THE FINNISH LINE: About Food / Ruoasta

The Finnish line is a column series by Martta Tikka, an exchange student from Finland. In this column series, they talk about their experiences about Aotearoa, its people and events. After a careful consideration I have come to the conclusion that Finnish people don’t feed each other nearly as often

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Notesapp – three 

I fell in love with the moon the darkness swallowed a pale silver glow on pink blush cheeks  lay awake   with the stars   where in the week-long nights  there was company  I fell in love with the sun shining on ocean waves with my feet in the shallows  sinking into the sand  golden

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The Notesapp

I Miss You  You were waiting for me,  The sun met your skin,  Absorbing rays like they were yours to take.  I almost skimmed past,  But you caught my attention,  The right moment – our moment.  Golden locks settled inside you.  There was something clean about you,   with the smell

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The Hindi–Urdu Controversy 

Many people think of Hindi and Urdu as two distinct languages. Others believe the exact opposite. In my experience, few debates get as heated as those concerning the relationship of Hindi and Urdu. Open the comment section of any video discussing this question, and you will find Hindi and Urdu

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$50 Date 

Welcome back to the $50 Date, the column where a broke Uni student tries to have fun somewhere near to Hamilton without breaking the bank. The rules of the activity haven’t changed; We get $50 (Each or total, it’s not specified), we find something to do fairly close to Hamilton,

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Long History Of Creativity: AI’s Problem With Human Hands.

It’s almost pyrrhic that Artificial Intelligence struggles to replicate the way hands look, when some of the first pieces of evidence regarding human creativity are handprints branded on the walls of caves. Located in Indonesia are what is believed to be the oldest known handprint stencils, dated around 67,800 years

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What’s the Buzz: Luxon needs to Beehive himself

I think we bullied Christopher Luxon a bit too hard.  I never thought I’d say that, but after all the jokes about him avoiding questions, he’s really started to speak his mind. If you think that’s a good thing, then what I’d say to you is that what’s going on

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The Problem of Pests, Taken Seriously

By Timothy Townshend.This first paragraph is largely introducing the lineage that Brushtail Possums inhabit, if that does not interest you skip it. Brushtail Possums are a member of the the clade Diprotodontia, a ~25 Million Year old group ranging in diversity from the extinct Hippo-sized Diprotodont to the Tasmanian pygmy

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The Finnish Line

About Understanding / Ymmärryksestä I’ve been training how to speak English for over a decade now. In Finland, most people have learnt English since elementary school as a mandatory part of the curriculum. We learnt proper UK pronunciation, we watched The Simpsons, we did everything in school and outside of

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Auckland’s Aotea Square, Skateboarders, & A.I.

To skateboarders, where we skate matters. AI will harm our connection to the places we skate. This may seem like a small concern in the scheme of things, but that might be the point. Maybe you don’t care about skateboarders, but something as specific as this shows us just how all-consuming AI’s effects

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Revealing Reviews

Content warning: this review discusses themes of graphic violence and feet   This informative film acts as a metaphor for the exploration of one man and his weird obsession with women’s feet. While this review is non-kink shaming, it will explore how the director’s action film is an intertextual expression across

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The Notesapp – Depression in the garden

The sun casts down onto the water that decorates the grass beneath me, a million tiny prisms littering the strands that intertwine like lovers. My feet are white, bleached by the winter of shoes and the endless torrent of rain. Gross. The bottoms of my jeans and the shoulders of my shirt are

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Opt-Out of Voting ACT 

ACT’s newest policy is giving students false hope for cheaper study costs.   Under its proposed tertiary policy, students would be able to opt out of paying Student Services Fees, which currently help everything from our health services to UniRec to this very magazine. ACT argues this would give students more

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Post-irony, AI, and Trust in the Media

Over the past decade trust in the media has declined. I think this has moved beyond postmodern scepticism, so I’ve written a bit about how technology influences culture and reminded you all that we’re getting fucked by AI.  I believe the gap between media’s representation of truth and reality itself

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Toby’s Tips 

For issue 12 I wrote an editorial telling you to use academic jargon and the language of your field of study in your assignments. Here’s more unsolicited advice for writing assignments.  There’s something I’ve noticed to be constant across my assignments, papers, and the fields I’ve studied. Virtually every assignment wants you to apply a framework to

