mawsa Executive Elections 2010 – Role Descriptions
MAWSA ELECTIONS INFORMATION
The mawsa Executive Elections are coming up soon, so we thought it timely to (re)introduce you to the Executive roles that are up for grabs.
This information is relevant to both potential electoral candidates and student voters.
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Mawsa President (1 Year term, 40 hours per week) $35,000 salary
As President you have the opportunity to learn a vast amount of skills, governance boards, time management, budgeting and working at all levels of the university.
One day you may be talking to an MP about education issues – and the next; making decisions at an academic board on how courses should be delivered.
Note: This position allows for 1 paper to be taken per semester.
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Education Vice President (10 hours per week) $7,000 pa
This role is a part-time position assisting the President with duties, but has a primary focus on education at Massey University and the sector at large.
A real chance to make a difference in education and work with the people who are making the decisions.
Note: This position allows for full-time study.
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Admin/Welfare Vice President (10 hours per week) $7,000 pa
This role is a part-time position assisting the President with duties, but has a primary focus on the welfare of Massey students. This position is the main administrator for the Executive Board – giving the board structure and balance.
Note: This position allows for full-time study.
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COCA Executive (3 hours per week) honoraria
The COCA (College of Creative Arts) Executive deals directly with all CoCA issues. Attending the CoCA board once each month with full speaking and voting rights provides a great chance to make a difference within the college – for present and future students.
Note: This position allows for full-time study.
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Business Executive (3 hours per week) honoraria
The business executive has a role to look after business students’ issues and look at how mawsa can progress into the future. The budget and direction of mawsa falls under this portfolio. An interest in finance and business strategy would be greatly welcomed.
Note: This position allows for full-time study.
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Maori Executive (3 hours per week) honoraria
This position is focused on Maori issues on campus and supporting Maori initiatives. Being the liaison between Maori and mawsa helping out with Maori graduation are some of the tasks that are expected in this role.
Note: This position allows for full-time study.
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Pacifica Executive (3 hours per week) honoraria
This position is focused on Pacifica issues on campus and supporting Pacifica initiatives, being the liaison between Pacifica and mawsa helping and out with Pacifica graduation are some of the tasks that are expected in this role.
Note: This position allows for full time study.
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Science & Engineering Executive (3 hours per week) honoraria
This position is focused on Science & Engineering – supporting and creating opportunities in this college. This is a role that ties into Massey’s road to 2020’s vision of innovation and creativity, a growth area at Massey.
Note: This position allows for full time study.
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Post Grad/Mature Executive (3 hours per week) honoraria
Building a community for mature and postgraduate students and ensure that their needs are being adequately met in the university environment. Support and drive initiatives for mature and postgraduate students. Ensure the University is aware of any issues facing mature and postgraduate students.
Note: This position allows for full-time study.
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International/Cultural Executive (3 hours per week) honoraria
To represent the views of International students and to ensure their needs are adequately met. Support and drive initiatives that enhance the experience of International Students for the duration of their study in New Zealand.
Note: This position allows for full-time study.
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For more information regarding the mawsa Executive Elections, email: president@mawsa.org.nz
TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT
SHORT FILM
Two Cars, One Night is a short film about a couple of young boys and a girl who meet in a carpark outside a small pub in Te Kaha.
Written and directed by Taika Waititi, who has seen recent success with his 2010 film Boy, the film portrays a relationship between the children that begins unpleasantly but grows into a close friendship.
Released in 2003, the film has won eight awards, including the a Panorama Short Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival and three separate awards at the NZ Film and TV Awards. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Post by Mary Bess Bolling.
MULATU ASTATKE – Yègellé Tezeta
AUDIO TRACK.
Mulatu Astatke is an Ethiopian musician and arranger. He is known as the father of Ethio-jazz. Born in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma, Mulatu was musically trained in London, New York City and Boston, where he was the first African student at Berklee College of Music. Later, he combined his jazz and Latin music influences with traditional Ethiopian music.
This particular track, Yègellé Tezeta, is by no means his best stuff – but it does have a neat video to watch while you listen..
INCEPTION
FILM REVIEW by Robert Foster.
Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan.
4.5 / 5 stars
A generic online dictionary defines the word inception as “an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events.” For fear of spoiling the story, I dare not describe the plot of Christopher Nolan’s new metaphysical, sci-fi film Inception any more than that, as it’s definitely in your best interests to watch it knowing as little as possible beforehand.
What I can say, though, is that Nolan successfully fuses intelligence with entertainment, something which is apparently blasphemy in Hollywood these days.
Nolan first pitched the concept to Warner Brothers in 2001. Nine years (and over $200 million) later, here we are.
Was it worth the wait? Does it live up to the suffocating hype? Does it transcend the pinnacle of mortal perfection and enter into the realm of divine creation? Well, I liked it.
