Salient Issue 7 - Volume 88

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON ISSUE 7 20 April 2026 Volume 89

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ISSUE #7 20 April 2026 Volume 89 Editor Phoebe Robertson

Phoebe Robertson

Designer & Cartoonist Jim Higgs Sub-Editor Holly Rowsell News Writers Dan Moskovitz Martha Schenk Ryan Cleland Otis Whinney Ali Cook Columnist Guy van Egmond Critic-at-large Jackson McCarthy Comic Artists Grace Elzenheimer Jack Graham Contributing Writers Tamanna Amin Zia Ravenscroft Christopher Curtis Social Media Manager Will Tickner Photographer Sophie Spencer Centrefold Artist Jackson Ansted Advertising advertising@vuwsa.org.nz Read Online salient.org.nz issuu.com/salientmagazine

There are a few groups I want to acknowledge who made this issue possible: KnowYourStuffNZ, The Level, and Prisoner Correspondence Network. Instead of using this editorial to summarise the issue, I want to focus on the organisations behind our authors (and collaborators).

In our Substance Use and Wellbeing Survey, 90% of students had heard of KnowYourStuffNZ, but only 15% had used their drug checking service. We’ve got a detailed breakdown in the Your Drug Friend article, but for those skimming: they’re a 100% confidential service that checks whether what you’ve got is actually what it claims to be. This is important—both for knowing what you’re putting in your body, and for being able to talk with their team about dosage or what to watch for if something feels off. They also offer things like a Pill Library on their website, so you can match what you’ve bought with what they’ve seen and get dosage info. Hell, even Dame Jacinda Ardern is quoted on their site saying, “I think there are good grounds for it… I support it.”

The Level provided advice and graphics for this issue. In the same survey, 65% of students said they weren’t confident in recognising signs of an overdose. The Level has clear guides on what to look for, what to do, and where to find drug checking services.

Finally, one contributor built a relationship with an author—who has chosen to stay anonymous—through the Prisoner Correspondence Network, featured in Day Two of Who Knows. Operating since 2016, it’s a volunteer-run pen-pal programme for people in prison. Their ethos is simple: prison can be deeply isolating, with limited support or connection. Writing to someone on the outside helps build community and can break cycles of isolation or harm.

A final site I want to shout out—not included in this issue—is High Alert. If you subscribe to their email newsletter, they’ll send alerts when dangerous substances are being sold as something else. For example, on 23 January they warned that “a potent mix of a benzodiazepine and a synthetic opioid” was being misrepresented as oxycodone in the Wellington region—and reminded people to get their stuff tested. It takes two seconds to sign up, and it keeps you informed.

No single issue will reflect every perspective on drugs, but we hope this one sparks further conversation and curiosity. It can get heavy at times—touching on addiction and harm—so take care while reading: check content warnings, be kind to yourself, and take breaks if you need them.

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02

Editorial

03

14

08 Strictly 4 The Islands

22

24 Hunk Unc

Oh Yes! Oh No!

28 Ciph's Cabinet

32 Critic-at-Large

38

News

Centrefold

Ngā Hua te Taio

31 Puzzles

05

20

27 Munch

34

Gig Guide

Day Two of Who Knows

Comic Corner

30

29

04

16

Your Drug Friend

Creative Writing

33

Letters

Horoscopes

Salient Weekly Challenge

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Submit to the Le tters page by emailing edito r@salient.org.n z Best letter each week will win a FREE PIZZA fr om the Hunter Lounge!

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You keep Xoxo Sylvia

Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the VUWSA CEO in writing (ceo@vuwsa. org.nz). If not satisfied by the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

e Vice-Chancellor's $411,000 offic Well done Salient for exposing the res a media strategy to repa pre-p ion nisat orga an redecoration. When l. dy knows the spending is disgracefu defend its own spending, it alrea .

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if i had a pocketsized salient ed itor (or a designer, does n't matter which one, so long they're pock et-sized) i would put them in a jar by my desk and wh enever i'm stressed i'd shake them arou nd like a maraca just to listen to them sc ream love, anna WINNE

Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part

by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) and the New Zealand Media Council.

Tēnā koe Editor,

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Dear salient, whoever is running that horoscope page is spot on.

This is getting very entertaining @tasman_may

guys what the fuc k do the horosc ope words mean am i cooked @dkmac.e

The sa li reason ent restock is I on mo drag myse the only lf out nday m of bed orning s @little bitofra zzleda zzle ough

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Week of April 20 - April 26, 2026

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Moon Jam Nite

Karli Tyla

Venue: Moon Bar Time: 7:30pm Cost: Free

Venue: Moon Bar Time: 6:30pm Cost: Free

Every Tuesday at 7:30pm Moon hosts an open mic night with a fully equipped stage.

Free live music Wednesday at Moon Bar!

FRIDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

The Splinters

Frank On Tap Metro Tour

Punks For Palestine Fundraiser Poneke

Venue: Valhalla Time: 8:00pm Cost: $10

Celebrating their new single release “Boogie Dipstick”. With Park Flyers And Homing.

SATURDAY

SATURDAY

Atomic

Hīkoi for Peace

Venue: San Fran Time: 8:00pm Cost: $20 (door sale only)

Venue: Waitangi Park Time: 2:00pm Cost: Free

Expect Bowie, Duran Duran, The Clash, Eurythmics, Talking Heads and more—music made for dancing.

The Hīkoi for Peace on ANZAC Day is a whānau-friendly event.

2pm Waitangi Park, 2:30pm hīkoi, 3pm arrival at Pukeahu for kai, music, and activities.

Venue: Parrotdog Bar Time: 8:30pm Cost: Free

Coming back to NZ after touring around Australia, playing songs from their debut album.

About the centrefold artist - Jackson Ansted My character ‘Lurker’ began as a way to interweave my experience growing up in early 90s to 2000s skate culture, and to express my love for the music and the lifestyle of that era. For this piece, I wanted it to be reminiscent of my earlier years experiencing partying in Pōneke, and reflect the strange cast of characters that interwove through that time of my life. I based it loosely on The Last Supper, although it ended up taking quite a different direction towards the end.

Go to page 20 to see the centrefold, then rip it out and put it on your wall !

4

Gig Guide

Venue: Thistle Hall Time: 7:00pm Cost: $20

Proceeds will go to Emily Writes Palestine cause.

SHARE YOUR GIG! Are you a Te Herenga Waka student with an upcoming gig or event? Scan the QR code to submit your details for potential inclusion on our gigs page.

Goodbye Fossil Fuel or April Fool?

Student activists warn that celebrations of the Foundation’s newly announced policy targeting fossil fuel divestment across its portfolio may be premature.

Martha Schenk On April 1, the Victoria University of Wellington Foundation publicised a new policy prioritising the exclusion of companies who provide probable coal reserves and/or oil and natural gas reserves used for energy purposes. As the Foundation invests entirely via externally managed pooled funds, implementation will follow a “phased approach,” reliant on the availability of suitable funds, with no promised deadline.

Colden Sapir, President of VUW Climate Action and Resistance (CAR), told Salient that the policy represents an improvement and a significant shift, but that “students deserve to hear a primary data aspect.” “We’re really happy to see progress as a result of student organising, but we don’t want to celebrate it for more than it is,” Sapir said.

“As we’ve seen from history, they’re great at making policies and not following them.”

The Foundation first pledged to divest from fossil fuels in 2014, almost 12 years ago. While this removed direct investments from coal, oil, and gas companies, the exclusion policy at the time was not specific enough to avoid continued exposure to fossil fuels when the Foundation transitioned to third-party fund management.

In 2025, former VUWSA President Marcail Parkinson, who held a seat on the Foundation’s board, confirmed that investment in fossil fuels persisted.

Hugh Acton, CAR co-founder, said that the group’s three primary objectives during their divestment campaign were to disclose investments, divest, and implement a specific exclusion policy. The group is now waiting for confirmation that this will not be what “last time was an empty promise.”

VUWSA President Aidan Donoghue believes that pressure applied by the group was crucial in shifting perspective at the decision-making table, and that the outcome would not have been possible without their activism. “We were able to say: ‘Look, students desperately want this,’ and that was so important in getting this change across the line,” he said.

While the policy announcement is being taken as a win, CAR is not ready to end its campaign until the Foundation has actively divested. “Celebrating this is one of the ways that we can keep the foundation board accountable,” Sapir said.

“We just want everyone to be aware that it has not been implemented yet, and is likely going to require vigilance on behalf of the student body … Hopefully in the next few months we will have a divested university.”

Acton, who has since graduated, sees the change as a testament to the influence of student activism. “So many students have contributed to this campaign,” he said. “If you organise and get together, student power is effective and can win. We want people to know that.”

It appears that sustained student vigilance will be key to holding the Foundation accountable for a timely and thorough implementation of this new policy.

“They have pledged to divest, but they haven’t moved any of the money,” Acton said.

CAR secretary Hannah Gifford agreed that “it’s a step in the right direction,” but “there’s no end to accountability.”

The group has been working since 2024 to bring changes to the Foundation’s investment policy into effect.

Student organising—including campus rallies, banner drops, postering, and a recent petition with nearly 1,000 signatories—helped convince the Board of Trustees that policy revision was necessary.

Kawepūrongo | News

5

A Caste by Conviction: How Drug Law Structures Inequality in Aotearoa

[OPIN ION]

Ali Cook In 1971, US President Richard Nixon declared drugs “public enemy number one.” What followed was the War on Drugs—a campaign built on a simple idea: that harsh punishment could eliminate drug use.

It didn’t. But the way it framed drug use as something to criminalise continues to influence much of Western drug policy, including Aotearoa’s.

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 frames drug use primarily as a criminal issue, rather than a health one. The consequences are severe. Supplying a Class A drug can carry life imprisonment—the same maximum penalty as murder. That equivalence is telling. It shows how the law understands drug offending: as a reprehensible harm to society that must be punished at the highest level.

The Act also reshapes the rules of guilt. If someone is found with a certain quantity of drugs, the law presumes intent to supply. The burden shifts. Instead of the state proving intent, the individual must disprove it. In practice, this sits uneasily with the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty.

Taken together, these features reflect more than just “tough” policy.

They reflect a system built on deterrence, punishment, and control.

This is what the War on Drugs was all about: reducing drug use and dealing by imposing harsh criminal penalties.

But the question does not end with what the law is. It is important to consider how the law is applied. Who benefits from this law, and who is being systemically disadvantaged from this policy.

Laws do not enforce themselves; people do. Police decide who to stop, who to search, and whether an offence results in a warning or a charge. That discretion matters most in low-level drug offending, where the same conduct can lead to very different outcomes.

Those differences are not random.

Around half of New Zealanders will use cannabis in their lifetime.

Yet in 2022, Māori made up 45% of cannabis possession charges and 49% of convictions, while representing only 17% of the population.

That disparity cannot be explained by use alone. Rather, it reflects how this law is enforced.

When discretion is exercised unevenly, certain groups are more likely to be stopped, searched, and charged. That increases the likelihood of conviction. And once that conviction is recorded, its effects extend far beyond a prison sentence.

A drug conviction follows you. It narrows employment opportunities.

It restricts access to housing. It makes financial stability harder to achieve. Each consequence may appear limited on its own, but together they accumulate, shaping a person’s long-term position in society.

This is how hierarchy forms: through a pattern of perpetual disadvantage. One group is more likely to be policed, more likely to be punished, and more likely to carry the enduring weight of that punishment.

Over time, those patterns harden. They begin to determine who has access to stability, opportunity, and security—and who does not.

That is what makes the system caste-like. It is not simply unequal treatment in isolated moments. It is the way those moments compound, producing durable social divisions.

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News | Kawepūrongo

This dynamic is more visible in the United States, where drug policy has disproportionately targeted Black communities. There, a conviction often carries the label “felon”—a status that limits access to housing, employment, and in many states the right to vote. It marks a person as permanently lesser in the eyes of the law.

Aotearoa is not identical, but the mechanism is recognisable.

When criminal law disproportionately targets certain groups, and attaches long-term social and economic consequences to that targeting, it does more than punish behaviour. It reshapes social position.

That is when policy becomes social structure.

In that sense, Aotearoa’s drug law cannot be understood as neutral.

It operates within a broader history of colonisation—one in which legal systems have repeatedly been used to control, marginalise, and disadvantage Māori. Punitive drug policy does not sit outside that history, but continues it.

But it does not have to be this way.

One of the most enduring legacies of the War on Drugs is the assumption that punishment is the default response—and that anything else is soft, naïve, or radical.

It isn’t.

We have spent more than fifty years testing the punitive model. Drug use has not disappeared. Harm has not been eliminated. Instead, we have seen the opposite: rising overdose deaths, persistent addiction, and widening inequality. The system has not failed because it was not harsh enough. It has failed because punishment was never capable of solving the problem it set out to address.

Other approaches exist—and they work.

In 2001, Portugal decriminalised all drugs, shifting drug use out of the criminal justice system and into the realm of public health.

