Issue 17 - High School

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03

Editorial

04

Letters and Notices

05 - 11

News

12 - 15

The Proof is in the Potty

16 - 18

The Toxic Culture of All Boys Catholic Schools

19 - 21

Artist Profile / Centrefold

22 - 24

Why We’re Doodling Diddles

26 - 29

Columns

To Be Frank (26), Rice to Meet You (27), Disabled Students Association (28), Ngāi Tauira (29), UniQ (30),

Culture

30 - 35

High School Cliques (31), Quiz (32), Dance Trends (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

Shoutout to learning support Looking back on high school there are a wide array of emotions that I feel: from the joy of selling ice cream at the school play, to the despair of having to do the same maths course in Year 10 because I failed in Year 9. This is more about maths than ice cream.

Students with different learning needs require more academic support and most importantly, compassion.

Without it, these students are often set up to fail.

Photo: Matthew as school mascot

With the lockdown happening last year, I felt incredibly isolated. I didn’t know what to do because I hadn’t actually written an exam since I was 14. I never had the experience of queuing up outside of the hall for exams, alphabetical order and all. I had a readerwriter.

If it wasn’t for Ms Magnussen and Whaea Viv on the school’s learning support team, I can imagine that my high school experience would’ve been a lot worse.

Students come to school with different needs and I wouldn’t have had the support to help me reach circumstances. Although there is debate about how to university in the first place. I need to shout out to my describe, define, and categorise different conditions mum for noticing something was up, because when like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, and ADHD, I finally got diagnosed everything started to make there can be similarities in classroom experiences. sense. The reason that I couldn’t organise any of my For example, students with such conditions may be school work, the reason that looking at the whiteboard seen to perform less well at school (more detentions, just did not calculate in my head, the reason my essay lateness to class, trouble writing). According to the writing was quite poor because what was going on Access Alliance, 15% of New Zealand’s population are to paper wasn’t what was in my head. I could only dyslexic, and dyslexic learners are overly represented be partially eloquent if I verbalised it. It just made in negative statistics. everything endlessly clearer.

There are outdated expectations in a lot of schools, which influence students like myself falling through the cracks. There is a belief that we just simply aren’t smart enough, rather than the reality that the system itself is overwhelmingly limiting.

The first port of call shouldn’t be that someone is incapable, but figuring out why they’re struggling.

It should be about empowering students to learn in different ways or at least help them understand why they’re not finding a reading assignment as easy as the next kid. Otherwise, students leave high school with no idea that they have conditions such as dysgraphia or dyscalculia, and feeling like they’ve consistently failed. “I didnt know, I just thought I was dumb”, says a Salient staff member with dyscallcula. It can be a very bewildering environment.

When I moved to Wellington, I had a meeting with Matt from the Disability Services team who helped me access info to get a grant for software that had a reader-writer, and line up a reader-writer for my tests.

People like Matt are huge assets to this uni who have helped myself and countless other students through what can be a pretty scary place.

If there was more support at school level, I can imagine a lot of us would’ve had a better time with our academic work and so much more. This is dedicated to those who make that huge difference, from teacher aides to subject teachers. If it wasn’t for these people, I definitely would not be writing this in a university student magazine.

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

www.salient.org.nz

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NOTICES & LETTERS FREE EMPLOYMENT LAW SERVICE

VUWSA Student Budget Consultation

The Workers’ Rights Service provides free initial employment law consultation to any employee on a low income. They can help with personal grievances, harassment, unjustified dismissals, minimum entitlements, and more.

VUWSA have started consultation on Student’s perspective on how they should allocate their cut of the Student Services Levy (SSL) and are keen to hear what students think they should spend their money on. Ranging from Microwaves to Executive Campaigns.

Make sure you get your voice heard, the google form is available on their facebook page.

Further support in the form of legal representation or referral to an employment lawyer funded by legal aid may also be available.

This is a drop in service, no appointments are necessary.

CAB Central James Smiths Building Cnr Manners St & Cuba St Wellington Tues, Wed, Thurs 5:30pm - 7:00pm wrs@jk.org.nz

Get Your Human Rights Creative Thinking Cap On! Entries for the Amnesty International Gary Ware Legacy Award are now open! The winning idea/s will receive up to $4,000 towards a human rights initiative that has a clear human rights impact.

Entries are open to all people under 25 years and applications close 30 September.

HB Happy 25th birthday Liam!

From Musso

Submit Letters and Notices for future issues

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

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Letters and Notices

News

Pasifika Week / Pūtiki Bay / Trans Rights COVID-19 Vax / CSSF / Extreme Weather / Recap

First Ever Pasifika Week launched at VUW Matthew Casey (he/him)

Monday, 26 July marked the launch of Victoria University’s first ever Pasifika week, alongside the release of the third edition of Wan Solwara, Salient’s collaboration with the Pasifika Student Council (PSC).

The week began with the opening of the Pasifika Art Exhibition at Te Aro campus, attended by the High Commissioners of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands.

There were cultural dance performances and speeches.

When talking about the inaugural Pasifika Week, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) Hon Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban said “the thing that makes [her] proud is that the idea came from the students.”

PSC President Edwina Harris said that “Pasifika Week is a long overdue celebration of Pasifika peoples at our University.” She continued, “the launch at Te Aro, showcased the amazing work of our current and past Pasifika students”. The exhibition was on throughout the entire Pasifika week.

Harris talked of the importance of having this week for Pasifika students at Vic: the “whole week is about

Photo: Exhibition launch at Te Aro campus

encouraging our Pasifika students to be proud of their Pacific heritage. It can be extremely draining, sitting in classes with textbooks that define Pacific peoples with unflattering words.”

There were events held throughout the week, including the Pasifika Cultural Night on Thursday which saw performances from a collection of different cultural groups from Te Herenga Waka. The week concluded with the Market Day on Friday which promoted local

Protect Pūtiki Movement Continues

Azaria Howell (she/her)

Activists occupying the beach at Pūtiki Bay on Waiheke Island have continued to stand up for the whenua, after Auckland Council controversially agreed to build a marina on the site.

Pūtiki Bay is a taonga for the local iwi, protestors say, as it is a traditional kai moana gathering space, lined with culturally significant pā sites and pohutukawa trees that have been there for over 500 years. Roughly 7.8 hectares of land will be lost and in the hands of Auckland Council if works continue.

The controversial resource consent for development in Pūtiki Bay was granted in 2017, despite a majority of submissions at the time opposing the development.

The development at the site is ongoing—protestors will not back down until developments stop and the land is returned.

Earlier this month, police arrived at the scene where mana whenua, protestors, and activists were occupying the site; some arrests have been made. In recent developments, protestors have been able to temporarily halt the ongoing construction work at Pūtiki by occupying a drilling rig anchored in the bay. www.salient.org.nz

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Tensions have been rising exponentially at the scene, with recent police presence disrupting occupation of the land. Protestors have also alleged they have been physically harmed and treated violently by developers, livestreaming the altercations on Facebook.

foundational rights recognised by the international human rights system”, Jones said.

The petition supporting the resource consent for development to be revoked has received over 25,000 signatures. Protect Pūtiki activists recently held a demonstration outside of Auckland Council, asking for Mayor Phil Goff to support the rights of mana whenua.

“We stand firmly demanding the respect of indigenous connection to place, to water, and ask Auckland Council to recognise mana whenua and tangata whenua, and right this wrong”, Protect Pūtiki posted on their Facebook page.

In addition, the document, supported by the international community and adopted by the UN in 2007, states that indigenous peoples have the right to self-government and autonomy relating to both local and national decisions—the development at Pūtiki Bay would fall under this legal framework.

Dr Carwyn Jones cited the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as a legal framework supporting self-determination as a In a statement, Auckland Police claimed that they have a foundational right. Articles 3 and 4 of the UNDRIP presence at the site due to trespassing concerns. “Police outline this, stating that indigenous peoples have the are continuing to monitor the situation at Kennedy underlying right to “freely determine their political Point/Pūtiki Bay”, Gary Davey of the Auckland Police status and freely pursue their economic, social and told media, after multiple arrests were made. cultural development.”

Protect Pūtiki activists have said that they will occupy the land at Pūtiki for as long as it takes, in order to stop developments on the site and advocate for the land to be returned to mana whenua, the kaitiaki of Pūtiki Bay.

Dr Carwyn Jones told Salient that the United Nations declaration has great significance to indigenous communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. “As well as being recognised by the international community, self-determination is also central to He Whakaputanga (the 1835 Declaration of Independence) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (expressed as ‘tino rangatiratanga’)”, Jones stated.

Victoria University law professor Dr Carwyn Jones told Salient that this is a matter of human rights and self-determination. “Alongside equality and freedom from discrimination, self-determination is one of the

Protestors continue to stand in solidarity at Pūtiki Bay and have said they will be there for as long as it takes.

