The Notesapp
“I BO” the syntax of colonials the blackened connotation of creoles the substrate of the enslaved lives with the lexicon killed The bastard children of conquerors growing gardens the blood that’s spilled no child looks like his skin that’s the price of the thrill when your descendants are bought Your
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 of warm grain,
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
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
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
$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,
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
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
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
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
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
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
Editorial – 8/4
Can we all collectively agree that the red sports house in school was the fucking best? I recently saw a TikTok talking about school sports, and so many people were gassing up the red house. Why? Because we were fucking on something. When I was in primary school in Australia,
Editorial – 25/3
This week has simultaneously been the BEST week for Nexus ‘24 and the WORST week for me, and here’s why: The Nexus writing crew is here and ready to go! I was already lucky enough to be working with the most legendary design team, but now we have four absolutely
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),
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,
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Who, Studying What, and From Where? Stats of our Cohort
By Andrew Lin. Nexus got a nerd to get an Official Information Act request on enrolment demographics here at UoW. Wanna see if engineering really is a sausage fest (it is) and which stereotypes our cohort might defy (a few)? Curious how 7 subjects could make up almost half of
Nexus Interview Amber Clyde – Founder of Girls Skate NZ
Girls Skate NZ is a not for profit who have been running skate lessons for 8 years. The organisation has carved their way into parks all over Auckland and shown how far some funding and some gnar can take you – even supporting Kiwis competitively shredding! What did you enjoy
Active Imagination: How Protests Hold Power.
‘Protest’ falls into the lexical category of both noun and verb. The past participle is not commonly used. We say that we are ‘protesting’ but very rarely do we say that we have ‘protested.’ This is because change and power are both results of ongoing imagination and continual action. The
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Running on Empty: How the Cost of Living Crisis is Driving Student Burnout
There is no hiding the association university has with stress; deadlines, class, and the pending doom of an uncertain future have always been part of student life. But for many students in Aotearoa, that experience is increasingly being replaced by exhaustion. Between rising rents, grocery prices, transport costs, and tuition
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
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID PATTERMORE
Nexus Writer Cerys Gibby got Labour Candidate for Taranaki-King Country, Dr David Pattermore, to take a pause from campaigning for a second to catch up about the issues facing his electorate and why residents ought to back him up come November. Tell me a bit about yourself! What are your
NATIONAL ARE POCKET-WATCHING YOUR PARENTS – THE WAR ON NEETs
The NACTFirst coalition’s favourite move – the infatigable passing under urgency – was flourished again on Friday, the 28th of August. Jobseeker beneficiaries aged 18-19, whose parents make $67,225 or more, will lose access to their benefits. This policy has been critiqued since it was launched. The Green party argued
GETTING (STUDENTS) BACK ON TRACK (TO VOTE FOR NATIONAL)
National MP Nicola Willis unveiled a new policy which the party promises to implement if reelected in November. They announced they would reduce the student loan repayment rate to 10% from 12% after having been the ones that increased it to 12% back in 2012 to begin with. Far be
OBITUARIES
Towards the end of August, we were rocked by a string of high-profile deaths. On the 25th of the month, the Queen of Country, American Singer-Songwriter, actress and philanthropist Dolly Parton passed away in Nashville Tennessee following a battle with Cancer. Parton is of course remembered for her music career
Apprently Kids Need to Touch More Grass
The Government has introduced legislation that would prevent children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms, putting New Zealand alongside a growing number of countries attempting to restrict young people’s access to social media. The Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill, introduced to
Nexus Breaks the News – Issue 19
LABOURS OF LOVE Hipkins has suddenly pulled away from it’s commitment to reinstate the Māori Health Authority out of fears that, if they did reinstate it, it would just meet the same fate. Hipkins further said, “Nah yea, gotta be honest we’ve realised that we don’t actually really need to do
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
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
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
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
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
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
It doesn’t feel like Euphoria
Rating: -2/5 If you’re a Euphoria fan that hasn’t seen the new episode, then skip this because I am about to spoil it. It was good. It wasn’t amazing, or mind blowing, it was just an episode of Euphoria. I watched it twice, to try and work out what the problem was, and I deduced that while it
Bojack Horseman- Escape from LA
Rating: 5/5 Bojack Horseman is constantly controversial in my mind- I flop between hating him because he’s an asshole, to feeling terrible for him because his life is falling apart, before I realise that’s entirely his fault and flop back to the first opinion, but nothing conflicted me more than season two,
The Drama
Rating: 2/5 A24’s The Drama (2025), directed by Kristoffer Borgli, is a razor-sharp satire that skewers modern Hollywood with gleeful abandon. Starring Zendaya as a fading starlet navigating auditions, breakdowns, and absurd industry rituals, the film revels in cringe-inducing cringe comedy – think improvised tantrums and viral meltdowns that expose fame’s hollow core. Its lo-fi aesthetic,
U by Underscores
Rating: 4/5 April Harper Grey is an artpop/hyperpop artist known as Underscores. She frequently collaborates with other experimental pop adjacent artists such as Jane Remover and Danny Brown, whilst having her own unique genre-bending sound that separates her from the rest. Underscores’ latest album U is fully self-produced and feels like her most personal and all-encompassing album
Kokuho
Rating: 4/5 It’s not every day that you watch a movie that, despite its slow pace, absolutely captivates you. Recently, I stumbled across a movie called Kokuho. Directed by Lee Sang-il, Kokuho dives into the world of kabuki theatre and explores themes of artistic discipline and personal identity. But at its heart, it is a universal story
Miyazaki
Rating: 4 For many people in the arts, creation is central to identity. I’m in that group. I put a little bit of myself in everything I do. Consequently, I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli and the work of Hayao Miyazaki, who is one of the most powerful storytellers I’ve come across. ‘Miyazaki’ by Paris Paloma
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Rating: 2 Because I didn’t look properly at the specifics of the showing, I walked into the theatre and ended up watching the newest Avatar movie in 3D, which wasn’t something I’d done in a long time, and it made the movie’s experience so much better to be sitting there
Malignant
Rating: 4 As an avid horror movie fan, I liked to think I could predict how the story was going to go, but this one really had me stumped, and the reveal had me absolutely amazed. Malignant is an incredible movie about a woman named Madison who is starting to have
Manosphere Madness
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere is a compelling but uneven look at misogynistic online influencers and the young men drawn to them. The film effectively exposes an ecosystem where outrage and insecurity are turned into a lucrative business model, with “manfluencers” selling courses, communities, and personas as much as ideas. It’s most powerful
IT’S FALL.
Time for my bi-annual re-watch of Cartoon Network’s Over The Garden Wall. (Those who are politically correct also watch it in September as the creators intended.) It’s a heartwarming story about two brothers getting lost in The Unknown and slowly losing hope as they draw deeper into the woods, as winter creeps closer, as The Beast draws nearer.
The Australian Grand Prix; A review from a fan
Rating: +3 I flew to Melbourne last week to watch the 2026 f1 season opener in person, so here is my review of how it was run, and what they could improve on next time. The track was busiest for qualifying and race day, and most people caught the tram or walked
Resident Evil Requiem
Ok gang, let’s talk about Resident Evil Requiem. For starters, I’m a big fan of Capcom and have been playing their games for about 8 years now. I was first introduced to Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and my initial reaction when I started playing it was something along the lines
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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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