Nexus 2017 Issue 19

FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE

N.19 / V.49

UncertainFuture: Peter is Dunne and Dusted — Page 04 Recycle Boutique Serves Arcade Fire — Page 16 Splendour in the Swamp Lineup Announcement— Page 26

& 16 FEATURE CENTREFOLD

NEXUS ISSUE 19 28TH AUGUST - 1ST SEPTEMBER 2017

Arcade Fire - in collaboration with Recycle Boutique

CO-EDITORS Bronwyn Laundry Lyam Buchanan editor@nexusmag.co.nz

MANAGING EDITOR James Raffan james@nexusmag.co.nz

DESIGN Vincent Owen design@nexusmag.co.nz

DEPUTY EDITOR Jennie-Louise Kendrick jen@nexusmag.co.nz

REVIEWS EDITOR Alexander Nebesky

1 EDITORIAL 4 NEWS

Double Standards Becoming the Standard

UncertainFuture: Peter is Dunne and Dusted Snide and Prejudice Nexus Talks to Political Youth, Part Two Election for WSU Board of Directors TL;LR News in Numbers The Diminutive Post Top 10

reviews@nexusmag.co.nz

22 FULL EXPOSURE 24 STUDENT EXPERIENCE Interview with Johnny Goth

CONTRIBUTORS Ash Muir Liz Viviani Katelyn Silvester

Puppet Master Politics FOMO Splendour in the Swamp Club Spotlight: WUTTSA Interview with Brendhan Lovegrove

Robbie Mercer Eilish Nelley Tiffany Clayton Recycle Boutique Scott Yearbury Kate Lunn Tom Collopy Brittany Rose Conor Maxwell Archie Porter Asena Pouli Elisapesi Havea Jacqui Swney Tom Featonby Valerie Bianchi Peter Dornauf Troy Anderson Julie Charlton

OFFICES Ground Floor SUB, Gate One University of Waikato Knighton Road, Hillcrest Hamilton 3216 Private Bag 3059

DISTRIBUTION Matthew Rae

10 SPORTS COLUMNS 30 12 RANDOM AUDIT 13 ENTERTAINMENT 14 REVIEWS Forced Out

Pass the AUX WUG Life Eco Emporium Arts Yam & Troy the Science Boys The Morning After

Book: ‘Rain’ by Kirsty Gunn Video Game: ‘Gwent - Closed Beta’ by CD Projekt Red Album: ‘A Fever Dream’ by Everything Everything Film: ‘Atomic Blonde’ directed by David Leitch

37 SNAPPED 40 PUZZLES

Editorial — Pānui Ētita

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Fashions Fade If you’ve ever read a column by the sensational Amanda van der Klompf you’ll know that Nexus’ views on mainstream fashion are a little… critical. When NZ Fashion Week rolled around we felt we needed to acknowledge the impact fashion has on us, but also subvert it. So rather than interview some pretentious big wig designer and feature a spread of unattainable and high fashion photos, we decided to celebrate local creativity and spoke to our amazing and talented friends at Recycle Boutique to collaborate on our first entirely visual feature. It’s safe to say the images they gave us left us SHOOK. Fashion and style are unavoidable and play a significant role in our lives as students, but there are a select few that can afford to buy into the bullshit of brand new fluffy Gucci loafers or fingers full of Karen Walker rings that snap after two months of wear and get denied a warranty repair. On the reverse of that is Kmart chic - keeping up with every trend cooked up by marketing execs by buying closets full of fast fashion made cheap and unethically in horrific working conditions. Both of these sides of the coin don’t bode well if you’re a poor student and a

conscientious consumer/decent human being. So what’s the alternative?

Enter a trend we can fully get behind - sustainable fashion. Supporting locally made goods, upcycling and repairing clothes, and scouring op shops. It requires that you swallow your pride and wear something that could have once belonged to a grandma or, shock horror, actually learn how to use a needle and thread. But, it’s a trend that clears your conscience, saves your pocket and makes you stand out a little more than your average white-jeans-fluffy-keyring sporting PR maven.

The rise of places like Recycle prove that sustainable fashion is just as viable and far more appealing to young people than ever, and they help to reinvigorate an industry previously dictated by rich white folk with blunt bobs.

Sustainable fashion is a little more accessible to your average twentysomething with a student loan, and we’re happy to be supporting a facet of fashion that promotes individuality and sustainability. ♦

— Lyam & Bron

01

Uni News — Pitopito Korero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

U N I N E W S Keen to Earn Some Money?

The University’s Waikato Experimental Economics Lab (WEEL) are always looking for people to take part in behavioural research. You can earn $18-20 an hour, depending on results. Register online to participate in specific experiment sessions – you can always say no if the timing doesn’t suit. For more information, and to register as a potential participant, go to www.management.ac.nz/weel December Graduation Have you recently completed your studies?

Or do you anticipate completion before the 20 November? If so, you can now apply to graduate.

Go to the common tasks tab in iWaikato and select apply to graduate. The deadline for applications to graduate if you wish to attend the December ceremony is 11 October. Apply now so you don’t miss out.

Hamilton Careers Fair Have you got a job lined up after you graduate?

Come along to our Hamilton Careers Fair on August 30, 10am – 2pm at the Student Centre and S Block. It’s the perfect opportunity to talk with employers about your career plans and you may even meet your future boss!

Heading to Town?

Waikato Uni staff and students pay just $1.70 (one-way)* thanks to our 30% subsidy. Find out more at waikato.ac.nz/go/unibus. *When you use a BUSIT card and uni ID for trips within Hamilton.

Three Minute Thesis Final The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an annual competition that challenges doctoral students to present their research to a non-specialist audience in no more than three minutes, using one (static) slide. This year’s winner was Harpreet Kaur, from the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She will go on to compete at the Asia-Pacific 3MT competition, hosted by the University of Queensland in September.

We`re hiring!

Interested in being a Residential Assistant (RA) or Senior Residential Assistant (SRA) next year?

You’ll get to live and work at the Halls on campus, and helping new residents adjust to university life and living away from home. Find out more at our info evening tonight (Monday 28 August) in S.G.01, Hamilton campus from 7-8pm.

Go to iWaikato or Student eNews for more information and other need-to-knows.

03

NEXUS MAGAZINE

News — Pitopito Korero

UncertainFuture: Peter is Dunne and Dusted Kate Lunn UnitedFuture Leader, Peter Dunne, announced last Monday that he would resign from Parliament at the election. Dunne, who is the current MP for Ōhāriu, stated that a shift in voter sentiment triggered his resignation.

Dunne is also the third party leader in just three weeks to resign, following the shock departures of Andrew Little (Labour) and Metiria Turei (Greens) earlier this month.

“The current political environment is extremely volatile and unpredictable. However, I have concluded, based on recent polling, and other soundings I have been taking over the last few weeks, that, the volatility and uncertainty notwithstanding, there is now a mood amongst Ōhāriu voters for a change of MP, which is unlikely to alter.” Dunne said in a statement.

“This shift in voter sentiment is quite at variance with polling and other data I have seen throughout the year, upon which I had based my earlier decision to seek re-election for a 12th term as MP for Ōhāriu.”

Dunne is the longest serving continuous MP in Parliament, and has been the MP for the Ōhāriu area since 1984.

A recent Colmar Brunton poll put Dunne at only 34%, while Labour’s candidate, Greg O’Connor, is leading at 48%. National’s candidate Brett Hudson garnered only 14% of the vote.

Previously, the National Party had explicitly told National voters to give their candidate vote to Dunne, rather than Hudson. Hudson, who until now was campaigning only for the party vote in the electorate, will now be actively contesting 04

N.19 / V.49

the seat against O’Connor.

