EDITORIAL WITH ART WELCOME TO UNIVERSITY! So, you’ve made it to university and are about to embark on the hardest, most rewarding experience of your lives. This year is going to be a hard year for everyone. It is going to be hard for you, as universities across New Zealand have to turn away scores of students, as government cuts to tertiary education see less money for more students. This might sound like something you don’t have to worry about, as you’re already here. It does affect you, however, as failing a single paper could well see you out of university for good. In the past you could simply write a letter, explaining away your lack of academic diligence. Now that may not be enough. It will be hard for the university as well. What was once a hub for academic pursuit is being transformed into a money making venture. Staff will lose their jobs. Students will find papers disappearing. The same cuts which see you finding it harder to get a space in tertiary education will be hurting them as well. Don’t take it out on the university though. They’re doing the best with what they’ve got. There’s an election this year. Take it out on those political parties who are to blame in November. That’s when our next national election is. Get enrolled. It’s going to be a blast. It is going to be a hard year for the Waikato Student’s Union. A very hard year. First up, the flow of income, easily predictable and ample enough to provide you services such as the Nexus and Advocacy (among many others) has essentially been cut. It is up to individual students to now decide for themselves whether or not the student’s union is doing enough leg work to warrant your money. As a long time witness to the inner workings of the Waikato Student’s Union, I can say that they DO do the leg work and you SHOULD become a member. The benefits far outweigh the monetary cost. However, it is up to YOU, the student, to decide whether or not you become a member. There will be people telling you that it’s a waste of money and that they’ve never used any of the services, but I can guarantee that whoever says that AND is a student at the University of Waikato is most likely full of crap. Have they really never enjoyed a lunch time band on the Village Green, eaten a sausage from the WSU BBQ or been to an O-Week event? Or is it more a matter of them buying into the ACT Party line (and the vitriolic accusations which come forth from their youth wing, ACT on Campus), hurling hip insults like Fascist or Communist at student unions across the country?
Don’t let me think for you. Come and have a look at your union. They go to bat for you on a national level, lodging protests against political parties who want to do the dirty on students. They go to bat for you on a local level, raising their hand at the meetings of the University Council and saying: “Hang on, what about the students?” On the other side of the coin, don’t let ACT on Campus or anyone else from the Far Right think for you either. Most of them aren’t even students and instead are basement-dwelling internet trolls, comparing student unionism to rape online and then being surprised when people take offence to it. So, all round, it is going to be a hard year. But I know you guys, or at least the type of people who come here. I know you’re tough and you deserve the best. You’re not sitting around mum’s house smoking weed all day. You’re not working for minimum wage, hoping to become a manager one day. You’ve come to Waikato to better yourself and better yourself you shall. You all rule so hard right now. Love Nexus
3
3
EDITORIAL
5
MAGIC 8 BALL
7-12 EDITOR: Art Robinson (editor@nexusmag.co.nz) DESIGN: David Nixon (graphics@nexus-npl.co.nz) ADVERTISING: Tony Arkell (admanager@nexus-npl.co.nz) NEWS EDITOR: James Manning (news@nexusmag.co.nz) FILM EDITOR: Richard Swainson (films@nexusmag.co.nz) BOOKS EDITOR: Kevin Pryor (books@nexusmag.co.nz) GAMES EDITORS: To be decided by virtue of content submission (games@nexusmag.co.nz)
Contributors Dirty Old Blair Munro, Dirty Hipster Kevin Pryor, Sash With
CREDITS & CONTENTS
Credits:
The Goatee Nixon, Loud American Mackenzie McCarty, those babes from College Hall, James “Towlie” Manning”, Judy’s Sweet Legs, Dr Richard Swainson, Owen “Beef” Hinton”
Nexus is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA). Or at least, we think we are.
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS PUBLICATION ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF NEXUS PUBLICATIONS 2003 LTD, ANY OF OUR ADVERTISERS, THE WSU, APN, THE EDITOR, OR ANYONE. WE THINK THAT STEPH FROM HOUSE IS A BABE.
WANT TO ADVERSTISE WITH NEXUS? EMAIL admanager@nexus-npl.co.nz OR call 07 838 4653
NEXUS IS LOCATED AT: Ground Floor, Student Union Building, Gate One, University of Waikato, Knighton Road, Hamilton PHONE: 07 838 4653 FAX: 07 838 4588 EMAIL: editor@nexusmag.co.nz POSTAL: Private Bag 3059, Hamilton
11
NEWS NEXUS TALKS TO JAN MAREE
15-19
WSU PAGES
21-23
FEATURE - TRAVEL
26
PUZZLES
28
FOOD LOVE
29-37
COLUMNS, REVIEWS & ADVICE
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE
A MEMBER TO ENJOY
KICKBOXING 6 WEEK
Activity Courses Start the week of
7 MARCH
YOGA
PILATES HIP HOP HEALTHY BACK reccentre.co.nz
Numbers limited book today!
FREE ZUMBA
For all our members starting 7 March
Gate 1, University of Waikato 07 838 4177
MAGIC 8-BALL The Magic 8 Ball is a weekly column in Nexus, written by the Ghost of the Nexus 8-Ball. The actual 8-Ball died in battle in 2010, fending off a wave of screaming teenagers and buying enough time for Justin Bieber to be evacuated from a rooftop in downtown Auckland. Never one to slack off, however, the 8-Ball swiftly rose from the grave and killed five tweens, before rolling back to Hamilton in ghost form and continuing with its job: providing answers to the hardest questions on campus. 1. Magic 8-Ball, will you ever stop being a feature of Nexus? You may rely on it. As in, you may rely on me kicking your ass if you ever think otherwise. I’ve been here for over a decade and I’m not planning on giving up my prime position near the front of the magazine. Do you have any idea how much action I get on account of my position? Being a ball of plastic, filled with ink and a twenty sided die is in no way a hindrance to my chasing of the tail. 2. Are there really superheroes in our midst? Reply hazy, ask again later. There are superheroes in our midst and that’s the truth. Spider, Batman and Captain America aren’t real though. The guy who drinks an entire box of beers without spewing or being hungover the next day is a superhero. The student who sober drives on a regular basis, making sure their mates don’t get felt up or beaten up on the way home are also superheroes. Brett the Dairy Guy is a superhero. So, in answer to their question: yes there are superheroes. No, they do not wear lame outfits and jump from building to building. 3. Now I’m at university, will I finally be accepted for who I am? Outlook not so good. Despite you leaving your small, backwards town, your oppressive parents or your clingy ex-boyfriend in your wake and entered these hallowed halls of academia, people are still idiots. Your parents might not be able to tell you what you can and can’t get pierced or what clothes to wear anymore, but they’re also not here to wipe away your tears when someone yells “WHOREBUCKET” out of a speeding car. So, while you ARE completely free to be yourself, not everyone is going to respect that. Except for me, cos I’m awesome. 4. Will there ever be peace in the Middle East? Outlook not so good. The fact that dictators use religion, or even just military firepower, in that part of the world means that there will never be peace in the Middle East. In case you haven’t been watching the news, reading the newspapers, or going online at all, there’s a whole lot of fist fights over there at the moment and none of them are going to stop until the people of the affected countries feel that they are in control of their own futures. Send in your questions for the 8-Ball to nexus@waikato.ac.nz! He’ll even answer dirty ones! 5
SET UP YOUR
HOME
FOR LESS!
Back to Uni at
% All Beds* 50 OFF
Flatting Essentials
HOT PRICE
* Excludes Pet beds, Airbeds and Babywise
NOW
14999
$
$
SAVE $150 Hampton Madison Queen Bed
UP TO
Mattress and accessories sold separately. Assembly required
All Office
30% Furniture OFF
3499
SAVE $170 Assembly required
1290
Red Stamp Appliances
Dining Settings
NOW
23999
$
Now from
$
% 40 OFF
FROM
Assembly required
Reside Milan 5 piece Dining Setting
Hampton Mini Bookcases
2 $24 F O R
SAVE $6
Assembly required
Hampton 3 Tier Bookcase
WIN A CASH COUCH! Stuffed with $1000 worth of coins!
BUY
ONLINE
DELIVERY when you shop online! Use Promo Code:
B2UNI
6
Shop in store or online and enter at www.thewarehouse.co.nz to WIN! Terms and conditions apply. Competition and free delivery valid 16th February – 1st March 2011. Free delivery online excludes curtains and oversized items.
NEWS IT’S ALIVE!
BY JAMES MANNING
WSU Trust Signed Into Life After a decade’s long process, a document to ensure the safety and growth of the Waikato Student’s Union’s assets has finally been signed. Hooray, time to breathe that deep breath of victory. The aptly named ’WSU Trust’, signed just last week, is envisioned to be a long term safe house for the Union’s assets, and is stressed to be of benefit to the University. First suggested in 1997, the Trust was seen as a way of protecting assets being built up by generations of students for the benefit of the student community. The idea was revisited again in 2005 and 2008, though it wasn’t until last year after consideration at the Annual General Meeting and Special General Meeting, that it was
being open to students of Waikato University, and the wider
finally accepted by the WSU Board.
