GAME OF PRICKS ONE 

I’m in Raglan now instead of the same couple suburbs of Hamilton and the street I live on in Cambridge which have been my only routine sights out of a sense of complacency for the past whatever.  Alsatia splashes water over herself on the front porch of her cousin’s bach and I’m leaning against the yay-high chainlink fence strangling

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Bring back Radio alarm clocks.

I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life waking up to the dreaded sound of Apple’s radar alarm sound. Dididi-dididi- dididi-dididi DIDIDI-DIDIDI. And I never stopped to think about why. Why was I torturing myself this way every morning, letting this sonic harassment continue. I decided enough was enough. I’d had it. After literally 2 minutes on Facebook

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Bacchanalia: The Human Factor. 

Bacchus is an imported god. Not only was Bacchus (under the name Dionysus) influential in the golden age of Greece and Rome he regained a great deal of popularity during the High Renaissance in Neo-Platonic and humanist artwork as a symbol of pleasure and celebration and holds an important place in modern

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Power, Grief, and the Making of the Taj Mahal

In 1606, a 15-year-old prince named Khurram returned in the city of Lahore. He did not know that this visit would become a major turning point in his life. For amid the colour and festivities of the Meena Bazaar during Nowruz, Khurram crossed paths with a young girl who would change the fate of

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Fun Things to Do at Your Flat #3: Red Cards 

This week’s boredom killer is simple, chaotic, and guaranteed to create stories you’ll be hearing about all year: Red Cards.  Here’s how it works. Every flatmate (or anyone in the group) gets one “red card.” You can play it at any time, for any reason. When you pull your card, everyone has to drop what they’re doing and commit to whatever you’ve called no questions

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Fun things to do at your flat #2 – Library Box

This one isn’t actually at your flat and you don’t need a flat to do it you just need some willing friends and some alcoholic ambition  What you need :  Method:  This is an ideal red card for study week or just whenever you’re bored, it is a good way to be productive, and also get fucked up. The rules are simple: you can’t leave

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Revealing Reviews 

This gripping, action packed show is one that touches the depth of your soul and reminds you of the importance of found family. It starts off with very high stakes, as the main character is exiled from her highly privileged society by its ruler to gain a larger fellowship. As the first episodes unfold

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sonspotter daughter  

do I have to tear my brains out   do I have to break to remember what broke me   do I have to face the broken vase of facts  I cant be a plastic bag, sacrificed for turtle’s fad of suicide  so I just cry  I will be polyethylene, I  ‘ll make you miss me,

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WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Urgenc-bee

Over the past few years, the word “urgency” has come up a few times in the news. The word invokes a sense of adrenaline, and it’s come up so often that you’d be forgiven for thinking New Zealand Parliament runs under a constant state of panic at a rate of

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Old World Tiramisù Blues

What if I was to tell you that there was nothing Italian about the tomatoes in ragu? That there was nothing Indian about the chilies in curry, or anything particularly Irish about potatoes? Before the 1500s, food in Asia, Europe, and Africa (collectively known as the “Old World”) looked verydifferent

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The Notesapp 

the untouchable  warmth barely reaches the very last cells on my fingertips  as i reach towards the glowing auburn that whisks with the wind  pull back at the rage of heat that surges to attack with its  plumes of acrid grey shoving up my nostrils watering eyes that can’t tear from the piles of glowing

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Live, Laugh, Linkin Park 

The time came where I got to experience the rush of live music once again. Linkin Park came to Auckland for the first time since 2013. After the 2017 passing of the lead vocalist, Chester Bennington, Linkin Park re-formed in 2024 with a new lead singer and drummer – Emily Armstrong from Dead Sara

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Editorial – Issue 12 2026

Citing McGall’s recent work – seminal in the intersection of nexus thought and academic meta discourse – this paper outlines strategy for furthering one’s linguistic execution in the context of undergraduate scholarship. Positing a reductive angle, sharpened by a pragmatic approach, this article cuts through the academic noise and offers advice both

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The Politics of Exclusion 

The proposed Definitions of Woman and Man bill seeks to define a woman as “an adult human biological female” and a man as “an adult human biological male” in the Legislation Act (2019). Its explanatory note claims the purpose is to “protect the integrity of sex-based rights” and ensure language reflects “biological reality.”

