Where Our Voices Sound Risky Business See More Seymour
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Where Our Voices Sound Risky Business See More Seymour Helen Yeung chats with Mermaidens (not the Jordan Margetts takes on Facebook, the Herald Meg Williams delves deep on a dinner date with Harry Potter kind) and that office sex scandal the ACT Party Leader [1] ISSUE ELEVEN CONTENTS 9 10 NEWS COMMUNITY NORTHLAND GRAVE A CHOICE VOICE ROBBING? An interview with the strong Unfortunately for Split Enz, it women behind Shakti Youth appears that history does repeat 13 14 LIFESTYLE FEATURES SHAKEN UP MORE POWER TO THE PUSSY Milkshake hotspots to bring more than just boys to your A look into the growing yard feminist porn industry 28 36 ARTS COLUMNS WRITERS FEST WRAP-UP BRING OUT THE LIONS! Craccum contributors review Mark Fullerton predicts the some literary luminaries outcomes of the forthcoming Lions Series [3] 360° Auckland Abroad Add the world to your degree Auckland Abroad Exchange Programme Application Deadline: July 1, 2017 for exchange in Semester 1, 2018 The 360° Auckland Abroad student exchange programme creates an opportunity for you to complete part of your University of Auckland degree overseas. You may be able to study for a semester or a year at one of our 130 partner universities in 25 countries. Scholarships and financial assistance are available. Come along to an Auckland Abroad information seminar held every Thursday at 2pm in iSPACE (level 4, Student Commons). There are 360° of exciting possibilities. Where will you go? www.auckland.ac.nz/360 [email protected] EDITORIAL Catriona Britton Samantha Gianotti The F-Word Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel The in a later interview that the show is “obvious- ain’t about race, man. There is a bizarre impulse Handmaid’s Tale has been adapted and updat- ly feminist” (after a media maelstrom over the for some to hold the media we consume at arms ed for TV, the story of a world where women cast’s initial comments), calling a show that is length, to act as though what we watch or read are forced to act as concubines (and incuba- ostensibly feminist not so only serves to do a or listen to is not embroiled in the political and tors) for the wealthy and powerful cast across disservice to the issues The Handmaid’s Tale social issues we see unfolding around us, when screens (television, computer or otherwise) in seeks to address. When the show you are in- they are in fact an irrefutable product of these. glorious technicolour. The show’s relevance is volved in creating navigates the physical and It’s important to call things as they are. all too hard to ignore—the fervent stripping psychological terrain of women living under At this year’s Auckland Writers Festival, au- of women’s rights, the terrifying treatment of the tyranny of a religious oligarchy, document- thor and professor Roxane Gay was pressed members of the LGBTQ+ community, the ing their nebulous interactions with each other for comment on the relevance of The Hand- frustrating and senseless legal and political and with the men who stand sovereign—tar- maid’s Tale, on the almost eerie prescience of changes that plume the privilege of some while ring that creation with a “humanist” brush Atwood’s text, particularly in its current tele- stepping on the necks of others are all too fa- appears extremely short-sighted (and, in all vised form. Gay noted the importance of not miliar. honesty, makes you look like a bit of a dingus). relying on The Handmaid’s Tale as a handbook During promotion for Hulu’s latest prop- It’s not entirely clear whether this ill-in- for our own current political turmoil—that erty at the Tribeca Film Festival at the end of formed desire to distance the show from a it was much more instructive to keep a close April, the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale elected feminist lens was to avoid alienating viewers eye on the way those in power step on rights not to concede that the show was a feminist (as if people who balked at the idea of wom- and stand on the wrong side of history in re- one. Elisabeth Moss, who occupies the show’s en’s rights or gender equality were ever going ality than in fiction. As it is important to call central role as handmaid Offred, took a firm to watch a televised version of The Handmaid’s a feminist text a feminist text, or to avoid cut- stance that the show was not about women’s Tale anyway for cripes sake), but it is clear ting a film’s racial commentary at the knees, it rights, but about human rights—that it was a that this ducking and darting around labels is important to call out corruption, conflicts “human story” rather than a feminist one. is not limited to this adaptation of Atwood’s of interest, the dismantling of environmental