Hamilton community.
Appointed as the initial Trustees are WSU General Manager Dave West and WSU President Deni Tokunai, both of which will be conducting the administrative work of establishing the Trust and the transfer of assets, including three rental properties.
The Trustees’ specific powers include investing, buying or selling property, and lending any part of the Trust Fund to the WSU, providing it supports the interests of the WSU and its members. Created for the advancement of education, the Trust is owned half by the WSU and half by the outside community. 35% of all profit made by the Trust will go to the WSU.
However, the Trust must have a minimum of four Trustees before any work can commence in profit management, with the positions
Can I change papers? Ben has enrolled in a science degree but wants to change some of his papers. What can he do? As soon as possible, Ben should go online to iwaikato and look for change of enrolment. He can complete the changes online. If he wanted to withdraw from the paper without penalty and get full refund, he must do that by 5pm on 11th March. Again this can be done online. Note: to avoid an “incomplete” on your transcript (not a good look for employers!), you must withdraw by 1st April (no refund available after 11 March). Note: if you have a student loan, make sure the refund has been credited towards the loan.
Purchase any regular SUBWAY FOOT LONG® sub and any drink and receive a second SUBWAY FOOT LONG® sub FREE!
ONLY AT SUBWAY GREY ST HAMILTON EAST AVAILABLE MONDAY - TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY from 5pm onwards
The Hamilton Area Citizens Advice Bureau provides advice and information from four locations. They are at 55 Victoria St (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), 70 Kent St Frankton (Mon-Fri 9am-4.30pm), Garden Place (Mon-Fri 11am-2pm) and the Cowshed at the University (Tues-Thurs 1-3pm). They also have legal, advocacy and consumer services available where you can get more specialised help. Phone the CAB on 0800 367 222 (0800 FOR CAB) or look at the CAB website www.cab.org.nz Not valid with any other offers, discounts or special deals. Double meat, extra cheese, bacon and avocado extra. For a limited time at SUBWAY® Grey Street, Hamilton East. ©2008 Doctor’s Associates Inc. SUBWAY® and SUBWAY FOOT LONG® are registered trademarks of Doctor’s Associates Inc.
7
NEWS
SERVE AND PROTECT
BY THE WAIKATO FIST
Living away from home is a dangerous and scary time. When you are living in a flat, your chances of getting robbed increase many times over. This is due to the fact that everyone in the flat has stuff. It’s not a communal home, like a family dwelling, where there is one TV, one computer and one game console. Students will usually have their own computer, TV and XBox or PS3, along with any number of portable music devices, . Students are practically overflowing with all of the latest tech and shiniest gadgets, brought with them from home or purchased with course related costs. Either way, criminals know that flats are the place to hit. All too often, doors are left unlocked, parties get out of hand or drunks leave windows ajar. That’s when burglars strike. In 2011, as he has done regularly for several years, Constable Nick Sickelmore will publish a page in the Nexus magazine, highlighting the areas of Hillcrest and Hamilton East and giving you, the students, good tips on how NOT to get your stuff nicked. Constable Nick has been the community constable for the University of Waikato for three and a half years, during which time he has responded to many reports of stolen items from the student community. “Students being burgled is a high frequency event”, Constable Sickelmore says. “Students need to think smarter when it comes
to parties. It is often in these situations that criminals will enter a premises and then depart with items. Sometimes students may not know the extent of their loss until some time has passed”. Constable Sickelmore is always quick to sing the praises of the SNAP program. SNAP is an online registry for serial numbers, allowing you to safely store details on your possessions and access them if you’ve been burgled. This aids the police, in that they can now have a good chance of returning your stolen items once recovered. www.snap.org.nz
30% OFF
1 PAIR OF GLASSES FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS
When you select 1 pair of glasses from the $199 range or above.* Monday to Friday 9-5pm. Select one pair of glasses from the $199 range or above and you are entitled to receive 30% off the total price.* That’s 30% off the frame, lenses and any extra options you choose. Book an eye test with one of our friendly Specsavers staff to check the health of your eyes.
Over 50 stores now open in New Zealand, visit specsavers.co.nz to find your local store. *Not available in combination with any other offer including 2 pairs for 1 low price. Offer valid Monday to Friday 9-5pm. Discount does not apply to eye examination. Offer valid upon presentation of current tertiary student card. © 2010 Specsavers Optical Group · SMART_SPE2161/WU/M.
8
In memory of
Dr Paul Harris What can be said about a man that inspired so many of his students by passing on his passion for a subject such as labour studies? As I write this, I struggle to comprehend that this man is no longer a part of the lives who he inspired. I’m talking about Dr Paul Harris who passed away the week before Christmas 2010. When I came to uni, I was like a lot of you, here because I didn’t know what I wanted to do but knew I didn’t want to work at a supermarket for the rest of my life. So I signed up for a degree in the Social Sciences and went to classes. I first came into contact with Paul Harris when I took a labour studies LBST101 the nature of work where we had a guest lecture from Paul. In front of the lecture room was a man with his shirt hanging out, and a grin that made him look as if he’d been in a bar fight or two in his time, not the image of anyone I expected to know anything about how to give a lecture on labour studies. When
Paul first opened his mouth I couldn’t understand what he said. His accent and my half hung-over state didn’t really gel. Fortunately, he repeated himself: “I’m Paul Harris, I support Bolton Wanderers FC. Every other FC is shit especially Manchester United”. I can’t remember what the hell the lecture was about, but I do still remember how he introduced himself. In my second year I was lucky enough to have Paul as a lecturer for the LBST201 Employment Relations paper. Throughout the time spent in Paul’s paper he would constantly make reference to his exes at last count I think there were at least four (found out there were only two in the end) Paul had a way of turning the most boring topics into ones that anyone could connect with, rather than throwing the information at you and not caring whether you understood. Paul was one of those
lecturers that made the learning side of university fun and would often talk about having a beer of two at Momento before class. Paul got sick in the last year of my undergraduate and was going to retire at the end of 2010. His final lot of students counted themselves lucky that he was there to see them through their undergraduate degree; that he showed up on days to take class when a normal lecturer would claim sickness showed how he cared greatly for those that he was teaching. Dr Paul Harris was not just an academic and a lecturer; instead he was and forever will remain a mentor and friend to all who knew him. As written by Mr Ryan Clark
9
JAN MAREE AND HER YOUTHFUL TALENT
AS INTERVIEWED BY THE WAIKATO FIST Originally from the Hutt Valley’s foreshore paradise Petone, 2001 Billy T Award winning comedian Jan Maree has gone on to carve an unusual niche: with her stand-up/cooking hybrid, she has fondly become known as ‘the drinking man’s Nigella Lawson’. In 2007, she regaled capacity crowds with Eat Me, earning a nomination for Best Local Show at the NZICF Awards. An award she proudly won in 2009, when she entertained Wellington’s avid foodies and laughers alike with the sequel show Eat Me Too! Jan Maree has also been described as a chauvinist’s nightmare and the thinking man’s wet dream as she proved most recently when seen ‘surviving’ on TV2’s Island Wars. A one-girl whirlwind looking for somewhere to happen, Jan’s quick wit and energy make her a most talented MC and live event host. A regular MC at Auckland’s Classic Comedy and Bar, Jan also tours small town NZ earning her a living as she is firmly in the premier ranks of kiwi comedy. Residing minutes from Waikato’s beach haven Raglan, with Rick and her wonder-dogs Flash, Titch and Spark, Jan fills her days writing, op-shopping for old china tea sets and looking for the next big challenge…and making cups of tea. Some dirty questions and answers with Jan Maree, as asked by the Waikato Fist: Do comedians get a lot of action, from your experience? Depends on the gender... Funny blokes get laid plenty, chicks dig funny blokes. At first sight a lady in the crowd might actually think the guy is a hose beast, until the very moment the bloke opens his mouth and the funny comes out. Funny chicks, well, we have been told we can be intimidating to menfolk in audiences. The odd time a comedian of the female persuasion gets attention ‘of that kind’ from an audience member it will likely be from the sociopath in the corner who only wants to take you out to prove to you that he is in fact funnier than you in real life (snore). That’s why I guess a fair few chick comedians end up in relationships with male comedians. It takes a fairly strong man with a personality of heavy gauge steel to handle the intimidating female comedian’s ways. Evil Rick (my boyfriend of two years, I know, two years!) is just that, steely. If I was him I probably would have ditched me long ago!
