18.09.2019 Views

The Star: September 19, 2019

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Star</strong> Thursday <strong>September</strong> <strong>19</strong> 20<strong>19</strong><br />

24<br />

OUR PEOPLE – SAMANTHA MYTHEN<br />

Paving the way for editorial independence<br />

FREEDOM: Canta magazine editor Samantha Mythen<br />

is on a mission to gain editorial independence from the<br />

University of Canterbury Students’ Association.<br />

Student magazine Canta<br />

is on a mission to gain<br />

editorial independence.<br />

Editor Samantha<br />

Mythen said the<br />

University of Canterbury<br />

Students’ Association<br />

having the final say<br />

on the publication<br />

was censoring the<br />

student voice. She has<br />

started a petition for<br />

independence from<br />

the student association.<br />

Louis Day talks with the<br />

student magazine editor<br />

Why do you think it is<br />

important for Canta to have full<br />

independence?<br />

If Canta had full editorial<br />

independence from the UCSA<br />

it means students would see<br />

Canta as a publication where<br />

they can share their views and<br />

come to us with issues that we<br />

can investigate, look in to and<br />

try to address. At this current<br />

point in time, there seems to<br />

be a bit of a push back from the<br />

UCSA if any students want to<br />

write about any issues to do with<br />

them or UC. <strong>The</strong> process seems<br />

to take a lot longer and issues<br />

seem to be pushed aside or they<br />

aren’t addressed as properly as<br />

they should be. <strong>The</strong> other student<br />

magazines are for the majority<br />

independent or editorially<br />

independent and that is why you<br />

see them hitting the hard issues<br />

affecting students today.<br />

How has this censorship and<br />

proofing been impacting on the<br />

magazine?<br />

In general there is a good<br />

relationship between Canta and<br />

the UCSA but because we have to<br />

get our copy proofed it means we<br />

lose time because we have to get<br />

it into the UCSA by a certain date<br />

so it puts a lot of pressure on our<br />

students and I feel like that impacts<br />

on the quality of our magazine. It<br />

is just this whole extra push back<br />

with certain issues and I have to<br />

organise meetings, it is just a whole<br />

lot more of a process and it takes a<br />

lot longer.<br />

‘It should be a place where<br />

they can share their views<br />

and gather some support.’<br />

What do you see as the<br />

fundamental role of a student<br />

magazine?<br />

I hope to make Canta a student<br />

magazine where any student can<br />

pick it up and find something<br />

they can relate to. Coming from<br />

that, I see student magazines as<br />

a place where students can share<br />

their passion and tell all the other<br />

students about it. It should be a<br />

place where they can share their<br />

views and gather some support and<br />

figure out issues and problems.<br />

What are some of the stories<br />

that need telling at Canterbury<br />

University?<br />

Ever since I started at UC I<br />

have had a lot of complaints<br />

about the USCA, a lot of people<br />

asking where is the S in the<br />

UCSA? Where are the students?<br />

I believe because of the way it has<br />

been set up after some legislative<br />

changes in 2011 it became quite<br />

business-orientated and so there<br />

is just a whole lot of complaints<br />

from unhappy students around<br />

this. Otherwise we have had<br />

students writing in and criticising<br />

and comparing the new Haereroa<br />

building with the old students<br />

association building. We have<br />

had students writing about this<br />

expensive parking on campus<br />

and whether what we are paying<br />

is going back into the students<br />

and just stuff to do with student<br />

support services and the way<br />

people have been treated and how<br />

the exec runs. <strong>The</strong>re are a whole<br />

lot of people complaining and I’m<br />

trying to figure out if there is any<br />

evidence to this.<br />

What kind of editor are you?<br />

I really like creating a team<br />

environment because we rely so<br />

much on our volunteers and our<br />

amazing contributors. I really<br />

love feedback and criticism<br />

flying around the newsroom<br />

and I would love to call myself a<br />

mentoring editor. I really want to<br />

help people improve with their<br />

writing.<br />

Free buses<br />

this weekend<br />

Celebrate World Car Free Day<br />

by exploring what’s new in<br />

the central city on the Metro<br />

network this weekend.<br />

Check out great food offers<br />

available in the central city<br />

at metroinfo.co.nz<br />

AFFORDABLE TOOLS<br />

THAT GO BACK<br />

IN YOUR SHED,<br />

NOT IN THE<br />

NEXT INORGANIC<br />

COLLECTION.<br />

FROM $<strong>19</strong>5<br />

21 - 22 <strong>September</strong><br />

STS0166<br />

STIHL SHOP Northwood<br />

Store Details here<br />

554 Main North Road, Belfast, Christchurch<br />

Ph: 03-974-2469<br />

Store Details here<br />

STIHL Store SHOP Details Rangiora here<br />

Corner Store Lineside Details and here Station Road, Rangiora<br />

Ph: 03-313-3398<br />

STIHL SHOP Fosters<br />

559 Blenheim Road, Sockburn, Christchurch<br />

Ph: 03-343-6339<br />

www.stihlshopchristchurch.co.nz<br />

LOVE YOUR LAND<br />

LOVE YOUR LAND

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!