Prime Minister Bill English did not seem overly concerned by Dunne’s resignation, which may result in National losing a potential support partner in a future Government.

“We have a lot of voters...on the left they seem to be cannibalising each other,” said English.

“You don’t get these choices do you but at least we don’t have to change every billboard in the country like Labour and the Greens have set out to do and haven’t yet managed.”

Dunne has been a Minister in both National and Labour-led governments. He is the current Minister of Internal Affairs and Associate Minister of Health.

While Dunne will likely be remembered best as the Minister of Bowties, he has been an active supporter of drug reform within his health portfolio.

Dunne oversaw changes to loosen the rules around medical cannabis and tightening the law on psychoactive substances. He has also brought a fresh approach to the issue of drug reform, tracking it as a health issue rather than a criminal issue. ♦

W E ’ R E N O T D U N N E Y E T… YOU’LL BE SO DUNNE WHEN YOU SEE THE PUNNES WE H AV E I N S T O R E ! ( A LT E R N A T I V E T I T L E S T O T H I S N E WS S TO RY ) → ALL DUNNE FOR NOW → PETER IS SO DUNNE → 100% DUNNE → “ T H AT ’ S I T ! I ’ M D U N N E ! ” → D U N N E E M P LOY E D → DUNNE WITH THE WIND → S’DUNNE-ING EXIT FROM PETER FORESHADOWS A FUTURE LESS UNITED → PETER IS DONE DUNNE FUCKED

News — Pitopito Korero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Snide and Prejudice Jennie-Louise Kendrick

↑ LO G A N R O B E R T S O N E X P E L L I N G V I L E , H AT E F U L B I G OT RY F RO M H I S SYS T E M

↑ HELEN JACOBI

New Zealanders were stunned when the news broke of a West Auckland Pastor Logan Robertson of the Westcity Bible Baptist Church declaring that gay couples should be shot.

It is perhaps not unsurprising then that in the last few months, he has told a gay Christian author to commit suicide, won’t let his wife vote and said Jacinda Ardern should “shut up” and “get back in the kitchen”. The New Zealand Police have announced that they have dropped the investigation into Robertson because they found no evidence a crime has been committed.

The Westcity Bible Baptist Church describes itself as a church with “a vision of reaching the lost souls of Auckland” and a “family-oriented Bible-believing Baptist church located in West Auckland”.

While it is believed that there are fewer than 10-20 followers, the church’s Facebook page has upwards of 1,200 likes. Logan Robertson’s “church” has no affiliation with the Baptist denomination of New Zealand and has been publicly denounced by several Christian ministers.

Reverend Helen Jacobi, vicar of Auckland’s St Matthew in the City, told NZME he was “inciting violence, verging on hate speech and verging on criminal behaviour”.

Baptist Churches of New Zealand said “In the case of Pastor Logan Robertson, he is not an ordained or registered pastor of any denomination.

“He does not have a congregation or a church building or meeting space. He has established a church website thereby claiming to be a church.

“NZ Baptists cannot take responsibility

for Robertson’s actions. Yet we are deeply disturbed by any pain that Robertson has caused the gay community.”

New Zealand is a liberal country and has championed many issues of equality, such as giving women in the vote in 1893 and legalising same-sex marriage in 2013. But it should not surprise anyone that small pockets of the country live by hateful beliefs, whether under the guise of religion or not.

So when should one’s free speech be penalised for encroaching on the civil liberties of others?

Logan Robertson’s views on the world clearly do not stand with the rest of the New Zealand Christian community, just as ISIS does not represent those of the Muslim faith.

However, the incitement of violence and hate crimes against fellow New Zealanders should be taken more seriously than it was.

The Government’s Ethnic Communities Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga made a statement in 2016 following complaints made against Brian Tamaki, saying “The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 gives everyone the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive and impart information and opinions of any kind in any form. But hate speech is prohibited under section 61 of the Human Rights Act”. ♦

05

NEXUS MAGAZINE

News — Pitopito Korero

Nexus Talks to Political Youth, Part Two Bronwyn Laundry In part two of our chat with the political youth wings we talked to Waikato Young Labour and CNI Young Nats.

Waikato Young Labour How has Little’s resignation and Ardern’s appointment affected you?

Andrew’s resignation came as a shock, but we are very thankful for the dedication he has shown as leader over the past two years. We are proud of the integrity he brought to the job, and he has shown that his values are Labour’s values. Everything he’s done was for the good of the party, even when that meant standing down as leader. We adore Jacinda, and she has our full support. She has thrived as leader, and it’s been awesome watching as she continues to put forward Labours fantastic plan for New Zealand.

What worries you the most about the opposition?

What worries me and many people in Young Labour is the idea of three more years of inaction on the issues that face us as a country.

Personally, I’ve struggled to help friends access the mental health system. It needs to be easy to get help as soon as you need it, but this government has treated mental health as a nonissue. I worry about the people without homes, constantly getting sick from the cold and feeling so undignified. The National Government fails to acknowledge there is a housing crisis, and Bill English has even said “these are good problems to have actually”. What I see in a Jacinda lead Labour is hope, and that Labour will invest in our people.

What are you election night hopes?

My hope is that we see a Labour-led government that is willing to fix the issues that we face, from climate and environment through to jobs, housing and education. I hope that we’ll see a Government that will prioritise investing in 06

N.19 / V.49

our people, instead of giving $400m in tax cuts to the top 10%.

CNI Young Nats How has the recent scandal involving Todd Barclay affected you?

As we’ve seen from the last few weeks, politics can throw up a few surprises as we’ve seen in Labour and the Greens.

What worries you the most about the opposition?

No direction or discussion about the economy.

I think it’s pretty basic that the economy should be a focus point and we’ve heard nothing from the opposition thus far. National has been pragmatic with its spending through economic and seismic crisis, and coming into a fourth term we will now see the fruits of NZ’s hard work with an increase in benefits, tax relief, an additional $224 million for mental health delivering on infrastructure.

What are you election night hopes?

I believe National will win with its current support partners, but under an MMP environment anything is possible. We’re not complacent and we’re determined to get a fourth term. ♦

News — Pitopito Korero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Election for WSU Board of Directors Big Boss Dave Do you have what it takes to be part of the WSU team? Nominations are now open for next year’s Board of Directors and we need people who can keep the momentum going on the great work we have been doing.

What might make you a good Director? →→ An independent, creative and critical thinker; →→ High ethical standards; →→ Strong work ethic and desire to get things done; →→ Able to see the big picture; →→ Team player.

Any currently enrolled student at the University of Waikato may stand for election, provided you will be enrolling next year while you hold office.

Directors are in office for a calendar year and need to be available to start work from about the middle of January. Workloads vary during the year and it is difficult to quantify how much time you need to commit. As a general rule you will need to allow for about 10 hours per week on average. If you are elected you will need to plan time for things like: →→ Board meetings; →→ Preparation and reading time; →→ Events and activities; →→ Research, consultation and focus groups.

You will also be expected to attend induction training later in October or November (after the election) where you will be shown around the office and introduced to your colleagues.

Service as a Director of the Board is voluntary,

but it does have its rewards: →→ Fun and good times at our various events and activities; →→ Satisfaction of meeting and helping other people; →→ Experience of committee meetings, research and focus groups; →→ Looks good on your CV; →→ May qualify for Employability Plus Programme; →→ And more.

Nominations close at 4.00pm on Friday 8th September 2017. The election will be held on 25th, 26th and 27th September 2017. Further information is available from wsu.org.nz ♦

07

News — Pitopito Korero

TL;LR

Too Long; Lyam Read “Gangly avian infant chuffed with sweet socks.”