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Fees Free Scrapped

On Friday the 8th of May New Zealand’s beacon of austerity, Nicola Willis, confirmed what NZ First gerontocrat Winston Peters had leaked on Newstalk ZB, that fees free will be scrapped in the upcoming budget. Our very own iron lady shared that “We will have more to say about this in

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Gaza and the Ongoing Reality of Survival

So far this year, international affairs has been consumed by the USA and Isreal targeting Iran, however, the genocide on Palestine hasn’t ended just because Isreal is occupied elsewhere. The scale of suffering in Gaza Strip right now demands attention to what daily life has become for Palestinians still living through the

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An Open Letter to Old People: Gen Z Don’t Like AI 

Japan is turning footsteps into energy… jk.  But that’s an example of one of the many ways AI is enclosing the internet. We, as young people, have seen its slow creep into our lives, from uncanny AI generated images to Russian bots celebrating Putin’s gains in the Donbas. But old people haven’t. They haven’t grown up

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A Rant About Humanities

Toby gave me 48 hour notice to write this editorial because he didn’t want to do it so now I’m going to convince you to study humanities:  When choosing a degree pathway, one question remains: Is the humanities dying? The rise of STEM fields being framed as practical, employable subjects intensify this narrative. Yet, beneath this rhetoric lies

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It’s Time to Invoke the 25th Amendment Against Donald Trump

The presidency of the United States demands judgment, restraint, and a fundamental respect for human life. It also demands a safeguard for those qualities fail. The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1967, provides a mechanism to remove a president who is unable to carry out the duties of the office. Under Section 4,

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Being the rainbow flying gay

Watching the news as a 11-year-old wondering why my eyes were glued to the TV as Aotearoa announced same-sex marriage was legalised. I didn’t really know what it meant, I just knew something monumental was happening. I developed allyship for these people I didn’t even know existed. By thirteen I had the first inkling I may have been different; I never cared for

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Being Sober(ish)

So much of uni culture revolves around drugs. Getting stoned before class with a mate, getting black out drunk at a house party, taking enough gear at Outback to actually enjoy dnb. Not every student is a drinker, stoner, or junkie, but for many of us that’s how we log off after a long day on Moodle

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Just Chill TF Out

When something goes wrong – a mistake at work, a poor decision, a friendship that falls apart – it can feel like proof that you’ve failed not just at a situation, but at being the person you thought you should be.  Self-criticism can feel productive. We tell ourselves that if we’re tough enough on our mistakes, we’ll never

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One Foot Back in the Closet

The last time you read an editorial of mine I was out as a gay man. Now, I’m bi. What changed? Well, a lot really.  It’s funny because people who have been in my life since high school weren’t really surprised by the change – like Ruby – because it was my third time coming out, lol. I was straight (by default) ’til halfway

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A love Letter to Nexus Readers

My Dearest Reader,  Permit me a moment of shameless vulnerability.  I have been noticing you – your curiosity, your late-night scrolling fatigue, your quiet suspicion that the world is louder than it is wise. And I must confess: I was made for you.  While others compete to be first, I long to be

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Random Audit – Drug-Drug Interactions –  BIOMD 202 

“Drug reactions can be unpredictable, rare, and can vary from patient to patient. That’s what makes them idiosyncratic – we don’t know what causes it.”  That’s the first thing I hear after walking into BIOMD202, and I start to wonder if I’m on drugs as I’ve missed half of this lecture trying to find MSB 1.05, which took me roughly

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Welfare, Benefits, and Entitlements

