Issue 13

13

5.0

6.2

1

1

03

Editorial

04

Letters and Notices

05 - 11

News

12 - 15

Vic and Tinder Sitting in a Tree

16 - 18

Where’s Winston?

20 - 21

Centrefold

22 - 24

Lime Cordiale

26 - 29

Columns

To Be Frank (26) , VUWSA (27), Ngāi Tauira (29)

Culture

30 - 35

Baggy Pants & Butter Paper (30), Review (34)

36 - 38

Entertainment

About Us Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

Complaints Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the Editors in writing (editor@salient.org.nz).

If not satisfied with the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

The views expressed in Salient do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, VUWSA, or the University.

Sink your teeth into it!

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Editorial The romance of good jumpers and heat pumps The days are shorter and your bones creak like houses in the wind. Cold brew sales are down. You move slowly and with less determination. You’re not as motivated as usual, and haven’t really clicked that it’s because you’re cold, not lazy. You try not to give yourself such a hard time. You may download Tinder—it’s cuffing season.

Not everyone believes in cuffing season, but if the memes are anything to go by, a lot of people do.

‘Cuffing season’ is mostly an imported American concept, because winter coincides with Christmas and Thanksgiving etc., and people want to have a person to bring to family events.

Whether scientifically proven or not, the idea that winter makes us want to settle down makes sense.

The point is to find a person to be a hot water bottle, and then ditch them as soon as the sun goes back to pulling its 15-hour summer shifts. There are countless worse reasons to get into a relationship.

Also, Love Island has started up, which will be warming a lot of people trapped in the winter hemisphere with its overexposed glow pouring out of laptop screens. Buckle-up for the coupling and uncoupling. So, the whole dating and romance thing might be living rent free in your mind because of winter, reality TV, or just because society tells us that relationships are the ultimate pursuit. It can be hard to make peace with singledom against all of this.

At this time, we suggest seeking out the perfect jumper and running a heater instead.

The perfect jumper is a great big hug. You can layer shit underneath it and you can hide in it. Maybe you’ve inherited a jumper that seemed ugly at first, but you now understand that practicality outweighs

fashion when it feels like 2˚C outside. A good jumper is necessary for the Wellington Winter, full stop. Some people straight-up leave Wellington on the basis of weather.

You might find yourself in the great flat debate of whether to use the heat pump or not. The World Health Organisation advises that households should be running a minimum inside temperature of 18˚C. Landlords have to provide you with one or more fixed heater(s) in the living area. As of July 1, rentals need to comply with the healthy homes standards (which includes the heating standard) within 90 days of any new or renewed tenancy. If this is you and you are without a fixed heater you should talk to your landlord and know that you have the leg of the law to stand on with this one.

Heaters might not be as romantic as our primal connection with fire, but they are more efficient. Heat pumps, for example, cost about $66 a month to run for 6 hours a day. So if you can, budget an extra 20 bucks a month (depending on how many people you live with etc.) to help you survive the winter.

This week, Janhavi Gosavi brings us an in depth feature about the VUW Tinder scene. It might help you make some conclusions about whether it’s the right time date, and how to set up your profile if you decide the time is right.

Before Matariki comes to a close this Sunday, read “Mānawatia a Matariki!” from Mason Lawlor on page 29.

Keep warm,

Sally Ward (she/her) and Matthew Casey (he/him) Brought to you by Peoples Coffee

www.salient.org.nz

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NOTICES & LETTERS Let’s get quizzical Hi Salient, I have never written one of these messages before but I’d just like to say thank you so much for the puzzle edition of your book. It kept me perfectly occupied when I caught the bus back home. Hopefully you can release another one soon.

Dear Salient, Issue 12, 2021 was my favourite Salient, you guys got nice and gritty into some very powerful content. I would like to pass on my praise to both Rhianna and Johnny for a very engaging and educational piece.

The law alive quiz was very interesting in the build up to the end of my first semester of Law.

Submit Letters and Notices for future issues

by Tuesdays 5pm to editor@salient.org.nz

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Letters and Notices

Adam Art Gallery Te Pātaka Toi – your gallery on Kelburn campus

Crossings (a group show about intimacies and distances) 19.06.21– 22.08.21

Turumeke Harrington Yolunda Hickman Sonya Lacey Rozana Lee Grant Lingard Vivian Lynn Allan McDonald Emma McIntyre Layla RudnevaMackay Richard Shepherd Next Spring James TapsellKururangi curated by Christina Barton Millie Riddell Sophie Thorn

FREE ENTRY Tuesday–Sunday, 11am–5pm Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Gate 3, Kelburn Parade adamartgallery.org.nz

Turumeke Harrington Longer than I can remember, 2020 Nylon cord, nylon fabric, polyester thread, steel, aluminium (detail) 1800mm x 15800mm courtesy of the artist

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News

No Re-O / Hall Management / WCC Spatial Plan Censorship in Prisons / Recap

No Re-OWeek live music events second year in a row Matthew Casey (he/him) VUWSA is not hosting live music events for Re-Set Week this year, which has taken the place of the previouslytitled Re-OWeek. Usually, universities host re-orientation events for students returning from their mid-year break.

Historically, VUWSA has hosted Lil Yachty (2017), and Sachi and Montell2099 (2019).

Last year, The University suffered a loss of $30,723 after their Re-O event only sold 92 tickets, as previously reported in Salient.

VUWSA also incurred $26,000 in costs earlier this year due the change of alert levels that coincided with O-Week. Planned events still went ahead, but at this higher cost.

VUWSA CEO, Matthew Tucker, told Salient that “Live music events have a significant financial risk, and this risk has been exacerbated as a result of the uncertainty around COVID-19. Put simply, VUWSA cannot afford to take this risk this trimester.”

Student Associations in Canterbury and Otago are hosting big events for Re-OWeek. Tucker argues that it is because they “receive significantly more funding than VUWSA.” “For example, Otago University’s Student Association has 6+ events staff, while VUWSA only has one, despite Otago having fewer students overall. VUWSA tries its best and bats well above its weight, despite its limitations, and we believe we are providing amazing value for money.”

There are non-VUWSA associated Re-O musical events happening throughout the week. These are being hosted at venues in the Wellington CBD. VUWSA are holding other events across campus as a part of their Re-Set Week. There are events including “the Clubs Expo, food trucks, and a Matariki Quiz Night.”

More details are available on their website.

University to Manage All Halls Niva Chittock (she/her)

Two weeks ago, Victoria University of Wellington—Te Herenga Waka announced that Everton Hall and Te Puni Village (TPV) will come under their management from 1 January 2022.

The official statement confirmed the University will be taking over from the international management company, Campus Living Villages (CLV). The changeover will take six months, with “any impact on current and future students [...] expected to be minimal.”

VUW said in the statement that “the management change aligns with its current [accommodation] model.”

Photo: Te Puni Village Source: architectus.co.nz

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News

Everton and TPV are the only VUW Halls not run by the University. A spokesperson explained this was due to prior contracts.

“Everton Hall was run by a separate Trust until 2018.

The Trust made the decision to contract CLV. The operation of Te Puni Village was contracted to CLV as a consequence of the development agreement to build the hall.”

CLV have come under fire in recent years following the death of a student in one of their facilities at the University of Canterbury in 2019. The tragedy uncovered a series of failings in their accommodation services globally, and sparked calls to review the national tertiary accommodation sector.

This became the Student Accommodation Inquiry, launched in June last year. Select committee-style meetings were set up over 10 months to gauge an informed insight into halls, boarding houses, and university or polytechnic-owned flats.

The Inquiry produced their final report in May. Some of the crucial recommendations include more stringent training for staff, including RAs, and an increased standard for dispute resolutions and internal affairs, which would be mandated across all providers.

Green MP and tertiary education spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick, believes choosing to stick with the status quo is worrying.

“As we saw during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the current VUW model is not working well. At the very least, the University can use this opportunity to reflect on the in-depth findings of the Student Accommodation Inquiry and implement far better systems and procedures.”

Wellington City Council Prioritises Housing Densification in New Spatial Plan Lily McElhone (she/her) Wellington City Council’s new Spatial Plan was passed in a Planning and Environment Committee meeting on June 24. The Plan will ease development restrictions in urban centres in order to create more opportunity for medium-to-high- density housing projects. This is in order to accommodate the projected 50,000-80,000 people set to move to the capital over the next 30 years.

“While I am hopeful we may see some improvements with the removal of an overseas-based multinational with a dubious reputation, my involvement with Vic Uni’s rent strike team and advocacy to the University’s hierarchy last year showcased [that] the halls managed by the Uni itself are also implicated in bad behaviour, like continued charging for empty rooms.”