Thousands-strong crowd turn up for trans rights

A crowd of over 1000 gathered outside the Michael Fowler centre on the evening of Thursday, 15 July to stand in solidarity with the transgender community, and to express support for the proposed Births, Deaths, and Marriages Relationships Registration (BDMRR) Bill.

Lily McElhone (she/her), and Emile Wilmar (he/him)

Inside the venue, an open discussion was held by “gender-critical” group Speak Up for Women (SUFW), who oppose the Bill. Their event was part of a nationwide tour promoting the stance that the law change enacted by the BDMRR represents a threat to women’s spaces, such as bathrooms and women’s refuges. It was attended by roughly 140 people, with some of the crowd speaking for gender minorities.

The proposed BDMRR Bill would make it easier for gender minorities to change their registered sex to be in accordance with their gender, and replace the application to a family court with a simple statutory declaration.

Photo: Source: Re: News

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News

Queer Endurance / Defiance (QED), who organised the rally, maintain that since the ability to change one’s sex marker already exists for passports and drivers

licenses, these reforms simply make it easier for gender minorities to access state recognition of their identity on their birth certificate.

How the aforementioned women’s spaces would be affected by these changes isn’t clear. One of the many speeches given at the rally raised the question: “When was the last time anyone ever asked you for a birth certificate when you went to the bathroom?”

Furthermore, speakers noted that “To hear TERFs [trans-exclusionary radical feminists] tell it [the Bill] represents some kind of dangerous social experiment that threatens to upend the fabric of New Zealand society. But what does it actually do? The honest answer is ‘not much.’”

“This is a minor reform, but an important one, because it has symbolic value; it represents greater acceptance of gender minorities by wider society.”

“So if its chief value is symbolic, why do TERFs hate it so much? It has nothing to do with the arguments they make on paper—the Bill has nothing to do with bathroom access or sports, because birth certificates have nothing to do with those things either.”

Members of QED shared their experiences of transphobia as well as misogyny and gendered sexual violence. It was argued by one speaker that trans rights and women’s rights are not at odds with one another, because both struggles are rooted in the same issue: patriarchal gender roles.

Shortly into the rally’s proceedings, a heckler attempted to disrupt the rally. The person is allegedly well-known to many of the organisers and attendees for responding similarly to other protests. They were asked to leave before being escorted away from the crowd by security.

Later, QED member John was interrupted during their speech when they were grabbed by a woman attending SUFW’s event, who then attempted to take the megaphone. The woman then struck an organiser trying to escort her back to the event.

The rain courteously held out until the very end of the event. But despite the deluge, many members of the crowd stayed.

The crowd remained peaceful and cooperative.

COVID-19 Vaccinations being made available to all groups Niva Chittock (she/her)

Photo: Source: Lauren Bishop/CDC

Last week, the COVID-19 vaccine was made available to the final designated group, Group 4.

Group 4 is considered to be those of lowest risk, compared to the three groups before it. It began on Wednesday with those aged between 60 and 65 years old.

Aided by a shipment of 350,000 Pfizer vaccine doses the day before, Group 4’s roll out is the largest, with some two million New Zealanders in this category.

One million vaccine doses were received during July shipments, and now that our vaccination programme is expanding, our shipments are expected to jump up to 1.5 million doses this month. www.salient.org.nz

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To date, 1.7 million Kiwis have had their first dose of the The Ministry of Health website states that “everyone vaccine and nearly 700,000 have had both doses. in Group 4 will have the opportunity to be vaccinated by the end of the year.”

There has been some criticism over the pace of our vaccine roll out both globally and domestically, with The group has been broken into five categories people concerned we are not vaccinating fast enough. to ensure our vaccination programme does not overwhelm vaccinators. They are as follows: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has stated that this is because we have the luxury of being able to control 60 and over: July 28 the virus.

55 and over: August 11 45 and over: mid to late August “Fortunately, we are in a position where we do not need 35 and over: mid to late September to rely on the vaccine to curb the spread of the virus 16 and over: October here”, she said.

The Ministry website also reminds people that “once A COVID-19 vaccination booking centre was set up it’s your turn, you can be vaccinated at any time — to help allocate vaccines. Within the first five days, it there’s no cut off.” received 75,000 calls. An online booking system has also been established and between the two, 200,000 bookings were made in a single day last week.

VUWSA’S SUBMITS ON PROPOSED CSSF CHANGES Niva Chittock (she/her)

In June, Victoria University of Wellington’s Student Association (VUWSA) made a submission on the Proposed Changes to Compulsory Student Services Fees Mechanisms.

VUWSA’s submission was created in collaboration with Rainbow Law, VUWLSS, Ngāi Tauira, UniQ, PSC, Vic DSA, and VicCom, ensuring representation came from across the whole University.

The proposed changes, put forward by the Ministry of Education, would have an impact on all students who currently pay compulsory student service fees (CSSFs) which are also known as a student services levy (SSL).

The SSL to help fund the costs of delivering services and facilities that support students and enhance their academic experience.

The Ministry of Education has proposed to remove the current CSSFs provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020 and instead place them under Section 419 of the same Act. Section 419 is the Act which the rest of tertiary education funding falls under.

The Ministry’s website states that “This proposal would give the Government greater flexibility to make changes to the requirements on tertiary education providers that charge a CSSF, to support system changes or to respond to feedback from the tertiary sector. For

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News

Photo: Source: Monique Ford/Stuff

example, it would enable the Government to consider specific CSSF requirements for different types of learners, such as learners in work-based settings.”

The Education Minister has the ability to give direction over how these CSSFs are assigned and managed, with individual institutions choosing how to carry out the directives.

Currently, they are allocated under eight categories— student advocacy and legal advice; careers advice and Student Job Search; health services; counselling and pastoral care (including hardship support); clubs, cultural groups, societies, sports and recreation; student to student communications (student media); childcare and building levies/capital contribution.

VUWSA’s proposal states: “It is unlikely students will feel that any additional specifications will lead to lasting change, if the current specifications in place are already not being appropriately upheld or enforced.”

The main areas of concern for VUWSA are the enforcement of CSSF guidelines by the Ministry and current levels of student engagement.

The only incentive for tertiary institutions to follow the current guidelines is to maintain authority over the allocation of funding. If an institution does not do this, CSSFs are then allocated by the Minister.

Similarly, there are no real repercussions if the tertiary institution does not comply with current student engagement guidelines. VUWSA would like to see this area strengthened more, stating:

“It is absolutely imperative that the Government provides robust consultation with students, student associations, and other respective representative groups when making future changes to the CSSF framework.

This includes the development of a consultation timeline that works around the needs and availability of students at each campus.”

Universities New Zealand—Te Pōkai Tara also submitted a proposal on VUW’s behalf. It states: “It is not clear what problem the proposed changes are trying to address that cannot be already addressed under current legislative settings.”

VUWSA has a live survey up until this Sunday (August 8) asking students where we think our CSSFs should be spent, and whether you agree or not with current VUWSA spending patterns. You can access it via VUWSA’s student media platforms.

RECENT EXTREME WEATHER LINKED TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Maia Ingoe (she/her)

Photo: Source: NIWA

Extreme weather events have been wreaking havoc in major cities across the globe, a pattern which scientists say is set to worsen with the onset of climate change.

In Germany, streets turned into fast-running rivers, carrying cars and debris away at frightening speeds as rainfall exceeded record levels across Western Europe.

In Canada, heatwaves reached record temperatures, and wildfires have raged across North America, forcing evacuations from Ontario to Oregon. In countries affected by flooding, heatwaves, and wildfires, hundreds of lives have been lost in the extreme conditions.

New Zealand is not exempt from the crises: flooding in Buller and Marlborough has caused evacuations and

widespread property damage, and is the third major flooding event of 2021.

“Climate change is bound to have made events like the ones we’ve seen recently more likely than they were 50 or more years ago”, climate scientist James Renwick told Salient. Climate change has also increased the intensity of these events.

For many years, scientists have been warning that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Currently, warming has reached just over one degree above pre-industrial levels, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) advising emissions cannot exceed 1.5 degrees, www.salient.org.nz

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in order to avoid extreme consequences. The weather extremes hitting many parts of the globe have a clear link to climate change, and can be expected to increase as warming continues.

become more common in places across the globe.

The increase in temperature causes an onset of social consequences alongside climate changes, including food insecurity and influxes of climate refugees.

Climate change causes average global temperatures to increase, which shifts what is normal in weather events, making extreme temperatures an increasingly common occurrence.

“Once we get above two degrees of warming, the heat extremes and water shortages in agricultural regions of the world would be regularly knocking global crop production, possibly leading to widespread hunger and even famine”, said Renwick, adding that he’d rather not reach such levels of climate change to see the disruption it would cause.

