this time, and it’s insulting that people are patting them on the back for it. The minimum wage in NZ is 18.90, a 10% increase would see that go to 20.79, and the living wage is 21.15. Aged care workers are having to work double shifts due to short staff, as anyone with a hint of a cold can’t come into work. The pressure is real, and the thanks is empty. In a few weeks, the lockdown will hopefully be over, Jacinda will stop thanking us in her live updates, and the old white men will once again be calling the shots.

The ethnic and gender pay gaps are still alive and well here in New Zealand. We are essential, and we are worth more.

COLUMNS

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Student Wellbeing

VUWSA

GEORGIA GRIGGS | SHE/THEY

JOANNA LI

HOW ARE YOU?

ME TIME

When someone asks me that question, I usually say ‘fine’ or ‘good’, without even thinking about my answer. Right now, I want you to take the time to think about your answer. How are you feeling?

The time of writing this, there are two hours left until the country goes into lockdown. I was at the office until 8:30pm —on the literal last day before university officially closes.

The past few weeks have been hectic, to say the least. I know that I felt panicked and uncertain around the time the lockdown was announced, and I’m sure many of you felt the same. A few weeks ago, this column was going to be about how to deal with burnout in the six-week dip and managing stress. But now we’re in a kind of limbo, almost the opposite of the six-week dip, but no less stressful if only for different reasons. So, instead of giving you study tips, I want to share some tips about how to keep yourself balanced during the lockdown.

First, keep to a weekly schedule. Having a regular list of activities, as well as a daily wake-up time and scheduled exercise can be really helpful to help you stay sane.

Second, keep in touch! Make sure you make dates with friends and family who aren’t in your bubble to call or video chat. We’ve got to make sure we’re supporting each other right now, and you can do a little self-care by hanging out with your loved ones virtually.

Third, take this time to relax. I like to think of this as a kind of surprise holiday, we get to have a break from uni (but not work for some of us) and we have to stay at home. You could take this time to catch up on reading, or your favourite show, or even to finish that project that’s been gathering dust since last year.

My biggest piece of advice is to limit your news consumption.

It is important to stay up to date with what’s happening, but you can also have too much news. I try to only check updates once a day, and turn notifications off. We’ve got to stay safe, not stay worried. Look after yourself and the people around you. Wash those hands as well. Kia kaha xx

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ISSUE 06: COLUMNS

I am possibly the worst person in the VUWSA exec this year to be talking about burnout.

When the move to Level 4 was announced, another member of the exec turned to me and said, “Well, now you physically can’t go into the office to work!”. Of course, this was before I took my work computer home to set up in my living room —double monitors and all.

But it really does say something about how the way we live is structured. It takes a pandemic for us to slow down.

It takes the government banning us from going outside to take a break. Even now, it’s not so easy to just stop. Life is still going—there’s still emails to be sent, assignments to do, meetings to organise. There’s always work to be done, and chances are that when you ‘take time for yourself’, you’re really just saying “those things I have to do is a tomorrow problem, right now is me time”.

That doesn’t mean that taking that me time isn’t important.

Burnout is tricky when you work in campaigning and community organisation. You love it, you really do—you have to when you work hours like this. But it’s exhausting. You’re personally invested in every issue and everywhere you look there are things you could be doing better. And everywhere there’s people who think you’re not doing enough or doing the wrong thing.

Hopefully, these few weeks will give everyone some breathing space—to focus on that me time. With no uni and for many, no work, it could be one of the only times where we’re required to do absolutely nothing. Which means we have the freedom to do whatever we want (while staying the fuck inside). And that’s a luxury in itself.

Liquid Knowledge CAITLIN HICKS | NGĀTI RANGINUI | SHE/HER

I’M TIRED Liquid Knowledge is having an existential crisis. [Redacted respiratory illness] means that Courtenay Place has shut up shop and social gatherings are off the table. Pub Chat is at a national all-time low.

I don’t want to talk to my friends about current events. Or, the one big uNpReCeDeNtEd Current Event. Every morning I wake up to The Guardian’s push notifications which tell me that 100,000 more people have it, where the next hotspot is, and how likely it is that my loved ones will die. Twitter is a carousel of bleak anecdotes and anti-landlord rage, and Facebook is just full of narks. If I see one more brain-worm hot take from Mike Hosking, or another pseudo-influencer telling me to ‘stay home’ when they drive to the beach every day to go swimming, I will lose my goddamn mind.