Four people who’ve never voted or voted but didn’t care sit in a room and learn about politics, so you don’t have to. This week: Welfare, benefits, and entitlements  LABOUR  -Have been critical of the coalition government’s changes to welfare and benefits such as Temporary Additional Support and the upping of the minimum income contribution for those receiving the Income-Related Rent

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Greyhound Ban 

The government has turned into a stay-at-home boy mum Facebook group who have nothing better to do than complain about things that don’t really involve them. Every time I open my phone I get blasted with articles about shit our government is fucking with now instead of the things we actually asked for. Although I am

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Horoscopes – Issue 12 2026

Aries- We all know you’re procrastinating on that assignment, stop putting it off and you’ll feel better.  Taurus- It’s ok to ask people for help, you’re not inconveniencing people, I promise.  Gemini- Try that new hobby you’ve always wanted to, it’s not about being good it’s about enjoying it.  Cancer- Stop wasting time on your friend that’s always stirring up drama, they’re not worth your time.  Leo- Sometimes it’s ok to beat a

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Really, REALLY good creamy tomato pasta. 

Studylink just hit? This is the meal for you. Delicious, super easy, and not overly expensive.  Playlist: Anything you want really. I’d start with 4EVER by clairo, She’s my Collar by Gorillaz and Kali Uchis, and Redbone by Childish Gambino.  You will need:  Method: 

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What it takes to be a Genre: Desert Blues.  

Guitar driven, rolling beats. Quick looping drums, and jazz-like solos. Lyrics that float through your ears and reverberate in your brain. Northan and West Africa. Indigo blue tagelmust. Desert Blues music is mostly in their native language of Tamasheq, but understanding it is not so important as feeling it.   My first exposure

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The Staircase To Stardom Tour 

Audrey Hobert, night one of two shows at Auckland’s Powerstation, and the excitement raging through the air was intoxicating. The mezzanine upstairs was the all ages access, which, if you got there as soon as the doors opened and snagged a spot right at the barricade, was arguably a better view than being down on

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Horoscopes – Issue 11 2026

Aries – Someone’s doing rituals to get your attention late at night in their bedroom, so maybe figure out who it is in case they make a voodoo doll and you find yourself having sharp pains in your chest at random times throughout the day.  Taurus – You don’t have to save all of your stickers for a

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Making food with no money – Casserole

This is a very cheap and easy meal that is great for the winter months and is bound to accelerate the seasonal depression. This meal isn’t that tasty, looks pretty shit but can be cooked while you’re not at home and costs fuck all.  Ingredients   Method   Go to the supermarket and get one of those brown paper bags.

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Maiki Sherman’s resignation: more than just a controversy

Maiki Sherman has resigned from her role as political editor for 1News at TVNZ.   That’s the headline, but it’s not the full picture. The circumstances surrounding her resignation have been only one part of an ecosystem of muddied waters that now make up the relationship between Parliament, the media, and the New Zealand

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The Rise and Fall of Fees Free

The tumultuous history of deciding who pays for university  The University of Waikato opened in1964, and its students back then had a much different experience financing university than we do today. From 1962 until 1989, the government paid for tertiary tuition fees in full with the state bursary.   As the story often goes, all good things

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Red or Black? 

It’s not much of a secret that online gambling has seen a rise in popularity in the last few years, especially with the younger generation. The technology being offered today means you can gamble from anywhere you can find a connection, anytime you want, on whatever device you’re using. It’s convenient, accessible, and marketed as entertainment suited

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An Objectively Good Jawline – the Dehumanisation of Looksmaxxing

Content warning: mentions of sexual violence, drug use and suicide   The popularisation of looksmaxxing has opened a gaping glory hole in the manosphere – ironically by some of the most homophobic people on the internet.   Looksmaxxing, a portmanteau of ‘looks’ and ‘maximising’, is the idea and practice of improving one’s physical appearance through a variety of

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Metamodernism: The Feeling After Irony 

At some point in the early 21st century, it became clear that the cultural mood had shifted. The ironic detachment that defined late 20th-century art and thought – so central to postmodernism – no longer felt sufficient in a world shaped by climate anxiety, digital hyperconnectivity, and renewed political urgency. Yet a return to