— Baby flamingo in Singapore’s Jurong Bird Park is too hot to trot. Squish, born from an abandoned egg, needs handmade booties to walk outside.

“Brave punter attempts to secure potential sugar momma.”

— At Home With Jacinda: talking the talk with Labour leader Ardern. She opened up about how her private life doesn’t get to be private.

“Classic one nighter backfires after mild misunderstanding.”

— Dad spotted 10 years after vanishing. Sandie’s husband disappeared a decade ago, then she bumped into him on the street.

“Dense cold folk struggle to contribute to society.”

— A pie craving leads to double arrest in North Canterbury. Two men were arrested in North Canterbury after returning to the scene of the crime because one of them had a craving for a mince and cheese pie.

“Winny P continues to prove he knows no bounds.”

— Cultural icons mistaken for ‘lazy immigrants’ attacked online. Magic Johnson and Samuel L Jackson have inadvertently caused a stir in Tuscany.

“How about we all just huff some petrol?”

— Let’s move to...Dargaville. ‘It was the best, the worst and definitely hardest year of my life’.

News in Numbers 200

$570m

4.0

33,880

>10,000

4 weeks

goals have been scored by Wayne Rooney in the English Premier League.

magnitude quake leaves at least 20 injured in Italy.

soldiers were discharged in WW1 for sexually transmitted diseases.

08

N.19 / V.49

award given in lawsuit linking baby powder to cancer.

customers have left SKY TV in the last financial year, recording a 21% drop in profit.

get underway.

until the WSU elections

The Diminutive Post

NEXUS MAGAZINE

News — Pitopito Korero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

TOP 10 Blasphemous Young Adult Briefly Becomes Religious after Watching Phone Hit Pavement “Jesus fucking Christ don’t tell me it’s cracked.” Financially unstable second year struggles with the potential reality of living with a smashed screen. “The Archangel Gabriel really came in clutch today, amen”.

Following last week’s resignation of Parliamentary stalwart and bow tie aficionado, Peter Dunne, UnitedFuture is in need of a bold new direction.

10. William Lewis, current President of WSU. The man who will lead the WSU to its most stable year in half a decade already sounds like a senior citizen out of touch with students.

9. Bill English, soon to be ex-Prime Minister. If the vacancy holds ‘til September 24th Bill could be the man to take the reigns.

8. Robbie Mac… We have no words but read “It’s politics for the apathetic and easily led.”

7. The girls from Duck Island. Peter Dunne spent most of his career looking like someone who sells ice-cream, maybe the reverse is true...

Engineering Student Convinced They’re the Busiest and Most Stressed Person to Ever Exist “I have 37 assignments, seven tests, 14 reports, two court dates, nine exams and 43 hours of class this afternoon”. Easily frightened creature attempts communication with fellow hermit. “I haven’t slept in six years”.

6. Andrew Little, Peter Dunne seemed like a nice enough guy that lacked charisma. Andrew basically has that on a business card.

5. Gareth Morgan, TOP’s minister of pork related cosmetic testing. It could be “Act for more United Future Opportunities” and it still wouldn’t make 5%.

4. David Bain, not afraid to pull the trigger on change and make the hard calls. Also has experience in flier delivery which could be essential.

3. Devast8.

2. Bishop Brian Tamaki- Future Destiny, in many ways the real NZ Trump, Bishop Tamaki could take the party in a new direction. Unfortunately that direction is an Amish village in the 1800s.

Drive-Thru Worker Questions Mistakes They’ve Made to End up at This Point

1. Tash Fitzsimons, captain of the Black Sticks.

Come on hun you’re getting up in years, maybe it’s time for a career change. ♦

“I didn’t force you to come here, I played no part in the decisions that led your life to be like this and I didn’t break the fucking ice cream machine”.

Hard working individual struggles to come to terms with disrespectful McFlurry enthusiasts. “Why me?”

09

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Sports — Hākinakina

Forced Out Tom Collopy Back in April SANZAAR announced that they would be cutting the number of teams competing in Super Rugby from 18 to 15 for the 2018 season and beyond, with South Africa losing two teams and Australia losing one. SA Rugby handled the situation very professionally, reaching settlement agreements with both the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs and exploring future options for both teams so that rugby in South Africa would not impacted negatively following the decision. Unfortunately, the ARU didn’t do such a good job throughout the process. Their communication and transparency leading up to the announcement was poor and their failure to outline any future for the side being cut showed a total neglect and lack of respect toward not only the two sides on the chopping block, but Australian Rugby as a whole. The decision was made following the conclusion of this season that the Force would be the side to lose their license and ultimately be expected to dissolve as a franchise.

The Force were established in 2006 as an expansion team when Super Rugby transitioned from Super 12 to Super 14. Whilst they have failed to make the knockout stages in the 11 years they have been a part of the competition, their presence has seen a massive increase in rugby participation throughout the State of Western Australia. Progress had begun to be made this season under new coach David Wessels with the team finishing 2nd in the Australian Conference and for the most part competing at a high level against top quality opposition. They also had 10 home grown talents make appearances for the club this season showing that this was a franchise 10

N.19 / V.49

proving their development system and grassroots rugby is producing professional level talent.

Thus begs the question as to why the ARU would piss all over that by ultimately taking away their professional side and leaving Western Australian rugby players with nothing to aspire towards?

It just doesn’t make sense to me. I feel that in every aspect, the Western Force were a better proposition to retain their Super Rugby license than the Melbourne Rebels, but it seems as though the ARU have valued the short term financial benefit of cutting the Force and not taken into consideration the long term effect this will have on rugby in Australia. The future of the game should have been the ARU’s number one priority when making this decision given the current state of rugby in Australia but unfortunately it seems to have been undervalued. ♦

↑ D AV I D W E S S E L S

NEXUS MAGAZINE

12

Random Audit — Kauwhau

N.19 / V.49

Entertainment — Whakangahau

NEXUS MAGAZINE

ENTERTAINMENT Crush of the Week – Camilla Thurlow If you’re not gagging on Love Island, then you’re not really living. Camilla is the show’s sweetheart; she stuffs herself full to the gills with charity work and refrains from in-villa gossip. Later down the track she will find her match (I promise *wink*) but while we are still in the fledgling stages of the show on New Zealand TV, I can’t tell you much more.

Camilla is our favourite Love Islander in the Nexus office!

(Not) Clickbait Moodboard

Hottest to Nottest →→ Love Island →→ The pinky pie from Winner Winner →→ Laughing at stock images →→ Finally using your free condom from the WSU ORI2017 bags →→ Expressing concern to your local MP regarding the issues that matter the most to you →→ Letting a political campaigner use your restroom facilities →→ Having sex dreams about the Orange NZ Election man →→ Not understanding the difference between brought and bought →→ Vegans not appreciating Wacka Flocka Flame as the most valuable member of the Veganhood →→ Making physical contact with someone and then hearing their flu-induced nasally congested voice

13

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Reviews — Arotakenga

Book

Video Game

Arotakenga Pukapuka Rain by Kirsty Gunn Review: Brittany Rose

Arotakenga Tākoro Ataata Gwent - Closed Beta by CD Projekt Red Review: Conor Maxwell

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

At less than 100 pages, broken into seven distinctive scenes, Kirsty Gunn paints vivid images of (mostly inappropriate) childhood settings, from the perspective of a young girl. Written in past tense, it reads like bad memory - half trance, half flashback; it’s PTSD in first person.

I am developing a major writer crush on Gunn, so please excuse me while I gush praise.

Everything feels so controlled, and deliberate, every word so deftly chosen (I sound like a pretentious asshole, I’m sorry). The imagery the agonising climax creeps up, foreshadowed through metaphor and imagery that drowns the senses. No spoilers - but if you have a beating heart, it will drop to your gut when you read the final chapter.