This isn’t normal Pub Chat. No politics, no news. I’m burnt out. My lockdown routine is to wake up at midday and dissociate from my corporeal form for 8 hours. Then, rinse and repeat. I’m tired. So I’m gonna pretend that we’re all on Zoom together doing Friday Fives. I’ve just sat down and cracked open a watermelon and mint Pal (yes, I’m white), and we’ll talk about literally anything else except Miss Rona.

Whatcha been watchin?

Hey all you cool cats and kittens, we need to talk about Tiger King. Who am I kidding, by the time this gets published this column will be redundant because it is inconceivable to me that there are people on earth who have still not watched this. It is unreal, out-of-this-world television.

Utterly bonkers. Egregiously problematic. It has all the elements of great TV: wild animals, a gay-straight throuple, arson, a Walmart Meat Truck, political campaigns, murder, the FBI, methamphetamine, magic, and more. The least interesting thing that happens is someone getting their actual armed ripped off on-camera by a living and breathing real-life tiger. Chaotic.

I could literally not describe Joe Exotic using my vocabulary, but he scratches the surface when he describes himself in a clip for his *presidential* campaign: “The first thing is, I am not cutting my hair, I am not changing the way I dress, I refuse to wear a suit. I am gay, I’ve had two boyfriends most of my life… I’ve had some kinky sex, I’ve tried drugs. I’m broke as shit.” Iconic.

Carole (fuckin’) Baskin inspired me to dig out my Tumblr-era flower crown and almost certainly murdered and minced her husband. No no, her one before Howard (aka world’s biggest simp). Carole rides around all day on her bike wearing leopard print and doing crimes and, honestly, she’s aspirational.

Other assorted characters are all terrifying and definitely using drugs on the regular. Doc Antle has a legitimate harem of beautiful women which meets all the criteria for a cult, not least of all because he makes them work 16-hour days for an absolute pittance, chooses their outfits, and renames them so they sound more exotic. Creep.

Jeff Lowe and his concerningly young wife are swingers, criminals, and swindle the zoo away from Joe which is really quite a minor plotline in the big scheme of things.

Joe’s husbands John and Travis are the most likeable characters. Just genuine, well-meaning guys who have been manipulated. On balance, it’s a sad state of affairs: hard to watch and impossible to look away from.

Whoa, has it already been 40 minutes and your pleb-tier Zoom subscription means we have to call it quits? And all we’ve talked about is Tiger King? Ah, shame really. Wash your hands. Stay home. For the sake of your own sanity do not watch this show. Kia Kaha.

ISSUE 06: COLUMNS

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To Be Frank FRANKIE DALE | SHE/HER

DR. ASHLEY BLOOMFIELD, TIGER KING OF MY HEART Initially, this column was solely about how stressed I was for my stupid essay or how the boy I liked didn’t talk to me.

That was my idea of being burnt out at the time. Obviously, things are a little bit different now. The truth of the matter is, I’m a little bit sad—just as I’m sure you are. I need to emphasise that we can be sad and absolutely grateful at the same time.

Being scared, sad, overwhelmed with uncertainty, and ultimately burnt out at a time like this is completely warranted.

In times like this, I think distraction is good—that’s why I watched Tiger King in one day. Although that man is a deeply flawed individual, he’s got some pipes on him.

Dramatic assholes like me are apparently always burnt out.

Not just in our hectic, six week lul or in a global pandemic.

There are days where I will wake up at 7am and eat oats with fancy bananas on it and pretend to do 3 minutes of ab workouts in my room. But there are also days where I will survive the whole day on my unpretentious diet that consists of refried beans and coke. I’ll stare at the wall naked in my wet towel considering if I should triple text that guy from the gig or not, then fall into a deep depression when he doesn’t reply, even though I knew he wouldn't.

My disturbed friend Rosa was telling me last week that she is dealing with her stress by developing a strange, yet completely warranted affinity for Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, the Director-General of Health. Much like New York's Governor, Andrew Cuomo, people seem to be getting a hard-on for the way these men are approaching COVID-19. From their calm and collected nature to their quiet confidence, Rosa is convinced that Ashley could be the one for her, and told me on Zoom this morning that when this is all over, he will be receiving a sultry DM from hers truly.