“Warmer air holds more moisture, so we tend to get heavier rain when it rains”, explains Renwick. “When it isn’t raining, a warmer atmosphere allows evaporation and drying to work faster, so ground and vegetation dries out faster and further, making fires more likely.”

As global temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of reaching new extremes in weather events. One in 100 year weather events, such as New Zealand’s recent flooding, will occur more often.

“As the climate warms, we would see more and more intense extremes, over larger areas and lasting longer”, says Renwick. At levels of warming above 1.5 degrees, the changes in climate will cause some areas of the planet to be unlivable as temperatures exceed what the human body can bear. Extreme weather events, like Germany’s flooding and Canada’s heatwaves, will

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News

In the here and now, a team of National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research scientists are working on establishing New Zealand’s new “climate normals”— that is, what is defined as an average statistic. The average statistic is used to evaluate climate events and are usually calculated over a 30 year period. The new 30-year timespan which normals are based on is shifting ten years forward, to between 1991 and 2020.

While New Zealand’s goal is to reach zero-carbon levels by 2050, aligning with the IPCC recommendations to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, the current emissions trajectory shows values exceeding that, reaching levels of 2 degrees warming or more.

NewsRecap: Vic student makes olympic swimming finals

The Olympics are now in full swing. On Sunday, 25 July, 22 year old Victoria University student Lewis Clareburt was a finalist for the 400m Individual Medley. As of Thursday July 29th Clareburt is through to the 200m Individual Medley Final.

Fiji beat All Blacks Sevens

On Wednesday 28 July, The Fijian Men’s Sevens rugby team beat the All Blacks Sevens to win the gold medal.

This is their second consecutive Rugby Sevens gold.

Captain Jerry Tuwai said: “Every Fijian wants only the win.

It’s a good day for Fiji today,” after their 27-12 victory at Tokyo Stadium.

Auckland of University dean steps down amid backlash

Douglas Elliffe, Professor of Psychology has stepped down as Dean of the science faculty after signing a letter, along with seven other academics, that was published in ^The Listener^. The letter argued that Mātauranga Māori “falls short of what can be defined as science itself”. The letter was in response to proposed Māori school curriculum changes that would see discussion of the ways that science promotes eurocentric views and acts as a tool of colonisation. Academics such as Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles published a letter in complete disagreement with the initial letter.

Toa the stranded orca sadly passes

On Friday July 23rd, orphaned orca calf Toa sadly passed away at Plimmerton beach after being discovered stranded on rocks North of Wellington, two weeks prior.

This was after a nationwide search for his pod.

SIX60 buy 660

Last week it was confirmed that the boys from SIX60 purchased their titular flat on Dunedin’s Castle Street.

They are offering $10,000 scholarships to 4 students to live in the flat and “to be mentored by members of the band and to have access to our brand new performing arts studio” according to Otago University acting vice chancellor Helen Nicholson.

New Samoan Prime Minister

Fiame Naomi Mata’afa officially took office on July 27, three months after she was initially elected. Samoa has been in a state of constitutional crisis since then, with former PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi refusing to concede. Fiame is Samoa’s first woman Prime Minister.

All Blacks have controversial sponsorship deal

NZ Rugby has signed a 6 year sponsorship deal with INEOS, a producer of chemicals and plastics. Their logo will appear on uniforms including those of the All Blacks, Sevens and Black Ferns. NZ Rugby has been criticised

by Greenpeace for deciding to brand national teams with such a company “in the thick of the climate crisis.”

NZR says they carried “due diligence” when making the decision.

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Ronia Ibrahim (she/her)

Over the ages, all wall etchings only served 1 principal purpose. To say

“I was here, in the flesh and blood I existed and now my memory lives on in time.”

Humans have always been making their mark wherever they’ve existed. On a grander scheme, we have made our mark through literature, art, architecture, colonisation. A way to announce our thoughts and give proof of existence. Today though, I will be focusing on a specific, urban core kind of mark making.

Bathroom graffiti: you may be familiar with it in the context of high school (wow cheeky thematic connection), often consisting of an awful barrage of slut shaming, penis drawings, slander, and angsty quotes. At uni, bathroom graffiti still exists, but it’s different. We’re not in high school anymore. We’re woke now. We’re taller, our brains are more developed, and we like vegetables. I set out to investigate what the 20-years-olds are writing on campus.

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Feature : The Proof is in the Potty

Anonymous bathroom wall etcher, stall 3, women’s bathroom, KK200.

I’ll admit I have only discovered a few of the bathrooms at this university, across campuses, spanning from the Cotton Building to Rutherford House and Wigan Street. From my experience, I have found that Pipitea’s graffiti seems virtually non-existent, and Te Aro campus (surprisingly) has very minimal graffiti to explore, with disappointing bathrooms in general. By far, my findings have concluded that New Kirk Level 2 bathrooms contain the most bizarre, diverse range of graffiti, including but not limited to: vegan propaganda, anti-vegan propaganda, full-scale conversations, and equally full-scale portrait drawings. Not sure why the cleaners haven’t taken it all down—perhaps it’s too much effort, or perhaps they are just as invested in the drama as I am.

Art has often been a way for people to channel their emotions into something tangible. Bathroom graffiti, with its added anonymity, provides you with a sense of secretive catharsis. The wall does not ask you to be perfect; it stands alone as a willing canvas for your deepest darkest thoughts, accepting you as you are.

Naturally, confessions are a key piece of bathroom graffiti, here with an added ~tertiary flavour~. Our biggest fears are no longer showing up to mufti day in uniform, or falling over in front of your crush. It’s not being able to afford rent, shivering yourself to sleep, dealing with one or many mental illnesses, and hanging by a thread waiting for your next Mauri Ora appointment. Bigger, more terrifying realities.

A constant state of trying to hold it together. One tagger revealed their decision to move away from Wellington and “couldn’t be happier”, citing their compromised wellbeing in this city, and wishing readers to “always do what’s best for you, even if there is cuts”.

Images: Portraits and conversations located at New Kirk Level 2 bathrooms

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“WAKE UP AND CHOOSE CHAOS. EVERYDAY. YOU DESERVE IT.” “Hell yeah <3”

bathrooms next to Maki Mono

Other advice that is slightly impaired by grammar mistakes include some findings from the bathrooms next to Maki Mono: “WAKE UP AND CHOOSE CHAOS. EVERYDAY. YOU DESERVE IT.” I’m not really sure if this person was intending to be uplifting or nihilistic, but at least one other person has agreed with their sentiment, a small “Hell yeah <3” commented underneath. On a toilet paper holder, another person has scribbled “I <3 Bathroom Graphiti!”

Again, I can’t really be sure whether this was a deliberate mistake or an honest spelling slip-up.

Someone has crossed out “Graphiti” and drawn an asterisk correcting their spelling.

Back in New Kirk, an anonymous graffiti artist casually admitted that they had a race festish, and was met with a bunch of angry arrows and comments calling them out for their racism. The wall may be open to free speech, but as uni students, problematic comments will be called out. Scribbled on the inside of a door is “UNI = OPPRESSION :)”, to which several angry arrows have replied “You chose to attend uni? Dumb ?? ASF, no one is forcing you to be here? Go get a job.”

I’m taken aback by the aggressiveness of some of these comments, but at the same time find it hilarious that these scribbles are being taken so seriously.

Honestly, that person was a harsh party pooper, and actually most of us are here to help us find a job? My personal offense aside, I am reminded that fussing about manners and maturity is probably an irrelevant thing to consider here. These spaces contain comments about everything. You can find the comment “most christians are okay with fornication” right next to “straight up just want a nice boyfriend right now”.

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Feature : The Proof is in the Potty

I’m aware that my research is definitely biased, as I’ve only accessed a select few women’s bathrooms on Vic’s campuses. I have not set foot in any of the men’s bathrooms, but sources say that their graffiti is akin to reddit/4chan forums, which is both terrifying and depressing. I send my condolences. But, I have come to the conclusion that despite our expectations of maturity and wokeness in the women’s loos, graffiti in uni bathrooms are still imperfect, crude, but with an added layer of existential crisis. Bathroom walls are a comforting space, within the safety of anonymity and the thrill of secret rebellion. If anything, it proves that perhaps now, more than ever, we are driven by the desire to be heard.

Maybe the act of writing this article is proof of the uni student spirit, where we are determined to turn any scrap of art and literature into a relic, skew every scribble into social commentary. Was it unnecessary for me to skew these bathroom forums into some nostalgic social commentary? Oops, maybe, but these walls really do feel like relics to me.