Azaria Howell, a spokesperson for the Vic Uni rent strike, welcomed the change. Though, like Swarbrick, she believes there is more to be done.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction [...] CLV have shown time and time again that they are unfit to provide pastoral care to students living in their halls. I hope this leads to more safety and support for students [...] however, VUW has to step up to ensure these needs are met.”

A leading voice in the Inquiry, Swarbrick thinks now is a good time for tertiary accommodation providers to begin making changes.

“There’s currently work underway by the Ministry of Education to implement the strong recommendations of the Student Accommodation Inquiry. The Government must accept—or reject—and respond to them in Parliament by the end of the year.”

“If anything, this move [by VUW] reduces complexity and excuses to not do better [...] there must be a close eye paid to this by all invested in the issue.”

“I encourage anyone who is concerned or has anything to report to touch base with my Parliamentary office, because this work has not ended here.”

The University stated that the two parties remain on good terms, and thanked CLV for “working together successfully for over 13 years.”

Improving housing quality, supply, and affordability are primary objectives of the new Plan, as well as reducing carbon emissions in order to meet the Council’s goal of a carbon-zero Wellington by 2050.

High-density housing in urban centres within walking distance of rapid transport stations will allow for more car-less travel around the city, and leave room for protected green spaces.

Changes to building height regulations and heritage protection areas will allow for more apartment and townhouse blocks to be built in the central city, Newtown, Kilbirnie, Johnsonville, and Tawa. However, not all of the space needed for new development is currently available, and the 71% reduction of characterprotection areas will allow developers to demolish some pre-1930 buildings in order to free up land. www.salient.org.nz

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The trade-off between densification and character been a significant public policy failure. My concern with protection sparked fierce debate at the Council meeting. the [National Policy Statement on Urban Development] It was an issue Mayor Andy Foster called “unnecessarily” is that it is in some ways an extension of these reforms.” divisive.

“For me”, Parrett argues, “Government should play an Councillor Tamatha Paul argues that removing active role in shaping our cities in partnership with constraints around demolition and development will residents through planning and building more homes.” allow the private sector to “build, build, build and finally begin responding to the housing crisis.”

The Spatial Plan also addressed the preservation, maintenance, and revival of Wellington’s natural “We should be doing absolutely everything we can to landscape. Tamatha Paul told Salient about the streams incentivise rapidly increasing the number of safe and that once flowed from Wellington’s hills into the ocean, healthy homes available to renters and buyers.” which “served mahinga kai (food gathering) and spiritual purposes for local hapū.”

Paul believes that under new building regulations, eventually Wellington “will have far fewer colonial “When Wellington was colonised, [pākehā] piped [...] villas and mouldy, damp, heritage houses, and more streams underground, destroying the native species apartment living. Students and young people living in and ecosystems that once lived here. Streams like Te feral conditions as a ‘rite of passage’ will be a thing of Waimāpihi in Aro Valley have survived, but I am seeking the past.” to daylight (or bring back above ground) our other native streams.”

Others believe that demolishing Wellington’s iconic heritage buildings and giving property developers more Paul also stood in solidarity with iwi and hapū who freedom is not the way out of the housing crisis. opposed the designation of Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) on Māori Land.

Councillor Iona Parrett says “Buildings provide a window into a culture, tell stories, and reflect who we are. Given “The Crown should not be restricting the development our history of colonisation, sometimes that history is potential of Māori land, particularly for those kaitiaki problematic and complex. Nevertheless, many people do who have done such a good job taking care of value interesting buildings in Wellington.” indigenous biodiversity for all of this time without the Crown trying to tell them how to protect the biodiversity Parrett criticised the Plan’s focus on privatised housing, of their land.” which she argues has already fuelled the nation’s housing crisis. “Selling off housing assets and leaving it up to the housing market to provide shelter has also Photo: Houses in Mt Cook, Wellington

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News

Corrections In The Wrong About Prison Abolitionist Newsletter

People Against Prison’s Aotearoa described censorship of prison the newsletter as “a disgraceful violation of freedom of speech.”

Johnny O’Hagan Brebner (he/him) A number of prisons have banned the circulation of a prison abolitionist newsletter to inmates, citing concerns about staff safety and criminal conduct.

The newsletter, Take No Prisoners, is published by People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA). The group defended the publication and denounced its censorship last week.

In a public statement, PAPA said that the censorship was “a desperate attempt to quieten criticisms of Corrections’ human rights breaches and stop prisoners from non-violently organising to end these breaches.”

The confiscation by prison officials follows criticism of a previous issue by Minister of Corrections, Kelvin Davis.

Minister Davis accused that issue of inciting disorder and putting staff at risk.

A PAPA spokesperson at the time told RNZ that the issue only outlined prisoners’ rights and methods of nonviolent protest. She said that Minister Davis was intentionally misrepresenting the contents of the newsletter as a distraction from the revelations about the sexual assault and pepper-spraying of women inmates.

Photo: Prison Source: News Hub

This is not the first time Corrections has slipped when it comes to freedom of information. Data from the Ombudsman’s Office indicates that corrections is one of the few large departments with a growing rate of OIA complaints, even when the size of the workforce is accounted for.

Prisons have also been heavily criticised by the Ombudsman for failing to implement recommendations made to them under the Crimes of Torture Act. “It is disappointing that both inspections showed a high number of recommendations I made during my previous visits had either not been achieved at all or only partially achieved”, said Chief Ombudsman, Peter Boshier.

Chief Custodial Officer, Neil Beales, confirmed that several prisons had confiscated the most recent newsletter as “they may pose a threat to the security of the prison, and promote or encourage the commission of This has prompted Boshier’s office to initiate a systemic review of corrections, with a particular focus on the use an offence”. of force and complaints handling.

Minister Davis said he has not read the newsletter.

PAPA has since launched a petition to reverse the censorship decision.

Alongside poems, sudoku, and crosswords, both newsletters explicitly call for nonviolent action and Minister Davis has not commented on the confiscations outline how to lodge complaints about mistreatment in at time of writing. detention.

PAPA’s #StopCorrectionsCensorship Petition can be As Twitter user and journalist Mark Hanna (@ found here: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/ HonestUniverse) points out, the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act protects freedom of expression, including the stopcorrectionscensorship right to “seek, receive, and impart information”. www.salient.org.nz

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Shit that Happened Since You Stopped Paying Attention Nicole Geluk-Le Gros (she/her)

It’s the first week of Trimester 2. When was the last time you looked at the news? That end-of-trimester fog has finally lifted, but you’re behind the times.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of what’s happened since you checked out from the world, and, more importantly, why you should care.

May 21: The Budget

Every year, the Government tells us what they’re going to spend money on, and every year someone’s disappointed.

But we still keep up, because if we don’t know what the Government intends to fund, how can we track their success, or hold them accountable if they fail? Notable aspects this year are a $20/week benefit increase, the introduction of a Māori Health Authority, many billions of dollars of roads, and $1.5B to “ramp up” the vaccination programme.

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News

9 June: Eight-Hour Nurses’ Strike

Usually, when medical professionals strike, they work with the DHBs they’re striking against to ensure safe staffing levels. But when the nurses took to the streets over pay, hours, development, and working conditions at the beginning of June, the safe staffing levels outlined by the DHBs were higher than the usual staffing levels. As we go to print, nurses are voting on a 24-hour strike in July, so keep an eye out and remember: ED is for emergencies only. Also, join your union.

Ongoing, June Escalation: Pūtiki Bay Occupation

Photo: Covid 19 announcement Source: News Hub

19 June: COVID Hits Again

Lead by the Ngāti Paoa Trust Board, tangata whenua and supporters have been occupying Pūtiki Bay on Waiheke Island for over 100 days, protesting the destruction of the natural habitat of the kororā, the lack of consultation (and therefore negligence under te tiriti), and the privatisation of a public space. Much like Ihumātao in 2019, this longsimmering issue was escalated by police intervention, including breaking the taonga of a kaitiaki (which the cop alleged was a “violent weapon”). Support can be shared by giving koha, signing the petition (for both, Google #ProtectPūtiki).

An Australian came, went pretty much everywhere, and then tested positive for COVID-19. Specifically, the hypercontagious Delta variant. Wellington spent a week or so at Level 2, but we got lucky, and no one here caught it.

I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but listen to Ashley, ok? Scan, scan, scan.

June 30: Oranga Tamariki Staff Stood Down after Video Leak CCTV footage of a child being placed in a headlock by staff at an Oranga Tamariki (OT) care and protection unit in Christchurch was shared with Newsroom, adding to the long list of abuse in care allegations against OT. The Christchurch facility is being shut down while investigations are underway. This type of facility—of which there are four others—was under review already.

Questions continue to be raised if OT can be reformed, or if it should be abolished to start anew.