Saying something isn’t something doesn’t award-winner. protections, attacks on reproductive rights and mean that thing isn’t that thing. Simply say- Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out has trigger-happy international acts of aggression. ing “Kit Kat Chunkies aren’t delicious”, or been critically acclaimed for its biting critique If we fail to keep track, to call things as they “Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a tiny and of the state of race relations in America, but are, we succeed only in letting these acts fes- unattractive man”, or “Adam Sandler’s cover there have been some who have pushed back at ter unfettered. If we don’t call a spade a spade, of ‘Werewolves of London’ is not a banger and this praise, with claims that a film based around we find ourselves calling a volatile business- is in fact deeply unenjoyable” does not make an African American man’s fears about meeting man-cum-reality star-cum-thirteen Gremlins these things true. While Moss, who is (perhaps his white girlfriend’s family and their ensuing standing on top of each other in a roomy blue relevantly) a lifelong scientologist, did concede bizarre and unsettling behaviour just, ya know, suit “President”. ◆ [5] NEWS Auckland Business School Shut Down For Plagiarism BY ELOISE SIMS A Queen Street business school has been ple of assessments for investigation. our assessment partner, Linguis was dereg- shut down after failing to address issues Indeed, according to the report, some istered essentially because of a cobbling with “overcrowding” and plagiarism rates of the Linguis staff even “seemed unclear together of past performance issues rather from 20–50 per cent, according to NZQA. about what constituted plagiarism.” than on how Linguis had been performing Linguis International Institute lost its Despite NZQA issuing clear recom- at the time the decision to deregister was registration for both its Queen Street and mendations in plagiarism prevention made,” Dawson said. Christchurch campuses last week due to strategies to Linguis, NZQA Deputy "This was confirmed in NZQA's dereg- “serious concerns” identified by NZQA in Chief Executive Grant Klinkum claims istration notice letter to us. This is grossly a November report. their concerns remained serious enough unfair to Linguis and its students.” According to the report recently ob- this year to drive them to deregister Lin- However, Dawson confirmed in a De- tained by Craccum, over 1000 mainly Indian guis last week. cember interview that Linguis was among and Chinese students were enrolled at the “NZQA will not tolerate poor quality a group of eighteen education providers Institute in 2016—dropping to just 81 en- education,” Klinkum said in conversation called into a meeting with Immigration rolments at the time of the school’s closure. with Stuff—insisting New Zealand quali- New Zealand to discuss “serious concerns” In the report, NZQA stated that they fications should be “robust, credible, and regarding Indian student visa problems. were “not confident” in Linguis’ educa- internationally recognised.” Upon research, Linguis’ website appears tional performance, claiming there was However, in speaking with The New to have been stripped of its design—al- “widespread evidence of systematic plagia- Zealand Herald, Linguis director Mike though it still features stock photos of stu- rism,” issues with overcrowding, and poor Dawson said the school had only received dents and teachers, and an apparent accredi- English language levels among students. 24 hours notice of the decision—and that tation from Immigration New Zealand. While Auckland Linguis students had NZQA had not taken into account Lin- NZQA has confirmed the 81 stu- a 97% pass rate in September 2014 Busi- guis’ “dramatic improvement” of its facil- dents from Linguis will be transferred to ness Diploma examinations, the NZQA ities and staff. “high-performing alternative providers” and evaluation team found these results “ques- “In spite of evidence of dramatic im- urge students to contact them on linguis. tionable” after conducting a random sam- provement and confirmed excellence by [email protected] or 0800 697 296. ◆ “The Final Back-Up” Global Seed Vault Under Threat From Climate Change BY DANIELLE MAYNARD In the event of a natural or man-made di- and with the capacity to hold 4.5 million va- noted to the seeds, continually rising tem- saster, there is always the potential for total rieties (a maximum of 2.5 billion individual peratures in the Polar region have sparked devastation of food crops. Most countries seeds), the Vault has the largest crop diver- fears for the world’s final back-up. have their own stores of seeds in case the sity in the world. These seeds are dried and Drainage ditches moving away from need arises.