We may assume that the higher we go, the more “elevated” we become. I am convinced it might actually be the opposite, and the proof is in the pudding potty. Even at these institutions where we pay thousands of dollars to learn from reputable scholars and researchers, real enlightenment may actually exist in the humble cubicle. One only needs to venture to New Kirk Level 2 to discover ballpoint pen chivalry, proof of human existence, and forums on how to save the world.

Image: One of a few “Notes of Aroha” located in multiple loos It is also an unlikely support network. “Thank you for being my friend”, someone wrote on a toilet paper holder at the Maki Mono loos. Female friendship is a key theme in women’s bathrooms. Linked by the mutual struggles of heartbreak, menstrual cycles, and mental illness. I also came to notice that in a few women’s bathrooms, sheets of paper were taped up near the sink areas, titled “Notes of Aroha” where bathroom goers were encouraged to write messages of support and encouragement to others. These sheets were put up during the assessment period, overflowing with wholesome words of affirmation, and love. *insert picture* They’re just what you need at the worst time of the year. The days are short, the sunlight minimal, it’s a Monday morning. You’re having a little cry before the lecture in the Rankine Brown Level 2 bathrooms. Life’s just generally shitty right now. But amidst all this misery, there is hope. These notes of aroha are enough for you to take a final sniff, stuff a couple wads of toilet paper in your pockets, and exit the bathroom ready to tackle the world with this small but newfound encouragement.

“Love conquers fear and doubt every time -John 4:18 ” Anonymous, “Notes of Aroha”

www.salient.org.nz

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A lot of ink has been put to paper about the discrimination and bigotry that young members of the rainbow community face. And rightly so—the school environment has not been, and in many cases continues not to be, a welcoming space for queer kids. This is doubly true for religious schools whose oft-professed values of kindness and acceptance, to put it politely, don’t exactly match up with the actions of the churches that sponsor them.

The school experience I’m here to talk about, though, is not that of the ‘out’ teen at odds with a conservative school’s worldview, or even of someone who hides their identity because of that same pressure. I want to talk about my experience, and the experiences of people like me, who could only consciously question their sexuality or gender after leaving that environment, and the long lasting impacts of the culture and ideology of those institutions. Specifically, I want to dive into the often toxic cultures of all-boys catholic schools—the misogyny and homophobia that infuse everyday interactions and speech, and how the lasting impact of those ways of thinking obscured my own truth from me for far too long.

The Catholic Church has a, uhhh... poor track record on LGBT+ issues. But this piece isn’t a critique of The Church or Christian beliefs (though I have my opinions). Instead, I want to specifically talk about the underlying ideologies of the schools, which are shaped, in my reckoning, as much by conservative political ideology and their rigidly gendered structure as by Catholic doctrine. So, where to even start?

Before interrogating the ideology of these institutions, we should begin by looking at their structure as strictly gendered spaces. The question of why the schools should be divided by sex is one that they are constantly in response to. It’s a question that pops up in the news every few years, but, in my experience, is also a question which the schools seek to answer in classroom discussions. They make a lot of arguments which seem different on a surface level, but that really all point to the same thing. They all claim that men and women are fundamentally different, and need to be kept separated in order to learn and work well.

The problem is we live in a patriarchal society, so this myth of ‘separate but equal’ fails to ring true, and instead it becomes the seed—within the young men who are subject to it—of a toxic masculinity which

The Toxic Culture of All Boys Catholic Schools CW: Mentions of sexual assault

Joseph Slicker (he/him)

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Feature : The Toxic Culture of All Boys Catholic Schools

defines itself in opposition to a conservative image of the feminine. The consequences of this are wide ranging and frankly dangerous to the women and girls who, under its influence, are othered and presented only in the context of sex. Early in my final year of highschool a number of my classmates raided the Facebook live stream of a protest hosted by a number of girls schools calling for better consent education.

They spammed “no means yes” and other quips making light of sexual assault, alongside a variety of right-wing hashtags from the time. I mention this incident because I can prove it happened, but we all know that much worse never made it to the light of day.

This way of thinking also presents in the boys it takes hold of as a sort of paranoia. It turns their schools into a panopticon, as the students (and concerningly many of the teachers) police each other for what they imagine to be effeminate behaviour. Basically any display of vulnerability, emotional or otherwise.

Here, the weight of catholic teaching shows itself.

When I was in school it was normal to use “gay” (and worse) as insults, but the compulsory religious studies courses that often reiterated arguments about

“the sanctity of marriage” or the natural hetrosexual relationship infuse these apparently playground insults with a real sense of moral judgement. A religious studies teacher once told my class that he doesn’t hate gay people, he just likes them less than ‘normal’ people. Now I’ve never been a religious person, but I can’t deny the role that those lessons played in reinforcing my use of slurs in casual conversation, used as tools of dismissal. I have to wonder how many ideas, and how many people, I have dismissed using those words. I wonder how deeply those words affected their targets, and I wonder what I could have known about myself had the queer and the feminine not been dismissed as weak and immoral.

Those associations weighed heavily on me, even if for a long time they were subconscious. I’ve always been bi; it is unavoidably who I am. But those associations stopped me from claiming that for myself for far too long. I knew how I felt, but I could not marry my image of myself with what my feelings were ‘supposed’ to make me. I had internalised an image of what it meant to be queer that had very little relation to the reality of the queer experience.

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A friend I spoke to, a trans woman, said that she feels that if she had attended a co-ed school rather than a catholic boys school she almost certainly would have realised she wasn’t cis earlier than she did. She said

“At [our school] there was no education regarding the queer community whatsoever, so to me trans people were more of a fantasy than an actual reality. With the severe lack of diversity in that sphere, it never even clocked in as a possibility for me.”

I suppose I’m one of the lucky ones really; I accepted who I was when the paradox of wanting to fuck Tom Holland while also being a ‘straight’ man became too much. But that said, there was a long time when I maintained that double-think, and it’s an unfortunate fact that many more will maintain that paradox for the rest of their lives. And really, that’s the aim of these institutions.

There are a small minority who really do believe that queer people make up an incalculably small fraction of the population. Men like the teacher who, in response to one student publicly coming out at my school proclaimed “I don’t know why they have to make such a big deal about it, it’s not like there’s any others here.”

But these are outliers; whether it’s verbalised or not, these institutions know that queerness is much more prevalent than their student bodies would publically suggest, and so they are built to repress those feelings in their pupils. They might be limited in what a teacher can say in a classroom, but they breed an environment and a culture which teaches boys to police each other and themselves in both thought and action.

A common refrain at my particular high school was that the school aimed to “create good, Christian men”, and “successful citizens”. Other catholic schools will similarly espouse their desire to mold their students into better people in God’s image. The problem is that, as an institution, the schools have a very narrow vision of what that means.

I left high school four years ago, and it’s taken all of that time for me to reach this point of consciousness about the subconscious ways of thinking I was brought up in. It wasn’t a journey I made alone. It might not have been possible without access to the kinds of education that university offers which were sadly missing from my secondary education, and it’s a journey I owe to a number of excellent teachers and lecturers, and to some very good friends. I hope it’s a journey that the boys I was educated with also make, for their own sake, and everyone else’s.

And to the RE teacher that told me I was lying for saying that I could ever love a trans person, from the bottom of my heart,

absolutely get fucked.

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Feature : The Toxic Culture of All Boys Catholic Schools

Bottom right - Green Room Noon Goon Bottom left - Long Road Home.

Mid - The Devils Downstairs.

Mid - Tūrangawaewae Top - Compressed

Jonathan Morrish ARTIST PROFILE

@j.morrish_arts

When asked to reflect back at high school and the path which I have taken since, I would firstly advise; this journey has been anything but clear or smooth sailing. As opposed to a heroic voyage out into the unknown, mine was more like that of a hopeless castaway—thrown overboard on a life raft.

For a long time I drifted, hoping someone would find me and put me in the right direction. I would dream at night of all the possible horizons where I may end up. I’m still on this raft, but to continue with the spirit of metaphor, one might say I now have been thrown a paddle.

It may seem ironic that I sit here writing this, awaiting an expensive piece of paper—hopefully declaring me as a Master of Architecture. Despite this seemingly obvious career path, which I chose so long ago; I found myself more lost than ever. I refer to this predicament in the piece titled The Deep End. As I always had this idea of being an architect, I never really considered myself as an artist. Well, I never considered my art to be of value to others.

Reflecting upon my background in art—which was seeded the first day I put pen to paper—my biggest early inspiration will always be Salvador Dali and despite the cliché, Banksy. With both Jean-Michel Basquiat and George Condo becoming pivotal figures in recent years, I found art as a means to grapple with my subconscious, using the power of expression and metaphor to reframe it—communicating through some medium and then reflecting upon the outcome. My art provides a language through which I can confront myself. This language is not fixed to any style or taste, any boundaries, it changes with my mood or the wind. I don’t really care as to how it is judged, as I do it for myself.