David Bennett MP M P fo r h aMi l t on e a s t
Phone: 07 834 3407 Email: davidbennett@xtra.co.nz www.davidbennett.co.nz
www.national.org.nz 10
Which New Zealander would you most like to give a huge wedgie to, on the proviso that you would not be punished in any way for giving said wedgie? John Key. Because he appears to be a good humoured bloke. Giving the Prime Minister a wedgie would be hilarious. He could handle a wedgie. In my view, he’d laugh it off and the buy the next round because “Janny, you got me good!” Do I think he deserves a wedgie? No. Hone Harawira DESERVES a wedgie that makes his bum crack bleed. But there is NO way he would let me get away with it. He would put an utu on me. Stink buzz. Why is Rodney Hide always so cross? You’d be cross too if you woke up every morning to the same wardrobe full of appallingly unfashionable blazer jackets. But the real reason I believe he is cross: Rodney Hide has no soul. His tanning bed stole it. It’s hard to be happy when you got no soul. Best thing you’ve ever found at the dump? Can I just start by saying that I LOVE THE DUMP SHOP!Whenever I come into town I pop in there and fossick for bargains. Man, I have found some superb stuff at the dump. Hard to name just one thing, so here are a few. My British made black leather competition boot (roller) skates were a $10 find. But so were my knee high black leather fuck-me boots, hand tooled for (kiwi style guru) Paula Ryan’s footwear label, and they were $5 well spent. But so was my dark green wool dress...my ‘funeral frock’, it was only $3. I have MOUNTAINS of dollar-a-piece Crown Lynn china that has come from the dump, and I consider it all to be some of the best things I’ve ever stumbled over. FYI: the town dump shop is good, but the Te Hutiwai dump shop in Raglan is the bombdiggity. Should men wax their pubes or leave them feral? Waxing them is a bit harsh, I’m not sure I have ever met a man who was happy to have hot wax that close to his wanger. Feral pubes however are NOT the go. Grooming is the way forward. As it is written in the secret scrolls, “Keep thee trim and tidy and ye shall receive a lady’s good manners”.
SPORTS THOUGHTS
SUMMER SPORTS CATCH UP
WITH C-BALL
It’s 2011, and the New Year brought with it new resolutions. Relating to sports, I wanted to be more inclusive and supportive of the ones I didn’t like, and give them all a fair go. What follows is just a quick catch up on any important sports shit you may have missed since 2010’s Semester B ended, along with the usual bias and cynicism. In Rugby League, the 2010 NRL minor premiership went to table-toping, face-stomping St George Illawara, and the Dragons continued the stomping of faces in the playoffs, eventually outclassing the Sydney Roosters in the Grand Final to redeem their feeble 2009 playoff attempt. On the international scene, the Kiwis headed into the 2010 Four Nations final against Australia after a round robin loss to the same foe. On the big occasion they hit form like it was a misbehaving child, winning the game in the last minute, and in turn taking a metaphorical dump all over the face of every Australian Rugby League fan. Some of the Kiwis then decided to kick it at Rhythm and Vines; well deserved. The New Zealand Cricket team played so poorly this year, that at least one sports fan decided Netball might be a better option to watch as the Black Caps lost to Bangladesh, India, and then completed the gangbang with losses at home to Pakistan. The crowds for the summer seemed thin, and with prices sometimes in excess of $30 to watch the Black Caps piss weakly into a strong wind, even I didn’t waste my money going along. Faint hope rests on a miraculous turn around in form for the World Cup taking place now, but don’t hold your breath. If you did, you would die. You probably wouldn’t even last an over actually, let alone pool play. Domestically, Lou Vincent (and I guess, in the bigger picture, Auckland) won both the T20 and One Day competitions. Australia lost the Ashes at home to England, and everyone rejoiced while I cried myself to sleep over all my Ponting for top scorer bets. Pakistan’s Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer were all found guilty of match fixing, and each received various lengthy bans, causing them all to whinge about it being unfair. Yawn, losers. Try living in New Zealand with positive discrimination. Soccer saw the Phoenix make the playoffs again after a pretty mediocre season, and after a late surge to book a spot in the top 6 they fell early in the playoffs to Adelaide with the score 1 - 0. However, many of the players are ending a very successful year after their international duties saw the All Whites take out the Halberg award for Team of the Year. That’s because not winning is now cool. In light of this, I’ve decided to frame all my participation
awards from those Australian Schools competitions you enter into as a kid at primary school, because I want to celebrate mediocrity too. The All Blacks went on a rampage in the Tri Nations and did Hamilton a favour by tea-bagging South African coach Peter De Villiers. We know Hamilton is a bore, but it’s probably more fun here than getting jacked at the traffic lights in your homeland, or being invaded by those filthy Prawns. The All Blacks also wrapped up the Bledisloe Cup, and completed the year with a clean sweep of the European teams on their end of year tour to the northern hemisphere. In other semi Rugby related news, the Wellington Sevens once again proved to be a big weekend for most, and Hamilton Boys High’s own old boy Declan O’Donnell proved to be a vital part of the New Zealand team as they cruised to a 29-14 victory against England in the final. The weekend also coincidentally saw a large spike in the sale of cream pies, many of which I hear got thrown at Wellington parking wardens. Damn those evil jesters from Waikato. Basketball has seen the Breakers rise to the top of the ANBL points table to create a massive lead, with Kirk Penney returning from his unsuccessful NBL trial to drop threes on command and assert his dominance upon competition opponents. Perennial MVP Penney has been instrumental in creating the Breakers blistering form, and it’s nice to see that carrot tops can jump too, as ginger giant Kevin Braswell marauds around the court with hustle Uncle Henare would be proud of. I’m led to believe a lot of exciting stuff happened on the Netball front too, unfortunately though I didn’t have enough time to investigate further or space to fit the ensuing surely wicked details. I guess what I’m really trying to say is, that resolution I made sucked and I’ve given up already. With that said, good luck to all the new students starting at Waikato, and keep away from those seedy second year K 17 management students creeping on the wounded gazelle. It’s O Week motherfuckers!
Interested in playing Squash? 3 Courts, close to university, online bookings Social or weeknight interclub options available Tertiary discounts. Join online at www.lugtonparksquash.org.nz 11
NEWS
CENSUS DAY IS TUESDAY, 8 MARCH 2011!! The 2011 Census will be the biggest census undertaken in New Zealand yet, and people can opt for the secure, quick and easy option of filling in their forms online. The census is the official count of how many people and dwellings there are in New Zealand. It is used to help decide how billions of dollars of government funding is spent in the community. Census collectors will begin delivering census forms and internet access codes to household from 19 February. If you choose to complete your census forms online, a collector may not need to come back. The information you provide is confidential and is protected by law. It is not shared with any other government department, including the police, IRD or Immigration New Zealand. You will be able to complete your census forms in English or Maori. Census information is also available in several languages by calling the 2011 Census Helpline on 0800 CENSUS (0800 236 787. For more information about the census and to fill in your forms online, go to www.census.govt.nz
UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO LIBRARY DEATH TRAP The University of Waikato Central Library is looking at killing even more students than ever before, with the installation of a complex death trap at their main entrance. Shiny ceramic tiles, not so different from those one might find on the walls of a suburban bathroom, have been deployed at the entry to the university’s Central Library, with the apparent aim of slowing the flow of information in and out of the facility. “They’re slippery now”, one student told Nexus. “When winter rolls around, students will be dropping like flies. The student did not wish to be named, for fear of losing her borrowing rights from the library. Nexus will keep students updated about the risks they face when entering the library, soon to be renamed the “Jack Kervorkian Fun Park and Learning Thingy Place”, as well as keeping a tally of all the deaths caused by slippery floors during winter.
40
%
OFF
jeans shoes
jeans
* You must show your current 2011 Student ID * The first 200 purchases on this offer score a $30 CBD Bar voucher * Only redeemable at Texas Radio - Shop 1, Worley Place * Offer valid until 30 April 2011 *Other conditions may apply
Set your flat up with Vodafone’s Home Phone Wireless and Mobile Broadband Go totally wireless at home and pay just $30.53 for your first 6 months. Then pay just $56.05 per month after that.
HALF PRICileE
Totally wireless get you: • Home Phone Wireless and Mobile Broadband over Vodafone’s wireless network • 2GB of Mobile Broadband per month • Unlimited local calls • FREE Vodem stick and Home Phone Wireless phone pack • No connection fees, makes a great home phone option for setting up new house or bring your existing home number with you
Mob d for Broadbanths. 6 mon
Totally portable, if you move we’ll move with you.
Offer applies to customers signing up to Home Phone Wireless and a 2GB or 4GB mobile broadband plan for the life of both plans. Home Phone Wireless requires satisfactory 2G coverage. 3G coverage required for mobile broadband services. Device subsidy recovery charges may apply. Home Phone Wireless does not support fi xed line broadband and some fi xed line services. Offer applies to all connections before 31 March 2011. Vodafone fi xed line and broadband terms and conditions apply. See vodafone.co.nz/home-phone/wireless for details. For more details and full terms and conditions see www.digitalmobile.co.nz
Visit your local Digital Mobile – Vodafone’s premium dealer.
