Nexus 2020 Issue 11 by Nexus Magazine

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Editors

Josh Umbers josh@nexusmag.co.nz Donnella Ngohe donnella@nexusmag.co.nz

Harry Malcolm harry@nexusmag.co.nz

Nexus Goes to the wrong protest 8

Luka Love luka@nexusmag.co.nz

Design

Ashlea Curran design@nexusmag.co.nz

Nat Calvert Nat@nexusmag.co.nz

Digital Assets

Nexus fixes

Nat Calvert Nat@nexusmag.co.nz

Advertising + Production

the economy (again)

James Raffan + Kendrah Worsley comms@wsu.org.nz

Contributors Kyla Campbell-Kamariera

BRIEFING

Caitlin Walters-Freke Nelson Cooper Nathan Rahui TĹ?mairangi Ella McRae

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CONTENTS

Alex Nebesky

of Parihaka Pa, the arrests of the men, the rape of the women and the confiscation of vast amounts of land. I have grown up on that legacy but even I am struggling today to reconcile the valiant act of peaceful resistance with what we are witnessing now. A question keeps rearing its head, how does a man choose peace when his neighbour chooses war? And it is little less than war. Police, armed by the military, are using military tactics on protesters, both peaceful and otherwise. The President is not only publicly endorsing this but threatening the deployment of the actual military on domestic soil to quell the unrest by force. This is the behaviour of a dictator, not a civil servant. A leader has a duty to protect those they lead, not crush dissenting voices beneath the boots of the most powerful army in human history. Especially when those voices have the moral high ground.

George Floyd And The Civil Unrest Of Present-Day America Luka Love / luka@nexusmag.co.nz

There are 8,049 miles between the Waikato and Minnesota. That’s 12,954 kilometers for those of us on this side of that divide. But that distance has felt vanishingly small this last week as many of us have watched in horror at the events unfolding there and across the wider Divided States of America. Some have grown angry at the violence of the riots. Some of us have angered at the violence of the police officer who sparked this latest round of civil unrest. Those who have been paying close enough attention for long enough understand the grim reality that is playing out on the ground. They may not necessarily condone it, but they can understand it. In 2016 when Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police violence, Trump called him a traitor. It ruined Kaepernick’s football career. Many other people of colour in the public eye have made similar attempts to speak out. They have been blasted by the President, social commentators and the media. When this kind of non-violent protest is routinely excoriated it raises questions about the effectiveness of this approach. Take away someone’s voice and they will use their fists. It is hard to blame them for that. In the current environment there are those who point to the example of Martin Luther King Jr and his non-violent protests. These attempts ignore the fact that violent retribution by the state often resulted. Look to Selma, as an example, where Alabama State Troopers attacked the Civil Rights demonstrators in what has come to be known as Bloody Sunday. I, myself, am descended from the line of Te Whiti O Rongomai whose peaceful protests here in New Zealand ended with the sacking

Others still are trying to point out that all lives matter. It’s true. Of course. The sky is blue. The sun sets in the West. These things are not really in question. We can more or less accept these as facts and move on. We can see it in how people behave. Most of us can walk around our cities, going about our lives and not have to worry if we are in imminent danger of a passing police officer casually murdering us with his hands in his pockets. We can do this because we generally accept that all lives matter. If that wasn’t true, if we did have to fear the passing by of the police that our lives might be in imminent danger we might ask ourselves, does our life matter? Do all lives actually matter? Put yourself in the shoes of George Floyd. Or Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, or Philando Castile. All murdered by police officers as they went about their days. Their communities, looking at all this happening, are asking themselves that very question. If their lives really mattered, surely they could take it for granted that they could go about their lives without fear of the police? But that is not the reality they inhabit. The evidence is not there that this is true. People of colour are still routinely being killed by the State. It is a open question whether the society they live in actually values black lives. So they stand up and say “Black Lives Matter” to wake up their society to the difference of their experience. It is hard to blame for that. Those that say “All Lives Matter” are muddying the waters of a very real, very bloody struggle. To those that say “Blue Lives Matter”, of course they do. Being a police officer can be a dangerous job, they know that when they sign up and ultimately they have a choice. At the end of the day, they can take off their uniform. Nobody can escape the colour of their skin. The violence that has erupted across the US is not difficult to understand if we take the time to understand it. As the BLM movement itself has expressed there will be no peace until there is justice. There will be no justice until our societies value their minority populations. Until we see from their perspective. That is as true here as it is there. We would do well to remember that. NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Pull The Trigger, Kill The N***er, He’s A Hero. Donnella Ngohe

I was three years old – Kohanga reo was considered a set up to “live on the dole”. I was five years old – “key-yo-rah” was to be spoken in the bilingual class only. I was seven years old – the black and brown crayons were always left untouched. “I’d love to go back to when we played as kids, but things changed, that’s the way it is” I was 13 years old – Sneezing into a hanky was considered sniffing glue. I was 15 years old – Sitting down with my friends for lunch was gang-related and frowned upon. “that’s just the way it is” I was 16 years old – excuse me, sir, I need help. Donnella, take it to the Waitangi tribunal. “I see no changes, all I see is racist faces” I was 18 years old – I was driving with a hoodie on, “please remove your hoodie or risk receiving a ticket”, why? The community feels unsafe when they see drivers like you. 6

“Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races” I was 21 years old – Taking two steps into Briscoes caused a “security check at the entry” why? Because I “fit the description”. “The penitentiary’s packed, and it’s filled with blacks” I was 22 years old – would you like me to hold them at the counter while you continue shopping? “And still, I see no changes, can’t a sister get a little peace?” I was 26 years old – My brother and I were arrested for walking past the police officers a certain way. They needed ten male officers on each of us to make an arrest. I was separated from my brother into different vehicles. The officer assured me everything was going to alright, as his hand went up to my skirt. “Is life worth living, should I blast myself?” I was “every day” old – Every part of the shop I walked past needed to be straightened up, hangers needed to be dusted, and I needed to be asked every minute “can I help you with anything? “Coming back after all these years, that’s the way it is” Not your regular introduction; however, Tupac Shakur and Bruce Hornsby are not your typical collaboration. So it only felt right to collaborate similar backgrounds together to paint a picture of racism, police brutality, and inequality in line with my experiences. I’ve been sitting here for 12 hours repeatedly going over the emotions and figuring out the best way to execute a piece of this magnitude. It has been 11 days since a “first-degree” murder unfolded in front of the world, and every time I push a key to unleash my thoughts on to this doc tears build-up, I tense up and triggers of personal experience come rushing to the forefront. The audiovisual was brought to my attention via social media procrastination. I called my family into the lounge crying “see what I mean” – that 360-word intro above is what I meant and should be a clear indication of the types of conversation and protection measures that are put into place in this household. I demanded they sit down and listen to what I have to say — Why? Because I refuse to sit back and do nothing, the best thing I knew was to talk, let your emotions out, and find a solution moving forward as a collective. (I must repeat It’s 11 days and we are still at a standstill wondering what the fuck do we do.)