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ISSUE 06: COLUMNS

I know I'm properly burnt out when I have called Student Health 16 times in one week complaining of a new imaginary rash, infection, illness, bug, haemorrhage. The manifestation of my stress is so toxic that I can convince myself I have almost any disease. There I am, spread eagle over a mirror checking for the Herpes that I know I don’t have. Whilst still feeling a sense of relief when I get a text from Student Health saying “Hi Frankie, your results are negative”, which obviously calls for jugs with the mains, right? I still manage to come up with a new reason to be stressed.

We all deal with stress in different ways, and it has taken me a couple of weeks in isolation to come to terms with being kinder to yourself. I couldn’t care less if you’re not learning Latin or making ugly jewellery as your new side hustle. I’m currently trying to find the best light in my room to send my ex nudes. Tragic. But, who cares?

To be honest, this has been a difficult column to write. I am usually so inspired, excited to tell you about my distressing stories in hopes it will give you a twinkle of reprieve that even though you’re cringe, you’re not as cringe as me. I have to tell my stories to keep me sane. Take care of yourself. Who cares how you’re dealing with all of this—text your ex, take a shower, delve into the dark web. Be stressed in your own way because it is literally your body telling you something. Bake that banana cake, or don't. I love you, whoever you may be.

Going Nowhere VIC BELL | KĀI TAHU | SHE/HER

1969 was a momentous year. The moon landing? Whatever.

Elvis? Who cares. Woodstock? Irrelevant. 1969 is etched into the heart of every bogan man, woman, and child as it was the first time the burnout came into being. Born out of drag racing, the burnout is when one engages the brakes and gas pedal simultaneously, resulting in spinning wheels leaving smoke and skid marks in their wake. Whether you drive manual or automatic, Corolla or Skyline, grab a pack of Diesels and join me on a tour de force of the greatest places in Wellington to let it rip.

Behind Bowen State Building Mum’s questionable suggestion was the area behind the Bowen State Building. Considering the high security and close proximity to the beehive I thought this was the worst idea imaginable as it breaks the cardinal rule of only burning out where you won’t get caught. However, with the police currently tied up towing baby boomers out of the ocean by their budgie smugglers, it might be an opportune time.

Take advantage of an unusually empty CBD and smoke up in Jacinda’s honour. Hide in plain sight.

Seaview Road, The Hutt Dad hails from Wainuiomata. A bogan stronghold, it is the land of the free and the home of the brave, where a chocolate biscuit is considered fancy. It is a major exporter of concussions, joinery and Tana Umaga. He went to Hutt Valley High when it topped the teen pregnancy rate and bottomed the education measures. Distinctly cooler than me, his teenage years were spent playing rugby, sinking piss, and attempting to make pot brownies in a microwave.

This makes him the most qualified person I know to speak on the kaupapa. He had two words for me. “Seaview Road.”

“That’s where all the kids went to do burnouts when I was growing up.” Located out in The Hutt, this is well worth the drive to hold court for your friction loving peers and impress Stacey’s sister.

Grenada North Industrial Area Spending my teenage years near an industrial area, I am familiar with the going-ons. Abandoned concrete jungles that smell of paint thinner and poor choices. As soon as you got your learners license it was a great place to hang out when you couldn’t hang out at that cool friend’s house —the one whose mum didn’t care if the kids drank as long as no one drove. The one who definitely had a holographic portrait of a tiger or a wolf hanging in the living room and whose school sweater always reeked to high heaven of marijuana. Grenada North has been notorious for boy racer activity in recent years, as its industrial area is a knockout in terms of car park size and placement.

Makara Beach My father said the key to a good burnout spot is “somewhere the cops aren’t gonna get called immediately”. Makara is the most remote suburb in Wellington, with few residential properties and winding roads. Out here you’d have a good 30 minute jump on any party poopers. The carpark is flat and spacious. Gravel is strewn in some places, which gives you the added opportunity to painfully spray any unwanted spectators. The sunsets out here are beautiful, and the paua are fat and close to shore. All in all, a great spot to pull up a log and share a bourbon with the boys.