Gunn nails the tragic tone - the back cover labels it as a “story of loss”, which is apt since it’s rife with heartbreak. The characters, Janey, and her brother Jim Little, are neglected and abused. It’s written in such a poetic way that it romanticises the distress and abuse of Janey, which is unsettling, and raw.

As the title suggests, there is a motif of rain - or more precisely, water imagery. Floods and tears, deep plunges, and body-sinking splashes permeate the metaphor-rich prose. There are golden liquids, spilling down the hallway from the drinking adults, and unsupervised swims in the lake.

If you’re an extra emotional person and feel hungry for some heartbreak (without messing up your life) this book is your catharsis. Read it in one sitting, mourn, then read it again. ♦

CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest video games of this generation, and its hundreds of hours of content provide a wide variety of gameplay options and features for the lucky player with way too much time on their hands. One such feature is Gwent; a fictional card game that tasks players with building decks and outsmarting and overpowering AI opponents in a ‘best of three’ competitive format. Playing Gwent is completely optional in The Witcher 3, but I played the shit out of it, traveling the game’s massive world, dominating virtual proles and stealing their cards.

Gwent was so popular, in fact, that it spawned a spinoff multiplayer game that is currently in its beta stage. As an unashamedly huge fan of Gwent, I thought I would love a full title inspired by the minigame, but in my time with the Beta, I wasn’t impressed.

My problem with it, admittedly, isn’t the game itself. Changes have been made to the mechanics, and there’s a plentiful supply of new cards to offer new content for regular Gwent players in The Witcher. My problem is that Gwent should never have been anything more than a minigame—a Tim Drake to The Witcher’s much more popular Bruce Wayne. Playing non-stop Gwent without the option to break from the “action” to kill vampires and fuck sorceresses is a tedious and unfulfilling experience. ♦

14

N.19 / V.49

Re v e w

e vi

ws.

Reviews — Arotakenga

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Album

Film

Arotakenga Pakaemi A Fever Dream by Everything Everything Review: Archie Porter

Arotakenga Kiriata Atomic Blonde directed by David Leitch Review: Alexander Nebesky

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

England’s eccentric and wildly entertaining indie art-pop band, Everything Everything, return with their fourth album, A Fever Dream.

It’s an exciting and often angry, yet cathartic, album, delving headfirst into a nightmarish and harrowing landscape of political corruption and helplessness. Sounds like an easy listen, right?

Herein lies Everything Everything’s brilliance: despite masquerading as an exciting pop group with catchy and immediate songs, the lyricism reveals disturbing, bureaucratic, and surreal underpinnings drenched in shades of our own warped reality. This façade is what separates Everything Everything’s music from your typical ‘indie pop’. Kicking things off with the incredible ‘Night of the Long Knives’, the album starts with an explosive gut punch, followed by the two glitzy singles ‘Can’t Do’, and ‘Desire’, both of which feel like natural progressions from their previous efforts.

Songs such as ‘Big Game’, ‘Run the Numbers’, and the exceptionally brilliant ‘Ivory Tower’ explode violently with crunching guitars and math rock-esque drum patterns, while slower songs such as the titular ‘A Fever Dream’ provide some momentary, albeit somber, relief. The album’s closing track, ‘White Whale’, is an exceptional conclusion to a blazing and enchanting record, boasting a constant battle between beauty and horror; consciousness and dreamscapes. The album sounds like a transition into something greater, something that, hopefully, their next record will deliver. Regardless, it is an excellent collection of brilliantly intricate and explosive songs. Though it definitely requires multiple listens to digest, A Fever Dream sits among the best albums I have listened to so far this year. ♦

Atomic Blonde is a sleek, neon-lit, furiously violent 80s romp through Cold War Berlin. It stars Charlize Theron as a secret agent who kills an ungodly number of dirty communist Ruskies, and James McAvoy, who frankly has an embarrassing kill count by comparison. Atomic Blonde is destined only to be remembered when you say to your friend “remember that sick as fuck fight scene in that movie about Charlize Theron in the 80s?” Your friend will respond “Oh yeah, that one where she kills those guys in a staircase”, and you’ll say “She also killed those guys in an apartment.” And your friend will retort with “And she killed those guys in a hotel room.” - so on and so forth. All those action sequences are fantastic, and weighty. Action and soundtrack are undoubtedly the strengths of this film. You love all the songs in this film.

Atomic Blonde stumbles terribly with its story.

It leaves one wondering what happened, not because it was a masterful tale full of betrayal and twist that warrants further viewings to fully grasp, but because it was both ill-written and over explained. There is no reason to actually care about any of the characters on screen as none of them are actually risking anything, and things happen in Atomic Blonde in order to facilitate things happening after them, not because there is progression of plot thanks to character decisions that make sense. This poor writing becomes blatant by the end of the filmoverlong and over explained, as if the director were standing in front of you screaming “DO YOU GET IT NOW?” Yes, I got it. And don’t treat me like a child, Mr. Leitch. ♦

15

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

ARCADE

“Something like Dazed or i-D”, our designer said to the team at Recycle Boutique Hamilton, pitching a visual feature coinciding with NZFW. Ash Muir shoots the staff-turned-models, seen in the secondhand and locally made stylings of Liz Viviani.

16

N.19 / V.49

Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

NEXUS MAGAZINE

17

NEXUS MAGAZINE

18

Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

N.19 / V.49

Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Katelyn Silvester Robbie Mercer @3216rob Eilish Nelley Tiffany Clayton @arowm Photography Ash Muir @ashleighmuirphotography Styling Liz Viviani @lizvivianistylist Models @recyclehamilton Clothing: @recyclehamilton / all secondhand 3216 Tee @smalltalkstore_ by @shutterdallas “I See Red” hulas (earrings) @arowm Special Thanks: Timezone Victoria Street

19

NEXUS MAGAZINE

22

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

N.19 / V.49

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

NEXUS MAGAZINE

In order to keep you up to date with the sad white boy folk scene, our resident Spotify addict took one for the team and tracked down the elusive Johnny Goth. This Californian muso thrives with the lo-fi sound, embracing cloudy days to produce some of the most hopeless ‘bedroom goth-pop’. If you’re feeling a little too stoked with life make sure to give his latest release ‘Far Away’ a peep.

How would you define your sound?

I like to think of my sound as “overcast” since I like to write songs that I feel could soundtrack a rainy or hazy kind of day.

What drove you to become a musician?

I’ve always been interested in music but figured it was out of my reach until a couple years ago when I started to make music with my buds/ bandmates from our band ‘Pile of Napkins’. I had messed around with programs like GarageBand from time to time to make music for films my friends and I were working on, but never really thought of anything beyond that. When I realised it was something I liked doing I started learning to record on my laptop so we could put our music online and from then on I would just record my own stuff for fun on the side until I eventually had enough to put out.

What have been the biggest influences in your life?

Some of the biggest influences on me musically have been artists and bands such as The Strokes, The Cure, and Elliott Smith, just to name a few. It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly influences my songwriting, but I’d say most of my lyrics are written with past experiences in mind or present feelings.

What have you been working on recently?

I have a few things in the works right now, hoping to have something new to release by early next year, fingers crossed. I’ve also been interested in the music video side of things so some friends and I have been working on that recently.

Do you have any creative outlets other than music?

I’ve been making films with my buds since I was about nine so filmmaking has always been an outlet for me. I’m hoping I can put that experience to use in future music video/short film projects. I’ve just recently gained interest in photography, so we’ll see what comes of that.

Oh and I like to paint when the mood strikes.

What are the plans with your tunes?