out. We went around, expressing our anger and frustrations out, then this happened… Nephew: Far we are lucky to be in New Zealand . Aunty: Are we? It’s happening here too. Nephew: How? Aunty: I was 18 years old – I was driving with a hoodie on…(The conversation continued) Nephew: That’s nowhere near what George went through, though? Aunty: We don’t have the same intensity son, but as indigenous peoples, the minorities, the oppressed – fight the same fight. We hurt the same, and you must understand this. Black lives matter no matter what shade of black you are – that is us too. Solidarity is essential, especially times like this. Nephew: What about the white lives and the rest of them? Aunty: What about it? No one said they didn’t matter. Right now, they don’t have to justify their actions; they have the chance to explain their innocence; they aren’t the ones in trouble. Ask George Floyd if his life matters. Nephew: ….. We sat in silence, lost in our thoughts, and wiping back our tears. In all honesty, I am hurting for our brothers and sisters in Marika, and no amount of positivity will balance the hate ratio. Hand on heart, I am thankful for George Floyd; his life was taken in exchange for a platform that minorities can step on. Hand on heart, I am thankful for George Floyd; his life was taken in exchange for a global spotlight on police brutality, racism, and inequality. Most importantly, I am thankful for George Floyd, a life taken in exchange for solidarity.

“My daddy changed the world” Gigi Floyd.

I began to express my hurt and frustrations from one minority to another; you feel the pain one is going through. Direct bloodline is not a criterion because the flashbacks of your own experience have you condition to feel that instant connection. I poured it all NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Wai25: The Local Names On The YWCA’s Y25 List In May the YWCA announced a nationwide list of 25 women under 25 years of age who were excelling in their fields, recognised for their efforts in the community or just genuinely being a role-model. Among those 25 were former WSU Board Member Shalini Guleria and Ashleigh Dick who started Engineers without borders. Given recent events, we felt we could use a little more good news in our lives so we sat down with Ashleigh to discuss what the recognition has meant and her plans for the future. Nexus: You will be familiar to a lot of students and faculty in the School of Engineering, but for those not fortunate enough to be in that school why don’t you introduce yourself? Ashleigh: Well, I’m a fourth-year student in Environmental Engineering. I grew up by the beach in little old Warkworth, moved to Hamilton, and found myself with some incredible friends and a very needy cat. I’m pretty low key, on a Saturday night I’m definitely more likely to be found doing an assignment rather than out at a party, but I know how to have fun when I want to. I love coffee, my veggie garden and my compost bin, you could say I’m a bit of an environmentalist. Nexus: You were recently nominated for the YWCA’s Y25. Can you tell us what that is? What happens next for the nominees? Ashleigh: The Y25 list is to celebrate 25 wahine under 25 years of age who are living their ‘why’ and striving to build better futures. It’s way to help us get our voices heard and increase our support network with mentorship, passion and connections. The next step is a weekend hui in Auckland with all the nominees, to hear from some inspirational wahine who are already excelling in their fields. 8

Nexus: Who are your fellow nominees and what landed you amongst them? Ashleigh: The diversity of the group is incredible! There are environmental and community activists, STEM ambassadors, social justice advocates, talented artists, rainbow warriors, entrepreneurs and more! All of us with our own goals to better the community. My achievements have so far been involved with the community and helping to educate young children about the importance of STEM and creating futures that are more sustainable and achievable. I also am becoming involved with the wider community internationally through Engineers Without Borders, although that is more of a long term goal. Nexus: You have played significant roles in some of the organisations for young engineers starting their journey into engineering. Can you tell us about some of those? Ashleigh: Sure! Last year a couple of engineering students and I started up the engineers with borders club for the campus, which ended up evolving into a Hamilton wide club for professionals as well. This provided us with some great opportunities to connect students and professionals and educate ourselves and the community about what EWB does and how we can help. We ran networking, community development and fundraising events. I’m also now working with YES, and although our big events have all been delayed this year, we are still planning some awesome webinars where students can interact with professionals and work on professional development. Lastly, I have to join Engineering NZ as the student rep for Waikato, which is another cool way to be involved. They offer TONS of free webinars, community-based and wellbeing courses on their website.

Ashleigh Dick

Nexus: What led you towards engineering as a career path? Ashleigh: I’ve always enjoyed science and I LOVE maths…… said no one ever! But jokes aside, I don’t mind it. I love coming up with solutions to problems and working to achieve a final outcome. Its amazing what you can achieve using STEM knowledge! I also think that engineering is such a pivotal career when it comes to the development of societies as we face climate change and severe environmental degradation, and I knew this was the way I could help. I knew it would give me the skills I needed to not only know what our issues are but come up with better alternatives for our lifestyle and the planet. Nexus: You are excelling in a field that is typically (unfortunately) male dominated. What challenges does that present to women coming up in the field? What opportunities does that present? What can the profession do to encourage more women to enter the profession? Ashleigh: Yes, unfortunately, this sometimes can be an issue. I try to ignore it mostly, but already in my very short career, I have noticed that in some situations it makes it harder to share ideas within the workplace and really feel like you are being taken seriously. In my mind, that opens up endless opportunities. The industry needs change and it needs it fast if we are going to make a dent in the environmental issues we face, and why can’t the women help bring the change. Women bring a whole different mindset to an industry like engineering, different values and different skillsets. We just need to be brave and keep trying to make the changes we want to see. Because engineering is a math’s and science-based subject if you don’t have the knowledge from high school it can be harder (but not at all impossible) to get into it at university. I think the key to bringing more women into engineering is to promote

Shalini Guleria

STEM at primary and high schools. We need to get young people interested in STEM from the get-go, develop their sense of wonder and teach them how broad the industry is. Nexus: Do you have a particular vision for your career? Is there anything specific you would like to accomplish? Ashleigh: I’ve always dreamed of one day having my own consultancy, focused on making sure developments are more sustainable and helping to regenerate the environment. That would take a LOT of work, but who knows! As long as I can look back on my career and know that I have somehow made this planet even a little bit better, I will be incredibly satisfied and proud of myself. Nexus: Where to next for you? Ashleigh: I’m definitely sticking with engineering, I’m excited to get a couple of years of full time work and project experience under my belt. I’d also love to get more involved with the Engineering NZ Wonder Project (I am currently an in-schools ambassador), so hopefully that can happen at some point. Nexus: What advice would you give to first year students, in engineering or otherwise? Ashleigh: Get to know your lecturers, especially in engineering, as they have a lot of knowledge and experience you can learn from. Join clubs and get to know the students in years ahead of you, they are also great people to learn from and can help you lots! Also, don’t take university for granted. Sure it’s hard and can be testing at times, but how lucky are we that we live in a country where higher education is made possible for us. Make the most of it! NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Nexus Goes to the wrong protest

Alex Nebesky

While the world seems to be, at least temporarily, having the right conversation about human rights, black lives, the power imbalance that exists in society and the very notion of unity, we let Alex Nebesky go to a protest. Sure every branch of media covered the unity protest and debated everything from COVID-19 and social distancing. Every student media (including ours) looked for an editorial voice. But only Alex could have pre-planned to attend a reopen New Zealand, anti 5g follow up protest and come away with a real understanding of the hatred, fascism, racism and msyogny that exists just below the surface in our country.

a page in a struggle with dedicated to New Conservative supporters sharing Alt-Right QAnon theories and fellating every action of US President Donald Trump. Where the first group I joined was lightly moderated, but still welcoming of debate, ReopenNZProtests is a wild west of hard right-wingers calling anyone and everyone cucks and referring to the Prime minister as a bitch, a whore, a cunt, and remarking that the only people who voted for her where those that wanted a blowjob from her. This sits in stark contrast with those dedicated protesters desperately trying to organise demonstrations. There is also a healthy dose of Holocaust denial because it wouldn’t be AltRight if there weren’t any Jew-haters.