Possession no longer leads to prosecution. Instead, individuals are referred to dissuasion panels made up of health and social service professionals. The response is not prison, but support: counselling, treatment, and community-based interventions (where appropriate).

The results are instructive. Drug-related deaths have fallen. HIV transmission rates have dropped. Levels of substance abuse use have declined. At the same time, the burden on the criminal justice system has eased, allowing resources to be redirected elsewhere.

Portugal did not eliminate drug use. But it did reduce harm, and that is the point.

Drug policy is not fixed; it is a set of choices about what we prioritise, who we punish, and what outcomes we are willing to accept. If those choices are producing predictable harm and inequality, they are not neutral. They are decisions based on what society is willing to accept.

And decisions can be remade.

More than fifty years on from the declaration of the War on Drugs, the evidence is no longer uncertain. We know what punitive policy produces. We know what alternatives can achieve.

The question is no longer whether change is possible; it is whether we are willing to choose it.

Recovery, If You Can Afford It

[OPIN ION]

Anonymous Note: Medicinal cannabis, like any medication, may not be right for you. It is not right for everyone.

Contact a medical professional to determine if medicinal cannabis may be right for you.

If you have a Community Services Card, you may be eligible for subsidised medicinal cannabis. Talk to a healthcare professional for more information.

I pay $402 a month to function.

That’s what I pay now for medicinal cannabis. That number doesn’t include the initial appointments, or the $600 vaporiser I had to buy just to take it properly.

I’m a student. Four hundred dollars a month is not a small expense—it’s rent, groceries, power. It’s the difference between saving and falling behind. But it’s also the difference between functioning and not.

So I pay the cost. Because the alternative is worse.

What makes this harder to accept is that I am already within a system that is supposed to support recovery.

I’m covered under ACC’s Sensitive Claims scheme. That scheme exists for people who have experienced sexual harm. It funds therapy, treatment, rehabilitation—the things you need to rebuild your life after something you never chose.

For the past few months, I’ve been using medicinal cannabis to manage anxiety and PTSD. It is the only treatment that has worked.

ACC does not subsidise medicinal cannabis. The justification is familiar: it is not an “approved” medicine in the same way as others. The clinical evidence base is still developing. It is not funded by PHARMAC.

Before this, I did everything right. I went to therapy— multiple kinds, for years. I took all sorts of medications.

I tried life coaching and lifestyle changes. None of them worked.

I can understand that, in theory. But living inside that reasoning feels very different. Because in practice, what it means is this: treatments that did not work for me were funded without question. The one that does work is not.

Eventually, my PTSD was labelled “stable” and “treatmentresistant.” Stable, in this case, didn’t mean better. It meant stuck in this state.

And I can’t understand the distinction: the system will pay for me to be sedated all day, but not a little bit high?

Aren’t benzodiazepines more chemically addictive and harmful than cannabis? How is this distinction acceptable, let alone logical?

I was prescribed Lorazepam, a sedative. It worked, in the sense that it flattened everything. I was calm because I was barely conscious. I slept through the day. I fell behind at uni. I stopped keeping up with life.

That’s when I started looking into medicinal cannabis. I figured that maybe if I were stoned instead of sedated, I could get shit done.

Now, I take CBD oil every morning, and use THC flower through a vaporiser when I need it (so, every day, throughout the day).

The CBD oil lowers the baseline. I can sit still. I can think through things without spiraling. When something stressful happens, I can respond to it, instead of immediately shutting down. For the first time in my life, I’m not living in a state of constant anticipation.

Without funding, recovery begins to look less like a right, and more like a privilege. It is available—but only to those who can afford to privately access it.

I am aware that I am in a privileged position where I can make the trade-offs required to pay $402 a month.

Many people cannot. And for them, the choice is between functioning and going without basic necessities.

There is something deeply unsettling about that.

About having to pay, month after month, to manage the consequences of something that was never your fault.

Just to be able to function.

The THC works differently. It gives me focus. Usually, my mind jumps constantly—anxiety, intrusive thoughts, PTSD memories. It’s loud, and it’s relentless. After using the vaporiser, that noise quiets. Not gone, but contained enough that I can actually do what’s in front of me. Study.

Write. Show up.

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can participate in my own life.

But that participation comes at a cost.

Kawepūrongo | News

7

STRICTLY 4 THE ISLANDS LET'S TAKE IT BACK: What You May Have Missed in the Moana Otis Whinney As Te Herenga Waka opens its doors again, I assume most of your brains are focused on un-read readings and half finished assignments, which probably doesn’t leave much room for the dynamic political landscape of the Pacific. But do not fret, that’s what I’m here for. Let’s take it back and catch us up on some of the stuff that’s gone down since we last spoke.

For many, the biggest story has been the carnage brought on by various extreme weather events. Typhoon Sinlaku has hit Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), while cyclone Malia has taken the lives of 10 in Asiko Village of Bougainville. Cyclone Vaiunu brought major flooding to Fiji and harsh weather for parts of Aotearoa, as well. While many places who were prepared for the event were able to escape the worst, Bougainville and other hard-hit places are reeling from the disaster, as they have been many times before thanks to the growing instability of our climate.

The Iran War and the global energy crisis that has stemmed from it has stayed at the forefront of the minds of our region. For those somehow unaware, this war led to the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz (a phrase I think I’ve heard enough for my lifetime at this point), a key part of the global oil trade, leading to rising prices and depleting stock piles. This has hit Asia particularly hard, which has had a huge flow on effect to the Pacific.

A meeting between Pacific leaders, titled ‘Port Villa II’, was set in motion in response, with the aim of coordinating around the challenges of the fuel crisis and rallying around a move away from fossil fuels.

Vanuatu’s Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Ralph Regenvanu, summed up the situation pretty well when he was quoted as saying that “the Pacific did not create the fossil fuel crisis, yet we are paying the highest price for it.” While countries like Tonga have stated they have enough fuel reserves for the foreseeable future, rising prices are still hitting hard. Prime Minister of Tonga Lord Fakafanua has initiated a move to electric buses and further public transport investment as solutions, but these will only help Tongans in the long term. The short-term impacts are going to be much harder to mitigate for the Kingdom, and places like Tuvalu are finding themselves unable to assure fuel supply past June.

Much like the response to climate change, Pacific Island nations are being forced to deal with a crisis entirely imposed on them. Whether this pulls them away from the death-grip of the USA and Israel is another story.

The military build up in the American territories has also not ceased. Guam has been tied to American military power since its transfer from Japan to the United States during World War II. In the modern day, its proximity

8

News | Kawepūrongo

to Taiwan and the rest of the Pacific gives the USA all the more reason to keep that going. Ron Acfalle, an indigenous Chamorro man from Guam, was interviewed

by ABC and spoke on the growing anti-military stance among the indigenous Chamorros. He raised concerns around the way in which land has been disrespected and misused by this military presence, and that their presence is fueled “not for the culture, not for anything other than for themselves.” A large number of Guam's population have served in the United States Military, but access to services available to veterans in the US is far more limited, and the cost of living in Guam is already disproportionately high. The tepid ceasefire that began on April 7 brought some measure of relief for places like Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), with the CNMI’s military infrastructure under threat from the economic impacts of both the war and the fallout of COVID 19.

The waves are still being felt in Aotearoa as well. Winston Peters was invited to the USA to meet with American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, where they discussed the crises facing the globe and the complex situation of the Pacific. Aside from making it doubly known that New Zealand always has critical minerals for Trump to scoop up if he ever feels like it, the two ran through the usual topics of discussion between these two states. The rising drug trade, security concerns around China, and the affirmation of the supposed importance of the US presence in the Pacific were all mentioned. According to Winston, the US indicated they could provide assistance to Pacific Island nations in their energy woes, but the meeting did not bring any deals or guarantees on that front. This meeting took place not long after Trump announced the impending death of the entire civilization of Iran (which has not happened as of writing this), but according to Winston, this war will be over sooner than we think. Let’s all collectively remember that.

Winston has been quite the busy bee, leaving the Beehive before his meeting with Rubio to hash out a solution to our ongoing disagreements with Prime Minister Mark Brown and the Cook Islands. In the face of fast-rising fuel prices within the Cook Islands, Brown and Peters have come together to sign a security pact. This signals an end to the dispute that arose after the Cook Islands signed a controversial deal with China without consulting New Zealand. Their status as a state within the realm of New Zealand seems to now be more clearly defined, with Brown reaffirming New Zealand’s status as the defence partner of choice for the nation. Funding towards the Cook Islands will resume later this year, and while neither Brown nor Winston seemed to be jumping over the moon when speaking to the press, both seemed keen

to nail the point home that the two states had worked their stuff out. As Winston put it, “We're cousins, and we sorted our cousins out.” Whether this is truly an effective counter to Chinese influence in the region remains to be seen, but in a global crisis such as this, many would argue it's for the best that cooler heads seemed to have prevailed.

Iran is not the only war affecting the people of the Pacific at this time. After the killing of a Papuan police officer in the town of Moanemani in West Papua, it is alleged that police fired indiscriminately into several villages in response. NGOs active in the region allege 5 civilians were killed in the attack, while Human Rights Watch has estimated it could be 6, some of which younger than 20 years of age. The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) released a statement on April 1 claiming that an ongoing battle has followed between the security forces and young Papuans, as the Papuans attempted to block further reinforcements from arriving in Moanemani by scattering logs and rocks across the roads used to enter the town. The Indonesian Government’s English language news outlet Antara claims these types of patrols are carried out in regions prone to violent attacks from what they call “criminal separatists,” and the Indonesian military has not reported any casualties aside from the murdered police officer. Human Rights Watch has described these patrols as “violent crackdowns” while tensions between the Indonesian occupiers and the indigenous Papuans only grow. Information around this conflict has always had trouble finding its way to the public, let alone in a way that centers the voices of Indigenous papuans, but events such as this show war is hot on our shores, too.

on the global stage. Disputes over French rule in Kanaky have existed since its initial colonisation and time as a penal colony for the French empire. A large part of the political deadlock between pro and anti independence groups is disagreements over what Kanaky’s independence would actually look like, as in whether it would be truly independent or remain a part of the French republic only with a greater level of autonomy. The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), a significant pro-independence group, had previously left negotiations with France due to a lack of faith in the process and a staunch commitment to full independence. On April 2, a constitutional reform bill for Kanaky was voted down in the French parliament, and Emmanuel Tjibaou, member of both the FLNKS and the French parliament, supported the rejection.

He argued the reform amounted to “a perennial status within France... It's a logic of assimilation... It cannot be compared to a decolonisation in accordance with the UN resolutions and the international law.” This does put the pro-independence movement in uncertain territory.

Talks between the different factions have restarted, with many in Kanaky and France losing their patience with the whole process.

Kanaky’s long independence struggle mirrors that of the Papuans of West Papua in many ways, and in turn they mirror many other stories past and present here in the Pacific. Whether it's Nouméa or Moanemani, something is always going down in our sea of islands, and now you are all caught up on some of it.

When I say something is always happening, I mean it. I have yet to mention the mountains of lawsuits (of varying degrees of legitimacy) being thrown around by different politicians in Sāmoa, a new challenge by the high chiefs of Fiji concerning the definition of the term “Fijian”, or the appointment of Paul Goldsmith to the role of Minister of Pacific Peoples. Unfortunately, I am not Mike Hoskins or Hasan Piker and I cannot cover everything, but I do want to finish with some developments on the French end of the ocean.

Kanaky, known to most as New Caledonia, has been trapped in a back and forth over the island nation's autonomy under French rule, with the outbreak of riots in 2024 bringing the issue back to the forefront

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Survey Explores Student Drug Use, Experiences, and Attitudes at Te Herenga Waka Phoebe Robertson Content Warning: Drug Use, Overdose, Drug-Related Harm Salient surveyed students to better understand how drugs are actually being used at Te Herenga Waka—and what that means for safety, harm, and support. This article covers everything from patterns of use and frequency, to harm, dependence, overdose, and access to drug checking, but one theme runs through it all. Students are not saying drugs are harmless. They are saying harm is shaped—and often worsened—by a lack of information.

As one respondent put it, “if you do use drugs, be mindful.

Think about your limits, what risks you are taking, and how your choices might affect both yourself and those around you.”

Another wrote, “I think people should be allowed and encouraged to do what they wish… provided they aren't knowingly stepping on someone else's safety. To that end… you owe it to yourself and others to know what it is you're getting into.”

Students are already navigating these environments—what they are asking for is the knowledge to do so more safely.

About Our Respondents The results provide a snapshot rather than a definitive picture: responses come from a relatively small sample of 345 students out of more than 20,000 enrolled at Te Herenga Waka, and are likely skewed toward those who read and engage with Salient.

That said, this is also the audience most likely to be reading this reporting.

What best describes your current situation?