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“I Gotta Put Me First”

The best decision I ever made as someone in their early (to mid) twenties was to stop caring what other people think. And that’s not to say I’m perfect at it but I try to focus on me and only me. I don’t care if my outfits fit the trends; here at Nexus, I write what I want to write. I take uni papers that

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The Difference Between Giving Up and Taking a Break 

University students have become experts at being busy. We juggle lectures, assignments, jobs, internships, clubs, relationships, side hustles, and somehow try to maintain a social life in between. If you’re not exhausted, it almost feels like you’re doing something wrong.  Somewhere along the way, we’ve started wearing stress like a badge of honour.  The advice we’re usually given falls into two

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The Imposition of AI here at UoW 

The following is based on anonymous reports from teaching staff and students, my personal opinion, and a healthy helping of speculation. We cannot find any evidence this is certainly happening; there is no uni statement or policy I could find from a google search. However, if the university is mandating that teaching staff include AI in their

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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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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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Horoscopes – Issue 10 2026

Aries: The LGBTQ dating pool might be almost completely dead, but don’t give into becoming straight just because it’s easier, being queer is way cooler.   Taurus: I would like to lie to you, but unfortunately everyone can tell you were homeschooled. I’m sorry. It never wears off.   Gemini: Being a photographer is not a feasible career. You knew this when you took art in

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Dancing On The Wall: A Review 

Alternative pop trio, Muna, has made a comeback after 4 years off with their fourth studio album release Dancing On The Wall. After success with their self-titled album, Muna has redefined their sound with an alternative dance pop, 13 track record. Produced entirely by band member Naomi McPherson – this album encompasses crying in the

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Recipe: The Hangxiety Cure, aka. gruel 

Playlist:  Whatever depresses you extensively. I like Strangers by Ethel Cain, Motion Picture Soundtrack by Radiohead, and D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L by Panchiko, but anything goes.   You will need:   Instructions: 

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Borderline

Borderline is an indie pop-rock band from Auckland. Members Ben, Matt, Max, and Jackson have curated a funky, idyllic sound that’s both playful and mature. The Kiwi band is currently going global, touring in America and heading to England later this month. How did you find your “sound”?Definitely a mix

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An Eye For Music – An Interview with the Janka Volf

@___sarolta (three underscores) @___sarolta (three underscores) @___sarolta (three underscores) @___sarolta (three underscores) @___sarolta (three underscores) @___sarolta (three underscores) I never thought my first year of uni being a bcomm would amount to anything, but other than learning how to manage our laziest writer Joe, I also meet one rad human

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Cease And Desist

Cease & Desist – a hardcore band from Hamilton, New Zealand. Koen play bass and does lead vocals, Caleb plays drums and does backing vocals and Oliver plays guitar. Per their description, they play music that makes you wanna throw hands with the person standing next to you. Photography by:

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Managing to Make Music 

Lans sat down with their cousin Jayden Keoghan, founder and managing director of August Avenue who represents artists such as Bic Runga, Borderline, Kimbra, and Sol3 Mio. Waikato raised, Keoghan talked about how you can become an artist in Aotearoa, what managers are looking for, and some inspiring words for

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Mazbou Q&A

Creatives love to claim they’re too fluid & talented to be defined by a single term, ‘producer’, ‘rapper’, ‘activist’, ‘influencer’ etc. But Mazbou Q is one of the few people who actually transcend your understanding of a defined creative. Far more than all of those terms, Mazbou Q is truly

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The Glovebox

If you ever thought our local music scene was lame, it’s because your uncultured ass hasn’t checked out @thegloveboxofficial on Instagram. Run by Logan Lewis, a musician who used to skate with me back in high school, the platform is a scuba dive into the underground of NZ music’s new

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Taking Notes

Many of us have dreamed of being a musician at some point in our lives, and some of us are or will be. But, in such a wildly competitive market, it can feel impossible to know what to do and how to get there. Where do you start? Is there

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Coast Arcade

Last week I interviewed Bella, the frontwoman and vocals, and Leo, the bass player of Coast Arcade – a 4-piece indie rock band from Auckland – who in my uneducated, groupie opinion, are the most promising new band of the 21st century. Here’s our discussion. Talk to me about Acetone,

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Is It Really Those “Damn Phones”?