Shortly after diving headfirst into the New Zealand 5G conspiracy theory social media space, and shortly before I was banned from the first page I joined, I found myself joining a group ostensibly dedicated to protesting the Government’s coronavirus lockdown response. ReopenNZProtests, a private group on Facebook (with fairly lax admission requirements) is less a page focussed on reopening the nation and more

Knowing all this, and knowing that the distance of the internet has the same heady effect as a strong hit of Dutch courage to those who want to “debate” the issues of the day, I felt it reasonable to head out to one of the protests organised by the group to see if I couldn’t have a chat face to face with New Zealand’s fervent crusaders against lockdown.

I was the only one who showed up. Of course I was. Nobody in their right mind would head out to a Museum that opens at 10am to protest two hours before anyone showed up. But I had to be sure. There was a second protest, indeed protests happening all over the country (allegedly) kicking off at 10am, but something about the rogue suggestion that there would be a protest on the steps of the Auckland War Memorial Museum at 8 in the morning was irresistible. I knew it was exceptionally unlikely that a protest like that would go ahead because you know, even warriors of freedom like a Saturday morning sleep-in, and judging by the relatively ineffective Aotea square protest last week it was safe to assume nobody would come. But what if…? In reality, the reason nobody came is because ReopenNZProtests is not about protests. It may have started that way, as an organising point for people who wanted to beat the streets to preserve their freedoms, but it isn’t that today. Today is is a cesspool of misogyny, anti-semitism, hard right wing beliefs, evangelical Christianity, Trumpism, and conspiracy theories. The idea of protesting lockdown is just a stick used by New Conservative Party-supporting Alt-Righters to beat a government and Prime Minister they don’t like, and would never like, instead of any sort of civil display. As I write this, only two people are protesting in Aotea square at 10:23 this Saturday morning, though it is conceivable that more will come. Posts about the UN Agenda 2030, however, continue to come thick and fast. When a homogenous group of people get together to oppose a government they disagree with it can take two forms. One is the group that finds an issue and coalesces around it to lobby or protest or spread the word to right some policy or governmental wrong. The other is a group that comes together out of total and unadulterated opposition to the party in power and all its members and takes any opportunity to challenge that party’s government. ReopenNZProtests is most certainly the latter. Arguments claiming every woman who has been Prime Minister has done a terrible job and women should lose the right to vote because of it go unchallenged. Post imploring members to trust in the QAnon plan, itself a horrendously toxic US-centric conspiracy, are left to fester. Every move, every step made by the government is picked apart whether it is related to lockdown or not, and every clip of National MP Simeon Brown, or any promo material from the New Conservatives is lauded as heroism in the face of this totalitarian regime. Any footage of protesters in Michigan is written of as Soros-funded false flag attacks, and any time a cop shoots a gas canister in

a young man’s face it’s hard to know if the group will come down on the cop or the protester- the central tension being that ReopenNZProtests loves to see leftists bashed, but also hates state authority (allegedly). It is a confusing balancing act between “not being a criminal is the easiest way to not be killed by police” and “The police state is here to take your freedom”. And then there’s the anti semitism and Holocaust denial. Posts and comments litter the page with “(((them)))/[them]/THEM” being blamed for all manner of global issues- issues that are almost exclusively attached to left wing politicians. For the uninitiated, the triple parenthetical is used to show clearly that a group or individual being discussed is Jewish, the brackets intended to represent echoes- because the insidious actions of the Jews echo throughout history. George Soros also serves as a stand-in for international Jewry, especially when Black Lives Matter protesters can be labelled as paid Soros goons. One poster actively referenced the long debunked Other Losses, a book published in the 1980s claiming that 5 million Germans were starved to death on purpose by Eisenhower in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War and then referred to this as the “real Holocaust”. No such mass-starvation plan existed, but the belief that one did gives ammunition to those who wish to play down the Holocaust to benefit their own efforts to blame Jews for all they see wrong with the world, and helps play into the white genocide belief that so often comes hand in hand with such theories. It also serves their perverse characterisation of the Nazis as some sort of socialist evil- but that’s a conversation for another day. It must be said that these views were by no means the majority, or even a sizable minority of views, but there they were side by side with every other post or comment, left to fester in the milieu of dissidence. An important thing to note is that admins and mods do not challenge these deeply racist angles- not actively at least. It took me three days of arguing with a man named Jared (not really his name) about the Holocaust before I was banhammered. I had to assume he was too, somewhere between the point he spammed the group with a dozen QAnon posts, and the point

at which he called me a (((Khunt)))/”Skiddy arsed jew”. On later inspection, a friend who was smart enough to keep his head down sent me a screenshot to show that no, my friend Jared was not banned for his part in the lively debate about “the real Holocaust” or Q’s plan. One admin, a man who manufactures a delicious looking brand of kombucha and is an accomplished international Chef responded only to tell me he would not be interviewed, then blocked me. He is also active in sharing NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

draw from that is that some views are tolerated in this community and others are not.

anti-5G content on his Facebook, a proponent of men’s health, a supporter of green energy, and backed Peter Vaughan in his unsuccessful 2019 Auckland Mayoral Campaign. A mix of views from across the spectrum. He also sits comfortably and watches his ReopenNZProtests group proliferate anti-semitic, hard right ideology and anti-BLM rhetoric in the guise of “just asking questions” without much room for debate. Only one other moderator I contacted responded to me at the time of writing this. They were alarmed at the Holocaust and anti-woman posts I had been arguing on and recommended that I report posts like that in future. I can’t because I’ms till blocked, and that still leaves three of the four I contacted unwilling to condemn or even comment on posts of that nature. I doubt a lot of the members in the are fully aware of what a lot of what they see means. I wouldn’t be surprised if a majority of members genuinely want to see the nation out of lockdown and only see the nation out of lockdown. Perhaps the moderation team feels overwhelmed by the the intoxicating mix of fear and power that comes with running a group of thousands of members and knowing many of them subscribe and actively promote right wing conspiracy theories. Then again, I do know that a man who describe the real Holocaust as being one against Germans, a man who made the case that women shouldn’t be allowed to vote, a man who responded to a gif of a black man with a gif of an orangutan, a man who made a targeted post against me on the forum in an effort to incite some sort of bullying was left as a member and I was removed. All I can 12