ISSUE 06: COLUMNS

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Wiry Man

I want to be a wiry man with big hands

I want to have the kind of suntan only garnered on catamarans

I want to be able to tie knots nautical and lick the salt from the wounds I’ll happily land

I want to fear that I’ll die lonely and at momentary peace with being mild mannered

No one around to tell me what a twat I actually am

I want to listen to a soundtrack of lapping waves and perishing gills, all the while quietly confident in having no real ideas being the master plan

I want to be a wiry man with big hands because they’re exactly the types that can do anything and they will and they can and they might not but a lithe body and wide finger span are all the tools you need to be locking away in the cupboard of your pockets when the sun goes down and you call it a day. evening. night.

Daniel Frears

Send your poems to poetry@salient.org.nz

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POETRY

I’m Stressed Enough Without the Pixelation

GRACE CLARKE | SHE/HER

You all know what Minecraft is. Even if you have somehow managed to avoid playing the most popular game of all time over the past decade, you’ll have at least seen your cousin playing it while babysitting them in order to fund your Jägerbomb habit. Ok, maybe that’s just my own personal experience, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s had Minecraft imposed upon them without ever really having a desire to play it.

You can, therefore, thank the Coronavirus for this high-quality review, as it’s the only reason I’ve been spending the past couple of weeks playing this fucking kids game. I am fortunate enough to not actually have COVID-19, but I’ve definitely been bored without my lectures that I was definitely going to attend, and without my hospo job that I just loved showing up for. I’m stuck with my boyfriend during isolation, and his idea of fun is to play videogames and not leave his room all day, even when we are allowed to freely roam the great outdoors (within reason you newborn trampers). Therefore, his only real problem when it comes to the lockdown has been figuring out how he can still be glued to his computer while also keeping me entertained.

As a result, I’ve been roped into playing Minecraft with him, which is something he definitely regrets ever suggesting.

My boyfriend plays Minecraft as a form of relaxation, as a way to de-stress or zone out when he doesn’t want to focus on uni work, the impending apocalypse, or me. I’m aware he’s not alone in this; sandbox games like Minecraft are, arguably, just like playing with Lego. When a typical videogame’s objective is to shoot either aliens, demons, or other Gamers™, the juxtaposition of mining and building with blocks can be soothing if you just want to tune out from existence.

You can touch lava and burn to your death, be killed by monsters that fucking explode, and even just straight-up fall to your death down a big-ass hole. Falling down a hole isn’t even meant to be an obstacle in Minecraft, but the game is so saturated with different ways you can die that even the randomly generated landscape can kill you. And yet, this game is apparently what people like to play to relax.

“But just play in creative mode then!” I hear all you ride-or-die Minecraft fans cry. But don’t act like that shit isn’t stressful too—even without the threat of impending death, there’s just far too many possibilities of what you can create. I try to build a simple house, and suddenly there are literally hundreds of different types of blocks to choose from just to build my porch. How the hell am I meant to make big decisions like that while I’m hungover, have cabin fever, and/or am having an existential crisis?

Ok, maybe I’m being unfair. Maybe I’m just a stressed out person by nature and so anything will stress me out. This game is played and loved by literally millions of people across the globe, and I’m potentially just bitter because I didn’t play it as a kid and now I suck at it. Don’t get me wrong, Minecraft can be a fun game to play, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed exploring the worlds, finding diamonds, and learning how to actually defend myself against a roaming creeper (apparently screaming and running from your computer doesn’t help). But, is it a game that I’ve found relaxing during this cursed year? Absolutely not.

But, to me, this game is a hellscape of anxiety.

REVIEWS: GAME

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Intro To: Dounia MADDI ROWE | THEY/SHE

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My M.O. for this feature is to expose you to music that will nourish your soul. I thought over this for way too long. Should I provide a playlist? Should I review multiple artists? I was scrolling through my own assortments of music and, out of the incredibly talented artists I was contemplating, one voice soared above with glassy tone colours.

Introducing, Moroccan-American bad bitch and songstress, Dounia Tazi—mononymously, Dounia.

Dounia kickstarted her career as a model and activist before moving into the undulating, chaotic sphere of the music industry. Her objective? Creating space for unapologetic Muslim women. She’s been chipping away at alternative RnB amalgamations ever since.

It’s obvious she’s curated a sound that reflects energy to reflect yours. That is what makes Dounia so captivating to listen to—the intuition. We don’t often find music that listens to you as you listen to it.