My plans are pretty much up in the air right now, I’m just going to try and release what I’m working on and hopefully follow through with some visual kind of material. I also want to figure out how to translate my newer songs live.

What artists/tracks do you listen to on the daily?

I’ve been listening to a lot of Crystal Castles lately, my favorite track of theirs is probably ‘Vietnam’ or ‘Untrust Us’. Bored Nothing is another artist I’ve been into for a while, pretty much any song of his. And The Wytches are sick, I really dig their style and sound. This is just to name a few of my favourite.

Can you talk me through the creation and inspiration of your track ‘Far Away’?

It started out with a guitar track I had been throwing around in my head for a while and once I finally laid it out the lyrics just kind of flowed along. Looking back on the lyrics I would say the song is about self-isolation and feeling distant.

I wanted the song to feel sort of hopeless and spacey at first but then resolve with somewhat of a silver lining. Most of the time spent on that track was just experimenting with how this change would take place in the song.

What’s the saddest haiku you can hit me with right now?

I ordered the guac They told me to go fuck off Tears in my nachos Hobbies beyond music?

Aside from filmmaking, when I have free time I like to walk or skate around town or maybe watch something on Netflix. I’m a big fan of the stand-up specials. ♦

23

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

Puppet Master Politics Winston Peters The original plan was to have Lyam talk to Peter Dunne, we have actual emails from last week where we were agreeing to times and locations.

But, perhaps under the threat of Lyam’s everexpanding political shrewdness or simple fear of exposing his inability to knock back a squealer, Dunne left Parliament. So in a hurry to get the best possible interview, we stood in the mirror and said Winston Peters’ name three times and he appeared on the Green to answer that magical question…. Is Lyam a racist?

Why do you believe students should vote?

“Well everyone who’s interested in a proper decent society should ensure they have a say in it given that politics affects you 24/7, whether you’re awake or asleep it’ll affect every part of your life. It pays to take interest in it, it’s not gonna leave you alone”.

What policies are NZ First bringing in for students? →→ Stop the massive competition coming in from overseas designed to drive wages down. →→ If you stay and work in NZ for five years they’ll meet you dollar for dollar on your debt repayment.

Winston made a point that we’re currently bringing in 73,000 immigrants per year and there’s about 240,000 thousand work visas being processed. These numbers do seem daunting but without anything to compare them to they’re fucking pointless. He’s just using the same tactic as David Seymour by saying a bunch of numbers confidently in an attempt to confuse whoever’s listening. If you’re making a call like this you need something more than a stern voice to back it.

The other point of only having to pay back half your student loan is appealing, it does sound like a bit of a ploy to keep Kiwis in and everyone else out but it’s still a nice gesture financially.

24

N.19 / V.49

What are the biggest issues NZ first want to fix within NZ? “The main issues you gotta fix that we’re not the successful economy they argue we are, if you take out the massive population growth which is being injected and affected by massive immigration that’s 2%, now if you take that off our 3% growth rate what’re we left with? A 1% growth rate. 1% is one of the lowest performing economies in the OECD, not the top half the bottom half”.

Righteo so I’m getting the impression that Winston isn’t the biggest fan of immigrants and that he also has access to some super exclusive data. I had a good geez through the OECD reports and couldn’t find anything which backed this up, economically we’re sitting fairly middle of the road and in terms of annual population growth we’re 4th in the OECD. Funnily enough there also wasn’t any data showing a country’s growth with or without the ‘injection’ of immigrants.

Thoughts on the ciggie tax?

“Well it’s actually an attack on people’s freedom, it’s an attack on many working people who can’t afford it”.

Today Lyam Learnt: Nothing. Today Lyam learnt nothing. Yet like 12% of the country that doesn’t mean he won’t end up voting for the wiley old silver fox of New Zealand politics.

The Last Word He’s lucky there isn’t a height restriction to be Kingmaker, who would’ve known that someone around 5’4 could come across so confident. In the end nothing of substance really came out of this, though at least the elderly will like me now that I’ve come in contact with their lord and saviour. ♦

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Have an event you want featured? Flick an email to editor@nexusmag.co.nz with details of the event and we’ll get in touch.

R&V- 28th December-1st January Gisborne It’s huge, hype and fairly fucking feral. You don’t need any background on this one, it’s their 15th run and it’s bound to be just as huge as the last few. You’ll without a doubt hear people complaining that ‘R&V is dying bro, it’s been so shit since the riots’, yet each year it comes close to selling out and is the staple choice for the New Years session.

Ticket info: 3 Day GA- $295, 3 Day GA+Camping- $395, 3 Day Vintage Club Premium Pass- $420 Lineup Highlights: Schoolboy Q, 2manydj’s, Baauer, Mura Masa, Sachi

R&A- 29th-31st December Cardrona Valley Rhythm & Alps has announced their strongest lineup yet. Over two days they’ll have 50 incredible acts, handpicked from around the globe to form what’s being called “the most diverse and notable of any NZ festivals this year”. R&A typically flies under the radar but it’s definitely ramping up, maybe it’s time to make a roadie of it?

Ticket info: 2 Day GA- $167, 2 Day GA + 3 Day Camping- $262, Dec 31st GA + Camping- $165 Lineup Highlights: Tash Sultana, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Cigarettes After Sex, NAO, Ocean Alley

Northern Bass- 29-31st December Mangawhai Much like R&V, it’s a shitfest. Northern Bass is where you go if you’re a diehard George FM fanboy or find yourself in the constant search for the filthiest bangers. Think along the lines of Back Bar, except it’s slightly more expensive and a whole lot bigger.

Ticket info: 3 Day GA- $249, 2 Day GA- $199, 1 Day GA-$99 Highlights: Andy C, Foreign Beggars, Goldie, Post Malonem, Stormzy

Bay Dreams- 2nd January The Mount Earlier this year Bay Dreams absolutely popped off after selling out with their killer lineup. Next year looks to follow suit with their 1st-lineup release running rampant on social media, resulting in the first ticket drop selling out almost immediately. It’s fair to say that out of each NZ festival this one is guaranteed to be a jolly good time.

Ticket info: 1st Release 1-Day Pass- $169 Highlights: DJ Snake, Foster the People, $UICIDEBOY$, Ocean Alley, Homebrew

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival29th January Albert Park Precinct Laneway prides themselves on being unique.

Showcasing leading new artists and “presenting an urban music experience like no other”. This is for people who come for the music and the vibe, not necessarily the yarns and antics. It’s kinda pretentious but comfortably wholesome. The lineup will continue to drop throughout the year so we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Ticket info: TBA Highlights: Mac DeMarco, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals

25

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

32ND DECEMBER 2017 - A DESERTED SWAMP NEAR RAGLAN - TICKETS ON SALE SOON 26

N.19 / V.49

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Club Spotlight WUTTSA Asena Pouli and Elisapesi Havea WUTTSA (Waikato Uni Tech Tongan Students Association) provides a supportive environment and experiences for all its members to ensure the sustaining and improving of excellence in Academic, Spiritual, Sports, Cultural and Social endeavours. We currently have over 30 members made up of a diversity of both international and domestic students from the university and Wintec. Our club is not only limited to Tongan students, we welcome all students who want to join the club.

This year has been a huge year for the WUTTSA club. We hosted the 26th annual conference for the Tongan Tertiary students in NZ called the Amatakiloa. The club last hosted the conference in 2011 and we were thrilled to show them how the mighty Waikato University and Wintec hosted once again. The conference was a 4-5 day event consisting of debates, cultural dances, sports competitions, the amazing “Great Gatsby Ball” and the youth rally. This was definitely one of the major accomplishment of the club for the year because it was definitely a successful and an unforgettable conference. We are definitely looking forward to travel to the 27th annual conference next year held at the capital city of New Zealand, Wellington.

