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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What’s the Buzz – Why does ACT Bee-lieve in Paul Henry? 

Election campaigns are always learning opportunities for political parties. This year, it seems as though ACT is learning the lesson that it is not good practice to take on people with sections of their Wikipedia pages labelled “controversies” to run for List MP.   While I wouldn’t put it past ACT voters to look beyond

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The Horror Within Us: the Horror Genre and Mental Illness

I think horror has always been so strong as a genre because it reflects both the best and worst in us. There’s always been a certain pull to the battles that occur in both literary and film within this area. Never have I been an overly large consumer of horror, mostly because I’m a

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America, what the fuck??? 

You’d think I would have stumbled across it before, but for the first time in my life, I recently saw an anti-abortion sticker on the back of an old woman’s truck. ‘Abortion stops a beating heart.’ Well yeah Susan, that’s kind of the point, so it’s good to know you got the memo. Now obviously, we’re lucky enough to

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Hong Kong’s City of Darkness 

Picture this. The year is 1985, and you are flying into Hong Kong’s old Kai Tak Airport. As you approach the runway, you look out of your window, and what appears is a giant megastructure that is made up of hundreds of buildings crammed together like sardines in a can. What’s even

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Revealing Reviews

This show is a gripping psychological survival horror series about the dangers of child neglect. It follows a young girl who suffers from frequent abandonment, often left to wander the surroundings of her town and nearby jungle alone. As a result of her parent’s frequent neglect, it appears the poor girl has

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History’s Missing Civilisation 

In 1826, explorer Charles Masson of the British East India Company was travelling across the Punjab. Well-versed in the classics, Masson was busy exploring the sites of Alexander the Great’s military campaigns when he stumbled across mysterious ruins near Sahiwal in what is now modern-day Pakistan. Impressed by the site’s size and large

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Night, blooming jagoff – Fakemink’s Terrified

Since his rocket to stardom with the danceable EDM-laden Easter Pink in 2025, UK Rapper Fakemink has been a staple of everyone you know’s TikTok FYP thanks to a slew of catchy hooks, a distinct pitched-up voice and constant invoking of Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester. Mink’s debut 2023 album London’s Saviour made him concrete in the “UK

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The Notesapp: For Grant

It sat empty, the armchair  Black, bold, scuffed  Home to the ghost of a man  He used to fish,  He used to walk,  He used to laugh,  He used to be  Then he didn’t  It began in his feet,   Tickling his toes and grabbing at his ankles,  A cruel, curling pain 

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$50 date 

Welcome to the $50 Date, where a broke university student takes his girlfriend on a date with a budget of $50, and rates the activities accordingly. The rules of this exercise are simple; Whatever we do, we can only spend $50. Each, or total, I hear you asking? Yes. After the activity,

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What’s The Buzz – MMBee

Some people have a countdown until Christmas. I’m crossing off the days on the calendar until it reaches the 7th of November: Election Day.  Whether you’re anxiously watching the votes get counted, you’re actively avoiding any mention of politics, or you have no idea how to even wrap your head around the election, it’s important to understand

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Editorial – 11/3

I have a serious question for all of you. I was watching The Babysitter (2017) last night, and there was the question of who to put in a five-member inter-galactic dream team. I want to know who you guys would choose in a team to fight a star war (hehe),

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Editorial – 26/2

It doesn’t seem right to be claiming this space as my own. For the past two years, I have worked with Jak, and it feels weird to be succeeding him in the editor’s position. Well, I suppose all there is to do is say thank you. Thanks for being awesome,

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The Backseat Lovers: When We Were Friends 

When we were friends is The Backseat Lovers’ 2019 debut album, an indie, slightly pop-rocky-y lyrical exploration of being 18-20, learning about people and the world, and having wonderful experiences whilst being not too sure on what to think of them.   The album opens with ‘Watch Your Mouth’, a song about wanting to help someone you love get through something, before

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COMPX202 Mobile Computing and Software Architecture 

It is the first week back at uni (yay) and I had nothing better to do. Actually that is a lie, I was assigned three practicals on my first day back that I had to complete by the end of the week but instead of doing that, I decided to attend a random lecture. You’re welcome.