27.4% 12.8%

57.7%

Flatting

Halls

Alone

With family

The sample skewed female (55%), with men making up 28% and non-binary and gender diverse students 17%. Most participants were in the early years of their degree, with first- and secondyear students comprising over half of respondents, while relatively few were in postgraduate or later-year study. The cohort was almost entirely domestic (96%), with very limited international representation.

Substance Use Alcohol is near-universal, with around 95% of respondents reporting use in the past year. After that, there is a sharp drop: nicotine sits at just over 60%, while all other substances are used by a much smaller proportion of students. Among these, MDMA is the most common (27%), followed by ketamine (11%), LSD/psychedelics (8%), cocaine (8%), and magic mushrooms (7%).

There are some differences across groups. Women report the highest alcohol use (98%), slightly above men (94%) and gender diverse students (90%). Nicotine use is also highest among women (69%). Men are more likely to report use of most other

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Which substances have you used in the past 12 months?

Alcohol

328 (98.8%)

Cannibas

222 (66.9%)

Nicotine (vapes, tobacco)

210 (63.3%)

Prescription

72 (21.7%)

MDMA

92 (27.7%)

Cocaine

27 (8.1%) 29 (8.7%)

LSD/Psychedelics Nitrous Oxide (NOS)

17 (5.1%)

Ketamine

37 (11.1%)

Opium

5 (1.5%)

Magic Mushrooms

24 (7.2%) 0

100

200

300

400

substances, including MDMA, LSD, and ketamine, with rates consistently higher than both women and gender diverse respondents.

Living situation shows a more pronounced divide. Students in flats report the highest use across almost every substance category, including nicotine (70%) and party drugs like MDMA, LSD, and ketamine. Hall's students report lower rates of these substances, particularly psychedelics and ketamine, while students living with family have the lowest nicotine use (27%) and generally lower engagement with most drugs beyond alcohol.

This pattern appears to track closely with years of study. Firstyear students—who are more likely to be in halls—report lower use of most substances beyond alcohol, particularly psychedelics and ketamine. For example, only around 14% of first-year students report MDMA use, compared to significantly higher rates in later years. LSD (2%) and ketamine (2%) use among first years are both very low, indicating limited engagement with these substances early on.

By contrast, second- and third-year students show a clear increase across nearly all categories. Nicotine use rises from 52% in first year to 63% in second year and 69% in third year, while MDMA use increases from 14% in first year to 23% in second year and jumps sharply to 44% in third year. Similar patterns appear for other substances: LSD use rises from 2% in first year to 9% in second year and 15% in third year, while ketamine increases from 2% to 10% and then to 23% by third year.

Frequency Alcohol dominates as the most regularly used substance, with around 45–50% of respondents reporting drinking weekly and a further 15–20% drinking multiple times a week. Nicotine follows a similar pattern, but more intensely: while fewer students use it overall, around 35–40% of nicotine users report daily use, with many others using it multiple times a week—indicating a more habitual pattern of use.

All other substances sit firmly in the infrequent category. MDMA, LSD, ketamine, and other party drugs are used predominantly “once every few months” or less, with typically 60–75% of users falling into this category. Weekly use is rare, generally below 5% across these substances. This suggests these drugs are tied to specific social events rather than routine behaviour.

Even among groups with higher overall use (such as flatting or later-year students), frequency remains low.

Age of first use shows a clear pattern of early introduction for legal substances, and later uptake for illicit drugs, with some variation across gender. Alcohol is typically first used the youngest, with most respondents reporting first use at 16–17, and a significant portion even earlier. Nicotine follows a similar trajectory, with initial use commonly clustered around 16–18, suggesting both substances are often encountered before or at the very start of university.

How often do you vape?

34.6%

Daily

Several times a week

Weekly

Less than weekly

8.5% 46.4%

How often do you use the following substances?

200

What nicotine strength do you usually use?

Tried once Occasionally

28.1%

28.1%

0 mg (nicotine-free) Low (1-6 mg)

Monthly

100

Weekly

28.7%

Medium (6-20 mg)

10%

High (20+ mg) Unsure

Daily 0

Alcohol

Cannabis

Nicotine

Where do you usually vape?

Across gender, men report slightly earlier initiation overall, particularly for alcohol and nicotine, with a higher proportion indicating use before 16. Women tend to cluster more tightly around 16–18 for first use, while gender diverse respondents show a wider spread, though numbers are smaller.

By contrast, most other drugs are first used after students arrive at university, and here the gender gap narrows. MDMA use is concentrated around ages 18–20 across all groups, though men are slightly more likely to report trying it earlier (at 18) compared to women, who more often report first use at 19–20.

The same pattern holds for LSD and ketamine, where first use is rare under 18 but increases sharply from 18 onwards, with men again skewing marginally earlier.

At home

98 (63.2%)

At parties/social events Walking around campus

44 (28.4%)

In university buildings

16 (10.3%) 6 (3.9%)

In class/lectures

0

20.6%

What distinguishes vaping most clearly is continuity. While other substances are typically tried later and used sporadically, vaping shows a much more sustained pattern from first use through to current behaviour. Once picked up, it is far less likely to be confined to specific events or phases.

Do you currently vape?

20.2% 16.7%

150

Yes sucessfully

Yes - but I went back to it

No

Prefer not to say

Do you think vaping has negative health effects?

Unlike other substances, where first use clusters around university entry, a large proportion of respondents report first vaping between ages 15–17. There is also a smaller but notable group reporting very early exposure (under 15), suggesting vaping is entering students’ lives well before other drugs.

9.7%

100

Have you ever tried to stop vaping?

30.6%

Vaping Attitudes

53.4%

50

45%

Overall, the data suggests a staged pattern: alcohol and nicotine are introduced earlier—often before university—while other drugs are first encountered in university social environments, with men tending to start slightly earlier, but overall patterns remaining broadly consistent across genders.

142 (91.6%)

Yes regularly

Yes occasionally

I used to, but don’t anymore

No, never

96.9%

Yes

No

Unsure

Dependence/Addiction Dependence is present, but concentrated in specific groups and substances. While only a minority of respondents (roughly 10–20%) identify as dependent or addicted, those responses cluster most clearly around nicotine, cannabis, and alcohol.

Across demographics, dependence appears to increase with year of study. Second- and third-year students are more likely than first-years to report feeling reliant on a substance, aligning with earlier patterns of increased use over time. There is also a living situation effect: students in flats are more likely to report dependence, particularly on nicotine and cannabis, compared to those in halls or living with family.

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to 91.6%. For students using 4 or more substances, it rises again to 97.4%. The same pattern shows up in more serious impacts: academic harm rises from 3.4% among students using one substance or fewer to 35.7% among those using four or more, while mental health decline rises from 13.8% to 54.8%.

Have you ever felt dependent on a substance?

63.9%

Yes

No

36.1%

Have you experienced negative effects from substance abuse?

Hangovers/illness

268 (81.2%) 182 (55.2%)

Memory loss/blackout

If you have felt dependent on a substance, which one?

Alcohol

Academic impact

52 (41.9%)

Nicotine

69 (55.6%)

Prescription misuse

1 (0.8%)

Opium

1 (0.8%) 0

20

0

40

60

80

Gender differences are more mixed. Men are slightly more likely to report dependence related to alcohol and cannabis, while women are more likely to report dependence on nicotine, reflecting earlier patterns of use. Gender diverse respondents, though a smaller group, show comparatively higher rates of reported dependence overall, particularly where multiple substances are involved.

If you have felt dependent, did you seek support or help?

68.3%

7.6% 24.1%

118 (35.8%) 46 (13.9%)

None

4 (3.2%)

Ketamine

4 (1.2%))

Mental health decline

15 (12.1%)

MDMA

77 (23.23%)

Legal trouble

62 (50%)

Cannibas

64 (19.4%)

Relationship issues

Yes

No

Prefer not to say

If any of this feels familiar, support is available. Students can access free, confidential care through Student Health at Te Herenga Waka, or contact Alcohol Drug Helpline Aotearoa (0800 787 797) or free text 1737 (Need to talk?), which provides 24/7 support across Aotearoa.

100

200

300

This does not mean that all drug use results in serious or lasting harm. The threshold for a “negative effect” in this survey is low—a single hangover is enough to count—and many of the most commonly reported harms fall into that category. But the scale of the response still matters. When over 80% of students report at least one negative effect, and that figure rises to over 90% among flatting and later-year students, it suggests that harm is not isolated or exceptional.

Overdose & Exposure Salient is not a medical authority, but resources like The Level provide clear guidance on recognising and responding to an overdose. Overdoses are most likely when depressant drugs are involved—including opioids, benzodiazepines, and alcohol—and common signs include loss of consciousness, slow or stopped breathing, pale or clammy skin, blue lips or fingertips, and gurgling or snoring sounds. These can become fatal quickly, making early action critical.

38.5%

Have you ever felt unsafe due to substance abuse? (yourself or others) Yes

No

61.5%

Harm and Risk There is a clear living-situation divide here too. Flatting students were far more likely to report negative effects, with 91.9% selecting at least one harm, compared with 74.5% of students in halls and 59.1% of students living with family. That is one of the strongest splits in the whole survey. Harm, in other words, appears to rise once students move into less regulated environments.

Year of study tracks this as well. 72.9% of first-years reported at least one negative effect. That rises to 82.4% of second-years and 92.3% of third-years. Harm appears to intensify after firstyear, which fits with the broader pattern in the survey: more independence, more flatting, and more use of a wider range of substances.

Among students using one substance or fewer, 48.3% reported negative effects. Among those using 2–3 substances, that jumps

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If someone may be overdosing, act immediately. The Level advises to call 111, try to rouse the person, and check their breathing. If they are not breathing, begin CPR or rescue breaths.

If available, naloxone should be administered, as it can reverse opioid overdoses and will not cause harm if opioids are not involved. If the person starts breathing again, place them in the recovery position and monitor them. If not, continue CPR

58.5%

Do you personally know someone who has overdosed?

Yes

41.5%

No

and repeat naloxone if needed. Stay with the person until help arrives, keeping them calm and reassured.

The Level also outlines ways to reduce the risk of overdose.

Risk increases when people take higher doses, mix substances (including alcohol and medications), use alone, or have lower tolerance after a break. Using drugs that are adulterated or not what they are expected to be also raises the risk. To reduce harm, they recommend measuring doses carefully, using drug checking services, avoiding or spacing out mixing substances, and using in the presence of others who can help if something goes wrong.

Taking drugs through slower methods (like swallowing rather than smoking or injecting) and adjusting for lower tolerance are also key strategies.

28.8%

Yes - I chose not to take the substance

No change

Have you ever witnessed an overdose?

Yes

Yes

No

34.8%

Drug Checking Access to drug checking in Wellington is relatively accessible, but still largely event-based. KnowYourStuffNZ regularly provides free, anonymous drug checking services at festivals, gigs, and nightlife events, as well as through pop-up clinics in central Wellington. These clinics allow students to have substances tested and receive confidential, non-judgemental advice about contents, risks, and safer use.

You can also access a regular monthly clinic at the Newtown Community Centre, held on the first Saturday of every month from 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. In addition, free, legal, confidential drug checking is available at the Drugs and Health Development Project (DHDP) headquarters, running Tuesday–Saturday each week (Tue 12–7 p.m.; Wed–Thu 11a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri 12–7 p.m.; Sat 1:15–4:45 p.m., with weekday lunch closure 2–2:30 p.m., and closed on public holidays).

Have you ever used a drug checking service? (e.g. KnowYourStuff) Yes 15.6%

Yes 36.8%

No

Unsure

For other locations and updates, students can go on the KnowYourStuffNZ website, which makes it easy to find upcoming clinics in Wellington. The service is legal, free, and does not involve police, making it one of the most accessible harm reduction tools available to students in the city.

Do you feel confident recognising signs of overdose?

84.4%

23.2%

Do you think information about drug checking services is visible enough to students?

No

18.4%

65.2%

Yes - I felt confident taking the substance

65.2%

39.9%

81.6%

Did the result change your behaviour?

No

Conclusion Across the survey, the strongest and most consistent piece of feedback was this: students want universities to do more—not to police drug use, but to educate and destigmatise it. Rather than abstinence-based messaging, respondents repeatedly called for a harm reduction approach, grounded in clear, accessible information about what students are actually doing. As one student put it, “accept that it’s going to happen and approach it from a harm reduction lens.”

A key issue raised was lack of awareness. Many students said they did not know that drug checking is legal, free, and available, with one respondent noting, “many of my friends didn’t even know that you could get drugs tested legally or thought it would cost money. Knowledge is power.” This reflects a broader gap identified throughout the survey: while students are using substances—and often experiencing harm—information about how to do so more safely is not reaching them consistently.

Students also pushed back against one-dimensional messaging.

Instead of simply being told drugs are bad, respondents wanted honest, nuanced education—including effects, risks, and real experiences of different substances—so they can make informed decisions. As one response put it, universities should “encourage students to take informed decisions rather than outright saying it’s bad.”

