The Flannel - 2019 Edition

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CONTENTS The Flannel Speaks

4

Letters from the Editors

6

Conspiracy theories

8

Reza’s rant 12 Artificial Intelligence 13 Horoscopes 18 Sex-Ed 20 The Gays 22 Climate Change Marches 26 Climate Change 28 Online Predators 32 The World Cup 36 Mental Health 38 How to write a CV 43 Recipes 44 Degree or No Degree? 46 High Fashion 50 Slow Fashion 54 WHS Productions 59 High Fashion 60 Film Review 64 Death Grips 65 Playlists 68 Comedic Interviews 70 Art 72 Billie Eilish 73 Quiz 79 Album Review 81 Hot or Not 83 Year 13 Yearbook 84 Signature Page 91

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The Flannel Speaks Ahh... 2019.

It’s been a year, just like the last and the one before that. A lot has happened but at the same time it feels like an entire year has flown by without anyone even realising.

First, we’d like to discuss The Flannel and the long year it’s been making it. There’s no doubt we all had a lot of fun making it but it was no easy task. We started an Instagram account, which if you follow, has kept people up to date with what the editorial team have been up to. The Flannel has always been a place for students to share their say and I hope people consider this in later years. This Flannel editorial team has been as inclusive as we can be. We understand that juniors may feel more scared to voice their opinions and contribute to the Flannel but the option has been there. To any current or future juniors, we want you! We want to see you represented in the Flannel and we feel as though it is important to do so. The Flannel is a place for students, enjoyed by students.

We would like to acknowledge March 13th. An awful day that brought New Zealand together. Fifty-one people killed and New Zealand stood strong, showing the world that we are not the place to target. That same day was also the first worldwide climate strike for change. Many WHS students found our way to parliament with signs and lost voices. We stood strong, like Welly High students do, and showed the government what we want. This one day alone was able to bring out the best in New Zealand, even though the context was nothing to celebrate.

It’s this strength and courage that makes New Zealand what it is and Wellington High who we are.

So, exams are coming and we leave the school to the year 9’s and 10’s.

Look after it for us but have fun doing it. You don’t have much longer till you’ll be studying for exams, with not much time for fun.

Read this Flannel, enjoy it, come away with great knowledge and power and send 2019 with a bang.

With love, The Flannel Editorial team of 2019

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Highest quality teenage labour!

Will work for very little!

What we lack in experience we make up for in angst!

Would lick your window clean if you asked!

Just gib mony pls

Terms and conditions apply Limited time offer (until we stop being teenagers) All rights reserved ©

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Letters to the editor.......

Dear Ed, why is WHS the outcast of Wellington high schools?

Don’t believe what you hear when your told “go to high to get high” BS. Not necessarily because it’s untrue, but because there are stoners at every high school… We’re the outcast high school because everyone who hates us doesn’t realise how unlucky they are to be stuck in uniform and rape culture and bitchiness.

Dear Ed, recommend a TV Show?

Bates motel - as long as incest ins’t a touchy subject for you.

Dear Ed, why can’t year 10 students leave the school grounds at lunch time! sick of canteen food How old are year 10’s? Fourteen? Fifteen? I don’t know man but if year tens were allowed to leave school I think you’d give us a bad rep. No offence but just because your no longer a year 9 doesn’t mean your old and it doesn’t mean people respect you yet. But don’t worry you’ll get there.

Dear Ed, favourite year group?

Year 10’s

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Dear Ed, why is my bus never on time?

Wellington council fucked Metlink up. Catch an earlier bus.

Dear Ed, what makes a bad teacher?

Talking about your divorce.

Dear Ed, how was your WHS experience?

My WHS experience was great. I’m leaving with more friends as I came with (started with zero, leaving with one). It’s not for everyone but WHS has taught me not to give a shit about anything. Sure that means I skipped a few (a lot) of classes and came away with a few NA’s but it also means I don’t feel the need to care about what people have to say about me. It’s given me a true taste of the real world with its genders and freedom and equity, which is something other high schools don’t. For a bit, it was the best time of my life, and for a while; the worst, but I’m glad I made it through.

Dear Ed, what was your first relationship experience?

It was great. I was over at this girls house which was cool or whatever.

Then I saw her dad. He and I have been going strong for 5 months now.

Dear Ed, I hate how the teachers think they can stop us smoking/vaping around (like outside of) school. Like I understand they care about the school’s image, but it’s not like it exists for no reason. The other highschools around Wellington may be better at hiding their nicotine addicts but in reality, we all have ‘em. WHS just more so. And sure, no smoking or vaping in school otherwise your an idiot but when teachers walk out of school grounds during interval and lunch and try to stop us? Impossible. Literally. I’m sure emails would be sent out to parents and consequences handed out if they could actually stop us. Then they pretend like they have the power to do anything about it outside of school grounds, nuhuh. Not true. We know it, you know it, don’t even bother.

Just look the other way or pretend it’s not happening because the more you tell us to stop, the more we’ll wanna do it. We know our rights and as stupid as it sounds, we is allowed to vape if we aint in school. Thank you.

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Dear Ed, what is with the whole rebranding thing? First we don’t know anything about it and then suddenly theres something on in the foyer? Wellington High is full of so many creatives and I wish that the students had been given more of a chance to share their ideas and pitch designs before the school went and hired a company to do it all for us. I know that a bunch of teenagers may not be able to pull off the job quite like proffessionals and I know that some students were involved -very slightly- in the discussions with the design team but more student imput from a school like WHS would have made for a totally awesome outcome with a far better meaning behind it all. Hope it turns out all right though :)

Dear Ed, what are your thoughts on the recent vaping epidemic?

Ok, I have no problem with vapes. It may (or may not be) better for you than smoking. What I have a problem with is the more recent ‘pod vape’ epidemic. These tiny little devices, so easy and so cute, containing 35, 40, 50, 60, 100+ percent nicotine. Not even a cigarette has that much nicotine? There is no need for this much nicotine for anyone, even an avid smoker. If you’re trying to quit cigs, pod vapes will just make you more addicted. If your vaping and you aren’t addicted to nicotine, pod vapes will. just make. you. addicted. There’s no winning with pod vapes. Get yourself a big boy and blow some phat O’s for all I care but pod vapes are a waste of time.

Can I say the F word if it’s only one time?

No, please don’t.

Dear Ed, how do I break up with my boyfriend?

Depends on what he did. If he’s a nice guy and you’re just not feeling it, do it honestly but gently. If he’s done nothing wrong, let him down easy. Have a big talk about how you’re feeling and why you feel that way and hope he understands. If you want to stay friends, think about the dynamic realistically to see if it would work. If he’s not a nice guy, tell him. Do it honestly. If you aren’t up front with him, it’s likely no one will be and he’ll continue making the same mistakes.

Dear Ed, why does everyone just want to be me?

You’re honestly one of the best people I’ve ever met. Makes me sad that I probably won’t see you around after WHS but you’ll be one of those people I’d love to run into in 30 years. I don’t know what you would be doing, or what I would be doing, but you would be doing something cool like chemical engineering or something. Or maybe you’ll follow your life long passion of being a baker. I hope all turns out well for you. See you in 30 years.

Dear Ed, Who is the best teacher?

Louise Wycherley and Kyle Webb make life worth living. Also bring back Michael Johnson, I think he’s somewhere in Japan now?

Dear Ed, I think school is pretty sweet.

Thats good to hear :) Dear Ed, can you spell coconut?

Yes, both ways

Dear Ed, I’m so glad that the climate strikes have been such a big thing this year but I wish this stuff was happening earlier on. I mean, sure, theres no time like the present, but something like this needed action like this way before now. And I know how annoying it sounds when people say ‘school strike isn’t going to fix climate change” but there are a lot of people showing up to the march with cute and quirky signs and do jack all about their lifestyle and how to change it to suit the dying Earth. I hope everyone that went to the marches this year really think about how to limit their carbon emmissions and what they can do to be involved in the politics behind it all because as young people, we can’t do much but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do anything at all. With all that being said, I hope people keep being angry about the issue and the little that’s being done about it because a place like New Zealand could be so much cleaner (cleaner than it already is) with a few -big- steps in the right direction.

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The Conspiracy Craze

By Isabella Suggate-Krall What are conspiracy theories? Is there any truth to them, and should we be concerned? What should we believe? A ‘conspiracy theory’ is a theory behind an event or situation that is often regarding the belief that a well known and influential organisation is involved in an unexplained event. Social media and the internet are filled with conspiracy theories, ranging from serious flat earth believers, murder mysteries and even the belief that there are lizard people amongst pop culture, but who creates these theories and is it healthy to believe in them?

The theory behind the ‘Illuminati’ is one of the most well-known and questionable conspiracy theories, this theory proposes that there is a group of people called the ‘Illuminati’ whose end goal is to gain complete control over the world, and to establish “A New Order”,a

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single government that will control the planet. They supposedly have agents who are involved in music, movies, government and finance.

Theorists believe that celebrities such as Kanye West, Jay-z and Beyonce are a part of this group.

Another extremely popular theory is the belief that the first moon landing was faked, there are many different reasons as to why people believe that the first moon landing was suspicious, they claim that you can see reflections and shadows of stage lighting and equipment in photos that were taken, among other reasons. Those who believe in this theory think that it was orchestrated by NASA and the American government, in an attempt to one up their arch rival, the Soviet Union. These are just two of the many theories that exist is pop culture today.

“Conspiracy theories are far from a new phenomenon. They have been a constant hum in the background for at least the past 100 years” says Professor Joe Uscinski, author of ‘American Conspiracy Theories’.

There are many popular creators of these theories on social media, such as on the platform ‘YouTube’, there are hundreds of channels targeted towards those interested in conspiracy theories. Influencers such as Shane Dawson and Kendall Rae both regularly upload to their millions of followers, content ranging from pop culture theories like “Marilyn Monroe Conspiracy Theories” to “Moon Landing Hoax”. These types of videos can get millions of views, spreading the word about conspiracy theories but also simply serving as a source of entertainment.

Conspiracy theories cover a wide range of events, with some

ideas gaining more popularity than others. From the ‘Illuminati’ to ‘Moon Landing Hoax’, Youtube seems to be endlessly fascinated with these topics, to the extent of triggering a significant policy change for Google. Youtube claims to have changed their algorithm, meaning that videos with strong ideas that could put controversial topics, ideas and theories in people’s minds will be less likely to show up in a viewers recommended. This makes this type of content more difficult to randomly find, resulting in gaining more control over what younger audiences in particular are watching. But does this policy change mean that everyone should be regulating social media? Social media is deeply incorporated into our modern world, with millions of people using sites such as ‘Facebook’, ‘Instagram’ and ‘Snapchat’. Social media assists people in selling their products, accessing information, and sharing their opinions. This has stemmed a widening debate on whether the internet should be monitored and controlled, and if so, to what extent? In an article published in 2018 by ‘Forbes’, they argued that “social media empowers large corporations to control the flow of information” some believe that regulating what is spread through social media will benefit large corporations and those in power, others believe that it won’t prevent any harm, it will just suppress the exchange of ideas and serve as another way for the government and those in positions of power to have control over us, or is this just another conspiracy theory in itself?

There appear to be conspiracy theories surrounding almost every major event, from investigating local pizza parlours for the reuse of pizza slices, to common theories that pharmacists are able to spread diseases to be in control, but can these conspiracies have a negative effect on society and the people who read them? In an article published by ‘The New York Times’, Karen Douglas and Daniel Jolley found that

“people who were exposed to anti-government conspiracy theories were less likely to want to vote than those who had read information refuting conspiracy theories.” Most studies show that conspiracy theories mainly have negative impacts on those who read them, Karen Douglas also believes that “many conspiracy theories undermine people’s confidence in established positions on topics.” When major events occur they are often projected all over the media, conspiracy theorists tend to be very quick to jump on board. For example, when the Christchurch terror attacks occurred, theories of disbelief surrounded these events. This is an example of the negative impact false theories can have on people who are involved, or even those reading about the event from the other side of the world..

Within hours of the Christchurch tragedy, there were theories covering new sites in disbelief of what the media is telling us, this had powerful impacts over people who they put their trust in the media. Conspiracy theories can be dangerously subversive and can undermine people’s confidence. But the question still remains, why are conspiracy still so appealing to so many people?

Conspiracy theories are known to be absurd and unable to be taken seriously they are often created and spread with less theory behind a situation and more ‘conspiracism’, meaning that the point of a conspiracy theory is no longer to give an explanation on the situation, but more to remove the trust in powerful figures, organisations and institutions. A lot of conspiracies that arise from big events are created when the public want answers and not hearing what they want to hear, or if there is a lack of information surrounding the event. They feel more inclined to seek out other sources of information, no matter if it is true or false. Conspiracy theorists are often some of the first people to share their thoughts and The Flannel 9

opinions on situations, providing answers and clarity for not only themselves but other people who are also left feeling they have not been told the full truth. Interestingly, there is growing evidence of a link between those who believe in conspiracy theories and people having underlying psychological issues. A study that was carried out by Dr Darshani Kumareswaran found that people are more likely to believe in or create, conspiracy theories to try to make sense of situations where they have little or no control.

Many believe that these theories begin when people have a lack of control or understanding of a situation, causing your mind to create a theory and possible scenario to justify the events occurred.

I interviewed a Year 13 student from Wellington High School, who has been interested in conspiracy theories since she was around ten years old. She brought up the point that conspiracy theories can often be quite insensitive to topics in particularly sensitive situations, such as 9/11 jokes, and references throughout comedy shows such as The Simpsons. This show in particular is known for having predicted events such as 9/11 and Donald Trump’s presidency. This creates an environment where people are less likely to respect the seriousness of these events, they become invalidated because they are being joked about.

Although it can also have the opposite effect, popular TV shows having made these references and predictions, can also draw more attention to these theories and create a more widespread belief.

Is it possible that conspiracy theories could have impacted you without you realising it? While some theories can be just entertaining and harmless, could others have more damaging impacts on your subconscious? Some conspiracy theories often leave people with a feeling of emptiness, a concern of the unknown, and feeling powerless. Brains are susceptible, and this means that we need to watch out when it comes to what we choose to believe in and the kind of information that we put into our brains. A subliminal message is something that is remembered by the brain, even if we are not aware of the message, some believe they can impact people’s behaviours and can be known as a form of mind control. Could this be linked to the possibility that conspiracy theories have impacts over you life and what you choose to believe? Some believe that subliminal messages are used by large companies and the government to control us, and have an influence over what we do, believe and think. People can be drawn to conspiracy theories because they provide a source of escapism, when someone does not believe reality they search for an alternate solution or cause for the problem.

“Reach for the stars because the moon landing was fake.” -Les Brown

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Conspiracies are very popular and can lead to wide controversy, the types of people that create these theories are often called crazy or nuts. So should we continue to push these theories to the side, disregarding them, or should we be taking these theories more seriously? Conspiracy theories have most likely been around for hundreds of years, they are nothing new to society, all they really do is provide an alternate explanation to an event. Often the more questionable theories are debunked reasonably quickly but there are times when they do turn out to have truth to them. So whyare we still told to be cautious when considering conspiracies?

Even when there isn’t any solid evidence Conspiracy theory videos are always entertaining and enticing. In films, conspiracy theorists are often portrayed to be unstable, middle-aged men who still live in their parent’s house, or something along those lines. This gives people the impression that when popular theories are being spread through the internet, their origin should be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not they should be taken seriously.

There are thousands of people who believe deeply in conspiracy theories, and this can come with potentially dangerous consequences. A lot of the time the most popular and interesting theories are nothing but nonsense, but a widespread belief that they are the truth can cause a lot of issues.

Nobody likes to think that they are vulnerable but many people are influenced to some extent through the theories that are spread throughout the media. In particular, younger viewers are easily ‘brainwashed’ as they have more open minds and are susceptible to these messages that are morphing their opinions at a very young age. Although not everything to do with conspiracies is bad, some believe that they are a good way for people to keep their minds open to new possibilities, and teach us that we should not necessarily listen to everything that we are told. They provide alternative realities separate from what we are told and taught to believe, and they bring attention to situations that originally may not have been given the recognition they deserve. They also become something that helps keep parts of history and current events alive. Conspiracy theories take up a large portion of the media and that isn’t going to change anytime soon, it is just up to us to decide what we believe. On some level, it is human nature to be skeptical this means that it is natural for people to question things when they are unsure. No one likes the idea that an event so devastating could occur randomly, so instead, people reach out and try to find an alternative answer.

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Reza’s Rant.

The epitome of teen angst.

You know what really doesn’t vinegar my cucumbers? (that’s how you make pickles, right?) The fact that the canteen steak and

cheese pies taste like tuna. Now I like tuna just as much as the next guy (don’t like it) but there is a reason they call it the chicken of the sea! Everyone knows that the dumber the animal is that you’re eating the flesh of, the less tasty, nutritious, and fulfilling the flesh will be. That’s because dumb animals are horny animals— just like horny people, who are dumb as well. Because when you’re horny, your body and blood is flooded with silly cocktails of chemical hormones and thereby tainted with all sorts of nasties that cause many devious things like emotions, fear, arousal, and a suppression of disgust to take hold, leading to unsavoury acts that go against God’s righteous word and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. And as if using fake news (((“beef”))) in the pies wasn’t enough, the entire pie industry is betraying its loyal consumers. Now, everyone knows that a good citizen is a consuming citizen, one who tells his secrets to big brother, does not gather in public protests or illegal gatherings of worker unions, and does not partake in deviant behaviours associated with cult-like figues, gangsters, evil men, evil women, or children under the age of eighteen. But when a good, upstanding, productive, consuming, member of our society is deprived of the exact and wonderful pleasures of a well-deserved pie after a hard day’s work at the factory, then the entirety of our great far right libero-capitalist system comes under question, why must there be a wrench in the machine which drives us? And you may be asking, what is this great act of undermining (not from the end of The Incredibles) that the nefarious pie companies partake in? What do Mrs. Mac’s cold and beady eyes hold? Is it knowledge so horrible that it will have children screaming as if they had hot coals pressed against their angelic little skulls? It is a terrible secret, but alas I must let… da cheese in ur pie is smegma lol. Skeee.

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AI

By MichaelLevy 2019

Fourth Industrial Revolution: How AI will change the world

I

magine yourself relaxing on a comfortable couch. You’ve just read a rousing article on the dangers of artificial intelligence and are feeling an anti-AI sentiment. You decide to settle down and watch some Netflix. But wait, you think, these recommendations are personalised! It must be using machine learning! Netflix, in fact, gains 75% of its views from recommendations. After reading that article, you want to distance yourself from the field of AI. You briefly consider using Spotify, but quickly realise it’s using the same algorithm . Maybe you’re feeling materialistic, and decide to do a bit of online shopping. However, you remember that companies like Hiplee use AI in a similar way to the streaming services, using customer data to predict what you’ll want to buy. Becoming hysterical, you begin typing a frantic email, but oh dear, the Gmail autocomplete is AI too. In a last desperate attempt to escape AI you open Google Maps and plan a route, but fall back in your seat, disconsolate, as you remember that Google Maps uses deep learning.

Now, I don’t mean to make you panic, only show you how ubiquitous AI is - I’m hoping you’re not quite as emotionally unstable as our hypothetical you from above. I’ve been interested in AI since I first heard of it. Creating a human-like, thinking thing from metals and ingenuity is such an intriguing idea.

How can we create something artificial that thinks as we do? To help understand this deep and intricate subject, I interviewed Tom Murphy, who works in computer software at Hiplee, the company I mentioned before. I’ll bring in his words occasionally throughout the article.