TE RAPA - Cnr Te Rapa Straight & Avalon Drive. Ph: 07-847 1054
13
14
Prez Sez
YOUR: WSU
Welcome (back) to Waikato for 2011! Despite the focus of achieving academic excellence and the countless late nights you will experience trying to keep a deadline, always remember that there is more to university than just study. That is where your Waikato Students’ Union (WSU) is significant: we are here to make sure that there is a campus environment focused on the social interaction of and provision of entertainment for students. The best example of this is the WSU 2011 Orientation Week! But WSU isn’t just about you having fun – we don’t just provide free feeds, events and prizes. We’re much more than that. We represent you and your concerns at the highest levels of the university; As President, for instance, I have a seat on the University Council (where major university strategic decisions are made) and on Finance Committee (where fees are set). WSU exists to represent you and make sure the student voice is heard when the university makes decisions. We also exist to make sure that student clubs can actively contribute to
VP Speak
the culture of the university: if you have an idea for a club (perhaps the Super-Fantastic Nexus Column Writing Club), then come and see us! WSU also has a significant stake in a number of other organizations. Along with the other students’ associations around the country, WSU partly owns Student Job Search (SJS) so that we as students can more easily find a job. WSU also partly owns University Sport New Zealand, so we as students can participate in sport and go along to events such as Uni-Games. Along with the university, WSU partly owns the Uni Rec Centre, so we as students can hit the gym. Finally, WSU is also a member of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA), who lobbies the government so that we as students can benefit from things like interest-free student loans.
Deni Tokunai President Waikato Students’ Union 027 5734241 president@wsu.org.nz
My challenge to you this year is to come and contribute: if you can think of anything to make your time at university more fun, exciting or interesting, then come and see us. Email me at president@wsu.org.nz; I’m always happy to talk! Enjoy WSU’s O-week 2011: It’s all for you.
with Charlie & Toko
Kia Ora and welcome to Waikato! And for those of us who are back for another year, welcome back! 2011 is looking to be a fantastic year full of a host of WSU Events, including (of course) WSU O-Week 2011: Superheroes on Campus. 2011 is also an election year, which is always an interesting time for students; expect a number of politicians to make their three-yearly visit to campus in order to attract your vote! WSU also intends to hold a few election-related events later in the year; watch this space. As you may have guessed by the words “VicePresident” and “Vice-President Māori” next to our photos, we are your Vice-Presidential team for 2011. Our key job is to support the Board of Directors and make sure that they are able to achieve their responsibilities of representing all of us as students in 2011. What does this actually mean? As VicePresident, Charlie is particularly responsible for making sure that the administrative aspects of
the Board are organised, which includes things like sorting out the board meeting agendas, and ensuring that correspondence to the board is passed on and discussed at meetings. As Vice-President Māori, Toko’s specific role is to provide a voice for the people, uphold all
Charlie Gillard Vice-President Waikato Students’ Union 027 4670276 vp@wsu.org.nz
tikanga and Māori customs and provide a greater insight of the Māori perspective and customs to all non-Māori students. Together, with our powers combined, we are here to help all students, and make sure that all student-concerns are brought to the board. As students ourselves, we know that balancing studying with all the other things going on in our lives can be tough, so come and see us if you need some help, or have an idea of how the board could make things easier for everyone. If you see us around on campus, feel free to come say hello, or otherwise come and see us at the Student Union Building (down by the shops, just Toko Baker above student job search and right next to the Vice-President Māori Waikato Students’ Union Cowshed), or email us at vp@wsu.org.nz and 027 2065126 vpmaori@wsu.org.nz respectively. vpmaori@wsu.org.nz 15
YOUR: WSU
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? YOU BELONG TO WSU AND WSU BELONGS TO YOU! Every student pays a small fee of $100 which helps us achieve all the work you set for us. The pie chart on this page details all the main expense allocations from this $100 levy. The figures are only approximate though, so if you want the in-depth detail then email vp@wsu.org.nz and we’ll be happy to go through the WSU budget with you. PRESIDENT/VP EXPENSES:
ORIENTATION:
BOARD EXPENSES:
$9.20 per student. Collectively the President and VicePresidents sit on more than 30 committees for you. They make sure that students are taken into account everytime the University makes a decision. The President also receives a $30,000 honorarium per year, and both of the VPs receive $15,000 each.
$8.39 per student. The WSU organises, arranges, and finances Orientation at the start of the year, and ReOrientation at the start of B Semester. O Week doesn’t come cheap but we offset this by income generated through sponsorship and advertising, and because of this you get two week long events for the bargain price of $8.39.
$8.12 per student. The Board of Directors are each paid $3,000 per year – this amount is approved annually by you guys at our AGM. Your $8.12 also pays for the directors to develop their representation and advocacy skills at NZUSA conferences.
NEXUS: $9.20 per student. Nexus is your weekly student magazine, which is free to all students. For your money you get 24 jam-packed editions of Nexus, a student diary and a wallplanner!
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES: $11.72 per student. This is the fun stuff, and for many students it is the main form of interaction with the WSU. Activities change regularly and we work hard to enhance your campus experience by bringing you events like Noho Marae, Adult Learners Week, Dodgeball and the Vagina Monologues.
16
CLUBS: $6.95 per student. The WSU actively supports and encourages membership of clubs by providing meeting spaces, holding club days, employing a clubs co-ordinator and providing grants for club activities.
ADVOCACY AND HARDSHIP: $9.15 per student. The WSU Advocacy Service helps students who need representation, support or those who find themselves in unexpected financial hardship.
SPORTING ACTIVITIES: $6.60 per student. This money contribues to events such as Tertiary Challenge; UniBlues; and support for sports club development. It also helps lower the cost for students who represent The Tribe (Waikato) at UniGames.
SCHOLARSHIPS: $1.74 per student. WSU provides several scholarships which students can apply for, including the WSU Scholarship for Cultural Contribution; the John Houston Scholarship for academic/cultural contribution; the Sole Parent/ Caregiver Award; and the First in Family Scholarship.
NEXUS: $9.20
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES: $11.72
ORIENTATION: $8.39
CLUBS: $6.95
YOUR: WSU
PRESIDENT/VP EXPENSES: $9.20
BOARD EXPENSES: $8.12
NATIONAL REPRESENTATION: ADMINISTRATION $19.92
$9.03 per student. The WSU is a member of several national organisations including the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA); University Sport of New Zealand (USNZ); Te Mana Akonga (TMA); and Student Job Search (SJS).
ADMINISTRATION:
NATIONAL REPRESENTATION $9.03
SCHOLARSHIPS: $1.74
ADVOCACY AND HARDSHIP: $9.15
$19.92 per student. Administration is the heart of any organization and consequently takes up a major portion of any organisation’s budget and these costs are partially funded by our income generation of $129,000 per year. Administration covers everything from photocopying and staffing, to insurance, legal costs, and auditing which helps keep us accountable and transparent to you!
SPORTING ACTIVITIES: $6.60
PICTURE LOG Halls Orientation 24th Feb 2011
OPEN: 8.30am-4.30pm PHONE: 07 856 9139 WEB: www.wsu.org.nz 17
YOUR: WSU
Introducing the 2011 WSU MELISSA TOMU Email: melissa@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: Campus Life Studying: BTour in Tourism; Hospitality Management
About the WSU Portfolios The WSU has portfolios as a means of ensuring that major student groups and issues can easily be brought to the Board’s attention, and to ensure that differing student views are accounted for in the decisionmaking process of the Board. Many of the portfolios set out to represent specific groups on campus who you have told us need some means of representation or voice at board level, whilst other portfolios set out to be responsible for particular areas or issues on campus, which you have told us are key areas that the WSU needs to focus on. You can see which director represents which areas by looking at the profiles on this page. Remember, however, that these portfolios are not set in stone: if you think there is a specific group or issue that warrants specific representation on the board, then please bring it to our attention. Similarly, don’t feel confined to deal with just one specific WSU Director. If you have an issue then approach whomever you wish: each of the WSU directors is here to represent you in 2011.
18
This year I hope to build a better relationship with the students, working on and understanding issues relating to the students eg: parking/internet. I plan to build on the relationship with the halls staff to encourage the halls to get more involved in campus life.
RYAN HENDERSON Email: ryan@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: Sports and Rec officer Studying: BMS (Hons) in Marketing; Human Resources This year I hope to promote and encourage sports and recreation to students on campus. There will be plenty of opportunities for everyone to get involved; ranging from dodge ball comps, uni and tertiary games, and the student Olympics. Waikato’s a fun place to be so as students we’ve gotta make the most of it!
KATE MAGAZINOVIC Email: kate@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: Campaigns Officer Studying: BA in Theatre; History This year I hope to run campaigns to increase students’ knowledge of the WSU and what we can do for you, as well as encourage participation in the upcoming election and referendum. I intend to run a visibility campaign on campus during A semester, and an election-enrolment event later in the year.
DANIEL MORALES Email: daniel@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: Male Welfare Officer Studying: BA//BTch History; English As Male Welfare Officer, I am particularly interested in making sure that men’s issues, disabled students’ issues, and GLBT issues are brought to the board’s attention, including the issue of space on campus. I will be working closely with the WSU Advocacy Co-ordinator, Shannon Kelly, to have an in depth look at student issues both internal and external to our University.