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Amplifying Stripper Voices in Aotearoa: Pole, Politics and Power

Brittle Splits is a 30-something year old Waikato Arts alumni, who wears nipple pasties and fishnet tops onstage (in 9 inch boots) just for fun—and feminist expression, duh. Here, she outlines the mediascape of pole politics within Aotearoa. She recommends strippers to follow (Online only. Do. Not. Stalk.) for equal

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MISSED OPPORTUNITY 

FORGED IN FAILURE AFTER FAILURE  Founded in 2016 by eccentric millionaire and Wellington Phoenix Co-Owner Gareth Morgan, The Opportunities Party was at best quixotic and at worst your most stoned friends half-baked take on civics lessons they hadn’t really paid attention to. Morgan was already somewhat of a meme-worthy celebrity, and the founding of what was, for all intents and purposes, a vanity party was

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Doomsday Mentality

I try to avoid watching the news these days.   Whenever I do it just seems like a sickening tableau of ruin. A macabre parade before the end of the world with grand marshals who sit in ivory towers and feed off the flesh of the masses beneath them. More and more I think that I

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I think the Old White Bearded Guy Was Right.

Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie are having sex again, but now it’s happening in a scene written by a chatbot that has never wanted anything in its life. It looks like a story: there’s rhythm, description, a beginning and an end. But nothing is at stake. No one is there behind it. Hollywood is doing a slower

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Do young people really care about religion?

Growing up in a very Catholic school system all the way from year one to year thirteen, learning about religion was more of an obligation than a choice, though I will admit, it wasn’t all that bad. I was surrounded by classmates who had very differing opinions on the topic: some hated

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Hamilton Gardens Entry Fee Increase 

Hamilton City Council is proposing increasing the price of entry into the enclosed Hamilton Gardens for non-residents.   If implemented, the price of entry would rise to $27.50 to anyone aged over 16 living outside of Hamilton. This is a 37.5% increase from the $20 paid entry fee introduced in September 2024. The

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Nexus Breaks the News – Issue 7 2026

Secret apartment in US mall went unnoticed for four years:  This is the type of shit that would have had me convinced I could do this in the base when I was like 5 years old. Maybe there’s no time like the present…  Eight children dead after Louisiana mass shooting:  No joke for this

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We’re So Back: And All We Had To Do Was Build a Med School

The University of Waikato is back, and all it took was the promise of a medical school. For the second year in a row, the University has record-high Equivalent Full Time Student Numbers in Hamilton, Tauranga, and distance learning.  Tauranga campus has seen an incredible increase in student numbers this year,

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Opinion – Why do we keep giving David Seymour a microphone?

Why do we keep giving David Seymour a microphone?  If I had to come up with one word to describe this guy it would be ‘dogmatic.’ Most politicians are to some extent, but the way Seymour goes on about a ‘free market’ is frankly baffling. As far back as 2010 on Alberta Primetime, he argued against increasing public

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Nexus Breaks the News – Issue 6 2026

MY ROFLCOPTER GOES SWOI SWOI SWOI SWOI Auckland police have arrested a man after he used a laser to blind a police helicopter. The suspect, a Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, had been constructing his Helicopterpilotblinderinator for several weeks leading up to his arrest. A NIGHT OUT (OF DATE) Grab your Aelfric

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Left vs Right – Move-on Orders

Right:  Some consider these rules extreme; in fact, one business association head argued this policy is “not the Kiwi way.” However, I strongly believe it’s about time this policy was introduced.  Personally, I’ve had one too many unsettling encounters in the Hamilton city centre. You often see groups of people—mostly rough sleepers—especially at night.