Dounia sits among her peers with a certain regality. Douns is equipped with the lyrically uplifting genius to get you dancing and a crisp, breathy voice to bring you back to earth.

She possesses the rolling, warm, rumbling bass to awaken depths, and the assertive synth-elemental mixing to bring you toward a light you’ve never seen before.

We hear Dounia coming into the scene strong, leaving her signature all over the record, with her 2017 album, Intro To. While it’s three years on, the tone of this album is still, almost impossibly, relevant in the current contemporary realm.

“Clueless” slides us into a dreamy, 90’s-influenced, open hi-hat beat, with synth dribbles over the 1s and 3s of simple, yet punchy 4/4 bars. “Status” carries on the torch, alighting the listener with droplet synths and a flowing, hair raising bass lick—a gorgeous wailing guitar outro to make your mouth water. There’s very obvious early 2010’s pop influence in this album—this masterpiece has been sculpted, kilned, and reworked all over again many times. These are just a couple of examples from a bright and bold album that secures Dounia’s well-earned place in alt-RnB.

“Douns is equipped with the lyrically uplifting genius to get you dancing and a crisp, breathy voice to bring you back to earth.”

you feeling like you’re drenched in diamonds and bathing in money (whether or not you redistribute that wealth, it’s your choice). I needn’t say more nerdy shit about the technicalities.

Take a bite of these lyrics: And yeah she cute, but she not quite me / You think that you could compete, that's highly unlikely / Yeah you cute, but you not quite us / Creatively bankrupt, let me fill your tank up / Iconic.

In her second album, The Avant-Garden, there are too many bops to choose from. We have sultry, sexy up-strum guitars in “How I See It”. Unadulterated, raw energy in “Darija Freestyle”. “Avant Garde” is a testament to unorthodoxy and complete confidence. “King of Queens (Intro)” brings us into the album with a swaggering, effortless bass and kick-drum pair.

Aside from the collective masterpieces that make up her albums, Dounia effortlessly mixes mainstream contemporary formulae with Persian vocal trills influencing her vibrato. Darija, the spoken language of Morocco, curls in and out and in between flawless bars in the form of her alterego, Moroccan Doll. Dounia’s energy is a perfect indictment and subversion of the essentialism that permeates the music industry. Because fuck Kenny Beats, right?

She’s making positive space for people who are widely underrepresented in the mainstream, with the energetic equivalent of giving out hugs and making hot chocolates.

She goes live all the time on IG and encourages her followers to come sesh and vibe with her. A queen for the people.

Time for the plug: Douns just released a gorgeous spokenword narrative single called “Catching Feelings”. She painted the album art herself. Versatile! Talented!

If you’re currently observing the 6-week dip, I know you need chicken soup for the soul right now. Whatever your dietary preferences, Dounia and her kickass discography will warm you from the inside out.

Dounia cuts her trap teeth with molasses-thick-bass in “Rich Girl Mood”, featuring our queen, Kehlani. This song has

FEATURE: MUSIC

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The Book of Traps and Lessons (2019) Kate Tempest

STELLA CARRUTHERS | SHE/HER

The crowd is clad in Wellington black. Suits and shiny shoes have been replaced by scuffed Doc’s and black Lee skinnies.

It’s a full house. The energy of the Michael Fowler Centre feels electric. Full of anticipatory energy for what is to come.

She’s smaller than I expected. But her presence is fucking huge. Even before she speaks, it is in the way she circles the stage like a wild animal scouting out its territory. Satisfied all is well in her golden wilderness, she turns to us, the dark crowd. Out calls a voice we know well from political poems and social commentary raps. But there is also a ringing sense of rest to her tone. A pause I feel, that says as much as the words she speaks.

Kate Tempest is a problematic prophet. She is a political poet and a remembered-for-her-wit rapper. She is also a novelist and playwright. There is nothing she does not do when it comes to words. Hailing from the UK and identifying strongly with her hometown of London, Tempest is not only a writer. She is also a spoken word performer with four albums to her name. She won the prestigious Ted Hughes Award in 2013 and is known for her insights into the emotional landscapes of humanity. These are certainly not all pretty places.

