Editorial

Like many of you we are facing the uncertain challenges of what tomorrow is going to bring at Nexus and if we are honest with ourselves we have no fucking clue where to begin. Everything about a global pandemic is challenging our better instincts here and the only difference between what we are going through and what most of you are going through is that we have 40 pages to fill and no idea where to begin.

Obviously our first instinct is to mask any real fear or apprehension behind jokes, and there will be jokes. How can there not be? We have two sports editors who suddenly have the easiest or the hardest jobs in the world. There was a genuine consideration this week to just letting Josh and Harry play the week’s sports events on the Xbox in the office and reporting the details. FOMO is a hot fucking mess. We have gone from fear of missing out to fear of being outside. The events you fight the hardest to stay inside and experience from your couch.  Even with the actual news, we are struggling to find a world outside of the panic. Luka’s interview with Geoff Simmons from the Opportunities Party could have been reduced to three questions: Are we over or under-reacting? Are we all going to be ok? How the fuck do you know? (They literally bumped elbows in greeting instead of shaking hands).

This week we have also decided not to run a Blind Date. We could blame a fear of social spaces but the reality is that Critic made a decision to cancel theirs permanently due to concerns over student safety and while we agree in part with what they are doing we wanted to do an evaluation of everything and decide if we want to carry on with it. For what it’s worth we last evaluated it in 2016 and put stricter rules around food, transport, notifying bar staff and an emergency contact. For this week at least we are replacing it with a sex-positive column about advice on oral sex from a woman’s perspective.

Honestly, we don’t know what the future holds and by the time you read this the curve could be flattened or we could be preparing for six weeks of online content.

For the most part, while we have the platform we are going to endeavour to keep the magazine as close to the one you are getting to know and love and that includes running our semi informed mouths off and taking a stand for some things. We can still rely on recipes, and snapped, this week David Bennett and Jamie Strange will debate the refugee crisis from the points of view of a right wing Christian conservative and whatever David Bennett is these days.

In the spirit of that platform we wanted to state unequivocally and without the need for drama that NZUSA drafted a letter calling for the transition to online learning for the next six weeks for anyone who would like it. Kyla and the WSU have signed the letter and here at Nexus we fully endorse it. Whatever your thoughts on the virus and our reaction to it if we can be safe, shouldn’t we do whatever we can? If the one thing that comes from these significantly uncertain times is more lecturers end up using Panopto and recording then at least some good has come from all of this.

Whatever you are doing, just stay safe. Where possible keep your distance from large groups and crowds. Ignore politicians who are telling you to panic buy, listen to the ones telling you to report symptoms. Ask for help when you need it and remember that we can be in isolation without the need to feel isolated. Stay in touch with friends, family and loved ones (maybe over What’s App). And if you feel like you have no one to talk to then talk to us. Nexus and the WSU will be working with students to organise safe online forums and help where we can.

See you next week… probably…