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Breaks the News – 30/03/26

Not Newsmaker of the week: Chappell Roan:  Babes, I think your time as a popular artist has well and truly expired. The more you treat your fans like shit, the less likely they are to support you. Just calm the fuck down, and appreciate them for making you rich.  Max Verstappen wins at the Nurburgring,

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HOME IS WHERE THE LANDLORD IS

It is an election year, so every week Nexus will cover new policies it finds interesting and try to get the politicians to speak to us. The obvious place to start was with the Greens who launched A Home for Everybody, last week. So we asked Dylan Jarrett to cover it while Toby Brockelbank sat down with Francisco Hernandez – You can view an

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The Great Ham East Garbage patch

If you’re flatting or have ever explored the area around the University specifically on the knighton road side then you’ve probably noticed the absolute huge clusterfuck of rubbish that piles up on every street corner and every footpath and every park. Black trash bags seem to spawn in around bin day along with a mattress that never goes away, then

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ALLOW US TO RE-INTRODUCE OURSELVES 

The WSU unveiled its new name with a Karakia and a kai, in an intimate ceremony for staff, guests, and alumni on March 25th in the Sub Zero Lounge of the Student Union Building.  Te Awa Kōtui was unveiled as a replacement for the previous translative name of the Waikato Students’ Union and was adopted for use  in an event organised and catered by the WSU Experience team .    “The

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Homegrown Returns

After a long eighteen years down in Wellington, the Homegrown music festival made its comeback where it all began, right here in Hamilton. The move was prompted by the popularity of the event, causing the number of attendees to more than double since it settled in Wellington from around 10,000 to 24,000

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Manosphere Madness 

Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere is a compelling but uneven look at misogynistic online influencers and the young men drawn to them. The film effectively exposes an ecosystem where outrage and insecurity are turned into a lucrative business model, with “manfluencers” selling courses, communities, and personas as much as ideas. It’s most powerful

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The Australian Grand Prix; A review from a fan

Rating: +3 I flew to Melbourne last week to watch the 2026 f1 season opener in person, so here is my review of how it was run, and what they could improve on next time. The track was busiest for qualifying and race day, and most people caught the tram or walked

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Resident Evil Requiem

Ok gang, let’s talk about Resident Evil Requiem. For starters, I’m a big fan of Capcom and have been playing their games for about 8 years now. I was first introduced to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and my initial reaction when I started playing it was something along the lines

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Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour (5/5) 

There are no words to describe this event. I genuinely fked myself going to this concert because after this there won’t be any better concert to go to. Benito is a great guy, one of the best people alive, but he fked my life and left me in an existential void.  It was an amazing show,

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? By Bassvictim.

Propelled to the forefront of the whole electroclash/knitted sweater/no-its-not-indie-sleaze-dont-call-it-that London/New York “scene” with their two 2025 albums Basspunk 2 and Forever, Bassvictim’s Ike Clatman and Maria Monrow have had an open messiness to their image that lands somewhere between Pete Doherty with Kate Moss and the Instagram stories of that highschool couple you’re sort of worried about. Although

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The Moment

+4  Charli XCX’s new film The Moment is both a cringe-fest and a beautiful commentary on modern pop music, set to bratty beats we know and love. While the British popstar isn’t the greatest actress of all time, her ability to tap into emotions on a dime is admirable, and within the context of the film, she

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Bridgerton: Do Better 

1/5  The fourth season of Netflix’s Bridgerton takes us beyond the surface-level luxury of the Ton and into the servant’s quarters, showing us the Cinderella-esque Sophie Baek and her blossoming romance with one Benedict Bridgerton. While this author is unable to fault the season’s main event, the short and sudden side plots do have her

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Heated Rivalry: It’s gay, not queer 

-4/5  If you’ve had any internet access in the last few months, you would have heard of the mega-hit TV show Heated Rivalry. What you might not have heard about it, is that it’s pretty much total slop that turns a blind eye to the struggles of queer people internationally and deliberately excludes complex narratives in the name

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Wuthering Heights

Rating: +2 “Come Undone” reads every poster for director Emerald Fennell’s latest venture, a film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, “Wuthering Heights”. But this tagline begs the question, “will I, really come undone?”.  What starts off as a beautiful love story between two children in the English countryside and progresses to a deep-rooted tension between two of the