The story is original, but saying Inception’s plot is original is akin to saying the sun is hot – doesn’t do it justice.
So, without spoiling anything, Christopher Nolan’s own words:”As soon as you’re talking about dreams, the potential of the human mind is infinite. And so the scale of the film has to feel infinite. It has to feel like you could go absolutely anywhere by the end of the film. And it has to work on a massive scale.”
After Nolan’s surreal 2000 debut film Memento, it’s refreshing for him to return to his intellectual roots (no offense, Batman fans).
The CGI is reminiscent of 1999’s The Matrix in the sense that the audience is relentlessly sucked into a strange hallucinatory cinematic vortex of imagination (translation: the special effects are really, really cool). Warning: don’t be high during the ending as your psyche will likely irreversibly shatter into a googolplexian fragments. It’s that intense.
The cast is generally comprised of good actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Impressive. Ellen Page? Adorable. Michael Caine? Impeccable. Leonardo DiCaprio? Absolutely terrible, as always. The dialogue wasn’t Tarantino quality but served the story well. The cinematography and overall polish was beyond Grade A, being directed by the man behind 2008’s The Dark Knight, we wouldn’t expect anything less.
Director Christopher Nolan is becoming the new Apple™, in that everything he produces is showered with frenzied praise by an obsessive fan base.
Is Inception the greatest movie of all time? In my opinion, not even close, but according to imdb.com; yes! (well, tied for 1st place with The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption).
Admittedly, this film does need to be seen at the theatre to appreciate it in all its psychedelic glory, so don’t even think about searching for a torrent! Shell out the admission price – it will actually be worth it for once.
MUSIC VIDEO: GRIZZLY BEAR – Two Weeks
Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based folk rock band, comprising Edward Droste (vocals, guitar, omnichord, keyboard), Daniel Rossen (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Taylor (bass, backing vocals, various instruments, producer) and Christopher Bear (drums, backing vocals). The band employs traditional and electronic instruments. Their sound has been categorized as psychedelic pop, folk rock, and experimental, and is dominated by the use of vocal harmonies. The band is one of the few non-electronic artists signed to Warp Records.
Daniel Rossen is also a member of the duo Department of Eagles.
And now… Two Weeks…
MAURITIUS
THEATRE REVIEW by Dana Moran.
4 / 5 stars
Directed by Ross Jolly.
By Theresa Rebeck.
Circa Theatre.
Who would have thought that a play about stamps would make for interesting theatre? Mauritius is the perfect blend of comedy and drama. During this play, I dreaded the intermission and was on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next. And while the audience was comprised more of an ‘older’ generation, a plot line filled with stamps, suspense and skulduggery certainly held my attention.
After the death of their mother, two half-sisters Jackie and Mary (Danielle Mason and Lyndee-Jane Rutherford) inherit a book of rare stamps – and the stakes are laid pretty high. The book is said to contain the crown jewel of all stamps – the Post Office Mauritius. While Mary defends the book as her own (and would never dream of selling the precious stamps that belonged to her grandfather), Jackie weighs up reality along with her minimal bank balance and takes the book to a local stamp collectors to be valued. Philip (played by Aaron Alexander), who owns the stamp shop, refuses to view them without a price. But Dennis (Andrew Foster), a shady character who has a swift way with words convinces Jackie that they might be worth something.
When Dennis informs Sterling (Jeffery Thomas) of Mauritius, he becomes very interested, and the battle for possession of the stamps takes a dangerous turn. As soon as the three men enter the sisters’ world they’re making big offers, getting a little violent and are willing to go to any lengths to stake their claim on the find.
The set used in this play was great – There were two main scenes (the stamp shop and the sisters’ home) and one minor scene (a bar). Each scene change was executed swiftly, without much delay. Each set had a worn, lived-in feel about it, which made it even more convincing.
Complimenting well-written characters, the actors in this play were perfect for their roles and the interaction between them was very well done. If there was hate, you could feel it in the air. When there was scheming amongst them, you were on the edge of your seat.
For a younger audience, this play might require a direct line of interest in theatre, however, if you’re into trying something new, and you enjoy comedy, drama and a little bit of sex appeal then this might be the play to see. A small intermission gives a chance for the first act to soak in while Circa provides a small range of refreshments at reasonable prices. This play will leave you with a whole new take on the world of stamp collecting.
Danielle Mason and Andrew Foster.
Photography Stephen A’Court.
SEPTEMBER ISSUE
FILM REVIEW by Emma Beer.
Directed by R.J. Cutler.
2009.
4 / 5 stars
“Fashion is a religion. This is the bible.”