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Horoscopes – Issue 16

Aries: Have you thought about cancelling that gym membership? When was the last time you actually went?  Cancer: Do not go anywhere near the library stairs this week. You will be cursed to fall down them.  Aquarius: Consider the fact that doing the readings for class might actually help you pass whatever you’re

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Playlist:

Best songs with colours in the title  Back to Black: Amy Winehouse  Black Hole Sun: Soundgarden  Brown Sugar: The Rolling Stones  Red Moon: Big Thief  Orange Show Speedway: Lizzy McAlpine  Big Yellow Taxi: Joni Mitchell  Yellow ledbetter: Pearl Jam  Green Light: Lorde  Blue Monday: New Order  Purple Rain: Prince  Pink + White: Frank Ocean 

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PSYCH101 – Social Psychology, Health and Well-being 

Do I know if someone has already done a random audit on this class? Absolutely not, and I don’t care. This dumbass, meaning me, was going to audit another class only to find out that the lecture does not exist. I won’t be taking questions on how I managed that. So, after a quick

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Horoscopes – Issue 15

Aries: Supporting Taylor Swift at your grown age is a horrible choice. Please get a hobby or something instead.   Cancer: I know you’re the asshole who overstays their welcome at the pub. Please leave so the poor staff can close.   Aquarius: Picking a gross vape flavour will not help you quit. You’ll just end up enjoying

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Sad girl music for even the good days.

Picture this, I’m in my flat on the other side of the world. No less than a month into my exchange semester in the UK. I’m making lunch and decide to play some music. Something chill, singable, slower paced, that’s what I’m needing right now.   My legendary flat mate, Ava, (I miss you, Ava) walks in with the most baffled

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Horoscopes – Issue 14

Aries: Your back is fucked from work, and it’s a responsible idea to see the physio. Think of the ACC money.  Cancer: Please continue visiting the cinema once a week. You’re keeping it alive, and we all appreciate it.   Aquarius: Bored? Crazy idea! Go clean out your car. It’s actually disgusting inside and out.  Sagitarius: How long has it

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Sound Check – Issue 13

Joe sat down with James – self professed Muso and Hamilton lover #1 – to discuss how he put on a gig in town to celebrate his birthday and the music that he loves; Rather than let culture be something that happens to him, he got stuck in and built it up

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Bisexual girls are allowed to have boyfriends- just accept it.

Since pride month has finally ended, it’s appropriate to talk about what’s happening to bisexual women in queer internet spaces at the moment. Since the 1980s, there has been an observable rift between bisexual women that date men and lesbians, which has been recently revived on social media. I sat down with Sonja Ellis, a professor

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The iPad Kids Aren’t Alright 

A New Plymouth primary school has phased out the use of iPads for students in years one to four.  Omata School was one of the first in the country to adopt the use of devices in the classroom, but Principal Karen Brisco is now not so convinced that they are

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Gymfluencers and the Ozempademic

Scroll through social media for five minutes and you’ll find a new body to aspire to. One creator swears by becoming a “muscle mommy,” another insists Pilates is the secret to a lean physique, while someone else claims marathon training transformed their body and life. Alongside these fitness trends come equally viral

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The Tavern – Grassroots NZ Film with Matt Hicks

Sup Matt! Tell us a bit about yourself and your time at Nexus?  I used to write a column called ‘Making living cheaper with Honest Matt’. It was dodgy (borderline criminal) financial advice for poor students. I won columnist of the year for 2012 and got really drunk at House.    Also, that

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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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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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Nexus Breaks the News – 23/3/26

Trump buys all of his staff the same shoes, guesses shoe sizes:   There are so many layers to this that I could make a joke about this with, but the fact he said “everyone’s afraid not to wear them” says enough I think.  A drone looking for a missing man finds a bear waking

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Opinion: University Parking

For $3 a day paying for a park on campus, it should be a hell of a lot easier to find a space, but apparently, everyone and their mother wants to circle the place as soon as I do too. I’m living in self-catered accommodation, and there’s still not enough parking for us. As much as

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SAVE THE PLANET? LET’S FUCK UP SPACE INSTEAD!

Ok, technically not the view of anyone not wearing a Maga hat or owning Twitter but it isn’t far off, at least according to Dr Anna Marie Brennan, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law.   In an interview with the University of Waikato Dr Brenan (pictured) said private companies are rapidly turning asteroid mining into a

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Should speed limits be lowered on Te Rapa Road?

The Hamilton City Council is proposing lowering the speed limit on a 460m stretch of Te Rapa Road from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. The speed limit change would apply between Hutchinson Road and State Highway 1C.   Why?   One of the consequences of calling Hamilton the city of the future is that

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NOT DEAD YET: Nexus CRITICal response to Otago and OUSA.