So I was dearly hoping some of these folks would show up on this brisk Saturday morning to protest. That I could have asked some questions or gotten some insight, but I also had to show up so I could bear witness to the absolute clusterfuck of an organisational system that they follow. On a giant thread of all the protests planned for that weekend all over the country, the Auckland post had a few mentions of the 8am protest at the Museum, the Admins were nowhere to be found when questions were asked regarding this renegade plan, and a handful of posts followed to ask who was there. Nobody showed up, and nobody was ever going to because much like telling everyone you’re going to run a marathon gives you all the warm fuzzies you need without having to actually run one, like telling everyone you’re going to quit smoking gives you all the kudos without quitting smoking, simply calling the Prime Minister an “evil New World Order cunt” gives you all the reinforcement you need to say you’re in the fight against this global tyranny. Calling me a cuck on the internet makes you a freedom crusader, and frankly, we would all be so lucky to have such cemented self-assurance. In the end, I waited on the steps of the museum for an hour. I had a brief chat with a Museum employee, and I had a lovely walk around the Domain. I caught the train back home and had a delicious slice of cheesecake for breakfast. And as I did all that I thought how pleasant it was that I wasn’t being abused as an NWO shill by an outraged right-winger because when that happened online last night I was embarrassingly rude to him. I don’t regret it, but I don’t really know if it helped anyone.

Nexus fixes the economy (again) 14

Josh Umbers

One of the major advantages to having a thriving group of contributors and Student Editors is diversity of opinions. That is why when we published a Nexus Fixes Everything last week on “How to get the economy to bounce back” we started a major debate…. With Josh. We didn’t quite get to the “if you think you can do it better then you write it” stage but it was implied. What we now have is a Nexus Fixes the Economy grounded more in centre right economic theory than socialism. As for which one is the best to drive the country forward, we have no idea. Then again, neither do the people in the debating chamber. If you haven’t caught on already, the New Zealand economy is in a bit of strife right now. We’ve nearly beaten COVID-19 fair and square, it’s on its knees in the corner of the ring begging for mercy and we’re about to deliver the final blow to this two and a half month long bout. Clock it once more in the jaw and teabag the shit out of it. This is all well and good, but we also need to make sure we don’t let the economy get completely turned upside down and shaken around, leaving many people out of work and money to feed their families. The Treasury is forecasting 9.8% unemployment by Q3 of this year, so we haven’t even seen the worst of it yet. In an NZ Herald article published on the 28th of May it reported that there had been 14,156 job losses just from major companies. 3500 of those coming from Air New Zealand alone. Skyline Skyrides cut half of their staff, which is the biggest tourism operator in Rotorua and Queenstown. Since the start of the COVID-19 restrictions, 43,000 people have signed up to the Jobseeker Benefit (as of 28th May) indicating large losses of jobs. The current coalition Government has been polling well, but there are some New Zealanders who think that they are out of touch with the economic sector. They have

to get the people of New Zealand working and spending again. It just has to be done, but they have to do it right. Their good poll results won’t last if it turns out they’re out of their depth in recovering an economy. Here are some ideas that I think might help the economy recover. Remove Auckland Regional Fuel Tax The Auckland Regional Fuel tax has been in effect for some while now, as just another tax added on top of the batshit crazy amount that we pay at the pump anyway. In the first six months of it being in action it gathered up a cool $77.7 million dollars from New Zealanders just filling up their cars in Auckland. You might be asking where they spend it, the answer to that is that Auckland Transport reckons they’re gonna be spending it on intense transport development over 14 areas of Auckland. They managed to spend half of the first six months of revenue in the first year of the tax being in effect. The same Government that complains about the cost of living in this country actively makes it more expensive every year by increasing fuel tax and road user charges. I ran some quick math to figure out how much more money would be in the pockets of Auckland households if this small tax didn’t exist. Given there are roughly 540,000 dwellings in Auckland, it would equate to $144 every six months, which is not too bad. Not everyone in Auckland owns a car, but there are also businesses who pour tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars into fuel costs every year that would be instantly better off if they had another 11.5 cents off per litre of fuel. Lower the Excise Tax On Fuel According to the AA, just under a third of the cost of 91 at the pump is the actual cost of fuel. Despite oil prices falling globally, the price of fuel in this country is kept artificially high by fuel taxes. 50% of it is excise tax, not including the Auckland regional tax. In the year ended June 2019, the average New Zealand household was spending $48.50 a week on petrol. That’s an unreal amount for some who are working the lower wage jobs. If we were to throw it away entirely (which I’m not sure would be a great idea), it would be the equivalent of some receiving a 50c wage rise, which would be fantastic as opposed to increasing the minimum wage and just driving up the cost of goods and services (we’ll save this one for another paragraph). I’d be all for the full excise tax if there were actually any new highway projects being announced, instead the previous Governments plans were scrapped. So I don’t see why we need to be shafted at the pump by the Government when those tax dollars aren’t actually being actively spent on huge roading projects. Yeah sure, they want to spend billions on rail infrastructure with the tax revenue, but how is that actually going to benefit most of the population who require a car to commute to a worksite? Rail will only benefit those living in Auckland/Wellington/Maybe Christchurch, and those moving cargo around the country. But I suppose that would also result in job losses for freight companies since you only need a couple of people to drive a train as opposed to one person per truck. In the piece last week we mentioned that the Government’s dreams of electric cars and trains are nice in theory, but they’re

just not realistic for most of the population yet so I don’t see why we should be shafting the rest of the population on fuel to get them into cars they can’t afford. In a time where people are struggling to make ends meet, I say we slash excise tax on fuel by at least 50%, essentially giving everyone a small pay rise and leaving more money in their pockets to spend and rejuvenate the economy, or just to make ends meet. Get rid of the lower income tax brackets The lowest 20% of earners in this country barely make up 2% of the total income tax paid. Chuck the next 10% of earners on top of that and the figure sits just under 5% of income tax paid in total. I say do away with the lowest tax bracket which is 10.5% on the first $14,000 of income, instantly leaving an extra $1,470 in people’s pockets per year, largely leaving the total income tax paid by New Zealanders untouched. If you’re someone who works a minimum wage job, this would be a huge benefit to you. How would this be done? Either pay it anyway, and you get it in your tax refund at the end of the year, or the clever accountant of the employer you work for would use their accountant brain to come up with an accountant way of doing it. To offset any income tax loss, increase the tax on the top earners by a bit. Make the real big earners pay a bit more, they can afford to, they’re not the ones on the lower wages struggling to get by with the high costs of living. Maybe while we’re at it we could take GST off food, or the healthy food at least, like vegetables and fruits. Encourage more people to buy them and consume a more healthy diet. We wonder why we have an obesity problem in this country despite the healthy food generally being more expensive and it baffles me. Scrap the business size limit for Government interest free loans Last week I interviewed John Lawrenson, who is CEO of the Lawrenson Group. He pointed out that with the loan scheme the Government is offering, he is not able to qualify for it because he employs over a certain number of people. He added that this does not make sense, he has gone through the effort and risk to create 200 jobs, and for that he is punished by not being eligible for a loan scheme that is intended to help businesses through these tough times. So do away with the employee cap on the eligibility, because they’re loans on the Government’s balance sheet that they will make money. Some of us out there may think that nationalizing the power or giving out a universal income would help us live in a perfect world. The reality is that we need real solutions from business people who know their shit and know what businesses need in order to be able to give people what they need to survive and do well. The same goes for the Government, it just seems like sometimes they are so out of touch with the real world and it is us who suffer as a consequence of their lack of real world knowledge, for example how expensive it actually is to run a car these days. No one at Nexus or anywhere else thinks there is one solution that will stop this from being a long and painful recovery. This just shows how important business is to us as a society, and that no matter what we do, it is always involved somehow.

NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Manu…Obviously

Can we judge on a single season? Yes. That is why David Fusitua becomes the second current Warrior to make it into the Nexus 13.

centre

Perhaps the toughest one to call but RTS already surely beats out Cleary, Ridge, Webb and the “potential” Tomkins never really displayed. Probably wouldn’t be given the arm band but would be an unstoppable force.

centre

RIGHT WING

LEFT WING

Fullback

2020 – The year of the Warrior

If there’s anything to take away from this god-forsaken year it’s the fact the warriors just steam rolled the Dragons. For the Warriors, the NRL season started out in late March, and like most people’s experiences of March 2020, it was a giant steaming turd. The team scoring 1 try in 2 outings, suffering back to back losses. Round 1, a 0-20 hiding by the knights and were routed in round 2 by the raiders 6-20. The warriors seemed to be on that all too familiar path to disappointing the country for another year. Enter COVID-19. With the addition of a deadly virus to some team’s rosters came the shutdown of the league and a postponement of games for around 2 months. The league was back and the Warriors looked refreshed, revitalised and rearing to go in their match against the Dragons winning 18-0. They also managed to complete 46 out of their 48 sets, an NRL record, making their first mistake in the 75th minute. This prolonged off-season may have given them a chance to catch up on their fitness levels away from their free Wendy’s hamburgers, we shouldn’t hold our breath. No we shouldn’t. We should use all our breath to scream “this is it. It’s their year, it’s their year, it’s different this time I promise”. Go the Warriors. But to settle an argument – or to start a new one in the office- we are wondering how this year’s crop compare to our all-time Warriors XIII. Here are our picks for the greatest Warriors team of all time.

I really don’t want to put Konrad Hurrell here but on his day…. if this is a one-game, best performance deal then he beats out Kata.

You want to be great? Play in a neck brace. Brent Tate

PJ Marsh, narrowly takes it over Monty

lock second rowers

If anyone can think of any argument why this wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be Stacey Jones then hand in your passport and move as soon as the borders are open.

props

five eighth halfback hooker

We thought about playing SJ here but we have to go with James Maloney.

Simon Mannering. Was he talented? Who knows. Was he consistent? Mostly. Can you actually think of another Warriors Lock.

Ali Lauitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;iti and Jacob Lillyman would be an unstoppable combination.

Price and Wiki give you the perfect mix of hard-man mongrel and flair

BENCH Shaun Johnson

Kevin Campion

Brent Webb

Joe Vagana

NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

REO TAUIRA Matike! Maranga! Kyla Campbell-Kamariera

Time and time again the world is reminded of the injustices that occur on the daily. But we’re being reminded at the cost of our brother’s and sister’s lives. Given the current circumstances and the restrictions COVID has imposed on the world, we may not be able to physically come together but we can stand in solidarity in our own personal capacities. Unity, diversity and sense of community is more important than ever, even if we can only achieve that in a digital space for now. Aotearoa might be a small island nation in the South Pacific but that won’t take away our ability to amplify the voices that speak back against racism. Let’s make our voices heard for one another and stand united in this cause. The 2020 WSU Board of Directors stands in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters and we condemn racism, anywhere, everywhere and at all times. In order for humanity to advance we need to shift the perspective that oppression is only a problem for those who are oppressed. Aside from rallies and protests, we need to ask and be honest with ourselves if our actions positively contribute to racial equity, or if rather, they’re perpetuating racial inequity. We’ve shied away from the hard conversations for far too long. But we can start at home. With ourselves, our whānau, friends and colleagues. This is where ally-ship is truly important. Whether you’re Native, of Colour, Indigenous or not at all, we need to take a stand against this immense hatred that occurs every day. To only recognise this ill behaviour and not do anything about it does not do justice to the people who lose their lives daily because

of the colour of their skin. We need to start asking each other to not be dismissive of the bad behaviours and microaggressions of the people in your life that perpetuate this negativity. We need to start asking each other to not use hateful language. We need to ask each other to not let hate manifest in ANY forms. The Black Lives Matter Movement is a movement against the racism, oppression and violence faced by Black communities worldwide. The same atrocities too faced by Native, Indigenous, Pacific and People of Colour. These are the people who are actually being demonised for their culture. Some of our greatest Māori movements were influenced by Black movements, motifs and symbols. This is our whakapapa to each other. Racism is not isolated to the USA – it happens here in Aotearoa too. Soon we will come together again. The physical distancing that has divided us for the last few months will be gone. But we must recognise that for so many, the world will still be as cold and as distant as it seems now. As we move forward, we must strive to be different, to think differently and to embrace the lessons we have learnt. We cannot, and we must not let our own sense of normality restore the divisions that we are awake to in this moment, the need for justice and the feeling that together, we are the architects of our future. There is so much that has been said and there is so much more that can be said. But most importantly, bit by bit we must each proactively dismantle these systems of oppression that have been in operation for far too long. Alone we can be broken, but together we are unbreakable. Ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati, ki te kāpuia e kore e whati – King Tāwhiao.

FEEL GOOD NEWS The Waldorf school in Santa Fe, New Mexico donated $2,800 worth of supplies to the Navajo Nation, one of the places worst hit by COVID-19 in the US, after their school trip was cancelled due to the pandemic.

7-Year-old Curtis Rogers from Raleigh, North Carolina hosted a socially distanced mini-prom in his backyard for his babysitter Rachel Chapman. Her senior prom and commencement ceremony were cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have successfully restored mobility and sensation of touch in stroke-afflicted rats. They reprogrammed human skin cells to become nerve cells and transplanted them into the cerebral cortex of rats.

Engineers from Hong Kong and the U.S. have published trials of a bionic eye that could restore sight to an estimated 285 million blind people. It mimics the domed-shape of the retina which sharpens focus and reduces the spread of light.

Bank of America is committing $1 billion over four years to help local communities address economic and racial inequality.

Researchers from Tulane University School of Medicine have identified a gene that causes an aggressive form of breast cancer

The European Commission (EC) has made a pledge to preserve 30% of the EU’s land and oceans as protected zones by 2030.

Apple, Facebook and Verizon are also donating $10 million each to various racial justice groups.

and found a way to “turn it off” thus inhibiting cancer from occurring.