Vogue has set fashion trends for decades. In this documentary, director R.J. Cutler takes us inside the world’s most influential fashion magazine and shows us the five month build-up to the fall 2007 September Issue. The final copy was the largest-ever printed, with 840 pages, and weighed around 2kgs.
Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour begins by talking about why people mock fashion, immediately instilling in us the fact that, to her, fashion is more than a hobby— it is a business. A $300 billion dollar industry to be precise. She is possibly the hardest boss in the world to please and there is no softening of any criticism. She is not a warm, fuzzy person; she rarely smiles and stands with her arms crossed. In fact, at most points throughout the movie she looks excessively bored, even insisting on wearing sunglasses at an indoor fashion show. She is a truly intimidating sight for any approval-seeking designer .
At one point, a staff member suggested an item of clothing for a shoot and was met with the response from a peer, “it’s black”. Oh yes, she replied, you could get fired for that. Anna’s influence is such that Louis Vitton changed the fabric on an entire line of bags because Anna thought it was too heavy.
There is a nice balance between personal interviews and workplace interactions. Perhaps the biggest contrast to Anna is Grace Coddington, one of the creative directors. A former model, Grace is almost as stubborn as Anna and unlike most, who pander to Anna’s wants, Grace stands up for what she believes – acting as Anna’s equal. Her photo shoots are truly exquisite. “I’m one of the last fashion editors left who actually dress the girls myself.” Energetic, with a sense of make believe, the spreads she produces are stunning. But the film also captures the amount of effort and hard work that goes into making these models look so good.
There are fantastic shots of New York City, of people hustling and bustling, and the hundred-storey buildings. But we don’t stop in the fashion capital; Sienna Miller’s cover shoot is based in Rome. There are a number of cameo appearances from high-profile designers, including Vera Wang, Oscar De la Renta and Jean-Paul Gaultier.
This film isn’t just for those who enjoy putting on expensive clothes. It is a unique exploration of an industry that many mock, but, according to Anna, are afraid of. There are plenty of opportunities to learn how to shut someone down quickly and efficiently. And the design behind the photography is quite amazing.
If you think this might be a film for you, you may also want to check out Bill Cunningham New York (which showed at the NZ Film Festival) – a documentary that follows the prominent and long-time fashion photographer for whom its titled.
GZA – Liquid Swords
ALBUM REVIEW by Adam Burns.
5 / 5 stars
“He whips out his sword and relieves his victims of their heads!! It’s impossible to keep a body count.”
This was the tagline of Robert Houston’s 1980 jidaigeki (period drama) film Kozure Okami (Shogun Assassin in English speaking quarters). The cold, looming mood of the film served as an underlying premise for Liquid Swords, a sophomore effort from Wu-Tang Clan staple Gary Grice (aka The Genius, aka GZA).
Like any good story, it holds your attention straight off the bat, copping an intense piece of dialogue spoken by seven-year-old Gibran Evans, who re-tells the murder of his mother at the hands of ninja spies. The film already had its New York connections; Houston helmed Shogun with David Weisman, a protégé of another NYC giant; Andy Warhol.
Dropping at the tail end of 1995, Liquid Swords was another sublime hip hop statement from the big apple. Aside from the fiery exchange of taunts which had been fuelling the Death Row vs. Bad Boy rivalry, it was an absorbing time for hip hop. In the wake of 36 Chambers, New York thrived with a slew of brilliant long players and Wu-Tang was establishing them as an entity in itself. There was a 12 month period where the Clan banged out four classic solo efforts with Method Man, ODB and Raekwon all pushing the envelope. Liquid Swords was the fourth of these albums and it rivalled Raekwon’s mafioso epic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx for pure artistic brilliance.
Lyrically startling, establishing The Genius as arguably the premier MC of the Clan, he brought to life vivid images of the urban alleys and the projects of Staten Island or Shaolin which played like his own Gotham City. The RZA, on the desk, laid minimal soundtracks from ominous loops and deconstructions of dusty funk, R&B and soul crate-dwellers; capturing a world of nocturnal haze and eerie unease.
Applying a calculating flow and delivery, GZA expanded on the philosophies of Wu Tang’s C.R.E.A.M. and created hardcore crime narratives on Gold (“They move keys and had skis making drops on snowmobiles” – you get the picture) and Cold World (built upon Stevie Wonder’s Rocket Love). Even puts the frighteners up his employers, verbally decimating half the industry on Labels.
Raekwon reignited his Cuban Linx legend with an acclaimed sequel last year and The Genius will hopefully release a second chapter around October this year. Fifteen years on, Liquid Swords remains a cornerstone of the East Coast canon, a brutally dark rap classic from the Wu’s finest swordsman.
SINGLE SENTENCE TRACK REVIEWS 03
TRACK REVIEWS by Shaun D Wilson.