Only recently—when I received an honourable mention in the Kiingi Tuheitia Portraiture Award—did I consider the title Artist. This was the moment I was thrown a paddle. My thesis work titled Tūrangawaewae | A Place to Stand now hangs in the New Zealand National Portrait Gallery, an absolute honour which I am still processing. At present, I can’t tell you where I will go next in my journey. As I said, I’m still to a large degree stranded on this life raft. But I believe I have discovered the one thing that can direct me through the murky waters—my intuition. The more I listen the louder it gets. This is my compass, my current. My torch in the darkness. My purpose.

JM

www.salient.org.nz

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Lachlan Ewing (he/him)

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Feature : Why We’re Doodling Diddles

The membrum virile and the testes. The male reproductive system. Dick and balls. Neatly represented by some variation of two adjacent circles and a longer semi-ellipse sprouting between them. For time immemorial, people have carved, painted, drawn and tagged this symbol on almost every surface imaginable.

On the barren, remote Greek island of Astypalaia, over two and a half thousand years ago, the dick and balls were carved carefully into a rock face. This is perhaps the oldest example of the art form, but the artist was not the only person of the ancient world inspired to recreate schlongs. The city of Pompeii was decorated with a gaggle of penises before it was destroyed by volcanic eruption in 79AD. More recently, in Bhutan, the Buddhist monastery of Chimi Lhakhang was built in 1499. It is home to perhaps the GOAT of dick and balls artwork, pictured here, amongst many other penile paintings and carvings. Around the world, through different eras, people have looked at the humble old meat and two veg, and been inspired to put it into art. This tradition continues today. Dicks and balls proliferate the landscape of any highschool, whether they hide under desks, inhabit the pages of books or slither up bathroom walls. Some artists continue their work at the tertiary level, and many grapes and sausages can be found deep in the annals of the library here. So what exactly is going on?

Several psychoanalysts have applied the teachings of Sigmund Freud in an attempt to get to the balls of the matter. According to Freud, boys’ fascination with willies stems from a fear of castration. Apparently, when a young boy sees his mother and realises she does not have a penis, he is traumatized. What if this happened to him, and he lost his willy? He would be exposed, sans penis, for the world to see.

Metaphorically, he may even lose the power that he has come to associate with his member. Therefore, young men draw dicks and balls in an effort to assert that they have the penis, and they have the power.

In my research, all of the literature only attempted to explain why those who have them may draw dicks and balls, and almost all of it referenced old mate Freud.

But other people are in on the joke too. If we were to stretch Freudian thought, he’d say that from a young age, women become envious that they do not possess a penis, and experience “penis envy”. This is the flipside to the castration fear young boys apparently experience.

But that is a wild idea invented by a man, based on some pretty big assumptions of gender as a biological binary, backed by no hard data, and weirdly unchallenged.

Images: Top left - Carving on rock found on Greek Island of Astypalaia. Top right - Penis perrched on Pompeii. Bottom - GOAT dick and balls, found in Chimi Lhakhang Buddhist monastery.

On the other hand, we at Salient have researched the issue extensively and asked the dick-drawers themselves. A sufficiently large pool of young adults responded to a survey I posted. Every respondent who identified as male had drawn a dick and balls.

This supports the consensus that there is something intrinsic in the male psyche that compels us to leave a mark of our members. 80% of respondents who identified as female had also drawn dicks and balls.

The Freudian theorist would point out that it certainly seems drawers want their drawings to be seen, and this stacks up with the idea of asserting who has the penis. 29% of people who had drawn dicks and balls had done them on bathroom stalls, and 43% on desks.

Everyone who had drawn a dick and balls had done one on others’ books and/or papers. Only half had done one on their own books/papers. 79% had drawn them on other people. Only 14% had drawn them on themselves. They had also been drawn in the frost on the school field, on dirty cars, on whiteboards with glue sticks and in the condensation of flat windows.

57% of respondents had drawn a digital dick and balls, which will be an interesting technological trend to monitor the future development of.

www.salient.org.nz

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However, the theories began to unravel when respondents were asked why they drew dick and balls.

There was no statistically significant difference across genders when respondents were asked why they draw dicks and balls. The results are best presented in world cloud form (see right).

Overwhelmingly, respondents reasoned that their motivations for drawing dicks and balls were humour related. Many cited controversial Australian comedian Chris Liley as a source. People also said “everyone else was doing it” and “banter”. Therefore, I hypothesise that the humour of dick and balls drawings is learned and conditioned by social interactions and influences. It’s not as if the first time someone sees a penis (whether their own or someone else’s) they burst into laughter. But if they spend enough time in society, they will learn that for some reason, drawings of dicks and balls tend to arouse amusal in a lot of people. Everyone wants to be in on a good joke, thus so many people have drawn them without ever thinking too deeply about it. As one wise young man put it “when you draw a dick and balls, someone is either going to laugh or get offended.

Both are desirable outcomes for a teenager.”

dicks and balls in the flesh, or gotten familiar with our own. But if you think about it carefully, the dick and balls symbol looks quite similar to a key. And perhaps it is a key. The door this key unlocks is one that looks back in time, to a simpler time. If you see a dick and balls, there is probably minimal association with the actual genitalia. Instead, your mind is cast back to days gone by where you were young and carefree: almost anything was funny and life was a big mystery unfolding in front of you. Juicies were $1 at the tuckshop. You’d heard it through the grapevine that your crush *liked* you back. You had the time to spend an entire class drawing a dick in your friend’s book, as one respondent did.

Or, as a young woman who did not draw her first schlong until late in her teens explained: “it’s me joining in on the joke. I used to get flustered or grossed out by it, but now I can appreciate that it’s not that deep, and a bit of peen is peachy keen.”

Many other respondents have similar fond memories of the dick and balls they are most proud of. One drew a “veiny schlong” on his mate’s hockey stick just before tournament week. Another made an instant mark on day one of his year 9 Japanese class, by drawing one on a friend’s book that the teacher then held up as an example, unwittingly exposing it to the entire class.

Three friends spent the better part of an hour walking through the frost on a school field to leave a massive cock in their wake. Today, the dick and balls is a symbol of these tweenage/early teen escapades. It is a cultural artefact, but one that must be handled with care.

While that respondent came to the party late, most respondents drew their first dick and balls far earlier.

67% of respondents had drawn dicks and balls before they were 13. Another 20% started before 15. In the early stages of puberty the brain is most susceptible to pair pressure, and this data supports the hypothesis that people begin to find dicks and balls funny because those around them do. However, it does not appear it is an easy behaviour to grow out of. Only 27% of respondents had not drawn one since turning 18. The remainder were still active artists as young adults, or had only recently given up the game.

Obviously, some people do not find dick and balls funny. Artists should be careful of where they choose to display their work. If they so choose, people have the right to go about their day without thinking about dicks and balls. Therefore, it might pay to think twice before leaving one behind on a desk or wall. And Grant Guilford would definitely *not* find it funny if you spray painted a huge schlong over the big “WELLINGTON” part of some of the uni’s flash new rebranded signs, so please don’t do that. But if you and your friends bond over leaving phallic imagery behind in each other’s notes or in the condensation of your flat’s windows, go for it. Don’t let any psychoanalyst tell you it stems from a fear of castration or penis envy. Sometimes, a dick and balls can just be plain funny and nostalgic.

Dicks and balls continue to be amusing past that initial stage of immature scribbling. We are mature university students, and at this stage have probably seen a few

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Feature : Why We’re Doodling Diddles

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Frankie Dale (she/her)

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

Can we forgive our ghosts?

After having been ghosted a couple times throughout my life, it’s hard not to take it personally and assume these boys found someone with a nicer nose and hair that didn’t have the texture of hay—not to mention I don’t own one pair of socks that match. Recently, after discovering maybe I don’t have to take everything so personally, I’ve been asking myself: what happens when the ghost returns? Do we let them startle us again?

When I was at my worst mental state arguably ever in my life, I was ghosted by the guy who was supposed to be my break-up rebound. He was strange, funny and really neat. We had a couple good laughs, but I think he assumed I was basic because I had only read ^Just Kids^ and not ^M Train.^ After over a year of radio silence I received a couple of flirty text messages from my ex-fling. He certainly wasn’t asking for my hand in marriage but possibly a quick shag with the desperate girl from his past—pretty harmless, right?

If we take it for what it is, there’s no real shame in it. Although it’s a bit fuck-boy-esque I appreciate his boldness (do I?) …or perhaps I have no selfrespect. On the other hand, do we really want to bone someone who didn’t even have the balls to tell us why they ghosted initially. Are they actually just reaching out because they see us as despo people they think will put out on the spot? As fate would have it, I bumped into him last night at San Fran. Actually, “bumped into” would imply that we actually spoke, or even shared an affable head nod. In reality we made eye contact, and he pretended to see someone in his David Lynch fan-boy club across the balcony. Yes!!!