Ideas in this field began with Alan Turing in 1950. Often called the ‘father of computer science’, he raised the issue of whether machines could think and learn in a paper called Computing Machinery and Intelligence, which is the foundation of modern understanding of AI. Rigorous research into the subject first began in 1956, when John Mccarthy held the first academic conference on the subject. AI is defined as ‘the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human

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behaviour’. According to this IBE (International Business Ethics) briefing, AI should be able to do three things: Learn - gather and absorb new information and rules Reason - use this information to reach conclusions Evolve - changing on the basis of new information.

Having said that, people define AI in all sorts of ways, and none of them are objectively right. My definition of AI is a reasonably broad one, encompassing things such as machine learning, rather than ‘human-like’ intelligence.

Machine learning is how AI systems learn without having to be repeatedly reprogrammed. It means that systems can learn by testing themselves on large amounts of data, changing their process in order to gain consistently correct outputs.

There are two types of AI generally referred to: weak and strong.

Weak AI (or ‘applied’, or ‘narrow’) is what we have at the moment; it can do specific jobs and nothing outside these parameters. An example of this would be Youtube’s recommendation algorithm: all it can do is suggest what you might want to watch next. Strong AI,

(or ‘general’, or ‘full’) is the one we see in popular fiction; it can do any mental task that a human can. If you’ve seen Ex Machina, you’ll recognise that this description could refer to Ava. People have been saying that both technology and AI specifically are booming since I can remember, and it’s still true. AI particularly has exploded in popularity since around 2016. In The Verge’s words ‘commercial and research work in AI, as well as funding, is exploding pretty much everywhere on the planet.’

ment strategy). It is easy to see the practical impacts of these statistics when looking at the accomplishments of AI when compared to humans. In the last three years, several advancements have been made. Murphy told me that when in 1997 chess champion Kasparov was beaten it “was considered to be quite mind-blowing.”

But Go, a game with “more positions than atoms in the observable universe”, has now had its champion beaten - and the AI that did it was later beaten by another AI, 100-0. Professional poker players have been beaten consistently by DeepStack, a Microsoft system that has reached human-level translation of Chinese to English. From these examples you can tell that in the last decade, AI in various fields is approaching or passing human intelligence in specific areas.

AI is the “lynchpin of a Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

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World governments are also helping with growth in AI. The UK, for example, has it’s AI Sector Deal which pledges more than 1.8B NZD towards research, education and infrastructure. The EU, China and the US have also enacted billion-dollar investments. This shows how seriously the field is being taken, and the momentum is only building (although, NZ does not have a similar invest-

Source: Singularity Hub

A topic that comes up repeatedly whenever you start talking about AI is automation and job loss.

According to the World Economic Forum, AI is the “lynchpin of a Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

Andrew McAfee, an economist, said “Digital technologies are doing for human brainpower what the steam engine and related technologies did for human muscle power during the Industrial Revolution.” This shows that unlike earlier industrial revolutions, which replaced a few high skilled jobs with many low skilled ones, AI is replacing low-level jobs with more difficult ones requiring

higher qualifications. There’s a lot driving is an example of a job that of argument around what exactly could soon be replaced by autonowill happen, since AI is an ummous vehicular technologies. Jobs brella term for what is currently a which require general knowledge, wide variety of individual technolcreativity and supervision are the ogies, some of which don’t exist types which have the least probyet. Because of this, the economic ability of being automated. Furimpacts will be irregular and unthermore, the manual dexterity of predictable, so take the following robots, their ability to make coordiwith a grain of salt. According nated and precise movements, is to an OECD report, 14% of jobs currently limited. This means that in the 36 OECD members are jobs which require sophisticated “highly automatable”, meaning physical movements are currently they have a 70% or higher chance beyond the reach of AI. However, of being automated. However, this robotics is improving; the latest can be taken in contrast to crazy developments from Boston an Oxford University Dynamics seem to regustudy which hypothlarly spread through eses 47% of US the internet. As said jobs to be highly in a US Governautomatable. If ment report from applied to NZ, 2016: “Combined, this could be AI and robotics will anywhere begive rise to smarter tween 400,000 machines that can and 1.5 million perform more soSource: AI forum highly automatable phisticated functions jobs. As you can see, than ever before and there’s a wide range of eserode some of the advantagtimates for the impact on jobs, but es that humans have exercised. it is not under debate that there This will permit the automation will be a significant change based of many tasks now performed by on AI. Because of the weak and human workers and could change focused current capabilities of AI, the shape of the labour market the effects will put disproportionand human activity.” As both the ate pressure on low paid workers AI and robotics fields advance, and the young. According to The more jobs will be automated.

Verge, 54% of people 20 or under work in jobs that are at risk of So what will the effects of this automation, and 83% jobs which automation be? The US report pay less than $20/hr. They also I mentioned above says that note, however, that young people although AI is different from would find it the easiest to adapt previous kinds of advancement, and retrain to fit new technologies. it is most likely to make signifiRequalification is going to become cant improvements to economic increasingly important as so many growth. Historically most increasjobs are changed with economic es in productivity can be traced turmoil. back to some sort of technological improvement. Living standards, Jobs will be created using AI, but wages and leisure time would most sources believe that fewer theoretically increase, as fewer jobs will be created than taken labour hours are required to creaway, and those that are created ate the same amount of value. An will likely require more qualifica(extremely speculative) article tion. Jobs which don’t have multiple tasks, and can be completed with easily repeatable processes are the easiest to automate. Truck

NZ is 13th in the world for AI readiness

Stats Press Sentiment People and the press are becoming increasingly positive about the area, with the general sentiment of media articles becoming 1.5x more positive between 2016 and 2018. This shows that the public, as well as specialists, are becoming more enthusiastic.

Mentions in Government Looking at data from several countries including the US I discovered that AI is coming up in the government far more than at any time before the last few years. From this you can tell how the technology is taking an important place in world affairs.

Training Time ImageNet is a popular visual database which is used in training software to recognise pictures, and it can be used as a proxy for general training time. In one and a half years, the benchmark performance went from one hour to four minutes; a jump in performance of sixteen times.

Research Growth The research side is similarly expanding, with the growth in AI papers outpacing both computer science and general publications. AI publications on Scopus have increased by 7x since 1996, showing the incredible increase in the research sector.

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in The Guardian posited the idea that a 4-day working week could be a possibility. This is made more likely by the increasing accessibility of AI technology. As Murphy said: ‘You don’t have to be Turing to build AI anymore.’ AI is now far easier to get, making its impacts more spread around the economy. Another, somewhat grimmer possibility is that the current state of a few company leaders holding a lot of power will only become more extreme.

In what could be called ‘superstar-biased technological change’, the wealth gained from productivity increases could go to a select few people, which would increase inequality considerably. Monopoly-like companies like Google and Amazon are accelerating us towards this future, procuring “huge amounts of data” in the process - which can then be used to make them even more powerful. Murphy said that Facebook now has the “best facial recognition algorithm on the planet” due to the volume of data available to them.

The social and political changes made to prepare and respond to AI will define how its impacts on the labour market will play out.

As well as economic effects, there are social and ethical concerns surrounding AI. One of these is the fact that AI is very single-minded. If it is asked to maximise profit margins, it may engage in unethical behaviour The Flannel 16

even if it was not intended to. This can be better understood with the famous ‘Paperclip Maximiser.’

This thought experiment introduces an AI which has the purpose of producing paperclips. It would increase its intelligence in order to better be able to produce paperclips, and eventually turn all of earth and everything available to it into paperclip producing facilities. This shows that it’s important to give AI clear parameters. However, this won’t be enough.

Another ethical problem with AI is what is called algorithmic bias. When AI is being trained, it often uses large datasets to find patterns and therefore know how to make decisions based on this. If the datasets have problems, such as it is ‘unrepresentative of reality, or reflects existing prejudices.’ as said in MIT Technology Review, the AI will have some bias. For instance, if the data given is from humans who hire more males than females, the AI will also have that bias. However, it can be hard to decide when this is bad - consider this example from a WIRED interview: “let’s say that analyzing the historical data suggests that women are more likely to repay their loans than men. Do we strip that out? Or do we allow it to stay

in? If you allow it to stay in, you get a slightly more efficient financial system? If you strip it out, you have a little more equality before between men and women.” As you can see, it can be difficult to navigate these problems. As said in WIRED, we’re facing “not just a technological crisis, but a philosophical crisis.” As well as being prone to bias, AI can also be used to find it. There was a study which used AI to show that Hollywood consistently gave more screen time to men. In order to make sure our ideas are correct,

‘You don’t have to be Turing to build AI anymore.’ it’s important to involve multiple disciplines at the leading edge of innovation, to make sure all ethical possibilities are accounted for.

The last ethical difficulty I will talk about is AI’s ability to know us better than we know ourselves.

An AI could be able to detect our blood pressure, our heart rate, and see what’s on our mind through our clicks. This isn’t happening yet, but with companies like Google helping develop military drones and censorship through AI, it’s not too far-fetched an idea. As Murphy said, it’s “pretty scary” what can now be done.

If AI knows our mind, it can then manipulate us, even if it’s not sentient itself. Yuval Noah Harari,

Superintellignce

AI would be easier to manipulate.

Only then will AI be trustworthy. To keep yourself as safe as A Guardian article broached the possible from those who would subject of superintelligence. If use AI to manipulate you, Yuval such an AI was created, one suggests that you know yourself that could improve its own intelwell, and hold no illusions about ligence recursively, it might be your personality. If you know like ‘waking up in a prison built by where your opinions come from, a bunch of blind five-year-olds.’ it’s harder to deceive you into The AI could understand it’s changing them. constraints better than those who made it. This is why it is imporThat was a lot of abstract talk, tant to introduce strong parame- so now it’s time for us to come ters to an AI when it is created. back down to earth - to our home here in NZ. We are not being left behind! ‘FaceMe’, ‘JRNY’ and ‘Soul Machines’ create digital who’s published multiple books assistants. These use machine on the future of humanity, stated learning and ‘computational brain that “You don’t necessarily need models’ to simulate emotions and to feel it [love], in order to be able situational awareness. These to hack it, to monitor it, to predict businesses are at the forefront of it, to manipulate it.” If this haptheir niche, with Soul Machine’s pens, the authority in society, the investors including Horizons Venpower, could shift from humans to tures and Mercedes Benz. JRNY algorithms. We’d be at the mercy has been named one of the top of AI with the ability to exploit us 15 startups in NZ. Other NZ comfor its creator’s ends. Yuval said panies using AI include Dexibit, that “Democracy will become a Weta Digital, Imagr, Ohmio Autopuppet show.” with human emomation, Performance Lab, Xero, tions being constantly hacked and Text Ferret, and Xtracta. As you changed. Fei-Fei Li, a professor can see, there’s a large array of of computer science, laid out tech developers based at home. three general principles to make The AI Forum NZ has a report in sure that AI is ‘human-centred- so which they state that ICT jobs are that humans hold the power: growing three times faster than employment overall, and there - Make sure AI reflects the forms is a lack of sufficiently qualified of human intelligence that we members of the field. They note want it to and is explainable.

exporter. These statistics show that our innovation and adaptability are world leading.

So what does all this mean for you? Well, the report reassures us that AI is unlikely to have significant effects on your ability to get a job, though we may have to be ready to retrain and adapt. If you go into the tech sector, you’ll have an excellent chance of finding employment.

Artificial intelligence is a broad and complicated topic, but one I hope that you understand a little better after this article. The societal and economic effects are of undeniable importance, so wrapping your head around the technology is a step towards understanding the future. Our generation will be one to shape the future and feel the impacts of whatever developments and decisions happen in the next decades of research and innovation. The labour market will be changed forever as AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous, affecting every member of society. While philosophy and science become increasingly interwoven, the evolution of technology is something that cannot be overlooked when considering how the future of both the world and yourself will play out. What we do with that technology is still our choice - but if we are not careful with AI, that may not always be the case.

“You don’t need to be able to feel it [love] to be able to hack it.”

- Welcome a multidisciplinary study of AI: economics, ethics, law, philosophy, history, psychology etc. should be involved.

- Focus on AI that supports humans rather than supplants them Explainability is a hot topic, but ethical guidelines recommend that AI can be understood and interpreted so that we can tell why it is taking its actions. If we know what an AI’s decisions are based on, bias can be easily found and

that although AI will have significant effects on the labour market, NZ’s economic structure has changed significantly before, so mass unemployment is not on the cards. Phew! A 2017 Oxford analysis ranked NZ in 9th of 35 OECD countries in AI readiness, and a more recent 2019 study shows us as 13th in the whole world. Our tech sector is the country’s fastest growing sector and third largest The Flannel 17

H O R O S

Aries March 21 - April 19 Your eagerness for the things you enjoy doing do not transfer to things you have to do. There are two ways to combat this; either make what you have to do something to enjoy, or change so that you don’t have to feel stuck doing things. Your time is important and being stuck can set you back in your social life. You need to find small joys throughout the day to feel productive and balanced so make sure to appreciate what you have.

Taurus 20 April - May 20 Creativity will strike soon and you will be able to face the obstacles you have been carefully observing for some time. They may not have been too high or dangerous, but you have been lacking the rest and energy to overcome them nonetheless. If you are feeling stuck in a pit, use your physical and mental strength to get you out, but this will only work with self assurance. Feel people, become more intune with the relationships you have in your life and you may find sparks you thought you lost.

Gemini 21 May - 20 June No obstacles will be getting in your way any time soon! They might be there but using your versatility and curiosity, you will find new and improved ways to get around them. Just don’t get too confident as you may struggle to see the reality of the iceberg, only seeing the tip. Your kindness, on the other hand, will be tested. You won’t let this pull you down but you may find yourself in situations where you would rather isolate yourself. Be open with people and tell them if there’s something wrong, you are someone people listen to.

Virgo 23 August - 22 September Your analytical thinking works great in many scenarios but sometimes you will need to face situations with your emotions. Just be careful that you aren’t too soft to people who are trying to take advantage. Maybe it’s time to take on a new hobby. You will find that you have a particular style in what you do and you might just fall in love with it.

Scorpio 23 October - 21 November Your passion and stubbornness go hand in hand. It is hard to let go of certain ideas when you feel so strongly about them but it’s important to do too. Don’t let you shelter yourself from other ideas and perspectives. Reasonability is the best way to deal with this and allowing yourself to listen is the best way to stay reasonable. Allow yourself to be wrong sometimes, no one is perfect, including you. You have been placing too much pressure on yourself and it’s time to relax. If you don’t, it will ruin your relationships with those around you.

Sagittarius 22 November - 21 December Everyone needs a Sagittarius and you may find yourself being shared over too many people. It can get tiring but as someone who enjoys the energy of others, you will end up giving people too much of your own time. Build closer relationships with fewer people instead of trying to gain everyone’s trust.

Along with this, giving too much of your energy to people may result in you feeling lost and tired. Don’t let this happen. Give yourself more energy to think of things other than your insecurities.

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C O P E S Cancer 21 June - 22 July Your need to be careful about being protective people getting in the way of caring for yourself. Leave the empathy at home for a bit and prioritise yourself.

On the other hand, the people who are really there for you, will be there for a long time. Feel free to confide in them because you are a necessary part of people’s lives.

Do a spring clean, clear your desk, let go of everything that has been weighing you down and stop finding sentiment in a mix of thoughts and items that are cluttering your mind and environment.

Libra 23 September - 22 October Take a step back from your friends and use this time to think about what you want to achieve. Your sociability makes you who you are but you can get lost in the personalities of the people you are around. Remember what is most important for you and strive for those things. You might find then that there are some people who you need to distance yourself from. Don’t stay attached as you won’t have any problems finding people that are good for you.

You may find yourself detaching from good people but if that betters you, then it might be necessary.

Leo 23 July - 22 August You need to learn to take a step back from situations to see the reality of what is going on. It is likely that you will see what you really have to overcome any hurdles you may be facing.

Sometimes your gut will be right but there will be times that you realise you need to think things through a bit more before you jump to conclusions. You, or others, may find your personality hard to deal with sometimes but don’t dim it down for anyone. It’s your fierce and intense personality that will get you exactly where you want to be.

Capricorn 22 December - 19 January You need some more fun in your life. This doesn’t just mean people and parties. Find something that brings you joy and loosens you up a bit. You may work well independently but don’t forget to share your process with others to gain perspective. Don’t spend too much time dwelling on what others think of you and you know this. It’s better to put your disciplined thinking into things you want to achieve because you have the ability to achieve plenty.

Aquarius 20 January - 18 February Things may be feeling weird at the moment, but it’s looking up for you. Removing yourself from situations you think too much about will be freeing. You need to learn to compromise and start thinking about how your thoughts and actions affect others.

Compromise is how you get through life fairly. Stay real because being fake will only end you up in more weird situations. Learn from prior mistakes instead of letting your imagination run wild and create ideas that don’t exist. Some things just aren’t as deep as they seem.

Pisces 18 February - 20 March Everything going on are only learning points and you will come out of it wiser and more affectionate to the people you need.

Don’t give away your affection because you think you should, it should only ever be genuine. Keep going with the hard work you have been doing, it will get you places where you want to be. Your empathy is a big part of you but make sure you aren’t constantly putting others before yourself.

This can put you in a bad place because you aren’t meeting your own needs.

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Un-expecting

Finding out you’re pregnant while in high school is probably one of the most terrifying things that could happen to a young girl and boy. While the rates of teen pregnancy have dropped dramatically since the 1970s, New Zealand still has one of the highest rates of teenage births in the world, a report found that in 1998, there were 4403 live births and 2962 abortions to women aged under 20 years. The teenage birth rate was 33.4 per 1000 and the abortion rate 22.4 per 1000. But despite all of the judgment and concern from adults, teen pregnancy isn’t always due to a couple being irresponsible about sex. Even taking every safety measure cannot always be effective. Now I’m not saying don’t use condoms and other contraception, as it is the safe and smart way to handle sex, what I am saying is when dealing with sex: it comes down to being aware that there’s always a possibility that something can go wrong. The issue isn’t sex itself, it’s about what we know and are taught about sex.

As a high school student, sex education is a crucial subject that important for every highschool student, it teaches us not only about safe sex but about teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs) and gives us an understanding of our mysterious bodies. However, research from Stuff. co.nz and Educationpost.org has shown that we are not being taught enough in school about these things, this results in young students seeking this information from parents, peers, social media and pop culture. I believe that public schools are one of the best places to make students understand there’s much more to sex than they might know. As fast growing teenagers, we need much more than a one time chat about the birds and the bees, pregnancy prevention, and safe sex should be an ongoing topic- a constant reminder to high schoolers, since these are years of new experiences, which carry with them new feelings.

Let’s say you’re in sex education, you learn how to be safe during sex and you take every precaution possible, but still end up pregnant- what now? There are so many things to consider when you’re in this situation, but a shockingly huge amount of schools don’t offer guidance or information for students who The Flannel 20

become pregnant, as most pregnant teens are still at high school it should be a rule for schools to provide some kind of service of support for teens in this situation. By providing a support system for pregnant teens and their partners, or even those who have a pregnancy scare, schools can help to show them that there are options, and that their choices shouldn’t be judged by anyone. Many young girls can feel judged and alienated from society as they are “Too young to be given this much responsibility,” so by providing support at school they have an opportunity to talk to someone about everything, and every question they might have about the emotions they are feeling or how to take care of themselves and the baby can be answered.

Sex education is important to every teenager. It teaches us things we need to know when dealing with sex, but how do schools improve sex education?

First of all, health teachers should not only teach students the “basics” of sex but should also talk about the relationship side of sex, as it’s important to know how to deal with certain things in a relationship, and how to talk to your partner about sex. Next, teachers should talk about the man’s part in pregnancy, sex and pregnancy isn’t a one-sided job, men have to take responsibility in terms of keeping safe and using a condom, and they should also know there is such a thing as male contraception so that girls shouldn’t always be the one in charge of pregnancy and STD prevention. And finally, I believe that being taught sex is not bad from a young age is important, many teens are slut-shamed and bullied for having sex in high school, teenagers should know the feelings they have are completely normal and that it is not bad to have those driving emotions. Even though school is probably one of the best places to learn about this stuff, students should also know that there are other places they can go if they don’t feel they know

enough, or if they are pregnant. Most schools don’t take sex education seriously, so students having the knowledge of these other services, would be very useful to them. This includes places such as support networks for pregnant teens and other health services beyond school. You can also go to your personal family doctor as they keep everything confidential.