They plan to raise 20 billion euro every year for the next 10 years to do this. NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

SPONSORED BY

TURN UP Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen a lot of people on social media trying to reflect on their lives. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like the new trend: be deep, share quotes, inspire others! And as this â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;new trendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; had begun to ignite, Coronavirus was like that drunk dickhead at a party that came along and threw a whole can of petrol on the fire, and now someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dialing 911 to get some help on the way. People are searching for a lesson throughout this lockdown; slowly sifting through ashes, looking for remnants of who they are. While most people have uncovered â&#x20AC;&#x153;I needed to resetâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got in a better routineâ&#x20AC;?, I say bull. shit. If this pandemic has taught us anything, is that life is too short and anything can happen! I mean a bat for crying out loud was (allegedly đ&#x;&#x2018;&#x20AC;) the downfall of so many people and we all had to enter a new way of living. We need to NOT take life for granted and live it up while we can; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking parties, travel, drugs, alcohol, drunk online shopping purchases â&#x20AC;&#x201C; treat yoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;self. And for all you people out there that have been bragging about how much theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve saved while staying at home, even better! Get out there and start making it rain. Chances are if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reading this, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re young and in that sweet spot of student life where you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know how much debt youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in yet (trust me, ignorance is bliss). You will never get this time back to become an alcy, sleep with whoever or make dumb decisions because society will just roll their eyes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;tsk tskâ&#x20AC;?, and blame it on your age; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like having a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;get out of jail free cardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (unless you do something totally fucked up then of course you probably deserve jail). At the end of the day, you can play it safe: get your degree, save money, start a career, have a family, die. ORRR you could not be boring, make mean memories, see some cool shit and try something out the gate that you can tell your grandies about. So if another global pandemic does hit that might take us all out, you know youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lived your best life. 20

SETTLE DOWN

(AND SAVE DAT MUNAAAAY . . . KINDA) Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all been peer pressured to go out and woken up with an empty bank account waaaaaaaaaay too many times. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me wrong, I also love to party, but living life on the bones of my ass was getting kinda old. Though it may not have crossed your Long White and Bar 101 drenched mind yet, once you finish uni, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re probably going to have a list of things that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to do. It could be to start your own business, do your big OE or even buy a nice house or a fancy graduate car. Buuuuuut that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be possible if ya keep spending up large at Bongoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or The Hood. So here are a few quick tips and proâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to staying in, saving your pingaz and coming out of uni with more than just a degree. Open an account and name it after your goal, future you will thank you for setting aside a bit of cash for the things you want later on in life. If you can afford those trips to Cameron Road Bakery, you can afford to put the equivalent away for your dream trip, car or house too. Then set a signatory on the account so that ya canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take ya money out unless the signatory is there too. Some easy ways to save a bit more can be meal prepping and taking your lunch to uni, using the Gaspy app to see where the cheapest gas is when you need to fill up (we know ya loooove that cheap gas) and having drinks at home instead of going to town. Then all ya need to do is watch that account get fatter and laugh at these broke b*****s! Trust me, your liver, your future self and your Mum will thank you later. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tired of forking out to save yo ass too.

Burger, sides and shakes ~ fast. Find us: 372 Grey St, Hamilton East

shakeout.co

@shakeoutnz

NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Family dinner

Signed

Fuck knows

___________________

The Casino

Tinders dates flat

Group work

___________________

McDonalds

The Outback Inn

date

Due to:

date

Flat chores

Pick up required from: Hogan Street

A piss up with the boys

On the __________

Other

An event

Please excuse _______________ from:

Here at Nexus, we understand the value of a well-needed night out. Even more, we know being hungover should excuse you from any and all human interaction. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re welcome

On the __________

A girls night out

A birthday

Nexus gives permission for _______________

PERMISSION SLIP

NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Diminutive post TOP 10

To Piss Up In Hamilton

Dad’s garage - He will acknowledge the failure that 10. Your you are before joining you

Student Wastes Another Entire Sunday On The Couch

Local marketing breather, Lachlan, 20, did not move from his couch at all on Sunday following a heavy night of drinking on Saturday. Apart from tidying his flat after a ‘huge as fuck sesh’ for an hour or so in the morning and a quick trip to KFC, he spent the entire day parked the fuck up on the couch in the lounge scrolling social media until he fell asleep at 7pm. As usual, University work was out of the question, but sending the usual “I’m dusty as fuck aye” snapchats to all his beezys in the hope they’d come over and cuddle (which did not work). As the sesh becomes more prominent again, so do the non productive Sundays.

Driving Range - Not exactly legal, but smacking golf balls drunk is good for it

House On Hood - Having a jug or two at dinner with the lads is trouble

Literally anywhere in Dunedin - It’s just crook, beer runs through their veins

Anywhere but Auckland - Fuck Auckland

The Hillcrest Tavern - Nothing like getting 9 handles deep on a Friday

Somewhere on Hogan Street - No explanation needed

By the trees on the field closest to Knighton Road If you know, you know

My house - She’s had a few doozys in the past

Greensboro Street - I’ve seen more fires there than I have in my fireplace

WHATS HOT The American Cop cars going up in flames - literally

Another Wall Gets Punched In, Again???

Varying reports were received at Nexus from partygoers over the weekend that several innocent walls had been punched in at the various parties. Rumour has it a Nexus Editor even participated in such antics, yet this could not be confirmed. Sources say that this is a common occurrence as soon as those ‘spoilt as fuck careless breathers’ rock up, usually later in the night when everyone is absolutely lazered. This, once again, has resulted in flatmates all over the country having to ring up their builder mates on a Sunday asking them if they’re able to fix a few holes in their wall for a quick buck.

The Semester nearly being over Dan Carter returning to NZ PLU93 coming back My cone piece

WHATS NOT Racism The weather The 15 beers I’m going to drink this weekend - they will be cold This being the last issue of Nexus for the semester Phil Twyford

I don’t know where to start this week. Two rather large seshes graced me with their presence over the long weekend, I hit my liver for six two times in a row, I put a hole in a wall. Putting a hole in a wall brings joy, I mean I’d only do it if the host gave me permission. But it just gives me that short rush that I search far and wide for nowadays. Just breaking shit is fun, it makes me feel like a child again, the howls of sesh gremlins can be heard throughout the neighbourhood when this occurs. With exams coming up, it’s time to get those final sends out of the way, hit pause on those dusty Sundays with your Beezy, knuckle down and do the hard yards before writing yourself off not even 45 minutes after your last assessment.

DRINK OF THE WEEK Quite Literally Petrol Itself

(satire, don’t actually drink this) We thought that with fuel prices being at an all time low, the luxury that is 95 Premium from BP is finally affordable in recreational circumstances. No, we’re not talking about huffing it under a bridge, but sending it through that bad boy rooftop funnel that you and several other dropkicks made in O’week. The fumes from this liquid will probably make you feel like you’re a living organism in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. We’re not really sure what the dollar to standard ratio is, but given how much the main ingredient fucked up every animal in the Gulf we think it’s probably pretty strong. Can be consumed by huffing, injecting, or drinking. Hits best when shelved or smoked.