Photo: Waiheke Island marina protest Source: RNZ

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Janhavi Gosavi (she/her)

Vic and Tinder, sitting in a tree 500 Vic students were surveyed about their experiences on Tinder.

The results are in.

I formulated an online survey to investigate our student body’s dating habits on Tinder. The survey consisted of multi-choice and open-ended questions, and in a few hours it was filled out by a whopping 500 students.

Let’s start by discussing the demographics. 70% of the respondents were female, 27% were male, and 3% were gender diverse. 63% of respondents were straight, 26% were bisexual, 6% were gay, and 5% were pansexual.

Students from every faculty participated in the survey, however the highest participation came from the faculties of Humanities and Social Science, Business and Government, and Law. Students from all levels of study participated, but mostly undergraduate students.

To understand how Vic students function on Tinder, we first have to understand the origins of the app. Tinder was founded in Los Angeles, CA in 2012, and has since taken the online dating world by storm. Its founders hated stock-standard dating websites, where the process of making a profile alone was gruelling and time consuming. They designed Tinder to be a dating “game” that singles could “play” in order to find themselves “matches”. There’s a lot to unpack here.

exploring the dating scene or casually seeing several people, we’re conditioned to get into relationships. Our young people aren’t accustomed to ‘shopping around’.

Except, that’s exactly what Tinder is. A three-story outlet mall full of potential dates, where you can shop till you drop. Vic students, especially those who have recently left high school, may feel overwhelmed and underprepared when they hop on Tinder. Successfully dating—without directly entering a relationship—is a skill that requires honing. It calls for emotional intelligence, clear communication, and a strong sense of self. Maybe that’s why a lot of us are so crude on Tinder.

We conflate dating with having lots of casual sex. In fact, when asked what their go-to date activity is, 29 students wrote “sex”.

Secondly, the gamification of Tinder seems to be the key to its wide-scale success. It’s designed for short term entertainment; an app which you can pick up and put down at leisure. One straight, male Science student said “it’s fun to swipe and judge with friends, it has this almost voyeuristic charm, and it’s not like you’re saying this to someone’s face, so no harm done”. Many students get a kick out of piling together on a couch and ripping Firstly, there’s the matter of having “matches”. As people apart, furthering the notion that Tinder is not in, multiple. Created by Americans, Tinder caters to to be taken seriously. Yet others disagree, reluctant American dating sensibilities. They foster a ‘plenty to trivialise online dating. A bisexual male Arts and of fish in the sea’ mentality. Their dating habits aren’t Commerce student said “the app felt reductive [...] it driven by a scarcity mindset, but an abundance mindset. game-ified the process too much”, criticising the format for being incompatible with romance.

New Zealand’s dating culture is vastly different. We lack a dating culture. From primary to high school, Part of a generation that grew up using social media, the process is the same: you like someone, they like students at Vic are very critical of apps and their design. you back, you start going out. Instead of confidently We love that making a Tinder profile takes little-to-

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Feature: Vic and Tinder Sitting in a tree

Meet New People

Why are you on tinder?

300

Dunno

Hookups

The most common turn-off mentioned in the survey was when profiles solely contained group photos, which made it very hard to tell who the profile actually belonged to.

It’s then no surprise that only 17% of students said they paid for a Tinder subscription, such as Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold. We simply don’t see financial investment as having a direct correlation to the success rate of our dates. We also, apparently, aren’t afraid to widen our geographic horizons. The survey said it was most popular to have your Tinder radius set between 10km20km. A net that big covers suburbs as far as Porirua, Lower Hutt, and Eastbourne. Only 9% of students set their radius to less than 5km. I was heavily impressed that students, many of whom would not have their own private transport, would travel so far from the CBD for romance.

Relationship

Tinder is now being treated like a regular social media app, which is evident in the number of irrelevant images students fill their profiles with. Food porn, topical memes, and scenic views often plague profiles, yet communicate little about the person themselves.

Students prefer dates to be casual and lowkey. Our busy schedules and limited funds also mean that dates, particularly first dates, tend to be on the cheap side.

Rather than a time-consuming expensive dinner, we opt for bevvies after class. Our demographic is broke and we have a deep rooted drinking problem, sue us.

Casual Dating

no time, yet it’s all you need to access a wide range of people from the tips of your fingers. It’s minimal investment for maximum payoff. Several students specifically remarked on its user interface. They enjoyed the simplicity of the swipe feature, and complimented the pink, white and grey colour scheme for being “fun” and “straight to the point”.

It’s rather oxymoronic: students don’t care about their profiles enough to post a decent selfie, but are also too riddled with tall poppy syndrome to risk looking like a try-hard.

200 100

When asked why they were on Tinder, there was a fairly even split for the most popular answers. 25% said casual dating, 25% said relationships, 23% said hookups, 19% said meeting new people, and 8% did not know.

I then asked our student population what their favourite date activities were, hoping to be inspired. “Drinks” were A considerable 35% of respondents had been on Tinder mentioned 133 times, and “coffee” was mentioned 114 times. Other popular answers were walking, bowling, and for over a year. Unlike Hinge, Tinder doesn’t brand itself as an app “designed to be deleted”. If making a profile on seeing a movie.

Tinder was easy, letting the app rot on your phone for years is easier. Students seem happy to let their profiles I tip my hat to the waterfront and Oriental Parade, sit idle and gather dust as their willingness to date which were mentioned 90 times as go-to date spots.

Midnight Espresso (sigh) and The Library (predictable) fluctuates. Many wind up deactivating their accounts were tied for second place, with 18 mentions each. Dirty or deleting the app, neither of which shuts down their Little Secret got 12 shoutouts. And “their house” or “my account. It’s just a tactic to buy time. house” got 10 mentions a piece. Honourable mentions With indecisiveness and complacency galore, I was went to: Rogue and Vagabond, Mt Vic, Te Papa, Kaffee then surprised to learn that 36% of students had Eis, and the Botanic Gardens.

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actually been in a relationship with someone they met off of Tinder. Which brings me to my big question: for students at Vic, is online dating conducive to love?

The first step would have to be curating a killer profile. I asked students what their profile turn-ons were, and the answers were initially wholesome. Having good music taste and shared interests were a must, and the most sought after features were “a nice smile” and “good hair”. Then the answers got concerning. Students really loved profiles with a funny bio… but they were also just turned on by the presence of a bio in the first place.

Having high-resolution pictures, or simply more than one picture, was considered drool-worthy.

Joanna, a Communications and Arts student, stated she went to Vic because “it is a personality trait, I have nothing else to add to my bio because I am boring”. She wants to date students because there would be similarities in their lifestyles, social circles, and mindsets. “Also, like, study dates, how sweet and romantic”. Reuben, a Music student, felt dating a student would mean similar schedules and work ethic.

“We can also bond over our displeasure with Grant”, he added.

I’m sorry to report that love is dead. It must be, because the bar is so goddamn low. Uploading a picture that isn’t 4 years old and doesn’t look like it was taken on a Nokia should be the bare minimum. And any student who writes a whole-ass cover letter about why they want some poxy internship can also muster up a few sentences about why they want a partner.

66% of students did manage to state in their profiles that they were a student at Victoria University.

Would you be more likely to date a Vic Student?

Nah 156

Yeah 348

Furthermore, 69% said they were more likely to date another university student.

13% of respondents had even met someone for a date on campus.

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Feature: Vic and Tinder Sitting in a tree

Students’ Tinder profile turn-offs proved more entertaining. The statement “here for a good time, not a long time” was explicitly called out for being flaky and banal so often, it made me cackle. Holding a dead, butchered animal in pictures was another eye-roller.

No one had told these poor men that gone were the days women could be wooed by a freshly shot deer or a snapper dangling by its tail.

Other obvious yet commonly found turn-offs were selfies with Snapchat filters and pictures of cars. It’s painfully clear that there are gaps between what is perceived to be attractive, and what students are actually attracted to. This gap could be closed with good-old-fashioned honest communication, but that would require students to enjoy online dating.

Detached, superficial, objectifying, asynchronous, dehumanising. A selection of popular words Vic students used to describe Tinder. No matter how amusing students found this app in the short term, it often left a bitter taste in the long run. When asked what their least favourite thing about online dating was, the most common answer was “creepy people”. Women, particularly, cited sexual violence as a tangible danger, with one straight female Arts student refusing to sugar coat the truth. “The possibility of getting murdered”, she said.

Despite Tinder not exclusively being a sex app, mundane interactions are often over sexualised. I was recently hit up by a stranger, who opened the chat with “fuck me if I’m wrong, but you look like you give bad head”. After I shut him down, he promptly unmatched

me. Tinder gives students a false sense of anonymity that makes them feel untouchable. But Welly is a small place: I’ve now figured out that he’s my friend’s flatmate’s ex, and he’ll get what’s coming to him.

about. Back at our hall of residence, there was an event called “Secret Admirers”, where you were randomly assigned a resident to shower with affection for a week.