In conclusion, I believe that one of the main problems that cause teen pregnancy is our school curriculum on sex education, seein as students may not have been equipped with knowledge on how to have safe sex . Often, girls don’t even know about other contraception besides condoms. By improving sex education, we create a safer and less alien experience for young couple, teaching students that certain things are natural and that they are not alone.

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When I was in year eight, I remember comforting my crying friend in the school bathrooms after some snotty boy had told her she should wear a tux to our school ball because she was a lesbian. My friend wasn't crying because she was gay and he was making fun of her sexuality, or because he outed her when she wasn't ready, my friend was crying because he assumed she was gay. Fast forward to a McDonald’s parking lot in 2018 where I'm chewing on the straw of my take away cup watching this same friend struggle to come out to me. I gotta say, when she finally found the right way to tell me, it was a little anticlimactic. The crying and everything really made it seem like it was a bigger deal than it was: I mean what could be so important that it makes you cry in a McDonald's drive thru? And I'm not trying to downplay my friends coming out story, it's a very scary thing to do and she's very brave for doing it- but the crying? It's not that big of a deal… Is it? I mean Wellington is so pro gay, and when Pride month comes around the capital looks like a Jojo Siwa fever dream with the amount of rainbows hiding around every corner. And more specifically, Wellington High is so aggressively accepting that why would you be afraid to come out? But here is my friend, crying and so nervous to tell me this deep dark secret for fear that I would reject her or think of her any differently. Why would she feel like this if Wellington is so accepting?

Or, is that fear still justified? I realised that I don’t even know what it’s like to be LGBTQ+ in Wellington in this day and age, is it very different from being straight? Is homophobia something people deal with in Wellington? Or is Wellington really as accepting as we claim to be? All these burning questions had to be answered and unfortunately the sexy gay singles near me on the internet weren’t providing any.

Wellington High prides itself on a culture of inclusivity and acceptance. One student, William Pride, described Wellington High as a school known for “arts, gays, and drugs” he says that he hasn't faced much discrimination from Wellington High students and that the most discrimination is from the LGBTQ+ community itself: “The main discrimination I’ve faced is actually within the LGBTQ+ community, being bisexual I get a lot of people telling I’m faking or that it’s not real” other than that, William feels that Wellington High and Wellington in general are largely accepting. But not everyone feels safe and accepted. Luckily there is a place for LGBTQ+ students to go if they feel vulnerable or just want to meet people like them. The glorious Ultra Violet Club.

This club was originally started in 2015 by a group of year 12 and 13’s with the idea that LGBTQ+ people need to have a safe space within the school where they could be themselves. Since 2015, Ultra Violet (also referred to as UV) has changed and warped into what some students call a QSA, or Queer Straight Alliance. For some LGBTQ+ students, UV is no longer a safe space but a space overrun with ally students looking to gain more understanding around the LGBTQ+ culture and what it means to be queer.

While this is great in theory, some students feel it has forced the club to move away from its original intention of providing a quiet, safe place for out or closeted students. One of the UV leaders, Sophie-Rose, is known as an ally leader and is straight. She assured me that she never tries to step on the toes of any of the LGBTQ+ club members: “We can only sympathise, we can never understand” some students aren’t convinced though, one student who asked to remain anonymous felt that having a straight person running a safe space for LGBTQ+ students was wrong and out of place “It pisses me off to no end, you can’t call yourself an ally and then be running a safe space and trying to talk about gay experiences and not being gay, you’re never gonna understand it. If you’re a good ally you’re gonna try and listen and not lead.”

In terms of LGBTQ+ education is schools, Sofi, a year 13 student who is a lesbian feels that High is severely lacking: “The teachers need to be more educated in queer identities and queer issues because we went to sex-ed in year ten and the queer students in the class taught it. Up until year 11 I had no idea how lesbian sex worked, logically I understand it but also...What the fuck?!.... I just didn’t get the education that was actually needed and it was kinda ridiculous if we’re the most inclusive school… we’re accepting but we're not inclusive because inclusivity would see the teachers teaching actual queer sex stuff to the whole class and not just having the queer students be like ‘here’s what this is!’ we had students be like “so demigender exists and the teachers were like I dunno, stand up here and tell us! ” This lack of education can make LGBTQ+ students feel alienated, and people like Sofi feel like WHS’s brand of inclusivity isn’t completely fair by saying that “I think there’s a difference between being accepted and being included. Generally being accepted is ‘ok you’re here that’s fine’ being included is like actively seeking to educate and have queer participation and actually teach queer stories and identities and all that sorta stuff.

That’s not done so well (in WHS).”

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So that's Wellington High in a nutshell, but what about Wellington in general?

In recent years, Wellington’s drag culture has blown up. There's always at least one drag queen event floating around Facebook and even Highschool students have gotten wrapped up in the hype. One WHS student, Em, is known as a Hyper Queen, who is “biologically female and who identifies as female and dresses up as a drag queen or drag performer, it’s a very new concept to drag so lots of people don’t get it”. She says that while most people have been pretty accepting, some people aren't completely comfortable with it “(There has been no backlash) from the drag community in Wellington, they’re all really lovely and accepting, but lots of people when I say I'm a drag queen they’re like ‘don’t you mean drag king? Girls can’t be drag queens blah blah blah… I completely understand though because it’s such a new concept.”

While most Wellingtonians have caught onto the hype of drag culture, Em says there is still quite a way to go before she feels comfortable to wear drag in public “Going down Courtenay Place at night is absolutely horrible if you are dressed in drag or presenting queer… The drunk straight guys harass people, it’s really kinda scary, you never know how people are going to react when they’re drunk, like one person might end up hitting you but you never know, you’re concerned for your safety.”

She says that amongst the drag community, Courtenay Place is widely known to be avoided on a Friday or Saturday night.

So does this mean that Wellington isn't as accepting as we claim to be? I mean, you can cover an airport in rainbow flags and paint a road in colourful stripes on Cuba street, but it's the people that make the city, right? If people aren't completely accepting then maybe the shows of pride around this city are nothing more than empty gestures.

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In the 1980s the AIDS epidemic came to New Zealand. It wasn’t as devastating here as it was in other places around the world but it still left an impact: gay rights reforms had taken one step forward and two steps back. The AIDS epidemic was a way for some people to show their true colours. Hateful comments littered a gallery comment book where Fiona Clark was displaying a photo series to humanise gay people living with AIDS. One woman remarked that it serves gay people right, they brought it on themselves for being gay. It’s just God’s way of saying he doesn’t approve. Comments like “Don’t idolise them, shoot them + save the world” were among some of the nastier ones. It’s those parts of LGBTQ+ history that are hidden away and suffocated by the overwhelming need to wave a rainbow flag and call it inclusivity.

And sure, this country does a lot for the LGBTQ+ community, we should be thankful we can grow up in such an accepting country where gay marriage is legal and gay people don’t get stoned to death for having sex. But it is unfair to the LGBTQ+ community’s rights to just stop there. Just because gay people gained the right to marriage in 2011 and we go hard during pride month, doesn’t mean that life is completely easy for the LGBTQ+ community now.

Sofi feels that just because things aren't completely terrible for gay people, doesn’t mean we have to stop caring: “People think being gay is easy now, but it’s not. People wanna be like ‘trans people have it worse’ and they do! To erase trans experience would be awful, but gay experience is not good either.”

At times, Wellington’s city wide showcase of pride has proven to feel empty to some students. With Wellington being so eager to prove its acceptance, some people feel that the show of support and celebration has crossed over into commercial gain: “I notice a lot of commercialisation of the LGBTQ+ community, especially during pride month you'll notice everyone selling gay tee shirts, gay coffee, gay juices. Which is often used as a marketing technique to exploit the

community. I don't find issue with this if they were to take the profits and donate it to the cause, but when they don't do that it kinda says to me that they are just using (the LGBTQ+ community) for profit. And I understand it's not in the homophobic sense.”

Earlier on in March, many companies were putting up pride flags or signs that welcomed all customers, this is great for the gay customers who want to know whether or not their beau repair will accept them and their worn down tires, or for the broke uni students who can’t afford their groceries but are warmed with the fact that their local countdown accepts them just as they are. On one hand, this could be read as a good thing: being queer in Wellington is such a normal thing that people don’t think twice when rainbow flags start popping up anywhere and everywhere. On the other hand, companies may be ‘pinkwashing’: a corporate strategy used to put forward a LGBTQ+ friendly image to improve their own company image, glossing over any ethical issues the company may be contributing to.

I wrote this article in the hopes of shedding light on this topic and to be honest, I don’t think I’ve come to a very convincing conclusion. What I have come to realise is that everyone’s experiences are different and so everyone’s opinions on growing up LGBTQ+ in Wellington is going to be different. It feels stupid that I had to write an entire article just to get to this conclusion, but I did. I guess my parting words are to the young year eight crying in an intermediate school bathroom: I hope you know that your life isn’t going to end just because some pudgy brat thinks you’re gay. In some ways,you were gay before it was cool.

By Daisy Roche

The narrative that this world has set for queer people in the media isn’t often a happy one. Sofi believes that there need to be more happy endings for LGBTQ+ characters as there just aren’t enough: “I don’t like reading gay books or watching gay movies because if there is a story centred around a gay couple you know there will be a hate crime at the start or it will end with one or there will be one somewhere around the middle” just having gay stories isn’t enough, tragic stories about a forbidden love that could never be are going to contribute to the current climate that LGBTQ+ people live in, tat their relationships aren’t normal and that they aren’t normal. For the young closeted kids who are trying to find their own people portrayed in films or books, they’re not going to enjoy looking at people like them struggling to just be who they are, it pushes young, impressionable people further away from their own personal acceptance.

While it’s not homophobia, self acceptance is just another hurdle that LGBTQ+ people have to cross.

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THE GREAT

INDIFFERENCE

“The violence that exists in the human heart is also manifest in the symptoms of illness that we see in the Earth, the water, the air and in all living things.” - Pope Francis

dioxide buildup and warming will eventually peak, followed by a reverse as the atmosphere gradually recovers. Think ice age. On the alternate scale, if we leave switching to alternative energy too late, and burn through all remaining coal reserves, by 2300 AD, global mean temperatures will have jumped 6-9 degrees above today’s average. Peak temperatures will be between 3000-4000 AD, and all of the earth’s ice will eventually melt, and sea levels will rise to 70 metres, creating Atlantis out of what once were Earth’s thriving cities. This is the aftermath.

hen I think of climate change, I don’t think of the destruction of our planet as we know it, the death of sea turtles, or the rubbish dump that was once the Pacific Ocean. The most dangerous aspect of climate change is, in fact, the great indifference that people have towards it, with the numbness that the words ‘Global Warming’ invoke in those who hear it. We are choosing to be blind, deaf, and senseless towards the most threatening issue of our time. Now is the time to turn the ship that is our home around and steer her back to safety.

As a young person, this is an issue that will very much have an impact on me, on my children, on my children’s children. We are the ones that will be living in this bleak future, and we are the ones who need to pay attention now. If we remain trapped in this current cycle, it’s going to destroy us.

Children inheriting their parents’ apathy, consumerism and greed.

W

But what if we don’t?

What if we remain stagnant, frozen in the capitalist mindset that is eating us alive? We will get to experience something that no human is meant to experience, ever. An apocalyptic world drenched in chaos and fear. Today’s carbon The Flannel 28

It is the norm to stay asleep, earning and spending to thrive in this capitalistic world. It’s foolish and it’s selfish, we need to look at the bigger picture and acknowledge that there were people before us, who did nothing but send us spiraling further down this rabbit hole. There will be life after us, and it’s our responsibility to leave the children of the future a world as rich in beauty and abundant in resources. We must change this norm, the children and adults who are alive now must change their patterns of behavior and influence their children and future children to be awake, be aware, and be scared. Because we don’t have time to be ignorant.

Greta Thunberg is an activist of my generation who is standing up and making those with power listen. She has spoken to organisations and groups all over the world, from the U.K Houses of Parliament, to the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Poland.

She has criticised billionaires at the World Economic

Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and met up with the Pope, just to name a few. She is a symbol of youths power. Her words are serving as a wake up call all over the world to the threat that the Climate Crisis is going to have on our futures. She began by starting the ‘School Strike for Climate’.

Every Friday, beginning on an icy August morning in Sweden, rather than attend school, 15-year-old Thunberg would sit down on the cold cobblestones outside the Parliament of Sweden with a hand-painted sign reading ‘kolstrejk för klimatet’ (school strike for climate). “The first day, I sat alone from about 8.30am to 3pm – the regular school day. And then on the second day, people started joining me. After that, there were people there all the time.” What started as one individual’s action has now become a global movement; a rebellion against those refusing to open their eyes to the terrible truth of what our futures will look like if we don’t create change now. These worldwide protests have been creating a lot of controversy, with parents not wanting their children missing school and being marked truant. A speech that she made to the EU politicians in Brussels in 2019 reveals her justification. “If you still say that we are wasting valuable lesson time, then let me remind you that our political leaders have wasted decades through denial and inaction. When many politicians talk about the school strikes for climate, they talk about

almost anything except for the climate crisis. Many people are trying to make the school strikes a question of whether we should go back to school or not. They make up all sorts of conspiracies and call us puppets who can’t think for ourselves.”

Rosa Courteney, a Year 13 student at Wellington High School, believes that we are not going to be able take the action that is necessary to avoid the drastic changes in climate that lie in our future; “I think there needs to be some sort of disaster happen, like we are aware of it (climate change), and most people are making an effort to change things but we are moving at a slow pace. What we are currently doing is good with the no plastic bags and everything but that’s in New Zealand, which I feel like is a very forward country in itself.

We are a very small country that easily adapts to change, but it’s the countries like America and China, the big continents. Even in countries like Australia, I feel as if it would be hard to integrate new sustainable ways of life.” Her pessimism, even at the age of 16, is worrisome. If those in power who are responsible for making these changes don’t care now, what’s going to happen in 50-100 years from now, when we no longer have the option to change?

‘Climate Change’ is a word that we have become desensitized to. In 2016 research by New York

advertising consultant agency ‘SparkNeuro’, it was found that the words ‘Climate Change’ are not enough to invoke fear and anxiety about our changing world. The title ‘Climate Crisis’, or ‘Environmental Destruction’ created a 60% more emotional response in those participating in the study. This research is a clear indication of the type of people we have become. We are so distracted and apathetic that instead of addressing the problem, we have instead replaced the language or simply blocked it out of our minds.

The word ‘change’ seems sterile, it seems distant and in the future. imWhile the word ‘crisis’ signifies mediacy and panic.

“Adults keep saying: “We owe it to the young people to give them hope.” But I don’t want your hope.

I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis.

I want you to act as if our house is on fire.

Because it is.”

The way we react to it now is going to define the future of this planet, and the planet we are leaving for our children. There are couples around the world who are choosing not to have children, or choosing to adopt instead, for the sake of not bringing life into a broken world.

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David Attenborough, naturalist, broadcaster, and creator of documentary series ‘Planet Earth’, now aged 93, has spent the last 60 years travelling around the world creating and presenting dozens of wildlife documentaries.

He is now dedicating the last few years of his life to raising awareness around climate change.

He recently released a TV show called ‘Our Planet’ in 2019. As he did before in Planet Earth, Attenborough captures the beauty, strangeness, and wonder of our world and all of its creatures, only this time it’s like he is narrating a horror movie. Except it’s reality.

“We have to get together to solve this problem. This is something that the enormity of which has only just dawned on quite a lot of people, and we now see doom over there. And it’s not in the imagination and it’s not a trick of rhetoric. Doom is over there, and unless we sort ourselves out within the next decade or so, we are dooming our children and our grandchildren to an appalling future. Whether it’s going to win or whether it’s going to lose I don’t know, but I know that I can’t just stand here and turn away and say ‘Let me go and think about something lovely’. We have to think about things that are difficult and painful. Because if we do not, there is going to be a bigger difficulty, and a bigger pain, that’s waiting around the corner.

Earth is slowly but surely heating up, an estimated rise in average surface temperatures could be between 2°C and 6°C by the end of the 21st century. A few degrees doesn’t sound that drastic but could lead to catastrophic and irreversible damage: our oceans will heat up, water levels will rise, we could no longer be able to grow crops such as rice or wheat, and the Arctic will dissolve into nothingness, taking all of the life that lives on it with it, and the lives of those inhabiting the coastlines.

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Once these changes fully set in, what’s going to happen?

There will be the issue of climate refugees, when sea levels have risen to the point where people’s houses begin to flood or erode - where will they go? Where will coastal cities like Miami go once their town is unlivable? To hit a little closer to home, residents around the coastal areas of Kapiti are facing erosion due to rising sea levels. Eric Rignot​is a California earth scientist who has spent his life studying the retreat of ice sheets “If you look at climate change and sea-level rise, it’s going to rise anywhere between 500 millimetres and a metre in the next 100 years.

In Wellington, these projected changes could endanger roughly 2000 houses, 20 businesses and 21 kilometres of road, according to a 2015 Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report.

“We have to think about things that are painful. Because if we do not, there is going to be a bigger difficulty and a bigger pain, that’s waiting around the corner.”

Across New Zealand’s largest coastal cities, more than 11,000 homes would be affected, and that was provided greater rises did not occur.” The most important thing we can do to right this impending disaster is to educate ourselves and those around us on what is actually happening, what potentially could happen, and what we can do to prevent these not so distant ideas of a post-apocalyptic world from becoming our reality.

As a 17-year-old student, I understand why people believe we cannot change the fate of our world.

It’s so easy to carry on, day by day. The steady drum of our lives, school, work, public transport.

It’s so easy to ignore the science that tells us we are running out of time. ‘Why should I care about something that may not overlap with my lifetime’, ‘one person can’t make a difference’ a million voices chime. For many, outta sight and outta mind seems to be the modern mentality. Incredulous politicians are selling our futures in exchange for endless amounts of money, as the oceans slowly rise. Stagnancy and continuation is the easy way out, we are only human. Of course, we are going to choose comfort and normality over discomfort and a willingness to initiate change. I’m not here to preach what a thousand people have said before, I’m here to be a wrench in the machine that drives this great indifference.

By Maya Abbott

Above: Stock Photo of fire - Unsourced Below: A photo by Edward Burtynsky Oil Bunkering #1 - Nigel Delta, Nigeria, 2016

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E H T R , S TE R O LES N T A O IE D L M E D A R E P IL H By Thomas Smith CH T T NO

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Have you ever been made to feel uncomfortable by strangers online? Male, female or neither if you have an online presence it is almost guaranteed that you have encountered predatory behaviour from a complete stranger.

Fun Fact!

In a report produced by Netsafe in 2018, they found that 7/10 New Zealand teens have experienced predatory online behaviour.

Online predators are so normalised in this new online society that it isn’t even news if a 40-year old was to send explicit photos to a 13 year old over snapchat People tend not to report these kinds of cases despite it being illegal behaviour. The reason for this being that it is so easy to hide your identity online, and for many it’s easier to block someone and go about your day, rather than taking it further as it is likely to go nowhere.

In this article I will detail real life experiences that people have had with an online predator, define what constitutes inappropriate online behaviour, steps that can be taken to minimise your chances of being exposed to this as well as what to do when you encounter it.

What is an online predator?

According to ipredator “Online Predators are defined as adult online users who seek to exploit vulnerable children or adolescents for sexual or other abusive purposes”. *This definition is incredibly narrow and doesn’t fully encapsulate the full scope of what an online predator is, though it is somewhat relevant it is not inclusive to the majority of these cases.