I’ve fucking seen Twin Peeks fuck off!!!!!!!

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Columns : TBF / R2MY

My worst ghost however was an ex-boyfriend of mine who one day woke up and decided that he no longer wanted to know me anymore. Now this, this is bold... after we “broke up” it was this disgustingly toxic rigmarole in which we’d ‘fall in love’ every three months, fuck and then the very next day, out of nowhere, he would ghost me for two months. I will say, it was fair enough after the night I vomited bile on his dick and simultaneously got my period and he had to place me in his bath with the shower running for a couple hours.

He would block me on all social media and would stop responding to my text messages. If you’re wondering why I bought into this every 2 months, no, the sex was not good. Unless you like having sex with a wanna be porn-star on drugs.

After this vicious cycle stopped and I realised I probably could date someone who wasn’t mentally abusive I realised something so obvious; we probably shouldn’t let these phantom people back into our lives—they didn’t want you then and they don’t want you now, right? Harsh, I know.

But, you deserve better than someone who will commit to you as much as I’ll commit to actually being over my ex. I really don’t know much but typically when someone comes back to us time and time again but can’t “commit” in the way you want, they probably won’t commit. But please, by all means, if you want to follow your heart and give love a chance, be my guest and I’ll be here for you. Just be wary and know your boundaries. I guarantee you’re hotter than whoever this breather is.

Hi! We’re Anoushka and Laurelei and it’s Rice To Meet You. From dating, to pronouncing ethnic names, to racial imposter syndrome, we’re Salient’s resident Asian aunties giving completely unsolicited (but somewhat sage) advice.

This Isn’t Just My Battle / Maybe Don’t Take Bear Grylls’ Advice Only in hindsight did I realise how weird the culture around talking about race and race-related issues was in highschool. I’m starting to wish that I was more aware of what was going on around me and how my (unintentional) ignorance would have had an impact on how the opinions of the people around me were shaped. I wish I wasn’t singled out just because I was the token brown person. I wish I was more vocal when someone was being a prick about the way I pronounced certain words. Let’s call this particular girl Heather. Heather would constantly correct the way I pronounced words and honestly it was humiliating and it hurt my feelings but I would always laugh it off, because I didn’t want to be seen as getting mad over something that others might perceive as trivial. Heather failed to realise that I’ve grown up in a bilingual household and my accent is based on my immigrant parents’ accents.

Aside from the microaggressions, the one thing that bothered me the most was that the people around me were completely unwilling to stand up for me unless they were personally afflicted. I mean as a person, I don’t need anyone to stand up for me, I’m a big girl and can handle conflicts perfectly well. College students aren’t empowered to speak up when something is blatantly wrong. One of my classmates was arguably the most racist, homophobic, bigotted person I had ever come across, and everyone seemed to agree on this. But whenever she would open her mouth to spout bullshit about how great colonisation was (this actually happened), I seemed to be the only one to tell her to respectfully, shut up.

I hope whoever is reading this, now that you’re at university, you know how exhausting it can be to be the only one constantly fighting for a cause. It might be time to consider more active ways to fight for the issues around you so that the rest of us can take a little bit of a break:)) Please don’t shrug important issues away just because they don’t affect you, because you’re really making the problem worse than it already is. As a wise Captain C.J said (B99), “If you see something, say something - come on let’s partay tonight!”

Anoushka Divekar (she/her)

Everyone warns you about the Year 8 to Year 9 transition of the big-fish-small-pond turning into a small-fish-bigpond. As that small fish just trying to survive the next five years, you follow the wise words of the most televised survivalist - Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

In the context of an all-girls Catholic school, the improvising and adapting came in the form of constantly trying to fit in. Eventually, birds of a feather flocked together (we’re ditching the fish metaphor and going up the food chain), and I was lucky enough to end up in a mostly Filipino friend group. It was comforting to not have to explain why it was wrong to wear shoes in the house, to be unapologetic about bringing leftover meat and rice to school. I didn’t have to hide my culture.

But the double homicide came when I latched onto the idea that I wasn’t Filipino enough. My friends spoke fondly of “subtle Asian traits” that sounded as good as foreign to me.

I milked an insecurity that was already long-brewing after a childhood that was both JolliBee-less and clueless in what was supposed to be my “mother” tongue. I never learned that the concept of being Asian enough was a straight-up fiction that I needed to overcome.

I didn’t realise how much of a blessing it was to be surrounded by people that looked like me until I arrived at university. I took the comfort I found in them for granted, and traded it in for an overwhelmingly white Law/Arts degree. Instead of listening to my racial imposter syndrome and running away from the spaces that welcomed me, I should have ran towards them.

To anyone in the same boat: now’s your second chance.

University is an even bigger pond, but that means even more fish that will welcome you into their spaces.

Improvise, adapt, and overcome that mindset that’s telling you that you aren’t [x] enough. Your people will embrace you with open arms.

Laurelei Bautista (she/her) www.salient.org.nz

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Disabled Students Association

Dear PE Teacher Hannah Pym (she/her)

Fu*k you.

For never taking me seriously.

For staring me up and down whenever I approached you.

For deeply sighing when I handed you a medical note.

For rolling your eyes when I asked to stay in the back during group activities.

I dreaded every PE lesson and was one of the only students who preferred writing pages of theory rather than a game of sudden death dodgeball. This was not due to laziness, or deviance, but due to my insensitive teacher refusing to accommodate for my body that I was already personally at war with.

Growing up as an undiagnosed yet chronically ill student was interesting. Sometimes I would hobble into the gym, in agony, with a signed note in hand. My mum had confidence that our request for me to be benched would be received with compassion—but that was not the case. Instead I would be met with “Again? really?” No matter how much I advocated for myself, the number of doctor’s notes I provided, or interventions from my parents that followed, I was always told to suck it up.

There was always a group of students who refused to bring their PE gear, and used the lesson as a gossip sesh. They would scoff at the teacher when he shook them down for excuses, and eventually he grew tired of arguing with them. They were excused.

Maybe I should have joined their clique—or I don’t know, maybe my teacher shouldn’t have been a total asshole?

Whoever went to high school with me: hey, you know what I’m talking about here. We would need to walk to a nearby reserve, run laps of the lagoon, and jog back uphill to campus. This was an opportunity for the over-energised wannabe Olympians to flaunt

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Columns : DSA / Ngāi Tauira

their physical prowess (or whatever they thought they were doing), but for others like myself it was cruel punishment. Wincing in pain with each step, struggling through several asthma attacks, trying to trudge forward to the next lamp post... my goal was to get through without passing out. Despite all of these clear signals that something wasn’t right, my teacher refused to lend a hand. He refused to make room on the park bench he observed from. He refused to hide his smirk everytime I stumbled past. He refused to make the simplest of accommodations that would be considered the bare minimum in terms of basic human decency.

High school is rough for most young people. Factor in constant doctors appointments, blood tests, specialist visits, and fad treatments, and it becomes harder.

I exhausted myself trying to voice my concerns with my health professionals, desperately trying to ensure I was taken seriously, only to be met with this bigot at school the next day. Like many other authoritative figures, he ingrained in my head feelings of doubt, imposter syndrome, and overdramatisation. I was a sensitive snowflake that was looking for a quick way out of what he considered the greatest lesson in the most important subject in tertiary education. Calm down sis, it’s only a game of tag.

Eight years later with three diagnoses under my belt… I laugh at him. I roll my eyes at the fact he felt my disabilities were orchestrated. I bite my tongue thinking of all of the zingers I would have thrown at him, had I had my current confidence and vocabulary.

I raise my middle finger when his face appears in my consciousness.

Fu*k you.

Ngāi Tauira

Rawaka Eden Roberts (she/her), Ngāpuhi

Let’s talk about blood percentage real quick. If you are Māori, then there is a good chance you have either thought about your blood quantum or have been asked what your blood percentage is...or both. Being asked how much Māori percent is in your makeup can be deterring and creates discomfort as we try to navigate how to answer this age-old question. It can be a kick to the spirit and our ancestors.

But what if this blood quantum framework was removed and instead a focus was made on accepting whakapapa as a means of identifying as Māori? It is important to recognise that blood percentage is a colonisers tool used to separate indigenous people.

Unlearning the thought that percentage matters and removing the percentage quantum entirely, allows Māori to unapologetically be their indigenous selves.

Not only this, it also brings Māori together through their shared experiences of constantly having to prove what percent is in their makeup.

What matters is one’s connection to the mountains, land and rivers through their whakapapa. There is no percentage in that, it is a whole entity that connects a person to their Māori ancestor. A person may have several ancestors that are Māori and that is enough.