BRIEFING RED CARD IDEA The Other Coronavirus

These themed red cards are fucking good, maybe next week you’ll see an election themed red card. Anyway, you and all the boys must acquire a very expensive 12 box of Coronas each, a few limes or lemons, your choice. Assemble in the backyard of the chosen home with a funnel. The next step is to start necking the beers through the funnel, you must keep going until someone can’t hold it down anymore and vomits. The person who vomited is now a patient and must socially distance, anyone who talks or even so much as looks at the cunt who is socially distanced also becomes a patient. If they fall victim, they must undergo the same treatment. The only way to get out of being socially distanced as a patient is to eat an entire fucking lime, skin and everything. This keeps going until all the beers are finished and you may set out punishments as you wish, like forcing people to do a pelican, that’s always funny.

SESH WARS EPISODE 11: All The Gear No Idea

This story harks back to a cold winter sesh back in June last year. I had a few mates come up from Dunedin, it was my first time seeing them in some 6 months. What better way to catch up than to drink in excess of 15 beers at a flat on Greensboro street? Things kicked off mildly, sipping away at the nectar that is flames, we get a few drinks in us, the chat is flowing, all is going well until someone murmurs the dreaded words “should we get a bag?”. Yeah alright fine, twist my arm. I send a few messages and we end up getting enough gear to keep a Rhino awake until New Year’s. This is where we just get weird. Fucking weird. I’m blackout drunk at this point and start racking up, my tolerance for MDMA is next to nothing and I stupidly put back more than I should have. All the boys are on the same level, the molly yarns, the “I love you bro” chat is in large supply. I even did my first nang that night. We made it to town and headed straight to Static as it was a DnB night there, my god the boys were on. I just remember pestering the DJ and eventually getting kicked out because I was jumping off the block at the back, one of the boys vomited on the dance floor and made it back in, I tried to get back in but couldn’t, had a good kick ons. A few days later the photos from that night got posted on Facebook, I’ve got a gallery of about 30 different photos which captured the faces of the boys gurning and just all around out of their depth on the gear. What a memory, or lack thereof, that night was. NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Mullet of the Week - Caleb Nelson Cooper

Nexus: Can you just quickly introduce yourself, who you are and where your from?

Nexus: Can you describe for us, the mullet community in New Zealand?

Caleb: My name’s Caleb Diamond and I’m from the Naki. Do a bit of building down there, that’s about it really. Simple man, simple life.

Caleb: It’s a good community. I mean it’s a bunch of piss heads really, really enjoying life and not caring what other people think. Appearance isn’t everything at the end of the day, it’s about your attitude so yeah. It’s a good community to be a part of.

Nexus: Can you walk us through your mullet journey? Caleb: It started as a bit of a rebellion through school really, rebelling against the hair off the collar rule. It grew on me, and a few of my mates liked it, and they’re not with us anymore so I like to keep it as a bit of memorabilia sort of thing. Nexus: So where and when was your mullet cut? Caleb: I’ve had to have my mullet cut many times through school, sadly it’s had to be cut short a couple of times but since I’ve left school it’s been as long as I can get it and short on the sides. It’s been a couple of years. Nexus: Wow, what have been some of the reactions to your mullet? Caleb: Everyone seems to love it really. I mean it’s a conversation starter, it’s a talking point so something to get a conversation going really. Nexus: How have the females reacted to your mullet? Caleb: Well I mean, she loves it really. 28

Nexus: Has your mullet got a nickname? Caleb: It doesn’t actually, nah. It doesn’t. Nexus: That’s alright. How would you go about describing your mullet? Caleb: Long and bushy. It’s just a part of me. Nexus: Do you have any words of advice for people considering getting mullets? Caleb: Just fuckin’ do it. Don’t care what other people think, just fuckin’ do it. It’s a good thing to set yourself apart from people. Nexus: And lastly, is there anyone you want to thank? C: Oh definitely. My barber puts up with some shit. Every time I say ‘nothing off the back, just off the sides’ he looks at me with a frown but does it anyway. Definitely the Mrs for putting up with it. And my family for frowning on me but still sticking by me.

(I’m so sorry about the Billie Eilish quote. And the onslaught of rhetorical questions.) I can recall a moment in my earlier days at uni when I was in the library, reading exam flashcards for a psych elective. A guy came up to me, introduced himself, and kickstarted a deep conversation with me about whatever content I was revising for a good half hour. And it definitely struck me as weird. Nice, but weird. And I seriously hope he didn’t think I was a psych major. No offence, psych majors. It makes me wonder about the strangers that we saw, we liked, but we never approached. We say we like spontaneity, but when someone strikes up a conversation completely out of the blue, without the mediation of mutual friends, the safety net of combing their social media, or the dull of alcohol, there’s something about it that feels…strange.

Did The Internet Murder The Meet Cute? Every good Hollywood film romance is united by one great plot device. Surprisingly, it’s not Hugh Grant. It’s the meet-cute. In other words, the romantic, comical, or super awkward scenario where two lovers-to-be first meet. It’s Leo talking Kate from jumping off the Titanic ledge. It’s the side of the road where Richard Gere picks Julia Roberts up from the red-light district. It’s the elevator when Zooey Deschanel hums to the Smiths blasting from Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s headphones. As cheesy as meet-cutes might sound in the movies, they’re just as charmingly iconic in real life. “How did you guys meet?” It’s potentially the one exception of small talk where we actually genuinely love hearing the response. Some couples met as high school sweethearts. Some met by serving their future spouse in the bar. Others by locking eyes across the freshly shattered remains of a coffee table at a breather’s flat party. Whatever way you frame it, there’s something sentimentally, serendipitously sweet about that very first encounter. It’s the kind of vivid memory you rarely forget. Unless, of course, you were ridiculously intoxicated. But still. For uni students, the title question might be something of a straw-man argument. In the sphere of student social circles, it’s not hard to connect with a perfect stranger. Even if only for a night. And certainly when alcohol’s involved. Yet, while all our years in education provide the perfect storm for meeting a potential amore mio (think: your high school crush; the hottie in your marketing group; that absolute piece you always flirt with at Saturday night kick-ons), there’s already a burgeoning sense of frustration among our peers that lies along the lines of ‘How the fuck am I supposed to find someone?’ That’s even said when we’re still thick in the social scene. So it begs the question – what happens when we graduate? When’s the party’s over?

So, that begs the question; has the internet murdered the meet-cute? Unfortunately, there’s data to back it up. Since around 2013, studies have indicated that meeting online is facing an upwards trend, replacing other forms of meet-cutes. A fundamental outcome of the internet has been a removal of that human facilitation to creating a burgeoning relationship. And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. In fact, maybe we need to change the dialogue so that meeting online doesn’t have shameful connotations (it’s okay, you’re allowed to admit you met on Tinder). But from my perspective, most of us would wistfully prefer a real-life meet-cute to tell the kiddies about than an online encounter. Don’t you think? It could be said that in our modern world, we’re scared of rejection. Or of hitting on people and offending them. Maybe the online world offers a kind of safety blanket from potentially scathing rejection. As we leave the relative comfort of a tightknit, undoubtedly horny student community, our chances of making those meet-cutes will probably decline. Maybe meeting on the internet is just as good. The plain truth may even be that we’re just more fearful and less courageous than previous generations, and that’s why the real-life meet-cutes are on the decline. Or maybe it’s just not a priority for our generation – much like preserving our virginity ‘til marriage – so we don’t need to be as ballsy. You tell me. As much as I seesaw between a romanticist and a realist, and as much as some old-fashioned dating attitudes deserve a fateful death, I’d like to think that our generation will still be able to share the ‘aww’-inducing stories of chance encounters that hallmark the stuff of simpy songs and Shakespearean-esque dramas. Fundamentally, basally, archaically, that connection is what we all want. Whether it be from lovers, friends, family, pets, our vices, or even our apps. Romance isn’t dead, team. The meet-cute isn’t dead. Not yet. NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

Keen for some free BurgerFuel? Simply snap us the shitfest of your student lifestyle for the chance to win. Vouchers will be stored for the winners until we are allowed back outside.