U Board of Directors
YOUR: WSU
SARAH HILL Email: sarah@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: Sustainability on Campus Studying: :BSc (Tech) in Animal Behaviour This year I hope to run events and projects that raise awareness of sustainability on campus, and how we can do our part in the community. I hope to build on the relationship with environment Waikato. I also plan to provide better representation of science students on campus.
HOLLY NEILSON Email: holly@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: Female Welfare Officer Studying: BSocSci in History; Women & Gender Studies As Female Welfare Officer, I am particularly interested in bringing women’s issues and GLBT issues to the board’s attention. This year I hope to see an event on campus aimed at low self esteem among students. I would like to see more people aware of the welfare officers and what we do for you on campus.
TAMMY SCOTT Email: tammy@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: International Students’ Officer Studying: BMS (Hons) in Economics; Finance This year my goal is to strengthen the relationship between the WSU and Waikato international as well as run a number of events that facilitate interactions between international and domestic students; for example Noho Marae in A semester and an international food festival during international language week.
PRISCILLA NGATAI Email: priscilla@wsu.org.nz Portfolio: Arts & Culture and Adult Learners’ Officer Studying: BA//BMS (Hons) in Strategy; Political Science I hope to increase the profile of Adult Learners within the WSU, and provide activities that showcase our performing arts students, such as an arts‘n’culture week in A semester and a Student Ball in B semester.
OPEN: 8.30am-4.30pm PHONE: 07 856 9139 WEB: www.wsu.org.nz
19
At the University of Waikato There’s no stopping you.
At the University of Waikato, we’re committed to providing a dynamic and unique university experience. Now that you’re here, you’ll find a world-class education with plenty of support to help you through. On-campus Student Services include student health, careers office, Citizens Advice Bureau and counselling advice, not to mention our disability, chaplaincy, accommodation and financial services too. Student Services are located in the Student Services Building (CHSS) beside the Chapel. For more information visit waikato.ac.nz/sasd
There’s no stopping you E kore e taea te aukati i a koe 0800 WAIKATO waikato.ac.nz
20
FEATURE
TRAVEL THE UPS AND DOWNS
BY REMUS AND FERNANDO Ups! – With Remus Why should you travel? I don't believe there’s any point discussing where you should go on a trip. The destination is entirely up to your tastes. What I hope to argue is that travel is something done as a means to improve your character, not just a way to destroy your liver in different time-zones. (Although that's pretty fun too) To start with there’s the satisfaction of surviving. It’s not quite on par with hunting down and cooking a wild animal, but you do get a chuffed feeling when you manage to negotiate streets and menus when nothing is in English, and then end up with something that’s pretty edible. You have triumphed outside the safety zone, and so the barriers of your safety zone grow outward a little; the world has become just that little bit less daunting. This sounds like not much to be proud of, but you gotta give yourself props for these little victories. Every success makes other successes easier to come by. I feel a big part of life is coming to terms with your own limits and accepting them. I struggle with being perceived as incapable.
Maybe it’s a short man syndrome? But then I used to reflect and think 'no, maybe in this case I don't know what I'm doing' and so would suffer a bit of condescension in order to learn. But after a while that gives me the shits and so I would flip between quiet listener and arrogant brat. But I've come to realise that not being able to do something, doesn't mean that you can't do something else. Forget about what you can't do, focus on what you can. The trouble with that is you don't always know what these things are. And that’s where travel comes in, or the mindset of being a traveler anyway. Attempt many
people lay their maps out in front of you, it’s not so you can find who you are, it’s just directions to become them. I think maybe its a deep seated need to see themselves replicated in others because it's a measure of their success in this world. What higher accomplishment can there be than the fact that others want to emulate you? But I hate it when people tell me how I should be. Whenever people ask me what I want to be, I have no good answer. But out of fear of not sounding aimless (and a desire to avoid their advice) I conjure up weak ideas of careers. I know I'm trying to convince myself as much
different things, and do not be afraid to fail.
as them of what I'm saying. I just want to be free.
I also thoroughly promote the freedom that comes from travel. Removing the trappings of daily life. There’s no need to explain yourself. Travel helps to remove the tyranny of explanation, the tyranny of the familar. To me, sometimes social connections can be a weight. The 'me' that I present is not always the ‘me’ that I am in my heart. I am not a person of one particular genre or category. I see people who devote themselves to becoming a genre; a cliché. I think it’s because it offers safety and acceptance. It offers identity which can be a tricky thing to grasp. But are you really going to find out who you are by following the paths that other people have already walked down. When
You don't have to be in motion to be a traveler either. It would be a bit unfair to say that 'personal satisfaction can only come through having money to travel'. That'd be a bit shit considering this is in a student magazine. I believe that being open to change is just as effective. The best place to start is not holding others back. Don't criticise your friend if they want to be different. Don't mock their choice of clothes, or what music they like. Allowing others to be free is the first step in allowing yourself to be free. Travel also brings out the easy come easy go in me. I never do get terribly attached to my belongings. I'm forgetful of the mundane, and can never keep 21
FEATURE track of where exactly I've left my keys etc. It doesn't worry me. When I travelled and I was unsure of my destination, I would just say to myself, 'well, there’s money in my pocket and food in my tummy. The weather is warm; what is there to worry about?' People often say it’s not the destination, but the journey that matters. True enough, but a journey to a far off or quite different place is generally more exciting than a trip to Auckland or something. Plus there'd probably be less Aucklanders.
Downs! – With Fernando Travel is one of the most dangerous things to do. Never mind ones fear of flight, nor the statistics involved in ones safety en route to the airport. It is the destination which gives concern. “But Fernando”, you cry. “You do not know where it is I shall travel to”
Not travelling because it’s safer is a fool’s logic. To say "I won't get on a plane because it may crash" is silly. You can extend that
“Ah”, I reply. “It does not matter”.
argument until you aren't leaving the house, because you may get run over. A life lived with too much fear is not worth living I feel. Playing it safe, you will get by, and you will most likely live a long life. But a life lived for what purpose? One day, you will die. There is no point in denying that. Everything you do on this Earth will one day be reduced to dust, so it is of the utmost importance that you decide what is that you are living for. And if you die on the way to your goals, then you die. But you will die having lived exactly how you wanted too. Travel is a part of accepting your mortality. About seeing and experiencing the world through the eyes of someone who appreciates that none of this wonder will last. So you must make the most of it.
more dangerous than New Zealand.
You see, anywhere outside of New Zealand is
You may laugh, but think about it for a moment. Overseas is where news happens. News has been, in our lifetimes, a steady stream of doom and gloom. Wars, famines, diseases and animal attacks all take pole position on the nightly broadcasts of every major network. Pirates patrol the waters off the coast of Africa, pirates shoot national heroes on the waters of South America and pirates kidnap and behead foreigners throughout the Middle East. Well, they’re not pirates exactly, but they’re close enough. New Zealand has no pirates. The most risky thing you can do on the oceans off our coast is to not wear a lifejacket. No one is going to roll in from stage left, kidnap you and your wife from your yacht or dinghy and hold you for millions of dollars of ransom. We are a four hour plane ride from our closest neighbour. This might seem like a
disadvantage to some of you wishing to travel and seeing your expenses stack up. To me, however, and our forefathers in the First and Second World Wars, our remoteness has been a blessing. There are wars blooming across Southeast Asia, through Africa, the Middle East again and, from time to time, in Eastern Europe whenever Russia feels the need to test out their latest technology. Even our neighbour and cousin, Australia, has experienced war when, in the Second World War, several air raids were thrown at Darwin. New Zealand, on the other hand, has never been invaded. A German submarine supposedly sat off the East Coast and allegedly stole milk from a farm near Gisborne. In the 1850s, we were terrified that Russia would send soldiers to our shores and it never happened. We are simply too far and too well defended by fact of distance to be a viable, or even easy, target. Sure, our army wouldn’t last a heartbeat against a modern, well-funded force, but that’s why we have an excellent history of diplomatic answers in lieu of military blustering. New Zealand played key parts in the organisation of the League of Nations and the United Nations. We are all about having buddies around the world, not about picking fights with our neighbours. Now, it is true that there are countries with our same outlook on the world; Belgium or Holland for instance. They play nice with their neighbours, haven’t invaded anyone for a century or more (with the exceptions of colonial wars in Africa and Asia) and a generally well liked all over the world. The
22
FEATURE modern incidents: influenza ripped through New Zealand directly after the First World War, but on a global level as well. New Zealand has no dangerous animals. We don’t have deadly spiders, snakes or maneating reptiles and mammals. All of those horrid things are overseas, where the danger is. OK, hold up a moment: we have Redback spiders and the Katipo spider. When was the last time you saw either? When was the last time you heard of anyone dying from contact with one of these creatures? It is highly likely you haven’t seen one in your entire life.