Tempest’s latest album The Book of Traps and Lessons (2019) looks at our current world order. This is a world firmly placed off the scenic route. I think of this record as an example of a protest album at its best. It protests both the current situation as well as the actions and events that got us here.

Tempest, as she did in her previous work, uses formal poetic devices well. As she states in significant metaphoric gesture in “Thirsty”, “My eyes were like shovels in the soil of the sky".

Meanwhile, her piece “Keep Moving, Don’t Move” is startling in its simple power.

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REVIEWS: SHOW/POETRY

Both her use of poetic device, her ability in spoken word rhythms and her wider societal commentary make this album powerful in its message about a world in crisis. Not just humanity. But the whole god-damn world. Tempest is not afraid of addressing the big issues—of facing up to the dark shit.

While her poems are very much focused on human experience, and while human-induced crisis is at the heart of her work, The Book of Traps and Lessons takes this theme further by expressing a more vast sense of the issues of our times. In “People’s Faces” Tempest asks with a ringing truth "Couldn't we be doing this differently?"

I consider this latest offering by Tempest not as a static entity but as a thing alive. It evolves every time I listen to it. I hear new things. Or re-hear remembered things differently.

Due to this sense of life, I feel this album has a voice. It is not just Tempest’s voice speaking. She is speaking on behalf of humanity. She is calling us out on the things that are hard to think about but desperately need to be considered if we are to survive these times.

I have hope because there are people like Tempest swearing and shouting us to consciousness. That her listeners are dressed like they were going to a hipster funeral is a bonus. I am hopeful because they stood and clapped for five minutes of encore as Tempest called us to account for ourselves in the world.

My Week with Marilyn (2011) dir. Simon Curtis

CHARLIE MYER | HE/HIM

We’ve all seen an actress make mistakes. The best actresses are able to ignore or incorporate these mistakes into their act, however, the opposite is shown in My Week with Marilyn (2011) when Marilyn Monroe first begins her acting career.

Played by Michelle Williams, Marilyn is a picture of charm and exquisite beauty. The camera shows every photographer and flash, cutting back to her smiling face. Marilyn adores the limelight with every validating comment of admiration and intrigue.

Burnout is a chameleon. It can take many different shapes and appear invisible to others. In My Week with Marilyn, Marilyn isn’t a sex-obsessed pin-up icon, she’s a real person who so desperately needs support that she never receives.

Fame was the only way she was given the support she needed, and even then, it was directed towards a mere idea of her. Fame motivates her, but work burns her out.

Often, it is normal for actors to be on set for over 10 hours a day, and sometimes extending to 16 hours. This can go on for weeks or months on end. Actors get tired because it isn’t a 9 to 5 job, your fame follows you wherever you go.

Fame is a farce—we all know it to be true. When Marilyn goes shopping, she becomes swamped with admirers, enjoying it until she doesn’t. I don’t mean to be sympathetic towards celebrities because I can hardly do so when the same capitalism that ‘poisons’ them is the kind that forces families into endless poverty. This, however, doesn’t make actors’ pain less real. Burnout can be found in any workplace— whether it be an office, factory, or studio.

A 2017 study about the wellbeing of student actors found that “excessive, sustained workloads have been shown to negatively impact on [psychological well-being], with almost every system in the human body affected by the resulting chronic stress… In order to cope with chronic stress,

participants described substance use… as a coping strategy” (Robb & Due, 2017). These people are being pushed to their absolute limit, both physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The real Marilyn struggled with abandonment issues from her parents and time in an orphanage. This led to issues with finding consistent love and trust in relationships, and eventual drug dependency. Marilyn’s life was far from glamorous or shrouded in mystery, as she spoke about her issues openly.

In the film, these traumas are worsened by the pressure she finds on set. Marilyn constantly has to be reminded that she is ‘a great actress’ while also doubting her state of mind, “do you think I’m crazy?”

Actors suffer greatly for their art in a way that shouldn’t be capitalised upon through performance. They should be given support for it, like any other stressful occupation.

My Week with Marilyn is an exposée about burnout in the film industry. It’s about the pain and pressure in the limelight.

Actors deserve to be supported in more productive ways than bullying and self-medication. This cycle of self-criticism is not sustainable for the industry, or for these people’s state of mind. Burnout can’t be accepted as a part of work any longer, health is always more important than labour.