Isaac was assigned Phaedra, and the rest was history.

Other shitty things Tinder has to offer include being ghosted, getting catfished, and assholes who cannot gracefully accept rejection. One gay male Arts student perfectly equated being on Tinder to “being in a toxic relationship with someone, but I’m just trying to find the right time to call it quits”.

She makes him chicken and leek pie, and they bicker over whether or not he’s allowed to help in the kitchen.

He leaves love letters on her bed that she reads when she comes home from work. In the letters, he reminds her to breathe. They remind me that love isn’t dead, but that online dating will kill me.

So, despite all of this, why do Vic students continue their Tinder expeditions?

By the time you read this, I will have celebrated my one-year anniversary of being on Tinder. I downloaded it coming out of lockdown in 2020, to make the most of my new-found freedom. I went on a string of fun first dates that turned out to be dead ends. I made a lot of wonderful platonic friends—unintentionally. I gained roughly 40 thirsty Instagram followers. And with neither love letters nor pie to show for it, I can finally admit that dating is fucking exhausting. Love is not something you can conjure up through swipes and Super Likes.

Believing Tinder could help me find The Love Of My Life is giving it too much credit. It’s simply not that deep.

The most common justification is to meet new people and widen their social circles. Students expressed their excitement towards accessing a diverse pool of people without having to commit themselves to overwhelming social environments.

This is especially true for queer students who could not meet each other without having to explicitly out themselves in daily life. A gay female Arts student said “when you’re a shy lesbian, the odds are that most people you meet won’t want to date you, but if you’ve matched with someone online, you’re over that initial hurdle”. In instances like these, Tinder is removing barriers by eliminating the ambiguity of sexuality.

Matching on Tinder is also a great way to confirm a person is at least somewhat interested in you, before you make a move on them.

Would I recommend downloading Tinder? Absolutely.

I learned more about myself as a dater in my first few months on Tinder than I have in my entire life. But after hustling away for a year, I’ve earned a break. I’m going to cherish the time I get to spend with myself, because being a single university student is a gift.

And if you ever see me on Tinder again, no you didn’t.

A bisexual male Arts student raised a valid point about how our culture no longer permits us to randomly ask people out. “I’d never ever ask a stranger out on a date in a coffee shop or in class for fear of being accused of behaving inappropriately”, he said. Some may say we’re an insecure generation who requires online validation to function in person. But I can see the flip side—this is a clear and consensual approach to dating.

And hey, a couple of crazy students even justified their Tinder use by admitting they were on a quest to find love. But, at this point, what the fuck even is love?

My flatmate Phaedra and her boyfriend Isaac have one of those sappy meet-cutes that people make movies

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L achlan Ew ing (he/him)

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Winston Peters. A man, a name, a legend. For good or for bad, a legacy is attached to this name in the mind of any New Zealander.

Whether it was his devilish grin resemblant of those thunderbird puppets stretching across a face, taking on everyone else in Parliament’s debating chamber at once and often winning, or incendiary rhetoric in the media, he was never far from the public eye since first entering Parliament in 1978. But like the Avatar, one day, when the world needed him most, he vanished.

Except the world probably didn’t need him all that much. New Zealanders certainly didn’t think we did when we went to the polls on October 17 at last year’s general election, when we awarded his New Zealand First party only 2.6% of the vote. Winny and the gang failed to return to Parliament. On the election night, he delivered a brief and surprisingly gracious speech to a ragtag bunch of the remaining faithful in Russel, and left us on a cliff-hanger that “as for the next challenge, we’ll have to wait and see.”

And wait I did. Surely it couldn’t end like this? Could Winston truly go gentle into that good night, or would he rage, rage against the dying of the light? But it looked as if it might all be over. I combed the internet for crumbs that may have been left behind. Winston did not post again on Facebook after 15 October 2020, two days before that fateful election. His last post was a video of him walking in slow motion, in his best black suit. Rain was falling from the sombre grey sky.

It looked as if he was marching solemnly in the funeral procession of his own career. In that moment, what did he think, what did he feel? Was Winston afraid?

He made one last tweet two weeks later on October 28, catching up with his good friends from the Japanese and US embassies. What did it mean? Japan is known as the land of the rising sun, and New Zealand is one of the first countries to see the coming of the new day.

America to the west is one of the last to see the sun set

on the old day. There was significant symbolism of beginnings and endings in this cryptic tweet. Was this the end for Winston, or a new beginning? Perhaps he was hinting at the inner turmoil raging inside of himself. Japan and America were adversaries as recently as 1945, and this would not have been lost on Winston the history enthusiast. I couldn’t access the deeper understanding Winston was attempting to pull me into. As Haruki Murakami, who coincidentally is a Japanese author, says, “if you can’t understand it without an explanation, then you can’t understand it with an explanation.”

Thus Winston retreated from the public eye. Some say he flew north on the backs of a flock of gulls, to reside peacefully by the Pacific water that laps at the doorstep of his Whananāki home. Some say he sailed south at the prow of a ghostly waka, to face the gales and squalls of the great Antarctic in total solitude. At the edge of the world, could he cheat political death and return an immortal? I believe he burrowed down through the basement of the beehive, deep into the furrows of the national subconscious. There he lay like the unborn atua Rūamoko in the warmth of his mother Papatūānuku. He listened to the world above go on without him, kicking in a dream. He yearned for the days of old before the earth and sky were separated, and all manner of life came to spread across his earth mother. Soon, he would erupt back into the world above.

And then on June 20 this year, the eruption. Winston returned to the public eye at New Zealand First’s first New Zealand First convention since the election. It’s fair to say he covered a lot of ground in his keynote speech. Henley’s poem “Invictus” was paraphrased.

Shots were taken at every other major political party.

It was made very clear that New Zealand First were coming back. But why were they coming back? I was left with more questions than answers.

Firstly, who are Ngāti Woke? Winston reckons that the Government is “whacking tradies and farmers with a fee to make it cheaper for Ngāti Woke to buy new electric cars.” It seems this imaginary iwi was first conceptualised by Winston’s disciple, Shane Jones. Early last year, he pitched himself against Ngāti Woke, the people he thought were unreasonable and overly sensitive when calling out his comments on international students from India as racist. Ngāti Woke seem to have their heads screwed on right. They had the common sense and straighttalking nouse NZ First prides itself on to call a spade a spade, or in Jones’ case, a racist comment a racist comment. If the Government wants to help these sensible people to buy cars that don’t require the fuel www.salient.org.nz

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that is driving the earth to the brink of ecological crisis, I’m not too sure what the problem is.

On a similar note, Winston claimed that there is a growing cancel culture, “where anyone who asks legitimate questions is belittled as a colonialist, a racist, a bigot, a chauvinist, or worse still, not new woke age.”

What sort of legitimate questions would these be, Winston? Are they questions like “Why can’t we just say ‘Towel-wrong-ah’ like in the good old days, that’s what we all call it?”.

changes everything, and there will be a much more exciting sequel article. But for now, Winston is keeping his cards close to his chest. I would love to understand what his problem with Ngāti Woke is, and his paranoid obsession with cancel culture. For now, I can only hypothesise:

Boris Pasternak wrote in Doctor Zhivago, “Now what is history? It is the centuries of systematic explorations of the riddle of death, with a view to overcoming death.

That is why people discover mathematical infinity and electromagnetic waves, that is why they write Instead of belittling the askers of these questions, symphonies.” For decades, Winston has systematically how does Winston plan to respond? If it is to have an explored the riddle of political death, with a view to open discussion and educate them about how society overcoming it. That is why he has discovered the is changing and why some old ways of thinking must prejudices and fears that run deep in many New change, then all power to Winny and the gang. But I have Zealanders, that is why he has written speeches that a nagging suspicion that instead he hopes to fan these package them in the new language of modern culture flames of division just enough to convince 5% of Kiwis wars. Winston has a formidable intellect, and is one to vote for NZ First in 2023. If it works, there’ll be some of New Zealand history’s most talented speakers and good honest buggers who vote for NZ First. People with politicians. He clearly still has an abundance of energy warm hearts who would invite you in for a scone and at 76 years old. I can only hope I am wrong, and he cuppa, but hold a number of views a VUW student may chooses to use these qualities to add something of find unsavoury. They can only be held so accountable value to New Zealand politics. However, it looks as if for growing up in different places and times, being he is dragging out the same dead horses, to flog with a trapped in different Facebook algorithms, and engaging shiny new whip. with different people and perspectives. But what about professional politicians who exploit all of this so they can get back to scurrying around Parliament, as they have done for most of this century and a good deal of the last? It’s harder to sympathise, and harder still to understand why they bother.