Taken together, the message is not that students are asking universities to endorse drug use, but that current approaches are out of step with reality. Students are already navigating these environments. What they are asking for is better information, earlier and ongoing education, and a shift away from stigma toward education.

Kawepūrongo | News

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By anonymous Content Warning: Drug Use Drugs can be fun, but they can also be a real bad time if you’re not careful.

I grew up naïve to drugs, my early impressions shaped by the anti-drug propaganda of the DARE programme.

My first boyfriend was into them, which, by proximity, meant I was too. I trusted him to tell me what we were taking and what it would feel like. I never thought to ask him where he got his information—or the drugs themselves. This was fine, nothing went wrong. Until it did.

At the time, I was on SSRI anti-depressants. One day, I took DXM (dextromethorphan), a cough suppressant. I felt sick physically and mentally; I wanted to throw up, I had cold sweats, I couldn’t balance properly, and on top of that, I was floating five metres above my own body, watching myself endure this in between consciousness blackouts. I didn’t realise that I was probably experiencing serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening reaction to high levels of serotonin in the body.

This was the beginning of my journey to becoming “the drug friend”. I wanted to know why this had happened and how to make sure it didn’t happen again.

My interest in drugs expanded from trying them to researching them. Before trying anything new, I started looking into effects, dosage, and risks. This wasn’t easy to find. Google doesn’t like providing links to the sort of websites that have this information, and local services weren’t accessible to me at the time.

Over time, I became the person people asked. Either I knew the answer, or I knew where to find it.

It was fun to have these conversations openly, sharing info like I was some esoteric wizard searching the tomes for ancient knowledge. We had more frank and open discussions about drugs, not glorifying or demonising them, creating a culture of more intentional drug use among my friends.

Later, I formalised the role—if that’s the word—by working with KnowYourStuffNZ, an organisation that provides drug checking and harm-reduction services at festivals and community clinics.

Every substance-curious friend group should have a drug friend. If you’re considering taking on this prestigious title, here is some info to get you started—without all the propaganda that comes along with doing your own research in a drug prohibition world.

Drug Checking This is a service where trained volunteers will take a small sample of your substance and test them with reagents, a spectrometer, or both, to figure out what is in them. It’s free, legal, and anonymous.

We are so lucky to have this available and legal in New Zealand, so take advantage of it!

In Wellington, it is run by KnowYourStuff and DISC. Schedules change, so it’s worth checking their websites, but regular hours are: DISC - 223a Willis Street (next to Cumberland House) Tues-Fri: 12.00 - 2.00 p.m. and 2.30 - 7.00 p.m.

Sat: 1.15 p.m. -4.45 p.m.

KnowYourStuff - Newtown Community Centre First Saturday of every month 11.00 a.m. - 2.00 p.m.

14 Features | Ahuatanga

?

? ? ? ? ? ?

?

Harm Reduction Concepts Harm reduction: This is the idea that people are going to do potentially dangerous stuff anyway, like taking drugs, so we should reduce the risk involved rather than just telling them not to do it.

Dosage: Dosage is so important, and so often I see people just take a vibes-based attitude to dosing. Getting your dose right is your first line of defence against having a bad time or a hospital visit. Get a milligram scale, know what the right dose is for the substance and your body size, and prepare your dose in advance so you don’t decide to do more when you’re not sober. When in doubt, go low and slow; you can always take more, but you can’t untake what you’ve already had.

Set and setting: Getting your set and setting right is one of the best ways to minimise the risk of having a Bad Time once you’ve got the actual drug stuff sorted.

Set refers to where you are at in yourself; are you in the right mindset, has something bad happened recently that you’ll get stuck thinking about, are you sick, tired, or on your period, are you excited or nervous?

Setting refers to where you are in your environment; are you going to be at home, a party, an event, out at town, out in nature? Is it raining, is it gonna be loud, are you gonna run into someone from work or a family member? Does the environment match the vibes of the drug, will it be over or under stimulating for you, will you feel safe?

The 6 Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Partying: This is all about sober-you taking responsibility for making sure not-sober you has the best time possible.

Have your food and water organised beforehand, know how you’re going to get home or where you can retreat to, know how long the effects of your substance will last (it can help to write the time you took them on your hand).

Tripsitter: Drugs can be mentally or emotionally intense.

A tripsitter is someone you’re comfortable with who is either sober or very experienced with the drug who can help when you start stressing out. They’re there to reassure you, provide fun activities, and de-escalate when you get overwhelmed. If you’re someone who doesn’t do drugs, taking the role of tripsitter can be a great way to support your friends who do.

Combination considerations: If you are taking multiple substances, things can get tricky quickly. This includes illegal drugs, medicines, and legal drugs like caffeine and alcohol. A lot of common medications, like antidepressants or ADHD medication, can have negative interactions with some drugs. Alcohol also has dangerous interactions with a lot of different drugs. Refer to the Tripsit combination chart for a quick reference, or hit up someone at KnowYourStuffNZ for a more detailed chat.

Aftercare: Some drugs can have “hangovers”, often referred to as a comedown. This should be something you check as part of your planning. If your substance is known to have a comedown, make sure you’ll have time to look after yourself afterwards, stay hydrated, and give yourself some extra love.

If something goes wrong: Learn the signs of an overdose from your substance—including alcohol! Keep an eye on your friends; if you’re concerned, do not hesitate to call an ambulance, or approach staff for help if you are at a venue or event. Be honest with medical professionals— they are there to help and any extra information could help get the right treatment faster. Medical professionals are bound to confidentiality and will not report you to the police. The exceptions to this are if you are at risk of death and refusing care, or if they think you are going to drive impaired despite being told not to; in these cases, police may be called to keep you and others safe.

Online Resources New Zealand specific:

International:

•

•

• • • •

Knowyourstuff.nz: info on drug safety, harm reduction, and drug checking.

Drugfoundation.org.nz: advocates for drug policy change and research, directory of resources for New Zealand based drug info and support services.

Thelevel.org.nz: info on drug safety and harm reduction.

Highalert.org.nz: early warning for dangerous substances found through drug checking.

Silver Linings to Long White Clouds Facebook page: mushroom identification and community info on magic mushrooms.

Search engines and social media:

• •

•

Tripsit.me: detailed info on combinations between any two substances. Also offer online tripsitters.

Psychonautwiki.org: Detailed info on individual drugs, including dosage and effects. Also has a lot of the nerdy pharmacology info.

Erowid.org: One of the OGs. Info on drugs, including community experience reports as well as the nerdy stuff. This one is blocked on uni wifi and can be a bit difficult to navigate, so save this for when you’re ready to go deeper.

Bluelight.org: Community forum on all things drugs, ranging from academic studies and drug policy to personal trip reports and peer support.

Google will block most drug and harm reduction information and a lot of drug harm organisations are shadowbanned or deleted on social media. If you need more information, you should search using the DuckDuckGo search engine. DuckDuckGo doesn’t track your data, take any identifying info, or suffer from the same kind of censorship as most search engines. Or just come talk to us at KnowYourStuffNZ! You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, or Bluesky, otherwise ping us through our website.

XOX , ur drug fO riend

Ahuatanga | Features

15

Day Two of Who Knows By anonymous Content Warning: Murder, Violence, Drug Addiction

I

stood alone in a room full of people, each absorbed in their own thoughts, each holding their own view.

Never had I faced such scrutiny. Then again, never had I killed a man. So to be scrutinized was exactly why I stood alone in that room. For days on end, I held this position, and for days on end I faced scrutiny— accusations and assumptions alike, speculative theories, fragments of fact, and minor testimonies. Not once did I deny taking his life. However, the unfortunate realities of society’s darker side mean things happen—both intentional and unintentional—so I faced the room as those within examined the case.

More than anything, though, I watched the twelve members of the jury. I watched with bated breath as each piece of evidence was presented. I searched for subtle signs—unvoiced opinions, loathing, disgust, anger. I looked, too, for sympathy, sadness, and that fatalistic acceptance that reminds us all that sometimes people make mistakes. I was facing the trial of my life, and the outcome would quite literally determine what remained of it. I had been charged with murder, and the twelve members of the jury had been charged with determining my guilt. To this day, I do not know whose burden was heavier.

I remember checking my watch in the darkness of my cell. Sleep—so desperately desired—would not come. The watch told me I was fifteen minutes into the day, day two of who knows. I lay in the dark, listening to the sounds of prison life at zero-darkthirty—things unnoticed in the cold light of daytime consciousness: the mechanical hum of air moving

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through the extraction ducts, the low murmur of a television left on somewhere in the unit, its owner blissfully unaware of the effect it had on my mind. Not to mention the irregular gasps, snorts, and grunts of the other man occupying the six-by-twelve concrete box with me.

The air sat close. In a space like that, you could almost feel the grains of sand embedded in the concrete around you. I was suffocating in my own despair—entirely of my own making. It felt as though even the darkness didn’t want me there, as if there wasn’t enough room for both of us, yet we were locked together all the same.

Beneath me, the man in the lower bunk shifted—the prick, I thought. That had been my bed for weeks, but when I returned from court that day, he was on it.

Too late to argue. Besides, I wouldn’t be there long—at least, that’s what I told myself. That’s how I ended up on the top bunk, wide awake in the early hours, with nothing to distract me from the truth: this was only day two of who knows.

To me, sleep is a period of time lost, accompanied by a vague recollection of strange adventures and a feeling of revitalisation. However, upon checking my watch, I noticed the hours passing as if before my eyes—but the absence of those vague recollections, and the heavy lethargy that clung to me, left me to conclude that sleep would not be forthcoming with her gifts this night. I couldn’t begrudge her for it. After all, today is day two of who knows.

You could look at this tragic experienc e and say, “good job,” and if you knew the reason why sleep was spending the night with everyone but me, that would be one way to see it. Karma is another. Howe ver, today is still day two of who knows, and if you knew what I knew, then sleep would avoid you too.

of nine—and despite the beating I got for stealing, I was warned only never to steal from him again. If I wanted weed, I should ask. Those were the first seeds of addiction to illegal substances. I had already been given the same arrangement for the legal ones—weed, ciggies, booze. I didn’t always get what I asked for, but sometimes I did—further evidence of the madness that shaped the reality I grew up in.

It feels surreal in hindsight—nothing like the vague recollections one has upon waking after a good night’s sleep. No, the recollections I was having were anything I think back to the armed robbe ries and kidnappings but vague. I was stone-cold sober, yet despite my that preceded the nights of revelry, the same ones rational mind being fully aware of my situation, I that led me here. At any point, I could have chosen could swear that at times throughout the night I was to stop—or so I told myse lf. A lie, of course. I know standing in the driveway again, pistol in hand—the now that no one is truly free to choose. The only real same exchange, the same knowing look, and the same choice comes when you finally crash: do you rebuild, fate-filled sound of the bike hitting the groun d, never or don’t you? to rise again.

What I would give for the vague to blur

the vivid.

We all crash. The question is—do you pick up the pieces and resume the charade, or leave them in the ashes of the past and begin again, somewhere unce rtain? That question still frightens me.

Moments such as these take me back in time, a hostage to my own conscience—forced to witne ss, unable to look away from the heinous nature of a rampaging At this point, the ability to make rational, conscious drug addiction. They push me to explore the self, to decisions becomes almost impossible. However, even confront the uncompromising depravity that comes a hungry wolf knows when to call off the chase. from depriving oneself of the most fundamental human functions: sleep, food, and whol esome social Nestled four stories up and four metres across from interaction. All things considered, it make s a morbid the Khyber Pass off-ramp, the steadily increasing flow kind of sense that, in the absence of such things, of city-bound traffic tells me that today—day two of a person can become less than hum an—almost who knows—is about to reveal itself to the present animalistic, primeval. moment, fleetingly fickle as the moment cements itself in the unchanging, unchallengeable past.

It is no consolation, but it makes a grim kind of sense that my drug of choice has murderous origins. This Moments that stay with us, no matter how hard we substance was literally designed to turn a man into a try to leave them behind.

Moments that, no matter heartless, relentless, savage being—free of the morality how much we wish we could , we cannot return to— that governs any sensible, reasonable, civil society. It cannot change what has alread y been written into time’s stripped away all inhibitions, silenced every voice of memory. These thoughts have become my obsession. reason, and replaced them with an all-co nsuming I lie in the dark, replaying the mistake I’ve left in the desire to destroy anything good in the world . record book of time, and today is day two of who knows.

What is the substance, you ask? Amp hetamines. Mouth dry, stomach churn ing, nervous energy pulsing Methamphetamine, to be specific. And I’m talking through my body, I lie in the dark anticipating the about us—deranged souls cursed by its consu mption. call to pack my gear—silently praying for a break in Did you know it was chemists in the Third Reich the monotonous wait, for my moment to step out of who synthesized it to transform ordin ary civilians the cell and into the light of day two of who knows. into what became stormtroopers—an unstoppable I wait, and I wait, and I wait. legion of chemically enhanced soldiers who helped take Europe by the throat? If you did, then my tale Six a.m., and a loud slap of sound from the inbuilt P.A. should not surprise you. I was consumed and at war. snaps me out of the mind trap I’ve been stuck in since I believed it, too. Insane, aye? fifteen minutes into today.