P.S: Yes, I know that Eddie Redmayne was the protagonist of this film but he’s a bitchboy whose film career confuses and haunts me.

Reference: Alison E. Robb & Clemence Due (2017) Exploring psychological wellbeing in acting training: an Australian interview study, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 8:3, 297-316

REVIEWS: FILM

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Occupation Station Salient’s Pub (but not a pub bc we can’t go rn) Quiz 1.

Which of these names is one of Bill English’s 6 children?

Benedict, Bertrand, Bartholomew, Brayden.

2

How many tentacles does the giant squid at Te Papa have?

3.

Who was Wellington (re)named after?

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

What Kiwi artist is known for using the Four Square Man in his works?

11.

What was the title of Grant Guildford’s PhD Thesis?

12.

How high is Mt. Victoria?

13.

Which pie brand is older, Big Ben’s or Irvines?

Which is the only King in a pack of cards without a moustache?

14.

What is the Māori name for the longhorn beetle Prionoplus Reticularis

What is the NZ army’s minimum height requirement? 5’6’’, 5’1’’, or 4’11”

15.

What did Jacinda Ardern major in at University?

16.

What does the word ‘corona’ mean?

17.

True or False; New Zealand has native mammal species.

18.

The Wellington Phoenix was what rank in the 2019-2020 Australian A-league before its suspension?

19.

What is the most the human body can sweat in an hour?

20.

How many marshmallows can you fit in your mouth?

What company makes ‘Smoke and Fire’ Peanut-butter using chillies?

Billie Eilish wrote the theme song for the upcoming James Bond Movie. What was it called?

The courtyard outside the Hub on the Kelburn Campus is called the J C ___hole courtyard? Bugle, Bongle, Bagel, Beagle Which Minister was recently demoted for breaking quarantine and riding his bike?

Answers: 1. Bartholomew, 2. 10 (8 arms, 2 tentacles), 3. Arthur Wellesley - The Duke of Wellington, 4. The King of Hearts, 5.

Huhu Beetle/Huhu grub, 6. Fix and Fogg, 7. No Time to Die, 8. Beagle, 9. The Minister of Health (!!) David Clarke, 10. Dick Frizzel, 11. Resources are conflicted; it is either Experimental Studies of Gastrointestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Food Sensitivity in Dogs or Experimental Studies of Excessive Noodle Consumption and Malnourishment in College Students (ongoing)., 12. 196m, 13. Irvines., 14. 4’11”, 15. Bachelor of Communications in Political Science and Public Relations., 16. Crown, 17. True - Two species of bat are native to NZ: the long tailed bat and the short-tailed bat, 18. 3rd, 19. ~4L , 20. Send your results to editor@salient.org.nz

Word of the Week: Stress

New Zealand Sign Language:

Te Reo Māori:

ahotea 36

OCCUPATION STATION

NZSL: https://www.nzsl.nz/signs/5449

Salient’s Isolation Houses

We Know Who’d We Rather...

1

2

THE HUNTER BUILDING

THE STUDENT UNION BUILDING Unlimited wifi & heating, courtesy of every student stuck in their mouldy flat

With 24 boxes of microwave rice that were meant to go in your O Week bags

• Grant Guildford • The entire VUWSA exec • VUW’s rebrand lawyers • That Young Nat law student who wears a suit to class • Author of The Cotton Cannibal

3 THE BEEHIVE

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Essential Top Floor of the Beehive, mean views, lots of press conferences • Paddy Gower with an ounce of weed

WELLY LOCALS

• Rt Hon Cindy

A cozy A-Frame house at the top of Aro Valley, lots of kaka and sun

• The Easter Bunny

• Tamatha Paul & Biggie

• Simon Bridges (he’s… essential)

• Justin Lester • Jemaine Clement • Mittens the cat

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WEIR HOUSE

It wasn’t your first, second, even fourth choice, but Guilford evicted you from Te Puni so...

• The person you slept with in O Week • President of the VUW Socialist Society

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SALIENT SLEEPOUT

In the back of your parents house, we got all the nostalgic gaming consoles • The salient team xo

• The faulty Te Puni duty phone SALIENT’S ISOLATION HOUSES

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Horoscopes MADDI ROWE | THEY/SHE

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Happy Solar Return bitch!! In honour of yourself, go take some cute pics (INSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE) and watch the boys bring themselves to the yard to fight for your hand. Answer thirsty DMs with “I know.” and see who is worthy of staying.