I tried to contact Winston himself, in the hope that he could clear up these questions. I had enjoyed an interview with him many years ago at the Mangawhai Village Hall. Hopefully I could leverage this Northland connection. However, perhaps he was still smarting over this writer’s Year 11 self catching him out on the true length of 90 Mile Beach, which is in fact 55 miles (86km) long. But despite his public re-eruption, he was still dormant on social media. The New Zealand First website’s general enquiries section seemed the only open wormhole between the public of 2021 and a party grounded in primordial space and time. My message shot into the void, a lonely probe, hopeful of finding some greater meaning behind it all. But at my end, radio silence. Perhaps one day we will make contact that

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Feature: Where’s Winston?

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“in bliss” Tahlia Conrad-Hinga @theworkshoptahlia

Wiggles, Politics, Drum & Bass with Lime Cordiale Matthew Casey (he/him) With their Wellington R18 show sold out, Lime Cordiale have booked a second show (all ages) for their 14 Steps To A Better You New Zealand Tour, at the Hunter Lounge on Sunday, 18 July. Matthew Casey sat down for a Zoom with Oli from Lime Cordiale to talk about music, New Zealand, and The Wiggles.

After releasing their most recent project, 14 Steps to a Better You, during the lockdown periods of 2020, the band have had to make some changes to their usual touring style. “We’d normally just release an album and do 50 shows—we kind of did do that, but to 80-person capacity venues for the first couple of months.”

“We still don’t really know if people have heard [the album]; it’s hard to gauge if your album is doing well without personal interaction.”

“It feels like an old album now already, and we haven’t even done the album tour. I just know New Zealand’s going to be so much fun, because we haven’t been there in a while and it always has been from the first show we played, I’m really excited—you’ve been sitting on the album for a year now so I’m hoping you know the lyrics.”

Asked if they’d do covers such as their Triple J, Like a Version’s “I Touch Myself”, Oli said “If there’s a large request for it then maybe.” Commenting on this famously raunchy tune, he claims that “it’s the one that unlocks everyone’s sexuality—if you’ve got the blokiest mate, watch him when we play that song and see if he lets out a bit of sexual feeling.”

Looking locally, Oli loves “the Cuba Street sort of set up, it feels like such a good main street with some good places to eat and have a drink. I love that venue upstairs [San Fran], that’s a great venue.” Having

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Interview: Lime Cordiale

last played there in 2019, they’re excited for the Hunter Lounge, a bigger venue. The shows “just have to be bigger and better, we’re putting a lot of work into this one […] we’re gearing up [for] a big event, we’ve got Le Shiv coming over with us and they’re so good.” Oli assures me they are pure gold, and that he wouldn’t be shocked if they blew up off the back of this tour.

With the band playing at State of Origin III on July 14, I checked out if the boys were big fans of the oval ball—“I like to pretend I know.” This is a big opportunity which means far more than football. To them it’s not state vs state, it’s politics—“I don’t know if you know about the whole controversy—We have 75,000 people at a footy game and then you struggle to get 1,000 people into a venue, that’s the contradiction we’re struggling with.

It’s kind of funny to be playing State of Origin to a full stadium—music venues are the first thing to get shut down”.

“There’s so much money in a footy game and all those bastard politicians, they’re probably just into the footy, they have no idea who we are”, he says begrudgingly.

“The footy has to go on, it’s un-Australian to not have the footy go on.”

On the topic of origins, Lime Cordiale “didn’t really know what we were doing, we started with no real plan. I think the fact that we didn’t know what we were doing meant that you had these crazy wild dreams, it sort of just gave us a bit more freedom to be a bit weird at the start, and be like ‘just add a trombone solo in here, or a clarinet little feature in this song here.’”

Lime Cordiale draws inspiration from many areas, including some from our neck of the woods. “Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Marlon Williams are pretty up there, Aldous Harding.” Wellington’s sounds have also made their mark on the band. “Fat Freddy’s Drop has always been an inspiration,” Oli continues, “the whole dub reggae scene has just been massive for us, we started off thinking we were going to be a reggae band, but we don’t have the same sort of scene that you have in New Zealand.”

As a Wiggles fan from infancy, I heard that an early inspiration for the boys were the band of coloured skivvies. Oli’s favourite song is “Big Red Car”. When asked who would win in a fight between Wags the Dog and Dorothy the Dinosaur—“Wags is a bit of a gangster ay, he’s got that D-O-double-G thing going for him, probably Wags”. To be honest, as I’m typing this out, I need to put in my two cents and say, I’m backing Dorothy. She is literally a dinosaur. They both have strengths—one eats roses and one eats bones—but Dorothy is a bad bitch, end of.

They’ve also inspired local talent themselves. You may have unintentionally heard Lime Cordiale being played by a DJ at a house party—VUW student Simple Conclusion’s bootleg of their song “Temper Temper” has amassed over 80k listens on SoundCloud. I showed Oli this version and he remarked—“how good is this [...]

I love all this shit, all these extra synths and stuff, that’s the shit I like.”

“It’s probably going to overtake and become the more popular version, people at shows will be like ‘hey you’re covering that drum and bass song’.” I reckon one of the first times I heard Lime Cordiale was in a drinking setting, and it’s top quality tune.

14 Steps To A Better You is an absolute ripper, and Lime Cordiale’s upcoming shows are going to be unmissable.

If you haven’t got your ticket yet, keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway on the Salient Instagram @Salientgram this week.

Wags is a bit of a gangster ay, he’s got that D-O-double-G thing going for him

www.salient.org.nz

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Bring your courage

Bring your mana

Bring your voice

Bring your knowledge

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Frankie Dale (she/her)

Sex and dating advice from Wellington’s rankest, pessimistic, anxious, and most dramatic woman.

Post Break-up Sex Vomiting on someone’s chest as he is inside of me, as I cry about the guy who dumped me the week prior, would have probably been something that I could have dealt with in therapy—if it wasn’t compounded by the traumatic Rod-Stewart-esque haircut I had given myself earlier that week (DM FOR PICTURES). I was going for something hot and carefree like Miley Cyrus’s shaggy mullet, but instead was given something that more resembled Aileen Wuornos.

After a breakup we feel alone, vulnerable, and craving the affections of the person who dumped us. If you’re toxic like me, you will have sex with your ex just to make the breakup that much easier. If you’re also toxic like me, you will delve into the tragic art of postbreakup sex, where you fuck the person you said you never would, or better yet, a stranger. We cannot forget to cut bangs, though—that comes first. We always hear that the best way to get over someone is to get under them, right?

After my most recent breakup, I was so desperate to get under someone that I started flirting with anyone who just so happened to make eye contact with me—however, my idea of flirting was to strictly talk about how heartbroken I was and act like Bella Swan in New Moon. These poor boys would stand there nodding their heads, trying to make eye contact with anyone who would save them from me. I think most of Wellington can attest to this. After I successfully picked up an amateur musician from San Fran (my favourite), it was all on. It just so happens I had more sexual chemistry with the unwashed dishes piling up in my sink, and my post-breakup sex-capades were becoming more depressing by the second.

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Columns : To be Frank / VUWSA

The thing is, when we have sex with someone else after a breakup, we are going to compare anything our ex did with this new imposter. Like, it’s hot that you don’t know where my clit is, but also just find my clit (bitch) you’re twenty fucking five. While it can be argued PBUS is maybe not helpful, it just is. It’s the best thing you can do; sometimes the only thing. Although I would’ve preferred to spend time with an inanimate object, I will always be just one bone away from getting over my ex.

Hot tip: coming into post-breakup sex with the same moves you had with your ex can be overwhelming.

Maybe don’t put a full finger up their ass on the first round—it tends to really dampen the mood, and I am speaking from true experience only.

What I’ve learnt about having sex with the person who’s recently been dumped is that you’re not special to them, they are boning you to fuck and that’s ok—just being aware of that is the first step. You’re a distraction, and that’s why it’s so good.

You are both just an ex to someone. They wish you were a large-breasted brunette with family values just as much as you wish they were a lanky Timothée Chalamet lookalike with big hands. It’s going to be unfamiliar, you probably won’t finish, and their mum might walk in to offer you orange slices (true story). As long as you don’t say someone else’s name or cry, you are away laughing.

My only warning is to speak to your whole family (extended too), 8 of your closest friends, and maybe a health professional before you get that haircut.

Michael Turnbull (he/him) VUWSA President Tēnā koutou hard working tauira!

Welcome back to another trimester of late-night study grinds, Zoom lectures, and the ongoing entertainment of Salient horoscopes at the beautiful Te Herenga Waka.