Another morbid detail: the first man I ever saw “Uce,” the voice says. manufacturing methamphetamine called himself “the German”. I was fourteen years old—older than thirteen, “Yeah,” I answered. in his eyes, and therefore perfectly malle able. The chaos of a life bent by addiction was his gift to me. “Uce, get ready. Your ride will be here in fifteen The motherfucker. minutes. All good?”

I have many such moments. The time I helpe d myself “All good, uce,” I reply, climb ing down from what we to Uncle Hawke’s pounds of weed at the tender age call the treehouse.

Story continues on next page

Ahuatanga | Features

17

stepped into I’ve been ready for this moment since I is waiting. I bag ry toilet My e. befor night the the cell Gingerly, hot. g: settin one turn on the shower—only then quit atise, acclim flow, the into way my I work routine, the wash early. I’m too anxious for my usual with a ing wank le ortab comf feel don’t I es, and besid stranger in the cell.

Time’s up anyway. ment—the I hear the familiar sounds of unit move followed king— unloc door ting opera an of onics electr to my keys the hold who men by the laughter of the y. destin “Uce, uce, are you there?” a pointless As if I wouldn’t be. Some might think that’s that carry like s word le Simp question—but not me. humanity to ding exten man one It’s ing. mean more s brother. another, despite the doors between us. It mean It means, you good? and just “All good,” I say again as they open my door, day two ents mom ever what meet like that, I’m off to of who knows has waiting for me.

ect of a life

Among these men, I alone faced the prosp sentence.

tion that “What you in for?”—the universal ques on. stand you line the of side h whic s determine here. Not just Murder is a charge that carries weight in it means—a what of se for the crime itself, but becau price. And I ate ultim the It’s joke. no is life a life for d with. fucke be to not side had taken my place on the soldiers.

I ate my two stale slices of toast, tea-soaked d the rest of tippe and -Bix Weet two my down d Wolfe e a trip in my tea down the drain. Never hydrate befor up pissing end to way sure a that’s van— port a trans in a moving steel box while handcuffed. to different Soon, names were called, vans heading g in the van ridin n perso one only was There cts. distri t.

Cour bound for Auckland High Me. So—back to the question at hand: guilty

or not?

nted with a For days on end, the jury had been prese to imply an myriad of evidence, shaped and framed so the prosecution would one, waiting obvious conclusion—or Things packed, I stand alone at the teleph usion I prayed they would concl A e. believ them have a familiar for the call to connect. A moment later, I hear hand up to the killing— my put had I back to the dismiss. After all, voice on the other end, and my mind snaps res intent. An intent requi er murd of e charg the but just a little. present. The tight churn in my stomach eases, injure, possibly. To To kill. to t inten assionate to kill. I had no There’s unconditional love in that voice, comp By the letter of the law, I itely. defin , ssion posse take give. to the jury’s understanding—something only a sister can had my own view. But that was irrelevant ns. eratio delib knowledge The call is brief, but I hang up content in the two of who complicated that no matter what happens today—day A simple question to state, but far more res twelve knows—I am loved. requi it that so much d—so to comprehen the finer ine exam tively the human independent minds to collec . asked However, fear—a chemical reaction of be to came ion quest that stupidity in details of how species, developed as a defence against s this leave the face of danger—still lingers. Knowing such intense My name was called. me slightly confused as to why I had felt given the fear while waiting for the call to connect, I went through the familiar process. did.

I But lack of any immediate threat. r asked. He’d been doing in the world “How are you, uce?” the office I had convinced myself that everybody ts. escor ing work , years for this y famil and had an axe to grind—my closest friends , literally. included—and quite possibly some out there ns, and “All good,” I replied. eratio delib jury of two day is today After all, er, do murd of e charg the looking?” the question is simple: on “What’s going on with the trial? How’s it ? guilty not or guilty dant defen the you find waiting for the rubnt Eden I put my hands against the wall, I waited in the receiving office of Mou l detector. meta the e befor s come were the down that Correctional Facility. I wasn’t alone. There ding spen be usual suspects—those who wouldn’t I said, turning to have my They always “Who knows, my man,” long in custody, but would be back soon. , and the hands cuffed. are. There were the hardened criminals , lines them d aroun ed form gangsters, too. Clear lines moments—smile, make wise. Not to That’s all you can do in these were you if , ously cauti ached appro you through the motions going men two Just talk. small read. be fucked with—that’s what those lines dy. of another day in custo

18 Features | Ahuatanga

“Good luck, uce,” he said as I walk

ed toward my ride.

“See you when I get back,” I replied.

He moved on, calling the next nam

e.

I stepped up to the back of the bus—the human float. Same one I’d been riding since the beginning.

Overkill, I thought, as I hustled into one of the twelve compartments, eleven of them emp ty. Plenty of room for my regrets.

I took a breath, and a familiar scen t hit my nostrils.

Someone, at some point, had drun k too much of his complimentary breakfast tea. I wondere d if he regretted it. You never drink the tea at breakfast .

Then I hoped he’d pissed on his shoe

s.

The same officer driving the van stood in the corridor, wearing that same wry smile.

“We washed the boxes out last nigh t,” he said. “Hope the smell’s gone.”

It wasn’t. It was just mixed now with a generic, massproduced disinfectant—but I acknowle dged the effort.

Shop work.

I took my seat, and the door closed

behind me.

Which brings me back to the moment at hand—hands cuffed, resting in my lap, sitting in the back of a transport truck on my way into day two of who knows.

But the relief is short-lived.

I have arrived.

Over the past dozen days, a modest relationship has developed between myself and the offic er charged with escorting me from the holding cell to the courtroom, and today is no different. It’s stran ge how subtle, friendly banter can take the shar p edge off a bleak situation—like the possibility of spen ding the rest of your life incarcerated. But it does.

And for that, I will always be grateful.

The experience itself is daunting.

As each day passed, I would sit quie tly, listening to the damning accusations, wondering: what are the jury thinking? I studied their body lang uage, searching for some signal—anything—that migh t ease the fear building inside me.

Today, however, is day two of who knows, and I’ve asked for the light to be turned off as I sit in the holding cell I’ve grown accustomed to, wait ing.

I notice that, like every other cell I’ve occupied, this one still isn’t dark enough to disappear into. The silence is so complete it fills my ears, like I’m standing in front of a subwoofer. I can feel the weight of the institution above me, pressing in from all sides .

The sleepless night I’d had pales in comparison to the last ten minutes. That was the fear of the unknown.

This is fear in real time. The cell is tiny—on purpose.

A message, clear as anything: you are no longer fit to take up space in society.

Picture, if you would, a steel box cont aining a diningroom chair, with just enough head room to sit in something resembling comfort. A smal l window offers I set those thou ghts aside, just for a moment, and fleeting glimpses of something so man y of us take for force myself to relax . Not because I’m not worried, or granted—the everyday comings and goings of ordinary because I don’ t care—but to brace for impact. I thin people. That outside world. Things k not missed until about everythin g I’ve done with my life so far, and they are. all the potential lost. I think about the people I’ve affected.

I relive the moments—good and Now picture that box bouncing down bad—that have led the road backwards. me here. I feel the weight of my conscience settle on my shoulders, that familiar self-loath That is the sensation—poetic justi ing creeping in, ce in motion. something only the cover of darkness can hide.

In my mind, I experience every mom ent as if watching I wait for my path to be made clear. it from afar, an unwilling passenge r on a ride from hell—though fully aware it was I who chose to step Then, suddenly , I hear it—the familiar rattle of keys into the beast. , heavy footsteps approaching.

So I gaze longingly out the window, trying to ease the And a simple state ment that stops time: The jury has made self-obsessive torment that has gripp ed me since fifteen a decision. Ever ything has led to this. Every word, ever minutes into day two of who know y s. action, every moment—has brought me here. Now.

Ahuatanga | Features

19

Graffiti for the

insomniac Memory loss injection into the skin. Flesh dissolved, love hypothesis. Nature's way, touch my body, your hand around my neck folding at the word cute. Anarchy symbol under the candyman.

A secret admirer so sweet, sugar saying dating is a drag. Lose your mind to find your soul. Vicks sold beneath the streets.

Bella Grieve

girl. Love buzzes so long London. Murder of city nights. If you could be anywhere, where would you be? Under a vixen or forester picking up cherries or blackberries. Dear future wife where I will find you under my unknown favourite star.

Orgasm addict, one chord wonders. Cigarette falls off his ear.

Coffee in your eyes is cold or hot. Dancing barefoot, because of the night. Sip on the straw and stay in reality. Letting your mind wander down the neon road. A woman with blonde hair and ponytail tells people they have power.

Conditional love, consensual intimacy, sins walk out the door. This way out, pick your own apples.

Mystic market, special fruit. Letting life take the reins a girl meets a boy, strangers converse. Lips Hybrid baby animal graffiti, lamb combined with touch down at the underground bar playing pool. a duckling. Disco head, eyes peaking through, Sex, money, feelings, speaking with a third eye. adequate. Roman d’Amour, chemical romance loss Colour coordinated racks around at the thrift store. in Villa Palmera. My blurry days stuck amongst jazz by the water. Longing, for the insomniac Dealer around the corner, back with the vicks falling into my arms, night vision it almost between your gums. Lovely head he says looking worked. Be my angel and feed my black sheep at me. Enamored, my past self would walk out somewhere somehow. Blue boredom, freaks crawl the door. The way he stares, twinkling around beneath in retrograde. Time moves slow he tells his pupils. Lips become blue, cracks on each side me to pick any color I like. The look cheri cheri staring into their eyes. Same place same time you lady my love in Portofino. Gallowdance in the reappear just to come back. summer pretty girls make graves. Flying away in sandpaper kisses catching a thief with strangers Plants hang on walls, the man stays in darkness for his own eternity. Self made or constructed. on the train.

Pupils expand inhaling time. Faded cans left on Morse code is a butterfly stuck in utopia. Sour the ground, and a jar of brown sugar. Moon phases, times dusty times a glory box underneath an old bite my lip. Naked selfies he prys. My favourite lady’s bed. Pocky boy walked me home underneath part: funny papers, funny men, funny things. the killing moon. Garden plaza. Caught in time, so far away better in the dark. Lies in the eyes Lust for something re-arranged. Sugar water of love and hate yourself watching birds sing. at the front door, little window with a glass Still listening Gentleman? Suit and tie in the big pumpkin. Unconditional love, obey the ghost. smoke. Watching the machines make money Lucky girls get gone, get afraid, get ashamed. just to hold the lever and lose it. Baby girl just Shy purple, pointy green, yellow teeth. Bassline for you, I wanna be your right hand, give you junkie, art deco all red is the page filled with breakfast in bed. Hold your long hair while you colours, squinting your eyes. Quick intermission, silicone kitchen, tears in Brazil. run your mouth.

Along in the train station, Platform 11. Vendetta that creeps through the cracks in the concrete.

Confusion or confirmation? Red flowers strung up on the windows, spotless mind. Piercings on people, septums on cats. Spiky ears and spiky hair.

Sipping on research, inclusivity or exclusivity in TV. Graze scalp bar underground, loose underwear along the lamps, shoes hung up along the wires.

High no more, hater’s anthem you only get somewhere with a negative attitude. Alive a blonde maneater all things end High no more.

When you sleep my wildflower I like the way you kiss me. Master of none, only ever just about a

22

Creative Writing

Washing the sins away, gardens kiss the themed subway. The loving touch, we must meet again you say. Falling in and falling out, holding me open ended. Trade our hearts, parachute in the middle of nowhere. Children on the internet whisper through the screen. Losing sense of the

face to a sentence. Wait until the morning to share your fears, don’t start a conversation just to fall asleep. One cries hoping not to be heard, she screams, desensitizing your fears. Hold each object followed with eye movement. Stable eyes, a dream flower flourishes.

trees, yellow and orange. Colours blurring, being followed, toil and trouble. The light shines down in the theatre prancing on the stage. She sits in a large martini glass on her knees and tries the cherry. Her blue eyeshadow was caught by a man with a camera.

Sunny daze, affirming it’s ok to cry. Stories in pajamas, passing through. Looking into his eyes, drive slow if you wouldn’t mind. Dating someone means dating their ex-partner. Left to ponder, longing just to wander. Watching closely, a sunset lamp in the window looking in from afar.

Petite touches against the piano. Tree branches strumming, left to wonder.

He reaches his hand asking her to hold, she struts away, flapper he calls out, she turns her head lying on her silk shoulder she winks and continues walking behind the curtain. Out the back door, yellow umbrella, jazz evaporating from down below. A memory missed even though you never lived it. Just in the back you mind a version of you that quietly lays waiting to be let out.