A budget friendly pasta sauce recipe that serves 2, or 1 greedy-ass power bottom: 1 can of chopped tomatoes, ½ diced brown onion, 2Tsp ginger, 2Tsp chilli, oregano, sweet basil, garlic, salt + pepper. Add oil + onion first to sauté. Then ginger. Wait a minute. Then add tomatoes. Then everything else. Then stir. Dassit.

This week, Gemini is baby.

I know you miss your friends, my sweet. Talking to the walls à la The Yellow Wallpaper is in right now, just like underwear + big tee fits. Literally writing this w/ a big tee and underwear on. I’d never lie to you.

CANCER Yeah, March as a concept is shit.

Yeah, the world is shit. What you fail to remember is that when everything has gone to shit, big hoodies exist.

Like go FULL Ariana Grande (minus AAVE appropriation and straight-up blackface).

LIBRA Has the 6-week dip got your skin looking kinda shit? Worried about ur pores? Stop for a second.

Who gives a SHIT? I’m not gonna give you a bullshit face scrub to try. Have you FORGOTTEN how GORGEOUS you are?? Pull yourself together, Quing (Queen + King bc in this house we stan gender neutrality and dismantling the Monarchy).

CAPRICORN I know your instincts are to make everyone a pasta bake and ignore your feelings. No matter how much self-love makes you want to burst into flames, you are not exempt from deserving it.

Burnout forces us to look inward and pay attention to our needs.

What do YOU want?

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HOROSCOPES

LEO I know you’re pushing through the burnout. I can smell rubber. I should be smelling ROSEHIP and ALMOND OIL and FRESH LINEN. I’ll break quarantine just to throw hands at your hardworking ass.

SCORPIO I PROMISE YOU, THIS PERIOD WILL NOT LAST FOREVER, AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO SHAVE YOUR HEAD. PUT DOWN THE NUMBER TWO CLIPPERS FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR CAREFULLY CURATED REVENGE SELFIES.

VIRGO This time of the year is the time for the horny, disillusioned Virgo placement. You just need some direction. Search your heart for who you want to dom you—whether that be Florence Welch vocals, coloured Post-Its, or scented candles according to your mood.

SAGITTARIUS Overcompensating for the lack of O-week hook-ups with some erotica? Peel your eyes away from Pornhub for two seconds to read a book. That big ol’ inquisitive brain of yours needs some other ~stimulation~.

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Capitalism sucks. We been knew, baby. Don’t start a Twitter thread about it. Idk man. I know you saw this coming from a mile away.

Consult with your Virgo friend for further apocalypse planning.

Looking for a form of escapism during this time? Fair. Instead of hyper-analysing why the world is a flaming pile of garbage, ‘Community’ just came out with all 6 seasons on Netflix.

That should scratch your existential itch.

The Team EDITORS Rachel Trow & Kirsty Frame DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION Rowena Chow NEWS EDITORS Te Aorewa Rolleston & Finn Blackwell

CHIEF REPORTER Annabel McCarthy

SUB EDITOR Alfred Dennis SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB MANAGER Kane Bassett PODCAST MANAGER Matthew Casey STAFF WRITERS Lofa Totua Sally Ward Shanti Mathias

FEATURE WRITERS Caitlin Hicks Sally Ward Lofa Totua

TV TEAM Charlie Myer & Julia Mattocks COLUMNISTS Caitlin Hicks Vic Bell Frankie Dale Sophie Simons Joanna Li Georgia Griggs Connor Adamson Tara Ó Súilleabháin

CONTRIBUTORS Maddi Rowe Grace Clarke Charlie Myer Tom Clarkson Stella Carruthers Tessa Porter Keana Virmani Taylah Shuker

POETRY EDITOR Janhavi Gosavi

POETRY Daniel Frears

CENTREFOLD Liam Collinson @liamcollinson

CONTACT US editor@salient.org.nz designer@salient.org.nz (centrefold artwork) news@salient.org.nz socialmedia@salient.org.nz

ADVERTISING MANAGER advertising@vuwsa.org.nz

FIND US fb.com/salientmagazine instagram.com/salientgram twitter.com/salientmagazine salient.org.nz

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