This will be hosted by Victoria University Tongan Students Association (VUTTSA).

Our exciting upcoming event is the Tongan Language week from the 3rd – 9th of September so keep a look out at the awesome events we will be having on campus. It will definitely be a classic island celebration of food, dances, songs

and so much more. So if you are not connected to the Pacific at Waikato Facebook Page, we definitely recommend searching the page up on Facebook, give it a like and you’ll sure be kept in touch and updated with the events on the week and for the rest of the academic year.

To build up more of the excitement and celebration for the Tongan Language Week, WUTTSA have entered a competition against the other Tongan clubs from six other tertiary institutes throughout the country. We will be creating a short film and a music video, how exciting is that! So if you think you have any expertise in filming, choreography and video editing and is willing to help us out, please contact us through the email matematika.pouli@ gmail.com.

If you think the WUTTSA club is for you please like and join our Facebook page the Waikato Uni Tech Tongan Tertiary Students Association or email us on the email above. We would love to have you on board.

Malo ‘Aupito and tu’a ‘ofa atu ♦

27

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

Brendhan Lovegrove The Best Comedy Show On Earth Tour is popping into to Claudelands Arena this Saturday the 2nd of September. It’s fast paced, decidedly tasty and packed with some of New Zealand’s best comedians. With tickets under $40 it’s the perfect excuse to take a certain someone on a date or treat your favourite flatmate to a classic night out. We sat down with one of the headline acts Brendhan Lovegrove to get an inside scoop.

What’s this comedy show all about?

It’s got a lot of new talent on it and I’m really excited to do this tour with these young comics ‘cause they’re shit hot. One act would be the three guys, Frickin Dangerous Bro. A Maori, a Filipino and a Pakistani/Iranian. It’s a sign of the times.

They’re working together, talking about culture and tackling some really interesting subjects.

There’s also Fan Brigade and Melanie Bracewell who’re amazing and very funny. There’s a lot of variety on the show.

Why should students come along?

I think it’s a real interesting time to be a student in the world, ‘cause were looking at the Trump administration and North Korea so you may as well come along as it may not be much longer that you are a student before we all get sorta evaporated. If anyone needs a laugh it’s the blimmin students.

After being in the scene for so long do you think your comedy has changed a lot?

Absolutely. To be honest with you I probably used to think taking the piss out of things was fine and I’d really go for it, but I don’t like offending any section of society and even when I try not to it still can. But I like to be honest, the funny thing with comedy is the truth is what offends people the most. People cannot handle other people’s truth. Sometimes when you’re doing a show you’ll use statistical examples and people really have this cognitive dissonance where it 28

N.19 / V.49

goes entirely against their ideology. When I grew up we believed what we believed but didn’t stick to an ideology as such. We weren’t really taught it at university or through schooling, we went ‘I think that’s right or I think that’s wrong’, we were all moderates who took the left and the right then decided which had the best thing to say. Whereas now young people are being taught much more of an ideology, whether it be a right or a left and whatever side you’re on you completely go with that ideology, and any information that comes up against that tends to offend and make people very angry regardless of the fact that it may be a fact. That’s why I’m a moderate, I get the chance to choose both.

What’s the loosest story of your youth?

When I left school I hung around with Jason Hoyte who’s now with Leigh Hart on Hauraki, Jonathan Brugh who was the vampire off What We Do in the Shadows and Te Radar the TV presenter.

They were basically my closest friends and we just got incredibly high, drunk and had a party every night. Everyone would try to outwit each other and we just had a bloody great time. We all lived in a flat together and were all very very close, creatively it was the best time we’ve ever had in our lives. We all went on to be creative people and it’s no wonder because we spent two to three years in absolute hilarity. While all our friends were at university we were doing our own training and getting stuck into substance abuse and god it was fun. If I could go back I’d do it again. ♦

on Campus 2:30pm Thursday 31st August The Village Green Brought to you by Greens on Campus Find us on Facebook: @GOCWaikato

Waikato

Authorised by Gwen Shaw, Level 1,17 Garrett Street, Wellington

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

Pass the AUX Playlist_13

↑ S Y LV A N E S S O

Jacqui Swney I know that with the five assignments and two tests that we’ve all got on our plates, there comes the inevitable thought of jumping in front of a (slowly) moving car or giving yourself a mild injury (but just serious enough) to get that extension on your essay about witchcraft in the 17th century. But fear not! Step out of the street! These songs are here to provide some much needed inspo, and at the very least you’ll squeeze in 10 more minutes of procrastination to look them up.

More Than You Know by Axwell Λ Ingrosso From the opening guitar riff, this song is the very definition of a feel good tune. When I said that the Top 50 was actually putting out some decent songs, this one was on the list. Maxwell and Sebastian Ingrosso come together to form a duo that may or may not be heavily inspired

by Maroon 5. And while this song may not be a lyrical masterpiece or the most original piece of music out there, its upbeat guitar and trumpet solos get the endorphins pumping and make you experience an emotion vaguely similar to happiness for three minutes and 23 seconds.

Definitely give it a listen for a quick endorphin rush, guaranteed you’ll have it stuck in your head until you actually hate it, which, I’ll admit, is a flaw of mine. 7.9999/10 Die Young by Sylvan Esso Sylvan Esso may be one of my favourite duos at the moment. And while they’ve only been around for a few years, they have a unique way of approaching common subject matter. Their 30

N.19 / V.49

vocals and sound are automatically engaging and interesting to listen to. Songs from their 2014 album, like ‘Hey Mami’ and ‘Coffee’, are a must listen. And ‘Die Young’ is far more interesting than your cookie cutter love song.

It’s an interesting twist on the cliche of having someone worth living for. Lyrically, it’s awesome, and musically it’s equally and great. The vocals are crisp and pure and that voice really pulls the whole thing together. 8/10 great stuff. ↑ AXWELL Λ INGROSSO

What You Know by TroyBoi Just a little back story as to how I stumbled across this gem: I was walking home from class when my lovely sister texted me telling me to get off of Spotify, because she was teaching water aerobics. My initial thought was “wow, water aerobics, you’re lame.” But immediately afterward I was forced to break my loyalty to Spotify and jump on Soundcloud. Problem is I follow approximately two people on Soundcloud, and obviously one of them is TroyBoi. So I chucked him on the ol’ shuffle to fill the silence, and his newest release came on and the bass dropped and I sweater-g0d I almost had a seizure in the street from the dirtiness of it. It took all of my energy not to froth then and there, but suffice to say I’m a fan. Catch you all in Back Bar, where I’ll be waiting patiently for my Boi to get some speaker time. ♦

↑ S Y LV A N E S S O

↑ TROYBOI

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

WUG Life Waikato United Gaming Society Tom Featonby Hi, my name is Tom and I’m a game-a-holic.

It all started when I was only little, like really little. My mum and dad were both pretty forward thinking individuals, I’m not talking swingers, well at least I’m pretty sure they weren’t. I definitely did have a lot of ‘Uncles’ and ‘Aunties’ growing up. Oh god, I’m connecting dots and I don’t like it. Ok, so back on track. My parents thrust me into the gaming world (I really could’ve chosen a better verb) with a game called Repton.

It is a puzzle game where you move a dude around trying to collect diamonds. I think my mum actually enjoyed it more than I did! And fair enough too!

From there my brothers and I progressed (or digressed depending on how you look at it) into consoles. First it was the Super Nintendo with games like NBA JAM, ‘BOOMSHAKALAKA!’ and WWF Royal Rumble. Then onto the Sega Master System II with the built-in game Alex the Kid and my favourite of the generation, Golden Axe. From there the original Playstation console was bae until Grand Theft Auto and Age of Empires stole me away to the PC. I’ve gamed on everything I could get my hands on since.