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Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour 13/02

Southern Gothic meeting dream-pop meeting drone has landed in Auckland. Ethel Cain enchanted Auckland Town Hall on the two sexiest days of February 2026 – Friday the 13th and Valentine’s Day. As an attendee of night one, it feels good to say: “if you weren’t there you really missed out.”   Raised

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“We’re here, baby!” – Lorde, Ultrasound Tour (11-2-26) 

It’s a warm Auckland Wednesday, and Spark Arena is buzzing with excitement, and the smell of Ariana Grande perfume.      The Auckland-born singer Lorde (29) played the iconic New Zealand venue, Spark Arena, in front of 13,000 of her fans, dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and her signature black curls. As

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REVIEWS

ROLLING “STONED” REVIEWS – by Kyuss Maxwell In our typically surreal antics Nexus found a random stoner at the skatepark who was willing to review his fave underground local bands for a few strong beers. We’re talking underground UNDERGROUND. Rise the Wicked are cruising with 102 monthly listeners, Indicator dogs

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Kōrero Mai – Issue 10 2026

I’ll just come right out and say it. If there were no extra financial support for education, I would not be attending university right now. Many tauira don’t have the luxury of a safety net or financial stability. Many come from homes that don’t have an extra $20 to spare.  Back in the dark ages, in

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Kōrero Mai – Issue 7 2026

Tauira Māori on campus   Māne (Monday)  Tūrei (Tuesday)  Wenerei (Wednesday)  Hoki atu ki tō kāinga – Just go home   Nā Elyse Rahiri   Only a quarter of the way through the year and already most of us are feeling a bit pau te hau. Getting back into the swing of study can be overwhelming and even worse if you have people pleasing tendencies, don’t say

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Kōrero Mai

Tauira Māori on campus   Tūrei (Tuesday)  Wenerei (Wednesday)  Taite (Thursday)  Te Waiora – Rā Hākinakina | Gate 2b – 4:30 pm  Reo Māori Phrases of the Week  Kia ora koutou! Here are some useful everyday Reo Māori phrases to help you talk about holidays, whānau, and what you’ve been up to.  COLUMN  I tōku whānau tokorua ōku kuia, noho tahi ai. Arā, ko tōku kuia a toto nei, me te kuia o tōku ngākau. Ko te rongo o te aroha, kāore i rerekē. He tirohanga Māori tēnei. Ahakoa te momo aroha,

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Kōrero Mai

By now you’ve probably heard we’ve got a new name. We’re still WSU, but now we also carry our ingoa Māori, Te Awa Kōtui.  This didn’t happen overnight. WSU has been working towards an ingoa Māori that truly reflects us and our tauira for a long time, across multiple boards. I also want to acknowledge the presidents, vice presidents, VP Māori, and life members who contributed

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He Kura Tūroa

Kia ora, my name is Anaia Rua, and I am from Ngāi Tūhoe & Ngāti Awa. In the following piece, I reflect on the profound connection shared between Aotearoa and our relatives from Hawai’i during the “He Kura Tūroa” wānanga.    He Kura Tūroa: Relatives Across the Pacific  He ahurea te taiao, he taiao te ahurea. The environment is the culture, the culture is the

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Tikanga: Does It Evolve in a Modern World? 

A question I heard recently has been sitting with me: can tikanga evolve in a modern world? It came up during a kōrero between a group of tauira, and it sparked a lot of reflection for me about what I’ve been taught and how I understand tikanga today. For many people, tikanga is

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Tauira Māori on campus

There’s a strong Māori presence on campus and plenty happening this week, from Cultural Hour to weekly wānanga and study spaces. If you want to meet other tauira, build your reo, or spend time in a Māori space between classes, there are kaupapa running across campus. Keep an eye on…  Te whakahiapo – Maori law students association – @te_whakahiapo 

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