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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JUDGING BLIND: YOUNG MARRIAGE 

As of February 26th, I have been engaged to my amazing fiancé. We are both 20 years old and have been together for 3 years, we have a house, two dogs, three horses and a plan for our future together. All to say I am so incredibly happy…but a lot of

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Superman, Omniman, Homelander, & Nietzche’s Ubermensch

A commentary on Nietzsche’s Ubermensch exemplified through Omni-man, Superman and Homelander If you have not read my previous column some defining is in order. First master vs slave morality, to give a brief yet incomplete summary, Master morality is exemplified in the Melian dialogue “the strong do as they can, the

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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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Editorial – 23/58

Gothic culture is one of complex meanings, presentations, and cultural associations. The style originated in France in the 12th century, being characterized by pointed arches, stained glass, and ribbed vault features in architecture. This style was labelled as “Gothic” later, used as a derogatory term.   The style moved closer to

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Editorial – 22/58

Tattooing is one of the raddest, welcoming, quirkiest, creative, and friendly cultures I’ve ever encountered. I have twenty tats, nothing compared to Ruby or Lans or folks who’ve had the money or connections and time to really get inked. I’ve enjoyed every one. Nearly half of them I’ve done, about

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Editorial – Issue 21 2025

Make way for the creatives We’ve had academia, now it’s time for the arts students to rise and shine (not that the arts aren’t academic), to fill the pages with creative freedom and all kinds of stuff that might make you question everything entirely. That’s what artists are good at.

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Nā te ētita

by Brianna Waka E ngā hau e whā o te ao, nō mai tata, nō mai tawhiti, tae noa mai ki tēnei pito o Nukutawhiti, tēnā koutou, take a photo, tēnā koutou katoa. Mauri ora you magic people sitting with these kupu now. We’re sliding headfirst into the busiest, most

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Editorial – Issue 19 2025

By Toby Brockelbank & Mykhaylo Tevkun Stake and Destroy Most of the reason I was stoked on this job was to write about the skate scene, share cool shit I thought was going down in our world of grinds and flips, and convince at least one of you readers to

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Editorial – Issue 18 2025

Holding the power of being your opening thoughts to this week’s issue, I am giving you a list of (some of) my favourite films and why you should most definitely watch them (after reading this issue):   1.        Juno (2007)   This is the best romcom ever, and don’t let the genre romcom

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Horoscopes – Issue 18

Aries: please break up with your shitty boyfriend, he’s ruining your life dude.   Taurus: if you need life advice, refer to the lorde x jack antonoff lore slideshow. it knows all.   Leo: it’s time to confess your sins on a piece of paper in a park, and then smoke three

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Random Audit: ENGLI202 Shakespeare and Performance

Now, I will admit that even though a random audit is supposed to be going into a class you have ZERO business being in, I kind of do have a slight amount of business here. Sue me, you’re going to hear about an english paper from an english and writing

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REALITY COULD – AND OUGHT TO – WAIT  

Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas holds a special place in my heart. When I was highkey fat and horrifically depressed in highschool, I mean like completely miserable – I had a nose pimple and my crush called me Rudolph – sitting in the library and letting my Spotify shuffle through Room

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Horoscopes – Issue 17

Your horoscope your pop culture moment Aries: ‘beefin’ wit my chick while I’m in jail’  Cancer: The time Charli D’amelio thought the #HereForCharli movement was about her  Aquarius: ‘she’s got… PTSD, or, whatever. Post traumatic… Downs Syndrome’  Sagitarius: ‘ninnies on the glass, ninnies on the glass’  Gemini: ‘Stop sign?? What

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Recipe: Girl Dinner 

It’s important to note that ‘girl dinner’ is extremely subjective. It is different for everyone, and varies on your levels of energy, motivation, finances, and total personal value (amongst others). That being said, let’s get into my personal dinner.  Playlist: Do not listen to any music, just open Spotify and

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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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The Good Shit Has Changed 

In today’s day and age, when you step out into the public world, you’re very likely to see an array of people clutching an array of drinks that all have one thing in common: caffeine. You’re probably holding one yourself, whether it’s a hot coffee spewing steam, a cold coffee

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When the Attacker Becomes the Story

In the hours following the attack at Berlin’s Christopher Street Day Pride celebrations, the focus of public conversation shifted with remarkable speed. Before many people knew the names of those injured or understood the impact on Berlin’s LGBTIQ+ community, headlines were already highlighting one particular detail: the alleged attacker’s links

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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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Nexus Breaks the News – Issue 17

Ariana Grande Fans Piss me off on Twitter:  These people are genuinely worse than Swifities. I feel like an insane chud having fights with people on this godforsaken app behind an anonymous profile, but their behaviour is getting out of hand.  Winston Peters is a Dick, as per usual.  In

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Grow Up and Start a Small Business

Lucky for Rotorua, PM Luxon met with their Business Chamber to discuss the state of the economy for small business owners. Unlucky for said business owners, Luxon had some not so nice things to say. After stating that small business owners need to simply “be adult” when facing rising costs

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Nexus Breaks the News – Issue 18

#FUMBLEOFTHECENTURY No, this isn’t about Penk’s failure to overthrow the government. No, this isn’t about Luxon basically giving TOP over to the left bloc right before they got kingmaker status. This is about your flatmate locking himself in his bedroom after texting “W Tits” to a woman on Hinge.   At least

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Human Ethics Committee Wait Times Leaving Students in the Lurch  

Wait times for the Human Ethics committee in Health research have left much to be desired, affecting the work of many Honours and Post-graduate students.     One student stated that in 2025, they submitted their research proposal to the ALPSS ethics committee in April, intending to start research in May. While

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Te Piringa Political Debate 

Waikato students and residents gather in te Pā to witness our very own political debate. With Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke representing Te Pāti Māori, Opportunity party leader Qiulae Wong, Dr. Parmjeet Parmar from Act, Hamilton East candidate Georgie Dansey (Labour), Hon Tama Potaka – our current Hamilton West MP with National, Dr

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Winston’s Wignats – NZFirst has a Nazi problem.

In a shock to a surprising amount of people, a senior NZFirst youth figure was revealed to have been connected to far-right messaging networks. Nicholas Newport/Wells, 26, a former Waikato University student, was linked to at least one social media account that repeatedly posted ‘Heil Hitler!’, and which expressed support

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The People of Hamilton Cannot Drive 

If you’ve driven anywhere in Hamilton in the last year, you’d notice there seems to be an epidemic of very poor drivers on our roads, making bad decisions and making our city look worse than it already does.   With a whopping 338 accidents or fatal crashes on our Hamilton roads

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CHRISPOCALYPSE NOW

…Or, Our Chrisis II… Or, Ya Feeling Lucky Penk? In Sam Neil’s breakout feature film role, the 1977 political thriller Sleeping Dogs, the New Zealand government slips into a military junta which mutates the country into a Fascist police state that eventually brings in American military advisors with rifles and

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Signing of MOU Represents a New Commitment to Disabled Students

On 27 May 2026, a group of disabled student activists gathered in the SUB over pizza and sodas to celebrate the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Te Awa Kōtui  Waikato Students Union and the Waikato Disabled Students Association. This small but influential club is dedicated to supporting and advocating for all disabled

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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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