Hopefully you’ve all had some time to rest and relax, and are ready to hit this trimester just like a change in alert levels—unexpectedly, and disruptive to classes and social events everywhere. During this time of Matariki, it’s important that we reflect on the year that’s been so far, and look to the trimester ahead.

Last trimester was a busy one: exams, assessments, protests, and events—the whole shabang. We at VUWSA also had a fairly hectic Trimester 1. We started with the hangover-inducing O-week, and ended with the hungerrelieving Stress Free Study Week. In between, we advocated, lobbied, and took to the streets to make sure our students were getting the most out of their study, and were safe while they did so.

Your favourite student union (us) also submitted on the Climate Change Commission Report, the WCC and Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) Long Term Plans, and the GWRC Regional Public Transport Plan. Through collaboration with Student Assembly, we submitted student views on the Tītoko (Student Success) Project, and to the Ministry of Education on the Tertiary Learner Wellbeing and Safety (The New Code of Pastoral Care) and the proposed changes to the overarching Compulsory Student Services Framework.

But despite this busy first trimester, we have an even busier tri ahead. First off the bat, we’ve got Re-Set week this week. We’re talking sausage sizzles at Pipitea and Kelburn campus, and Ngāi Tauira’s Matariki Quiz Night at the Hunter Lounge. Everything you need to re-enter Uni with a nice chill start.

From then on, it only gets faster. University student flats VUWSA hosted Sex Week, Sustainability Week, and are shit. They’re cold and mouldy. On top of this, the worked with the amazing Women’s Collective to deliver public transport we use to get to and from these cold, Women’s Week. We stopped Proctor-U—George Orwell’s expensive flats is not cheap or accessible. That is why biggest fear in the form of online exam invigilation— VUWSA has TWO BIG CAMPAIGNS. Firstly, keep your while continuing to lobby for accessible and equitable eyes open for our Public Transport campaign launch— dual-delivery education. We took to the streets to we’ll be making some big pushes so students can afford protest city safety in Wellington, as a part of the newly to move around the city we work, study, and play in. formed Wellington Alliance Against Sexual Violence Secondly, we are gearing up to launch some big pushes (WAASV), securing $7.7 million dollars to go towards a around housing, so that you aren’t paying upwards of safer city in the Wellington City Council (WCC) long$230 for some black mould in your bedroom. term plan.

UniQ’s Pride Week lands in week 2, and Mental Health We re-established the Halls Committee, a committee Awareness Week later on in the trimester. On top of made up of at least two representatives from each of this, our Student Assembly is only getting stronger, our halls of residence, and have used this to improve and gearing up to challenge the way that our Student life (and food quality) in halls. This was alongside Service Levy (the $840 you pay every year to key the establishment of the Student Assembly, which student services) works here at Te Herenga Waka. brought representatives from each of our major student But for now, just enjoy the return to study. We’ve got representative groups together to consult and submit on plenty to do in the year ahead. major University and educational changes and issues.

www.salient.org.nz

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STUDENT SERVICES LEVY

SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK WHAT IS THE STUDENT SERVICES LEVY? The Student Services Levy is used to fund services for students that support your time at university and are not covered by tuition fees. These include counselling and health services, financial advice and careers guidance, student advocacy, student publications, and student representation.

WHAT IS THE PROPOSED CHANGE? Following student feedback, the University proposes changing the way students are charged the Student Services Levy from 2022. The levy would change from being four fixed-charge categories to being charged based on the number of course points you are enrolled in, with a different rate for Wellington-based students and those studying off-campus or overseas. The charge would be capped to a maximum of 150 points per student per calendar year. There would be no significant changes to the amount of levy revenue being collected by the University overall.

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WHY ARE WE PROPOSING THIS CHANGE? ■

A clearer process—moving to a points-based charge that removes the need for rebates will be simpler and more transparent for students as the charge will be calculated upfront upon enrolment. It will be easier for you to understand what you are being charged for and when.

■

To help you plan your finances better—you will no longer have to request rebates and wait for refunds.

■

So that the levy paid increases or decreases in proportion to student engagement with the University.

Find out more about the proposed changes on our website. 

www.wgtn.ac.nz/levies

We want your feedback on these proposed changes—email student-levy@vuw.ac.nz.

The consultation period runs from Monday 5 July to Friday 16 July.

Ngāi Tauira

Mānawatia a Matariki!

Nā Mason Lawlor, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Maru

Tēnā tātau e hōngongoi nei ki te ahi, e pahuhu nei i te papangarua, e whakakā nei i te whakamahana, inā rā, kua tae ki te kaupeka mātaratara o te tau, e tohu ana ki a tātau ki te whakarite i a tātau anō mō Te Mātahi o Te Tau. Nō reira, e kare mā, kia mahana, kia hāneanea hoki tā koutou noho i a koutou e whakarite ana, e whakahoki ana i ngā whakaaro nui ki ō tātau mate huhua nō tēnei tau.

They are: Waitī: connected to fresh water, particulary the food sources from which we find in fresh water Waitā: similar to Waitī, Waitā connects to salt water, the ocean Tupu-ā-nuku: this star connects to the food which is grown from the ground Tupu-ā-rangi: similar to Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi connects to the food which we find in the sky and up trees, namely birds, berries and fruit Matariki: the Matariki star itself overall signifies the reflection on the past, hopes for the future, our Matariki is the Māori name for perhaps one of the most connection to the environment, and the gathering of recorded star clusters in the world—Pleiades. It is seen people, including their health and wellbeing in the night sky, then sets, and for Māori, this symbolises Hiwa-i-te-rangi: connects to our dreams and the coming of the new year, as Matariki rises, the new aspirations. It is common for whānau to send their year arrives! Similar to occasions such as Chinese New dreams, wants, and aspirations, for them to materialise.

Year, Matariki is a celebration over a period of time.

Pōhutukawa: connects with our loved ones who have Commonly referred to as “Māori New Year” it is one passed since the last Matariki of the biggest Māori events of the year. It is a time for Waipuna-ā-Rangi: connects to the rain whānau and friends to come together to celebrate, Ururangi: connects to the winds of the upcoming year reminisce, and look to the future and what they want to achieve.

It is also important to recognise that not all iwi celebrate Matariki. Some iwi celebrate Puanga as the signal for the Māori have always had a bountiful wealth of knowledge new year; this is because Matariki cannot be seen in the surrounding astronomy, the stars, the environment, night sky in all parts of Aotearoa, and with anything in and animals, which all played a part of how Māori first Te Ao Māori, many iwi, hapū, whānau, tangata even, have perceived time and days, season changes, as and their own kōrero tuku iho, pakiwaitara, waiata pertaining weather forecasts, thus knowing when not to fish or to Matariki/seasons/stars. hunt, or when to grow a garden. Before our astronomy knowledge was colonised by the introduction of the So as we come to Matariki, and move into the new year, Gregorian calendar, a Māori calendar, similar to that of here are a few ways that you can celebrate! many indigionous iwi, relied on a lunar calendar. Because - Take time to remember loved ones who have passed of this, Matariki does not happen exactly on the same - Give thanks for the year that has passed date, similar to Easter.

- Plan for the next year - Spend time with friends and whānau Tohunga Kōkōrangi, or astronomy experts, would look - Have a Matariki feast to Matariki for signs to see how the new year would be. - Plan to grow a garden The brightness of the different stars, along with their - Write down your wishes for the year and send movement and clarity, would determine the bounty of them to Hiwa-i-te-rangi the impending season. Māori were so connected to their environment that they knew how the study of astronomy Mānawatia a Matariki! affects the taiao, and as such, the stars have different Happy New Year! connections to parts of our environment.

www.salient.org.nz

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Baggy Pants & Butter Paper The Process

This interview was originally published by Baggy Pants and Butter Paper, Issue Two: The Process, 22 June 2021. Below is an abridged version. You can find the full interview at https:// baggypants.info/.

Baggy Pants and Butter Paper is edited by Hamish Besley.

Xanthe Copeland @xanthec_designs

Interview and editing by Hamish Besley The first of our distinguished guests is Xanthe Copeland.

Having graduated from the communication design program at Victoria University in 2020 her practice walks the line between graphic design and fine art. This is most evident in her final capstone project where she planned, produced, promoted and exhibited a collection of abstract paintings that in her words “expressed the emotions of having a mental shift or outlook on the natural environment, seeing it in a way I hadn’t appreciated before”. I sat down with her to talk about this contrasting practice, work that fuels the soul, and the practice of going out and talking to people.

Nice to see you! How’s it going? How are you?

I’m feeling good, I’m excited, things are on the horizon.

What do you do for work?