Another person may have one or two, and that too, is enough. Blood percentage does not determine anything and should not be a deciding factor in whether someone is enough, or not enough. The default has been to ask how much percent someone is or isn’t. The new default has to be a different narrative. One where Māori do not get asked about their blood percentage and do not have to prove themselves in a world that constantly asks them to.

Blood percentage does not matter. Whakapapa is enough.

L AUREN CRIMP

B A C HE L OR O F C OMM UNIC AT ION

BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION E X P E R I E N T I A L A N D I N D U S T R Y- C O N N E C T E D

“Every day I use the basic PR skills and tactics I learnt at Massey, like writing press releases and media liaison. Now I’m an account manager I have more of a hand in the overall client planning and strategy, which my PR management paper prepared me for.”

With practice-relevant majors in Communication Management, Digital Marketing, Expressive Arts, Journalism, Linguistics, Media Studies and Public Relations, our graduates are employed across 20 industry categories with more than 280 different job titles.

Like Lauren, you too can study at New Zealand’s No.1 ranked* communication programme.

FIND OUT MORE AT MASSE Y.AC.NZ /BC *2019 Shanghai Ranking

TE K UNE NG A K I P UR E HUR www.salient.org.nz 29OA

TERF Wars Nat M (they/them) CW: Transphobia

Late last month, National Party Leader Judith Collins put out a tweet which suggested that the term “Karen” should be labeled as hate speech. Not even two days later, Collins once again took to Twitter to show us all why Labour’s proposed hate speech law is really necessary.

In a now-deleted tweet, Rachel Stewart asked if it is wrong for her want to invite her “gun-toting sisters” over to strip John Richardson naked and hunt them down, while “whooping & hollering & drinking”, after they had recently spoken out against an antitransgender event, calling the organisation behind it “grubs”. This event was organised by the TERF group Speak Up for Women New Zealand, whose name is in itself a transphobic dog whistle. It is also the group behind the Wellington billboard which defined a woman as an “adult human female”; it was taken down only 24 hours after it was put up, in part thanks to local businesses denouncing the sign being on or near their building.

On June 30, Stewart tweeted two photos of a document given to her by police, with a caption describing how they had shown up that morning to confiscate her firearms, gun licence, and ammunition.

UniQ te ra”—The sun has shone. Collins then replied to the exchange, saying “Good on you Traci. Supporting free speech and a good person.”

This incident brings to light how normalised antitransness is in New Zealand society. Queer activist Shaneel Lal responded to Collins on Twitter, simply stating “Good people don’t threaten to strip people naked and hunt them down with a gun.”

“Karen” as an insult may be disrespectful, and may be used for some light online bullying, but the word “Karen” does not incite violence or contribute to the social or systemic oppression of a group of people. Collins’ incredible hypocrisy shows a clear misunderstanding of what hate speech is, and of the danger it poses to people of marginalised communities.

Many people who are opposing the Bill do it on the grounds that such laws will be abused by the Government, and that hate speech is too subjective.

Even now, after the police confiscated Stewart’s weapons, there are still those intent on defending her actions calling the threatening rant a “joke”.

Collins’ response to the situation is no surprise, but this doesn’t take away from how disgusting it is. The fact that this support for TERFs, and their anti-trans violence, is coming from the leader of the National The next day, Stewart made another post: Party means that threats made against someone who advocates for transgender people has reach. This will “And just like that, the violent storm passed, and the sun came out. The piranhas moved on to the next fresh only go on to embolden transphobes and TERFs in this country. kill. The water stilled, even holding a hint of warmth in it”, to which Traci Houpapa responded “Kua whiti OPENING HOURS: LUNCH 11:30AM - 3:00PM (MONDAY - SUNDAY) DINNER 5:00PM - 8:30PM (MONDAY - SATURDAY)

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Expectations vs. Reality: High School Cliques Louise Barnes (she/her)

Mean Girls. We love it, or love to hate ‘em. Either way, this is one of many American High School cult classics involving all the tropes to fuel our guilty pleasures: the popular kids, the nerds, the normals and the stoners.

You’ve got everything you could wish for, but how does it really measure up to the realities of what our team of 5 million have experienced?

Expectation #1 Cheerleaders and The Jocks: Everyone wants to be them, everyone wants to date them.

Depicted as top of the student food chain, perhaps it is present more than we care to admit. The popular kids, The Football Boys or the “It” girls. In reality, it reflects the students who have hit their peak, you know the ones. The ones who thrive in this environment, become best mates with the teachers, seem to know everyone and are involved in practically everything. Was I one of them? No. But that’s not to say that I didn’t want to be them. I did. Although, what happens once they enter into the “adult” world? Some continue to thrive, others crash and burn. Reliving their glory days in dream state wishing they could do it all over again, 17 again style. It’s the reality that we don’t see in films because ultimately, it’s up to us what we decide to do next.

Expectation #2 The Nerds: To be acquainted with them is social suicide.

Myth busted. American films show these guys as socially inept, awkward and awkward looking. Of course, with the exception of the one hottie (usually female) where their genius is often mocked. However, I have to give credit where it’s due because in reality, these guys are like-minded people who have found each other and are excelling. I admire that. More often than not, they rise up the ranks and find a popularity in their own way using their smarts to connect and network where it’s important. We could say they’ve peaked, looking down on us as they sit easy on Mt Vic, but really, this is only a pit stop until they take off their training wheels and conquer a Mt Everest.

Expectation #3 The Normals: Wait, who are they again?

The individuals who are unknown, a fly on the wall, the painfully average who are yet everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Truly, it’s a skill. Merging in and out of various groups leaving no path behind.

Oh, it’s a dream. That is, until you realise you know everyone’s names but nobody seems to remember yours. Ouch. Never fear, these students have their head on straight and heading towards some pretty great things because it’s a sly advantage of having no sh*ts to give. Perfect for living life out on their own terms. I see you.

Expectation #4 The Stoners: Destined to fail.

The narrative we’re all familiar with, but seen hastily in film scenes which show enough to establish comedic moments of confusion, slurred dialogue and munchies. The expectation is that they’re the rebels and burnouts, which may reflect some, but definitely not all. We’re Kiwis, so to dabble in grass is a societal norm even if it means wagging class and chilling in the corner of the back field. It’s now a larger topic of conversation despite the failure of the referendum but the reality is, it’s all around us and even the least suspected may have a few joints up their sleeves. You can be successful and smoke weed on the side just like a few bevvys on a Saturday night. All you just need is to just put in a little work. www.salient.org.nz

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Mostly As: Booksmart You had a pretty quiet high school experience, and while you enjoy uni for the most part, some part of you also wishes you could go back and be a bit easier on yourself. Excellence endorsed/over achiever student to crippling depression and burnout at uni pipeline? Tuck yourself into bed, put on this movie, and give yourself credit for all the hard work you do and continue to do. Grades and success do not define you, and if no one told you, I’m proud of you <333

Culture : Quiz

Mostly C’s: Lady Bird You had really big dreams after high school, but lowkey it was disappointing. High school was good, but not exactly satisfying. Idk, you seem to have this unending sense of yearning. Sometimes uni just feels like an extended plotline of high school. You’re still coming to terms with what it means to be an adult, and to be honest you don’t think you’ll ever shake off that feeling. It’s okay though, it means you’re the main character.

Mostly D’s: Perks of Being a Wallflower High school was both really difficult but really rewarding. It wasn’t exactly like the movies, but you definitely have learnt lessons and memories to cherish! Ye ole depression might’ve got you bad, but with the help of your friends and your teachers, you made it through and now have a better sense of who you are (proud of you)!! You should grab coffee

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Mostly B’s: Breakfast Club You were angsty/artsy in high school, going through several phases in your teens. I just know you probably aced that grunge 2014 Instagram feed—lowkey you were really cool in an underground kind of way. You probably had a username on tumblr like xx_swa4gprincess_dem0n_xxx, but honestly, go off.

For some reason high school seems like some kind of hazy memory, maybe revisit your old days and make a nostalgic playlist of all the stuff you used to listen to?

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Fave beverage? a) Coffee, always! b) A can of V c) Starbucks Frappuccino d) Lowkey hot chocolate Fave wagging activity? a) Finishing an assignment at the library b) Going round to other classes to see what my friends are up to c) Tagging the walls of the bathroom d) Loiter at the mall

How would you describe your friend group in high school? a) Small but unbreakable <3 b) Bit of everything c) Small but breakable </3 d) Second family

Who was your favourite teacher? a) The scary but lowkey softie Maths teacher b) The DILF PE teacher c) The maternal Drama teacher d) Emotional support unit English teacher

It’s mufti day—what you wearing?? a) Something comfy and casual b) Accidentally showed up in uniform c) I’m going all out idc idc d) Really just wanna show off my new Old Skool Vans

TBH, like 4 like??? a) Tbh ur pretty b) Like that u have cool style c) Tbh we should hang out!! d) what

Choose an iconic teen show: a) H20: Just Add Water b) Wizards of Waverly Place c) iCarly d) Girl Meets World

Fave artist/band in high school? a) Taylor swift b) Lana del Rey c) Lorde d) The Smiths

How would you grade your overall high school experience? a) A for effort b) Not assessed c) merit endorsed d) 7/10

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Which c oming of age movie do you belong in?