Agree? Disagree? Suggest a track you think should be summed up in a sentence in the comments field below.
[INCLUDES VIDEO]
Choices – The Hoosiers
I’ve had plenty of conversations about modern society having too many choices and thanks to The Hoosiers you can now hear that chat with bonus synths!
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Adolescent Heart – Class Actress
Class Actress’ use of the extremely common refrain “Let me love you” will indicate whether Adolescent Heart is the song for you.
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I Need Air – Magnetic Man
This track from the first dubstep supergroup (the concept of which may bore, baffle or bring about enthusiasm) is uplifting and euphoric but their Doctor Who riffing Cyberman is the place to start for the uninitiated.
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Find Your Love – Drake
For some reason there has been a huge amount of hype about so-so rapper/crooner Drake – which is very hard to understand when he’s put out such an anonymous song.
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Children of the Times – Solar Bears
A gorgeous tune; alien enough to fascinate, yet familiar enough to be comforting.
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Keep It Fascinating – Major Lazer/La Roux
La Roux and Major Lazer made some of the best songs of 2009 so obviously it would be a really good idea to bring them together if it wasn’t for the fact that Major Lazer’s hot beats and La Roux’s iciness have resulted in a fairly gross musical sludge puddle.
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It’s Working – MGMT
MGMT have been very open about their influences with their latest album (calling a song Brian Eno for example) but they seemed to have forgotten to name check Connan Mockasin on this track.
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We No Speak Americano – Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup
One of those weird commercially successful novelty singles produced by anonymous DJs which account for almost all the airplay for non-English language music.
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Heave(n) – Flying Lotus
It’s understandable why Flying Lotus left this off his latest album as Cosmogramma was conceived as a connected whole, but Heave(n) definitely deserves to see the light.
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Echoes – Klaxons
It’s a bit worrying that the first single proper from the new Klaxons record is an echo of the more middling tracks on their debut.
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Baby You’re Blind – God Help the Girl
While not crazy about everything Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl project has done (and I am very much looking forward to new Belle and Sebastian material) it has resulted in some top-quality northern soul including this example featuring the singer from all-girl Swedish indie-pop band Those Dancing Days.
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In the Summer – Crystal Fighters
I’m not that fussed about summer as a season but I’m glad to add this chant-heavy, well-wishing ditty to my summer song catalogue.
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Careful – Flip Grater
Careful is a nice song and sometimes that is enough.
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FOOD INC.
FILM REVIEW By Robert Foster.
3 / 5 stars
Directed by Robert Kenner. 2008.
Written by Robert Kenner & Elise Pearlstein.
The way we eat has changed more in the last 50 years than in the previous 10,000. The American film Food, Inc. fills us in on all the juicy (and apparently sinister) details. Narrated by someone who sounds like a depressed emo on heavy medication, we are promptly informed that the western food industry is controlled by a handful of giant multinational corporations with abhorrent business practices and that operate with absolutely no regard for an animal’s quality of life (or death).
This isn’t news. This is 2010, we’re university students, we all know that the meat in our burgers isn’t played Mozart, massaged daily and fed a diet of Grade A beer (unless you’re eating Wagyū). We know that countless cows, pigs and chickens are inhumanely slaughtered on a daily basis for the sake of fast food. We are aware that most food contains more artificial components than natural ones. Does this horrific knowledge stop us from consuming these products? For most of us, it doesn’t. This film thinks it ought to, so it drops the veil on the dark side of the food industry in an extremely graphic fashion.
The images of CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), slaughterhouses and meat factories in this film are so disturbing they make Marilyn Manson sound like Justin Bieber, an H. R. Giger painting look like Disney art, or the Holocaust seem like Woodstock. Remember the Playstation classic Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee? Even Abe would be disgusted. Definitely not for the weak of heart.
However Food, Inc. isn’t all about the “meat sector”. The film sheds light on government corruption in regards to the US food industry—why junk food is cheaper than vegetables, why levels of childhood obesity are skyrocketing, economic implications, illegal immigrants and every other grim revelation you would expect from an exposé on the food industry.
Overall it’s a fairly informative, albeit long-winded, experience. But it fails to deliver the slickness of a Michael Moore film or the entertainment value of Supersize Me. It highlights some worrying trends in the food industry that show no sign of stopping: mass production, corn derivatives, inhumane treatment of animals, corporations holding farmers and growers hostage and the downward spiral of society’s health.
Genetic engineering, CAFOs, chemicals, pollution, excessive processing and all the other horrors that the film preaches are part of a global conspiracy are in fact simply the by-products of the most prevalent trend in American business today: the quest for more, for less. Things aren’t quite as bad in New Zealand (yet), but the next time you’re about to drunkenly tuck into some McDonalds chicken nuggets at 3am, just remember one thing: ignorance is bliss.