For this article, the definition of online predatory behaviour is widened to include cases such as -An individual younger than 18 preying upon someone younger than them (as they are not legally recognised as an adult) - Somebody that is the same age or even younger than the person that they are preying on I will also disregard the term vulnerable as the only prerequisite to this online behaviour is just simply having an online presence.

The Interviews As I found out from my interviewees, especially the female interviewees the abuse starts young usually around 12/13, when they get the first message they react with shock, anger and embarrassment but the second, third, fourth time it happens they grow used to it, just block and mute and say that “it’s not a big deal” or “it happens all the time” but it should be a big deal and it shouldn’t happen all the time.

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WARNING: most of these stories are quite explicit My first interviewee, who prefers to stay anonymous had this to say about her first predatory online experience.

“I was twelve at the time and this took place on these two apps called whisper and snapchat, I think that the guy was an American secondary school teacher, I believe that he was in his thirties. So he basically messaged me on Whisper and then just started grooming me from there, complimenting me saying stuff like ‘you’re beautiful’, ‘you’re so pretty’, ‘you look good’ etc. We exchanged Snapchats, the vanilla stuff likely went on for a month or two and then it kinda got to a point when he started sending nude photos, I was twelve so I didn’t know much about the situation and didn’t really know what was happening. Educate your kids better about these kinds of people.”

My second interviewee was 13 at the time and also prefers to stay anonymous.

“I was thirteen and I got a dm (direct message) on Instagram from a random person that I didn’t know, so I opened it, it was a video of him touching himself and he moaned my name. I couldn’t see his face though.

I’m pretty sure it was a throwaway account cause it had no photos or profile picture so I’m sure he made this account to prey on girls so he couldn’t be tracked. I had also not seen male genitalia before so it was not a nice way to be exposed to the male body. I told my dad about this and he got really mad and wanted to call the police, but we decided not to as we had no information to give them other than the account and the video.

This was also the first time of many times that this has happened to me.”

Liam, who was 15 at the time of this happening was using a live streaming site when he started receiving inappropriate messages.

“I was streaming and doing normal kid stuff, talking to an audience of about 120 people, you can message on the stream like it’s a chat room. Before I knew it there was this guy who was sending some stuff like kisses and hearts, it was a bit weird but I just brushed it off, I was quite curious though so I clicked on his photo and it was this old dude. So I started pissing around with him kinda just making fun of the situation and then out of nowhere he said “I wanna doggystyle with you”. And then his other friend, cause there were multiple, said “I would r*pe you” I just freaked out a bit cause nobody has really said that to me before. Not long after that while I was making light of it I ended up just saying screw this, it’s not that funny anymore, these guys are kinda serious I think and so I just ended the livestream.”

Daisy was 13/14 at the time of her first experience.

“I had a few pictures on my instagram which were literally a picture of some shoes I bought and my nails that I got done. And he would comment really weird things like I want you to wrap your fingers around my c*ck. On the picture of my shoes he said I wanna suck your toes, Ideleted the comments but he kept spamming me. It wasn’t that bad.”

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Reza was 17 at the time of his experience and describes the guy he was talking to as a “funny, little man”.

“He messaged me thinking I was a girl. And I led him on for a while as a joke. I tested the waters saying I was fifteen seeing if he’ll drop it if he knew that I was underrage. But instead he kept going and talking about how he’d do stuff to my body, real creepy, kept talking about how he’d like me to come live with him and his wife and how he’d pay for my expenses, kept talking about the size of his p*nis, this guys name was Russell. I blocked him on instagram and was like haha I was a boy all along jokes on you old man. He always posted stuff about the joker, ‘we live in a society’ stuff.”

My last interviewee was 16 and part of a Star Trek Messenger group chat.

“I got sent d*ck pics, I was hit on continuously. Just wouldn’t shut up even when I said ‘dude i’m not really into that’, this took place back when I was thinking stuff like “boys are gross ew”. I eventually blocked this person. They were creepy and weird, also word of advice: Star Trek fanboys are gross even though I am a Star Trek fanboy.”

But why?

The sad reality is that online predators are here to stay, they are likely going nowhere anytime soon, even with strict community guidelines and beady eyed moderators these people always find a way to bypass these rules.

So how do you stop experiences like these happening to you? Well there really isn’t any concrete way to stop a predator without taking down all of your social media, because if you have an online presence whether it be having an Instagram, Youtube or Facebook account even using forums like Reddit can warrant some sort of predatory experience

But what should i do?

However, some actions that you can take to help decrease your chances of becoming a target is to make your social media private, to only accept requests from people you know and to report anyone that you are aware of that has been doing shifty and questionable actions online.

The most important thing to do is listen. If your friend comes to you talking of how an experience online made them uncomfortable, don’t play off their feelings like it’s nothing as that can be damaging to a person’s psyche, instead help advise them on what actions to take instead of brushing off their experience.

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The World Cup of Shame

By Brian Evald

The Football World Cup is the most viewed global event every year that it is held, and is only held every four years. Last time it was held in Russia, and France was the country that ended up as winners in 2018. The World Cup switches host country from every tournament and is selected twelve years in advance. Solid, competitive, wholesome fun, right? Well, maybe.

Source: BBC

The next World Cup will be held in Qatar. Even in 2010 when Qatar was selected to be the host, it was a bit suspicious. This is because Qatar is not a country famous for a good football league or good players, nor are they famous for having a good national team. So why did they get to host the world cup? Well, as far as we know they got it the right way. To be chosen, they had to go through a tough review to see if they have the ability and economy to host such a big event. Do they?

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Source: Gazetafjala

teams, it is a bit less clear. Because of those reasons Qatar should not have the capacity to host the World Cup. However, the biggest reason for Qatar being chosen is that they paid for it. This is most likely due to the fact that both FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and the people in Qatar that are in charge of the world cup are both very corrupt and are driven by a hunger for money.

Unfortunately, due to this, it can never be entirely proven. For example, If you ask FIFA and Qatar about the working conditions and building constructions, they would say that everyone is working hard and that the working conditions are good, on track, and will be ready for the world cup.

According to Amnesty International, the workers that work on the arenas for the world cup are usually immigrant workers from Nepal, Bangladesh, and India.

These workers haven’t been treated right. Salaries have been delayed by several months, been too low, or have been left out completely. Aside from the salaries, the workers live in groups of eight in huts that are made for four people, and they can’t leave Qatar or the construction site. A big part of the labor force is borderline slavery. The biggest problem is the salaries. According to the workers

Source: Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy

themselves, they have paid agencies anywhere from 500 US$-2400 US$ to get these jobs. Due to the many in the labor force that don’t get paid or get paid too little, many are in huge debts and are afraid to go back to their families and countries because of the consequences that will come when they can’t pay their debt. Many have become deeply depressed from the stress and the uncertainty of not knowing how the future will be. The most severe offense that Qatar has committed is the one with the living conditions. On the Amnesty website, it is stated that “Workers often live in cramped, dirty and unsafe accommodation. We saw men sleeping on bunk beds in rooms for eight or more people.

But Qatari law and the Workers’ Welfare Standards allow for a maximum of four beds per room and prohibit bed-sharing and the use of bunk beds.” In this instance, Qatar is going against its own laws.

can’t do anything about it since they will always be able to buy their way out of situations.

The only thing we can do is sit back and try to enjoy the world cup as much as possible even if the people that made it possible suffered during the process. Some of the people that have worked on the arenas have said that they want this to be the best world cup ever so their work doesn’t go to waste.

And the work on the Qatar arenas and infrastructures around the world cup has gone so far that it would be impossible to change the host country and make it on time. And all the work that the workers have done would have been for nothing Once again, sit back, enjoy the football, and root for your team.

Isn’t it strange that an event that has a budget of 265 billion NZD, that is 6 times New Zealand’s annual budget and more than 3 times the budget of the last world cup in Russia, can’t even treat the workers properly? You could buy 26.5 billion chicken nuggets or almost 70 billion Filet-O-Fish (if you don’t eat meat or chicken) from McDonald’s with that money.

Unfortunately, FIFA and Qatar are notorious for just caring for money and making a profit, even if it will cost the lives of a few people in the process.

Unfortunately, you and I can’t do too much about it. Since this involves such a large amount of money and very powerful people the common man Source: Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy

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inside out

The inner struggles of New Zealand’s young people brought to the frontlines

In late 2018, I got a very shocking call from my sister who lives away from home down in Christchurch.

She told me that she had been sent to the Hillmorton Mental Health Hospital after a “worrisome” session with her counselor. Within 30 minutes, I had booked flight tickets to Christchurch for the following weekend. High school assessments and attendance quickly get ignored when it comes to the people that I love. For context, I probably love my sister more than anyone on this entire planet. She is absolutely everything to me. She is the most resilient and strong-willed person I know. However, she is also very good at hiding things for what she believes is the benefit of everyone else. I was aware of her struggle with mental health in her early teens, but hearing it had gotten so bad completely blindsided me.

So, after an agonising four days of waiting for the earliest flight, I landed in Christchurch. In hindsight, the trip was probably more so for my own peace of mind than anything else. When I finally got there and later discussed with my sister what had happened, I was horrified with what she told me. She shared the intimate details of how she had fallen into a depressive state, dashed with some generalised anxiety, panic, and suicidal thoughts. When her therapist decided to transfer her over to the mental health hospital, she felt hopeful.

Almost like a weight had been lifted off her chest. “Finally! I’m getting some proper help” was one of her first thoughts. By this point in her story, I was still taken fairly off-guard and unsure how to feel about everything.

I felt as though it was partly my fault for not paying enough attention to what was going on. But, knowing she had been sent to the mental health hospital also gave me hope that things were being properly dealt with.

However, things took a turn once she got there. When she talked mental health ‘specialist’ and told him that she wants to drive on the opposite side of the road so that if she dies it looks like an accident, this was his reaction. “You know what, I just really don’t see you killing yourself”. Not only did my sister feel as though the rug had been pulled out from underneath her, she felt the whole fucking floor go with it.

What followed was a repetition of this initial ignorance: a series of downplaying her thoughts and feelings by ‘medical experts’ and a terrible solution: a prescription thrown at her, with the instructions to DRIVE HOME and rest. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes people appreciate even getting a prescription for antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication, and those prescriptions can help a lot of people. However, the issue with that is that my sister already takes prescription medication for migraines. When she told the specialist at the hospital what medication it was, he said: “Oooo okay, just a note, don’t take the anti-depressants with that because you’ll die”. How are the people in charge of the mental wellbeing and lives of New Zealanders most at risk of psychological distress allowed to be so unprofessional? This ‘specialist’ threw caution to the wind, half-arsed his job and it could have cost my sister her life. My sister broke my heart when she told me “I walked in there saying I wanted to kill myself and walked out with a way to die”.

I faced quite a few issues when I first decided to start writing about this topic. The first being that I have dealt with/am dealing with mental health issues of my own. I wasn’t sure if I would be mentally able to handle seeing the statistics and then hearing the stories of the people that make up those statistics. I was also deeply concerned that I wouldn’t do their stories justice. After all, there isn’t really a clear boundary with the topic of mental health to show when it becomes ‘over-sharing’. The second issue quickly became, who the hell do I talk to? Not many people really want to stick their hand up and say “Hey! I’m struggling!”. In fact, not wanting to do that is one of the many reasons that New Zealand has such an issue with dealing with mental health. Our culture is all about being hardy and resilient. It’s almost as if you’re not a “real Kiwi” if you can’t handle the jandal. This perception of weakness is often what causes people to feel as though they need to stay silent and deal with on their own. We are all about D.I.Y as Kiwi’s, but when it comes to your personal mental health, it can be good to get a bit of help to cope with it.

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The statistics for mental health and addiction in New Zealand are shockingly bad considering how small a country we are. In the years 2015 and 2016, mental health and addiction services saw a total of 171,033 clients. Majority of these clients were men, coming in at 52.3% people seen. On top of that, non-government organisations (NGO’S), saw 63,682. That is a staggering number of New Zealanders seeking help.

One in six New Zealanders, 18+, have been diagnosed with some form of mental disorder during some period of their lives. This includes bipolar, depression, and anxiety disorders. Many factors contribute to mental health issues and psychological distress. A very key factor in these stats is the socio-economic standing of a person in the community. People living in low-socioeconomic areas are nearly three times as likely to experience some form of mental distress in their life. This contributes to the fact that in New Zealand, mental health issues are the third-leading cause of health loss. The term health loss refers to things such as disability and potential risk of illness. It is clear that many many New Zealanders are crying out for help. The sheer number of these statistics demonstrates that. What it doesn’t show is whether or not these people seeking help, are actually receiving it. It is clear that the services we provide in New Zealand get used, even if not enough as they should, but is the end result of the systems a desirable one? Because if the people that make up these statistics are not even receiving help, what is the point?

The next person whose story I wanted to hear and share, was my family friend Claudia. When talking to Claudia, she explained that the catalyst for her mental health issues was high school. Throughout her high school career, her anxiety increased and she began finding it increasingly difficult to even leave the house.

What she didn’t know at the start was that she was trying to deal with high school and generalised anxiety, social anxiety, chronic major depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It was in her second year of high school that she was diagnosed with severe depression and the other explanations came later on.

Claudia ending up having to leave school and finish her qualifications through a correspondence course.

It’s been five years since Claudia began struggling with these issues and she has been through countless therapists and continues to struggle on a daily basis. She has said that her illnesses have taken so much from her and “changed me into a completely different person.” In the middle of last year, Claudia had a similar experience to my sister. She very suddenly fell into a depressive episode which lasted a prolonged period of time. It all came to a pinnacle when Claudia made two attempts on her life. After the first, her mum desperately tried to get help from the mental health crisis service to no success whatsoever. In turn, resulting in the second attempt when she was left alone for a mere 5 minutes. Claudia was finally taken seriously, after feeling forced to go to the extreme, and was given a bed in the psychiatric ward with 24hour support. She said she feels as though this greatly benefitted her, but the length that she had to go to in order for that to happen is ridiculous. The overall theme appears to Claudia to be understaffing and lack of funding. It is an unfair system that focuses on remedies rather than prevention. It does not need to get to the point where it is a life and death situation. When I asked why it gets to that point, she said that it seems as though people suffering from minor to moderate mental health issues are often ignored because it’s not seen as serious. “I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to get psychiatric help until I tried to kill myself.” was a key point that Claudia made and highlights a key issue within New Zealand’s mental health services.

To bring a new perspective to this topic, I decided to talk to the wonderful health teacher her a Wellington High, Mrs Bell. Out of all of the teachers, Mrs Bell is easily the person in the school that has the most discussions with students about overall wellbeing and mental health. Not only is this the curriculum that she teaches, but she often provides counsel to students outside of class hours. When talking with Mrs Bell about how teaching health has changed her approach to mental health, she discussed feeling more in touch with the services through her students. Because of this connection and her work, she has a unique insider perspective on the services provided. It seemed as though the services have definitely improved from when she was younger but they are still nowhere near as effective as they could be.

Due to the fact that the health classes tend to focus on some very intense topics of conversation, there is a chance that the class itself could impact the students. This balance is difficult to maintain as it is not always obvious when someone is being negatively affected by a situation. Because of this, Mrs. Bell has been granted some tools in order to help her students if she believes they are struggling with something.

Having been in her health class for 3 years now, I can attest to the fact that she is very transparent with the amount of confidentiality within the health class. Every year, at the beginning of the year, Mrs. Bell makes a kaupapa with each of her classes. And nearly every year the phrase “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is added to at least one. However, Mrs. Bell is required to inform someone if she is concerned for a students wellbeing. She can talk to them outside of class and also take them to the guidance office. I think that these procedures being in a place are a step in the right direction for mental health assistance.

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Everything can look fine.....

“I got this!”

“Don’t worry about me!”

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Even when it’s really not.

“I walked in there saying I wanted to kill myself, and walked out with a way to die”

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But, outside of the semi-liberal bubble that is the Wellington High School community, things are not dealt with as efficiently or effectively. Mrs. Bell brought up the fact that the majority of the time the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waitlist can be up to three weeks before a young person can even get an appointment. If a young person is in a dire situation in regards to their mental health, they should not be left to wait around for 3 weeks while a spot clears up for them.

When talking about this, Mrs. Bell used the analogy of “being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff”. The phrase basically means it’s not good enough to just pick up the pieces. It should be about prevention. Which would mean taking minor to moderate worries about mental health seriously, so that they do not progress into severe issues.

Very recently, a highly popular topic of discussion in the news has been the new “Mental Health Budget” that the government was writing up. There has been a lot of talk and drama regarding the budget. Despite all that, the budget is definitely a step in the right direction for New Zealand. Not only is it allowing mental health to receive more funding, but the simple act of deciding to create a budget and actually following through with that The budget was released officially on the morning of brings a lot of hope for a lot of New Zealanders.

30th May. According to the budget, there will be a $1.9 billion package for mental health and addiction over a period of four years. That includes $455 million going toward what they’re calling a “new universal frontline service”. This, hopefully, means that when people first go somewhere to seek help, those services will be greatly improved. The budget also includes situations that are indirectly connected to the mental health of New Zealanders. Such as school donation in order to provide more funding, climate change and environment funding, and start-up funding for businesses. All of these things included in the budget can be determinants for societies wellbeing, so improves these should assist in improving the strain on the mental health services.

This issue is not just simply going to go away. We need to stop trying to sweep it under the rug and pretend like everything is fine. Because that is what got us into this mess in the first place. The mental health budget and steps being taken by young people to combat the stigma are definitely welcome and much-needed improvements. But, if we don’t keep up with the issue and continue to introduce legislation and programs to help those struggling it will only get worse. The wellbeing of New Zealanders should be at the top of the government’s priorities. Because when people are in a good state of mind, it has the ability to greatly improve other situations. Even if people are struggling with mental health issues, knowing that there is proper help readily available for them lifts at least some of that burden.

By Brenna Thomson The Flannel 42

HOW TO WRITE A CV STEP ONE

If you’re at the age that you can finally get a job, there are probably other people around you struggling with writing their CV too. It can be extremely helpful to talk to these people. You can bounce ideas off each other to see what will work best in your personal

CV’s. It can also be helpful to talk to the adults in your life. Because although we don’t often like to admit it, this is definitely a time that they know more than us.

STEP TWO

Now that you have a vague idea of what you should write about, you have to make it look presentable.

Unfortunately, appearances matter greatly to employers and a pink post it note with your hobbies on it probably won’t cut it. There are tons of website that you are able to download CV templates from that have been specially designed to impress employers.

STEP THREE

Alright, time to get out a pen and paper. It is important that you brainstorm your strengths and skills you could bring to a workplace. Companies tend to value flexibility, an outgoing attitude, and someone who is ready for whatever challenge they are presented with. It is also key that you include any past experiences you have had with working. This can be anything from babysitting to dog walking, anything that you had to work for.

STEP FOUR

Okay, you’ve got your template and an idea of what you’re going to include about yourself. Laying it all out in the template you have chosen is a good way to get an idea if you have enough information. It also lets you see if you like the template and the impression you believe it will give to employers.

STEP FIVE

Again, this is the time where in the adults unfortunately know more than us teenagers. So, it is a good idea to show your CV to an adult and get their opinion on it. They may be able to provide helpful tips as to what you should or shouldn’t include. They may STEP SIX also be able to tell you things to add about yourself Now’s the time! Once you are happy with how your that you wouldn’t have even thought of including. CV is looking, it’s time to print it off and get out there.

There is no harm in going into small businesses in your area and giving them a copy of your CV. Because even if they do not have any positions available at that time, they have your details in case a position opens up.

