ARTS & CULTURE | INTERVIEW | NOSTALGIA
Written by Stella Roper (they/she) | @stellyvision | Arts & Culture Editor
After having looked through a series of gigantic books that make up the Debate Magazine archives for yet another hour, I came to three conclusions.
1. Wow, student mags got away with so much in the 2000-2010s.
2. Student bars were way better in the 2000-2010s (What happened to the free Shihad and Fat Freddy’s drop live, on-campus concerts AUTSA??)
3. The Debate Magazine series, Micro-Celebrities, must be revived.
From one point in the 2000s to another point in the 2010s, the Debate Magazine ‘Micro-Celebrities’ student Q&A series provided a glimpse into the popular topics of on-campus conversation at the time. From whether Michael Jackson was guilty or not, to student’s opinions on gun rights in the US, nothing was off limits. Keeping in tune with this issue’s Nostalgia theme and being a nostalgic (and nosy) person myself, I took off around the AUT City campus with a mission in mind. To revive this long-lost Debate series and seek out our campus micro-celebs!
1. Name:
Stella
2. Studying?
Nunya - it's a business degree.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Shin Ramyun.
4. Harris or Trump?
I'm actually voting for an independent party: Dodo Frenzy. #dodofrenzy4prez
5. Who's an overrated person?
The person taking this interview - my dearest friend Ethan. (Thank you for helping to transcript these interviews)
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Tiny beanies.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
S. O. S.
_
1. Name:
Anna
2. Studying?
Visual Arts
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Sub of the day!
4. Harris or Trump?
Sorry, I’m literally 15, I can’t vote yet.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Love a pop girlie, but Sabrina Carpenter. Sorry!
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Self-love.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Crazy bitch boots.
1. Name:
Eikam.
2. Studying?
Law.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Breaktime, the cafe in WF - the new burgers from there go hard.
4. Harris or Trump?
Harris - Trump's an idiot.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Kanye West - he's a bit odd. He's funny in a fucked up way.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Ribbed jeans that men wear - they are the ugliest things I've ever seen.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Needs to go.
-
1. Name:
Libby.
2. Studying?
Law.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Butter Chicken samosas.
4. Harris or Trump?
Harris.
5. Who's an overrated person?
This white man who wears leopard print in our law class - he has some messed up opinions.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Hating on successful women #taylorswift.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Male. Pale. Stale.
_
(Use ‘Momo face’ as image)
1. Name:
Anonymous.
2. Studying?
Anonymity.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Eden Noodles dumplings.
4. Harris or Trump?
Who's Harris?.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Playboi Carti.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Mini anything.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Selfish. Entitled. Racist.
_
1. Name:
Rayna.
2. Studying?
Business management and HR.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Lamb samosas and kebabs.
4. Harris or Trump?
Harris - definitely, Trump? Absolutely not.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Kim Kardashian, the Kardashians as a whole.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Misogynistic male podcasts. The whole point of podcasts is to voice your voice, but often male podcasters will hear it, shit on it and that’s the content.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Waste of time.
-
1. Name:
Adelaide.
2. Studying?
HR and Marketing.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Chicken Subway, loaded with sauce.
4. Harris or Trump?
Harris. I despise Trump.
5. Who's an overrated person?
The prank genre and street interviewers are overrated. Not like this though.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
The minimalism of houses. People don't have any creativity anymore, just turning these beautiful old houses into boring ones. There was a trend of Mums painting their kids' rooms beige and bland. How are their kids gonna grow creatively?
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Waste of money - also increase minimum wage. Cutting off money to departments dedicated to queer, Māori and Pasifika communities does no good.
_
1. Name:
Saig.
2. Studying?
Architecture.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Probably just a steak and cheese pie - and a protein milkshake.
4. Harris or Trump?
Harris.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Overrated? Hmmm ... Justin Bieber.
(His friend: “Nah, Taylor Swift.”) Nah she's valid bro. 1989, bro?
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Maybe people coloring out the yellow in their Doc Martens. Cause you thought you were being different but it's actually a trend. Everyone looks at his friend’s docs…
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
I don't really like most of their policies. But what benefits me is that I can get the last year free. As an immigrant, I wasn’t able to get my first year free, but now, I can get my last year free. I don't really like them though.
(Stella: “Three words.”)
Not. Cool. Guys.
_
1. Name:
Ezra.
2. Studying?
Biomed and Genetics - “I plan to create immortality.”
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
Vada pav is the best food. You know Dosa Corner?
4. Harris or Trump?
I honestly don't care.
(His friend, Aran: “Harris’s the obvious choice. One’s young and one's a sex offender.”)
Well, that does put it into perspective.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Probably the President of America. Just any of them. Anyone who runs a country.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Smoking in public. It just feels really bad to be fair. Ban cigarettes - legalize shrooms. I love psychedelic drugs. There's an aftereffect for a few weeks. You know religious idealism? Shrooms can have the same effect.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Based on what's around, everything’s falling apart with this pro-wealthy government. Lazy. Wealthy. Disconnected.
_
1. Name:
Aran.
2. Studying?
Biomed - “I plan to create a disease to kill everyone. Just to balance Ezra out.”
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
That weird tuck food shop up there. Specifically, that chicken place near the bubble tea. Also the Vada Pav.
4. Harris or Trump?
Harris, yeah I like Harris ... I understand people voting for Trump over Biden because Biden was old as fuck. But between Harris and Trump - it's obvious to me. I'm from Switzerland, a very conservative country and everyone makes fun of him. He's a sex offender, he's possibly a rapist. There's no way.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Help me out here. (His friend, Jesse: “Taylor Swift.”) Fuck you. I feel like every politician is overrated. Ben Shapiro? Nah everyone hates them.
(His friend, Erza: What about philosophers?)
I don’t know, I kinda like them all. Except for the Nazi philosophers. What do you guys think of them? (Stella and Ethan: Not a fan)
Oh, wait, Christopher Luxon! How is he running the country.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
I feel like people are very black or white. You should be able to label your opinion without being called a racist - unless you're a racist, then you should be called a racist. There shouldn't be such polarization. But I would rather say I prefer a society of over-sensitive people than extremely insensitive.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
I don't think it's necessarily lazy. I would say: Selfish. Shortsighted. Sloppy. The one thing I agree with is the whole university thing.
_
1. Name:
Jesse.
2. Studying?
I'm actually a student from UoA, but AUT is actually better. Next year I’d like to start my Masters in urban planning. Maybe psychology at AUT if I don't get in.
3. Go to food for a campus feed?
I like the Hare Krishna food over there because I'm vegetarian. Everything that he [Ezra] said, I love too - especially that Vada Pav.
4. Harris or Trump?
Harris, obviously. Trump is an objectively bad person. He's trying to ban human rights, and ban abortion. He wants Christian law to be reinstated. He wants to make America the Handmaid's Tale. Remember in 2020 when he wanted to overthrow Biden? He should be in jail.
5. Who's an overrated person?
Taylor Swift. She's not bad, but I think she's not the best.
6. A trend that needs to stop?
Mobile phones should just not exist. When I was traveling around my gap year in Italy, I met a school teacher, and she said that the mobile phone is a tragedy. It causes you to not even realize you're outside. A good detox is to throw this thing away. We lose contact with the real world.
7. Describe the current government in 3 words:
Selfish. Incompetent. Out-of-touch. Especially with the recession, it’s so difficult to get a job and there is not enough support. In interviews, you go up against 100 other people.
Comments