I work for a company up in Auckland, currently remotely but I am moving up there. They are in the marketing, strategic insight space. So looking at how a business can expand and gain more traction. Where I come into it is helping with the visual communications side of it. A lot of what they do is converting lots of information down into something that can be taken in really quickly. I help convert insights into infographics and otherwise I do layouts. I also did a bit of their internal branding over summer which was fun. Besides that I coach a bit of sailing on the side.

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Culture: Baggy Pants & Butter Paper

Here and There [Beginning] 2020, Ink

Above: Here and There [The constant stream of thoughts questioned], 2020, ink on canvas Right: Seeing colour, 2020, Digital mixed media

So you truly are a communication designer?

I guess so.

Trying to help them translate their aims and content into something digestible for the public.

Yeah. I’ve learnt heaps over the last couple of months about communication. It’s all been about communicating simply and effectively but in a very different sense to what my communication design education touched on, most of the time. It’s more data and insight communication rather than artistically driven communication. Which has been quite cool to learn and navigate. It’s also been interesting learning how to ask the right question to the clients and people I’m working with. People who don’t have similarly creative brains, it’s funny trying to work out exactly what you need to get from them.

[Laughs] Yeah, trying to explain to someone what a designer is.

Or even just trying to explain a page layout you know. From designer to designer it’s pretty easy to talk to each other and navigate how someone will read through a page from most to least important information.

But there can be a mis-alignment between how someone originally puts their ideas on a page to how a designer reads that hierarchy. The important bit is to ask questions to make sure you are designing the output so that a third party can read it and grasp the original intent with the correct hierarchy.

What you learn to realize is that you need to ask them what they are trying to communicate and why. ‘What’s important?’ or ‘Is this reading how we want it to?’

It sounds like, on paper you’ve managed to match the communication design degree with a communication design job. Do you feel in reality you’ve found an occupation that matches the skill set you were taught?

Yes and no. It’s not so much the technical skills that are important necessarily. It’s more about asking how to communicate, which I think Vic did quite well in terms of questioning what we did and why we did it. But, I also think it depends on how you like to create. I think for a lot of people it just comes naturally. To be good at the job I’m doing at the moment you just need to have an interest in questioning and then how to convert lots of things into a visual sense. It’s not just having an idea that’s visual but, knowing how to go about that. The funny thing is communicating with your co-workers is just as important as the message you are trying to promote.

Are there particular lessons that have served you well?

Definitely talking to people. Just forming connections is huge.

Whether that’s your community or whatever. Staying close to those people and being genuinely interested in what those people are up to. Maintaining that is good for them but it’s also good for you because it helps your creative brain. Since I’ve left uni I’ve really valued that. The time I spend doing that is so much fun. The other day I came in and caught up with Dylan and Sarah [lectures] and just had a yarn, and they’re so happy to do it. I’m moving to Auckland and asked about any advice, resources, spaces, that sort of thing and they’re so willing to help out. Those sorts of conversations stimulate everything. I think that’s what the capstone course did really well was they really put that on you to do it, and they didn’t really care if you did or didn’t, which much more reflects life outside uni.

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Tell me about your final capstone project and the ensuing exhibition?

For my capstone I basically did a fine arts project. I made a series of works that communicated a narrative or feeling but wanted this to be abstract enough for the viewer to put themselves into, understand the emotions but with their own story. Which is something that I’ve always thought is interesting with visual art and communication and design and that sort of thing. I find visually communicating emotion very fun, creating something that other people can put themselves into, that stuff makes me really excited.

So I had an exhibition, the ideas were sparked throughout lockdown. The works expressed the emotions of having a mental shift or outlook on the natural environment, seeing it in a way I hadn’t appreciated before. It was about the lens that I saw the natural world through and how I experienced that through different times and events and what was going on at the time but, also my own personal experience with migraines.

Kinda just taking a moment to appreciate what was going on and the stillness that was constantly around you. Even if you stopped everything else keeps moving and there’s beauty in that.

Anyway, that was really fun because no one was telling me to do it. A couple of the tutors when I first brought up the idea were like ‘I don’t know if you’re going to be able to this aye’, not in a bad way but they thought I was biting off quite a lot in terms of coming up with an idea, producing work, installing work, all in one semester is quite a lot to put on yourself. But I was like ‘why the hell not’ and we did it. I guess where I find the goddess in that really comes from that I really thrive off doing works that someone can put themselves into as a viewer. So its not describing the events itself but, if someone can connect to feeling then that where I feel works are quite interesting, I’m interested about that relationship that you have between those two sides of you. By day a communication designer by night an emotional abstractor, or something like that.

It’s the classic struggle, one pays the bills, one fills the soul. Do you see opportunity in those crossing over?

Oh 100%. But I also think there’s a very definite space for each one. I definitely have been one to love experimenting with materials and things and talking to people and collaborating and I think that goes into my work practice as well. Which is exciting but, as the great Dylan says ‘you should always pursue your own practice’ even if that means doing little sketches in the evenings. I think you discover things by accident when you set time aside for your own personal practice. I think it’s just something that I have to do as well. I’ve got an interesting relationship with it because it’s not like I just ooze, it doesn’t just always flow out of me but, I also feel like I have this obligation to do it. It’s not a love hate relationship because I definitely love it but, almost more emtnally feel like I have to purposely set time and block it to like make space for it, make room for it. But, yeah.

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Culture: Baggy Pants & Butter Paper

What are the cornerstones of your practice? Because process changes based on what you’re working on but are there elements that stay with you all the time?

One thing people either don’t say or I’ve never heard and I don’t know if it’s just me, or it might just sound a bit strange. But, I always forget every single time there is a section of pain at the start. I think every single time I get to that point and I forget that it has happened in the past. I think part of that initial frustration and roadblocks are needed and you really need to work through them and make yourself at a desk and have that frustration before you can spark the right sort of idea. I think that you need to play with an idea and tease it out before it’s going to be good. I always have a spot of serious angst.

So would you say that it’s quite important for you to build a connection to a project, you’ve got to be emotionally connected to the project and the pain helps you build that.

Left top: Here and There [Reborn], 2020, ink + Pencil Left Bottom: Here and There [Emergence], 2020, ink + pencil Right top: Jax and the moon, 2019, mixed media ink pen Right Bottom: Jax and the moon, 2019, mixed media ink pen

Yeah. Me as a person has gone through the process of creating things a number of times and I’ve found a few common themes. I start to get really excited and I have way too many ideas and that’s great at the start but then it almost becomes a problem when I start to get to the next point and I need the pressure of a deadline and be like ‘no, you need to pick something because you have too many ideas’. I think that’s when the frustration kicks in because I’ve got an idea and I want to be connected to it already and I want it to be at a point where I’m creating something cool. But, that’s the part where you have to just tease it out and find those visual metaphors or find those things you’re trying to say in order to get into the groove. And it’s the producing. Sounds like a lot of pain but it’s actually very enjoyable.

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Review

Gig

Te Ika a-Māui “CREEP” tour May 21 2021, Moon Bar, Newtown.

Elisapeta Dawson (she/her), Ngare Hauata of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hamoa Photo: Theia, left. Vayne, Right.

“Mmhmm.. Is this thing on?

Introducing: a line up of Mama’s boys’ worst nightmares.”

Power pair Theia and Vayne, with openers fiveofive and DJ Monoga.my, arrived to Te-Whanganui-a-tara’s goth and femme in bass home, Moon Bar in Newtown on May 21. With my best friend from the mighty Aukilani, and my own personal mummas boy in tow, we were about to learn and ma’am, was I taking notes.

Theia and Vayne met at a workshop for artists and collaboration in Waimarama in 2020, finding the unfortunate commonality in shared experiences with sexual predators and the people who protect them. An illness that plagues our communities and homes for the convenience of the perpetrator, acknowledged by some but a living truth for all. This formed the basis for their headliner collab track “CREEP”. The track’s and followup tours’ essence is summarised by their sick reo verse, “Kua wetea taku mokonaha, e kore au e noho puku, anō,” which translates as “My muzzle has been loosened, I will never sit in silence again.” Both women are tired, stating their inability to be complicit anymore. They offer their own personal experiences to the public eye, to identify and eradicate these truths of harassment and abuse, changing public thought. Mō tātou katoa—for us all.

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Review: Creep

Theia leads us into the mainstage first. She’s a Māori woman with large green eyes and adorning long blonde plaits (making me reminisce over my own impatience with maintaining my butt touching lengths). Her energy and braids were fluttering around in the perfect rehearsed circle (see: Beyoncé neck whip). Theia’s eery floating tones are a stark contradiction to her strong lyrics—all that is feminine, grace, and strength.