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Recipes Tiramisu - 568ml pot double cream - 250g tub mascarpone - 75ml marsala - 5 tbsp golden caster sugar - 300ml strong coffee, made with 2 tbsp coffee granules and 300ml boiling water - 175g pack sponge finger - 25g chunk dark chocolate - 2 tsp cocoa powder - Put a 568ml pot double cream, 250g tub mascarpone, 75ml marsala and 5 tbsp golden caster sugar in a large bowl.

- Whisk until the cream and mascarpone have completely combined and have the consistency of thickly whipped cream.

- Pour 300ml strong coffee (made with 2 tbsp coffee granules and 300ml boiling water) into a shallow dish.

- Dip in a few of the 175g pack of sponge fingers at a time, turning for a few secs until they are nicely soaked, but not soggy. Layer these into your dish until you have used half the sponge fingers, then spread over half of the creamy mixture.

- Using the coarse side of a grater, grate over most of the 25g dark chocolate. Then repeat the layers (you should use up all the coffee), finishing with the creamy layer.

- Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight.

- To serve, dust with 2 tsp cocoa powder and grate over the remainder of the chocolate.

Pesto - Toast the nuts or seeds for extra flavor: In a medium skillet, toast the nuts/seeds over medium heat, stirring frequently (don’t let them burn!), until nice and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour them into a bowl to cool for a few minutes.

- To make the pesto, combine the basil, cooled nuts/ seeds, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor or blender. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Continue processing until the mixture is well blended but still has some texture, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary.

Taste, and adjust if necessary. Add a pinch of salt if the basil tastes too bitter or the pesto needs more zing. Add more Parmesan if you’d like a creamier/ cheesier pesto. If desired, you can thin out the pesto with more olive oil. Store leftover pesto in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. You can also freeze pesto—my favorite way is in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag, than you can thaw only as much as you need later.

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⅓ cup raw pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans or pepitas 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (about 3 ounces or 2 large bunches) l1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

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fashion starts here

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An interveiw with ex-welly high student and current New-York dwelling fashion desginer, Tess Norquay.

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In the new age of entrepreneurial millennials and gen-z on the rise, we young people are forced to ask ourselves; is my chosen degree going to be worth it? Can I get the skills required in my desired career from elsewhere? Or even the question - will the thousands of dollars spent on university be better spent on something else? At the age of seventeen, these are life-altering and often the most expensive decisions we can make.

So how can we be sure we’re making the right one?

The first question we are asked when we start considering careers and further education is commonly, what are your passion? What are you good at? When it comes to following your passion, an issue that is commonly faced is: how plausible it actually will be. Will this hobby be sustainable as a career? Will my parents support me? Often parents will support you during tertiary education. Some of us are lucky enough to have a university fund or parents who are willing to put money into fees and support you during university years.

Since I can remember, my personal passion has always been clothes. Putting outfits together and attempting to create my own style and aesthetic

and everything involving the word ‘fashion’. During the pressure of high school years I have turned this hobby into a possible career and explored the vast world of the fashion industry. How? Now the struggle that comes next is discovering

the ways I could turn my hobby into a legitimate career? There is the obvious, go to university and get a degree In fashion design, illustration or just general desgin. But then comes all the other struggles: expenses, self-doubt, and whether or not that piece of paper at the end even going to be worth it - these questions have made me ask myself: could I get into the fashion industry without a degree?

To dig deeper into my queries I decided to contact ex-wellington high student, Tess Norquay. Tess attended Wellington High from 2008-2012 and was featured on the cover of the 2011 edition of The Flannel. She was described as “that excit-

ed ball of energy that roams the halls of Wellington High School.” Since leaving

Wellington High, Tess has gone on to study Fashion Design at Massey University, and even taken a step to the next level and received her master’s degree In Fashion Design from Massey University.

I therefore thought that, knowing the field, she’d be a great resource to better understand the role of academia in developing a career.

I chose to contact Tess as she comes from a very similar background to me. She spent her first two years of high school at Wellington Girls’ College (as did I) and eventually moved on to Wellington High School, where her creative tendencies thrived.

At first I was nervous to contact Tess. I learnt from her Instagram that she was in fact living my dream and had recently moved to New York to pursue her design career. I assumed it would be a busy time for her so I started of by sending an email introducing myself and telling her about my interest in fashion design. I asked her if she would be willing to answer a few questions for my article. To my fortune she replied and said she would be more than happy to help me out (and even followed me on Instagram!)

The first question I asked Tess was simply: do you think it’s important having a degree when pursuing a career in the fashion industry? I hoped her response would give me something to put my worries to rest, coming from the perspective of someone who has a degree, and it did just that.

“This question is kind of tricky because I’m coming at it from the perspective

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of having a degree. I think it helps. I also think that it’s probably easier to get your foot in the door when you have a sheet of paper endorsing your skills to wave in their face - but if you put enough time into your portfolio it could have the same outcome. Overall, I’m glad I have my degree, I learned so much, and it shaped my design style into something consistent and cohesive.”

“Well, there’s the obvious things, like pattern making and garment construction.

Then there’s the less obvious stuff, like time management, working to a brief, working with other people, and keeping calm under pressure. Then there’s the internal stuff: being around so many other talented people always pushes you to be better, and try new things. I learned just as much from my peers as my tutors”

From Tess’s perspective, her degree obviously has helped her a lot. A recurring idea surrounding entering the fashion industry, and most industries, is that hard work pays off. Doing a degree is hard work in itself, but sometimes it helps to push it to the next level.

So, how hard has Tess had to work to achieve her level of success? In 2017 Tess won the Excellence in Design Award at i-D’s Dunedin Fashion week. In an interview done by Stuff Tess explained the hard work that was done when putting together her sardonically named, award-winning ‘please like me collection’.

It is clear that tess found that the university envi-

ronment suited for her for various reasons, but the stand out one (for me at least) is the fact that she was surrounded by people with the same passion as her.

It appears to be an environment where creativity bounces off your peers. Something that would be hard to gain access to if you were pursuing a career in fashion in the ‘self taught’ way I previously mentioned.

“I was working 14 hours a day for over 3 months to get my work ready - nothing about my degree felt glamorous at that point.”Fashion is often blown off as a glamorous ‘airy-fairy’ career choice.

This is far from the truth as we see from Tess’s statement here.

It is clear that Tess’s tiresome, hard work paid off and she was able to produce something that appeared much more glamorous than what was going on behind the scenes. This award has boosted Tess’s resume and is another factor, along with her degree that makes her stand out. The hard work that Tess put into this collection had allowed her to have something that gives people an idea about was Tess is all about, her aesthetic, her strengths, what her design career is all about.

My next question for Tess was simply, “How do you think your degree helped you evolve as a designer, what skills did you learn?” I wanted to know what sort of things I could learn in a university environ-

ment versus a ‘self-taught’ one.

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So while it is possible to enter the fashion industry without a degree, it is something that takes passion, hard work, and determination. The skills that you would learn from doing a degree, would have to be self taught and maybe even improvised. But it is doable. From Tess’s response it is clear that she benefited greatly from her degree. It is a great way to make connections, and at the end of the day you will have a legitimate document that makes it a whole lot easier for employers (if that is the route you want to take) to turn their heads and check you out. When

you gain a degree you get launched onto a platform, meeting people, making connections, more opportunity, work placement opportunities. These things become less available to those who don’t follow the path of university.

On the topic of hard work and passion, I asked Tess, “Do you have any advice for someone leaving high school and wanting to pursue a career in fashion?”

“Be prepared to screw up and get discouraged heaps and heaps of times!

Everyone, but especially creatives, go through feeling like they’re not good enough, and it’s very rarely true. Oh, and don’t start smoking! I just quit! It was awful!”

Hard work is something that applies to every career path, regardless of whether it is a creative pursuit or not. Getting knocked down and having to pick yourself back up can be a struggle, but if you are following your passion, resilience is something that will be vital to your success. And in the end, hard work pays off,

which is a true statement in Tess’s situation. And being resilient can even be stressful as Tess found caused her to adopt a smoking habit. However ,all these experiences are learning opportunities and should be cherished rather than brushed of as ‘mistakes’.

The fashion industry can be an intimidating path to take. From movies like ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, ‘Zoolander’ and The September issue” we are shown a huge industry that has an intimidating hierarchy and is shown as a ‘tough nut to crack’.

However, in Tess’s opinion the problematic industry that we are shown, is far from reality.

This sort of illusion can also be applied to university. A degree is a daunting task to take on. It comes with years of not having a lot of income, studious working, and many more hardships. But as with other carriers, fashion has its perks. During a degree, as I previously touched upon, you are graced with fantastic opportunities. The negative attention surrounding the fashion industry often makes us turn our noses up at it, as with university study. But we have to remember to consider the positive aspects of these things (such as espresso martinis).

If you are debating whether or not to do a degree, whether in fashion, or engineering, or English, the best place to start is to always weigh up the pro’s and con’s. For me, talking to Tess, someone who followed the same path as I am considering, helped me immensely. It pushed me to open my mind to all the positives and opportunity that comes along with going to university. I know this doesn’t take away from the aspect of the expense of going to university, but we are lucky enough in New Zealand to have support and fantastic policies set in place so those who struggle to pay for tertiary education, still have opportunity.

The answer of whether a fashion degree is worth it, is more often than not, different depending on who you ask. Obviously, different things suit different people and university may not be for everyone. But that doesn’t mean you should rule it out completely.

By Tallulah O’Neill

“It’s friendlier than it seems, especially in New Zealand. Everyone is so ready to shout each others’ praises. Also, I had a really great espresso martini at the opening night of Fashion Week, it’s worth grabbing one of those if you can!”

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WEAR AWARE

SLOWING DOWN AND SHOPPING CONSCIOUSLY

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We are all connected to it: it’s protecting us from heat and cold, it’s a reflection of how we want to be seen, or who we want to be. Clothing is deeply connected to our bodies, lives and ways of living. We contribute and connect to it in all our different roles as workers, farmers, seamstresses, designers, business owners, retail workers, and especially consumers. Over the past few years clothing has escalated into an industry known as the fast fashion industry. ‘Fast Fashion’ is clothing that’s produced very quickly, in an unethical and unsustainable way.

The speed of this industry, has been molded to follow the fast flowing trends, creating a culture where clothes are thrown away as soon as they’re bought.

Supporting brands like Glassons, Cotton On, The Warehouse, H&M, or Zara, you buy into the fast fashion industry. But have you ever considered the real effects that these brands are having on the people involved, and on our planet?

When exploring the meaning of life many people turn to happiness, acceptance and fulfilment.

With the rise of consumerism, businesses have taught us that we can acquire these things by purchasing certain pieces of clothing. We are promised that by purchasing clothing, we can finally feel happy, fulfilled and belong amongst our peers. Businesses promise us this because they are driven by their financial gain and use consumerism to fuel it. But these feelings are fleeting and unsustainable. The fashion industry has managed to squeeze in 52 seasons in the year, giving themselves more opportunities to sell new clothes and introduce new trends with most clothing produced and designed to only last one season. Within a short amount of time they’ll be back again trying to sell you something “new, fresh, exciting, and completely different than before”.

The vigorous cycle of constantly buying new clothes means that you throw out clothing as quickly as you buy it. It’s estimated that every year, per person, we buy 27 kg of clothing and throw 23 kg of it away into landfills. Buying all these new clothes means that we’ll usually only wear them once or twice before throwing it to the landfill. The same fast fashion companies who encourage you to buy their new clothes also encourage consumers to recycle their used garments.

Despite this being a good idea, the technology to effectively recycle clothing on a large scale doesn’t exist yet. In the press release for a report on fast fashion the organisation Greenpeace stated, “As of today, recycling is not a solution.” They continued by saying, “Markets are overloaded with unwanted clothes and technological challenges mean full recycling of clothing into new fibres is still far from commercially viable.” The report also noted, “mechanical recycling of fibers such as cotton and wool,

which involves chopping up the fibers, degrades the quality of the material, meaning only a limited amount can be reused in clothing(The rest is used in things such as insulation.).” The use of cotton and polyester fabric blends in a lot of clothing also complicates the recycling process further, as the fibers need to be separated before they can be reused. With recycling not being an option, a recent study by the Ellen McArthur Foundation estimated that every second (you read this article), there is an equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is dumped into a landfill or is burned contributing to the 1.2bn in greenhouse gas emissions the fashion industry releases each year during manufacturing. This is a huge amount of waste that the fast fashion industry is producing, and it is having a detrimental impact on global warming and the world we live in today. As a consumer you need to take responsibility and start questioning the decisions you make around the clothes you buy, and how much of it you truly need- because viewing clothing as a temporary object is not a sustainable way of thinking.

Buying clothes is how people express and represent themselves, and with the rise of consumerism, we have been encouraged to buy a lot more clothing than we need. Being encouraged to buy more clothing has created a huge demand for more of it to be produced. Most labels stitched into our clothes usually have the countries of Bangladesh, India, China, Vietnam, or Ethiopia written across them as their source of origin. These countries are where most of the clothing in the world is produced. Companies are able to produce clothing in these places for a lower price, compared to manufacturing them in the US or NZ. In these countries, the living wage is a lot lower than in Western countries, workers are often paid less than $5 a day. The cost of living in these countries is the reason for the lower minimum wage.

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Exploiting this difference, the companies are able to produce clothing at incredibly cheap prices and then ship the garments back to western countries where they sell them for often at least five times the price.

Companies do this is to make as much profit as possible and exploit the workers in poorer countries as a business strategy. With most companies manufacturing their garments overseas, companies now compete to have the lowest prices, trying to attract and entice more consumers to buy their clothing. What this comes down to is profits, rather than the companies thinking about the ethical and environmental implications of their actions.

“Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally and it takes around 2,000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans.”

To keep up with the competition across different clothing brands, companies try and find ways to cut down the costs of their garments. Instead of cutting costs higher up the chain, companies cut corners lower down, around the initial production of the clothing. They do this by demanding the factory owners to produce the clothes at a cheaper price. The factory owners have to accept this and lower their prices, otherwise the clothing brand will switch over to using a different factory. The factories are then faced with cutting down their costs of production, which they do by disregarding the safety of the working environment in the factory.

This puts the workers at a lot of risk with typical health risks including “from dust and smoke inhalation, noise, lack of ventilation, musculoskeletal pain, stress, and exposure to lights, electric wires, and chemical adhesives.” (according to Dr Rebecca Prentice, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology). Not only are these daily conditions awful to work in but the lack of safety has also caused multiple factory buildings to collapse, killing and injuring hundreds of workers.

In 2013, an eight-story garment factory called Rana Plaza collapsed, injuring hundreds and killing up to 1,134 people who were working in the factory. The collapse was the result of structural failure and was because the factory owner hadn’t maintained safety requirements for the building. This horrific event is an example of how the fast fashion industry is forcing garment workers to work in unsafe environments that are threatening their health and lives, simply so companies can sell cheaper clothing. Buying into fast fashion, you support companies who mistreat their garment workers, and you comply with the idea that the health and safety of these workers is less important than a cheap t-shirt you’ll only wear a few times.

You need to ask yourself “what is the true cost of what I’m buying?”

Most of the garment workers go into this industry because it’s the only option that will allow them to financially support their families. While working in The Flannel 56

the factory, they often don’t see their families for long periods of time, with a lot of them having to leave their families out in the countryside while they work in the cities. Some workers don’t see their families for months at a time because of having to work in the factories. So not only do the workers work in terrible working conditions, but they also rarely see their families. Why should the people making our clothes be paying the price for fast fashion by sacrificing their families and health? If we saw these factories in Wellington and the conditions they work in, we would probably do something about it. However, because they’re living overseas we aren’t exposed and reminded of the terrible working conditions. We have created a mentality of “outta sight, outta mind” where we have justified and allowed these awful things to continue, simply because you aren’t exposed to it. But just because you don’t see it, should you really continue to let workers risk their lives for your cheap clothes?

Not only is the fast fashion industry putting a lot of pressure on the workers who produce the clothing, but also the environment in which the materials for the clothing is sourced from.

More clothing being produced means that there

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are huge amounts of stress and demand for more materials to make clothes from. The fast fashion industry is depleting so many non-renewable sources and is the second biggest contributor to pollution in the world, after the agriculture industry. From the leather industry alone, 50 million litres of harmful toxic chemicals are dumped into the waterways from just one province of India. This enormous amount of excretion in the waterways intoxicates the soil and the crops that are grown on the land.

These crops are the main food source for the village, which means that the toxins produced from the leather industry eventually make their way back to the worker’s bodies. These chemicals cause, and are linked to the local people in the villages getting cancer, skin diseases, attacks on the liver and bad digestion.

The fingers of the fast fashion industry are reaching out to all corners of the earth, inflicting pollution through the soil and taking a big toll on our environment. The UN Environment Programme have found that textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally.

At every stage of producing clothes, excessive amounts of water is used. They also estimate that it takes around 2,000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans. If the average amount of water used in a shower is 17.2 gallons of water, then the amount of water to produce a pair of jeans could give you enough water to have 116 showers. The UN Environment Programme also have found that the fast fashion industry accounts for 20 per cent of all global wastewater and 10 per cent of global carbon emissions - which is more than all

carbon produced by international flights and maritime shipping combined. Regarding global warming, people are mostly focused on the carbon produced from transport, but shouldn’t we also be looking at fast fashion, which is one of the greatest polluters of all?

Looking at the fast fashion industry, there are so many overshadowing problematic issues, that it’s hard to remember all the companies who have set out to make a positive change in the fashion industry. The ethical underwear brand Nisa, was founded in Wellington NZ. The founders are Shannon and Elisha who were inspired to join and change the fashion industry with a focus on “the human connection of making clothing.” They originally started as a general clothing brand but then decided to specialise in underwear. They made this decision because underwear is, “something that isn’t particularly favoured secondhand and is necessary for hygiene reasons.”

The shift to specialising in underwear was also to create a company that sought out positive change and didn’t fall into the fast fashion industry. Nisa go out of their way to not fall into fast fashion by sourcing ethical, organic materials and employing female refugees living in Wellington. All the underwear is sewn locally in a studio in Wellington to support and provide their employees with meaningful and interesting paid work. Shannon said, “Elisha’s work with the Red Cross resetting refugees was the key driver behind Nisa. She wanted [it] to be an employment option for this community of ‘new’ New Zealanders.” Their keen interest in the well being of their workers not only shows the interest of the company, but also sets a positive example for alternative local brands that we should be supporting instead of fast fashion brands.

The price of the underwear ranges from $36 for a pair of underwear. This is pretty reasonable pricing for a good quality pair of underwear compared to non ethical brands such as Cottonon who charge anything from $13 to $30 for a similar pair of underwear. Taking the prices into consideration, you aren’t paying that much more for something that is having much more of a positive impact on the workers, environment and is also creating a positive change within the fashion industry. The main action that you can take as a consumer is to buy from these alternative brands and support the positive work that they’re doing in the fashion industry which stops you from creating a demand for fast fashion.

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When shopping consciously, it’s important to be aware of brands to avoid. The most common and largest fast fashion brands include Zara, H&M, Forever21, Nike, and Topshop. Avoiding these brands means that there is less demand for them to continue their unsustainable and unethical practises. Some popular alternative ethical and sustainable options are Kowtow, Nisa, Pact, and Hara the Label. These clothing brands are picking up in popularity and despite them being more expensive, you’re buying something that is ethically and environmentally produced that will last a long time.

Shopping this way avoids all the harmful negative effects that are attached to fast fashion, and supports these clothing brands that are trying to make a positive change within the fashion industry. Buying these items of clothing also means that you’re investing money into clothing that you’ll have and wear for many years. Because these items of clothing are an investment of your money, you’ll also think a lot more about what you’re buying, and this piece of clothing will spark joy and inspiration for you many years down the line. This will fill your closet with well invested pieces of clothing and due to the time and money you’ve spent on them, you’ll love and enjoy them even more. This form of shopping is completely guilt free, knowing that the clothes you’re wearing aren’t inflicting pain on the lives of the workers, or having a negative impact on the environment.