So yes, we are far away and travel is expensive, especially if you want to see people living in completely alien ways, but it’s all good. We have tourists and exchange students, as well as refugees and immigrants, and they give you a look at the world without having to go out into it. Do not travel: other places will kill you.
We have a coastline and that’s pretty scary.
only difference between New Zealand and Belgium and the Netherlands is that New Zealand is not firmly situated in Germany’s way not once, but twice in the last hundred years. While our grandparents were either sitting at home in front of the wireless or fighting in the Mediterranean, the older generations of the Low Countries were forced into labour battalions and starvation level rationing schemes by the dreaded Hun. New Zealand, by virtue of being so far away from anything, is better than close together countries, such as in Europe, Africa and Asia. Our pest problems come, for the most part, from the 19th Century, before the imposition of strict controls on our ports and trade. Our record for pandemics is equally sparse of
Sometimes a shark will be spotted in the Bay of Plenty or in northland, but we don’t have a summer spent pulling pieces of people’s bodies out of the water. We have a lot of drowning, but they’re not caused by hippos and crocodiles upsetting your canoe. We have giant squid off the coast of the South island, but they’re not pulling sailors to their deaths.
get a team together, get active, and get into...
social sport INDOOR
netball
soccer
ENTRIES CLOSE 3 MARCH
volleyball
asbsocialsport.co.nz enter online or at the Rec Centre
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
JOIN US ON
23
Unleash The Power Of Your Network The 2degrees Student SIM is designed specifically for students. This is your chance to turn friends into credit and relationships into partnerships. Buy a 2degrees Student SIM and get $20 credit and 4,000 texts to any network for just $19.* Join Blue Pyramid Group and you can earn up to a year’s worth of free texting.† Receive ongoing rewards as part of our loyalty program.
bluepyramid.co.nz
TWO0425\PYR\TBWA
Grab a 2degrees Student SIM from participating campus bookstores, 2degrees stores or wherever you see the Blue Pyramid.
* Buy a 2degrees Student SIM and get two $10 Texts Packs with 2000 texts each and $20 credit. $20 credit and first $10 Text Pack applied on activation of SIM card. Second Pack added 30 days later. Offer only on Prepay. †Stated benefit is based on receiving the initial two free $10 Text Packs, and referring 10 friends who have successfully activated a 2degrees Student SIM. For each referred friend you will receive $10 credit which you may apply towards a $10 Text Pack (i.e you could receive 12 $10 Text Packs each to be applied over the 30 day validity period). See full Terms & Conditions.
TWO0425 - Nexus 210x280-PYRAMID.indd 1
24
14/02/11 4:17 PM
COMPETITION! We have a whole lot of double passes to give away to a movie. It’s called Hall Pass and it has its own page! Check out page 38 and email us with the names of the two lead actors AND the director! Send your answers to nexus@waikato.ac.nz and you can see it. SEE IT FOR FREE! We also have a copy of Deerhoof’s album, Deerhoof vs. Evil. To get your hands on that, simply write in and tell us how you would fight evil, given the chance. E-mail your suggestions to nexus@waikato.ac.nz and we’ll hook you up, LIKE A BOSS! Also, any letters you send us will be published in the new and improved Lettuce Pages. We also print people’s notices on the Notices Page. WHAT A TWIST! Send letters to nexus@waikato.ac.nz and notices can actually go there too. IT’S THE SAME PLACE!
25
This week’s puzzles are brought to you by O-Week. Look at them. Other than the Sudoku, they are based on the one thing students need in order to get over the fact they have another ten months of study. Not sure what that is? Check the puzzles... Don’t believe me? You must be first year... Good luck with that ;).
QUIZ TIME! Q. Alcohol is often associated with improved mental functioning. True or false? Q. Switching between beer, wine and spirits gets you more drunk, quicker. True or false? Q. Alcohol is scientifically known to: a) Make people gain weight b) Make people lose weight c) Make men gain weight and does not affect women d) Does not affect men and makes women lose weight
THE O-WEEK WORD FIND BACARDI BEAM BECKS BELOW BILLY BUDWEISER BUNDABERG CORONA CORUBA DIESEL GLENFIDDICH GUINESS JIM LION MAVERICK MCKENNA MONTEITHS RED SMIRNOFF SPEIGHT STEINLAGER VAULT WOODSTOCK
26
NEXUS. FOOD. LOVE. WITH DEE Hi all, I’ve been spending the last few weeks of summer freedom trying to make the most of the sun, the sleep-ins and the not-having-to-do-anything-much. So far so good. But then along comes the first week of university. The only consolation in this is that O-Week doesn’t really count as actual uni. Actually, I take that back. Once you get to second year and you know how to sign up for tutorials and get course info online, then O-Week doesn’t really count as actual uni.
lot younger then I’m sure I looked when I first walked onto campus. Maybe that’s cause you wear sunscreen, or maybe it’s because you wear less clothing. Either way, enjoy it. Your assignments will start piling on soon, and all-nighters are a leading cause of wrinkles. For me, getting ready for all of the different O-Week specialties around
I love O-Week. It gives us “mature
means I’ve been eating a lot of spicy pizza, reading last year’s pamphlets about sexual health (those stalls normally have awesome prizes if you can answer their questions) and listening to a lot of different music. Here is where I admit
students” a chance to look at the new batch of first years and comment on how young they all look. Yes, you. You look a
that I’ve been caught rocking out to the Pokemon Theme Song twice in the last few days. Not only is it a fun blast of nostalgia,
but it has a pretty rad guitar solo. My pick of music for the week is The Good Fun on Monday, and Simon Hirst on Friday. They are much more respectable then Pokemon. If you are anything like me, you will spend the first week gathering piles of freebies, various course outlines, and generally hanging out down at the Village Green. Amongst all of this there isn’t much time for food. That’s why this week’s recipe is quick, easy and is even better the next day as leftovers. This is a pasta salad recipe I’ve worked on a bit over the summer, and I think I’ve got it pretty good. The amounts you cook here will either feed a few blokes, or will provide enough leftover lunch for a flat of girls.
SUMMER DIP PASTA SALAD. Ingredients: Two 350 gram bags of pasta (I recommend the bags that have plain, red and green pasta shapes) 500 grams of shaved meat - try using a mix of shaved ham, shaved chicken, and salami A packet of onion soup mix A tin of reduced cream A small tub of sour cream Dried Italian herbs (optional)
1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain, and then let it cool down. This can be done earlier in the day. 2. Mix the onion soup mix and the reduced cream together. Cover it, and put it in the fridge to cool. This should take about half an hour, and like the pasta, it can be done earlier. 3. Once the onion dip mix is chilled and a little set, mix in the sour cream, and the Italian herbs if you are going to use them. 4. Cut the shaved meat into small pieces. 5. Mix the meat and the dip mix in with the pasta. 6. Serve and enjoy!
28
POSTCARDS FROM A FORMER STUDENT
RANGATAHI IN THE WORKPLACE
WITH MACKENZIE MCCARTY YOUNG WORKERS’ RESOURCE CENTRE
Langtang National Park, Nepal (February, 2011) It’s breakfast time in Kyangin Gumpa, a tiny village 3,800m into the Himalayan foothills on the Tibetan boarder of Nepal. My
The Young Workers’ Resource Centre (YWRC) is a community organisation with the aim to empower young people hence we are here to pragmatically benefit you. You may have come across YWRC before at high school, or in the community; we
boyfriend, Nick, our guide Chaabi, and I have been hiking steadily upward for three days, following the scraggy trail that serves as this village’s only connection to the outside world.
give workshops and unit standard delivery to Waikato secondary schools, tertiary institutions, youth groups and community organisations about employment relations.
We wait for our food to arrive inside a tiny stone and wood hut, greatful for the ancient potbellied stove that sits puffing smoke and precious heat from the center of the room. Through the windows we can see the other small stone huts comprising this miniscule village of about 40 people. The odd yak passes by; small, shaggy, rastafarian cows with bells tied to their necks. People tread by with heavy loads strapped to their forheads and carried on their backs. They look Tibetan, with skin the color of the cappucinno I so desperately crave right now, and apple-red cheeks. Women wear their hair in meter-long roaps down their backs and envelope themselves in layers of colorful cotton and wool skirts. Hardly anyone speaks- the surrounding mountains and glaciers, the begginnings of the mighty Himalayas, seem to instill a lasting sense of awe. Even the village children are unusually somber.
In addition to this we offer a free drop in centre service, where you can access employment related information and advice. To make it easier for you to use this service we have an office hour at Uni every Wednesday 1-2 in the Citizens Advice Bureau room at the cowshed; we also have office hours at Wintec and the Dinsdale Community Link. Furthermore the drop in centre services can be accessed via email, phone and facebook. Some recent examples of how this service has been utilised includes; asking for help to understand employment agreements, advice on ending an employment relationship, developing an action plan in regards to sexual harassment and gaining a general understanding of minimum rights at work before entering the workforce.