Favourite thing behind you, locked in a daydream.

Close to the chair, the rug hung up. Multicoloured flowers stuck onto the back. Pimples all around, something but not a frown. Fifteen seconds, desiring onto your skin. I wait, machines to put kindness coins into.

Question after question, leaving them all unanswered. Lucky in relationships, lost on your own. Cocktails all alone, in the black in white.

Fun all around, orange and yellow. Slice of lime, sunrise under the sunset. Hand shadows one creates a head the other makes a bird. Covering the walls of the room, lying still. Research and create. Talent through the eyes. Recalibrations on the sheets, at the desk, under the trees, by the sea and at the top of the building.

Fathom your mindset, twist your soul, no characters to behold. Lay your cards out for intangible fate, placing each one straight. Lying just to drain from the brain. Invisible mirror, single leaf floating around the fountain. Wind blasting in your ear drums, wanting to feel numb.

Happiness does exist. Waiting on a wheel of fortune, kindness to the empress. Magician under the sun. Queen of swords, ace of wands.

Irreversible strength, the moon and the star. Half time to reach the road, working hard to preach.

Teeth inside a purse, octopus chamber.

Taste of fish, bones for shoes. Hair blowing in the wind. A woman sits covered in feathers, a bird inside a person. Fluttering her wings, all she can do is walk. Holding each branch not one that will hold her. She lies on the grass daydreaming as her eyes go to the sky. Collecting moss, beads she uses in her hair. Whimsical women, frowning to the trash that lies on the path she trods.

Painting her skin pink and green, in front of the camera her yellow teeth flash. Take a chance on me, to the moon and back. Bene, a dopo, OK? Headphones on, she walks around her locks blowing like a feather floating. Autumn

Creative Writing

23

24 Comic Corner | Kōmeke

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you won't be disappointed sir!

ght p ri sto ! re!! the

this narcot ics scheme is at an end!

sir, the

drug busting operation is complete.

say goodbye cocaine!

sure you 't didn you a raid just ket? mar r e sup

Kōmeke | Comic Corner 25

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Ngā Hua te Taio

Good news stories (and more) for the planet Kia ora, Salient reader! Welcome to our new fortnightly column on the environment, sustainable living, and the small, stubborn act of hope amongst a world on fire! Check in every second week for waste-free recipes, genuinely good news, and practical ways to lend a hand—nudging a happier, healthier Earth a little closer into view.

Waste-free recipe of the week: Tortillas are a staple of the student diet. Whether you’re going full gourmet with crispy chicken and greens or just melting cheese in the microwave at midnight, it’s hard to beat the simplicity of the humble tortilla. So, what better place to begin than a tortilla you can make yourself—for tuppence, and without that pesky plastic bag.

The easy, cost-saving, eco flour tortillas (An Edmonds Recipe)

• • • •

2 cups flour 3 tbsp oil ½ tsp salt ¾ cup warm water

Mix all ingredients til well combined.

Knead for at least three minutes.

Let rest for at least 30 minutes (this part is key).

Roll into 8 rounds.

Cook in a pan over medium–high heat until done.

Stack and cover with a damp cloth to keep them soft and flexible.

Enjoy—and feel, briefly, like a very competent little chef.

Pockets of hope: Beat the back to class blues with the Department of Conservation’s live webcams, where you can study alongside baby kākāpō and royal albatross. It is, more or less, a national truth that baby birds bring out the best in New Zealanders.

Search “Doc Webcams” and join the sweet community all fawning over these lil buddys.

Beyond the cuteness, there’s good news here: this marks the first kākāpō breeding season since 2022, with the added bonus of building a wider network of support for conservation efforts. See you online with the chicks.

Get involved: Wellington is bustling with conservation initiatives to get stuck in with, but why not start with one right here on the doorstep of Kelburn campus: The Kumutoto Restoration Project.

This is a community led project seeking to restore the mana and the mauri of the Kumutoto awa. They meet through the bush past Club-K on the second and fourth Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Activities range from running trap lines and monitoring stream health to planting trees, pulling weeds, five-minute bird counts, and, occasionally, an open mic or poetry session.

Expect warm welcomes, good soup, and become a part of the growing community prioritising both connection to each other and the whenua they are nurturing.

To get involved find them on Facebook: Kumutoto Restoration Project, Instagram: @kumutotorestorationproject or Email: kumutotostream@gmail.com. Stay tuned for an article straight from the source in next week's edition of the Salient!

Creative corner:

Tīwae | Columns

27

Christopher Curtis

This week's game:

PIKMIN Pikmin has the potential to be a real comfort game, and if you find real-time-strategy games daunting at all, this is one I can wholeheartedly recommend beginning your journey with.

The gameplay loop is simple. As Captain Olimar, you have 30 in-game days to repair your spaceship.

You will do so with the help of your little buddies, the titular Pikmin. They are scavenging little critters who will carry just about anything— from ship parts to wildlife carcasses—back to your base with the power of teamwork. Seems simple enough, right? Yeah, it is. But it’s also so much more.

Perhaps fittingly, it really is “the little things” that make Pikmin such a special game. The five areas you get to explore each invoke a feeling of serenity, bursting at the seams with both the tranquil and violent aspects of nature’s beauty.

The predators aren’t even really enemies—they mind their own business in the wilderness and sometimes even sleep—until they catch your scent, when they will indeed assert their higher position on the food chain. Combine this with the underspoken yet quite soothing soundtrack, and the goofy noises just about every critter makes, and it’s really easy to find yourself immersed in this planet’s natural order.

Each of the three varieties of Pikmin you find have their own strengths. While you can create just about as many as you’d want, you can only deploy 100 on the field with you at any time.

28 Columns | Tīwae

This creates a fun micro-strategy of how many of each type to bring, who to keep with you while exploring, and who to carry resources back to base. That last part is especially important, as in order to keep a healthy pool of each Pikmin type, they need to harvest the wildlife; this means fighting predators, which likely means many a Pikmin death. Don’t forget, you also have that 30 day time limit, and I do mean day.

By nightfall, you must leave the planet’s surface, leaving behind any Pikmin who weren’t with you or at base. Unfortunately, these little friends will not survive the active predators at night.

If this went from sounding simple to stressful, don’t worry. Those 30 days of 13 minutes each is honestly plenty of leeway, and you don’t even need to recover all your ship parts to beat the game. Feel free to take your time learning the game’s mechanics at your own pace. Get lost in the charming—albeit visually 2001—world laid out before you, and learn about the ecosystem naturally through play and diegetic journal entries. Perhaps you’ll find a new comfort game in Pikmin (or its three sequels) and an appreciation for RTS games as a whole through its accessible yet deep take on the genre.

Pikmin was originally released on Nintendo Gamecube and later for Wii. It is also available on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 via the remaster Pikmin 1 + 2.

Gameplay: 9/10 Writing: 6/10 Aesthetic: 6/10

Hunk Unc may have hit the gym, but he’s still here for the people. If uni life has you stressed about flatmate drama, lecturer issues, or whatever is going on in your dating life, Hunk Unc has advice your parents definitely want to hear.

Equal parts wisdom and gains.

To submit a question, scan the QR code on the page. If your problem needs a spotter, Hunk Unc might just get back to you.

c !!! hunk un

e not ates ar I’m in m t a l f t My ople bu nice pe king one year a frea y with them. tenanc Do. I. Do???

What.

R

ight. Hunk Unc is putting his Unc Hunk pants on to answer this question, so expect fewer gym references and more actual advice today.

The first thing this Unc would suggest is going to the VUWSA Advocates. They’re a 100% confidential service run by the Student Association, and your fees pay for them, so you may as well make the most of it. They give advice to students in situations just like this and tailor it to your circumstances.

They can look at your lease and give you independent, specific guidance (a lot more than I can do here with limited information). You can email them at advocate@vuwa.org.nz, or go to the VUWSA website and fill in the form under the “Advocacy” heading.

You can also call Tenancy Services on 0800 836 262. They can give you direct advice too, and they’re the experts—this is literally what they’re paid to do.

Now, you might be thinking: “Unc, I want advice from you, not other people—why are you redirecting me?” Because, young grasshopper, part of growing up is knowing when to give advice and when to get help from people who know more than you. And these people? They know more than me.

But I can give you a bit of general guidance, and hopefully help anyone else in a similar situation.

First, check your lease. In NZ, there are two main types: periodic and fixed-term. Periodic tenancies roll over (usually weekly or monthly), and you can leave with notice. Fixedterm tenancies last for a set period, as stated in your contract.

From what you’ve said, you’re likely on a fixed term, which unfortunately means you’re usually committed until either: a. the term ends, or b. you find someone to replace you on the lease.

Some leases have break clauses, but these often involve a fee and usually require agreement from all flatmates—not just you.

So, let’s talk about your (likely) situation: stuck in a one-year fixed-term lease with terrible flatmates. That’s rough, and I’m sorry you’re dealing with it.

Here are a few options you could consider: Ask your flatmates if they know anyone who could take over your room (this does mean letting them know you want to leave).

Advertise your room on Vic Deals, “Flatmates Wanted Wellington,” and similar pages to find a replacement tenant.

Sublet your room until the end of the lease (personally, I wouldn’t recommend this—you’re still liable if things go wrong).

Stick it out, have a conversation with your flatmates, and try to set boundaries or improve the situation.

I can’t tell you which option is best because I don’t know the full picture—but again, that’s where the advocates come in.

Some things to think about: Have you tried talking to your flatmates and setting clear boundaries? Have you doublechecked your lease and fully understood your tenancy type?

Have you talked to friends or trusted people about what’s going on? Have you contacted Tenancy Services/VUWSA Advocates for advice?

In rare cases, you may be able to leave a fixed-term lease early—for example, in situations involving family violence— but this requires proper documentation and specific circumstances.

Listen, it’s a tough spot to be in, and I don’t envy you.

The best thing you can do is reach out to others, get advice from people who know more than me, and look after yourself as best you can.

It might also be worth asking some friends if you can crash at theirs for a night or two—just to clear your head and get a bit of space from a difficult situation.

If you’re ever feeling unsafe in your flat, it’s also worth contacting Te Herenga Waka’s Student Finance team. They can provide emergency hardship grants for students, which might help cover something like a motel stay or even temporary double rent if you need to get out quickly. That said, this support isn’t guaranteed, so it’s a good idea to book a consultation with one of their staff members first.

Tīwae | Columns

29

A FEED FOR F*CK ALL guy van egmond

Beyond Bites is in the corner of the stalls still open, to the right when you walk in. The two staff there were all smiles What: Sri-Lankan street food and even said they’d bring my meal out Price: $14.50–$15.50 to me at the table. Sucks that they can When: 9:00am–5:00pm, Mon-Sat offer this—that there’s little enough foot Tuck yourself away in here for an easy and traffic that everyone gets this time and care, instead of a buzzing fidget spinner comforting plate. to take to their table.

Beyond Bites

Capital Market on Willis Street has (I desperately hope) seen better days. I wouldn’t know, I’ve only ever walked past it. So have most people, which is part of the problem. The tightly shut windows of the stalls that back onto the street near Capital Hall don’t seem inviting. However, push through the heavy plastic flap-curtains next to Punjabi Cafe and you’ll find a very tidy little foodcourt.

A three-year-old Reddit post suggests this place is being run into the ground by its management, which isn’t hard to believe. Only half the stalls were operating and it’s an overwhelmingly pigeon-and-concrete space, like a parking garage in a cheap disguise. But there’s an air of steadfast dignity inside.

The shared dining space—formica tables and plastic chairs in bright, commercial colours—was actively kept clean and neat; the open stalls were all filled with approachable people bent over steaming stovetops. There were only a handful of families and travellers in on this Sunday evening, but a steady trickle of custom flowed in and out off the street.

30 Columns | Tīwae

I’m sure Sri-Lankans don’t mess about with spice, so I opted for my kottu ‘medium-spicy’. This was just enough to make me pause–strategically–as I ate, and go ‘hoo’ like an asthmatic owl every so often. It was the kind of spicy that I’d enjoy with a cool drink; if I wanted a quick bite to fuel me, I’d ask for ‘mild’ next time. However, a drink here is not a bank-breaking addition: they have soft Bites offers a range of Sri Lankan dishes: drink cans for $2.50 and bottles for a roti wraps, kottu, and fried rice, as well dollar more. For around $5, you could as three inexplicable pasta options. get a ceylon tea or a virgin mojito.

Aiming for a literally-middle-of-themenu option, I ordered a small Chicken In fact, a lot of their menu was quite Kottu, to go for something I’d never cheap; only four items were pushing had or heard of before. Described as $20. That said, a ‘Small’ is not a filling ‘classic Sri Lankan street food’, the kottu single-person’s serving, using only my was a mix of stir-fried roti pieces with single self as a frame of reference. For vegetables, egg, and spices with meat or a substantial meal next time, I’d pick a tofu. The Small portion would (allegedly) mild Vege Kottu, which I could bump feed one person, and set me back $15.50. up to Regular size and still only pay This turned out to be less value than I $14.50 for. hoped it would be.