However, trying to shop sustainably can often be quite hard, especially when you’re a teenager which is a time when you often don’t have a lot of money to spend on expensive ethical clothing brands. Saving up for ethically produced clothing takes a while and makes it very tempting to buy fast fashion. So how can you align your awareness of fast fashion and shopping consciously, while still living on a budget?

A great solution to this dilemma is to buy from second hand stores or op-shops. Buying from these places means that you upcycle pre-loved clothing, and give the clothing another life. Wellington is the hub of op-shopping in NZ, making op-shopping very accessible to everyone. Op-shopping not only is a great alternative from buying fast fashion, but is a great place to find unique and fun clothing.

Op-shopping allows people to be expressive in their clothing and pushes them into exploring their personal style. With the rise of op-shopping in Wellington, shops have relabelled themselves as “thrift stores” which means their clothing is higher quality and more specific. However, this makes the clothing more expensive compared to regular op-shops.

Examples of these stores are Hunters and Collectors, Thrift, and Recycle Boutique. These stores The Flannel 58

are located throughout Cuba Street and are great places to find specific items of clothing. However, due to their central location and popularity, they are often quite expensive with items of clothing usually ranging between $20 and $100 vs. OpShops located in the suburbs where the same item of clothing will be $5 to $15.

Buying from op-shops is cheaper than buying from ethical brands, but “thrift” stores can still be quite expensive for a second hand piece of clothing.

When looking to op-shop for cheaper clothing, it’s best to look in second-hand stores that are located out in the suburbs. Some good places to op-shop are Miramar, Newtown, and Petone with some favourites being Rebound or the Salvation Army Family Store in Miramar. Suburbs in general are places that will be given clothing from the people living there. The op-shops located in suburbs are given their clothing for free, as opposed to being sold on behalf of people. This means it’s a lot cheaper, with clothing often ranging between $5 and $20. Because these clothes haven’t been sorted through, you have to spend more time searching to find something that you like. In these shops you have to sacrifice more time, but it’s very satisfying when you eventually find an item of clothing that you love. Not only is op-shopping a great way to buy cheap clothes, but it’s also reusing old items rather than creating a demand for new versions to be produced. The money that you spend on these op-shops are also going to various charities and support a community of people rather than a corporation.

As individuals and consumers of fashion we need to take some responsibility for the fast fashion industry. Big companies/brands are producing fast fashion in unethical and unsustainable ways, but it’s us the consumers who are creating a demand for them to continue doing this. We need to question the things we do, align our beliefs with our actions, and make conscious decisions when buying clothes. We can do this by slowly changing our habits, learning to reduce the clothes we buy, and supporting more ethical sustainable alternatives.

Now that you’ve read this article, I’d like to pose a question to you. How will you change when faced with the issue of fast fashion?

By Freya Priest

The productions of our glorious year of 2019 *A holistic assessment of the performances of 2019*

Written by Thomas Lamont Smith Bruh don’t get me started about the productions this year! I can barely even put my thoughts on them into words! Mostly because I have only technically seen one of them and that was the one that I was involved in and I don’t even know what the others were even about so why was I tasked with this?

King Lear The annual Shakespeare society production, this year headed

by Year 13 students William Pride and Naomi Melville, was the funky lil story of King Lear set in the funky lil era of the wild wild west! Can I get a yeehowdy pardner? Each night of this here play was sold the heck out even before I myself could get tickets to see it which I am still not very happy about >:( Blithe Spirit The Year 13 production of Blithe Spirit, written by my boy Noël Coward and directed by resident Drama teacher Alison Hodge was set in the 1940s about a husband and wife couple (Theo Sutorious/William Pride and Kasidy Homan) who accidentally summon the spirit of the husband’s dead wife during a seance! Zoinks! With the help of a spooky and eccentric medium (Norma McLean), a totally no homo pair of pals (Nathan Dew/Thomas Lamont Smith and Dante Railton-Jacks) and a loopy housemaid (Bella Wilson-Kilby) they attempt to exorcise that there blithe spirit.

The Intricate Art of Actually Caring This here play written by Eli Kent and directed by Year 13 student Theo Sutorious is a comedy about a silly lil roadtrip around NZ. Starring Year 12 students Alex Quinn and Andi Sarkis. This here comedy elicited laughs, laughing and laughter because it is a comedy hhahahaahhahaahah (thats me laughing).

The Ugly One The Ugly One written by Marius von Mayenburg and directed by Year 13 students William Pride and Eva Myers is about a dude with a super ugly face who then become hot but then becomes too hot and then everyone else becomes hot and there were a bunch of other characters and then everyone is hot why is everyone hot they’re all so hot oh my god stop being so hot. Since I don’t know who any of the characters are here are the cast’s names: Ian Blackburn, Zoe Crane, Grace Medlicott and Nova Moala-Knoz.

Unfortunately there are no good photos as I WAS NEVER SENT ANY so here are some very low resolution ones from someones instagram.

Thanks to William Pride for being a swag broski and posting the posters.

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L O H N I E M I T A ONCE UPON LYWOOD ntino

Directed by Quentin Tara

It is almost undeniable that every single person on this planet has some idea of who Charles Manson is.

The infamous cult leader in the 60’s is the under-lying topic of Quentin Tarantino’s 9th film “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”. A rather famous crime done by the Mason clan was the murder of movie star Sharon Tate, who was pregnant at the time. However, rather than Sharon being the star of this movie, the story focuses on her neighbours and their lives. Rick Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth, both fiction characters, have many interactions with the Mason clan throughout the film without realising it. For a Tarantino film, I was surprised what seemed to be a lack of gore throughout the film. I kept sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for what seemed like a peaceful scene to turn chaotic. But that didn’t happen…. not until the end at least.

If you only want to see this film for the Tarantino gore, I highly recommended you get prepared to wait.

Don’t get wrong, the storyline is great and there is a good amount of fore-shadowing for what is going to happen at the end if you pay close enough attention to pick up on it. I went into the movie preparing myself to have to watch a pregnant woman be killed viciously (which I was not keen for by the way). However, I walked away just having seen probably one of the most graphic and vicious murder scenes ever, that had somehow still managed to be hilarious. A long wait, but definitely worthwhile to see a genius director doing what he does best.

US

- Brenna Thomson

Directed by Jordan Peel

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Writer-director Jordan Peele turns his gaze inward for this rip-roaring follow-up from “Get out” which is fearsomely entertaining, consistently thought-provoking and occasionally bloody scary. It’s a modern fable that locates our anxieties about outsiders in a guilty fear of ourselves. The result plays like a mirror-image riposte to the French-Romanian home-invasion horror Ils (Them), suggesting that, contrary to Sartre, hell is not other people; it is us.There are thousands of miles of tunnels beneath the continental US,” declares the film’s ominous opening statement. “Many have no known purpose at all.” This sets the unsettling scene for a 1986 prologue in which a young girl in a Thriller T-shirt wanders away from her parents at a Santa Cruz beach fairground. Entering the Vision Quest hall of mirrors, the child sees something terrifying and traumatising – or is it just her own reflection?

Thirtysomething years later, the adult Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) returns to that same beach with her family: goofy husband Gabe (Winston Duke); argumentative teen daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph); and anxious son Jason (Evan Alex), who hides his face behind a monster mask.

Haunted by her childhood, Adelaide has “a hard time just talking”, particularly in the company of the Tylers, the dysfunctional white family whom Gabe envies but the rest of his brood merely tolerate. “I don’t feel like myself,” Adelaide insists, pleading to leave the summer home that is bringing back so many memories. But when a shadowy family arrive on the Wilsons’ doorstep, it soon becomes clear that they can run, but they can’t hide from themselves. There are enjoyable arguments to be had regarding what Us is really “about”.

Is it a classic return-of-the-repressed tale in the manner of Jekyll and Hyde (everyone has a shadow, a dark side) or a broader parable about affluent society’s parasitic relationship with a hidden underclass, like Wes Craven’s underrated The People Under the Stairs? Crucially, Peele allows his audience to play it both ways – to decide for themselves what’s so scary about these subterranean visions and spectres they bring forth.

- Liam Hannah

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P

WANNAGETNOIDEDDOWNTHISALLEY WAY WITH ME?

PSST! HEY KID.

Hey

reader,

take

a

walk

with

me.

Imagine an abandoned warehouse with really tall ceilings, and massive windows with strange shadows dancing across them as cars pass by on the moonlit road.

Now, this warehouse also happens to be filled with crates and crates, piles and piles, absolute stacks of used rusty syringes. Kinda like in that one scene in Saw .

The

syringes

are

infected

with

aids.

You’d have to tiptoe around all these needles if you were to walk from one end of the massive warehouse to the other. Now imagine that you’re stuck here. With no clothes on. Drenched in cold sweat. Screaming.

All while police, who have surrounded the warehouse, are shouting, and several bang on the door asking for your peaceful surrender- all for a crime you don’t even remember committing.

That’s what Death Grips sounds like. No, scratch that, feels like.

I sense you may be a bit lost. That’s OK. We’re only human.

Death Grips is an experimental hip-hop band consisting of frontman Stefan Burnett (or MC Ride), Zach Hill, and Andy Morin from Sacramento, California, and their music makes you feel like God. I wanna tell you all about them. I’ll be your guide, dear reader.

Ready? No? That’s okay, it’s more fun when you’re not.

So throw on your black skinny jeans and oversized puffer jacket because this is my little essay on an angry black dude and the two white kids who follow him around everywhere.

An Essay on Death Grips by Reza Zareian-Jahromi

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They started out in 2010, presumably under both a bridge and ‘the influence’ but officially in a shitty cube-shaped apartment building somewhere in the hipster part of town (so basically anywhere) in Sacramento. Zach just showed up to his neighbour Stefan’s door and asked if he wanted to start an experimental hip-hop/punk-rap band with him. The absolute mad lad agreed to it. So they grabbed Andy Morin from the nearest Crystal Castles concert, and got to work on their debut EP, titled in a simple yet elegant fashion: ‘Death Grips.’ Their very first song being ‘Full Moon (Death Classic).’

You can’t really say Death Grips has a unique sound. That would imply that they have some sort of cohesive or distinct style, and that’s just not true. From the raw and visceral chanting in the Exmilitary mixtape, or the abstract and distant feel of the Government Plates album, to the provocative rants in Bottomless Pit or No Love Deep Web, and the catchy commercial tunes and lyrics of The Money Store, the only element that seems to stay consistent in Death Grips’ music seems to be one of rage.

No wonder why so many of the teens at good old Welly High love listening to them. It really does tickle that funny little spot most us adolescents have for irrational anger and paranoia. That “Get out of my room mom! I’m listening to Death Grips!” aspect is ever present. Death Grips’ pace certainly doesn’t lack any speed either, from their album releases coming in by surprise on an illegal platform like The Pirate Bay, to them being dropped by their label for leaking their own songs, and just their lyrics being aggressively loud, they manage to keep up with the younger generations while also The Flannel 66

appealing to boomers who were and “Unreal energy” were other into punk rock back in the day. descriptions people gave of Death Grips. Overall, people seemed I decided to see whether anyone else to have an immediate love-hate shared my unhealthy enthusiasm. relationship with the music.

So I spoke to a bunch of other lads and ladettes at our fine education- Not sure if you still want to listen? al establishment to see if they are Maybe all these different images just as “noided” as Mr. Ride (bless- are a bit much- but isn’t the whole ed be his infinite grace) puts it. point of art to evoke some sort of emotion within the listener? Why Daisy described their music as a do you prefer one sensation over “scratchy fever dream” after hear- the other without having tried it ing the track ‘Giving Bad People first? Fear and paranoia are potent.

Good Ideas.’ While Finley said he Mix that with raw anger, energy was surprised by the sudden and and hype, you end up with some abrupt changes to the beat, a nota- cool mojo. Thank you Mr. Grips. ble element of Death Grips’ eccentric use of strange time signatures. But I wonder, are the members Olivia comparatively said that she of Death Grips just as crazy as normally saw colours and patterns they seem in their lyrics? Are in different waves when she lis- they like other rock and punk tened to her own music, she saw musicians? Do they really do the “static white noise” when she lis- things they say they do in their tened to MC Ride abuse a micro- music? Do they “fuck the music”, phone for three minutes and thirty are they “in your area”, do their seconds straight. Freya saw a story “nuts slap the moon”, or have play out in her head, with her as the “the DNA of gothic lemons”? main character, and I think she saw a very different story play out com- No. They’re not at all like that pared to her usual ones, perhaps ex- in everyday life. Stefan Burnett, periencing what I described in the yes the same Stefan Burnett who beginning of this article? When she seems to be allergic to wearing listened to the paranoid babblings shirts on stage, and screams about of ‘Get Got’, one person imagined how he’s constantly surrounded men in leather jackets, strobe and watched by his enemies, is lights going off in every direction, actually a very mild-mannered and smoke machines pumping Southern California guy. I’d go as out “noxious fumes”. Another saw far as to say you wouldn’t be able “glitch art”, sort of like the stuff you to tell he’s a black guy from Sacrasee when you fast forward an old mento if you only heard his voice VHS tape or load up a corrupted just based on its soft tone and revideo file. Another said they saw served accent. He’s real shy too, mental patients running around and speaks very little. In fact, in screaming in an old abandoned asylum, straight jackets and all.

“Good violence”, “Intense layers”,

the three interviews he’s ever been in he’s spoken less than a hundred words total. Zach Hill, seems to be a bit more talkative than his mysterious band mate, but even he is far too calm cool and collected to look like the guy who drums those otherworldly beats for Death Grips. Stefan, despite having written such expressive and outwardly extraverted songs as ‘I Want it I Need it’ or ‘Hacker’ (both highly recommended), states in the SPIN magazine interview with Death Grips that he is “a very private person.” He then goes on to confess: “I have very few people that I call my friends.

I’m very distrustful of human beings in general; I’m very distrustful of media. I have no interest in sharing my personal life with the world. Zero.”

I won’t promise you’ll like them. I’m certainly not asking you to love them like I do. But you should give them a chance, you might even find that you needed an outlet like this all along.

That’s why I’ve included a helpful flowchart for following their discography. Stay noided. Happy listening.

This got me thinking about Death Grips’ mission to subvert expectations. The way their sound differs so much to their personality. Then I saw that this exact subversion, and ‘unexpected-ness’ was very consistent in their fanbase as well. A lot of people who listen to Death Grips don’t really look it. A lot of people who are really into punk bands like Black Flag, Dead Kennedys or Ramones, seem to embody that music taste in their everyday life. But there just seems to be something in Death Grips which manages to relate to a very wide audience while maintaining an extremely unique sound in the discography, with nothing new sounding like their old stuff. You won’t know someone is into them until you actually ask.

It is for these reasons that I love Death Grips. They tap into something dormant; scratching an itch you didn’t know you had.

I strongly urge you to listen for yourself.

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PLAYLISTS Popular ear r - Blackb e m m u B de Hot Girl iana Gran r A d n Boyfrie , BBNO$ K 2 Y la Lala o rts - Lizz u H h t u r T endes, M n w a h S Senorita abello Camilla C Eilish - Billie Bad Guy Doja Cat X Mooo! s d - Lil Na a o R n w Old To n - TMG Walk Ma ase oligan Ch o H le o Assh

Summertime Juicy - Doja Cat History - 88rising Santeria - Sublime Caroline - Aminé Vibes - Six60 Woke Up Late - Drax Project 100 Degrees - Rich Brian Bloodline - Ariana Grande Sin Pijama - Becky G, Natti Natasha Close to Me - The Cure

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Throwback Like a Virgin - Madonna Africa - Toto I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston Hit Me Baby (One More Time) Britney Spears Hey Ya! - Outkast I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry Bye Bye Bye - NSYNC September - Earth, Wind & Fire Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go Wham!

Love Ain’t Nobody Taking my Baby - Russ Soren - beabadoobee Sunkissed - khai dreams Summertime in Paris - Jaden, WILLOW Peach - Kevin Abstract Always On My Mind - Tiki Taane Catching Feelings - Drax Project, Six60 Loving is Easy - Rex Orange County Old School - Urban Cone Who Hurt You? - Daniel Ceasar

Sad 8 - Billie Eilish A Song About Being Sad - Rex Orange County please don’t - mxmtoon Face - BROCKHAMPTON Would You Believe - Sam Kim Bobby - beabadoobee Will He - Joji Sin in Your Skin - Aidan Martin Coaster - Khalid Night we Met - Lord Huron

Study You Might Be Sleeping - Jakob Ogawa, Clairo Lover is a Day - Cuco No Halo - BROCKHAMPTON successful - Ariana Grande Self Control - Frank Ocean Maple - Felly We Popped the Moon - Oliver Riot Flirting in Space - Brad Stank Waiting for You - Verzache Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

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Interviews with Um uh, how are you today? Today, I’m alright actually That’s good! Uhh who’s your favourite student? Oh my god. Who’s my favourite student? Honestly truly I couldn’t tell you because um no one is coming to mind, it’s just lots that um that I really love and adore.

Umm, I’m assuming it was me. That’s fine!

Yeah, um do you think people are scared of you? Yup (laughs) What do you think people would do if they knew that you were a big softy? Take the piss out of me - (laughing) ohh no (laughing) um and what about movies what is your favourite movie? Um it would probably have to be the grinch that stole christmas, cause thats me I AM THE GRINCH Um how do you find it working at the school? Um I’m getting close enough to get my rolex, my gold rolex What do you wanna see for the year 13 prank this year? Oh my god, fuck, um some thing in good taste so I dont have to clean it up The next question is what do you not wanna see in a year 13 prank this year? Well I certainly don’t wanna see the fucking hall flooded (laughing) Well you and me both know that this is the best interview that we’ve ever done um so do you have any final words? Erm stay in school and get an education… AND THINK WISELY IF YOU’RE GONNA GET A TATTOO Great thank you Shona! WELL DONE- Thank you (everyone is now clapping) RANDOM PERSON IN THE BACKGROUND: What are you interviewing for? The Flannel son!

Shona “I am the grinch”

Kyle “I have a six day old daughter”

Hello Kyle. Ahoy Theo!

How are you feeling? HA, well. Since I now have a 6 day old daughter who is currently sleeping on my lap as I work from home I would say a combination of: enamoured and still in awe, but also exhausted and energetic, but the energy is the type where you’re running on fumes and earl grey and airplanes (the candy.)

What is your favourite TV show at the moment? That depends: The Office (US) is definitely the show I’ve spent the most (undisclosed) number of hours watching. Tied for second: The Wire, Arrested Development, and Murder She Wrote.

Would you save the one Wellington High Student, or the three Wellington College students? While I’m sure Wellington College students are great and all, I’d save the WHSer How long have you been working at the school? Since January!

Are we the best year level? The best year 13s for sure!!

So you have a daughter. I do! Edith (she’s objectively the cutest child on the planet)!

Who’s better: us or your daughter? - That’s a really tough question. As teenagers, there are a lot of things that you can do better than her, but I’m going to have to say Edith. Sorry! And it’s only because Edith is going to grow up to be such a power being that her reign will span continents, and make kings and dictators tremble with fear of her merciful and magnanimous supremacy, and thus I would be embarrassed if sometime down the line she saw this interview and that I had put down that some WHS students were better than her. This is me playing it safe. Or maybe she’ll be a painter, in which I’d have to see what sort of painting students are doing right now to compare to her eventual early work.

What is your favourite Wellington High School moment? I opened the school early for students for the film festival earlier this year, I didn’t know the alarm was on (or what the code was). It went off. Shona had to save me; she wasn’t pleased at all…

Shona wants to give you a platform to speak your mind so this is that opportunity: What’s the deal with honking in the tunnels in this city. I’ve read that it’s to honour a 17 year old who died while it was being built, but I also feel like that was 1931 and the amount of traffic, and noise, and smell was way different, and now it just seems obnoxious to have to drive through as the sound echoes through the whole tunnel. It now seems like a great way to discourage walkers and bikers. I always talk the long way around now.