One thing I truly love about gaming is connecting with other people, sharing experiences and having a bloody good time together. That’s why I started up the Waikato United Gaming Society. I was very new to the region, didn’t know anyone and at the time was working at the University of Waikato in the chemistry department. I went searching for a

group of gamers I could hang out with and there wasn’t one, so with my experience from my time as a community guy at NZGamer and my connections I had gained from that I decided to start a group. LANs, local multiplayer gaming at a freaking sweet little pub in town. It’s my jam! ♦

31

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

Eco Emporium Standing with He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata

↖ B E R TA C A C E R E S

Valerie Bianchi I’m going to get straight into it: the year isn’t over, but already 113 environmental defenders have been murdered protecting their community’s land or natural resources. Chut Watty, a Cambodian defender of protected forests had his own environmental organisation, Western financial backers and the support of high-ranking Cambodian military officials at the time he was murdered. This was likely done by a syndicate of illegal loggers. Honduran indigenous environmentalist Berta Caceres won the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2015 for her grassroots work pressuring the world’s largest dam builder, all the while receiving death threats for protecting her water until she was assassinated. The reason for the murder of Watty and Caceres, along with so many others?

There is an economic incentive to destroy the environment. The cost of life is worth less than the products that can be sold to meet a society based on endless consumption. In the majority of these cases, it is those who are already marginalised and excluded from justice, such as ingenious populations in remote villages.

We in Aotearoa surely can relate to defending Indigenous land and water rights. Recently, after 140 years of negotiation, the Whanganui River now has the same legal rights as a human. This isn’t just about Māori connection to whenua, either. We as a nation prioritise the free access to open spaces. Last year a parcel of land in Abel Tasman went up for private sale, only to be collectively bought through crowdfunding 32

N.19 / V.49

by the New Zealand people to ensure that it was available for public use. Aotearoa is far from pristine and is by no means perfect, in terms of social justice, but we have the right, the power and the voice to defend our land and water without fear of being killed for what we love. I can’t accept that the ancestral territories of our brothers and sisters overseas are being taken over by companies who are willing to murder in order to privatise forests.

A report put out by Global Witness explains that the root cause of this widespread violence against environmental defenders is the imposition of extractive projects, like mining, on communities without any kind of consultation process or gaining consent. This is not a debate against development – it is a rally against injustice. This is why Governments, companies and investors all have a responsibility to abide by international law that requires prior free informed consent be granted before any kind of operation.

What can we do about this? There are actually a lot of things. For example, do you know where your bank invests your money? If they are supporting something you don’t believe in, let them know and switch banks. As the saying goes, “When the Last Tree Is Cut Down, the Last Fish Eaten, and the Last Stream Poisoned, You Will Realize That You Cannot Eat Money”. So what are you going to do today? ♦

↑ C H U T WAT T Y

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Arts Skinroom - Happenstance & Purlieus Peter Dornauf Skinroom Gallery in Frankton is currently running two shows, one that has a very traditional aesthetic while the other screams contemporary.

The former is the work of Kohl Tyler-Dunshea and consists of beautifully rendered images of leaves and flowers delicately accomplished in watercolour, on paper, that would delight the most conservative of patron. But before one dismisses these seemingly dated forms, a closer look suggests something more modern is going on here.

The flora involved have a flattened appearance that reminds one of those botanical collectors who have placed their species under pressure to achieve preservation. One is thus alerted to a conflation of ideas that link both the past and the present, the nineteenth century with the twenty-first.

The plant forms are presented in a format that recall Victorian collectors and botanists who came to New Zealand during the precolonial period and painted new specimens they observed as a way of advancing scientific knowledge. One is reminded of work of Sydney Parkinson, the artist/ illustrator who accompanied Captain Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1768, along with Joseph Banks the British naturalist. Parkinson’s Florilegium was finally published in 35 volumes in 1988.

Tyler-Dunshea has obviously one eye on history and the other on our contemporary concern with ecology. All her specimens were collected from a small area in Auckland where the artist resides which gives the show its title, Purlieus, meaning a

tract of land that borders a forest. Conservation and environmentalism with a touch of nostalgia is captured in these translucent images that map the backyard as our world.

Of the other show; what does one make of an exhibition which portrays men depicted as dogs?

Unfortunately the idea is not hard to conceive in this country. Harry Mcalpine in, Happenstance, presents the concept via video and photography.

We get a high-angled view of three men stripped to the waist on a beach digging in the sand near the shoreline. There’s a large photograph of a forlorn young man on a stool, head encased in a dog cone, as if post-surgery. A video scene presents the same men obediently sitting at a table, spoon-fed by a woman. Then a photograph of three men posed in the “See, hear, speak no evil” mode. Canine training for a generation who behave like animals?

Full marks for engaging with a topic seldom addressed. A reference to Sisyphus in one of the titles adds another existential layer to the show. ♦

33

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

Yam and Troy the Science Boys Nitroglycerin and You Troy the Science Boy Are you a downtrodden student with nothing to lose? Sick of the Government not giving a fuck about you? Are you poor as fuck under the current regime? Well, do we have the solution for you! Today, boys and girls, we’ll teach you one simple trick that’ll see you through, a product that is simply the best.

Nitroglycerin, what the fuck is it? And why do I need it? Well, nitroglycerin is the most unstable explosive known to man, just ask the bloke who discovered it. Back in the 1840s, an Italian chemist by the name of Ascanio Sobrero came across this compound the same way you might come across the new year, ass first while questionable levels of intoxicated, wondering where in the fuck the last year went. Sobrero did this by mixing glycerol with a concentrated mix of nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Unfortunately for him, his operating conditions caused the compound to explode and fucked his shit up good, leaving his face with horrendous scarring.

He quickly decided that this was something left well enough alone, and concluded it was too dangerous to work with.

Of course, Alfred Nobel said bollocks to that and decided he was going to solve the issues posed by this new explosive. In the 1860s, he discovered that the compound could be stabilised by combining it with silica, creating a clay like substance that could be manipulated into shapes, and thus dynamite was born. You may recognise the name Nobel, as in Nobel Prize.

Yes, the Nobel Prize was named after the creator of dynamite. Nobel’s intention for dynamite was for use in mining, so humans being the violent 34

N.19 / V.49

specimens they are immediately chucked that idea in, in favour of its use in warfare. Nobel and Sobrero were pretty non-stoked about all this.

So my lovelies, to the process. The production of nitroglycerin is a substitution reaction of glycerine and nitric acid. The reagents are one mole of glycerine(or propan-1,2,3-triol) to three moles of nitric acid. Concentrated sulfuric acid is required in order for the alcohol groups of the propantriol to dehydrate and be substituted with the active group of nitric acid. This reaction produces one mole of nitroglycerin and three moles of water. The overall pH will be acidic on account of the sulfuric acid not taking place in the reaction. The reaction is highly exothermic so it should be done dropwise in an ice bath in order to prevent premature detonation. In the liquid phase, this compound is far more reactive but when allowed to solidify it is somewhat stabilised. An explosion of four moles of nitroglycerin produces 35 moles of gas. Now that is a shit load of gas being produced extremely quickly, so if you want to rob that bank or take Parliament down, this is the product for you. ♦

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

The Morning After Korean Family Restaurant Julie Charlton

HOURS: MON

11AM–3PM, 5–10PM

TUE

11AM–3PM, 5–10PM

WED

11AM–3PM, 5–10PM

THU

11AM–3PM, 5–10PM

FRI

11AM–3PM, 5–10PM

S AT

11AM–3PM, 5–10PM

SUN

11AM–3PM, 5–10PM

Deciding on somewhere to eat out is an absolute nightmare. Someone always disagrees and it can make or break friendships, relationships and families. If I can be of any service to prevent the said fights from occurring then I will do so gladly by recommending the best hidden -or at least to me- restaurant in Hamilton. Family House on Victoria Street offers so much more than it’s borderline offensive flashing lights, behind its glittering LED exterior the restaurant offers some of the best value for money Asian cuisine the City of the Future has ever seen.

