April 3rd 2013
What does colour/same sex have to do with it?
The debate over marriage equality in relation to Labour MP for Manurewa Louisa Wall’s private marriage amendment bill has passed its second reading in parliament and looks likely to be passed into law.
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March 12th 2013
More than a competition for students?
Leis, red lipstick…beating drums. With Polyfest looming, FALEN TUUGA STEVENSON takes a look at the competition that dominates thousands of students’ lives at the beginning of each year. Is it all really worth it?
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February 26th 2013
Coconut roots
This week’s ONSIDE is about rediscovering your roots. Is it important to make a physical connection to our island homelands? Why is it that more of us don’t make an effort to do so? Karl Samuel makes his case.
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February 14th 2013
Should Sonny Bill Williams fight David Tua?
GLADYS HARTSON-SHINGLES would love to see Sony Bill Williams and David Tua step into the ring together, although she’s not too sure many fellow Samoans would agree.
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February 11th 2013
The Samoan catfish scandal
You probably heard the shocking story of the Samoan football star who became the victim of an elaborate online hoax. If you haven’t, you’ve probably had your head in the sand because the story has absolutely pervaded American television for the past three months.
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January 21st 2013
Is Australia really the land of new opportunity?
FALEN TUUGA STEVENSON investigates the growing trend that leads many Maori and Pacific families over each year.
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November 27th 2012
What will 'the Pacific' look like in 20 years?
Our people are leaving, our climate is changing, our cultures are shifting. In this week’s ONSIDE blog SPASIFIK reporter JARED MACKLEY-CRUMP imagines what our concept of “the Pacific” will look like in 20 years.
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November 15th 2012
Facebook couples pages, get lost!
Facebook sneakily introduced new couples pages this week and after reading an article by NZ Herald reporter and former SPASIFIK journo, Vaimoana Tapaleao, it got the team thinking about how we’re being affected by the social networking giant. Karl Samuel shares his view in our latest blog post.
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November 7th 2012
OMG Confessions over-share
We share heaps of personal information on Facebook: birthdays, relationship status, location and much, much more. The line has now been blurred between participating in social media and completely over-sharing the details of our lives. FALEN TUUGA STEVENSON investigates.
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November 1st 2012
Tyson
INNES LOGAN looks at the saga involving the refusal to let former world champion Mike Tyson into New Zealand and gives his views
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October 11th 2012
Is laughter always the best medicine?
Is making fun at the hidings we used to receive growing up related to the over-representation of Maori and Pacific peoples in terms of physical abuse? NATASHA GUTTENBEIL looks at the connection.
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September 20th 2012
Bow Wow “Wow”: The Over-Stated Power of Celebrity
I had a wee chuckle to myself yesterday morning, when I saw the “news” that US rapper Bow Wow had arrived in the country and “snubbed” the waiting powhiri that had been arranged for him.
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September 14th 2012
BOAT PEOPLE
Genuine victims or opportunistic queue jumpers?
The New Zealand government’s proposed hard-line stance against boatpeople seeking asylum has been met with an online campaign featuring Oscar Kightley against the move. KARL SAMUEL believes caution is necessary
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August 8th 2012
Travel Blog: We speak no Americano
A world away from home- SPASIFIK journalist Falen Tuuga Stevenson shares of her experiences while travelling to the United States of America.
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August 1st 2012
BLOG
Shouldn't marriage be equal?
With the marriage amendment bill by Labour MP and former SPASIFIK columnist Louisa Wall pulled from the parliamentary ballot last week, the issue of gay marriage is about to be thrust into the political spotlight. JARED MACKLEY-CRUMP looks at the issue of opposition based on ‘cultural’ or ‘religious’ grounds, and finds the reasoning somewhat lacking
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July 19th 2012
Water for all?
I enjoy Tapu Misa’s columns in the New Zealand Herald on Mondays. Her most recent one headlined “Water claim really about Maori’s role as caretakers” had me thinking across a wide range of issues.
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July 11th 2012
For LEILANI TAMU, being a 'white' Pacific islander
I have a confession to make. My skin is white. To be even more specific, I am a pale-skinned, brown-eyed woman of Pacific Island descent. That’s right people, I’m an islander and God decided to colour me in white.
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June 7th 2012
Why the latest education changes are bad bad bad
In a strange coincidence, just as our blog went online, the Government announced a total back down on changes to teacher:student ratios. Great news! A general discussion around class sizes, educational funding and the importance of post-graduate support is still extremely valid however, so we welcome your blog comments and feedback.
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May 24th 2012
The GC: TV’s newest guilty pleasure?
Move over Jersey Shore, there is a new breed of reality stars hitting New Zealand airwaves.
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May 15th 2012
The annoying impact of ‘Ethnic’ language
A few weeks ago a column in the living section of the Sunday Herald irritated me to the point of distraction. Titled “the delights of ethnic eateries,” the piece by Diana Clement was written with such a condescending and dare I say it colonial attitude, it almost overshadowed what it should have been focusing on: delightful food. The tone was totally unnecessary.
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May 10th 2012
Brown & Out?
Pat Lam and Stephen Kearney are Australasia’s most under-fire professional coaches in their respective codes of rugby union and league. INNES LOGAN wonders how much race has to do with it.
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May 3rd 2012
Tongan Royal nuptials cause stir of controversy
There have been recent concerns about the appropriateness of close relatives Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala and Hon Sinaitakala Tu'imatamoana 'i Fanakavalangi Fakafanua marrying each other. FALEN TUUGA STEVENSON debates whether the Tongan Monarchy should continue practicing traditional titles.
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April 23th 2012
Miss World Fiji 2012: How Fijian is Fijian enough?
The heated debate about the choice of half caste Torika Watters as Miss World Fiji has JARED MACKLEY-CRUMP questioning the purpose and relevance of Pacific beauty contests
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April 2nd 2012
King and Country
The six-year reign of late King Siaosi Tupou V of Tonga was far shorter than his two predecessors, but his moves towards transforming the nation to democracy will ensure lasting memories by his people will be positive.
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February 7th 2012
Piri and Pepi – Is it really that bad?
QIANE CORFIELD-MATATA says there is nothing wrong with seeing a father bottle-feed their baby on a tax-payer funded health ad. Especially as we need more positive male role models on our screens.
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January 18th 2012
A helping hand
Being young is supposed to be one of the most carefree times in a person’s life. In today’s uneasy economic climate, I beg to differ. After spending the last five years at university, studying towards two degrees and three different majors, I now find myself in the lolly scramble for jobs, like so many others my age.
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December 22nd 2011
I do, finally
“Willie said if he ever got married, he wanted it to be with someone who has small feet. So she could be closer to the kitchen sink.”
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November 30th 2011
What we know
Pacific voters overall may still be loyal to the Labour Party, but an increasing number of Pacific people with political ambitions are not. The National Party now boasts two Pacific MPs with Alfred Ngaro becoming the first Cook Islander to enter New Zealand’s Parliament and Asenati Taylor sneaks in eighth on the list for New Zealand First.
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October 5th 2011
No pain no came
I was still buzzing after watching Tonga defeat the French in Wellington last Saturday night and started surfing on my phone while waiting for the Scotland-England match when a headline screamed Carter crocked.
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