Now you and I both know this has been the best interview you’ve ever had, any final words? It’s been an honour and a privilege. I also know how many people were on your list, so if I’m here, I know what number choice I was… but I appreciate it all the same!

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h the faculty

n us S hat

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n ke s -

…

With your host Theo

Mr. Killalea “I have been growing a bit of a beard”

Hello Mr Killalea. Hello Theo How are you feeling? A little sore after netball against the students yesterday.

Well, shall we jump into it? As long as there is no actual jumping What are your opinions on me? I don’t know you very well, but I know you like to set up Instagram pages about things you feel passionate about.

Would you ever consider growing a white beard amd changing your name to Nigel? And calling myself Nigel? or the Colonel? Is that what you mean? I guess you haven’t noticed that I have been growing a bit of a beard but I can’t get a full Nigel happening. It is about a quarter Nigel at the moment. But I’ll stick with Dominic - I think even objectively, it’s a better name.

Who’s your favourite student? My two children who learn so much every day from me. Ha ha I know you mean me but we won’t hurt there feelings feelings. - Maybe not you Theo, no offence.

What is your favourite song that you’ve been apart of? I wrote a song called Look at You many years back.

It was recorded for an LP that was a compilation of Sydney bands at the time of which we (the Upbeat) were probably the least known. Someone uploaded it to YouTube so you can have a listen. It was of its time.

Would you save the one Wellington High Student, or the three Wellington College students?To quote Bruce Springsteen: ‘We take care of our own’ although funnily enough he meant it ironically when he sang it.

So Mister you’ve been here for 12 years? 14 actually - already longer than some of the students lives who attend here. That’s surprising.

What would you like to see in the year 13 prank this year? Just something positive and fun. You want to feel good about leaving and respect the people who have helped you along the way. There have been some good ones recently. I really liked the nightclub in the foyer a few years back.

Mr. Meredith

“I wouldn’t worry she’ll be right” Hello Mr Meredith! Kia ora How are you feeling? I feel lucky...my money cat keeps waving at me so that must mean something, right?

Well, shall we jump into it? I’m afraid of heights.

Do you like your job? Love it. Best job ever, I get paid to do something I enjoy.

What are your opinions on students? They are funny, enjoyable, smart, sometimes they do stupid stuff, best of all they largely live up to the schools WERO values.

What is your favourite TV show at the moment? Game of Thrones.

What about movies? “My Beautiful Launderette” or “Jaws” Mr. Killalea wants to know about your favorite music? Poly funk, nothing like a bit of Ardijah Would you save the one Wellington High Student, or the three Wellington College students? I wouldn’t worry she’ll be right.

How long have you been working at the school? 5 years and one term.

Are we the best student body you’ve had in this time? Of course you are.

What is your favourite Wellington High School moment? Doing this interview is right up there. The day the school closed early maybe?

What would you like to see in the year 13 prank this year? I’m not keen on pranks. Typically they are in poor taste, poorly executed and often only funny to the pranksters.

Shona wants to give you a platform to speak your mind so this is that opportunity. Shona is awesome!

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Jade Black

Maya Abbott

S T U D E N T A R T W

Nova Fairbrother

O

Megan Valins

R K 2 0 1 9

Luna Bernhart Wellington High School is known for caring deeply about nurturing, encouraging, and developing creative drive within its students. Here is a small porion of this year’s works by students across different year levels.

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BILLIE EILISH

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Imagine: you’re a 14-year-old girl who just posted a song onto SoundCloud that your brother, Finneas, wrote for your dance set. The following morning, you wake up, and check your computer. Notifications have popped up everywhere, from scouts looking for new talent, to people you’ve never talked to at school gushing about your song and asking to hang out. An overwhelming surge of euphoria takes over your body as you call in your brother and see your name all over social media, articles critiquing your song, and radio stations live streaming the single.

success isn’t completely unexpected.

Eilish started singing in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus at age 8, improving and shaping her tone and technique. She first began writing songs at age 11, as she felt that it was a positive outlet to express her feelings. Eilish was homeschooled, raised, and educated in a freeing environment, with parents and a brother who were just a musical as her. Eilish’s parents wanted to extend on her branch of creativity and expand her horizons, letting her do dancing, horse riding, and piano lessons. In an interview with The Guardian, Eilish explains how her liberating childhood helped her grow as an individual, saying that, “I’ve seen people get completely lost because they’ve been told what to do their whole lives. From a young age, I got to figure out what it is I wanted, and not be forced to do something someone else wanted me to do”. Eilish didn’t grow up rich, her family never could really pull together much money

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Billie Eilish was only 14 years old when her hit single ‘Ocean Eyes’ was noticed by the public eye on November 18, 2015, after being posted on SoundCloud. After being re-released a year later through Interscope Records, the song now has over 200 million Spotify plays, one of the highest numbers of plays for an unknown artist. Her sudden fame took off alongside Finneas’s, however, their

In the younger generations, there has been an increase of popularity around this so-called ‘misery music’, where an ever-growing issue of the promotion of self-harm and suicide becomes evident. to go out for special occasions - but they always invested in their kids creative interests. This isn’t common for many kids growing up; having parents who accept your individuality, who are willing to invest in something that could be completely useless even with limited access to money. However, the question remains: what’s so special about Billie Eilish? What separates her from all the hundreds of other artists in the music industry?

Eilish wasn’t the first artist to be recognised from posting something random online, and we can see this through other examples like Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, who were both discovered through posting song covers on YouTube and Vine. Artists The Flannel 74

need something unique to stand out from the rest, Justin and Shawn’s being a distinctive voice and natural talent. Eilish holds similar traits, however, she also shows versatility - from dreamy ballads like ‘Ocean Eyes’ to playing a psychopath that just killed all her friends in ‘Bellyache’. In ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’, Eilish forces her listeners to face their biggest fear; she sneers and licks her lips whilst spiders crawl across her face - soon after letting a tarantula creep out of her mouth. By being this confident in the music she produces with her brother, Finneas, she shows that age doesn’t define talent. When talking about music production and age, Thomas Smith, 17, said that “it’s not

really something you’d expect, like, of somebody her age to really be doing. People expect young singers to be more PG”. Shock value is an aspect in music that helps artists stand out, and this can be seen through Lady Gaga, M.I.A, and Michael Jackson, who paved the way for creativity and audience interpretation. The amount of shock value that goes into Billie Eilish’s music is both extreme and distinct, yet still very eye-catching, and is the perfect hook for her listeners. Eilish is able to speak for the lost voices of the youth, sending messages about pain, love, and loss. However, the pressure of being uneducated on these issues often becomes relevant, and Eilish says that “when older people say, ‘What do you know about love?’, I know more about it than you, because I’m feeling it for the first time right now, whereas you haven’t felt that for a long time. That doesn’t mean it’s any less powerful, but it is definitely a different feeling. They’re used to love, heartbreak, pain and just wanting to fucking

die, but for a younger person that’s all new and it’s terrifying”. Eilish explains how younger generations are often dismissed are being unaware and unable to talk on subjects that are deemed ‘adult subjects’, and that teenagers are not taken seriously enough for things that they experience for the first time.

In the latest installment of Seize the Awkward, an Ad Council campaign that encourages open conversations around mental health within communities of both teenagers and adults. As someone who suffers with anxiety and depression, Eilish was upfront and honest, saying that “I think when people hear, ‘Remember to take care of your mental health,’ they think that everyone else is, and that’s not at all accurate. For me, I’m trying to learn, still, to make sure that I stay okay. It doesn’t make you weak to ask for help. It doesn’t. It doesn’t make you weak to ask for a friend to go to a therapist.

You should be able to ask anyone for help.” When asked about the question of Eilish’s connection to mental health, Daisy Roche, 17, answered, “isn’t she like...depressed?” The fact that Eilish

exposes her younger viewers to heavy subjects like depression and suicide can make people wonder about the possibility of her glamorizing mental illness. The type of music that the Eilish siblings create often come under the label of ‘misery music’, the definition referring to artists whose lyrics centre around mental health issues. Andrea Greb of Hello Giggles stated the question of “did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?” Eilish can be seen taking the fall over this question, with many of her fans seemingly competing over their poor mental health. However, is her music the much needed voice that this generation needs, or is it giving teens an excuse to fake a mental illness in order to fit in?

The range of topics and themes addressed within Eilish’s music allows for a greater appeal towards her audience, due to how relatable and eyeopening they are. Eilish’s first studio album ‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?’ that was released on March 11, 2019 after her debut EP ‘dont smile at me’ was released on August 11, 2017 is the epitome of teen angst. Throughout Eilish’s songs, she not only addresses love, but also mental health and drugs. Being so open with these topics can sometimes endanger a celebrities image and cause their fanbase to weaken, but not necessarily for Eilish.

VELY

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In younger demographics , an increase in popularity around so-called ‘misery music’, is evident in musicians with an ever-growing increase in the promotion of self-harm and suicide. While these artists are often creating this music in order to raise awareness or discussion, it usually turns out the opposite, as their audiences are often young, vulnerable, and therefore very impressionable, leading to the sad question: are these artists using their mental illness to create an aesthetic in order to gain popularity and appeal to the younger generations? Alec Dent of the Washington Examiner speaks on the connection of Eilish and ‘misery music’, stating that “Eilish’s music wallows in its own sadness and gives fans a chance to as well.’’ A writer of New Musical Express (NME) also addressed this issue, but believed that she is a positive influence, and that “her generation’s hope, anxiety, vulnerability and heartbreak are reflected in the songs she pens with Finneas”. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters even mentioned that Eilish’s connection to her audience was similar to his old band, Nirvana, back in 1991. “I try to describe her to people and I don’t know...I don’t even know what to call it.” Dave says in a tweet about Eilish, “But it’s authentic. And I

would call that rock n roll. So...I don’t care about what sort of instruments you use to do it. When I look at someone like Billie Eilish, I’m like...shit man...rock n roll is not even close to being dead”. By Eilish getting recommended by such a musical icon like Grohl, it shows that music has no limit through age, language, or musical style.

In Eilish’s song ‘listen before i go’, she croons about suicidal ideation and the crushing weight of depression, singing “Take me to the rooftop/I wanna see the world/When I stop breathing/Turning blue” and “Taste me/The salty tears on my cheek/That’s what a year-long headache/Does to you”. Brenna Thomson, 17, also believed that her music was a much needed wake up call to mental illness, saying that “I think her music is very introspective, and it makes you think about not only her state when, like, writing it and performing it, but how it relates to you, and makes you feel about your own situation”. Brenna speaks on how introspective music can be, as you can listen to a certain song or artist and relate it to your current situation. For many, doing this can inspire, calm, or even help them move through a difficult time.

Alongside mental illness, Eilish addresses drugs,

“That’s why I wear baggy clothes. Nobody can have an opinion because they haven’t seen what’s underneath.”

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specifically Xanax, and has spoken multiple times about the downer drug culture that has swept over teenagers and young adults in the past year.

The drug Xanax is the single most prescribed psychiatric medication in the United States, and is specifically for treating anxiety and panic disorders, by providing a calm and relaxed feeling. Eilish says that “I have never done drugs, I’ve never got high.

I’ve never smoked anything in my life. I don’t give a fuck, I never have. It’s just not interesting to me.

I have other shit to do”. She not only looks into this issue through interviews but also through her song ‘xanny’. The song is filled with bone-rattling and anxiety-inducing bass, with whispery vocals that whimper, “I’m in their second hand smoke/Still just drinking canned coke/I don’t need a xanny/To feel better”, and “Please don’t try to kiss me on the sidewalk/On your cigarette break/I can’t afford to love someone/Who isn’t dying by mistake in Silver Lake”. In the industry of pop culture where drugs are encouraged and celebrated, Eilish is able to break away from this and shine a negative light on substance abuse.

An issue that commonly arises around Billie Eilish is how strongly she develops a personal connection with her fans, especially at such a young age. While many people believe that you’re only allowed to

voice your opinion on something like mental illness if you’ve been through it, or helped someone else whilst they struggled, others - like Daisy - don’t completely agree, thinking that “it might come back to bite her.

She might lie awake in bed one night and be like, ‘why the fuck did I say that thing two years ago?’” On the flip side, Brenna believes that “she’s clearly at a point in her life where - I wouldn’t say she’s confident in who she is - but confident in the things she does and the things she says. And I think you shouldn’t shame her for not caring what other people think”.

The idea of not conforming to a society that is so strict on appearances can be seen as rebellious and a negative influence, however, while Eilish tackles criticism on the daily, she also gains ever-growing support.

An additional factor to Eilish’s rise in popularity is shown through the exposure to her Tourettes. In many interviews, Billie has stated how she wanted to build a name for herself before releasing any information regarding her Tourettes, as many celebrities can become their disability, and people then struggle to see past that. Eilish even expressed that “I’ve just never wanted people to think of Tourettes everytime they think of me...my Tourettes makes easy things a lot harder”. Raisa Burner of Time Magazine explains her thoughts on Eilish, saying that “Eilish is frank when discussing her Tourette’s syndrome and social issues she supports. Coming of age in a decade that can feel apocalyptic, she is attuned to the concept of a future on the brink”. When speaking on the topic of artists who create art out of struggling or insecurities, Daisy thought of Lizzo. Melissa Viviane Jefferson, known by the name of Lizzo in the music industry, is an American singer and rapper who released her

debut album ‘Lizzobangers’ in 2013. Daisy spoke on how larger body shapes aren’t usually accepted in the music industry, but that Lizzo doesn’t focus on her weight, and instead releases music as she pleases, therefore normalising how she looks by being unbothered by people’s unwelcome opinions of her.

In Calvin Klein’s newest campaign titled ‘I Speak The Truth In #MyCalvins’, Eilish dived deep into the roots of her fashion, speaking on how sexualised females are, saying, “that’s why I wear baggy clothes. Nobody can have an opinion because they haven’t seen what’s underneath. Nobody can be like, ‘she’s slim-thick’, ‘she’s not slim-thick’, ‘she’s got a flat ass’, ‘she’s got a fat ass’. No-one can say any of that because they don’t know”. While Eilish is only speaking for herself in this campaign, she subconsciously also speaks for many young women all across the world, who constantly feel the eyes of judgement from society and the internet.

What is one of the first things you think of when you hear the name, ‘Billie Eilish’? Often, it’s fashion. It’s not wonder Eilish blew up not only on Spotify, but also on Instagram, earning herself over 24 million followers. And what do you see through her feed?

The definition of a grunge anti-pop singer; sitting in the baggiest clothes imaginable, mounds of silver chains on her chest and ever-changing dyed hair. In an industry famous for the motto: ‘sex sells’, Eilish breaks out of the mould designed for her - a young 17-year-old girl - by society, and holds many links towards Nirvana. As the lead singer and face of the group, Kurt Cobain was almost always the one in the group that people gained inspiration from. Cobain’s wardrobe consisted of both men and women’s The Flannel 77

“Billie proves that it’s fine, welcome, for pop stars to be a little weird.

Emotional. Human, even”.

clothing, being the polar opposite of bubblegum pop and flashy clothes, instead widening the horizons for the possibility of androgyny. Alex Frank, an editor at The Fader said “Kurt Cobain was the antithesis of the macho American man. He was an avowed feminist and confronted gender politics in his lyrics. At a time when a body-conscious silhouette was the defining look, he made it cooler to look slouchy and loose, no matter if you were a boy or a girl. And I think he still represents a romantic ideal for a lot of women.”

Cobain had a similar outlook and influence on his fans as Eilish is having today, and she seems to the much needed breath of fresh air as the similar trend of ‘body-conscious silhouettes’ make a comeback.

Theo Sutorius, 16, addressed the issue of how women are represented in the media, saying that “we’re in a weird moment where no-one quite understands how to show women as normal people. Have them be strong and be there without making an emphasis on it”. Eilish shows no need to follow the mainstream femininity or ‘glossy stardom’, as Raisa Bruner put it. Her grunge aesthetic gives girls the chance to steer clear of feeling trapped in a feminine box, and rather have them be comfortable in their own skin.

As teenage girls themselves, Daisy and Brenna both have a lot to say about the issue of sexualising women in the media. Daisy points out that “it’s hard to sexualise someone who wears puffer jackets over puffer jackets. Life just sucks and people are always The Flannel 78

gonna try to find a way”. Brenna links back to when Eilish’s first few years in the music industry, saying that, “when she first started, she wore makeup, had bleach blonde hair, and like, she was very feminine.

And I think that now she’s established herself and got a fanbase - now she’s starting to break out of that”.

Eilish is continuing to break out of her own comfort zone and help others do the same.

Billie Eilish proves that teenagers in this generation are going to be changing the world. She’s not afraid to show that the youth are smart; aware of what’s happening around them, falling in and out of love, hurting inside but channeling it through creative energy. She understands the power she holds with having a spotlight cast upon her and eyes staring 24/7, and is mature - yet goofy, as a teenager should be - and undeniably talented. Christian Allaire of Vogue backed this up with, “Billie proves that it’s fine, welcome, for pop stars to be a little weird. Emotional. Human, even.’’

By casually wearing head-to-toe colourful Louis Vuitton, Eilish sure has some idea of what she’s doing, and in her own words: “I’m fine with exactly who I am, doing exactly what I’m doing”.

By Ella Bradford

Teacher Quiz UwU: What welly high teacher are you?!!?!?

Highlight Your Anwser, Anwsers on the back 1st Question: How would you spend an afternoon after school ?

A = at home with a bowl of ice cream and a history/Rolling Stones biography book you’ve been meaning to read for AGES B = Going to the Gym for GAINZ to blow even gods out of your way C = talking about the things you love for hours to no one in particular D = Cooking up a three course meal for fun E = Dancing like nobody’s watching UwU F = Spending time with beloved pets/ Neighborhood animals 2nd Question: SPORTS A = “No I don’t play sports i’m too cool for that” B = “I smash at football, and you know sports, OHRAH” C = “No its called soccer not football” D = “The theatre is my field, and a good script is my ball” E = “I just like to play in a team and have fun” F = “Boxing. Without Gloves.”

3rd Question: Foods A = Avocado on toast B = Waffles with side of maple syrup C = Whatever is left in the fridge to me is a banquet D = Car charcoal grilled Bear, and protein shakes OHRAH E = A suckling pig topped off with fine orchid fresh apples, and disobeying students F = A nice cafe morning special G = I tend to agree with, fish and chips H = Rainbow lolly cake with added sugar 4th Question: Fictional Characters!

A =SpongeBob Squarepants (Guess) B = The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) C = Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) D = Goku (Dragonball Z) E = Patrick Star (Spongebob Squarepants) F = Gilderoy Lockhart (Harry Potter) G = Garfield (The Garfield Show) H= Frankie Foster (Fosters home for imaginary Friends) 5th Question: Catchphrase the only question that matters A = “Articulatory Agility” B = “You never walk alone...OOHRAH” C = “Beat it till it behaves” D = “I’ll take Wine and Prostitutes” E = “Oh Sorry” F = “I don’t care Make it up” The Flannel 79

ANWSERS

1st Question: How would you spend an afternoon after school ?