It’s a peculiar place, Capital Market, I want to start by saying that the food, where you can be looked in the eye by albeit small, was great. Incredibly tender someone’s mother wielding a hot wok, chicken in a soft, savoury mix of onions, while also sitting in anonymity, out of carrot, egg, and chewy roti pieces soaked the wind and rain and away from the in curry gravy. It was similar to a mie traffic of the street. It’s a bit grubby, but goreng, but with bigger, fluffier flat bread it does what it needs to do with tenacity. noodles. There wasn’t much complexity to And of course, it struck me as a trove of the flavours of the spices but it was warm quality cheap feeds. Duck a head inside and a little oily, comforting despite the and see what you find; I’m definitely dreary surroundings. Having smiled with coming back. the chef herself behind the counter and found some very roughly chopped spring onions throughout, this easy-to-shoveldown meal felt almost like a home-cooked plate—something my grandma might put in front of me that I wouldn’t doubt for a second was delicious.

critic-at-LARGE Jackson McCarthy is Salient's Critic-at-Large. His first book of poetry, Portrait, is forthcoming from Auckland University Press later this year.

But It Feels So Real to Me Robyn’s Sexistential Often these days I find myself evangelising to my peers about the left-of-field Swedish pop rebel Robyn. If the name doesn’t ring a bell—which, despite her well-documented and wide-ranging influence (Britany Spears, Lorde, Charli xcx, Taylor Swift), is surprisingly often the case—all I have to do is sing a few lines from her 2010 sleeper hit, “Dancing on My Own”: “I’m in the corner / Watching you kiss her / Oh-oh-oh”. Everybody knows it. I mean, I started two different dancefloors at two different house parties with that song on Easter weekend alone.

(Yes, they were both with largely the same social circle. No, I’m not embarrassed. Yes, the trick works every time.) Those three famous lines— that’s Robyn’s entire aesthetic in a nutshell: alone, cornered, dumped; weirdly spying on her ex; and then releasing it all in wordless exclamation. Add to the sharp simplicity of her lyrics her oddball musical stylings—electro-pop melded with 90s eclecticism, a pinch of original 80s synthpop, and a fistful of hand-over-heart, pen-to-paper, honest-to-God balladeering—and the song is undeniable, uniquely Robyn’s. As Jia Tolentino summarises in her new, authoritative profile of the singer in the New Yorker, Robyn’s music often has “sorrow as the content, ecstasy as the form.”

Sexistenial is her ninth album, her first in eight years, and in some sense it’s a return to the electropop sound of that 2010 work on Body Talk, the album from which “Dancing on My Own” is drawn. But where Body Talk was something of a sprawl, encyclopaedic and nonlinear, both in its textual history—it was first released in three smaller EPs from which selections were made to form an album—and in its narrative form— its songs are sung by a number of ostensibly fictional narrators—Sexistential clocks in at a tight twenty-nine minutes. It also feels more strongly placed on its author’s voice, as the now forty-six-year-old Robyn, split for good from her long-term on-again-off-again partner, considers her singleness anew and decides to have a baby on her own, both IRL and on the album. In those senses, Sexistential follows her previous record, 2018’s Honey, quite fluently: another short, chronologically formed, semiautobiographical album. But where 2018’s Honey showed the singer’s new interest in the loops and hypnotics of club music, Robyn’s emphasis on Sexistential is on songs once again, plain and simple.

Well, there’s a bit of music history for you, kids—and that’s only considering her latest three projects, not mentioning the early period!— but what about the songs? I just adore the way they’re working here. “Sucker for Love” is an early favourite in the tracklist: replete with a moan in the chorus, I love its serious posturing, its insistence on not being misunderstood or

deemed a sentimental loser. “I used to have thicker skin / But I chose to let you in,” she sings on the bridge. And I love that she chose, willingly risking destruction—“Not a sucker / I’m a sucker for love.” Before that gets to be too much, the tracklist turns over to “It Don’t Mean a Thing”, and she declares something quite different— melancholic, even—as across its amazing, recitative-style verse melodies she discovers how much memory fails to capture of the past, how letting go is as much a choice as it is the only choice.

There’s another very great streak in the phonesex dancefloor romp of “Talk to Me”, the record’s second single, as it collides with the title track and is thrown into relief: “Fuck a app, I need me some IRL” is the killer opening bar of “Sexistential”. Robyn gets raunchy and funny here, horny on IVF, scrolling on dating apps, going out and feeling herself. But before you don your fascinator and clutch your pearls, let Robyn sing you back home on the next track, “Light Up”, with its stunning metaphors (“I was looking at you like a mirror / All I could make of the glitter / Was my mistakes” !!!) and the anthemic, stadium-ready longing of its chorus, “Baby light up / Light up the way to your heart.” Now that’s sexistential: that need for human connection through it all.

If anything’s missing on Sexistenial, it’s that 90s eclecticism I previously identified as a key aspect of Robyn’s style. The most eclectic thing here is the title track’s mom-rap—provocative enough, definitely (please see the alternately confused and awestruck YouTube comments under her recent SNL performance of the song). I guess there’s also some random Japanese vocal sample on “Blow My Mind”, but nothing quite as wacky as, for example, one of the Body Talk deep cuts, “Dancehall Queen”, in which Robyn and her producers lovingly appropriate Jamaican music for three minutes straight. That’s an aspect of the Robyn I love: an artist so sincere and straightup—gifted, too—that she’s able to flaunt her “bad” taste in a lowkey insane you-can’t-cancelme tease.

But why rag on an album as front-to-back brilliant as Sexistential, Jackson, for what it’s not, when what it is is so good? Maybe there’s a nuttiness missing here, but when Robyn talks, you shut up and listen. Earlier I mentioned the “sharp simplicity” of her lyrics, and, for me, this often manifests in a kind of sage-like quality, a quality that persists even over some of those earlier 2010 tracks in which she didn’t have a hand in writing the lyrics directly. Sexistential’s lead single, “Dopamine”, runs on this high, sage, gnomic articulacy. Spread over a massive synth pad, a bassy vocal sample, and saw-tooth synths and arpeggiators passing up and down pass filters, Robyn’s melody rides in on a clear stream, speech-like and deceptively simple: “I know it’s just dopamine / But it feels so real to me / I’m tripping on our chemistry / It’s firing up inside

of me / I just need to know / That I’m not alone.”

There’s a constant turning over of the line, of meaning, in a search not for resolution but for complexity. Robyn has never made anyone feel less heartbroken, just better about being heartbroken—we’re not dead yet.

Not to get too sexistential or anything, but for just about my entire life, I’ve been told to stop overthinking, to stop overanalysing, to just get over it. As it happens, me and my friend, the one who really switched me on to Robyn, dated for three-and-a-half months last year. Just three-and-a-half months! But the truth is that there are still days from September, October, November—days in which I must have done plenty of things, seen plenty of friends, gone to classes, and cooked meals—when most of what I remember is his face. Robyn is the pop star who never gets over anything, who hurtles toward conclusions only to loop around and give things another go, who sighs, cries, then white-girl raps her way back to strength, who lets it all hang out, because she knows deep down that sorrow shared is sorrow halved. So of course she’s a sucker for love, not because she’s a fool, but because there are too many things in this world that can’t be so easily gotten over, not least the world itself; too many feelings that can’t be helped or neatly resolved, only released.

want to get in touch, tip me off, or rage at me electronically? jackson@salient.org.nz

Tīwae | Columns

31

Mario Kart but Electric Scooters Within the span of a week, I’ll be trying to accomplish a long-term task just to see if it’s possible, and to see what I can get out of it. Life lessons? Skills? Resilience training? The stimulation alone should be enough motivation.

A story my dad will never stop bringing up is how, when I was nine, I managed to crash our homemade Go-Cart into a local Primary School building. From that point on, I realized I have zero fear when it comes to vehicular speeds. Moving to Welly, I left my car at home and relied on public transport, yet felt impatient—I had a need for speed. That’s why I quickly opted to use the electric Flamingo scooters littered around the city. I am proud to say I am one of those knobs that barrel past you on a scooter. However, in early March, a newcomer entered the ring that hadn’t been seen since 2018: Lime Scooters. Being a longtime Flamingo fan, I decided to enact a perilous mission: Discovering which electric scooter is ultimately better.

I wanted to know a few things: How quickly can you get between all three Victoria University Campuses? What’s the distance between them? And how cheap can it be? This meant that I would be bouncing between Pipitea, Kelburn, and Te Aro in different orders on both electric scooters. Considering that there’s six different combinations to visit each campus and two kinds of scooters, that meant I was about to go on twelve scooter rides. Each track, I would find a fully-charged Flamingo or Lime scooter near campus, start the ride, then travel to the other two campuses as quickly as I could. I decided to enact all my rides in the dead of night on a Sunday, as there was barely any traffic around— meaning I could commit road violations to my heart's content.

Will at Pipitea with a Flamingo Budgeting for this was no easy feat either, and involved a bit of math. Both scooter companies charge a $1.00 unlock fee as soon as you start the ride, then charge money the longer you’re driving.

Flamingo charges $0.55 a minute, with Lime charging less at $0.49.

However, both scooter companies offer discounted options. Flamingo has both a Student Discount and a Community Discount plan, both free to join for students or Community Service Card holders. The Community plan gave me 50% off essentially for free! Lime, however, has a subscription model where if you pay $4.99 a month, all your rides below 20 minutes are only $3.00. Stupidly, I didn’t end up using “LimePrime”. I probably should have for the sake of the challenge, but didn’t want another subscription to deal with.

Driving the scooters around the city, I quickly felt the differences between the two brands. Flamingos are very light and dexterable. Limes are more heavy and beefy, but great for steep hills. Flamingos aren’t great for that, and have an acceleration speed cap of only 26km/hr, which is shown on the handlebars. Weirdly, Lime doesn’t allow you to see how fast you can go, which feels a bit dangerous and shady. Lime also doesn’t seem to have an emergency brake if you go downhill too fast, which luckily the Flamingos do have. But if you’re not lucky and choose to go downhill too fast on Bolton Street without braking, you’ll run the risk of crashing into Volco Cafe… which I admittedly almost did each time I headed to Pipitea.

32 Columns | Tīwae

A real picture of Will doing the famous “Akira Slide” on a Flamingo Scooter.

At the time of my challenge, I mentioned in passing to a friend that I was trying to see which scooter would be faster, and was disappointed that Lime scooters seemed speedier than Flamingos.

He mentioned, “you know you can get up past the Flamingo speed cap, right?” Turns out, he gave me a real-life cheat code to reach up to 32km/ hr on a Flamingo scooter. Some generations of the Flamingo models have a flaw in their speed blocking, so if you lightly grab the brakes the software deactivates the speed limit as it thinks it's going to slow down and doesn’t want to be redundant. This flaw mixed with a steep hill would give the ability to reach well past the Flamingo limit!

Going through with riding around on the dinky scooters, I did run into some problems. When starting a lap at a campus, there would never be any scooters around Pipitea. Or Kelburn. Or sometimes even Te Aro! I think it’s a little ridiculous that the main group of people I see riding the scooters are students, yet there’s no designated parking spots near the campuses. Another problem was that I couldn’t follow the same route every time, and had to take some detours. For example, I couldn’t scoot up Mount Street when passing Kelburn (obviously), but I could certainly scoot down it if I was starting at Kelburn and heading to Te Aro. The largest problem with each course was always getting to Kelburn campus.

I’m eternally annoyed that they decided to situate an institute of learning at the top of a mountain, and made this challenge a literal uphill battle.

Conclusion: In the end, I found out that the faster option turned out to be the Lime scooters, with my quickest time visiting all campuses taking only 7 minutes and 28 seconds! However, even if I did subscribe to LimePrime, Flamingo proved to be the cheaper option—a Community Service ride from Te Aro > Kelburn > Pipitea is only $2.83! So ultimately, I think Flamingo is better and less likely to kill you. Overall, I spent $55.80 on electric scooter rides this week, which is only a third of what I spent on coffee when I tried every flat white on Cuba St. Surprisingly, I ended this challenge with no broken bones, and only slightly less of a dent in my wallet! It’s still probably cheaper than dealing with the fossil fuel crisis.