“If you come for her, after all, she’ll eat you alive.” This immediately lent towards my first impression of her, Aotearoa’s own Charli XCX. Further notes were “There were many times throughout this set where I wanted to shake my ass.”

Theia has also recently announced her digression into strictly reo tunes, accelerating the traction of te reo as a language, rather than something to be used and put down. A massive step for Aotearoa music, which produces and supports artists who use reo and Māori artists, rather than a cover album.

Vayne followed up Theia next. Vayne has been rumoured to be a sell-out for signing to a label (Sony Music, 2018) and is the 5’10” woman who wouldn’t take your shit, or rumours. Because, as most women know, it usually is from a bunch of bitch boys. She’s traded her horns from the “CREEP” video for neon-green Supreme pieces for her performance at Moon. Decked-out and stunting, she embodies her past comments—as she said to RNZ, “No woman has to be one way anymore.”

On Vaynes neck stands a “XXX” tattoo. She’s stated she’s a recovering tentacio** fan. I myself am still cleansing my memories of the songs that in the past provided comfort, which now make my skin crawl.

Something everyone in the process of betterment with their demons can attest to. The same goes for Vayne, who’s tattoos were once a testament to the passing of an artist, and now stand for personal development in and amongst being an artist herself, a woman, and her experiences as a sex worker. Boundaries had been drawn, bodies healing for the benefit of the same skin’s wearer. It can never be detailed how electric a vibe can be in a space where we would rather burn their bodies, than to let one iotta more slide. Plus she makes most of

her own beats, with hits such as “waitwait” (prod. SAYA) and “YUCK” as she hustled to take the Aotearoa rap scene by storm, and brought the crowd to her feet.

values and ethics. Uncompromising women of colour, tūrangawaewae planted in urban Newtown, for te reo, safety, and because they deserve the applause.

My personal highlight for the evening definitely had to be when the youngest opener returned to the mainstage—Vayne’s cousin fiveofive, who has been making your e-boy crush cry since she was 15. Her vocals and lyrics are a testament to her experience as an artist from Kirikiriroa, whose capabilities and influence is far beyond the limitations of her age. Kinda like Chlöe Swarbrick for the New Zealand SoundCloud community. Lets just say there’s a reason Vayne has been telling everyone to stream “Love’s Dead”. I’ll bandwagon and add “dontneedtobehigh” to that to-do list. Together they performed the unreleased track “Midnight Lady”. RnB like vocals from fiveofive were so lovingly complimented by Vayne’s raw presence and lyrics, proving maybe you can work together with your family after all (not acknowledging Broods because I won’t). I’ve been trawling their digital platforms for a copy—so sing out if you guys might know anything.

It’s not often you can leave a gig with your friends all intact, ecstatic, and with glowing reviews, even less so can you take away and empower yourself with the essence of the morality of the humans performing it. In the words of Theia and Vayne, “address abusers, call them out, break the cycles.”

You wouldn’t dare miss it again.

Hand in hand at the end of their titled tour, Theia and Vayne, although elevated by only a metre from their dedicated lady friends at the front (yes me again, I love Almost Famous, make me a groupie), stood tall in their

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Crossword: Last Call

36

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Drinks made with the ingredients seen in the shaded squares (8) 5. Setting for some battles in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (6) 10. Automatic; unemotional (7) 11. Even; mandated outfit (7) 12. It has a wheel at either end (4) 13. Heralding, as a new era (8,2) 15. Non-professional (7) 16. Leafiest (7) 18. Where an estuary might form (5,5) 20. ‘March Madness’ basketball league (abbr.) (4) 22. Let fall into disrepair (7) 23. Car manufacturer with a ‘Dino’ engine named for the founder’s son (7) 24. Prynne who is the protagonist of ‘The Scarlet Letter’ (6) 25. New Testament epistle written on behalf of a slave (its name is an anagram of I’M NO HELP)

1. Its deepest part is known as the Challenger Deep (7,6) 2. Illness protected against by the MMR vaccine (7) 3. Excited about (4) 4. It’s one of the ones between the canines (7,5) 6. Hottest, cuisine-wise (8) 7. Surrounded by (5) 8. Protest; test-run (13) 9. Rapper who publicly came out at the BET Awards last month (5,7) 14. Bring back (8) 17. Say suddenly, with a certain kind of mark? (7) 19. ‘The Hangover’ setting (5) 21. Like some writing-free final exams (4)

Puzzles

Skuxdoku

Word of the Week

“Romance” Te Reo Māori mate kanehe New Zealand Sign language

Last Weeks Solution

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D Aries

Taurus

Gemini

You might be feeling a little bit flat after that break from university—a lot of us are. The stars are telling me that by the end of the week it’s just gonna be a bit better. You’re exactly where you need to be and you’ve got a bright trimester ahead.

You’re having relationship struggles in platonic or romantic entanglements. You need to confront these problems—ask yourself if you’re giving too much and not receiving enough in return. As a stubborn Taurus, you need to know when it’s time to stop holding on.

People are not going to be matching your energy this week, and that’s ok.

You might, however, feel the strain of this. As long as you’re doing you, you can thrive.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

That break was needed, and easing into this week is a must. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do a million things at once. Getting into routine is definitely going to help.

Listening to Phoebe Bridgers is a personality trait, and if it isn’t yours already, it’s soon to be. It’s winter, and since your landlord won’t install a heat pump the only thing to keep you warm is the angelic voice through your headphones.

There’s a new moon on Saturday, and it feels like it might just be the best Saturday ever. You might be able to get in that rest you didn’t do over the break or there might be the coolest little drinks happening at your friend’s. It’s going to be positive nonetheless.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

It’s time to exercise your mind. With the Olympics coming later this month you’ll need substandard chat, so Googling “top five common sports phrases” sounds handy. Here’s a starter: “sheeesh, it sucks that lawn bowls is only in the Commonwealth Games”.

You’re ambitious, and this trimester you really have it in you to strive for the best marks, and maybe even get your personal best grade EVER. As famous Scorpio Katy Perry said “you’re a firework. Come on, show ‘em what you’re worth”.

Honestly, you might need to think about what you’re doing this week.

I had a bit of a chat with the stars, and they said you need to make sure you’re 100% confident with your choices this week.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

You’re a Capricorn with big horns.

Show them off and be the confident little goat that you know you are. Hard work, it’s a lifestyle. You are the shit..

G’day smarticle particle. Hope you’ve had an awesome break. The stars told me a little secret that you’re going to do really well in uni this tri… as long as you make sure you’re balancing your work and play.

Putting in the work when needed will be your key to success.

I triple-double-dare you to enjoy your week and look after that spring in your step. It’s time to embrace those lectures and celebrate the positives, even with all this weird weather and news at the moment. You deserve to smile because you are you!

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Columns : To be Frank Horoscopes

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The Team Editors

Feature Writers

Design & Illustration

Contributors

Sally Ward & Matthew Casey editor@salient.org.nz

Padraig Simpson designer@salient.org.nz

Sub Editor Jamie Clarke

News Editor

Lily McElhone news@salient.org.nz

Janhavi Gosavi Lachlan Ewing

Nicole Geluk-Le Gros Frankie Dale Michael Turnbull Mason Lawlor Hamish Besley Elisapeta Dawson Puck Francesa Georgia Pietkiewicz

Chief Reporter Niva Chittock

Staff Writers Janhavi Gosavi Ronia Ibrahim Lachlan Ewing Azaria Howell

Social Media & Web Manager Kane Bassett and Brittany Harrison

Podcast Manager

Francesa Georgia Pietkiewicz podcasts@salient.org

Centerfold

Tahlia Conrad-Hinga @theworkshoptahlia

Find Us

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Re-Set Week 2021 is here to ease you back into Tri 2. We’ve got a Matariki Quiz Night, Expos & Food Trucks for you to get out amongst campus life again. RSVP to our Facebook event to keep up to date & remember to sign up for the quiz at : V U WSA .ORG/ RE - SET W EEK

5th -- 9th 9th 5th

JULY

RE-SET RE-SET WEEK WEEK 2021 2021 SCHEDULE

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Tue 6th

Wed 7th

10AM - 2PM

10AM - 2PM

CLUBS EXPO KELBURN

CLUBS EXPO KELBURN

THE HUB, KELBURN CAMPUS

THE HUB, KELBURN CAMPUS

Thu 8th

Thu 8th

11AM - 2PM

6PM

CLUBS EXPO PIPITEA

MATARIKI QUIZ NIGHT FUNDRAISER

RUTHERFORD HOUSE MEZZANINE, PIPITEA CAMPUS

Co-hosted w/ Ngãi Tauira

THE HUNTER LOUNGE, KELBURN CAMPUS REGISTER AT : VUWSA .ORG/RE - SET WEEK