Arts Scholars

Koi te hinengaro, koi te arero, koi te mahi!
Sharp of mind, tongue, and work!

Keep up with the latest discussions and thoughts from our Arts Scholars whānau

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Conflict in modern societies

I’m a scientist at heart, and something I find interesting is that we believe we’re ‘pacifists’ compared to other organisms. One of our focus questions this semester was that all animals except humans have conflict for resources - why are we determined to prove...

On peering at the world through a microscope

As a student of Global Studies and Sociology, my learning often centres on people and social structures. This involves a fair amount of generalising and theorising about people whom I have no lived experiences with. For example, when we were asked to make a...

Serve Them Chocolate Hobnob

Reflecting on Stephan Winter's research readdressing historic abuse in Aotearoa, one question stood out to me, (or maybe it was the very appealing image of the biscuit on the slide) What biscuit to serve? When research is built around such sensitive topic, it can be...

More war and food links…

Cooking for Victory? This interview is a fascinating look at the role of Winston Churchill's chef! https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018754010/churchill-s-forgotten-cook-serving-up-victory-in-the-kitchen  

Free Will, Meritocratic Individualism, and Moral Panic During Times of Crisis

Isolation, despite its inconvenience, has given us all an abundance of time to be able to do anything we like - so long as ‘anything’ remains within the confines of our own homes and isolation circles. An entire month of (relative) freedom to do with what we will and...

What does good research and epic cake fails have in common?

Oh the glorious cake fail. Without you, google images would not be so nearly as enticing for the would-be procrastinator to make bad life choices. You are part hilarious, part instructive and part dream-destroying. But most of all, you stand testament to the harsh...

Art’s Appeal to Humanity

Humans, as a species, are a peculiar one at that. A species overly aware of their own mortality and place in the universe, consequently bent upon obsessive overthinking, and because of this we’ve found ways to fabricate our own reality in a harsh world. We’re...

Knock, knock! Who’s there?

Sometimes before you can start a conversation with someone you have to knock before entering, and man is one of the most nerve-wracking things to do. Nicole’s words of reflexivity resonated with me, acknowledging that when you start your research you can either be...

Animal Crossing: An Encapsulation of Peace and Conflict in the Coronavirus Lockdown

  Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game released by Nintendo. In the game, the player completes mundane tasks, including talking to characters, planting flowers, and fishing. For outsiders, the game seems bland. After all, why would you invest time in...

Useful or nah?

Stephen Winter's research is undoubtedly useful. When asked about how he became interested in his research on abuse, he answered because of its relevance. His research is immediately useful for the whole world. It is a live political issue, as there are still post...

DISCLAIMER: Inspired by False Events

I love documentaries. Simple, narrated story-lines which require minimal attention from the viewer. They provide a fantastic (and frankly much needed) escape from everyday life. It's so easy to chill in bed with a laptop and binge an entire series, being able to relax...

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Kodak’s Little White Lie

‘All visions and stories and narratives come from bias.’ - Marcus Winter What are we as a culture if not a collection of widely understood images and narratives? After Marcus Winter’s lecture on his artistic practise of telling stories with sand, I wanted to...

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Violence and Legitimacy

Violence and Legitimacy

It is September in the year of our Lord 2020, and the world is ending once again. In the midst of our second stay away from university, (US)America has refused to go down without more high-profile cases of police brutality, bringing the Black Lives Matter protests...

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A New Perspective on the War on Drugs

        A lot of people think the war on drugs is an example of structural racism. They’re not wrong. Crack and cocaine are, chemically, virtually the same substance. However, crack is, due to its low price, used predominantly by black communities. Possession, the...

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Criminality and Understanding

On our museum trip, the exhibition that had the most impact on me was also the smallest: that between the Pou Kanohi gallery and the Spitfire, focusing on the lives of three men involved in airstrikes on German cities. These men killed civilians, and destroyed the...

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Classics, classics, everywhere

Classics, classics, everywhere

Classical mythology has been consistently inspiring art and entertainment over the years for a nearly inconceivable amount of time. As a die hard classics student (and all around nerd), I am always excited to find new adaptations to these familiar stories and see just...

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The Evolution of Fairy Tales

The Evolution of Fairy Tales

  For centuries, the whimsy of fairy tales has been ingrained into childhoods. They are stories which have been told over and over with intentions to provide entertainment and hope. I still remember dressing up like a princess with friends for birthdays or waving...

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