Is there really a boogieman behind the screen? Amira explores this question. Disclaimer: I am not an expert. This article also contains sensitive topics, self-harm, eating disorders etc that may be triggering for some readers. Every cell phone owning adolescent/young adult has heard it at some point: cell phones are

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History of Queer Rights

Though you may know Pride Month to be in June, there are proud reasons why Aotearoa’s is in February. If you are looking for a refresher or need a full debrief, here’s a timeline of our country’s LGBTQ+ revolution. Pre-colonisation, tangata whenua were widely accepting of what we now call

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GENERATION Zzzz… ‘Cuz they’re sleeping on us. 

There was a twinkle of optimism drifting through the air just a week ago, it seems. Greens MP Francisco Hernandez put forward a Private Members’ bill that would see students receiving support during winter under the pretense that, like our country’s old, students are particularly at risk during the colder months of the year.   But Fees Free is getting canned, continuing

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Cost of Learning Crisis: Quiet Questions with Quigley

Fees Free is gone! Winston Peters let it slip on the eighth that one of the outcomes of the upcoming budget would be the end of Fees Free, and Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed it. The policy has had a short and, to put it bluntly, awkward life.   Introduced by Labour in 2018, the policy made

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Political Virgins – Issue 10 2026

Four people who’ve never voted, 25 weeks and 4 days until the election, and a whole lot of issues on everyone’s mind. It’s a simple set-up, and this week’s been made a lot simpler with the buh-byeing of Fees Free.   LABOUR  ACT  NATIONAL  GREENS  NZFirst  Te Pāti Māori  Opportunity Party   Response:  Lauren: Green party is definitely the one I agree with the most at the

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You Are Sightseeing

Ah, travelling. Something so many of us want to do but can’t afford to. But regardless of whether you have booked your flights to your dream destination or are currently fantasising through your TikTok feed, buckle up. Because today I want to rant about the difference between travelling and sightseeing. By the end of this piece, you will hopefully be

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BYE BYE BSA – OR – BUSTING SHIT, ACT?

The coalition government is scrapping the Broadcasting Standards Authority. You know, ‘if you think we’ve breached these standards, please feel free to make a complaint’? That BSA.  What does this mean? Well, the proponents of this happening, like ACT MP Laura McClure say that it’s a “Massive win for free speech.”  It means that, rather than broadcasters (which broadly includes podcasters and streamers,

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Big News for Airplanes: Flight Cuts and Airport Expansions

Domestic flights across the country have been seeing a rapid decline due to petrol prices. Flights are being cancelled and as of late April, Air New Zealand continues to cut domestic air travels. 44 return flights have been removed from Tauranga’s schedule from June to July (including flights to Auckland,

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Artemis II

Copy moon joy. On the 1st of April, 2026 the Artemis ii mission commenced, launching spacecraft Orion from Kennedy space centre in Florida. Significant in many ways, this   was the first crewed flight to the moon in over 50 years, (the last being the Apollo 17 in   1972), as well as this being the farthest

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NEXUS POLITICAL VIRGINS

With the election coming up we are getting (more) political. Each week we will choose a policy topic and show you how each of the major parties (and ACT) view that policy. Then our panel of four political virgins who have either never voted or voted but were never that interested, give their opinion

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Nexus Breaks the News – Issue 9 2026

Better Bus Services on the cards for Cambridge  You read that right, Cambridge’s population – which consists entirely of people over the age of 70 – will finally be seeing better bus services that will more efficiently shuttle them between their retirement homes and the horse races.   CHRIS BISHOP REBUFFS PLEAS TO SLOW DOWN

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Residents and Students flooded in Wellington areas

On Monday afternoon on the 20th April, the Wellington region’s wet weather suddenly increased, leading to flooding in various areas. Suburbs such as Vogeltown, Berhampore, Island Bay, Newtown, and Kingston, suffered damage both due to the water and subsequent landslips. Overnight the city endured 77mm of rain. As many as 150 callouts were received by emergency services during the period and photos released

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Nexus Breaks The News – Issue 8 2026

