The Mona Lisa is not that impressive.

At least not for the reasons that most people think. Mona Lisa has often been credited for both her beauty and mystery, unarguably one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous pieces. However, visually, it’s not even one of his more provoking works. I myself am partial to his sketches (even those that remain unfinished) that greatly demonstrate his position as a polymath, rather

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FUN THINGS… TO DO IN YOUR FLAT

Super Bot   Flat getting boring? Everyone sitting around staring at their phones? It’s time to introduce a game that has existed in parts of the country for a long time: Super Bot.  This game requires equal parts skill, luck, and poor decision-making.  What you need:  How to play:  Step one is simple; everyone finishes their drinks. Once

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The Notesapp 

decorum; diaphonized  let them lave up the cerebellum with soap  build up phellum, genetic armor, mi amor!  you can cope, leave that man, but you know you never can  he’s the cylinder for worms and the cameras at cannes  w ash while you rot and pour bodies on the froth  niagra of viagra in the vice-cubes of hoth  caught

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Nexus Knows

Q: Should I change tutorials because there are no cute guys in the one I’m in?   A: Yes absolutely. Jk, but having people in your tutorial you enjoy the company of can be 50/50. The most important thing in your tutorial is of course to work on your learning and assignments, but I know the

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Whisked Through History: The Story of Matcha

Matcha mania has taken the world by storm. What was once a ritual beverage consumed exclusively at tea ceremonies has quickly become a global sensation. Across the world, matcha’s bright green colour, earth aroma, and slightly bitter taste have captured the taste buds of millions. But when have you ever stopped to ask: what exactly is

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What’s the Buzz – Questioning our Smokefree Identity

If you were at the university’s clubs day during Week 1, you may have seen the Young Nats and Labour tents staring each other down. As an avid watcher of Parliament TV, I can tell you that things got even more intense when it came to discussing smoking and vaping policies in the debating chamber.  During

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Timothee Chalamet Lost His ‘é’ 

Overnight the once “white boy of every month” turned into a filler crush no one remembers past February, a scrawny second-string Seamus Lohery knockoff with a French name and zero wattage – torched his arty girl fanbase by shitting on ballet and opera in a CNN/Variety Town Hall with Matthew McConaughey. A man who has literally fucked a

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Everyone wants a thick Latina

¿Sabes qué me rompe las bolas?   Cuando alguien me dice, seguro con tu acento tenés alto levante. Y dejando de lado si esto es verdad o no, si realmente trae algún beneficio práctico, el comentario en sí ya me está diciendo algo, porque no están hablando de mí, no están hablando de mi

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WHAT’S THE BUZZ: THE BIRDS AND THE BEEHIVE

The National Party has proposed a bill to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment. It will then merge with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Transport.  The bill was introduced on the 16th of February and went through its first reading on the 19th.  The

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Philosophy in 600 words: Nietzsche

Nietzsche may be the most misunderstood Philosopher. His name often generates a general sense of unease and controversy. Some of said controversy is a necessary backlash which befalls all radical thinkers, a sort of conservative pearl clutching at ones own cultural values. The controversies surrounding Nietzsche often involve his sexism, link to Nazism

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Profiled: Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Jennifer Milam

Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Jennifer Milam, sits down with Nexus to explain her horrifically long job title, and now we think she’s too funny and cool to work for the uni.  1. What do you do at the University? As Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, I am responsible for all aspects of the student experience and

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Left vs Right: Should Hamilton Revert to Kirikiriroa

Left:  When we are asking ourselves if the name Hamilton should be reverted to its Māori name Kirikiriroa, we need to think about what it represents and who is affected by it most. Yes, the city under the name of Hamilton has a lot of history, and the name has become ingrained in

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Editorial – Issue 17 2025

When Toby asked me if I’d like to write the editorial for a ‘newspaper’ theme, my first thought – and words – were ‘Yea, sure.’ And then once I’d left the office and was halfway down the motorway, I was thinking to myself…  What the fuck will that look like?

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Editorial – Issue 16 2025

Ruby I’m a history nerd. A world war junkie. An obsessor of origins. A know-it-all-about-America. Like seriously, I have a permanent space on my arm dedicated to the JFK assassination. I’m constantly seeking historical context; the who, the what, the why. But that’s not what draws me in. It’s not

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Editorial – Issue 15 2025

Admit It, Geeks Run The World Geeks, freaks, nerds and tweaks, welcome to Nexus’ Geek Culture, where I’m sure you’ll find something in these pages to tickle your deepest geeky fancies and fantasies. Somewhere in these delectable pages to come, I’m sure you’ll find something that speaks to you, whether

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Editorial – Issue 14 2025

Sex n Drugs I’m really excited for this week’s issue as it gives me an opportunity to share my story to people who have or are going through the same thing. Maybe some people can relate, and I can tell you some things I’ve learnt.  When I was 12 living

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Editorial – Issue 13 2025

The Future Is Female As you flip through the pages of this issue of Nexus, one thing is clear: to celebrate women is to celebrate possibility, perseverance, and the power behind shaping our ever-changing future.   Let’s start with something big: dismantling the patriarchy. It’s a term we hear a

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Editorial – Issue 12 2025

Love Beyond Borders Two years into my twenties, after a stretch of being single, I found the kind of romance I had only dreamed of. It was sudden, intense, and different from anything I expected. I fell in love for the first time in New York City, abruptly and fervently.

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Editorial – 2/09

We’re back! Happy September everyone- I hope you’re ready to get on with the rest of the semester and kick ass with the rest of your uni work. I want to use this space for two things, and I’ll start with a little how-to guide on staying on your game

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Editorial – 5/8

Last week was magnificent. It was epic. It was an absolute dream. It was a legendary tale I’ll tell my kids one day. It was *insert every other good adjective*. Why, you ask? Not because of the Olympics, no. But because of you. Shoutout to the readers who manifested for

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Editorial – 22/7

A lot has happened in the time between the release of our previous issue and this one. Football didn’t “come home”, Trump is talking about unity, and Daemon Targaryen had an explicit dream about his mum (?). Somehow, only one of these things surprises me (and it isn’t the last

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Editorial – 8/07

As I was writing this, the waves of Kamala beach were crashing in front of me, and I was torn between abandoning Nexus, and keeping my job (just kidding… kind of!). The water was so clear, and the weather was finally nice and sunny. I could have been swimming that

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Editorial – 20/5

The people spoke and asked for option one, which unfortunately means that everyone who didn’t pick that has to read my rambles about power-scaling… or do you? I would love to talk to you about how there is no way Gojo could beat Hashirama (bffr), however I have decided that

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Editorial – 6/5

I have been sitting at my computer for two days with absolutely no progress. I have written so many first sentences and paragraphs, but I can’t seem to finish them! So, I decided to add all of my starters here for two reasons: one, you can decide which piece you

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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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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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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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