WINNER

AQUARIUS JAN 20 - FEB 18

LEO JUL 23 - AUG 22

You know the saying, “if you don’t succeed the first time, try again?” yeah, don’t waste your fucking energy. This week is looking pretty hideous for you.

Romance is waiting for you around the corner. Keep an eye out for that first eye contact because that’s the closest contact you will get until the lockdown is over. Or is it? The choice is yours.

PISCES FEB 19 - MAR 20

VIRGO AUG 23 - SEP 22

It feels as if you are walking on eggshells today. Now is the time to stomp on that shit and don’t look back. Confidence is your only friend this week - what do you have to lose?

Your mood is dependent on the earth elements, and you are not in line with them this week. Be sure to visit a chiropractor - let’s face it you know damn well yoga isn’t going to fix that shit.

ARIES MAR 21 - APR 19

LIBRA SEP 23 - OCT 22

Your financial gains are looking promising this week. Be sure to keep an eye on your money plant, you won’t get a single dime, but positive thinking will get you creating realistic goals. I mean what the fucks a money plant going to do?

Why? It seems to be a common word that keeps popping up. Why is the grass green and the sky blue? Why am I broke? Why is Dan Carter a traitor? Don’t stress there young soul; he will return to the Crusaders the first conversion he misses.

TAURUS APR 20 - MAY 20

SCORPIO OCT 23 - NOV 21

You have no job - and still won’t at the end of this week. Hang in there.

You are feeling lucky this week, so much so that you want to place a bet on the Warriors. You are feeling positive, and you can’t resist - don’t be a fucking fool, look at Cancer and appreciate what you got.

GEMINI MAY 21 - JUN 20

SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 21

The weather has got you feeling indecisive. Fuck the books and do something spontaneous - (something not someone you horny devil) social distancing is still applicable.

You have just found that you can no longer ride “The Mistress” in Dunedin, and you are feeling down about this discovery. It looks like the town bike is your only option to keep your head up. It could be worse if you have nothing at all.

CANCER JUN 21 - JUL 22

CAPRICORN DEC 22 - JAN 19

The global protesting and riots have got you feeling a little uneasy, keep watching them and then watch some more. The feeling will pass.

It has been that kind of week. The mushies have been consumed from the backyard, the grass is looking good, and your next door neighbours cat is friendlier than usual - it’s time to address the deeper issues within. NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

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If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t handle the heat then stay out of the kitchen! Or, you know, put less chilli in it. These South East Asian and Subcontinental delicacies score top marks with all crowds and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re easier to make than a C- average.

HUNG

Thai Green Curry Ingredients: 100g Green Beans, trimmed and halved 400ml can of Coconut Milk 1 tbsp of Vegetable or Sunflower Oil 4 tsp of Thai Green Curry Paste 450g of boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, cut into bitesized pieces 2 cups of boiled rice 225g of Potatoes, cut into chunks and boiled

Spoon in Thai green curry paste and stir it around for a few seconds to begin to cook the spices and release all the flavours. Next, pour in a 400ml can of coconut milk and let it come to a bubble.

1 Garlic clove, thinly sliced

Stir in bite-size chicken pieces. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Method: Put 225g new potatoes, cut into chunks, in a pan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.

Tip in the potatoes and beans and let them warm through in the hot coconut milk and serve immediately with boiled rice.

Add 100g trimmed and halved green beans and cook for a further 3 minutes, by which time both should be just tender but not too soft. Drain and put to one side. 32

In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil until very hot, then drop in 1 chopped garlic clove and cook until golden.

Butter Chicken

Pad Thai

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter

200g Pad Thai Rice Noodles, dry

2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs, diced

1 medium Onion, halved and sliced

1 onion, diced

400g skinless Chicken Breast, cut into strips

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp of Oil

1 Tbsp garam masala

2 Eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

210g pouch Watties WOK Creations Pad Thai Stir-Fry Sauce

1 tsp chili powder

2 Spring onion, sliced

1 tsp ground cumin

100g Bean Sprouts

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Handful of fresh Coriander, chopped (optional because yuck)

1 1/2 cups tomato passata/puree (or one 14 oz can would work) 2 cups cream salt & pepper

Method: Using 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat, brown the pieces of the chicken so each side is browned. They do not need to be fully cooked all the way through. Work in batches, and set aside when you’re done.

Method: Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Refresh in cold water and drain again. Heat a splash of oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir-fry until it starts to soften. Increase the heat to high. Add the chicken strips and stir-fry until golden and nearly cooked. Add the beaten eggs and stir-fry until just scrambled and set.

Melt another 2 Tbsp of butter in the pan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until beginning to soften — about three minutes. Add the garlic, garam masala, ginger, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Stir to combine, and cook for about 45 seconds before adding the tomato passata.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked noodles and Wattie’s WOK Creations Pad Thai Stir-Fry Sauce. Toss for 1–2 minutes until the noodles and chicken are coated and sauce is hot. Toss through the spring onions, bean sprouts, and coriander.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for five minutes before adding the cream. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, add the browned chicken, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Keep the heat low here — not a rolling boil.

Serve in bowls garnished with a wedge of lime or lemon, if wished.

Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve alongside rice and naan.

NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

WAIKAT BUNKERS

House on Hogan Home to four vegetarians and one absent vegetarian, this run of the mill residence, right in the middle of studentsville, has definitely got itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own unique and standard student features. The distinctive logo of Arbonne, some of their products, healing crystals, 4 salt lamps and a set of fairy lights were discovered. Regrettably, there was a distinct air of basic-ness lingering around. However, citrus infused condoms placed in the fruit bowl for easy access, an outdoor table used for drinking with the neighbours and a respectable love of Absolut Vodka were just some of the things that make this student flat a student haven. 34

NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

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NEXUS MAGAZINE / ISSUE 11

UNIREC IS BACK! UniRec is now up and running under level 2 restrictions. Pick up a student membership from $9.90 per week. For information on how we are operating under level 2 restrictions, visit unirec.co.nz

Get an education with teeth

Now, more than ever, the world needs cultural understanding and awareness. Your road to understanding can begin by taking a paper from Te Pua WÄ nanga ki te Ao-Faculty of MÄ ori and Indigenous Studies in B Trimester. Everyone should be a part of the solution. Enrol now for July, visit waikato.ac.nz/fmis

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