Toward the end of the 2010s then Nexus Editor Lyam Buchanan and Critic Editor Joel McManus before people recognised his actual talents in journalism, hatched a scheme to buy Wellington’s Salient Magazine. Now, Salient was never actually for sale, but issues with Victoria University and VuWsa had created a significant risk that

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Nexus Breaks the News – 16/03/26

Iran war pushes fuel past $100 usd per barrel:  This is definitely our sign to flood the Hamilton bus system and finally take advantage of that student pricing.  Judith Collins regarding Christopher Luxon: “he’s excellent”  The results of that recent poll definitely say otherwise, but whatever butters your lobster queen. Just remember that’s the party you quit. 

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Humanitarian Crisis Deepens for Palestinians in 2026

The humanitarian situation for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank continues to worsen in 2026, as ongoing violence, restrictions on aid, and political tensions intensify across the region.  In Gaza, millions of residents remain heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance after years of war and destruction. Aid groups warn that the closure of

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Hockey, Sex, and a Lot More Love. 

Rating: 3/5  The Long Game by Rachel Reid is a deeply emotional and satisfying sequel that proves you too, can make it out of situationship territory. Reid takes the chemistry, humour, and devotion that made Heated Rivalry beloved and pushes the relationship into more complex territory, exploring the toll of secrecy, mental health struggles, and the

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Off Campus, more like Off Script  

Rating: 2/5  Based on a series of books by Elle Kennedy, Off Campus is Prime’s newest sultry, hockey romance show that is guaranteed to fill the Heated Rivalry-shaped-hole in your heart. The show follows the unexpected romance between music major Hannah Wells and hockey captain Garrett Graham, weaving an entertaining web of friendship,

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Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream  

Rating: 5/5 I initially considered and was asked whether I wanted to review this game as part of my Revealing Reviews column. Truth be told, there is nothing more satirical I can write than the actual game itself. A sequel to the original Tomodachi Life game released by Nintendo in 2013, is

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A Cure For Wellness

Rating: 1/5 Directed by Gore Verbinski, the 2016 movie A Cure For Wellness is arguably one of the more fucked up things I’ve ever seen, and that’s coming from a horror/thriller fanatic.   The story follows Lockhart, a young businessman, who is sent to retrieve a CEO from a wellness retreat set inside a castle in the Swiss Alps. Lockhart’s task proves

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Hairy macalery 

Rating: -1/5 Brace yourselfs, spell check is OFF, Dignity is GONE and im Disylesic AF (hopefully someone makes it readable). so i picked up this book called Hairy Maclary from Donaldsons Dairy and straight away I knew I was in for something off  We start with this scruffy little lad, Hairy Maclary (already sounds like a bloke

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Practice superhuman abilities

Rating: 4/5 Did anyone else do this constantly as a kid? And when is everyone going to admit that we – yes we, I know I’m not alone in this – still do so?? There are only two types of people in this world: people who pretend they’re manipulating the elements (or actually do… I believe you),

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Have an interview with yourself in the mirror

Rating: 3/5 Highly recommend. I find myself doing this all the time, and I have done so since I was a kid. Not only is it an imagination exercise, but it can be grounding and help you get to know yourself just a bit better! And let’s be real, who doesn’t like pretending to be

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Hamilton Gardens

Rating: 5/5 Hamilton gardens are free! Wes free, and while you kinda need a car to get there, it is a pretty good spot to wander around pretending your degree still has a ROI. When people ask “what’s there to do in Hamilton” I often say the gardens are nice, having only been there twice

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Auckland Tattoo Studio

Rating: 2/5 As a girly with, now, thirteen tattoos, I have been in tattoo studios of all sorts. I have had tattoos done by apprentices, senior artists, drunk artists looking for a bit of fun, pop up market artists, and – as of recently – a very posh, incredibly professional, and extra expensive studio in Auckland

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GENER8TION & YUNG LEAN – STORM

Rating: -3/5 Yung Lean’s new song is trite shit. Fantano was right. I knew this for sure when, lashed by the sun and staving off offerings of gear, I watched him & Bladee project themselves in AI Generated Dragonball Z style form at Laneway.   Now, I can’t blame Lean for trying to divorce himself from shit he was making when

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The Anarchy by William Dalrymple

Rating: 5/5 William Dalrymple’s The Anarchy is a cautionary tale about what happens when a corporation is left dangerously unregulated. Set in the distant east, the book navigates the story of the British East India Company, a trading corporation accountable to only its shareholders, as it rises to overthrow one of the

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Pretty… Lame

Rating: 3/5 Pretty Lethal, the action thriller starring Uma Therman and Maddie Ziegler is pretty damn lethal to the eyes. The plot has great potential – five ballerinas travel to Istanbul but TRAGICALLY ARE TRAPPED IN A SCARY HOTEL. I’m sure you can see where this is going: 1. Someone important dies 2. The ballerinas freak out 3. All five

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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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