Lime

LIME (Standard Price) LIME (Standard Price) Campus Course Campus Course

Cost Cost

Time Time

Standard price

Kelburn > Pipitea > Te Aro Kelburn > Pipitea > Te Aro

$7.27 $7.27

12:53 sec 12:53 sec

3.5km 3.5km

Te Aro > Kelburn > Pipitea Te Aro > Kelburn > Pipitea

$4.92 $4.92

07:28 sec 07:28 sec

2.5km 2.5km

Pipitea > Te Aro > Kelburn Pipitea > Te Aro > Kelburn

$6.39 $6.39

10:39 sec 10:39 sec

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Kelburn > Te Aro > Pipitea Kelburn > Te Aro > Pipitea

$6.88 $6.88

11:17 sec 11:17 sec

3.1km 3.1km

Pipitea > Kelburn > Te Aro Pipitea > Kelburn > Te Aro

$4.92 $4.92

07:51 sec 07:51 sec

3.0km 3.0km

Te Aro > Pipitea > Kelburn Te Aro > Pipitea > Kelburn

$5.80 $5.80

09:41 sec 09:41 sec

3.5km 3.5km

FLAMINGO (Community Service Discount) FLAMINGO (Community Service Discount) Campus Course Cost Campus Course Cost

Time Time

Quickest Route Quickest Route

Kelburn > Pipitea > Te Aro Kelburn > Pipitea > Te Aro

$3.33 $3.33

10:28 sec 10:28 sec

3.5km 3.5km

Te Aro > Kelburn > Pipitea Te Aro > Kelburn > Pipitea

$2.83 $2.83

08:37 sec 08:37 sec

2.5km 2.5km

Pipitea > Te Aro > Kelburn Pipitea > Te Aro > Kelburn

$3.36 $3.36

12:26 sec 12:26 sec

3.3km 3.3km

Kelburn > Te Aro > Pipitea Kelburn > Te Aro > Pipitea

$3.17 $3.17

09:53 sec 09:53 sec

3.1km 3.1km

Pipitea > Kelburn > Te Aro Pipitea > Kelburn > Te Aro

$3.40 $3.40

10.44 sec 10.44 sec

3.0km 3.0km

Te Aro > Pipitea > Kelburn Te Aro > Pipitea > Kelburn

$3.53 $3.53

11:14 sec 11:14 sec

3.5km 3.5km

Flamingo Community Service Discount

Quickest Route Quickest Route

T SALIEN

Oh Yes, Oh No is where sex stories go to be judged. Was it hot? Was it a disaster?

You decide. All stories are submitted by readers, published anonymously, and guaranteed to make you say 'oh yes' or 'oh no'. Scan the QR code to submit your own and see if it makes the cut.

A D V I SCOONTRENYT EXPLICIT

turnt… s getting a little e) and okay I wa els or but I ere flo e wh , nc da Ivy e finger me on th s out in town (at to wa I ed t tri gh e ting ni sh e tex d s on Sooo ing out an my house.” She wa l, we started mak “let’s go back to and e ed us est ho gg r I met this cute gir su he e to sh We get back ere cowboy,” so think much of it. m and things was like “woah th ds me to a bedroo e uber but I didn’t th lea e in Sh . lot a all s d ate an y tmates walk wa fla or ! her flatm do O! e th TW in en t - making ou great time, and th a g vin went home ha I l ’re tensions are high gir we e to leave, but th giving me head, rt e’s sta Sh d t. an fas e d gis s get ate olo ate get he ey ap and her flatm p and cover up. Th ing led to another g on, th e in go On .” in in in and I sort of jum tra e al m or it’s okay please co int there was an po no e o “n on think s at do say I say th t ich wi Let’s jus ay with me, wh honestly so hot. ed if this was ok ably would ask ob ’t pr sn involved. It was ah wa I ye y, d stl an style. Hone stly loved it Human Centipede HOWEVER I hone ht thing to do… rig e th en be e d’v woul Lesbians. do it again. I Love onmous

submitted by an

In the beginning of the year me and thi s girl met on tinde matching each oth r and decided to ho ers freak and it wa ok up, we were s swell! She decided her flatmates were that I can come ove gone for the weeken r to her house becau d.

I was obviously exc a funny personality se ited because she wa so got myself groom s gorgeous and had ed up all nice and if I knew what await sexy and kicking my ed me in that room feet. HOWEVER, I would have turne decided to get down d away. When I cam to business. Everythi e in we talked and ng was going good it, I decided that she she was as riding me can ride my face so and she was into I can give her oral.

Big mistake… it wa s going good and she finished. But when about a little water she finished she squ Im talking about AL irted, im not talkin OT of water. It went I felt like I got water g on my face, in my boarded and I couldn eye and in my mouth ’t breathe it when warning and I chok . straight down my ed. I felt like it wa throat without s gonna die in those not know someone three seconds of wa could squirt so much terboarding. I did ! I choked and pushe and LAUGHED. LA d her off quickly an UGHED AT MY PA d she said sorry IN? I tried brushing it tasted bad :( I we it off but I couldn’t, nt to the bathroom it stung my eye an and washed it off an up her sheets and d d she gave me water herself, I notice my and went to clean eyes were red especi pressure of the wa ally my left eye pro ter or maybe that jus bably because of the t what happens wh stinging sensation? en you get squirt in Maybe Chlorine? I ur eye, it felt like… spent minutes and them and my mouth mi nu tes trying to fix my to get the taste out eyes and rinse while she awkward ly watched.

I ended up sleeping on the couch that night while she sle basically saying “So pt in the bed, I we rry if the squirting nt home and got a put you off ! I thoug that is my bad. Let’s text ht you wouldn’t ha meet up again soon” ve a problem with I wo I don’t think I’ll me uldn’t mind the squ it, ssage her again. irting if she told me before hand. submitted by anon mous

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you fill me up 38 People counted, for short 39 One more member 1 Sea duck known for of Santa’s famous team, diving deep for its meals homophonically speaking 6 Baldwin who’s appeared 40 Structural support in in more than enough many modern buildings productions to recognize 42 Dept. that can get busy 10 High places where on a weekend night streams begin collecting 43 Low dam built to snowmelt, abbr. control water levels 14 Small movement that 45 Clear-headed and steady can creep into one’s habits 46 Rodeo event all about 17 Transit org. that keeps precision and speed Chicago’s trains and buses 49 Brew served in many busy Asian tea traditions 18 Prefix in words relating 51 “More,” when elocuted to fragrant substances formally in some contexts 19 French surname found 52 Poet’s name in the line in film and literary credits “___ Ben Adhem” 20 Botanical ending seen in 53 Body part that can end names of orchid groups up ringing after a loud 21 American law that show expands access in public 54 Huge Las Vegas event spaces showcasing new tech 22 Author of classic 55 Loud bursts of sound “upward mobility” tales or energy 25 Directing attention 57 Old-timer with firmly toward settled habits 27 NBA player Ray, known 59 Shelter in French for adding to the scoreboard mountain regions 28 Expanse covering most 61 Boxing great with a of the planet storied record 29 Top-notch, in old62 Variant with its own fashioned terms spellings and vocabulary 31 French phrase meaning 65 Loans secured by “among others” property, for short 32 Dish prepared with 68 American telecom giant finely chopped raw with long customer lists ingredients 69 Finally encounter 36 Places you might someone equally capable navigate by number, abbr. 71 Actress Long celebrated >

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101 Sean who starred in Rudy and The Goonies 103 Decorative band in architecture 104 Asian river with a major historical basin 105 One navigating the years between childhood and adulthood 108 Strikebreaker 110 Musical note on the solfège scale 113 By way of 115 Brew served at pubs 116 As far as a process can be pushed 117 U.S. agency that audits federal spending 118 Org. for legal professionals in the U.S.

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OVERDOSEPREVENTION

PSYCHEDELICS

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If you have a story, confession, or experience you’d like to share—whether it’s an anonymous crush, workplace drama, or something else entirely—you may submit it using the QR code below.

So what's the tea this week?

My boyfriend at the time was acting weird while I was away and I could tell something was up but tried to just brush it off. During this time he had a party at his &UHDWHG XVLQJ WKH :RUG 6HDUFK *HQHUDWRU RQ house. Fast forward a few weeks him and I had a talk 6XSHU 7HDFKHU :RUNVKHHWV ZZZ VXSHUWHDFKHUZRUNVKHHWV FRP that ultimately ended in us breaking up. Then, like a month later, I found out that not only did he have a threesome at that party, but it was with the two girls he claimed he “hated” and found “really annoying”. Oh, and I also found this out on my birthday during my party.

- anonymous

36 Puzzles | Panga

8

sign of the week

Welcome to the puzzle page from Puzzhead, your resident Puzzler.

These puzzles are provided to be fun and challenging. The Salient team and our contributors aim for accuracy, but occasional errors may occur. If you notice an error, you may write to editor@salient.org.nz. Please note that our puzzlers and contributors are doing their best, and none are professionals or working on these puzzles full time. For the word find, words may appear diagonally and backwards. To access solutions for the crosswords and connections puzzles, scan the QR code next to Puzzhead.

examine (medical) · āta titiro(hia)

set square x

= 68

+

x +

= 5

To solve a Set Square, use arithmetic and logical reasoning. You are given a grid containing six sums: three reading across and three reading down. The arithmetic operations (division, multiplication, addition, and subtraction) are shown between the grid spaces. Place each of the numbers 1 to 9 exactly once into the grid so that all six sums are correct. Note that calculations are carried out in left-to-right order, not according to BEDMAS.

x x = 8

= 2

8 = 16 = 32

connections To solve connections, group the sixteen words into four sets of four based on a shared connection.

Each word belongs in only one group. Continue until all four groups are identified.

On our website, the groupings are uploaded one at a time, so if you get stuck, you can view the answer for a single connection without revealing the full solution.

word wheel

W H

To solve Word Wheels, form words of four letters or more using the letters in the nine-letter wheel. Every word must include the central letter. Each letter may be used only as many times as it appears in the wheel. The aim is to find as many valid words as possible from the target word list, including the nineletter word that uses all the letters.

E I

R

T H

T E

37 possible words

MERCURY

BASIL

CHISEL

EAGLE

SAGE

SAW

JAGUAR

FILLING

PLANE

RAM

MINT

CAP

CROWN

FILE

BRIDGE

DILL

would you rather? the ng letters in 1. Have missi ? ch d sear Salient wor

OR

u's alient sudok 2. All the S ? le are unsolvab

VOTE

Last weeks results:

_

27%

1. Own a mini Salient editor to proofread emails?

2. Own a mini Salient designer to draw portraits?

73%

NOW! Panga | Puzzles

37

taurus

aries

I know you love comfort, but growth’s outside it—do one slightly scary thing today.

You’re feeling bold today—go for it, but maybe don’t react instantly to everything.

Do: hardware, pier, anticipation Don’t: accumulation, acceptable, tortilla

Do: pause, quotation, race Don’t: hover, suspicion, estimate

virgo

leo

You’re nitpicking again—finish the thing.

It doesn’t need to be perfect, just done.

You’re the main character today—just don’t be a dick about it, yeah?

Do: researcher, fund, candidate Don’t: sustain, wait, behead

Do: remind, second, buy Don’t: address, plug, message

sagittarius You’re bored—switch something up. Even a tiny bit of impulsivity will help, honestly.

Do: axis, conception, manual Don’t: compartment, nail, gold

38

Horoscopes

capricorn You’re grinding hard— love that, but don’t forget you’re allowed to rest too.

Do: movement, difference, tray Don’t: compliance, arrange, accent

Strange travellers from distant constellations have beamed you up to the Mothership to deliver some good news and hard truths.

Consider the gravity of their words.

gemini

cancer

You’re chatting heaps—good, but actually listen too.

Not everything needs overthinking right now.

Feelings are loud today; protect your peace, but don’t completely shut everyone out.

Do: respectable, medieval, voice Don’t: necklace, name, cabin

Do: tree, assertive, page Don’t: activity, history, allowance

scorpio

libra

You’re intense today—channel it into something useful, not starting random beef on Vic Deals.

Babe, pick something.

Sitting on the fence all day isn’t helping anyone, especially you.

Do: expansion, scene, explode Don’t: spread, productive, decoration

Do: if, snarl, energy Don’t: slot, tropical, coast

aquarius You’ve got a million ideas—pick one. You’re not required to do everything at once.

Do: legislature, headline, crystal Don’t: service, bark, panic

pisces Your gut’s saying something—listen to it, but don’t fully drift off into fantasy land.

Do: register, fine, entitlement Don’t: x-ray, lawyer, greet

Current constellation

TAURUS April 20 May 20

Horoscopes

39

Taking drugs?

Quick tips to help you stay safer Be in the know Know what to expect, dosage and danger signs to avoid a bad time.

Get it checked It’s easy to find out what’s in your drugs at a free, legal and confidential drug checking clinic. Find one near you at thelevel.org.nz Measure your doses Visit thelevel.org.nz to find out how much people commonly take.

Have someone with you Let them know what you’re taking so they can get help if something goes wrong.

Take care if you’re mixing drugs This includes alcohol, medication and supplements. Mixing drugs can cause unpredictable effects.

Drink water Dehydration can be dangerous and can make a comedown or hangover much worse.

Plan beforehand to stay safer Organise a way to get home safely, pack condoms for safer sex and clear your schedule the next day.

Take breaks during and between sessions This gives your body and brain time to recover.

From acid to Xanax, The Level has straight up drug info to help you stay safer, make changes or find support.