Over enthusiastic conductor sends $2m violin flying:  Why the fuck was someone playing a violin that was worth $2m in the first place?? This seems like an entirely preventable incident. Was it made of gold or something?  Video of Prince Louis on holiday released to celebrate 8th birthday:  It’s good to

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LUXON LUCKS-OUT… SO LUX-IS-IN 

On the 21st of April, during a National party caucus meeting, Christopher Luxon initiated a vote of no confidence upon himself, a vote the National party leader and current prime minister survived. This comes after the 1News-Verian Poll placed the National party at just 30% and Luxon’s own personal favorability at 16%, 3% beneath Chris Hipkins. The results incited a resurgence in whispers of a

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A Man You Can Bank On 

Rating: 2/5 Do you want a story with too many characters and not enough mystery? Then A Man You Can Bank On is the book for you! Set in a small town in the Australian outback, this novel follows a cast of criminals, townspeople and police as they all try

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Attack on Titan

Rating: 5/5 Attack on Titan is an anime that starts off deceptively simple but becomes a true thriller the further you get into it. The story starts off as a story about humanity desperately trying to   survive against man-eating Titans. But as the series progresses, it develops into a much

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Season of Fear 

Rating: 3/5 Season of Fear by Emily Cooper is a feminist fantasy-horror novel inspired by Bavarian folklore of Germany, and a loose adaptation of The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was by the Brothers Grimm.  The story centers around Isle Odenwald, a teen girl

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Jack Ansett: Looks Like A Bit of Me tour

Rating: 5/5 If you’re like me and are a fan of stand-up comedy or have watched Taskmaster New Zealand a few too many times, you may have heard of comedian Jack Ansett.   On the 24th of July my boyfriend and I went to watch the only Hamilton stop on his

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Taskmaster Australia Season 5

Rating: 1/5  Now, I have to admit I’m only halfway through this season, so I can’t provide a full and inclusive review, but I think with Taskmaster, that doesn’t matter so much. Australians will do Australian things, and Big Tom will make fun of Lesser Tom for simply existing. This

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Wait, who’s Peter Parker? 

Rating: 4/5 Get your ass to the cinemas, Spider-man: Brand New Day is officially out. It’s a strange film to review because it assumes a history that feels just out of reach. Everyone in New York reacts to Spider-Man like he’s always been there, yet the man beneath the mask

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Heartstopper Forever

Rating: -1/5 After a six volume graphic novel series, one novella, and three series of a Netflix show, Heartstopper came to a close with a feature length film Heartstopper Forever. These loved characters ended their highschool chapters, and it was clear the actors were dying to do so.  The actors have been linked to said teen drama

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If We Were Villains

Rating: -3/5 It never ceases to amaze me how this travesty of Donna Tart’s The Secret History ever managed to become so popular.  If We Were Villains tells the story of a group of Shakespearean drama students as they try to cover up the death of friend. However, the fact that the students study

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Gracie Abrams — Daughter From Hell

Rating: 3/5 My favourite nepo-baby is back with a new album, titled Daughter from Hell. This time, she and Aaron Dessner, Gracie’s longtime producer, are picking up the piano a lot more, rather than her trademark plucky fingerstyle acoustic, popular on her album The Secret of Us.   This album, though still filled lyrically with her personal

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Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga 

Rating: 3/5 This movie had never been anywhere close to being on my radar, but I’ve got some theatre-kid friends, so I ended up falling in love with a hundred and twenty minutes of Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams singing very badly. Well, Will sang badly. Rachel’s character was actually incredible, and he

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Toy Story 5 

Rating: 1/5 I went into this movie thinking they’d seriously fuck up the series, since let’s be real, how many movies can you make before it starts to go downhill? Apparently, five isn’t too many. I left the theatre with two of my best friends, all of us pretending like we hadn’t just bawled our eyes out at an

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Where are the Fish-Flakes?

Rating: 4/5 First day back in Semester B, and there’s something new in the library! It looks so cozy and inviting, and kind of reminds me of a fishbowl. Cute!   I forget everything every three seconds, and I’m insanely sensitive to changes in my environment, so I think I‘ll belong there. That’s right folks, I’m talking about the glass study boxes that

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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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