Breakfast consists of Tibetan flat bread (similar to Indian roti), filled with fried eggs, and hot cups of spiced milk tea. It has been cooked on the woodstove in a tiny hut below us, and the smoke from the fire seeps through the cracks in the walls. After we eat, Chaabi presents us with a large slab of yak cheese, procured from a cheese-maker two huts over. It’s hard, and tastes a lot like parmesan. We cut it in slabs with Nick’s pocket knife and eat it plain, thankful for the extra fat up here in these icy and forgotten mountains. The sun breaks over the edge of a nearby glacier, and the landscape of barren rock and ice seems to be covered in a million diamonds.
Places such as the Department of Labour can only outline a workers minimum rights, and generally unions can only support union members; whereas the YWRC can advise, refer and where needed support a young person with employment queries. During 2011 our articles will outline some of the tricky situations students can end up in and possible solutions, as well as legislative changes that will affect you in the workforce. Utilising the YWRC’s free services will benefit you now and in the future, it can be argued that up- to-date and relevant employment relations education is an important aspect of a student’s career development, and can improve your current workplace experiences. So if you know of anyone who requires some help with an employment issue or you would like to know more about employment obligations contact Kylie or Ana at the YWRC on 07 834 7124, kylie@ywrc.org.nz or turn up to our office hour. Kylie Zinsli Educator Coordinator Young Workers’ Resource Centre
29
CAFES: LIKE A BOSS
WITH MRS MATTHEWS
Grey Street Kitchen 355 Grey St, Hamilton East I’ll admit that I am already a big fan of GSK, I come here for coffee on a very regular basis, but I seldom eat here. On this occasion I had been promised a lunch out by a friend if I could make a giganto plate of tiny chocolate cupcakes for his marketing stall last year, who then reneged on the deal, throwing money at me if I would just leave him alone to continue his sleep in, so I took his sister, who just happens to be my best friend... any who, on with the review. I ordered a bagel with banana and lemon curd, and my friend a bagel with avocado and tomato. I was delighted with my meal when I discovered my banana had somehow been cooked in sugar and cinnamon, resulting in a wonderful sticky cinnamony goo coating the banana and bagel, served alongside a wee pottle each of cream cheese and a yummy lemon curd. My friend finished her whole bagel and its condiments, so it must have been good, because she usually eats like a sparrow. GSK’s coffees are almost always amazing, I got my latte with a half shot of their perfect perfect in-house made vanilla syrup (anyone who makes their own vanilla syrup will almost always get good marks from me, as I’m a sucker for anything with tiny specks of vanilla bean in it.. *drool*) the sweetness of the vanilla balances perfectly with the coffee, creating one of my most treasured coffee imbibing rituals. I’ve heard good things about GSKs cakes, so we finished up our meals sharing a piece of chocolate cake, which looked delicious, but I found it to be a bit dry and bland, which could have lost them a mark, but I’m not a big fan of chocolate cake anyway. The staff are lovely, even if I am biased from having worked with several of them over my time in cafe work, the decor is simple and funky, and we were left with change from the $40 Id had thrown at me by the aforementioned brother. Delightful.
30
AUTEUR HOUSE
WITH RICHARD SWAINSON
This column walks a fine line. The word ‘advertorial’ is an ugly one and there can be no denying the fact that I’ve got a vested interest in promoting my own business. What I will attempt each week is to do so in an oblique, informative and hopefully digestible manner. The plan is not to talk about Auteur House directly, rather to discuss the cinema. Given the introductory nature of this piece I feel compelled to begin in the breach. Auteur House is an independently owned, specialist DVD rental store situated at the north end of Victoria St. We’ve got over 4,000 titles, many of which you will not be able to find anywhere else. Festival features, classic films, silent movies and the avant garde are our forte. We emphasise and invest specifically in a back catalogue in the same manner a library does and over the four years we’ve been open we’ve built a collection to rival any in the country. Clearly we appeal to hardcore buffs and students of the celluloid medium; be they formally enrolled in the Screen & Media programme, or foolishly spending government money elsewhere. However, we’re not intellectual - or film - snobs. Many a commercial blockbuster sits upon our shelves as well. As long as a movie is a good one, we aim to acquire it. The word ‘auteur’ is French. It means ‘author’. Taking our inspiration from from Gallic critics who once thought that a movie’s director is its ‘author’ in the same sense that a writer of prose authors a novel, Auteur House arranges its collection according to the surname of the film’s maker. We also have staff on hand to help the majority for whom this idiosyncratic organisational principle is something of a challenge. In the coming weeks I will talk about the work of one or two of the directors we stock. Or maybe an actor. Or a veteran of the film business whose just died. Anything but the store itself.
POST-RAD
WITH BLAIR MUNRO
Time changes a man. This change is most often evidenced by the growth of a sweet beard, a predisposition towards smoking a pipe, and a tendency to say things like “In my day…” and pronouncing words with the letter H where it does not belong.
SEX ON CAMPUS
WITH DICK AND FANNY
Welcome back to another fun year with Sex on Campus; the column devoted to sharing your sexual stories. This week we have a special treat for you. Below are “Dick and Fanny’s Top 5 Cumtastical Lessons” regarding sex during your university years. Ignore them at your peril!
It’s been many years since I first flicked through the pages of Nexus, as many of you will be doing right at this moment. It’s an initiation of sorts, a secret handshake that permits you entry into a seedy world, a wretched hive of scum and villainy. I took the oath a long time ago now, and what I’ve learned in my years at university has little to do with polynomials, literature criticism, and alcoholism. What I’ve learned is that time changes a man. I am no longer the fresh-faced individual I once was. You can still see the defiant flicker of glory behind my eyes, the flash of gold that once signified a brilliant mind, fit to correct all of the injustices in the world. Nevertheless, I still feel that I am a shadow of my former self, a restless soul in an old body, content to critique, and not to construct. Your humble editor, however, felt otherwise. The Tyler Durden of the Fourth Estate, friend and foe alike to all who cross his path, urged me to write a column for him this year, when I should have retired my pen long ago.
1. Don’t Screw the Crew. This is the golden rule of flatting but is broken by almost everyone at some point. Just don’t. Screwing the crew can only end in one of two ways: you either end up breaking up and going through the awkward “staring at each other in the hallway because she knows he’s not that big (and has told everyone else in the flat) and he knows that she has weird fetishes involving elbows” phase OR you end up married and never have sex again. 2. Count your Fingers. Mrs Palmer should only have five daughters. Any more than that and you probably need to see a doctor. Or a high-five for needing more than one hand. But make sure you wash your hands first. 3. No Sex in the Uni Lakes. Don’t have sex in the uni lakes. Seriously. You’ll get really cold, really wet, and you’ll probably catch malaria. You may also become fluorescent, although the jury is still out on that one. If you’re a guy, your dick will probably shrivel up and fall off in a public place. Avoid the lakes.
That’s the thing about Arthur Robinson. Somehow, beyond expectation, that bastard instills loyalty in the people whose respect he earns. I can’t imagine a better person to edit this magazine at this point in time, and because of that, I am here at my desk, typing. So, welcome to another year at the University of Waikato, and welcome to Nexus. I hope you enjoy your stay. Have fun, stay safe, and take my advice: Don’t owe a blood debt to The Hebrew Hammer. You’ll be writing for Nexus before long, if you do.
4. Cumming on the Lecturer. Sleeping with your lecturer will not get you a better grade, as the use of cross-marking means you will have to sleep with the whole department. That said, remember: C’s get Degrees, but Lays get A’s. In any case, pouncing on your lecturer whilst he or she is actually teaching is guaranteed to see you elected as a class rep. 5. Avoid Creating Stomach-Spawn Use condoms. Otherwise you may end up with a nasty STI like herpes, chlamydia or pregnancy. Using contraception is a much better option than having a piece of flesh suck you dry of money for the next 50 years. That’s it for this week. Remember, email givemetheclap@gmail. com and share your adventures (or even your questions) with the world 31
WANT TO BE
THIS COOL? WRITE TO EMAIL: NEXUS@WAIKATO.AC.NZ
ON HOW TO BE COOL ZARDOZ COOL.
Nexus is constantly on the look out for fresh meat. Lurking in your lecture theatres, in the dark corners of your favourite pub, at your flat, in J basement and anywhere else students are sure to roam. We are keen to hear what you have to say. Even if you haven’t written before, your stories and your opinions are of value to us. We’re in need of newsos, musos, artoes, wordsmiths, organ donors, photographers, poets, assistants, media analysts, snitches, reviewers, designers and basically any student with a pulse and all it will cost you is some time. Contributing for Nexus can help you build up a portfolio of work and is great real world experience for that big job interview at the end of your degree. If there’s something that you think should be in Nexus but isn’t, come do it for us! For more information check out nexusmag.co.nz or email our editor at nexus@waikato.ac.nz.