A = at home with a bowl of ice cream and a history/Rolling Stones biography book you’ve been meaning to read for AGES = Ms Spencer/Mr West B = Going to the Gym for GAINZ to blow even gods out of your way = Mr Wakefield C = talking about the things you love for hours to no one in particular = Kyle Webb D = Cooking up a three course meal for fun = Ms Randal E = Dancing like nobody’s watching UwU = Rodger Mantell/Tony Carins F = Spending time with beloved pets/ Neighborhood animals = Ms Paton 2nd Question: SPORTS A = “No I don’t play sports i’m too cool for that” = Ms Paton/Mr West B = “I smash at football, and you know sports, OHRAH” = Mr Wakefield C = “No its called soccer not football” = Kyle Webb/Ms Spencer D = “The theatre is my field, and a good script is my ball” = Rodger Mantell E = “I just like to play in a team and have fun” = Tony Carins F = “Boxing. Without Gloves.” = Ms Randal 3rd Question: Foods A = Avocado on toast = Ms Spencer B = Waffles with side of maple syrup = Kyle Webb C = Whatever is left in the fridge to me is a banquet = Tony Carins D = Car charcoal grilled Bear, and protein shakes OHRAH = Mr Wakefield E = A suckling pig topped off with fine orchid fresh apples, and disobeying students = Ms Randal F = A nice cafe morning special = Rodger Mantell G = I tend to agree with, fish and chips = Mr West H = Rainbow lolly cake with added sugar = Ms Paton 4th Question: Fictional Characters!

A =SpongeBob Squarepants (Guess) = Tony Carins B = The Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) = Ms Paton C = Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) = Ms Randal D = Goku (Dragonball Z) = Mr Wakefield E = Patrick Star (Spongebob Squarepants) = Kyle Webb F = Gilderoy Lockhart (Harry Potter) = Rodger Mantell G = Garfield (The Garfield Show) = Mr West H= Frankie Foster (Fosters home for imaginary Friends) = Frankie Foster 5th Question: Catchphrase the only question that matters A = “Articulatory Agility” = Rodger Mantell B = “You never walk alone...OOHRAH” = Mr Wakefield C = “Beat it till it behaves” = Ms Randal D = “I’ll take Wine and Prostitutes” = Ms Paton E = “Oh Sorry” = Kyle Webb F = “I don’t care Make it up” = Tony Carins - Mr Edwin West - History = Easy going with a playful streak and you love to joke around but when it comes down to it you are willing to put your nose to the grindstone!

- Kyle Webb - Journalism = jovial and upbeat you personify a healthy and positive work environment but its very easy for you to get distracted.

- Ms Randal - Food Tech = Headstrong, courageous and reliable but prone to losing your temper. You never let those around you get the better of you even on an off day - Mr Wakefield - P.E = you strive for victory under trying circumstances. No matter the cost. No contest of challenge dissuades you from powering on.

- Hannah Paton-Smith - Classics = Most likely to be a black marketeer, often confused for being ditzy, you have the heart of a cunning cat beguiling those around with you with clever tricks and word play to conceal a genuine heart of gold.

- Ms Spencer - Dep. Principal = you feel like you were born in the wrong era, You never feel as if your peers truly appreciate your alternative music taste and stylish ugg boots. You strive for the betterment of those around you while striving for a more inward focused self improvement.

- Rodger Mantell - Drama = A born performer, being the center of attention is your natural habitat. This does lead to you butting heads with those who you may consider lesser, but at the end of the day people flock to your personality as you radiate confidence and self assuredness - Tony Cairns - Biology = Eccentric and fun loving, it would take the very souls of the damned to pull you down on a good day.

Though being mean and criticizing certainly don’t come naturally to you.

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CORBIN

Mourn

An Album Review Bby Reza I find it hard to review the things I love. I love Corbin’s ‘Mourn’ album, it’s really good, and it’s terrifyingly sad. It makes me feel horrible when I listen to it, but I still listen to it. I tried writing this review about four times today, and every time I would get in my feels because I was listening to the album as I wrote. Now I’ve turned it off. No more Corbin for the day. I have to write this review.

I first discovered Corbin a few months back through the track ‘All Out’. I clicked on a playlist on youtube called ‘The Existential Doomer Playlist’ hoping to listen to some sad Russian tunes, and I was greeted with Corbin’s music instead.

I later found out that Corbin used to go by ‘Spooky Black’ or ‘Lil Spook.’ A name he dropped later on because he found it to be too juvenile for the projects that he’s working on now. So you might know him from those previous projects.

The album starts off with ‘ICE BOY’ which, if you were expecting a morose beat, takes you slightly by surprise instead, and opens with unexpectedly upbeat snares. This wears off soon though, as Corbin comes in with lyrics that progress from desolate to depressing in a very short span of time.

The opening to the album introduces the listener to both aspects of the album’s sound very quickly: the

slower-paced drawn out chants, and the desperate and hopeless shouting of a man who seems to have lost his will to go on. These contrasts, and outbursts of emotion, peppered throughout the varying degrees of hopelessness in the lyrics, are consistently present in the album, and yet somehow the listener does not get tired out by the experience as a whole.

This is perhaps because of the very tight, minimal production, and the varying synth and drum patterns that present throughout the album, with each song managing to fill a unique slot instead of blending in with the rest. Don’t get me wrong, some tracks aren’t as strong as others, but every track can be distinguished from the rest. Some tracks however, stand out a lot.

‘Revenge Song’ doesn’t offer the listener any time to rest. It doesn’t offer the same buildup to the heavy stuff like the beginning of the album did, which is appropriate for the contents of the lyrics and its position in the track listing. Corbin’s delivery throughout the entirety of the album is accompanied by just enough reverb— threading dangerously on having too much and sounding like a sloppy sad-indie wanna-be vocalist, but never actually going over the edge. Corbin’s voice is also lent a sort of charming character through keeping audio processing to a minimum, and allowing for the natural imperfections to come through. These two elements are at their The Flannel 81

best in ‘Revenge Song,’ as opposed to a song like ‘Giving Up’ where the Corbin’s cracking voice is betrayed by lyrics that make him sound a little too whiny, ‘Revenge Song’ offers a good balance and comes out sounding very appropriately loud, abrasive, and dark.

There are times in the album, particularly with ‘The Fold Up’ or ‘Hunker Down’ where the theme is disrupted, which can be somewhat disorientating for the listener. The production seems to be the main culprit here. Where the opening’s more upbeat and bubbly instrumentals provided contrast and felt like a conscious decision, here we have instead a jarring effect that carries throughout the tracks, and feels out of place. However, the songs still manage to maintain their identity, and despite feeling out of place in the album, they don’t feel like they don’t belong.

The lyrics and instrumentals generally work very well together in portraying a series of images in the listener’s head, with the mood and message coming across very effectively. There are times where the album almost sounds lo-fi, creating a good resting

point for your ears, and I wouldn’t exactly call it an influence, but comparisons can be drawn with King Krule’s style. When listening to the songs on this album, you almost start to miss someone you don’t even know. It creates this false (or very real) sense inside you, where you start to feel sad or angry at some great tragedy that never happened to you— or it manages to spark the memories of some awful feeling, where the lyrics act as a means for cathartic release. I remember reading in the comment section of one of Corbin’s tracks on youtube, where someone had commented “We have to thank whoever broke this man’s heart because this is some really excellent music.” I found that pretty funny.

Overall, good album. I tried to stay as objective as I could, but I guess I’ll have to leave you with a disclaimer here saying that I really do love this album, that my love for this album is the true reason why I wholeheartedly recommend that you give it a listen, and not because someone once said “Oh, Corbin?

He’s like the American version of Sadboys.”

If that was too gloomy here are some more uplifting albums...

The Album ‘Perception’ was released by the singer Joy Crookes:

The Album ‘A Seat at the Table’ was released by the singer Solange:

The track begins with the super catchy song called ‘Hurts’ which weaves the warmth of summer with the story of a broken friendship. It’s hard not to sway along to this song and will remind you of those days filled of daydream. The track continues with this similar chill summer feeling and intertwines different stories about love, heartbreak and freindship.

This track is richly filled with many different life lessons as well as Solanges personal testament to the experinces she’s gathered from her culture. The trask opens with the slow and delicate song ‘Rise’ which pairs Solanges voice with gentle piano in the background.

I loved the empowering stories that lay within the music while also enjoying the almost a meditative effect the music had.

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WHAT’S HOT

Having a job (disposable income) Cutting down on meat and dairy if you care about Mother Earth Mindhunter Grishma The lingering smell of vape juice The Macca’s App Rampant consumerism. (consume more, citizen ) 1.1 grams Boys wearing eyeliner (guyliner) Collecting pretty seashells by the shore to sell in the market to pay for your son’s pneumonia medicine

WHAT’S NOT

Metlink Bus System Saying “you should really cut down on meat and dairy if you care about Mother Earth” to everyone you meet Student loans 5G Changing your profile pic or putting things on your story to bandwagon. Stop it.

Single use plastic Baccy cones, gee.

Piercing your own ears with a rusty safety pin in the McDonalds bathroom 0.8 grams The plethora of streaming platforms that’s the tea and i oop sksksk periodt Remaking The Princess Bride

WHO’S HOT WHO’S NOT

President Bolsonaro Harvey Weinstein An increasingly small number of people (cos climate change y’see what a joke I should be a comedian) People who go to music festivals Timothee Chalamet

Kyle Webb Jacinda Ardern James Charles Marianne Williamson Greta Thaunberg Barak Obama still

The Flannel 83

CLASS OF 2019 Asmaa Abboud

Saara Abdullahi

Alma Adam

Khalid Adam

Meg Adams

Caleb Anderson-O’Brian

no quote

no quote

Wow! What a long journey, not sure it was worth it.

Sometimes it be like that

Sorry I’m late! I was doing stuff.

no quote

no quote

Ruby Arahanga

Stefan Ashby

Ivy Austin

Tyler Banks

Joseph Basham

Dylan Belke

Jade Black

put in heart emoji

No quote

<3

I’m not great at advice.

Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?

no quote

no quote

“Love is stored in the frog”

Nizar Bouaouad

Ella Bradford

Hazel Broadley

Anya Brookes

Kay Bui

Issy Caffery

Te Oranga Campbell

no quote

When you wake up and don’t gotta do anything but be delicious because you’re a strawberry :3

Wouldn’t you like to knwo what’s on my mind?

no quote

Luka Coakley

Ella Cockerill-Ghanem

Alex Collings

You’re pathetic.

no quote

https://www. youtube.com/ watch?v=DiMVXJ55R6U

Maya Abbott

It’s a sin NOT to be bisexual because it’s Adam AND Eve not Adam or Eve

I am, Eden.

Hari Canovas

Elena Carvelli

If you can’t blind them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit

no quote

When all’s said and done, had you said or done enough?

Rosana Chamulla Satchel Churcher Two idiots, one thought.

Obama never happened.

Rilke Comer

Magnolia Connor-Ives

Rosa Courtney

Amaya Cross Ayllon Hunter Davidson

Emma Davies

Jack Davies

“My internals aren’t done but I sure am”

Why do elephants wear green sneakers

can i have one?

adios x

I just went Gangnam Style on this mf. Like a boss.

snail time

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened

Mili De Mayo

Nathan Dew

Sofi Dickinson-Smith

Tom Divehall

Michael Donaldson

Salem Driver-Burgess

Amos Duthie

The condiment makes the man.

no quote

“And it’s peaceful in the deep.

Cathedral where you cannot breathe. No need to pray, no need to speak. Now I am under all.” - Florence Welch

“Oppa Gangnam Style” - PSY

f*** if i know

if they could do it brokeback mountain... so can you

no quote

Ronan Dyer

Isabelle Earley

Michael Edmeades

Oskar Ehrhardt

Liam Ellis

Brian Evald

Nova Fairbrother

Your mum thinks I’m handsome

no quote

“I’m Stuff”

Hit me!

If it’s a day ending in ‘Y’, I’m probably sailing.

You guys really need IKEA to buy meatballs and cheap furniture

Baby bi bi bi

Bella Falconer

Leanne Fandialan

Em Flux

Franceca Franceschi

Dante Frean

Jack Futter

Gala Baumfield

Music is the one incorpoeral entrance into the higher world of knowledge, which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend.

no quote

Everything is better with a bit of glitter.

no quote

no quote

licensed to team AiR

We’re twins.

Vita Gerritsen

Riley Gibson

Rubin Gower

Maia Grace-Paul

Bela Graham

Sam Graham

Santana Green

“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it”

My parents named me after a bad car and an even worse wine.

Straight A Student

no quote

I don’t need a quote, I need a coffee

So they can sneak through the grass

no quote

Sinead Gregan

Henry Gregg

Cosmo Guthrie

Liam Hannah

Jaz Hansen

Tipene Harrid

hEe HEe

Sinead was here.

Wellington High is a great school. They have really nice teachers that are here to help.

no quote

no quote

“Wake me up in 10 minutes”

I’m surprised I amde it this far too.

Tristan Harris

Dante Hart

Eden Henderson

Leo Herbig

Jess Hermens

Mollie Hobley

Teddy Hoggard

“i think frogs are the best animal because they go boing and ribbit”

Jess Hermens

no quote

no quote

Caitlin Gregan

Can I borrow a pen?

no quote

Who’s your daddy?

Kasidy Homan

Ruby Hudson

Chelsea Hume

Sunny Huynh

Zoe Ioannou

Ashleigh Iwikau

James Jackson

I’m not funny, I’m just mean and people think I’m joking

:))

“I did meet some of the most unsufferable people, but they also met me” - Shane Madej

My name tells much. I was made for sunny days. Proudly to a cool Asian kid, not a B-sian. Have a good life, people!

The lick

what does this say i can’t read

EpocCam - Turn iPhone into Mac/PC Webcam

Josh James

Yudna Jaya

Kaitlyn Jorgenson

Malak Kasm

Amir Kazemi

flannel bad >:(

no quote

no quote

no quote

If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn’t have hotdogs

no quote

no quote

Curtis Kingston

Rohan Lane-Turnbull

Dan Lavery

Bena Lentell

Gils Levack

Michael Levy

James Lian

no quote

no quote

no quote

“Dum Dum want gum gum” - Xavier

no quote

My eyebrows are uncomfortable.

no quote

Jack Keay

Jessica Kemp

Wenxuan Liang

Kintaka Lim

Hanyu Lin

Kate Lindsay

Anna Liu

James Liu

Aaliyah Lupo-Leota

no quote

(put in emojis)

no quote

It’s a fun time when there’s sunshine!

My smile says i’m dead inside

no quote

no quote

Jade MacGregor

Mohammed Makki Hassaballah

Nicholas Maloney

Luke Manaia

Amelia Mance

Sophie Mance

Amir Mandalawi

no quote

no quote

no quote

no quote

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile becasue it happened

No comment

no quote

Kevin Mao

Ollie Markwell

Liam Matheson

Max Mathieson

Dylan Matthews

Cass Maughan

Kezia Maule

no quote

“We live in a society” Barack Hussein Obama

no quote

WAA WAAAAA WAAAAAA - a car

“When in doubt, be a potato” O____________O

Wave check!

“fashion moment ashleigh”

Ada Mazengarb

Liberty Mcintye Reed

Otto McKenzie-Watson

William McLachlan

Norma Mclean

Naomi Melville

Mohamed Mohamud

no quote

nono no wait, I just had a MEAN idea.

no quote

(put in emojis)

no quote

Don’t cry, you’re too sexy a ha ha ha

PhosphorusHydrogenUraniumCarbonPotassium OxygenPhosphorusHydrogenPhosphorusHydrogen

Noah Morgan-Jones

Cameron Mundy-Smith

Eva Myers

Nakahara Saaya

Freya Neal

Elijah Neilson

Alex Nevchoupova

What’s goodie?

no quote

Pants are an illusion and so is death

No quote

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rules to be me :)

Wife :)

Morgan O’Hara

Tallulah O’Neill

Malachy O’Sullivan

Alex Orme

Abishkar Palma

Drea Parai-Tupene

Connor Peirse

(chuckles) i’m in danger

You wouldn’t steal a car

I’m going to drink a lot of listerine tonight, thanks listerine

I love crocs

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.

- Colossians 3:23

No quote

“Loveless Hobgoblin” - Rebecca Poi

Keeson Perkins-Treacher

Joe Pick

Rebecca Poi

Toby Powell

Sam Power

William Pride

Freya Priest

No quote

18 holes in one day but I still have time to play golf

Thanks.

No quote

No quote

William “William Pride” Pride

No quote

Alessia Profili

Eliza Quinn

Dante Railton-Jacks

Wawe Ransfield

Millie Rea

William Reed

Adam Roberts

No quote

No quote

later homo

No quote

No quote

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the sexiest of them all?

voted most likely to be successful

Livia Robinson

Daisy Roche

Mae Ryan

William Sadler

Paul Sasse

Laurin Schoppe

Paki Shadrock

So long and thanks for all the chips

“Sorry I’m late, the bus didn’t come”

hospitalised due to severe dehydration

THE MAGE

No quote

No quote

“That’s what your mum said” - Jaz

Alex Saitiras

Sofia Sidoruk

Xavier Small

Thomas Smith

Oliver Snow

Jessie Spencer

Olivia Stace

No quote

“I’m a chicken surrounded by quails” - Vita Gerritsen <3

I Love Hell

Birkinstocks, always

No quote

“Oh oh ahh AH AHH” - a monkey

*beluga whale noise”

Tom Stanton-Barnett

Mallory Stevenson

Gregory Stewart

Tom Stewart-Edwards

Isabella Suggate-Krall

Theo Sutorius

Anika Tai

“Askhole: a person who asks for your opinion or advice, yet never uses your advice or does the opposite of what you said to do”

awfully chucks snout

No quote

I don’t normally look like that...

I’m cute and nice and not going to die ever

No quote

All Flannel journalists are frauds

Martine Tauwhare-McGowan

Talia Thompson Clarke

Brenna Thomson

Mon Thongbor

Joseph Tiso

Taliyah Tito-Wyatt

Hang Tran

Betty’s this weekend?

Graduation is a transitional state from ‘student’ to ‘unemployed’. One is life bloomed, two is life deadlocked

No quote

Yeah nah

“Oh good! My dog found the chainsaw!”

No quote

I have recurring dreams of being a good person and it terrifies me

Grace Tromop-Van Dalen

Jeremey Upton

Meghan Valins

Theo Van Toor

Chris Velde

Marco Voltolini

Rose Wallington

http://cponline.pw

“Jokes on you, Descartes, I don’t think.”

- Me

Let’s go lesbians

ZOO WEE MAMA

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No quote

thee, thyself, and hagge

Joey Wang

Sophie-Rose Ward

Luka Warring

Molly Webb-Liddall

Harley Welsby

Kennedy Whaanga-Gray

Amelia White

No quote

:((

I stressed more about this quote than any assessment this year.

No quote

“Just leave this blank, I don’t want a quote.”

I’m so blessed I sweat Holy Water

I need to pee

Abby White-Marsh

Maxim Wild

Henry Williams

Luke Williams

Bella Wilson-Kilby

Isaac Woodhall

Luca Wright

ah haha ah uhhhhh

Commiting crimes with both direction and magnitude, oh yeah!

No quote

No. You can’t crucify the little goblin girl

“Is it cause I’m Black?”

Fynn sucks.

schmeh

Liam Wright-McCarthy No quote

Yuri Wrightson

Noah Wyeth

No quote

My wife told me: “Sex is better on holiday.”

That wasn’t a very nice postcard to receive.

Debbie Yang

Emma Yang

Fynn Ymker-Williamson

Hamdiya Yussuf

No quote

School is kinda ass but at least I got free food from the canteen

Luca sucks

No quote

Reza Zareian Jahromi

Henry Zhang

Tony Zhang

Vivian Zhang

Look at me.

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No quote

sign here!

The Flannel 90

The Flannel Team Brenna Thomson.....................Article Rosa Courtney.........................Article Olivia Stace.............................Article Reza Zareian..........................Article Maya Abbott...........................Article

Editor Editor Editor Editor Editor

Tallulah O’Neill.......................Design Editor Freya Priest...........................Design Editor Ella Victoria............................Design Editor Daisy Roche.........One-Off and extra editor Theo Sutorius.......One-Off and extra editor Kyle Webb...........Advisor (all round legend)