I still remember the first time I went there, it was with my darling mother who is an extremely adventurous eater while at the same time turning her nose up to every second dish she is given.

We went in with the expectations of ‘at least it might be cheap’, not only was this true but it was damn good too. Every main dish comes with six complimentary side dishes, (one per table or pair if I remember correctly) these include; salad, kimchi, potato, unknown jelly things and other great Korean food items. Being the boring person I am, I tend to always order the same dish, Hot Stone Bimibab which is rice, veggies and tofu (you can get meat if you’re into that) all cooking on an extremely hot stone bowl. So a little responsibility comes with this dish and you occasionally have to stir it unless you enjoy burning rice that will then stink out the restaurant and the waitress will kindly go get you a fork because she realises that this white person knows nothing about Korean food. Talking from experience.

I have also taken my dad, flatmates, friends and boyfriend and all have enjoyed it even if

they were cautious at first. Luckily, the menu has printed pictures of each dish so you will at least get an idea of what you are ordering. Most of my friends tend to order stir-frys, I guess cause they’re basic. Recently I found out that the restaurant offers a takeaway menu which adds another tick in the box to me because sometimes I really hate being around people while stuffing rice into my mouth. The takeaway option was not advertised anywhere I saw, but I am ignorant though to most things, however I saw a man walk in, pay and then a collect a plastic bag full of tasty Korean dishes, so it can be done.

The Korean Family Restaurant is the place to go if you feel like partially cooking your own dish, eating some damn good tasty ass food and most importantly not spending over $20 dollars on enough food to keep you stuffed until the following day’s afternoon tea. ♦

35

Snapped — Atapaki

SNAPPED.

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Snap nexusmag your shenanigans! The best snap each week wins a voucher from our mates at BurgerFuel. Claim it from the Nexus office in SUB. If you wish to remove a snap from the mag before publication on Thursday, let us know what the snap is and why it needs to be removed.

NER

WIN

37

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Puzzles — Panga

HOROSCOPES Aries: March 21 — April 19 Take haste and express your true colours. You must bloom before the coming spring to ensure summer companionship.

M

G

S

O

C

I

A

L

S

M

O

K

E

R

I

A

U

N

P

L

U

M

B

E

R

N

B

L

H

I

A

Y

N

B

E

U

I

O

P

K

W

L

E

I

N

Taurus: April 20 — May 20 The future is hazy and unclear. As the temperature increases, so will your intellect. It’s a shame exams will already be over.

B

F

X

D

R

J

H

G

U

I

S

O

C

L

A

N

R

B

V

G

Y

U

I

O

N

U

G

T

L

M

R

O

B

V

Y

N

B

U

I

O

V

G

R

A

O

E

M

H

V

M

U

S

W

D

A

O

E

I

R

W

D

H

B

N

A

I

B

U

I

O

L

R

C

Y

T

L

U

B

A

N

N

B

B

W

I

L

P

I

S

N

Cancer: June 21 — July 22 Ears work well for listening to others, but can also be used to listen to yourself. Do this to avoid further embarrassment.

O

N

L

B

J

I

O

P

N

M

E

L

A

C

A

F

T

S

R

E

B

U

T

U

O

Y

N

N

H

N

F

L

B

V

Y

U

I

D

O

I

O

P

M

O

G

Leo: July 21 — August 22 The buildup to October leaves you questioning the validity of your childhood. Life is a simulation, all your memories are fake.

A

Y

S

C

I

E

N

T

I

S

T

N

S

L

E

C

E

B

O

L

A

D

O

C

T

O

R

B

A

R

S

T

U

M

B

L

R

P

O

E

T

W

B

R

P

D

O

C

W

O

R

K

E

R

W

I

O

P

K

N

Gemini: May 21 — June 20 You may have peaked in high school, but nostalgia lasts forever. Draft a text to an ex and remember what it’s like to cry.

Virgo: August 23 — September 22 The passing of Taurus enhances your ability to detox. Hangovers are but a distant memory until the brisk dawn of September.

Libra: September 23 — October 22 Your intuitive tendencies lead you on a path of extensive self discovery. Learn to love yourself, someone has to.

Scorpio: October 23 — November 21 Rejuvenation is your flavour of Spring. Academia will come with ease but result in increased difficulty during social interactions.

Sagittarius: November 22 — December 21 Unlike Capricorn, your parents genuinely love and care about you. They wish you nothing but the best and will support you through anything.

Capricorn: December 22 — January 19 Unlike Sagittarius, your parents never cared for you and wish they’d never met. To them you’re a nothing but a burden.

Aquarius: January 20 — February 18 Materialistic possessions bring solace to your clouded mind. Play life on the edge, a savings account is meant to be used.

Pisces: February 19 — March 20 The final days of August brings thick musk in your place of residence. Sacrifice your personal garments, change is needed.

40

WORDFIND

N.19 / V.49

THEME: Long lost members of the Village People.

Clergyman

Plumber

Blogger

DOC Worker

Electrician

Scientist

Pregnant Woman

Hillary Scholar

WSU Volley

Social Smoker

Tumblr Poet

YouTuber

Scaffolder

Ebola Doctor

Guy from Huntly

SIMPLE PUZZLES 4 SIMPLE PRESIDENTS

IS RACISM BAD?

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Puzzles — Panga

SUDOKU 9 4

8

7

1

5

1

4

2

6

7

1

4

9 2 1

8

9

5

6

2

7

3

3

7

6

2

6

7 1

Easy

6 9

1

3

3

9

2

Medium

2

7

3

6

2

5 4

1

5

4 6

7

8

5

9

8

8

7

6

5

2

9

2

4 1

1

8

7 9

9

4

2

9

5 3

3

5

2

4

7

7

1 4

9

4 6

8 6

7

1

9

2

Difficult

CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

5

8

6

7

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16 17

18

19

21

20

Across 1. Dock (5) 4. Sore (7) 8. Rubbish (7) 9. Sacred song (5) 10. Boulders (5) 11. Sincere (7) 12. Real (6) 14. Blemished (6) 17. Ancient Japanese warrior (7) 19. Concur (5) 21. Ashen (5) 22. Before (7) 23. Least difficult (7) 24. Viper (5)

Down 1. Bet (5) 2. Fruit (7) 3. Emblems (5) 4. Fragments (6) 5. Endanger (7) 6. Fire (5) 7. Restricted (7) 12. Relieve of blame (7) 13. Abbreviate (7) 15. Concerned (7) 16. Straightforward (6) 18. Relocates (5) 19. Main artery (5) 20. Mistake (5)

22

23

24

WORD TWIST F

I

G

U

R

E

V

I

T

A

M

E

X

I

C

I

R

E

S

O

E

S

M

A

G

Find as words longer than three letters by connecting the letters vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

Letters can be used only once per word.

41

Clarence Street 7am – 10pm, 7 days a week. Phone (07) 839-4056

Reflect L/Powder 500g

Kellogg’s Nutri Grain 500g

4 5 00 00 2 1 FOR $5

Sunsilk Shampoo/Cond 200ml

00

Schweppes Sparkling Duet 1.5l

Prices valid until Sunday 3rd September 2017. Trade not supplied.

Valid at PAK’nSAVE Clarence Street only.

WHOA! THAT’S CRAZY CHEAP