32
19
33
A+ TEXTBOOKS
New & Secondhand Textbooks CONTACT DETAILS Address:141 Knighton Road Phone: 07 856 1077 Email: aplus@aplustextbooks.co.nz
34
KEVIN PRYOR GOES DOWN ON BOOKS HIGH RISE - J.G BALLARD
The idea that technology alters human behaviour is not new. Nor is it especially profound. But the idea that technology does not just alter behaviour but actually becomes human behaviour is more interesting. Especially in the era of Facebook. Is Facebook just a new technology that people benignly use for communication, or is it something more? Is it the dominant feature of our zeitgeist? Has Facebook in fact, replaced real life itself? It is themes such as these that define J.G Ballard. He explored the techno-fetishistic role of the motor car in his novel ‘Crash,’ and in ‘High Rise’ he follows up with High Rise Apartment blocks. But it is not simply exploration with Ballard. The high-rise is not just a setting for character development. The high-rise is one of the characters. The central motif. Equally if not more important than the flesh and blood characters are the air conditioning ducts, elevator shafts, underground carparks, and television sets inside the building. Grass, trees and nature play no part in the story; the occupants slowly suffocate under the weight of plate glass, steel and concrete. It is by living in this human battery farm, that a climate for conflict is created. Slowly but surely, the technological marvel starts to fall
apart. Air conditioning and elevators fail, rubbish chutes clog up. This creates tension between the occupants that manifests itself into violence and vandalism. Eventually all semblance of community collapses, and warring tribal factions develop. In the ultimate irony, the most visible icon of modernism, the high rise, is the setting for a complete reversion to barbarism. Another of Ballard’s major themes is that technology warps our natural human desires into unusual sexual fetishes. In the high rise, affairs and perverted sexual practices proliferate. The expansion of this perversity is the precursor of social breakdown. So the next time you’re downloading a video of coprophilia, just remember this is not an isolated act, but the first psychosomatic step into the eventual decline of Western civilisation.
GRITTY REBOOTS: NOT FOR BOOKS PLEASE
BY GRUMBLY MCGRUMBLESON
There’s a hip new fad in literature which is quickly getting old: gritty reboots.
of Jesus of Nazareth. Aren’t we so glad she stopped writing about vampires and found Catholicism again?
Well, it’s not exactly new, but it’s certainly getting old. Wicked was the first of what slowly became a landslide of literary hack
All of this, far from giving me hopes that the flashing-lights, loud-noises generation will start reading something of substance,
and slashing. Jane Austen is perhaps the best known victim of this fad, with the highly popular Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters doing well on the best sellers lists.
re-affirms my belief that with today’s youth, if it isn’t new, it isn’t worth looking at.
Some of you may find this as an affront to literature. Others may see this as a new avenue through which literature may be made more accessible. I think it’s the former, rather than the latter. It’s not just fiction which is getting this kind of reboot. Abraham Lincoln now kills vampires. That’s right: the man seen by history to have pushed slavery out of the United States (whether he wanted to or not) has now been relegated to humping round the Eastern seaboard killing vampires. Queen Victoria, on the other hand, finds time to slay demons. No text is sacred either. Anne Rice has even put forward Christ the Lord has a prequel of sorts to the gospel, covering the early life
Who can claim that a teen (or young adult for that matter) will read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, then hustle off to pull Pride and Prejudice sans zombies from the dusty shelf where it has sat since being purchased for their first year English papers. Is it not enough that authors, early Christians and historians slaved for hours over a manuscript, having it denied time and again before being accepted by a publishing house have to put up with being hidden away in dusty, unopened tomes? Must they now roll around in their graves, choking on their own vomit, hoping that these abortions of (excuse the term) zombiefied literature are far enough removed from the original text as to be unrecognisably derivative? I highly suggest you read the originals first. I doubt you will. But the suggestion is there all the same. 35
FREE MOVIE
*
on sign up
$10 TICKETS
to all standard movies, $15^ for 3D sessions
oial t a k i a W ation Spec
Orient
OR TATION N IE R O L! G SPECIA S DURIN U IS P H M T A T TO GE SE ON C CINEMA PURCHA IN R E Y FL T THIS PRESEN
ING JOIN NLY FEE O
05 $a1 ve $
r lid fo & va s r 2 yea
s
Card available to all current tertiary students, lecturers and faculty staff on presentation of a current valid tertiary institution ID. *Conditions apply, refer to actual membership card for full terms & conditions of use. ^ Price excludes $1 glasses fee.
36
MOVIE REVIEWS WITH DR. EZY
FAIR GAME - DIRECTED BY DOUG LIMAN
127 HOURS - DIRECTED BY DANNY BOYLE
Amongst the few, hesitant films that have dealt with America’s involvement in Iraq, “Fair Game” stands out. It’s based on a true story but that in itself doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything. Last year’s “Green Zone” had a grounding in real events too yet was sunk by cardboard villainy and the very Hollywood need to offset any criticism of political leadership by championing the guts of
It’s easy to see what attracted Oscar winning director Danny Boyle to the story he tells in “127 Hours”. The dramatic and logistical challenge of a simple narrative - man goes into desert, man gets trapped under rock, man cuts arm off - must have had great appeal given the convolutions of his Indian fantasy “Slumdog Millionaire”. The ambition to do something completely different after taking
the common soldier. In examining essentially the same lies - the Bush/Blair wet dream that Saddam Hussein was developing a nuclear weapons programme - “Fair Game” concentrates more on the interface between intelligence and politics, telling the tale of a married couple who got caught in the media cross fire.
out every industry prize going is commendable. Telling a true, inspirational tale is a positive thing to do.
Naomi Watts plays a CIA operative Valerie Plame. Sean Penn is her husband Joe Wilson, a former diplomat with an academic background. Against her better judgement Plame has Wilson investigate Agency claims that the African country of Niger is supplying uranium to the Hussein regime. When his inconvenient report that it isn’t is buried by a White House keen to make a case for its Iraqi invasion, Wilson responds by going public. Incensed, assistants to the Vice-President leak his association with Plame to the press, effectively blowing her cover and endangering the lives of vital sources throughout the Middle East. Impeccably acted by the two leads, “Fair Game” manages to be as compelling as a domestic drama as it is as a political thriller and polemic. Director Doug Liman, best known to a wider public for directing the espionage fantasy “The Bourne Identity”, aims for something closer to the tone of “All the President’s Men”, presenting complex, rounded characters not ideological mouthpieces. Despite the clear constitutional issues involved in the case, speechifying is kept to a minimum and employed only in the context of Wilson’s crusade to clear his family’s name from the mud-slinging of the right-wing press. Whatever the collateral damage to the marriage there’s a greater awareness that the real victims of the dirty tricks campaign were the Iraqi informants and their kin. “Fair Game” takes it as read that the invasion was a mistake premised on what those in power wanted to believe rather than any objective assessment of the facts. Its strength is in revealing how the tragedy unfolded from an insider’s perspective and in dramatising the consequences even within a nominal democracy for those who refuse to believe that war’s first casualty is the truth.
This said, does “127 hours” work? Does it hold audience attention for 94 minutes? Is it Boyle’s answer to Robert Zemeckis’ “Castaway”? Does lead character Aron Ralston - pretty much the only character, actually - draw on the rock and give it name like Tom Hanks did with that fucking soccer ball? Boyle and his co-scenarist Simon Beaufoy come up with a number of different tricks to make the film appealing. There’s more split screen use than seen since the 1960s. Early, pre-rock-pinning scenes are cut together with up tempo music as Ralston traverses the landscape with all the speed and joy of Renton and co. at the beginning of “Trainspotting” or those cute Asian lads at the outset of “Slumdog”. Like his characters, the director only knows one pace and its flat out. His boys always have places to go. Once Ralston is under the rock the real challenge begins. Boyle give us every conceivable angle. Flashbacks, dream sequences, hallucinations, sped up and slowed down imagery are all fed into the mix. Ralston has a handycam which he uses a visual diary, offering up commentary on his situation and apologies to parents and sibling, giving us yet another perspective and at one point providing the prone gentleman some masturbatory options. If there’s a theme it’s borrowed from John Donne. Ralston comes to see his entrapment as a reflection of his selfish personality, of a lifestyle that has systematically pushed friends, family and lovers away. He becomes contrite and finds the inner resolve to escape, embracing society in a fuller, interactive sense. The climatic scenes have an emotional power that creeps up on you. James Franco as Ralston is impressive throughout and the payoff at conclusion is undeniable. I couldn’t escape the feeling though that parts of “127 Hours” were over directed. Less is usually more and minimalist material is often best served by minimalist technique.
37
38
DIE
Sub Customer
Dmax File Name
OPAQUE WHITE GLOSS DULL EMBOSS DEBOSS PANTONE 001 PANTONE 002
Billing Block%
100 27” X 40” 30%
Build% Final Size
Proof L/S
11.12.10 5 175 340 id 1e
Date
HALL PASS - INTL - ONE SHEET Billing Block Used XXX FULL PAGE
Job Description
226193 1 WB
Job
COMPENSATED R1
ASB Bank Limited’s terms and conditions apply. ASB’s current Disclosure Statement and prize draw terms are available free of charge from any ASB branch. There are three $10,000 cash prizes to be won.