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A Tribute to High School

Crank That - Soulja Boy

As a wise man tweeted last week—I started it all.

And for people from the wider generation, this was the one. A lot of readers may not have even reached primary when this anthem came out, but for the 29-year-old students who were 15 in 2007, Soulja Boys “Crank That” is a cultural artifact.

We’ve put together an abridged list of viral dance trends that took over our high schools, pre-dating TikTok when trends lasted a bit longer and were watched on YouTube from musty computers.

Gangnam style - PSY

Korean Pop star PSY was the biggest thing in 2012, even bigger than the world ending. This even spurred parodies from New Zealand praising netball legend Laura Langman with CGW’s “Laura Langman Style”

Shuffling - LMFAO

A dance create in Melbourne in the 80s, shuffling (the Melbourne shuffle) was hugely popular amongst the playgrounds of New Zealand’s primaries, intermediates and high school’s in 2011, due to Redfoo and his nephew SkyBlu (LMFAO’s) number one hit “Party Rock Anthem”. It was already being done in form rooms, but this song had it being done in red Vans and Factorie singlets on every concrete basketball court in this great nation. It has also had a renaissance on TikTok—a truly enduring dance move.

Dougie

The Dougie originated in the late noughties, copying the dance styling of Doug E fresh. It has been done by rugby stars like Danny Cipriani. I don’t know what to say about it, it was a real moment.

Jerkin’

Despite the culture starting in 2008, it wasn’t till the very early 2010s when moves like the Reject or the Pindrop were performed at intermediate and high school socials.

“I remember in Year 7 bluetoothing the shit out of all of those songs ‘tippin on my dick’ and anything by The Rangers”—Stefan, 22

The Dab

Originating from Atlanta hip hop and becoming most popular after the Migo’s 2015 “Look at My Dab”. It became a viral meme and was done as a sports celebration.

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Culture: Dance Trends

Harlem Shake

Made famous by former YouTuber Filthy Frank, now known as Joji. This dance mainly included one person weirdly thrusting, and then when Baaur’s song said “Now do the Harlem Shake’’ a bunch of people would start doing wild moves. This was done by everyone ranging from the New Zealand Police to Miami Heat.

Whip/Naenae

Silentó is most known for this trend. He murdered his cousin earlier this year. HE DIDN’T INVENT THE NAENAE!!! The Naenae was coined by We Are Toonz in there song “Hit The #Naenae” and the Whip is a dance originating from Atlanta in the early 2000’s.

Mannequin challenge

The anti-dance trend. When you stand still in a peculiar position, similar to a mannequin, and just as Swae Lee say’s “That girl is a real crowd pleaser” everyone starts dancing and going wild.

The Culture Dance

I wasn’t going to go into TikTok because of the everchanging nature of the platform, but we need to shout out South Auckland legend JAWSH685. Salient writer Elisapeta Dawson wrote earlier in the year that the song “spawned global celebrations of culture through the app, in a trend called the ‘Culture Dance’

The Woah

When you catch the Woah on beat, it’s magical. The Woah is a dance trend invented in 2017 that, for its ease, is quite hard to type out an explanation of. You kind of lock your arms like you’re parking a car.

Flossing

Honorable mentions include: Jump Jam Stanky Leg The Running Man Challenge Miley Cyrus’ Hoedown Throwdown Beyonce’s Single Ladies Bobby Shmurda’s Shmoney Dance Juju On That Beat

This one is good for your dental hygiene, and in 2017 became beyond huge when it got associated with the Backpack Kid who would do some magic with his arms that made it look like he was flossing his body. This was a very wild time.

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Crossword: Growing Up

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ACROSS

DOWN

1. Applaud; lock (in irons) (4) 7. Halt (4) 10. “Good luck on stage!” (5,1,3) 11. Kingi who was ‘Sheep’ on ‘The Masked Singer NZ’ (4) 12. Musician McCartney (4) 13. It’s the ‘J’ in rapper J. Cole’s name (8) 14. Locale (4) 16. American activist Parks (4) 17. Swiveling shelves in Whitcoulls, say (4,5) 19. Sound like a contented 1-Down (4) 20. U.S. state whose three biggest cities all start with C (4) 21. Robot, in old sci-fi (9) 22. It might feature a keystone (4) 23. Ship-to-ship call (4) 25. They might send secretive love notes (8) 27. Individual thing (4) 29. Mythological vessel for Jason’s wool-gathering adventures (4) 31. Aerodynamic quality (9) 32. Town with a famous brown trout sculpture (4) 33. Equal; look intently (4)

1. Creature currently trying to chew through Puck’s laptop cable before he can find the squirt bottle (3) 2. Word that can precede ‘water’, ‘board’, or ‘the law’ (5) 3. Lever open; intrude (3) 4. Like 12-Across on the cover of ‘Abbey Road’, famously (8) 5. Place where you might purchase the products in the shaded squares (7,6) 6. Sith opponent (4) 8. Earl Grey or Irish Breakfast, perhaps (3) 9. Practice by people in some open relationships (9) 12. Public image; influential video game series since 1996 (7) 14. Making nice with (9) 15. Lincoln who was shot after the line “You sockdologizing old man-trap!” (7) 18. Serving food for (8) 24. Secretariat or Potoooooooo (5) 26. Lactic liquid (4) 28. Feature bandaged in some Van Gogh self-portraits (3) 29. Snake in a Shakespeare play (3) 30. Rowing implement (3)

Puzzles

Skuxdoku

Word of the Week

“high school” Te Reo Māori kura tuarua New Zealand Sign language

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D Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Winter is draining your energy. No need to worry because a nap and couple’a red bulls will have you hooning through till mid term break.

It’s the high school issue—remember that you used to pull 6 hour days at least 5 days a week. The stars have faith in you.

Reading this highschool themed issue might be making you nostalgic but you’re a taurus—you haven’t peaked yet, unlike others from your school. It’s onwards and upwards from here. Set a few goals this week and smash them, you owe it to your future self.

It’s been a cruisy start to the trimester but as we’ve already told you this year, it’s time to put your head down before the much needed mid-tri break. Even if you’ll still have work to do over those two weeks, thank the stars that you don’t have lectures.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

You might be feeling a bit over uni at this point in the year. It sometimes feels like highschool never ended.

Take breaks and maybe splash on the vending machine to rid those midyear blues.

RAWR XD to all my Leo’s. Those scribbled ideas from your 1B5 are worth manifesting. That start up that you and your mates thought of in high school… it could just be the perfect time to get it going. It’s Leo season and the stars are out for you.

Honestly, it’s time to sleep. Going to bed early and getting up early is a virgo’s key to success atm.

Building good habits like this means that you can clock off study early and watch all the random olympic sports you don’t usually watch. The women’s featherweight boxing final is on Tuesday at 4:05 pm. Would recommend.

Libra

Scorpio

Sagittarius

It’s a bit of a sick period—flu’s and all that are going around. Make sure that you’ve got your heater on and are taking all of your medication, whether that’s multivitamins or a therapeutic can of Sprite Zero. You’re your own number 1 priority and your health is a big part of that.

You’re feeling a bit creative and bathroom graffiti doesn’t sound like a terrible idea. Maybe write up some positive affirmations and who knows, the universe might just return that positivity back to you.

You seem quite excitable at the moment and it’s well deserved, have a little chill and take in everything that’s happening. Sunny days are ahead but you’ve just got to preserve that energy for when it’s right.

Capricorn

Aquarius

Pisces

Capricorn’s have the highest olympic medal count out of any star signs.

You get a medal for all your hard work so far this year. Use that competitive instinct to do better than you’ve done before and aim for your best grades ever. Even if you don’t get them, your hard work will pay off.

Water jogging and swimming. That’s it. With the Olympics on, it’s time to get in the pool, so that you’re ready for Brisbane 2032, training starts now. It’s also an awesome way to exercise and a rewarding way to procrastinate your uni work.

It’s getting spicy for the pisces atm.

Life is hectic with uni and your social life is hectic-er. DONT STRESS. This coming Sunday is a new moon and why not let there be a new you? By that I mean new mindset—you can do everything you think you can.

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Columns : To be Frank Horoscopes

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